Red Wings

[Tom]

Actually, Devallano now says that Ilitch was upset Lafontaine was taken and he had to assure Mr. Ilitch that they had gotten the best player.

Whether that's true or not, by the time 1988 rolled around, Yzerman and Ilitch had a very close relationship and as much as Ilitch trusted Jimmy D., I believe that Ilitch would have vetoed any trade involving Yzerman.

[jaadam4]

Having Gretzky and Yzerman on the same team woudlve been nice, but i'm happy with the way things turned out.

[DanO]

"Because the very low scoring, constant influx of new, experienced, foreign players, and dominance of a single player--the goalie--tend to produce random results in the playoffs."
---------------------The goalie is the biggest thing and changes in the way the game is refereed is the other.

GO LIONS "08" !!!!!!!!

[gjdodger]

No honor among thieves.

ESPN.com news services



In a court document filed with a Canadian court last month, former Vancouver Canucks coach Marc Crawford asserted that Todd Bertuzzi acted in "direct disobedience" of Crawford's instructions prior to Bertuzzi's on-ice attack of Steve Moore in March 2004.
Bertuzzi, now with the Calgary Flames, is seeking to have Crawford added as a defendant in Moore's lawsuit, which is seeking up to $38 million and also names Bertuzzi, the Canucks and the Canucks' parent company, Orca Bay, as defendants.

The Toronto Star first reported the court filing and story.

Crawford's "third-party statement of defense," filed with the Ontario Superior Court, claims that Bertuzzi was on the ice for a penalty kill just before he attacked Moore, and that Canucks coaches were trying to pull Bertuzzi off the ice after missing a shift change.
Moore, then a forward with the Colorado Avalanche, suffered severe neck and head injuries in the March 8, 2004 incident, when Bertuzzi sucker punched him from behind, knocking him unconscious to the ice. Moore has not played professional hockey since.

According to the court filing, Crawford denied directing any of his players to exact revenge for Moore's hit on Canucks captain Markus Naslund in a previous game.

"After being directed to get off the ice, Bertuzzi was on his way back to the bench when, suddenly and without warning, he turned around and skated back in the direction of Moore, and attacked Moore," Crawford stated, according to the court filing.
"This was not done under any specific or general direction or encouragement from Crawford, was a direct disobedience of the instruction that Bertuzzi had been given from the bench to get off the ice, and was a violation of Bertuzzi's duties which Crawford could not be expected to have reasonably anticipated, let alone control,'' the court filing stated.

Bertuzzi was suspended by the NHL and charged with assault causing bodily harm in June 2004 after a four-month investigation. He pleaded guilty, received a conditional discharge and was sentenced to probation and community service.
Bertuzzi was reinstated by the NHL after 17 months -- time that also included the 2004-05 lockout.
He made brief appearances with the Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers before signing a two-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks bought out his contract after the 2007-08 season; he signed a one-year, $1.95 million deal with the Flames in early July.
Crawford was the Canucks' coach from 1998-99 to 2005-06, and left to become coach of the Los Angeles Kings in 2006. He coached the Kings for two seasons, going 59-84-21, before being fired June 10.

[froot loops]

Chemiclord keeps on getting the story wrong.

[Malto Marko]

I don't even remember who the GM was when Yzerman was drafted.

[froot loops]

Jimmy Devellano was GM then.

[LWC]

Good move Jimmy D.

[Malto Marko]

That must have been his first draft and I do not ever recall Jimmy D saying that Yzerman was not his first choice. I will however concede that I did hear a while back that Pat LaFontaine was the target of that draft as he was a local boy expected to do well and they thought he would inject some life into ticket sales. I can not however, remember who it was that said that.

[jaadam4]

Everyone.. duh

[froot loops]

It was his first draft Mark.

[Malto Marko]

Everyone.. duh

<<<<<<flings a handful of hot mac and cheese>>>>>

Take that you somabich.........;)

[Rocky Bleier]

I worked for Jimmy Lites in 1983. He was Mike Illitch's son-in-law and later was the V.P. for the Wings. Just before the draft he told me they figured they'd get Yzerman. They wanted LaFontaine because he was a locl boy and had burned up the QMJHL, but he said they felt they were getting a good player in Stevie Y. The draft fell as expected: Lawton, Turgeon, LaFontaine, Yzerman. Lites did say that Devallano thought Turgeon was the most ready to play early because he had the physique.

[Malto Marko]

I worked for Jimmy Lites in 1983. He was Mike Illitch's son-in-law and later was the V.P. for the Wings. Just before the draft he told me they figured they'd get Yzerman. They wanted LaFontaine because he was a locl boy and had burned up the QMJHL, but he said they felt they were getting a good player in Stevie Y. The draft fell as expected: Lawton, Turgeon, LaFontaine, Yzerman. Lites did say that Devallano thought Turgeon was the most ready to play early because he had the physique.

Lites went on to be GM of the Stars, no?

[Tom]

I was a big Lafontaine fan and part of me wishes I could know what it would have been like had the Wings ended up with him. Still, things ended up pretty great with Yzerman.