Will the signing of star Tony Amonte lead to success in the postseason?

By Brian Cazeneuve

Daniel Briére.  NIan Tomlinson/Getty Images SI Fast Fact Daniel Briére, who scored 43 goals in the past two seasons combined, led the league in shooting percentage over that span (22.4%). SI Insider Rankings Offense: 7 Amonte upgrades unit; expect Savage, Nagy Young, physical back line has huge upside Goaltending: 11 Burke, Boucher form solid one-two combination Special Teams: 9 Lots of weapons make power play potent Management: 8 Proactive G.M. Barnett made smart move hiring Coffey

On the August afternoon on which prized free-agent right wing Tony Amonte arrived in Phoenix, soon after signing with the Coyotes, the temperature climbed above 110°. "I wasn't prepared for the weather," he said. "It caught me totally off-guard." If Amonte feels the heat now, wait until he tries to turn his new club into a contender. No team has endured a postseason drought comparable to the Coyotes', who have lost 11 straight playoff series, dating to the franchise's first 17 seasons as the Winnipeg Jets, and have never advanced past the second round in their 23-year history.

Phoenix hopes Amonte can change that. Despite scoring a modest 27 goals with the Blackhawks last season, Amonte averaged 39 goals a year over the previous five seasons and is the league's active iron man with 410 consecutive games played. Wayne Gretzky, the Coyotes' managing partner, coaxed Amonte into signing for less money than he could have commanded elsewhere by convincing him that Phoenix was a team on the rise. By today's standards, the four-year, $24 million contract could be a steal.

The Coyotes went 15-5-1-2 after the Olympic break to finish with 95 points and earn Bob Francis the Coach of the Year award. Goalie Sean Burke, a Vezina finalist, enjoyed the finest season (33-21-6, 2.29, .920) of his resurrected career. The 159 points produced by Phoenix defensemen trailed only Detroit's 167. But the balanced attack of the Coyotes' no-name forwards was Francis's biggest accomplishment. The team had four 20-goal scorers to compensate for the off-season departures of All-Stars Keith Tkachuk and Jeremy Roenick. Third-year forward Daniel Briére had 32 goals and will likely center a line with Amonte and Shane Doan.

Gretzky hopes that the addition of Amonte, along with a few other touches, will spell success. Wayne's younger brother, Keith, is a scout. Over the summer Gretzky hired former Oilers teammates Paul Coffey and Marty McSorley to serve as a consultant on the power play and coach of the team's minor league affiliate in Springfield, Mass., respectively. Now, if only the Coyotes can start winning playoff games the way Gretzky's Oilers did.

Issue date: October 14, 2002