A puzzler

Looking for a household NHL name? Good luck

A clue in the New York Times crossword the other day read: "The NHL's Bobby." It was a three-letter space and anyone who has ever heard the words Stanley and Cup in the same sentence knew enough to write in "Orr."

Sure, he has been retired for close to a quarter century, but Bobby Orr is still close to a household name. What if the Times crossword -- which, after all, is written for everyday folk on their sofas, not for puckheads like us -- wanted to tap into the current player pool, I wondered, dozing off on my own sofa. They could expect said everyday folk to come up with "Lemieux," certainly. Maybe they could suggest "Bobby and Brett of the NHL" and lead us to Hull, which is half current/half past. And they could list, well ... that's it.

The 2002-03 NHL season opens this week, and the story's the same as it has been since the Great One waved good-bye to the Madison Square Garden crowd in April of 1999. The league is still searching, hoping to find that crossover star who will emerge in Gretzky's wake. Mario is marvelous, of course, and his presence gives the league some desperately needed panache. But a year from now Mario, too, will likely be skating into the sunset (for the second time). Where does the future of the NHL lie?

Well, a name like Fedor Fedorov (Sergei's little brother and Vancouver's latest young import) rolls off the tongue. But he's coming off a two-goal, eight-game season in the AHL.

If only we could move Calgary to the Eastern time zone, and fix a few dozen television cameras upon it. If only the Flames could rise up like some band of late '80s Oilers, undaunted in the powerful Western Conference. Then all the world would see Jarome Iginla, an MVP candidate and a fabulous goal scorer who could put a wonderful face on the league. He's made of the right stuff, physically and temperamentally, and, as a black player he could signal a new dawn of NHL diversity.

Or maybe Jaromir Jagr, the superstar who was weaned on Mario a decade ago -- and who for a while seemed about to burst into the mainstream -- can find happiness during his second year in Washington. Jagr has his old Pittsburgh friends Kip Miller and Robert Lang alongside him, and a new coach (Bruce Cassidy) to push around. Maybe that will be enough to bring back his smile. Maybe the Capitals can rise in the vulnerable Eastern Conference and Jagrmeister culture will be born.

Perhaps Pavel Bure, back on a team with pal Mark Messier, can score 70 goals this year, and brighten up Broadway. Maybe the Rangers can advance to the playoffs for the first time since the Gretzky era, and Pavel posters will paper the great city. Pavel will go on The Late Show with David Letterman, the Today show, do a guest number in Oklahoma!

Or maybe that Atlanta rhythm section of Kovalchuk and Heatley, last year's first-year phenoms, will become sophomore sensations. They'll bring the Thrashers into the postseason, goalie Milan Hnlicka and a naked defense notwithstanding. Kovalchuk could score 50 this year and Heatley 40 more. And the Braves management that operates out of One CNN Center, will fix a way to get them onto Larry King Live. And all those people who stopped going to Braves games years ago will saunter over to Philips Arena to find out, once and for all, just what this hockey thing is about.

Or no, I've got it: The future lies in big Joe Thornton, with the huge, All-American grin. He'll be healthy this year, and ready to carry the Bruins back to their days of Orr. He'll rush end to end for game-winning goals. Crowds will ignore Boston's Big Dig, and get over the loss of the Gahden already, and the FleetCenter will at last be full. Joe will be there in the finals next June, and photographers will catch him at full-length and in mid-air potting the Cup-winning goal. A new star will be born and years hence our newspaper puzzles will offer a three-letter answer to "the NHL's Thornton."

Or maybe I'm just dreaming.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Kostya Kennedy takes sides every Wednesday at CNNSI.com.

 

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