NHL: Northwest Division Preview

Between 1982 and 1996, the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche combined to win six Stanley Cups and make ten Finals appearances. The Avs are still one of the league's elite, but they haven't been back to the Finals since winning it all in their first season in Denver, 1996. Since then, the Oilers have pulled off a couple of shocking first-round upsets, but all in all, the Minnesota Wild have had about as much playoff success recently as the three Western Canadian teams. If that name doesn't sound too familiar to a casual hockey fan, it's because the Wild will make their NHL debut this Friday night. Woe, Canada!

PLAYER TO WATCH, NORTHWEST DIVISION Ray Bourque, defenseman, Colorado O.K., so this is no scoop. Ever since he went to Colorado at the trading deadline, the "Win One For Ray" campaign has been going full force like he was Susan Lucci on skates. (And by the way, what the hell was that hubbub all about? It’s a bleedin’ SOAP OPERA! Who cares if she finally won a Daytime Emmy? They give those to anyone! My cousin Colin won one for his home movies of his dumpy kids. Sorry, just had to get that one off my chest. Now back to hockey.) If it doesn't happen this year for Bourque, it probably never will, so you can understand if the pressure makes him a little cranky at time this year. Or maybe, it'll just be the spectre of turning the big 4-oh, which he'll do this December. But don't fit him for the rocking chair yet. Bourque was rejuvenated by the chance to play for a Cup contender and be a part of the Avs' lethal power play. After scoring only 38 points in 65 games in Beantown, he scored 23 in 27 regular season and playoff games in Colorado. Must be the altitude. But can Bourque keep that going over a full season and an extended playoff run? The Avalanche is banking on it, having signed the future Hall-of-Famer to an extension and dealing fellow defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh in the off-season.

Ray Bourque's quest isn't the only reason for the sense of urgency cloaking the COLORADO AVALANCHE. Captain Joe Sakic, the longest serving team member, is a free agent after the season after failing to come to terms on a contract extension. An in-season trade isn't out of the question, especially if the team struggles early and doesn't clinch the division by Christmas, like it should. The legend of Patrick Roy will grow early this season when he passes Terry Sawchuk for first in all-time wins by a goalie, but he’s 36 and has been out-dueled by Ed Belfour in the playoffs two years in a row. The confident Roy still talks the talk (and to himself,) but with promising backup Marc Denis off to Columbus, he’d better be able to play like it’s 1993. Elsewhere on this team, the stars are still shining bright. Peter Forsberg might be the second most talented player in the league, and he’s as nasty as he is good. Adam Foote does a fine Chris Pronger impression most nights, and nobody has more young stars than the Avs’ contingent of Milan Hejduk, Chris Drury, Alex Tanguay and Martin Skoula, to name four. They’ll still be a fine team next year, just maybe not Cup-worthy. The time is now in Denver.

In EDMONTON, the OILERS wish the time was 1988. But that’s when they traded Marty McSorley to L.A. and they just haven’t been the same since. Oh, and there was that Wayne guy, too. This past off-season, another Oilers’ legend left for the bright lights of the big city. G.M. Glen Sather, the last link to the team’s glory days, left for the Rangers after failing to get along with the Oilers’ 37 owners. (Can’t blame him, don’t most of us have enough trouble getting along with one boss?) New G.M., and former Oiler player and coach, Kevin Lowe has already one-upped Sather by stopping a recent trend and getting everyone signed before the season starts. 28-goal scorer Ryan Smyth recently signed on the dotted line. In past years, the Oil have gotten off to slow starts, thanks to holdouts by team leaders like Doug Weight and Bill Guerin. Hopefully, goalie Tommy Salo has no such plans, although he’s so quiet, it’s hard to know. Last year, Salo’s play said a mouthful, culminating in a much-deserved all-star selection.

The CALGARY FLAMES came close to leaving town this off-season, bailed out only by a last-minute season-ticket campaign. But if the team doesn’t find its way into the playoffs this year, Calgarians may respond again – by packing the team’s luggage and giving them a drive to the airport. It’s been twelve seasons since the Flames won a playoff series, and five since they even made the post-season. Mike Vernon was in the crease for that last playoff series win, which happened to be the ’89 Cup clincher at the Montreal Forum. Vernon returns to Calgary to push the incumbent, Fred Braithwaite, who played like Gump Worsley in the first half and Forrest Gump in the second as the playoffs slipped away. (Nopt the best analogy, but I just love bringing up Gump Worlsey.) Whoever gets the call will have an inconsistent defense in front of them. Phil Housley continues to be one of the best two-way players in the league, considering his 55 points and minus-12 rating create offense for both teams. When it comes to offense up front, Valeri Bure leads the way, as he continues to follow in big brother Pavel’s skates. Now if only Jagr and Belfour had kid brothers too…

Hey, did somebody say “kid brothers?” Step right up, the VANCOUVER CANUCKS are about to unveil the best brother act since Jermaine, Tito, Jackie, Marlon and little Michael. Swedish twins (Aren’t those two words alone worth the price of admission?) Henrik and Daniel Sedin are set to make their NHL debut, provided they don’t get caught up in any “Parent Trap”-like shenanigans. The second and third selections in the 1998 entry draft (don’t ask me which was which,) the Sedins are considered the best forward prospects in the world yet to play on the NHL stage. They should help replace departed captain Mark Messier on the ice, if not in the art of scaring your team-mates into playing better. One of the youngest teams in the league will now depend on its big three on defense to lead by example. Mattias Ohlund, Ed Jovanovski and Adrian Aucoin are strong, young and multi-talented. Ohlund especially deserves credit for coming back from a scary eye injury last preseason in time to play a big part in the Canucks’ run at a playoff spot. This year, Vancouver’s young talent could make that run a successful one.

The MINNESOTA WILD (Seriously, enough of the stupid non-plural nicknames, O.K.?) are not exactly stocked with young talent. In fact, their best player is probably their coach, Hall of Famer Jacques Lemaire, who retired in 1980. Minny will probably be even less successful than expansion-mates Columbus this season, and Columbus is - how can I put this so the censors don’t come after me - really stinky. The Wild’s goaltending tandem of Manny Fernandez and Jamie McLennan is very inexperienced, although Fernandez does bring something extra to the rink, being Lemaire’s nephew and all. Uncle Jacques is an outstanding hockey mind, and eventually he and first-ever Wild draft pick Marian Gaborik should turn this team into one the hockey-loving region of Minnesota will rally behind. But at this writing, the leading goal-scorer from last season in camp with the Wild is Sergei Krivokrasov. His 1999-2000 total? Ten goals. Krivokrasov was traded by Nashville and left exposed in the expansion draft by Calgary, two of the most offensively-challenged teams in the league. The defence rests, your honour. And in Minnesota, apparently, so does the offense.

Next, the final division preview takes us to the Pacific, home of the two-time defending Western Conference champs, the Dallas Stars.