Lecavalier Looks Like No.1

Vincent Lecavalier has been making $40 a week playing hockey and has faced NHL players only in summer pickup games.

That’s about to change at the NHL Entry Draft today, when he’s expected to be the No.1 pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Lecavalier, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound center from Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League tabbed as the “next Mario Lemieux,” was the top-rated North American prospect by the Scouting Service at the season’s midpoint. He maintained that ranking for the rest of the season, finishing with 44 goals and 71 assists in 58 games.

Predators pick ‘em

Of the 26 players picked Friday by the expansion Nashville Predators, goaltender Mike Dunham figures to be a keeper. The same can’t be said of some of the others.

“This is just a starting point,” general manager David Poile said after introducing his selections of five goaltenders, eight defensemen and 13 forwards. “I anticipate there will be several changes.”

It was a significant step as well for Bob Boughner, a physical defenseman with the Buffalo Sabres who also figures to be kept by the Predators.

A player who doesn’t figure to be around long with the Predators is goaltender Mike Richter of the New York Rangers. Poile said that Richter was selected purely for the compensation the team could get for him.

Quinn returns to Toronto

When Pat Quinn first joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as a rookie defenseman in 1968, the storied NHL franchise was only one year removed from a Stanley Cup victory.

Now it’s 31 years and counting.

Quinn, who was hired as the Leafs’ 25th coach, hopes he can bring some closure to Toronto’s long struggle to again win the NHL championship.

Quinn, 55, has 744 NHL games of coaching experience. He’s a two-time NHL coach of the year and has a career coaching record of 357-285-102 in the regular season and 53-50 in the playoffs.