Chicago Blackhawks
United Center (capacity: 20,500)
1901 West Madison
Chicago, IL 60612
Ticket Info: (312) 455-4500

Established on September 25, 1926
HEAD COACH Alpo Suhonen (2000)

GENERAL MANAGER Bob Pulford
OWNER: Bill Wirtz
STANLEY CUPS: 3 (most recent: 1960-61)
RETIRED NUMBERS:
1 Glenn Hall 1957-1967
9 Bobby Hull 1957-1972
21 Stan Mikita 1958-1980
35 Tony Esposito
CURRENT AHL AFFILIATE: Norfolk Admirals
PAST ECHL AFFILIATE: Columbus Chill
PAST IHL AFFILIATE: Indianapolis Ice
TEAM COLORS: Red, White, Black
RADIO STATION: WMAQ (AM 670)
TV FLAGSHIP STATION: FOX SPORTS CHICAGO
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCERS-Pat Foley, Dave Tallon, Dave Pasch
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.chicagoblackhawks.com/
Chicago Blackhawks 2000-2001 Schedule

The Chicago Blackhawks, a charter member of the Original 6 hockey clubs in the NHL, have had a very long and eventful history. But lately, the glory days of hockey in Chicago have been nothing more than a distant memory for Hawk fans. A huge reason for this is due to current owner Bill "Dollar" Wirtz. Wirtz is hated in Chicago like no other owner in hockey and is currently being used by frustrated Hawk fans as a marketing tool, by being featured on T shirts and coffee mugs, which feature a cartoon drawing of the Hawks owner's face in the middle of a green dollar crossed out, which are currently availible at www.wirtzsucks.com It is even rumored that Wirtz deliberately shut down the water fountains at the United Center on numerous occasions, to force fans at the game to purchase beer and pop from the concession stands. Wirtz has charged outrageous prices for tickets, beer and food at the United Center, but has been reluctant to dig deep into his pockets to sign marquee NHL free agent stars such as: Brett Hull, Curtis Joseph, and Doug Weight, when he had the opportunity a couple years back. Instead Wirtz settled for Doug Gilmour, a highly skilled center with an impressive resume in Toronto, but well past his prime. Hawks super scorer Jeremy Roenick was traded to the Phoneix Coyotes during the 1996-97 season which clearly reduced the Hawks offense to a substantial degree. Chris Chelios, who was clearly the heart and soul of the modern era hawks, was traded to arch nemesis Detroit, near the end of the 1998-99 season. Goaltending has been a major concern for Chicago, after 2 time Vezina trophy and eventual Stanley Cup winner Eddie "the eagle" Belfour was traded to San Jose, and would later end up in Dallas, where he would enjoy enormous success. Since then, the Hawks have been experimenting with a number of different goaltenders including Jeff Hackett, Chris Terreri, Steve Passmore Kirk Daubenspeck and a few others in an attempt to find a reliable keeper in between the pipes, which has proven to be futile so far. The Hawks coaching has been woeful as well to say the least. Drik Graham, a great player in Chicago during his days, lasted less than a year behind the Hawks bench. In the 1999-00 season Lorne Mohlken was named Chicago's new head coach, and he too failed to give the team and momentum and consistentsy. In spite of all this, there is hope for this Hawk's team headed into the new milleniuim. Eric Daze, Tony Amonte, and Alexi Zhamnov are among the bright spots in this organization. If new Hawks head coach Alpo Suhonen, can get his players motivated and find a way to win consistently, the once beloved Hawks of the windy city will be back with a vengeance.
Below are the exact words written by an anonymous Hawks fan to owner Bill Wirtz 2 seasons ago:
Dear Bill,
It's 1998. Darned close to the new millenium. Do yourself and your fans, the ones who are left, a really big favor and JOIN THE REST OF US HERE IN THE 20TH CENTURY! Was that loud enough Bill?
Read our lips: It is not a six-team league anymore, Bill. Glenn Hall isn't in net. Bobby Hull isn't flying down the left wing and lining up that nuclear slapshot. They have free agency now. They have franchises in places like Phoenix and Denver now, Bill. (Really, Arizona and Colorado have acheived statehood.)
You want to know why you've turned a great city like Chicago off from hockey Bill? You want to know why your team missed the playoffs last year for the first time in 29 years, or the last time Bobby Hull had his own hair? Because your lost in 1961 Bill.
First thing you've got to do is spend MONEY. We know, it's a painful proposition. If life were fair, you would just open the doors to the United Center and 20,000 of the leagues best fans would storm the turnstiles to watch a .500 team. But these are the days of free agency big guy. Reaching out for Doug Gilmour was a step in the right direction, but only a small step. You want to win, you've got to spend.
Second thing you've got to do, Bill is get some of those Blackhawks games on free TV. The thought fills yo with unspeakable fear, the possibility that some people might watch the game at home instead of spending ridiculous prices to see a lousy team in a tough part of town. When WGN-TV attempted to negotiate a deal to televise 12 regular season games, you stormed out of the room harrumphing, "Who's gonna buy my beer?" But this hockey business, Bill, it's a sales business. You're alienating the best fans in hockey.
You watching those games Bill? Your most accomplished player, Chris Chelios, is on the downside and is coming off the worst year of his career. Your center of the future, Alexi Zhamnov, is a coach-killing bust whose wretched play set the table for Craig hartsburg's ouster. You lost a league-leading 21 games by one goal. The Blackhawks aren't just bad these days; they're boring.
Wake up, smell the coffee, get a clue. We advise because we care."
It is now 2000 and things have yet to change in the Hawks organization.


Washington Capitals
Established-June 11, 1974
MCI Center (capacity: 19,740)
601 F St., NW
Washington, DC 20004
Ticket Info: (202) 432-SEAT (Ticketmaster)
Group Sales: (202) 661 5050
Accessible Seating: (202) 661 5065

HEAD COACH: Ron Wilson
GENERAL MANAGER: George McPhee
MAJORITY OWNER: Ted Leonsis
MINORITY OWNER: Michael Jordan
STANLEY CUPS: 0
RETIRED NUMBERS:
7 Yvon Labre 1974-1981
9 Rod Langway
32 Dale Hunter
AHL AFFILIAE: Portland Pirates
PAST ECHL AFFILIATE: Hampton Roads Admirals
TEAM COLORS: BLUE, BLACK, COPPER, WHITE
TRAINING FACILITY: Piney Orchard Ice Arena
TV STATION: Home Team Sports
TV PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCERS-Craig Laughlin and Joe Benninati
Washington Capitals 2000-2001 Schedule

The key word decribing the current Washington Capitals would have to be inconsistently. For 15 years in a row, the Caps made the playoffs, only to be upset in the first round several times, due to many blowm leads in games and in the series's. In 1996-97, injuries began to take their toll as the Caps failed to make the playoffs, thanks to a horrendous second half of the season. Former Vezina Trophy Jim Carey, was traded to the Boston Bruins a late that season along with young prospects Jason Allison and Anson Carter, in exchange for prolific center Adam Oates, Rick Tocchet and Bill Ranford. It sounded like a steal for Washington, but would turn out to be a nightmare as Tocchet and Ranford both played mediocre for Washington and were not heard from in the nations capital again. Oates on the other hand, surpassed expectations, proving to be an essential asset to the team as a leader, on and off the ice as well as a point scoring machine and a highly consistent faceoff winner. The always danger Slovakian sniper Peter Bondra tied Teemu Selanne for a league leading 52 lamp lighters in the 1997-98 season for Washington, which would shock the league by breezing past, Boston, Ottawa, and Buffalo and earning a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals and a chance to dethrone the defending champion Detriot Red Wings. A huge amount of credit was due to Olaf "Godzilla" Kolzig, (former Admirals goaltender) who was beginning to make a name for himself among other big goalie names in the NHL. The Cinderilla season would end that June as the Red Wings would go on to sweep the Caps in games and turn the MCI Center into Red Wing country, as Detroit Captain and Con Smythe Winner Steve Yzerman would hoist the Stanley Cup, followed by his teammates, for the second year in a row. Washington's 1998 Eastern Conference Championship season seemed almost meaningless the following season, as the Caps failed to make the playoffs for the 2nd time in 3 seasons. A good deal of changes were in order for the 1999-2000 season as long time Capitals majority owner Abe Pollin sold the team to AOL Executive Ted Leonsis. The injuries continued to take their toll, and Bondra uncharacteristicly, seemed to have trouble finding the net, but head coach Ron Wilson and the Caps, in large part to Kolzig's success in net would win the Southeast Division and earn a first round date with an old rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins, who had never lost a playoff series to Washington. That streak would continue as Pittsburgh star Jagr and the explosive Pens offense, was able to solve Kolzig, and knock the Caps out of the playoffs again. If the Caps are ever going to win a Stanley Cup, they must find more offense and pull the trigger on a blockbuster deal to send a 40-50 goal scorer to Washington, to join Bondra and Oates and give more depth to an inconsistent injury riddled squad.
Joe Louis Arena (capacity: 19,983)
600 Civic Center Drive
Detroit, MI 48226
Ticket Info: (810) 645-6666
established on September 25, 1926

GENERAL MANAGER: Ken Holland (1997)
OWNER: Mike Ilitch

HOME ARENA: Joe Louis Arena

HEAD COACH: Scotty Bowman
ASSISTANT COACH: Barry Smith
STANLEY CUPS: 9 (most recent: 1997-98)
RETIRED NUMBERS:
1 Terry Sawchuk 1949-55, 1957-64, 1968-69
6 Larry Aurie 1927-1939
7 Ted Lindsay 1944-57, 1964-65
9 Gordie Howe 1946-1971
10 Alex Delvecchio 1951-1973
12 Sid Abel 1938-43, 1945-52
AHL AFFILIATE: Adirondack Red Wings
PAST ECHL AFFILIATES: Toledo Storm, Hampton Roads Admirals
TEAM COLORS: Red and White
Detroit Red Wings 2000-2001 Schedule

Compare the Detroit Red Wings, another influential member of the original 6 to the Hampton Roads Admirals and you will notice a lot of similarites. For one thing, Cup victories. The Wings have 9 Stanley Cups, which is the third most in NHL history, trailing only the Montreal Canadiens, (24 cups) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (13 cups). The Admirals lead the ECHL with 3. How about fan support at home and on the road? Absolutely! Both the Red Wings and Admirals have consistently gathered large crowds over the past several years to watch there home games and brought an extremely large number of their fans with them to support each of these teams on the road. Coaching? Most Definentely!Red Wings bench boss Scotty Bowman has been an active participant in 9 Stanley Cup victories, 7 as a head coach of the Red Wings, Penguins, and Canadiens, and 2 as a player. Admirals former coach John Brophy has the second highest winning percentage of all hockey coaches, trailing only the immortal coaching legend Bowman himself.
Some of the most prolific Red Wing stars of the modern era include: long time captain #19 Steve Yzerman, a dynamic center, along with Sergei Fedorov, one of the most dangerous fowards in the game, followed by Nicklas Lidstrom, a strong and intelligent defensemen, who can score just as well, plus the always dangerous foward Brendan Shanahan, a natural born goal scoring machine. One question mark however, would be the Red Wing's goaltending. Chris Osgood, previously a cup winning goalie in 1998 with the Red Wings, has often luked out, and not had to face nearly as many shots as the average goaltender, given the luxury of playing behind a solid Red Wing defense. A noticeable area of weakness for Osgood is his tendency to give up goals from a long race sometimes as far as center ice or even the opposing team's blueline. In the last few years, due to Osgood's inconsistentsy, the Wings have gone with other goaltenders such as Mike Vernon, Bill Ranford, and Ken Wregget.
In 1994, the Wings would begin another long run of success, becoming one of the dominat franchises in the NHL's regular season. Detroit was upset by the San Jose Sharks that year, but would be back in 1995, when the Red Wings overwhelmingly won the western conference and were expected to make short work of the eastern champs the New Jersey Devils in the Cup Finals. Surprisingly, the underdog Devils swept the front running Red Wings in 4 games. In 1996, once again the Red Wings glided through the regular season, breaking the regular season record for total wins, and would get as far as the Western Conference Finals, where they were eliminated by their new rival the Colorado Avalanche in 5 games. But the bad blood between Detroit and Colorado had only just begun. A huge part of it had to do with Avalanche Foward and Former Devil Con Smythe winner Claude Lemieux, who had always been a nuisance to the Wings in the past. In the 1996 Western Conference Finals, Lemieux took a cheapshot at Red Wing Center Kris Draper, resulting in a suspension. That was only the beginning. During a regular season game in Detroit in March of 1997, multiple brawls between the Wings and Avs ensued, including Lemieux going head-to-head with Red Wing Right Winger and enforcer Darren McCarty. One of the biggest events of the night was Red Wing goalie Mike Vernon and Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy dropping the gloves to duke it out at center ice. Detroit would win that game over their hated rival but nevertheless, the Red Wing players and fans however, had no intention of forgiveness when the Wings and Avs would met again in the Conference finals in 1997. The Avs took game 1 behind Patrick Roy's 2-0 shutout, but the Wings would answer by winning 3 out of the next 4 contests against Colorado, each filled with fights, tension and all kinds of emmotional drama. When the 1996-97 unforgettable season ended, the Red Wings could not have possibly written a better script, as Detroit would sweep the Philadelphia Flyers in 4 games, to end "Lord Stanley's Curse" and earn the right to raise Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time since the 1950's. But the Cup celebration would turn to tradgedy shortly afterwards when Red Wing star defensemen Vladimir Konstantinov, along with team masseuse Sergei Mnatsakanov were both seriously injured in a limo crash and were placed in the hospital's shock trauma unit in very critical condition. Fortunately, both would pull through, and the Wings would use this as extra motivation to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions. That's exactly what happened the very next year when the Red Wings would repeat history with another sweep in the Stanley Cup Finals, this time coming against the Washington Capitals. When the 1998-99 season rolled around, the Red Wings were the front runners to pull off a 3 -peat. This looked almost imminent, after Detroit swept the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the first round, and prepared to knock out their arch-nemesis the Colorado Avalanche again in the Conference semifinals. The Red Wings won the first 2 games of that series on the road in Colorado, but the Avs stormed back and won the next 4 contests, thus ending the Red Wings season and dethroning the 2 time defending champs of the late 90's. The 1999-00 season for the Red Wings may have very well been a rewind of the previous year, with a first round sweep over Anaheim, followed by a second round loss to Colorado. Despite facing the Avs 2 seasons in a row, the bad blood seemed to diminish, after Claude Lemieux was traded back to the Devils, were he would add another Stanley Cup to his collection. The last major altercations between the Wings and Avs had taken place after Lemieux and McCarty dropped the gloves just seconds after the opening faceoff during a game in Detroit in the 1998-99 season, and Red Wing goalie Chris Osgood fighting Patrick Roy at center ice. In the past couple seasons, a fresh new rivalry for the Wings against the Dallas Stars has arisen. The Red Wings eliminated Dallas in the conference semifinal in 1998 and have had many altercations against them in regular season games, with both teams very determined to win with a lot of pride on the line. The Red Wings may not be as invincible in the playoffs as they were during their recent cup winning years in 1997 and 1998, but you can be sure that Detroit's many weapons will reload for another run at the Cup in 2000-2001 and no team will look foward to facing them.




Civic Arena (capacity:17,181)
66 Mario Lemieux Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Ticket Info: (412) 323-1919
(412) 642-1800
TEAM FOUNDED IN June 5, 1967

GENERAL MANAGER: Craig Patrick (1990)
OWNER: Mario Lemieux

HOME ARENA Civic Arena

HEAD COACH: Herb Brooks (1999)
STANLEY CUPS: 2 (most recent: 1991-92)
RETIRED NUMBERS:
21 Michel Briere 1969-1970
66 Mario Lemieux 1984-1997
TEAM COLORS: Black, Gold and White
TV STATIONS: Fox Sports Pittsburgh, WPPT/UPN22 and WPGH/Fox 53
TV PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCERS: Mike Lang, Paul Steigerwald
RADIO FLAGSHIP STATION: WDVE (102.5 FM)
RADIO PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCERS: Mike McConnell, TBA
Pittsburgh Penguins 2000-2001 Schedule

After Penguins legnend #66 Mario Lemieux retired, many hockey fans and critics believed that the Pens were done. However, a dominant winger wearing #68 named Jaomir Jagr would prove them wrong. Since his arrival to Pittsburgh "the city of champions", in 1991, Jagr immediately had an impact and was insturmental in the 2 consecutive Penguin Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992. Despite numerous injuries over the years, Jagr has risen to the occasion, among the top goals and points getters nearly every season from 1996-to the present. He's a very determined, strong competitor, who uses his large size to overpower defenders or skate around them and has a wide variety of shots which have opposing goaltenders moving in more directions than on a dance floor to try to stop him, often to no avail. The new look Pens, feature a number of new and old faces such as Jan Hrdina, an immediate rookie sensation a year ago, as well as forgotten foward martin Straka and german Titov, who would pay huge dividens offensively. Once known as a "run and gun team," the Pens have tightened up on their defense to become effective at both ends of the ice. In the first round of the 1999 playoffs, the Pens were facing elimination against a strong New Jersey Devils team, which was ahead 3 games to 2 over Pittsburgh going into game 6 in Pittsburgh at the Civic Center. (aka "the igloo) Jagr had missed the past couple games, but with the life of the Penguin franchise on the line, due to bankrupcy, Jagr was not about to miss what could possibly be the final hockey game ever played in Pittsburgh. He scored the winning goal in game 6 in overtime and the Pens would take game 7 as well, to pull off an impressive come from behind first round victory against the Devils in 7 games. Despite Jagr's scoring heroics, the Pens have just barely managed to secure a playoff spot the past couple years but have risen to the challenge when the postseason rolled around. In 2000, the Penguins embarassed the Washington Capitals in the first round, defeating them in 5 games, in which Jagr played a prominent goal scoring role again. The Pens would later blow a 2-0 series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2nd round to become eliminated from the playoffs. But due to the unprecendented determination of this Pittsburgh organization to succedd, they will be back in 2000-2001.







NHL AFFILIATE: Washington Capitals
ECHL AFFILIATE: Hampton Roads Admirals
UHL AFFILIATE: Quad City Mallards

HOME ARENA: Cumberland County Civic Center (CAPACITY: 6,746)
One Civic Center Square
Portland, Maine 04101
Box Office: 207.775.3458
Admin. Office: 207.775.3481
Fax: 207.828.8344


HEAD COACH: Glen Hanlon
ASSISTANT COACH: Mark Kumpel

Gaylord Entertainment Center (capacity: 17,500)
501 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: 615-770-2000
Fax: 615-770-2010
Email: info@nashvilleArena.com
HEAD COACH: Barry Tortz
ASSISTANT COACH: Paul Gardner
GENERAL MANAGER: DAVID POILE
ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER: RAY SHERO
OWNER & CHAIRMAN: CRAIG LEIPOLD
STANLEY CUPS: 0
Nashville Predators 2000-2001 Schedule

On May 4, 1998, The National Hockey League officially announced the Nashville Predators as the 27th franchise in league history. General Manager David Poile was named General Manager for the 1998 U.S. National Team by USA Hockey.Among the selected the 26 players from the NHL Expansion Draft in Buffalo, N.Y was former Hampton Roads Admiral Andrew Brunette. Tom Fitzgerald, a free agent at the time, was signed by the Predators and named the first captain in Nashville hockey history. Fitzgerald was chosen in large part for his natural leadership skills and experience, playing for the Colorado Avalanche, and 1996 Eastern Conference Champion Florida Panthers. David Legwand, Nashville's first draft pick has incredible speed, on ice-reflexes, on top of natural goal scoring ability, and should play a key role in the team's future. Greg Johnson, a speedy foward in his mid-20's, will be expected to maintain his checking role, in addition to a natural goal scoring knack. Young former New Jersey Devils Goaltender Mike Dunham, played well in his first season as a starter in Nashville, but has been scarcely heard of since. Despite the numerous sellouts at the new Gaylord Center, the Predators will have to find a way to become a contender next season, to hold onto their supportive fan base.

Cleveland Lumberjacks
Eastern Conference, Central Division

HOME ARENA: Gund Arena (capacity: 19,941)
200 Huron Road
Cleveland, OH 44115
(216) 420-0000
Head Coach: Perry Ganchar
Assistant Coaches: BJ MacDonald, Phil Russell
General Manager: Michael Mudd (also Governor of team operations)
Owner: Larry Gordon
IHL Championships: 4 (1962, '68, '86, '89 - All of which came in Muskegon)
Team Colors: Blue, Gold, and Black
IHL Season: 9th in Cleveland (Lumberjacks organization established in 1992) 40th overall for franchise (previously based in Muskegon)
CURRENT NHL AFFILIATE-Minnesota Wild (previously affiliated with the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins)
PAST ECHL AFFILIAES-Hampton Roads Admirals, Chesapeake Icebreakers

Play-by-Play Commentator: Dave Miller
TV Flagship Station: Fox Sports Ohio
Radio Station: WKNR-AM 1220
The 40-year-old franchise originated in Muskegon, Mich., first known as the "Zephyrs" from 1960-65. Later the team name was changed to the "Mohwaks", which stuck from 1965-84. In 1984, Larry Gordon purchased the team and decided that it was time for another name change, so a name-the-team contest was held. Due to the tremendous importance of the Lumberjacking industry in the history of the city of Muskegon, the name "Lumberjacks" was the overwhelming winner, which has remained from 1985-to date. In 1992 Gordon made a crucial decision to relocate his Lumberjacks to Cleveland for the1992-93 season. The Lumberjacks would play at the Richfield Coliseum for a brief stint of 2 years, before moving into the newly constructed Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland for the start of the1994-95 season.

Milwaukee Admirals
Eastern Conference, Midwest Division
1001 N. Fourth St.
Milwaukee, WI 53203
(414) 227-0550
IHL Season: 24th (Admirals organization established in 1977)
HOME ARENA: Bradley Center (capacity: 18,394)
Head Coach: Dave Allison
General Manager: Phil Wittliff
Owner: Jane Pettit
Governor: Francis R. Croak
Team Colors: Red, White and Blue
Current NHL Affiliation: Nashville Predators
Play-by-Play Commentators: B. Manthey & S. Carlson (TV), D. Pettit (radio),
TV Flagship Station: Midwest Sports Channel
Radio Station: WISN (1130 AM)
The Milwaukee Admirals first came into existence in 1970. At that time there were an independent junior hockey organization. Erwin Merar, who owned an appliance dealership as well as the majority of the Admirals, decided to name the hockey team after his top-selling line, which was currently using the brand name of "Admiral." The franchise was later purchased in 1976 by Jane Pettit, who retained the team name, logo and colors. The Admirals would make their IHL debut during the 1977 season. Since that time, the Bradley Center has been the host to many attendance records for Milwaukee IHL hockey, which on many occasions outnumbered the crowds who turned out to see the Milwaukee Buccs, the local NBA team.
The Milwaukee Admirals have advanced to the postseason a total of 12 straight years. In the 1999-2000 season, the Admirals had another solid season, but lost in the first round of the playoffs against the Cleveland Lumberjacks, which included a 2 overtime and 3 overtime thrillers. However, the hard work and perseverance of the Admirals would not go unrewarded as Admirals defenseman Bubba Berenzweig was presented with the McKenzie Trophy for being named the International Hockey League?.S.-Born Rookie of the Year. It was the second consecutive year in which a Milwaukee Admiral has earned that honor. Last season, Mark Mowers was the IHL?cKenzie Trophy Award selection for the Admirals. Berenzweig and Admirals teamate Jayme Filipowicz led all IHL rookies in assists with 23 a piece. On June 1. 2000, the Admirals hired Dave Allison as their head coach, going into the 2000-2001 season.