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East Division Preview by Alex Smith

Looking Towards the New Year We take a look at the East Division, and break it down team by team, position by position. Michigan Falcons Once again, GM Randy Steffer has a pretty solid lineup heading into season X. The team has the firepower on its top line that can matchup well with any team in the league. However, depth seems to be a problem, but when you have Fleury as your netminder, you can afford cut a few corners. Expect the topline of Modano-Naslund-Crosby to rain goals down on their opponents this year. Centers: Mike Modano, Sergei Fedorov, John Madden, Patrick O'Sullivan Mike Modano and Sergei Fedorov lead a talented group of centers, and will battle all year long for topline playing time. John Madden is a disciplined player and a good role model for the team to follow. The young Patrick O’Sullivan is expected to get fourth line playing time, and maybe even push Madden for ice time. Grade: A- Left Wings: Markus Naslund, Kristian Huselius, Igor Grigorenko, Marcel Hossa Markus Naslund is vastly superior to any of the teams other left wingers, and will be the easy choice for topline playing time. Huselius and Hossa are average skaters, although Huselius can be quite the sniper at times.The young yet vastly talented Grigorenko will be clawing his way for time off the fourth line. Grade: C+ Right Wings: Sidney Crosby, Radim Vrbata, Brian Willsie, TBA Sidney Crosby is probally one of the most exciting players to watch in the league. Vrbata is good, but not second line good. Willsie will be the third liner, while the fourth line skater will be someone that should be on the farm. Depth would be helpful. Grade: C Defense (Top Four): Robyn Regehr, Brendan Mikkelson, Mattias Ohlund, Cam Barker A nice blend of youth and savvy veterans make up the Michigan blueline. Regehr was a very nice offseason pickup, and the young Mikkelson and Barker continue to develop as premier young bluelines. Grade: B+ Goaltending: Marc-Andrey Fleury, Kevin Weekes A nice Duo, and affordable at that. Weekes should be able to provide rest for Fleury, although the team would like to have Fleury in net every game. Grade: B+ Jacksonville Prowlers For all the insults being thrown at this team as not being deep enough to win it all, you have to consider them as a nightmare to any opposing coach, and a threat to win it all this year. Centers: Joe Sakic, Patrice Bergeron, Marius Holtet, Jere Lehtinen The ageless Sakic is perhaps one of the most respected players in the league, and is being relied upon to bring this team back to glory. His leadership will be greatly needed to keep the star-filled roster together. Bergeron and Lehtien are above average skaters, and Lehtien will be relied upon heavily come penalty kill time. Grade: A+ Left Wings: Jonathan Toews, Daniel Briere, Paul Kariya, Miroslav Zalesek Kariya and Briere were huge pickups this offseason. Kariya is number three all time in goals scored in the league, and is a threat to score anytime he is on the ice. The young Toews has drawn comparisons to Wayne Gretsky from GM Rapsburg, a prediction that is a bit premature. Grade: A+ Right Wings: Alexander Frolov, Eric Staal, Zach Parise, Ivan Tkachenko More Firepower. Staal and Frolov are scoring machines. Zach Parise, who was at one point on the block, remains at the third liner. Rumors are that the asking price for him was a bit high, although the team refutes that statement. Tkachenko probally wont even see the ice. Grade: B+ Defense (Top 4): Brian Rafalski, Jay Bouwmeester, Kimmo Timonen, Ryan Parent If there was a weak spot on the roster, this would have to be it. While Rafalski and Boumeester make a nice top line compbo, it falls off greatly after the two of them. Grade: C+ Goaltending: Miikka Kiprusoff, Brian Boucher Kiprusoff is one of the best netminders in the game, and will keep this team in every game- as if the firepower up front wasn’t enough. Grade: A Texas Cannons Its another rebuilding year in Texas, where the Cannons don’t expect much to happen as far as making a serious run to the playoffs is concerned. Centers: Chris Gratton, Mike Comrie, Ryan Stoa, Petr Kalus Comrie and Gratton are the only pro ready players here and it looks to be a long year for the wingers because of this. Grade: D Left Wings: Matt Pettinger, Sergei Zinovjev, Matt Zultek, TBA The team lacks any pro level players here as well, you cant win games without some form of scoring on the wing Grade: F Right Wings: Chris Higgins, Christoph Gawlik, Alexander Steen,Ryan Malone Potential is the word here. Higgins, Gawlik, and Malone are all young studs, and Steen is already there. But potential wont win you games. Grade: D+ Defense (Top 4): Janne Niinimaa, Bryan Berard, Ladislav Smid, Nick Boynton Perhaps the teams bright spot, and likely only chance at winning a few games. Niinimaa and Berard make a good top line, Smid is a stud and Boyton is solid. Grade: B- Goaltending: Jose Theodore, Magnus Akerlund Theodore is aging, but has what it takes to keep this team in every game. Durabilty may become an issue, and Akerlund isn’t ready for the big show Grade: B New York Vipers New York is posed to make another playoff run, and has a core of superstars that will make sure it happens. Centers: David Krejci, Jason Jaspers, Brad Winchester, Peter Forsberg Forsberg is a superstar- when he is healthy. Should he hold up, he will easily score 110+ points for the team. Depth is an issue however, as the other centers are backliners at best. Grade: B- Left Wings: Marian Hossa, Viktor Kozlov, Sergei Varlamov,Trent Hunter Marian Hossa can score from anywhere on the ice, and Kozlov can be a force as well. Depth once again hurts the unit. Grade: B Right Wings: Martin Havlat, Manny Malhotra, Denis Shvidki, TBA Havalat is a player any team would want, but other than that the unit is thin, and lacking depth. Grade: C+ Defense (Top 4): Chris Pronger, Vitali Vishnevsky, Adrian Aucoin, Willie Mitchell This unit is amazing, and is the only one close to matching the blueline that is in Nashville. Pronger is in a contract year and will play even better than usual. The only question is can the new defenders get some chemistry on the ice? I think so. Grade: A Goaltending: Niklas Backstrom, Andrew Raycroft Backstrom is young, and a premier talent. Raycroft is a very solid backup and could start for a lot of teams. This team is set in net. Grade: A Boston Bandits Centers: Brian Rolston, Valtteri Filppula, Tomas Kopecky, Jason Williams Rolston and Williams are decent players, but no real threats will play center this year in Boston, and whats new? Grade: D+ Left Wings: Fernando Pisani, Vaclav Varada, Arttu Luttinen, Kevin Estrada Pisani leads a group of players that aren’t really ready to play at this level yet. Grade: F Right Wings: Martin Lapointe, Dan Collins, John Laliberte, Shawn Horcoff Horcoff can be a force, however no one else can step up and score goals for this unit. Grade: F Defense (Top 4): Darryl Sydor, Matt Rathje, Jaroslov Modry, Eric Cairnes Sydor, if he can regain his old form could be a reliable defender, but other than that, this unit is in shambles. Grade: D- Goaltending: Tim Thomas, J-S Aubin Tim Thomas looks to make a name for himself this year, with Aubin providing him with a good mentor Grade: C- Nashville Battalion The music city team has a solid top two lines worth of forwards, and the best blueline in the league. They are the team to beat because of this. Centers: Joe Thorton, Brad Richards, TBA Joe Thorton and Brad Richards are two of the most exicting players in hockey, however the team has no depth, and they will take turns double shifting throughout the season undoubtedly. Grade: A Left Wings: Alex Tanguay, Jason Blake, TBA Tanguay has a scoring touch that is hard to match. Blakeis often found putting the put into the back of the net as well. However, the team has no depth here as well, and is hoping that the top two wingers here will be able to hold up the entire season. Grade: B+ Right Wings: Dainius Zubrus, Evengi Artyukhin, Pavel Datsyuk, TBA Zubrus and Datsyuk are make up the top two lines, with the third and forth undetermined. However sources tell us that GM Weir is high on Artyukhin, so expect him to get some ice time. Depth remains a problem here. Grade: B- Defense (Top 4): Zdeno Chara, Dan Boyle, Philippe Boucher, Marc-Andre Bergeron The Team once again has the best blueline in the DWSHL. Chara is a huge force and Boyle adds plenty of offense to this Unit. There doesn’t seem to be a single weak spot in this unit. Grade: A+ Goaltending: Jussi Markkanen, Ty Conklin Jussi Markkanen returns as starter for the defending champs, and the untested Conklin is his backup. Grade: B Houston Hornets The Hornets added a few pieces this offseason, but are still a couple years from being able to make a serious run. The blueline has been vastly improved. Centers: Alexander Perezhogin, Daymond Langkow, Nikolai Antropov, TBA Antropov’s salary limits the team in what it is able to do here. Lankow is a force, and Perezhogin is a young stud. Expect this unit to score a few goals this year Grade: C Left Wings: Daniel Sedin, Kenndal McArdle, Niko Kapanen, Andrew Ladd Daniel Sedin leads an otherwise mediocre group. Grade: C Right Wings: Blake Wheeler, Joffrey Lupul, Adrien Lauper, Duncan Milroy A group of farm caliber players look to see what its like to play in the DWSHL this year. Grade: F Defense (Top 4): Scott Hannan, Steve Eminger, Adam Foote, Garnet Exelby A pretty solid group here, with Foote being the leader and biggest offseason signing for the team. This unit looks to keep the teams pride and make up for the lack of firepower up front Grade: B- Goaltending: Robert Esche, Marek Schwarz Esche is getting old, and durability will be an issue down the stretch. Can Schwarz carry the team down the stretch? I doubt it. Grade: C+ Washington Justice Centers: Steven Reinprecht, Olli Jokinen, Vernon Fiddler, TBA The expensive signing of Jokinen this offseason will do wonders for this group of players, as he is by far the best skater on the team. Grade: C Left Wings: Mike Cammalleri, Jeff Carter, Jakub Sindel, Stanislav Chistov Carter is a player who will be a star- just not this year. He leads this unit of underachieving players. Grade: D+ Right Wings: Jordin Tootoo, Taylor Pyatt, Scott Mellanby, Martin Erat Pyatt and Erat will battle it out for a topline spot, but elsewhere would be hardpressed to find time on a second line. Tootoo and Mellanby are good backliners, but will need to do more than they have in the past to keep this team afloat. Grade: D Defense (Top 4): Filip Kuba, Danny Richmond, Dan Hamhuis, A.J. Thelen Kuba is a nice asset to any team, and the young Thelen is premier talent in waiting. The team hopes that the four can play past what they are projected to do. Grade: C Goaltending: Roberto Luongo, Antero Niittymaki Luongo has slipped and Nittymaki has not reached his potential. Expect this tandem to play better than projected as they have pride and their careers to play for. Grade: C Projected Division Finish: 1. Nashville Battalion 2. Jacksonville Prowlers 3. Michigan Falcons 4. New York Vipers 5. Houston Hornets 6. Washington Justice 7. Texas Cannons 8. Boston Bandits The Battalions blueline will edge out Jacksonvilles firepower up front for the Divisional crown.

Euro Division Preview by Brett Ommen

Big Canada Preview by Joe Scanlon

Calgary Storm - Actions often speak louder then words. Signing free agents Tony Amonte and Bryan Smolinski, as well as re-signing Martin Straka to long-term contracts has shown that that Storm GM Ted Dallaire is still committed to building a winner in Calgary. They will always have the ability to be competitive as long as Jarome Iginla is leading the way, but goaltender Dan Cloutier will need to have an outstanding season for the team to make any real noise. Edmonton Racers - Built around center Patrick Marleau, the Racers franchise is one with much potential. Jarrett Stoll will prove to be a good pick-up and bringing back Jason Pominville via free agency was another solid move by GM De Biasi. Certainly all eyes will be on Evgeni Malkin as he continues to develop into a world class talent. The playoffs arent out of the question this season, but it will be difficult. Kingston Icedogs - The big question mark will be Martin Biron's goaltending. If he can play to his abilities, the Icedogs will look good this season. Anytime you have players like Daniel Alfredsson or Nicklas Lidstrom, guys that can single handedly take over games, you have a chance to win. Rugged forwards like Erik Cole and Ryan Smyth along with defenseman Brian Campbell come together to make an intriguing group of players with a very high skill level. But you do need strong goaltending and Biron will have to provide it. Montreal Chevaliers - Losing Teemu Selanne (Kings) and Mattias Ohlund (Falcons) has truley devestated the franchise. Both players were with the team for a while and had really helped build something special over the last few years. The signing of Petr Bondra to a 1 year deal softens the blow, but this could very well be a down year for the Chevs. Carey Price will need to grow up real fast this season. Ottawa Attack - Moving Phillipe Boucher in the off-season began the re-building process for Steve Sippert and the Attack. The playoffs dont look to be in the immediate future, but 5 first round picks in the next two seasons gives something to be optimistic about. Koivu, Cujo, and Brunette could even be moved to add some more young assets. It will take a couple of seasons, but Sippert is determind to get his franchise's foundation solid. Quebec Crunch - Signing free agents Jeremy Roenick and Alexander Mogilny to one-year contracts will significantly help the Crunch in season 10. GM Alex Smith hopes that the pair will provide some instant offensive punch while teaching the club's younger stars like Steve Bernier and newly acquired Jack Skille a thing or two. One big signing could prove to be 20-year old goaltender Karri Ramo. Rick Dipietro should provide strong netminding for now, but expect to see Ramo in and DP out in a few seasons. The Crunch could be playoff bound in season 10, but I wouldnt be surprised either if they fell just short. Toronto Skyleafs - Alexander Ovechkin has officially arrived and he is ready to bring the Skyleafs right to the top of the Jim Beam conference. The dynamic forward has been pegged as one of the early favorites to win the DWSHL scoring title and having Michael Peca and Henrik Sedin as linemates will only increase his chances. John-Michael Liles and Rod Brind'amour provide an excellent supporting cast and Tomas Vokoun has proven he can be a top goalie in the league. Also keep an eye out for Jordan Staal who is expected to be a top 6 forward in the not to distant future. Watch out for Toronto. Winnipeg T-Rex - GM Ryley Weir wants to bring the cup back to Winnipeg so badly that hes willing to sacrifice potential franchise players like Erik Johnson and Dion Phaneuf to do so. Many feel that the players could already be in place. Barrett Jackman signed a 4-year free agent deal in the off-season and will fill the role of shutdown defenseman the T-Rex have wanted for years. Ryan Miller is also ready for a breakout year and surley Dany Heatley will not dissapoint. Winnipeg should be a top three team, if not number one, in the Jim Beam conference.

Birmingham Blaze Major Additions: Patrick Elias, Todd Bertuzzi, Mike York, Stephen Weiss, Derek Morris Major Subtractions: None Forwards: Notarianni made some good additions, but he needs to shuffle his lines. As of this writing, he’s got nothing on the right side to pair up with two decent centers and two great left wingers. Defense: The blueline is adequate and consistent. While none of the blueliners are superstars, 5 of the 6 defenders have DF ratings of 73 or above. Goaltending: After trying to dump Fernandez, Notarianni might be happy to have him. The Blaze have no decent back-up option to Fernandez, so Manny will have to shoulder the load. Evaluation: The team is vastly improved—no doubt about that. It’s good to see the franchise return to respectability, but the team may not be stocked enough to compete in the increasingly competitive division. What’s worse, if the Blaze don’t win, they’ll be bankrupt before the season ends. This is likely the team’s only year to compete, as finances will force Notarianni to break up his team and start all his young and cheap talent to turn a profit. Sundsvall Vikings Major Additions: Nicklas Backstrom, Brent Johnson, Mattias Norstrom Major Subtractions: None Forwards: Chan is taking a slower approach to rebuilding than Notarianni, and so he’s got little superstar punch. But he will develop his young talent by giving them ice time. Defense: The blueline isn’t the strongest defensively, but Chan does have some puck movers. Goaltending: Brent Johnson was brought in to carry the load, and with Varlamov as his back-up, he’s going to have to do it. Unfortunately, Brent Johnson isn’t the king of backstop you can ride to victory. Evaluation: While the team isn’t a push over, it isn’t anywhere near contending in the division. It doesn’t have the firepower to outscore opponents, and it doesn’t have the defense to keep scores low. It’ll be a long season for Chan, but he’s clearly looking ahead…to season 13 or so. Helsinki Nighthawks Major Additions: Simon Gagne Major Subtractions: Roberto Luongo Forwards: Gagne’s the only bright spot on this team. Everybody else is just there to feed him the puck, and sadly, they aren’t all that equipped to pass. There is some youth that will develop well, but just like in Birmingham, the team isn’t getting good return on its payroll. Defense: The defensive corps is even, but it’s also evenly mediocre. With Eric Brewer the strongest blueliner, the team may be on the short end of a lot of crooked numbers. Goaltending: Cam Ward has big shoes to fill, and he isn’t durable enough to fill them for very long stretches. What’s worse, Paxton has no money or talent to back up Ward. Evaluation: The Nighthawks are another team that needs to rebuild rather than reload, and since the team didn’t do so this season, it will have no choice but to pare down the payroll next season to get itself out of debt. The team is spending 45 million dollars this season on a team that will compete for the 6th spot in the division. Copenhagen Blizzard Major Additions: Garon, Phillips Major Subtractions: Nabakov, Aucoin Forwards: The top line is great, the second line is okay, and the rest is a youth in training project. Against the division, Osterloh will be relying heavily on the top line to take care of business. Defense: The defense is middling, but it is relatively defensively sound. Goaltending: Garon is no Nabakov, but Osterloh clearly believes in Tuukka Rask and will likely be platooning. Evaluation: OSterloh has been competitive with this relatively consistent line up, but that success has been backstopped by Brodeur and Nabakov. I wouldn’t rule them out, but I wouldn’t expect them to be as competitive this season as in years past. Stockholm Kings Major Additions: Marty Turco, M. Satan, Langenbrunner, Selanne Major Subtractions: J. Allison, C. Brown, B. Rolston, P. Lalime, C Drury, J. Leclair Forwards: One amazing line, 2/3 a decent line, and Kopitar. Like Copenhagen, the Kings aren’t terribly deep, but the firepower at the top is frightening. Defense: A patchy group of defenders, but Hamerlik and McLaren at the top are heavy lifters. Goaltending: Lalime suffered a major setback, and Stockholm reloaded with Turco. His endurance is questionable, but the rest of his play is top notch. Evaluation: This team essentially hit the reboot button. It looks nothing like Land’s previous teams, and he’s throwing out his usual template and placing all of his hopes on that top line. Hanover Galaxy Major Additions: Spezza, Major Subtractions: Theodore Forwards: Adding Spezza finally makes the Galaxy more than a one trick pony named Lecavalier, but the galaxy don’t have quite the same 2nd line punch of other Euro contenders. It does, however, have better 3rd and 4th line depth than the teams above. Defense: The bad defense Hanover has is there to move the puck; the good defense is there to do everything else. Goaltending: Toskala is young, but he’s as good if not better than the jettisoned Theodore. Evaluation: This team will live and die on the strength of Toskala and Lecavalier. The good news is Toskala looks legit, and he’s got a great defense in front of him. Lecavalier has been enough in the past, and now he’s got Spezza riding shotgun down the ice. Antwerp Icebats Major Additions: Gionta, Wideman, Aebischer, Jokinen Major Subtractions: Blake, Esche, Langkow Forwards: The Icebats don’t have the top line punch as the other Euro contenders, but they have two very steady top lines. The third line is vastly improved from the defensive trio Ommen usually sends out, which has now moved to 4th line duty. Defense: The maturation of Meszaros easily replaces Rob Blake, and Clark’s breakout along with the Wideman and Lebda additions give Antwerp an adequate defensive depth. While none of these players are lights out defenders, they are evenly defensive and offensive guys, giving the Icebats an even defense to go along with their even offense. Goaltending: Antwerp ditched Esche to get Budaj, who isn’t going to be ready this season. He’ll rely on a platoon of Aebischer and Osgood to get through the season…of course Aebischer has a shiny new championship ring so there are fates worse than that platoon. Evaluation: Antwerp is clearly wagering that depth will be more competitive than one really great line, so he’ll have to hope his even team can shut down the rest of the division’s fire-power. Zurich Piranhas Major Additions: Martin Brodeur, Matthew Barnaby, JP Mercier Major Subtractions: Tony Amonte, Korolyuk, D. Therres Forwards: The team is still rebuilding, so the forwards will be perpetually over-matched. The good news is the kids will get better…of course, they’ve been getting better for a few seasons, and the best they’ve got are 8 guys who are at best 3rd line players. Defense: The blueline isn’t nearly as miserable as the forwards, with Gonchar, Sarich, and the young Jack Johnson. Still, the defense isn’t strong enough to make up for the lack of offense. Goaltending: The Piranhas got Brodeur by virtue of having cap space when every other team restocked their entire roster. So the question is—Can Brodeur earn his 11 million dollars a season by winning games on his own? Because that’s pretty much what he’s got in store for himself the next 2 years. Evaluation: This team needs to sign its prospects and make some smart moves, without blowing up its finances like the other two bottom dwellers of this division. Until then, the Piranhas will have to weather the long seasons ahead.

From the Commissioner's Desk

Law of Averages

FORWARDS DEFENSEMAN G TEAM TEAM OV SC PA DU DI DF OV DF PA SC DU DI OV OV MTL 74.5 72.4 70.9 70.8 76.9 62.7 73.5 71.8 70.3 70.2 77.8 63.8 75.5 74.5 QC 74.7 74.8 75.6 70.9 68.2 64.4 71.7 69.2 70.7 67.2 74.3 60.8 75.5 74.0 TEX 71.6 68.0 70.2 77.3 69.2 68.3 73.8 71.3 69.3 71.8 72.2 66.7 76.0 73.8 DEN 71.8 69.7 70.7 70.4 73.2 61.8 73.2 71.8 69.5 68.3 69.0 65.3 77.5 74.2 REN 72.8 71.9 71.8 67.6 66.7 58.3 74.5 72.5 70.5 69.5 72.5 70.8 74.5 73.9 JAX 77.5 76.4 77.7 72.6 73.1 66.5 74.6 70.8 71.8 70.5 70.3 67.5 79.0 77.0 ARZ 74.1 71.3 72.2 75.8 73.2 63.4 75.5 74.0 72.8 67.8 71.3 67.0 76.6 75.4 OTT 72.1 70.4 71.3 64.8 73.1 63.3 70.0 64.0 67.3 63.5 67.8 67.5 78.0 73.4 SD 68.5 61.7 65.5 69.7 56.7 57.4 74.0 72.5 71.2 69.7 74.0 65.7 76.5 73.0 KNG 75.4 73.6 74.7 75.4 71.6 66.5 77.5 79.8 77.8 73.3 73.0 71.0 74.0 75.6 SND 72.0 70.7 72.2 73.0 64.2 63.0 72.3 67.2 68.8 70.0 80.8 67.7 76.0 73.4 STK 66.5 67.9 69.6 68.5 69.6 56.3 75.0 70.7 76.3 69.7 75.0 62.0 77.0 72.8 SEA 77.9 75.7 76.8 74.7 70.6 67.2 76.2 71.7 74.8 72.3 74.7 65.3 77.0 77.0 HAN 76.0 75.2 76.2 75.8 71.2 63.2 76.7 74.0 73.2 72.8 73.7 70.2 76.5 76.4 NSH 77.1 77.2 79.0 75.9 73.5 63.6 80.0 78.3 79.3 76.5 73.3 72.5 76.5 77.9 ANT 75.0 73.0 76.0 78.1 76.6 70.8 73.7 75.2 72.2 68.5 75.7 78.2 78.0 75.6 CGY 75.4 74.2 75.5 76.2 73.1 67.3 72.0 69.8 71.3 64.3 71.2 73.0 75.0 74.1 LB 66.7 60.6 64.7 66.5 62.2 58.0 72.5 68.2 69.5 68.5 73.8 62.3 73.0 70.7 TOR 76.9 76.4 77.8 76.2 76.7 69.8 75.3 74.8 73.3 68.6 74.8 63.2 78.0 76.7 HOU 73.2 70.7 71.2 67.5 69.3 61.2 73.2 74.3 69.7 65.7 76.3 57.0 76.0 74.1 COP 75.7 74.2 78.0 70.9 72.1 61.7 74.3 72.2 70.8 70.0 81.5 82.3 75.0 75.0 SOL 76.0 72.2 73.6 76.1 73.1 66.8 74.5 74.2 72.2 72.3 70.7 58.3 75.0 75.2 WPG 75.8 74.7 77.7 72.4 75.1 61.1 75.3 76.0 69.6 70.7 80.3 59.8 78.5 76.5 BRM 74.1 71.5 74.7 65.1 65.2 60.7 72.7 72.3 67.5 67.8 76.5 61.3 76.0 74.3 HEL 73.5 70.8 72.3 70.0 67.7 63.9 72.7 69.3 69.2 69.3 69.8 66.8 73.0 73.1 NY 74.6 72.4 73.4 70.3 74.1 63.9 76.5 78.2 74.3 69.3 69.8 63.2 79.0 76.7 MI 76.1 75.5 75.5 72.7 71.1 65.7 74.8 75.7 71.0 70.5 75.7 69.0 77.5 76.1 ZUR 70.7 66.4 68.9 66.3 65.2 55.2 74.5 71.2 69.7 64.7 77.0 60.0 79.0 74.7 EDM 73.4 72.2 72.4 68.0 73.5 63.7 71.5 68.3 69.8 69.5 65.0 68.3 74.0 73.0 BOS 71.7 67.4 69.0 72.4 63.6 65.0 72.3 70.0 68.5 66.0 75.0 62.0 74.0 72.7 BLG 72.8 71.0 72.0 76.7 73.5 64.6 74.2 73.3 70.3 68.7 77.7 65.8 77.0 74.7 WSH 73.7 71.6 72.7 76.2 68.2 63.2 72.2 68.8 68.8 68.3 74.3 64.7 73.5 73.1

Pacific Division Preview by Randy Steffer

A Year of Milestones by Matthew Visser

Pacific Overview: Some may argue the Pacific Division was the weakest division in the league with only two teams representing it in the playoffs (The Spartans and Wolves). The Spartans and Wolves were able to finish so high because of their weak division. This year shouldn’t be much different be another two team show only this time the Spartans and Phantoms should blow out the division. Seattle Spartans Last Seasons Record: 56-18-6 Last Seasons Finish: 1st Pacific, 1st Jim Beam Conference, 2nd Overall Offense Led By-Jaromir Jagr Offense has been the pride of the Seattle Spartans team since the league opened. With Jagr, St. Louis, Morrison, Calder, Conroy, and Afinogenov this season will be no difference. No matter how many goals a team manages to put up there is always a chance the Spartans can come back. Defense Led By- Brad Stuart The Spartan defense is a good mix of offensive defenseman and defensive defenseman and young and old. It’s very similar to what they have put on the ice in the past and it has worked out for them. Goaltending Led By- Evgeni Nabokov The Spartans have switched it up this year and have got rid of long time goalie Fred Brathwaite and brought in an upgrade in Evgeni Nabokov to see if he can lead the team to a 3rd drunks cup. Predictions: 1st Pacific, 1st Jim Beam Conference, 2nd Overall San Diego Wolves Last Season Record: 49-27-4 Last Seasons Finish: 2nd Pacific, 3rd Jim Beam Conference, 7th Overall Offense Led By: Shane Doan The Wolves offense has depleted severely since last season. Their offense was a huge part of them finishing so high in the conference last season and without they may struggle to be competitive. Shane Doan and Alexei Zhamnov will have to carry the offense and that maybe just way to much weight. Defense Led By: Rob Blake While the Wolves offense got weaker their defense has improved. Bringing in Rob Blake maybe the only reason the wolves have a shot at making the playoffs. Rozsival and Foster will also have to take on bigger roles than they are accustom to. Goaltending Led By: Nikolai Khabibulin Nikolai Khabibulin may have been the sole reason the Wolves faired so well last season. He has aged and isn’t quite the same as before. He does however still have the ability to steal games and give his team a chance to win night in and night out. Last Seasons Finish: 5th Pacific, 10th Jim Beam Conference, 19th Overall Seoul Rams Last Seasons Record: 36-37-7 Last Seasons Finish: 3rd Pacific, 9th Jim Beam Conference, 16th Overall Offense Led By: Ilya Kovalchuk The Rams have a fairly deep offense but you can call them the Big 3. Chris Drury, Alexi Kovalev, and Ilya Kovalchuck are obviously the keys to the Rams offense this season. If they do not produce the Rams will not produce. Defense Led By: Mike Van Ryn The Rams defense could lead to some serious trouble this season. With only 5 true starters things could go south for the Rams really quickly if one of them gets bitten by injury. If they stay healthy the Rams will be competing for a playoff spot. Goaltending Led By: Alexander Auld The Rams are also another team to switch starting goaltenders this season. Auld played for the Huskies last season and the Rams felt he was good enough to start for them this season. There are a lot of question marks surrounding Auld but he will be a key part to this team if they want to see time in the post season. Predictions: 3rd Pacific, 7th Jim Beam Conference, 13th Overall Billings Sabercats Last Seasons Record: 34-42-4 Last Seasons Finish: 4th Pacific, 11th Jim Beam Conference, 15th Overall Offense Led By: Vyacheslav Kozlov The talent on this offense has seemed to disappear a little this season. Kozlov is there go to guy and he’s just not good enough to carry the team. Youngsters like Lauri Tukonen, Byron Bitz, and David Moss must be able to contribute immediately. Defense Led By: Marek Zidlicky Frank Lewis has done a hell of a job improving this team’s weak spot, its defense. This season he has 6 very talented starters. They might have been a little deeper last season but this year its almost a for sure thing they will see improvement on the defensive end of the ice Goaltending Led By: Marc Denis Another huge upgrade for the Sabercats was made in this department. Bringing in Marc Denis will be vital to the team success. The Sabercats have improved their record every year since they were introduced to the league in 2005 and will continue doing so with moves like this Predictions: 4th Pacific, 8th Jim Beam Conference, 15th Overall Long Beach Brahmas Last Seasons Record: 31-47-2 Last Seasons Finish: 5th Pacific, 12th Jim Beam Conference, 22nd Overall Offense Led By: Milan Hejduk The Brahmas Offense is pretty deep. They will rely on its depth heavily to put numbers up. With Hamilton, Nylander, and Hejduk being the top line for the Brahmas, they can hardly outmatch any other teams’ top line so the 2nd and 3rd lines will have to get it done. Defense Led By: Sandis Ozolinsh The Brahmas defense has improved tremendously but with and average age of 36.7, a sever lack of speed, and only 4 guys who should start on the team, its hard to tell how much of an improvement they have made. Goaltending Led By: Ilja Bryzgalov The Kolzig virus is gone. Once one of the leagues top net minders, Kolzig became a cap eating virus to the team after his play began to slump. Bryzgalov is a much cheaper just a qualified kind of goalie. Although they many not see instant improvements this year, the Brahmas are on the right track. Predictions: 8th Pacific, 16th Jim Beam Conference, 31st Overall Denver Bison Last Seasons Record: 29-45-6 Last Seasons Finish: 6th Pacific, 13th Jim Beam Conference, 23rd Overall Offense Led By: Michal Handzus This offense is led by one of the best two way players in the game in Michal Handzus. However he is no Paul Kariya, losing Paul Kariya and Mike York will definitely hurt the offense this season. Losing your top two goal scored always will. The whole offense is going to need to contribute if the Bison want to win. Defense Led By: Martin Skoula The Bison have a very similar defense to last year. Mike Komisarek, Nick Schultz, Johnny Boychuk, Martin Skoula Phil Cole, Steve McCarthy, Kirill Koltsov, and Brent Burns who had a stint playing right wing all come back to the team this season. They have grown a little bit but 25th in the league in Goals Against maybe be a concern in bring back the same defense. Goaltending Led By: JS Giguere The Bison have made it known that JS Giguere would start in net for the team this season. After making tremendous improvements in his game over last season and in spring training, Giguere is finally the goalie the Bison have always wanted him to be. Predictions: 6th Pacific, 13th Jim Beam Conference, 23rd Overall Arizona Phantoms Last Seasons Record: 22-46-12 Last Seasons Finish: 7th Pacific, 14th Jim Beam Conference, 27nd Overall Offense Led By: Mats Sundin This Phantoms Offense has two very dangerous 1st and 2nd lines. They boasted a similar offense last season which was around the middle of the league in scoring. Mats Sundin has been hungry for a cup and finally has a team to make it happen. The addition od McDonald and the development of Cheechoo has got the state of Arizona excited for the upcoming season. Defense Led By: Wade Redden The Phantoms have always put a deep defensive lineup on the ice. This season will be no different. Warrener, Tremblay, Redden, Schneider, Lydman, and Eaton are all DWSHL proven and have the ability to shut down any team’s offense. Goaltending Led By: Henrik Lundqvist Lundqvist has developed into one of the top young goaltending prospects and the Phantoms were fortunate enough to keep him this off-season. He has worked hard and stepped up his game immensely and could be the missing piece from this teams arsenal last season. Predictions: 2nd Pacific, 4th Jim Beam Conference, 8th Overall Reno Riptide Last Seasons Record: 23-53-4 Last Seasons Finish: 8th Pacific, 16th Jim Beam Conference, 31st Overall Offense Led By: Marian Gaborik The weakest part of this team last season, the offense has improved greatly in Reno. With Veterans Doug Weight and Mark Recchi anchoring the center position and tuff guy Darcy Tucker taking care of the problems they may face, the Riptide are looking at a brighter season. Oh and Marian Gaborik needs to start earning the money he’s making. Defense Led By: Lubomir Visnovsky A losing season taught Lubomir Visnovsky so much he returns from being a UFA the leader of this Riptide defense. He has the two way abilities to help out on both ends of the ice. The addition of Teppo Numminen, arguably the best defensive defeseman in the game should take the extreme amounts of pressure place on goaltender Martin Gerber Goaltending Led By: Martin Gerber Martin Gerber also benefited from last season. Spliting games with Devan Dubnyk helped Gerber learn crutial skills that will turn this Riptide team around. It is said this season Gerber will take over as the starting net minder and Dubnyk will be his back up. Predictions: 7th Pacific, 14th Jim Beam Conference, 28th Overall

As seasons progress and games go by players obtain milestones that are important to them and to the game. When a milestone is reached, they are often celebrated in the hometown arena with a plaque or some type of gift from ownership congratulating them on their accomplishments. This year, like others, many milestones will be reached and celebrated amongst the league. Currently the DWSHL only has 4 players who have reached the 1000 point plateau. Jaromir Jagr leads the way as he is on a quest to reach 1300 before the end of the season. There are at least nine other players that can reach the 1000 point plateau this year. Paul Kariya, Mike Modano, Joe Thornton, Markus Naslund, Alexei Yashin(if he signs), Teemu Selanne, Vinny Lecavier, Petr Sykora and Simon Gagne. All will likely be congratulated, even if they accomplish the feat on enemy territory. Two players are pushing the 500 goal mark this year. Jaromir Jagr is only 4 goals away and Peter Forsberg is 16 shy. This will only be another marker to add to their Hall of Fame credentials when their careers come to an end. The 500 assists mark can be reached by 15 or more players. Way to many to list, but all this information can be found in the xtra stats link on the left of the homepage. Jeremy Roenick, Rob Blake and Darcy Tucker play the game on edge. Due to their high energy style, they often find themselves skating to the penalty box multiple times during a game. These three gentlemen look to become the 7th, 8th and 9th members of the 2000 PIM club. These players are crucial to their teams success unlike most of the other members except for Chris Pronger. It will be interesting to see if their teams ‘celebrate’ this dubious honour. Finally 5 players look to reach 100 powerplay goals this year. Jagr, Sundin, Kariya, Sakic and Naslund are all within reach with strong years. Forsberg and Selanne are the only two who have achieved this milestone thus far. As you can see the more seasons that get played, the more players will reach these milestones. Currently Jaromir Jagr and Peter Forsberg are settting the bar in most offensive categories but they won’t be able to play forever. Switching over to the goalies, there aren’t many big milestones that can be hit. Most of them will be achieved by workhorse Curtis Joseph or superstar Martin Broduer. Both goalies are within reach of the 400 win mark. However both will need to win over 30 games which could be a challenging feat with the teams they are playing on. Two milestones that Joseph will set are 40000 minutes played and 700 games. He will be the first to cross these milestones. Martin Broduer is also only 5 assists away from 50. As you have witnessed there is a lot going on in DWSHL X and it is encouraged for teams to be aware of when their players could hit these milestones in order to properly commemorate their achievements.

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