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 | Friday, November 3 Better health, ice time boost Coffey's career Special to ESPN.com | |||
You won't find his name in the daily list of statistical leaders of the category he helped create. You won't find him listed under the dead and buried section in the NHL's annual record book, either, although there are several other entries there where Paul Coffey is clearly noted:
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| With better health, Paul Coffey has revitalized his career this season. |
"Yeah, but I still can't feel this part of my (right) leg," Coffey said after a recent practice. "It's numb all the way down to here. Feels weird."
Odder still is the way he's been using his previously unresponsive extremities lately. Invited back to Carolina's training camp but given no guarantee that it would be for the length of the season, Coffey was an extra defenseman with back problems of epic proportions but also enough experience and knowledge crammed into his head that younger Hurricanes like top prospect David Tanabe could hopefully profit from. If they have, that's only an extra benefit that Coffey's brought. His primary payback has been much more concrete. With Tanabe struggling and the absence of the late Steve Chiasson still playing a part, Carolina coach Paul Maurice finally asked Coffey if he wanted to do a little more than coast through a season farewell tour. So, he began to see his name on the starting lineup card every day in November, and has become the rock of Carolina's defense, quarterbacking the power play and moving those unfeeling legs better than he has in ages. "Oh, better than the last five years, anyway," said Coffey, who in 33 appearances has four goals and 21 points, nearly double his production for all of last season. "My game is a risk and speed game, and if I don't have confidence in my feet, I can't do anything." Almost from the time he went to Hartford from Detroit in a trade four years ago, Coffey wasn't able to do anything. In stints both in Philadelphia and Chicago, his back problems would go from occasional stiffness to being so severe that last year, he sought out relief with spinal injections. But, Coffey said, one such injection went wrong, nicking a nerve and rendering his lower extremities almost completely numb. "It's been kind of a grind over the last few years," said Coffey. "It's been five years since I've really felt good. After I got that injection (while with the Blackhawks), I couldn't feel my (skate) edges. I couldn't turn to the right because my toes were numb." Traded back to the Hurricanes, it appeared Coffey's career would soon come to an end. While he eventually began feeling his toes again, he produced but 12 points all season. And offense has always been the strength of this risky defenseman's game. "I said to (Hurricanes GM) Jim Rutherford before this season, 'Look, you've always been good to me here, so whatever you want to do I'll go along,'" said Coffey. "For me, I want to play as long as I can. The last few years haven't been great ... usually you're shown the door." But Rutherford, believed to have the luxury of paying only part of Coffey's $2.5 million salary (with the Flyers and Blackhawks likely footing respective chunks of the bill), saw the need for a Tanabe tutor who could also chip in now and then. What Coffey's provided has been that and more. "He's been great," said Maurice. "He's no longer limited (by his back woes), and he's been our best defenseman for the past four weeks. He's been outstanding. He's been better than anyone expected, but that's because he's no longer injured." "That's the biggest thing, that my back is feeling good," said Coffey. "And I always knew that if I was just given the chance that I could still help this team win." Coffey sat out 13 of the first 21 games. But with just a little lobbying and displays of skating proficiency he hadn't shown since his Detroit days, Coffey won more playing time, scoring 15 points over another 21-game stretch. He now logs a regular 20 minutes per game. "It was tough to go from a regular to a role player, but now I get a chance to play every night," said Coffey. "We've got some young defensemen on this team who get time. And I can still help them. Tanabe is a great skater and will eventually be an offensive-type defenseman like myself. Any way I can help him I will." While his right leg still has times where it can't feel a pinprick, Coffey's feet have retained that feeling of old. And so has he. In a recent game in Ottawa, he registered an assist for his 1,500th career point, accepting congratulations like a man half his age. "I'd be lying to say I wasn't excited about that," said Coffey. "You look at the names and who has 1,500 points and the amount of players who have played this game and never reached that point. It means I've been healthy for a few years and had a chance to play with some great players." Herbie bleeps his hornNOTE: As a public service to readers who may not understand how the NHL can suspend a hockey player as few as two games for attempting to incapacitate another by checking him into the boards from behind -- yet chooses to suspend a 62-year-old hockey coach for two games for saying bad words to a radio geek who publicly opines that one such victimized player "has a tendency to embellish" injuries -- we present a somewhat sanitized version of what Penguins coach Herb Brooks said last Thursday after a game between the Penguins and Colorado that moved the NHL to levy a two-game jail term on him. Here then, Our Mr. Brooks, after reviewing a replay of Colorado's Alexei Gusarov cross-checking Pittsburgh thespian Matthew Barnaby to the head, a "play" that was accompanied by an Avalanche broadcaster saying Barnaby was faking it. We pick up the action with Brooks having just fumed to old friend and Colorado mouthpiece Peter McNab, who answered back that even though his broadcast partner had said what he did, he was actually concerned for Barnaby's welfare ... Brooks: "Worried about him? ... What kind of (bleepin') professional call is that? He could have killed him on that thing. You guys say he has a tendency to embellish, Peter? All the (bleepin') hockey you played? I can't believe that ... If it wasn't you, I apologize, but it was your partner ... You tell Kelly he doesn't carry his old man's (shorts) after that thing. His dad would never say something like that. He's a long way from his (bleepin') old man, I'll tell ya." To set the record straight, our Mr. Brooks was referring to a John Kelly, son of legend Red Kelly, who played 21 years in the NHL and obviously raised a son who knows a thing about Matthew Barnaby. And now, our Mr. Brooks addressing the media because McNab has run away ... "Look at the tape," Herbie said, now to the media. "He tore his head off. You've got two referees (Dennis LaRue and Dan O'Halloran), and they can't find that? They can't make that call? And you've got an announcer who says that Barnaby has a tendency to embellish?" It is at this point that our Mr. Brooks spots the aforementioned Mr. John Kelly. Brooks: "Hey, did you make that call on Barnaby?" Kelly: "What's that?" Brooks: "Did you say he has a tendency to embellish when he's down on the ice? Was that your call?" Kelly: "Herb, do you want to talk about it?"
Brooks: "Was that your call? Was that your CALL? WAS THAT YOUR CALL?! You say he has a tendency to embellish? He almost tore his head off; he could have killed him ... You've got a long way to go to live up to your father's reputation after a cheap shot like that. Did you get a (bleep again) life-long contract here?"
Kelly: "That's my opinion, Herb." Brooks: "That's your opinion? Well it's a (bleep), you understand? Get your (bleep) ... out of here." (At this point, Brooks pushes Kelly before a guard steps in.) Kelly: "You're not going to kick me out of here." Brooks: "I'll kick your ass all over the place, all right? ... Has a tendency to embellish. I can't believe that, Kelly. I can't believe that." If he couldn't believe that, how do you think Herb felt when NHL dean of discipline Colin Campbell tagged him with a two-game suspension? Probably relieved. Such a distinguished American hero talking like that in public deserved a harder wristslap. Lightning all the RicherAmazing what dealing Stephane Richer can do to a general manager's perspective. Here's Tampa Bay's Rick Dudley, his team stinking out the joint on most nights, losing much wintery sleep trying to figure out a way to get rid of the most talented offensive player on his team. No, not Vincent Lecavalier, but Stephane Richer, the older skilled Frenchman who was supposed to be a model on the ice for Lecavalier to follow, and instead established the same bad work habits he always has. So, after Richer walked out on the team, unhappy with his playing time, and later refused to report to Detroit of the IHL and was suspended by the organization, Dudley finally released him via a deal with St. Louis (for a couple of minor leaguers). And what's Richer do? He balks at the trade because he has a problem with the Blues' wanting to re-work his three-year, $6.6 million contract. So after Dudley almost works a deal out with the Dallas Stars, he goes back to St. Louis and finally gets everyone to agree to a deal where the Blues pick up only about $500,000 for Richer for the remainder of this season and retain an option on him next year. After all that, Dudley turns nice. "(Richer) really took a hit to make this deal possible, and I can't say enough about how he handled this," Dudley said. "He really worked with us." And Richer: "Rick and (assistant GM) Jay Feaster kept working at it, and I'm really happy to be going to a team that has a chance to win a Cup. And I think the Lightning is getting two good players. I think this deal works out great for everybody." Yeah, everybody's happy, even the Blues. Because Richer is one of those players that can score at will when he decides he wants to. He should help them in the playoffs. Problem is ... he can never keep that competitive fire stoked for long. Resurrecting Wendel
Keeping in the Paul Coffey frame of mind, it was nice to see the Maple Leafs dust off Wendel Clark and bring him back to where he belongs. Now Don Cherry has something else to cheer about. After signing a ridiculous free agent deal with Chicago, Clark scored just two goals in 13 games for the Hawks before being bought out of his $1.4 million contract. For the Leafs, he agreed to a one-year deal for $400,000 plus bonuses, which when pro-rated means he'll earn $200,000 for the rest of the season. Even at that, the Leafs insisted on an escape clause in case they determine Clark isn't worth carrying for the playoff run. That's how much confidence they have in this broken down warrior. "I didn't want to (retire) on a bad note, but I'm not coming back just to play in Toronto," said Clark. "This is my home; I've had a lot of good seasons, a lot of fun times here. I think I still have something more to contribute, but it's going to be a slow process. It's an exciting, intriguing possibility." No, it's a shot in the dark that's coming cheap. Around the East
"He hits people, and he scores. He is popular inside our room and out," -- Toronto defenseman Dimitri Yushkevich on the benefits of having Wendel Clark around.
Rob Parent covers the NHL for the Delaware County (Pa.) Times. His NHL East column appears every week on ESPN.com.
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