Relishing a new role

Primeau OK with playing on Hitchcock's checking line

VOORHEES, N.J. (AP) -- He makes $5 million per year and he's scored 258 goals in a 13-year NHL career, but Keith Primeau says he is happy centering the Flyers' top checking line.

Primeau was moved into that role by coach Ken Hitchcock midway through last season and it paid immediate dividends.

The 31-year-old Toronto native, playing pivot on a line with Donald Brashear and Sami Kapanen, held a number of the league's top scoring units in check. In the playoffs, Primeau's unit met with considerable success against the likes of Toronto's Mats Sundin and Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson.

At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Primeau is big enough for hand-to-hand combat with the league's hulks. And, with a long reach and good vision, he's able to jam passing lanes and anticipate plays.

Plus, he's an excellent faceoff man.

Primeau says he has reached a stage of his career where he is willing to try whatever role is best for both the team and his own personal career.

"More than anything, I'm really excited about the opportunity to face other team's top lines," he said. "Our line feels real comfortable with each other. There's no transition this year. We're just jumping into it."

After averaging 29 goals in seasons between 1995 and 2001 (he missed most of 1999-00 due to salary holdout in Carolina), Primeau scored 19 goals in each of the past two seasons.

But some would say last season was one of the most effective of his career.

"As the game has changed, I've had to change as well," Primeau said. "As a team's personnel changes, so do players' roles. I have to make adjustments. That's what it's all about. It's about everyone doing what they can in order to be a part of something special. If that's my way of contributing, I'm all for it."

Hitchcock claims that a checking role doesn't necessarily mean a player's offensive numbers will suffer.

"It [the Primeau line] worked defensively and it worked offensively," Hitchcock said. "When you play against the other team's best players, they take more risks, so you get more chances."

The coach pointed out that the offensive totals of all three players stayed the same in their defensive roles.

"We were able to win a lot more games on the road knowing Keith's line was out there against the other team's best players."