Avalanche Gain More Strength

Now that Joe Sakic is back and Peter Forsberg signed, sealed and happy for the next three seasons, will there be any stopping the Colorado Avalanche?

Sakic returned to the lineup Tuesday and assisted on the winning goal in a 3-2 overtime decision over Boston. Sakic missed 17 games with a deep laceration in his left calf, but Colorado survived quite nicely, going 11-4-2. The Avalanche have 82 points (37-14-8), tops in the NHL.

Colorado has exploded onto the hockey scene the last two years, winning the Stanley Cup in June and continuing its dominance this season. Even with Forsberg and Sakic missing extensive time, the Avalanche haven’t missed a beat, thanks to Keith Jones, Sandis Ozolinsh, Valeri Kamensky and Adam Deadmarsh. All four have 19 or more goals.

“The injuries have actually been good for the four of us in that we have been able to play a little more and play in situations that we may not have if these players were healthy,” said Jones.

The retroactive three-year deal Forsberg signed last week bumps his $1.5 million salary to $2.875 million, and he’ll make $10 million or $11 million over the next two seasons. The contract expires after the 1998-99 season.

“Happiness and winning are a priority in my life, and I have that here,” said Forsberg.

Mikita backs helmets

Hall of Famer Stan Mikita, who played hockey when helmets were not mandatory, says that players today would be crazy to go on the ice without one.

“It just doesn’t seem right to protect every part of your body except the most vital part,” Mikita said.

Mikita wore a helmet that he designed with the help of an engineer “to give me the best possible protection. Mine was a suspension helmet.”

There was no push for mandatory helmets in his day - until Bill Masterston was killed in a game.

“For some reason, he wore a helmet all through college and then all of a sudden, decided not to,” Mikita said. “There were quite a few players who put on helmets after that.”

Garden’s employee pleads innocent

A second man accused of being involved in the sexual abuse of teenage hockey fans at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens pleaded innocent to 11 charges Saturday during a bail hearing.

John Paul Roby, 54, who was a part-time usher at the arena for 25 years, faces six counts of indecent assault and five counts of gross indecency in connection with alleged sexual assaults on teenage boys at the arena.

Roby turned himself in Friday to Toronto police, who had been searching for him.

A former Gardens’ employee, 47-year-old Gordon Stuckless, was charged Tuesday with indecent assault and gross indecency.