WANTED - THE NHL'S TERRIBLE 10 ( by THN )
The Hockey Newssin tämän kauden numerossa 28 ( ilm. maaliskuu 22. ) rankataan tämän hetken NHL:n 10 vihatuinta pelaajaa, eli pelaajat, jotka kuka tahansa ottaisi koska tahansa omaan joukkueeseen, mutta joita kukaan ei halua kohdata. Seuraavassa lista kokonaisuudessaan ja pieni insertti kyseisestä pelaajasta;
1. Bryan Marchment - San Jose Sharks
RAP SHEET: Legendary. Al Capone, Billy the kidd and Idi Amon rolled into one. Notorious for knee-on-knee hits. Had a six-game suspension earlier this season and most recently a two-game suspension for his third instigator penalty of the season. No less than nine suspensions in his career.
THE FLIP SIDE: Extremely shy. One of the most active Sharks in off-ice charitable works. Loves to fish.
2. Matthew Barnaby - New York Rangers
RAP SHEET: Moved seamlessly from gritty, role player caricature. The master of jabbering at opponents from behind officials' backs. Would talk to a park bench as long as it talked back. Suspended last season for altercation with 55-year-old Florida fan following a pummeling at the hands of Panther forward Peter Worrell.
THE FLIP SIDE: Tallied 13 points in 15 playoff games during Buffalo's march to 1998 conference final.
3. Darius Kasparaitis - Colorado Avalanche
RAP SHEET: Fearless. Many would say fearsome. Low, devastating hits often blur line between hockey aggravated assault. Will be one of the most sought-after players come trade deadline if ruled an unrestricted free agent. Leads NHL in hits this season.
THE FLIP SIDE: Says he prays for players injured by his hits. Kissed perplexed teammate on the helmet during "kiss cam" promotion in Toronto earlier this season.
4. Ed Belfour - Dallas Stars
RAP SHEET: Unrepentant after trying to castrate Detroit's Martin Lapointe during 1998 conference final. Recently assaulted defenseless televisions, VCR and radio in visitors' dressing room in Vancouver. Not particularly pleasent to understudies Jeff Hackett and Dominik Hasek in Chicago. And then there's the whole "billion dollar" situation with the Dallas police.
THE FLIP SIDE: Supports Make A Wish Foundation; the logo adorns his mask.
5. Donald Brashear - Philadelphia Flyers
RAP SHEET: Had the ultimate thug's night out earlier this season, pounding Tie Domi twice and scoring the winning goal against the Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. People forget it was Brashear's tasteless taunting of the Bruins bench that prompted Marty McSorley to go Lizzie Borden on Brashear's head. Described by Vancouver writers as "Mr. Warmth." They were kidding.
THE FLIP SIDE: Flyers went 14-2-0-0 after acquiring him. Accomplished piano player.
6. Vaclav Varada - Buffalo Sabres
RAP SHEET: Newcomer to dastardly list. Suspended for incidents 15 days apart this season. Submarined Habs netminder Jose Theodore near the boards ( one game ), prompting vicious attempt at retribution from Doug Gilmour. Then butt-ended Eric Lindros in the eye ( three games ), prompting Theo Fleury, without any respect for irony, to call play "an embarrassment to the game".
THE FLIP SIDE: Seems genuinely perplexed that his actions enrage opponents.
7. Chris Chelios - Detroit Red Wings
RAP SHEET: Whispered sweet nothings in Theo Fleury's ear, sending the combustible forward off deep end prior to Olympics. Often seems confused; axe, stick, axe, stick. Remember Ron Hextall racing from his goal to the blueline in an attemt to blocker Chelios into coma during 1989 playoffs?
THE FLIP SIDE: At age 40 may win his fourth Norris Trophy. Pivotal role in U.S. team's ascension to gold medal game in Salt Lake City.
8. Matt Cooke - Vancouver Canucks
RAP SHEET: Another newcomer who has, in the spirit of Ken Linseman quickly assembled a long list of players gunning for his head ( or various other body parts ). Suckerpunch left Jason Marshall of the Wild with a broken nose. Marshall then spent most of following encounter in fruitless pursuit of Cooke. Vilifield by the Oilers.
THE FLIP SIDE: Telling quote: " I wouldn't want to play against myself. "
9. Tie Domi - Toronto Maple Leafs
RAP SHEET: Like gangster who tries to go straight. Has committed himself to being a player, but occasionally drawn into acts of thuggery. Elbow versus Scott Niedermayer last season ( 11 games suspension ) long gone, but not forgotten. Once cold-cocked fellow hatee Ulf Samuelsson into another time zone ( eight-game suspension ).
THE FLIP SIDE: Read part of a kids hockey novel on tape to promote the value of reading to children.
10. Peter Worrell - Florida Panthers
RAP SHEET: Runaway leader in NHL penalty minutes with a 50-minute bulge over teammate Brad Ference. Once provoked mild-mannered Scott Niedermayer into two-handing him in the noggin. Closing in on elusive 1:100 club ( one goal for every 100 penalty minutes with 12 goals and 1077 penalty minutes ).
THE FLIP SIDE: Led all NHL forwards in hits last season. Is heavily involved with NHL's diversity task force.
Tämä lista siis uuden THN:n mukainen tämän hetken "parhaat ärsyttäjät". Omasta mielestäni kaikkien aikojen top5 on seuraava:
1. Esa Tikkanen - supertähtien painajainen
2. Tiger Williams - erittäin arvostettu ja vastustajien pelkäämä
3. Ulf Samuelsson - tuhosi yhden suosikkipelaajani uran
4. Claude Lemieux - Playoffien kuningas, mutta vastustajien vihaama
5. Dale Hunter - Erittäin kova, herätti suuria tunteita