NHL Short Notes

MCCARTY CALLS IT A CAREER

Best known for his effectiveness on the ‘Grind Line’ 37 year-old Detroit Red Wings veteran Darren Mccarty decided on Monday to call it a career. Drafted second round by the Wings in 1992 this rugged forward played an important role by shutting down the opposition’s top scorers. Mccarty who is a four time Stanley Cup champion will be best remembered for his tireless work during the late 1990’s on a line with Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby. Even though he had a two year stint with the Calgary Flames Mccarty who registered 127 goals, 288 points and an astonishing 1,477 penalty minutes in a 15 year career will best be remembered for wearing the Wings jersey. His most memorable moment at Joe Louis Arena occurred during the 1997 Stanley Cup finals when in the fourth and deciding game he went around a Flyers defenceman and goalie Ron Hextall before scoring to more or less ensure a Stanley Cup victory for the Red Wings.

STEVENS GRATEFUL TO HAVE COACHED THE FLYERS

It’s not every day that a former employee comes out with lots of good things to say about an organization that fired them. That was the case on Monday when John Stevens who was fired last week by the Philadelphia Flyers lavished the organization with special praise. ‘‘You go through a process like this, the team not meeting expectations, you feel responsible,” Stevens who was offered but didn`t accept another position in the organization said. “I feel extremely lucky to be part of this organization for so many years (drafted by the Flyers in 1984), to have worked for an organization committed to winning.”  During his tenure in the city of brotherly love Stevens had a lot of success including taking the Flyers to the Eastern Conference finals in 2008 which was only a year after they finished last in their conference. Overall he finished with an impressive 120-109-34 record with the Flyers.  “I’m going to miss it here,” Stevens said. “My family (sons John and Nolan) has grown up here. The passion of the Philadelphia sports fans is unbelievable. The atmosphere at home games is something I will miss.”

DAIGLE ON CANADA`S SPENGLER ROSTER

Former 1993 Ottawa Senators first overall pick Alexandre Daigle who never reached his projected potential in the NHL was on Monday included among a list of 23 names comprising of Canada`s upcoming Spengler cup roster. This 34 year-old who scored 129 goals and 198 assists in 616 NHL games with the Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild is now playing in the Swiss League.