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Profile of Bill Guerin
August 8, 2000- By Phil Austin
(This article is written for hockeyRAGE.com)
Bill Guerin of the Oilers has come under close scrutiny the past six months in Edmonton. Trade rumours have been rampant everywhere on the Internet as armchair GM’s from all hockey cities try to work out possible trades with the Edmonton Oilers. What I’m here to do is assist everybody in your trade talks by giving you the real scoop on Guerin. His faults, strengths, and why he’s going to have a breakout season this year.
Bill Guerin came to the Edmonton Oilers in early 1998 under trying circumstances. Traded for an underachieving Jason Arnott, he came the Oil an unwanted man in New Jersey. But let’s not jump the gun just yet, so we’ll hit the rewind button back to October of 1997. The Nagano Olympics were months away and New Jersey GM Lou Lamoreillo was also in charge of the US Olympic Hockey Team and selection of the roster. At that time, Guerin was holding out for more money in New Jersey and Lou was threatening to exclude him from the US Olympic roster if he didn’t sign soon. This strategy actually backfired on old Lou, because notable US players like Doug Weight and Mike Modano stated that they would refuse their roster spot on the Olympics if the Devils followed through with this outrageous tactic. Thanks to his fellow American hockey players, Bill Guerin got what he was asking for and he got it promptly. Old Lou was pretty miffed at Guerin for squeezing him, and Guerin was angry at Old Lou for almost low-balling him. Needless to say, Guerin was traded shortly thereafter to the Edmonton Oilers with the imprint of the Devil’s pitchfork still embedded in his behind.
At the time, the Oilers were starved for a veteran power forward, and Guerin fit the bill. In 40 games, Guerin had 13 goals and 29 points, and gave the Oilers the necessary boost to push them into the playoffs, scoring the winning goal in a game versus the Mighty Ducks that clinched the Oilers’ playoff spot that year. The Oilers were also the second best team in the league that year in the second half of the season, behind only the Dallas Stars. Guerin has the ability to infuse life within a team and score clutch goals. This was never more apparent than their first round date against the Colorado Avalanche. Guerin had 6 goals in the 7 game series, and scored at the times when Edmonton needed it the most. Five of his six goals came when the Oilers were down by two goals or less, and Edmonton won 3 of their four games when Guerin scored. Guerin can take a team on his shoulders, and proved that he is a playoff/big game performer very quickly in Edmonton.
The 1998/99 saw Guerin break out in a way that had many comparing him to Brendan Shanahan. With leading scorer Doug Weight holding out for a lucrative contract, and later injuring his leg only 4 games into his season, Guerin roared out of the gate and was the Oilers heart and soul until Doug Weight returned at mid-season. He was also Edmonon’s lone representative at the NHL All-Star Game. In an NHL where few players can notch the 30 goal plateau, Guerin finished the season with 30 goals and had Edmontonians drooling over the thought of Guerin and Weight finally being able to play a full season together in 1999/00.
After having looked at Guerin’s past with Oilers and hearing my praise fall upon him, some of you may be asking why is it that he is involved in every third trade rumour? What could he have done wrong in one year’s time that has Oiler fans calling for his head? Here’s a quick recap of his disastrous 1999/00 season:
The 1999/00 season started with a case of deja-vu in Edmonton. Guerin was once again holding out for more money. Guerin may have deserved a raise after the season he had in 98/99, but he wouldn’t get all that he asked for from the penny-pinching Oilers. The Oilers, in his absence, played at an average level and Alex Selivanov was lighting the league on fire playing on Guerin’s 1st-line spot as Doug Weight’s sidekick. After 12 games, Guerin finally suited up for the Oilers, and boy oh boy did he look lost! Many hockey-holdouts have had trouble adjusting to the regular season after having missed training camp, and Guerin was no exception. Guerin scored only one goal in his first thirteen contests, and his game was being roasted by fans and media alike. It’s true that when an athlete is slumping, his flaws begin to surface and are scrutinized beyond belief. Guerin was doing what he did best by skating hard and fast and driving to the net with authority, but he was caught floating and skating sideways on numerous occasions. Looking at his finals stats for the 1999/00 season, Guerin played in 70 games with 24 goals and 46 points. Certainly not bad stats for a guy that missed training camp and wasn’t ready for the rigors that a hockey season brings. But that isn’t the entire story.
While it has been argued around the league whether or not Guerin should be traded or not, it is completely feasible to agree that his 98/99 season was far superior to last year. Is Guerin one of those players who plays hard in the final year of his contract to get the big raise the next year, or did he truly just have the proverbial “poor-season” that all athletes are prone too? Personally, I’m a believer that he’s got dollar signs in his eyes. I think you would be hard pressed to find one person anywhere who wouldn’t work twice as hard when raise and contract negotiations are on the sunrise. It’s human nature and Guerin simply fits the mold. Guerin is signed to the end of the 2000/01 season, and it is because of this factor that Guerin will have a monster season similar to 98/99. This coming season, Bill Guerin is playing for a new contract. To be frank, the Oilers are heading into this season under circumstances so similar to the 98/99 season that it is almost eerie: Doug Weight holds out for a contract, Bill Guerin (playing for a new one) carries the team. Now all that needs to happen is for Weight to injure himself for half the season! (if Weight doesn’t do it by accident, I’m sure there will be a lineup of Flames and Canucks fans with crowbars and baseball bats in hand, waiting to pull a Tonya Harding)
Being a first line forward playing with the laser-passing Doug Weight, Guerin’s game was to stay open and await the inevitable pass. For some odd reason, Guerin’s role this year seemed to transform from that of a power forward to a sharp-shooting sniper. He fulfilled that role with 24 goals in a shortened season, but there’s a flipside to every coin. It was how scored those goals that rubbed people off as being lazy and lacking heart. This year, Guerin didn’t skate to the net with the fire he did the previous season, but more often than not was caught cruising around untouched in the offensive zone trying to remain open, ala Slava Kozlov (try saying that 5 times fast). As well, Guerin didn’t score the big game goal that could be expected out of him until game 4 of their annual matchup against Dallas when he notched a hat-trick in a losing cause. Is this a sign that Guerin’s heart and desire has declined in the past year? Not at all. It simply compliments the Oilers that they had other players who could score the clutch goal, and that it wasn’t resting on Guerin’s shoulders like it has in the past. Guerin’s game has changed, because of the fact that he isn’t need the same way he was in years past. The Edmonton Oilers had a solid season from start to finish (with the exception of their lousy road-record). Guerin is going nowhere for the time being because he’s one of the few Oilers with dried ink on their contracts and Kevin Lowe hasn’t got the time to make significant trades when he’s got more than 10 free agents to sign. As well, he wouldn’t trade one of his few veterans when it looks like the Oilers will once again ice another young squad. But check back in Edmonton in March around trading deadline time, and you might see him available if the Oilers are struggling in the standings.
Things are a little different this year, with Hamrlik having been traded and the core of the team poised to holdout for more money. The Oilers’ opening day roster could ice as many as 6 players with under 1 year of playing experience, and it is then that Guerin will be called upon. All you poolsters out there can count on the fact that Guerin will get lots of ice time and will be the leader of this team until the veterans return. He will once again, tear out of the gate like he did in 1998, and he will once again notch 30 goals. Guerin is back on the train, and he’ll have teams hating him once again.
Mark my words
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