Shootouts Become Sticky Situation

The NHL closed a gaping hole in its shootout procedures when it amended its rules to stipulate that each shooter’s stick must be measured by a referee before that shooter takes his turn.

But it reopened an old debate over the curvature of sticks, perhaps setting the stage for the return of the exaggerated “banana blades” popularized by Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull in the 1960s before limits were imposed on the extent of curves.

In its haste to start the season after achieving labor peace last July, the NHL made no provision for teams to request stick measurements during the shootout, leading players to grumble that some of their peers were using illegal lumber.

A measurement procedure was approved during the Olympic break and took effect on Feb. 28, with the addendum that any team that had three shooters disqualified for using an illegal stick would lose a turn in the shootout.

The first player caught was Jaromir Jagr of the New York Rangers, and he was actually nabbed twice in a game against Atlanta: he was penalized during overtime for using an excessively curved blade, and was prohibited from taking a turn in the shootout when officials found that his replacement stick also was illegal.

The Rangers claimed referee Don Koharski hadn’t measured the stick properly and TV commentator John Davidson suggested that Jagr, a native of the Czech Republic, is accustomed to a larger curve than NHL rules allow. The NHL limits the curve to half an inch -- down from 1 1/2 inches in 1967-68 -- and International Ice Hockey Federation rules allow a curve of 1.5 centimeters, or six-tenths of an inch.

Colin Campbell, the NHL’s director of hockey operations, backed Koharski’s actions and use of the measuring gauge.

“The difficult aspect to this is determining where the heel is,” Campbell said. “A lot of players shave down their sticks at the heel in a way to not only make it difficult to determine where the heel is, but it also allows the measuring device to somewhat sink deeper so that it ‘fools’ the measuring device....

“There could be variances from ref to ref, but that is only if it is really close, and if you know they are going to measure, why risk it?”

Campbell also said general managers have discussed stick curvatures and might present formal recommendations for modifications to the competition committee.

“Is it time to allow unlimited curves? Is it time to increase the NHL’s curve to the ‘larger’ curve allowed by the IIHF, or leave this alone?” Campbell said. “Also, perhaps the penalty should be more severe when using an illegal stick.”

Ron Wilson, coach of the San Jose Sharks, said he was amused by the Rangers’ complaints.

“Players don’t know how to measure sticks,” Wilson said. “That’s like getting a speeding ticket and claiming the cop didn’t use the speed gun properly. It’s like saying, ‘That’s not how I use my speed gun at home.’ It was laughable.”

But the damage a hugely curved blade can inflict isn’t funny.

“You can make that puck do anything. It dips and curves. It’s like throwing a spitball. You’re not going to hurt a goaltender anymore, but unless you make everyone wear visors, guys are going to get hurt,” Wilson said. “You protect goaltenders, you protect the crowd [with nets], but you don’t protect skaters....

“We’ve got to stand up and say it, ‘This is illegal.’ I feel the same way about steroids. It’s laughable when I hear it said that guys need to use these sticks because they are used to them and the players want them. It’s like the goaltender equipment, this is about integrity.”

King center Craig Conroy called the rule limiting curves “stupid.” He added, “Who cares how big a curve you have on your stick? You think the fans do? They want to see Jagr take the shot. You ask the players and 95% will say those sticks should be legal. Aren’t we trying to increase goal scoring, isn’t that what all the rule changes are about?”

King goalie Mathieu Garon agreed. “Goaltenders use illegal equipment, why not let the players use illegal sticks,” he said.

But no King goalie has overly large pads or gloves. “Not here,” he said.

This shapes up as an interesting and contentious debate.

Not a Great Season for Great One

Despite a difficult season marred by his team’s fade, the deaths of his mother and grandmother and the alleged involvement of pal Rick Tocchet in an illegal gambling operation, Wayne Gretzky wants to coach the Coyotes again next season.

“I’m inclined to return,” he said. “ ... We have a transition of ownership at this point in time so I haven’t had an opportunity to sit with the new group, but it hasn’t been because they haven’t tried or we haven’t tried. The Olympics were on, and all that kind of stuff. We’ll sit down at some point in the next little bit.”

Jerry Moyes, the Coyotes’ majority investor, has been negotiating with Steve Ellman, the club’s chairman, to restructure the ownership of the Coyotes and the Westgate business-residential complex around the Glendale Arena. Moyes is expected to end up owning the hockey club and Ellman owning the Westgate complex.

Gretzky said he had no illusions about coaching being glamorous.

“Coming into this I knew this was going to be a marathon, not a sprint,” he said. “Probably in the first 50 games we far exceeded the expectations of the hockey world and then when that happens, as you gain momentum, the expectations become higher. We got to a certain point and we have to get beyond that now.

“I knew coming in, it was going to be tough. And I knew the hours were going to be long and it has been. But I looked forward to that and I’m enjoying it. I like coaching and it’s great to be around.”

Slap Shots

Maybe the altitude in Denver got to Avalanche General Manager Pierre Lacroix, who compared his acquisition of goalie Jose Theodore to his trade for Patrick Roy in December 1995.

“He’s 29 years old and his best years are ahead of him. Our hockey people are convinced of that,” Lacroix told reporters. “There’s only one Patrick Roy, but this is a guy who has a lot of similarities.”

Both are French-Canadian goalies who were railroaded out of Montreal. Both won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player. But Roy had won two Stanley Cup championships, and Theodore has none. Roy won two more rings in Colorado, which Theodore isn’t likely to do.

The Nassau Coliseum, home of the Islanders since 1972, suffered an estimated $1 million in damage over the weekend when a sewage pipe burst, destroying the team’s weight room and flooding the locker room. Repairs aren’t likely to be complete by the next home game on March 21.

Fill in your own punch line about which stinks more, the Islanders or their arena.