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Sunday, November 21, 1999
Space invaders
MacInnis suggests bigger ice surfaces would help prevent concussions
Al MacInnis has a cure for one of the NHL's biggest headaches.
More ice!
Not in packs or bags either ...
"There's just no room out there,'' the St. Louis Blues' Norris Trophy-winning defenceman was saying in the wake of teammate Geoff Courtnall's concussion-induced retirement. "Look at all the big hits out there.
"I'm not taking anything away from the way the game has been played the past 100 years, but players are so much bigger and stronger and in such good physical condition. That's why there are so many concussions.''
The 36-year-old feels the league missed the boat by not expanding 200-by-85-foot playing surfaces in new arenas that have opened or will open in the 1990s - 21 in all, including present and future expansion teams.
"With all the new buildings, it's too bad they didn't try something,'' said MacInnis.
"Speed is unbelievable out there now and you don't want to see a star such as Jaromir Jagr or Peter Forsberg get hurt.''
Adopting an automatic icing call is another way of helping prevent head injuries.
"The way ice surfaces are now (often chippy) and for the amount of times (an attacking player beats a defender back) it's not worth it,'' said MacInnis.
"As a defenceman, you have to trust the guy chasing you doesn't do something stupid.''
Courtnall's final NHL game was Oct. 16, the night he took a forearm to the head from Toronto's Brian Berard, who drew a two-game suspension.
"If it wasn't that hit, it would have been something else,'' said MacInnis. "It wasn't a hard hit, but the concussions are coming easier.
"I've never seen in my career post-concussion syndrome like that, just the way he would come in and the headaches he was having. His eyes weren't right and he would ask me the same question three times in 10 minutes.''
Demitra big admirer: A nice touch to the Courtnall retirement came from Blues' winger Pavol Demitra, one of the 37-year-old's biggest admirers.
The night of Courtnall's press conference, Demitra scored two goals to lead the Blues to an emotional 3-0 victory over Florida.
"Those are his two goals,'' said Demitra. "I wish I could have scored a third goal for him. It was a pleasure to play with Geoff Courtnall. We won the game for him and he's never going to forget it.''
Courtnall has been a role model, advisor and friend to Demitra ever since the 24-year-old joined St. Louis in March 1997.
THEY SAID IT
* "Just like in golf, you can't let one shot bother you.'' - Toronto's Curtis Joseph on the attitude goalies require to shrug off early goals against them. Being an avid golfer, of course, doesn't hurt either.
* As you know, having spent 20-some-odd years on Long Island, I've been a big Rangers' fan. So rooting for them really comes naturally for me.'' - Florida Panthers' president Bill Torrey, the longtime Islanders' GM, his voice dripping with sarcasm over the Rangers' downfall despite their record $59 million US payroll.
On the move: Bobby Dollas has one question concerning his nomadic return to the NHL: What took so blinking long?
"If you'd have told me after the second half of last year with the Penguins and the playoffs that I'd have to wait this long to get an NHL job, I would have called the rubber wagon,'' said the much-travelled defenceman, now in the employ of the Calgary Flames following a one-game pit stop in Ottawa.
"It's not as if I'm a high-end guy like some of the other free agents sitting out there. I made $650,000 US last year. I just want to play.
"And I know I'm an NHL defenceman.''
Prior to starting this season with the IHL Long Beach Ice Dogs, the 34-year-old has worn NHL colours in Winnipeg, Quebec, Detroit, Anaheim, Edmonton and Pittsburgh.
Then the Senators picked him up, but attempted to slip him through on waivers only to have the Flames intervene.
"I'm having dinner in a restaurant when there's this other call,'' he said of heading to Calgary. "I'm like, 'Is this a gag?'''
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