Wendelpalooza is here.
Prior to tonight's Maple Leafs-Chicago Blackhawks tilt at the Air Canada Centre, a banner sporting Wendel Clark’s familiar No. 17 will be hoisted to the rafters in honour of the contributions the rugged forward made to the Original Six team over the years.
In celebration of Wendel Clark Night, all fans attending the game will receive a special Wendel Clark moustache in recognition of No. 17’s trademark facial hair. The crowd will be encouraged to wear them, with organizers hoping to turn the capactity throng into 20,0000 Wendel lookalikes.
The fans might not be the only ones sporting those moustaches either.
“Maybe we’ll all wear them out for the pre-game skate,” goalie Curtis Joseph said, referring to his teammates.
Added rookie defenceman Luke Schenn: “It’s a great idea. I’d do it if other guys do.”
We’ll see.
In addition to the Wendel Clark moustache, the first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a special Wendel Clark bobblehead.
Source: Mike Zeisberger
Forwards:
Heatley - Spezza - Alfredsson
Kelly - Vermette - Winchester
Ruutu - McAmmond - Donovan
Foligno - Bass - Zubov
Defence:
Phillips - Volchenkov
Picard - Kuba
Smith - Bell
Defence:
Markov - Gorges
Hamrlik - O'Byrne
Bouillon - Brisebois
Nearly 13 years ago, Patrick Roy was playing the worst game of his professional career. After finally being pulled, Roy skated past his coach to inform the president of the vaunted Montreal Canadiens that he had just played his last game for them.
On Saturday night, that rift will finally be healed.
Montreal will honor the NHL’s all-time wins leader by retiring Roy’s No. 33 before the Canadiens take on the surging Boston Bruins.
Roy is second in the Canadiens’ storied history with 289 victories and helped Montreal to Stanley Cups in 1986 and 1993, when he won 10 straight overtime games en route to the second of his three Conn Smythe Trophies.
But less than two years after Montreal’s last title, Roy’s divorce from the Canadiens would be as stunning and quick as it was messy.
Facing Detroit on Dec. 2, 1995, Roy gave up nine goals on 26 shots in an 11-1 loss. When he was replaced late in the second period by journeyman Pat Jablonski, Roy snubbed coach Mario Tremblay and leaned over to team president Ronald Corey, who was sitting behind the bench, and said he was through with the Canadiens.
Within days, Roy was dealt with Mike Keane to Colorado for Andrei Kovalenko, Martin Rucinsky and Jocelyn Thibault in arguably one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history.
“I think (we’re) finally gonna put away that December 2nd of ‘95,” Roy said in a conference call this week. “When you get to the NHL they say to you, one game does not make a career. But one game made pretty much (made) my career in Montreal.”
Roy played eight seasons with Colorado, and became that franchise’s leader with 262 victories and 37 shutouts. He went on to win Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001, and the Avalanche retired his No. 33 in 2003.
That also was when the three-time Vezina Trophy winner left the game as the all-time leader with 551 wins - including 32 against Boston. He still is the leader among goaltenders in games played (1,029), playoff games (247), postseason wins (151) and shutouts (23).
Roy’s regular-season wins record will almost surely be eclipsed by New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur, who has 544 victories but also will be out for much of the remainder of the season after elbow surgery.Now the co-owner and coach of a junior team in his native Quebec City, Roy will become the 15th Canadiens player to have his jersey retired.
“You have no control on whether your jersey will be retired, but I certainly hoped it would happen one day,” Roy said.
Check this great article if you want to learn more about Roy's illustrious career.
Biron made 40 saves for his first shutout of the season and 24th overall in the Philadelphia Flyers’ 3-0 victory over the Sabres on Friday night.
Buffalo misfired on a handful of open nets, hit three posts, and couldn’t muster any luck against a Philadelphia team that won its third straight.
Biron actually looked rather good on his own, making several spectacular saves against his former team to help the Flyers improve to 8-6-4 with their fourth win in five games. He stopped Thomas Vanek with a nifty right pad save on a second-period breakaway, and robbed Jaroslav Spacek on a point-blank slap shot with the Flyers down two men in the first.
Biron also made six big stops over a combined two minutes of a pair of Buffalo two-man advantages in the opening two periods.
The Flyers won despite playing without former Sabres co-captain Daniel Briere. He missed his fourth consecutive game because of a groin injury.
After starting the season 6-0-2, the slumping Sabres (9-7-3) dropped their fourth straight to fall to 1-5-1 in their last seven games.Buffalo’s Ryan Miller finished with 22 saves two nights after being pulled early in the third period in Boston after surrendering seven goals. He dropped to 5-1-1 in his last seven starts against the Flyers.
In an effort to shake up its slump, Buffalo sat defenseman Henrik Tallinder and forward Maxim Afinogenov. Right wing Mark Mancari, the second-leading scorer in the AHL, was recalled from Portland and inserted into the lineup, while defenseman Nathan Paetsch played for just the fifth time. The change was to no avail.
“When you haven’t been going good you don’t get the breaks,” Ruff said. “We haven’t been going good.”
Hartnell opened the scoring with just 58 seconds left in the first period. Coming out of the penalty box after serving a minor penalty, Hartnell accepted a long pass from Simon Gagne to go in alone on Miller. Hartnell made a quick move before lifting a backhander over Miller’s left shoulder for his fifth of the season.
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Komisarek will be on the shelf for another month with a shoulder injury suffered after a fight with Boston's Milan Lucic last week.
