Flyers Duo Among Leading Vote-Getters
Philadelphia Flyers teammates John LeClair and Eric Lindros are the leading North American vote-getters among wingers and centers for the NHL international All-Star game.
LeClair, the NHL’s third-leading scorer with 26 goals and 17 assists, leads all wingers with 237,922 votes, more than 42,000 ballots ahead of the Detroit Red Wings’ Brendan Shanahan.
Lindros, with 138,299 votes, holds an 8,610-vote edge over the New York Rangers’ Wayne Gretzky among centers. The Colorado Avalanche’s Joe Sakic is third, trailing Lindros by 22,446 votes.
The All-Star game, scheduled for Jan. 18 in Vancouver, British Columbia, this season pits North Americans against international all-stars for the first time.
Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy continues to lead all players with 287,167 votes. The New Jersey Devils’ Martin Brodeur trails Roy by 61,290 ballots among goaltenders, while Mike Richter of the Rangers is third with 110,276 votes.
Richter’s teammate Brian Leetch leads all defensemen with 199,122 votes, only 244 more than Ray Bourque of the Boston Bruins. Chicago’s Chris Chelios is third with 171,256 ballots.
Final balloting totals for the starting lineups will be announced on Dec. 30.
Anniversary celebration
The NHL celebrates the 80th anniversary of its first games today.
The league began competition on Dec. 19, 1917, when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Ottawa Senators 7-4 and the Montreal Wanderers beat the Toronto Arenas 10-9.
The game at Ottawa drew a crowd of 5,000 fans. Only 700 showed for the Toronto-Montreal game. The Wanderers lasted only six games, forced to withdraw from the league after the Montreal Arena burned down.
Around the league
Detroit Red Wings center Kris Draper will undergo surgery to repair a dislocated left thumb today, keeping him out five to six weeks, the team said. … New York Rangers defenseman Jeff Beukeboom will be sidelined for the next four to six weeks with a broken left ankle. … Washington Capitals center Joe Juneau will miss the next four to six weeks with a strained ligament in his right knee.
On the ice
Joel Otto’s first goal of the season early in the third period gave the Philadelphia Flyers a 2-2 tie with the Boston Bruins Thursday night in Philadelphia.
Eric Lindros scored the first goal for the Flyers, while Boston got goals from Dmitri Khristich and Per Axelsson.
At St. Louis, Denis Pederson scored midway through the third period to help the New Jersey Devils overcome a two-goal deficit and tie the St. Louis Blues 4-4.