INDEPENDENTSPORTS
SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, JUNE 5-11, 2005 — PAGE 36
Slaney’s slapshot He may be best known for the winning goal in the 1991 world juniors, but John Slaney is one of the AHL’s top blueliners — competing these days for the Calder Cup with the Philadelphia Phantoms DARCY MACRAE
J
ohn Slaney may have spent the majority of his career in the minor leagues, but he’s a household name to many hockey fans across Canada. He’s best known as the hero of the 1991 World Junior Hockey Championship in Saskatoon, Sask. “It’s been 14 years since it happened, but every time I talk to somebody from Canada they bring it up,” Slaney tells The Independent. “I just met two guys from Nova Scotia a couple of weeks ago and the first thing they said was ‘I’ll never forget sitting on the couch watching the big game and then you scored that goal.’” That goal is one of the most memorable in the history of the world juniors. Canada needed a win over the Soviet Union in its final roundrobin game to claim the gold medal, while the Soviets needed just a tie to win the top prize. With the score dead locked at two with just minutes remaining in the third period, Canada pressed relentlessly for a third goal. A Russian defenceman picked the puck up behind his net and, in a state of panic, rifled the puck off the left side boards in an attempt to clear his zone. Waiting at the blueline for the puck was St. John’s native John Slaney, who quickly unloaded a heavy slap shot toward the Soviet net. The fans watching in the rink and at home on TV let out a deafening roar as the puck found its way through a series of bodies, past the Russian netminder, and into the net to give Canada a 3-2 lead. Just a few minutes later Slaney and his Canadian teammates mobbed goalie Trevor Kidd as the final buzzer sounded, celebrating their gold-medal performance.
Considering the magnitude of the goal, Slaney says he doesn’t mind having it serve as his legacy. “It’s something I’ll always remember,” he says. “The biggest thing is that I did it for my country. Winning the gold in my home country was exciting.” A lot has transpired in Slaney’s hockey career since. He has played 268 NHL games with Washington, Colorado, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Nashville, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, where he currently resides as a member of the Phantoms, the Flyers’ AHL affiliate. On June 2 the Phantoms began the AHL finals versus the Chicago Wolves, giving Slaney his first shot at the Calder Cup. “No matter where you are when you start a season, everybody is aiming to win a championship. Right now, it’s a matter of us putting everything together and hopefully we’ll get the victories we need to win it,” says Slaney. “We feel pretty confident, we just beat three good teams (Norfolk Admirals, WilkesBarre/Scranton Penguins and Providence Bruins). We have to play as a team and continue to believe in each other.” The Phantoms’ march to the Calder Cup finals has thrust Slaney and his teammates into the limelight in Philadelphia. The city is home to several top-level professional sports franchises — the Flyers, MLB’s Phillies, the NBA’s 76ers and the NFL Eagles, leaving little room for the AHL Phantoms. But in a season where the Flyers and the rest of the NHL are absent, the Phantoms are on top of the hockey landscape in the Pennsylvania city. The added attention has resulted in increased attendance (the Phantoms averaged close to 8,000 fans a game this year) and a stronger feeling of pride for the Phantoms’ See “No regrets,” page 34
Philadelphia Phantom John Slaney
Devils get their due (from Q) T
he Fog Devils seem to have made some solid choices with their picks in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s expansion draft. With native sons Scott Brophy and Wes Welcher, the team’s top two picks (first and fourth overall respectively), the Fog Devils got a couple of quality players who will likely be called upon as leaders when the Fog is unfolded this fall. Other players selected in the draft, according to the stats they accumulated with their respective
BOB WHITE
Bob the bayman teams this past season, will provide a certain element that will probably leave a few opponents foggy on the ice. I’m talking about glove-dropping grit and intimidation. All the players selected in the expan-
sion draft are known commodities, in the sense that they have already produced tangible results in major junior. However, the players chosen by the Fog Devils in the June 4 midget draft are going to be nabbed based on their potential, a more risky proposition but one where bigger dividends can be reaped. Brophy and Welcher, both with Q experience, will have an easier time adjusting to the pressure of playing at home. There will be lots of attention
directed towards the Fog Devils in their first season — especially any Newfoundlanders on the team. If any local players are selected in the midget draft, they will not only have to get used to playing at a higher level, but they will have to do so while bearing the burden of being hometown boys and all the distractions that come with it. Regardless, I’m sure any player would love to jump on for the ride. ••• The NBA is in danger of risking a
promising future, on the heels of a financially healthy season, with the impending labour talks. The chances of the league competing with the NHL for the most extensive strike coverage are very real. Unlike the NHL, the NBA was making money and has the potential to easily continue that trend, but it could all be trashed if the season tanks. The NHL needed to be fixed, to be overhauled, because the system just See “Bright future,” page 34