Writing On The Wall For Pens?

The new brand of NHL hockey moves fast, and it might not be too long before some of its teams are on the move as well.

According to an article on ESPN.com, officials representing a brand spankin' new arena in Kansas City have expressed a desire to have a second NHL team representing the Show-Me State as their tenant. In addition to K.C., Houston and Winnipeg are also considered serious contenders.

Winnipeg has been without NHL hockey since 1996, when the Jets packed up and moved to Phoenix because of the economics of the league and the lack of a new arena. Well, Winnipeg recently built a new arena -- home of the Manitoba Moose -- and the dawn of the new NHL has created an environment more hospitable to small-market teams.

Efforts to regain an NHL team in Winnipeg have been intense. Lauren Robb has even created JetsOwner.com devoted to rallying support for the return of major-league hockey. (You can even purchase a "Return of the Jets Campaign" T-shirt!)

So which team is most likely to move? According to ESPN, the Pittsburgh Penguins look like the frontrunner. The Pens have said they need a new arena deal with the city complete by the end of the 2006-2007 season or the team will relocate.

While it would be a shame for Pittsburgh fans to lose their storied franchise, one can't deny the importance of hockey to Canadians. Couldn't the NHL just send the Coyotes back north of the border?

Monday: Power Poll

This week's rankings: (Note: number in parentheses denotes previous ranking.)

1. Detroit Red Wings (1): Still undefeated on the road. Enough said. Key stat: Manny Legace has notched 10 wins with a 1.76 goals against average.

2. Ottawa Senators (3): 10-4 win over Sabres shows this team's firepower. Key stat: Dany Heatley has already racked up 11 goals and 13 assists in 13 games.

3. Montreal Canadiens (5): Being solid offensively and defensively is a lethal combination. Key stat: Goalie Jose Theodore is 9-3.

4. Los Angeles Kings (9): Hands down the best in the Pacific Division early on. Key stat: Goalie phenom Jason Labarbera has 8 wins and a 2.17 goals against average.

5. Carolina Hurricanes (13): No signs of being a fluke, Canes continue to batter opponents. Key stat: Eric Stall has 11 goals and 15 assists with a +8 in 13 games.

6. Vancouver Canucks (4): Still atop the Northwest, but other teams are gaining. Key stat: Bertuzzi has only 2 goals on 43 shots.

7. Nashville Predators (2): Looks like it's a two-horse race in the Central Division. Key stat: Paul Kariya is 2 for 2 in shootouts this season.

8. Philadelphia Flyers (6): Starting to play up to the hype. Key stat: Peter Forsberg has accumulated 21 assists in 12 games.

9. New York Rangers (8): Offensive output key to team's success. Key stat: Jaromir Jagr has 14 goals in 15 games.

10. Dallas Stars (11): Improved play will put pressure on Kings. Key stat: Marty Turco's 3.19 goals against average more than a goal higher than last season.

11. Edmonton Oilers (24): Regrouping after slow start. Key stat: Defenseman Chris Pronger still without a goal.

12. San Jose Sharks (23): Sharks need more bite in their offense. Key stat: Evgeni Nabokov's 3.52 goals against average must improve.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning (14): This team is getting upstaged by the upstart Hurricanes. Key stat: Martin St. Louis has only 4 goals on 36 shots.

14. Boston Bruins (19): Starting to climb division standings. Key stat: Joe Thornton has 6 goals and 17 assists in 13 games.

15. Colorado Avalanche (20): Avalanche hanging in there in the competitive Northwest. Key stat: Joe Sakic is a -4 in 13 games. He hasn't finished a season with a negative integer since the 1996-97 campaign.

16. Minnesota Wild (12): Wild doing just enough to win games. Gaborik has 6 points in 3 games.

17. Buffalo Sabres (7): Cooling off a bit after sizzling start to season. Key stat: Goalie Ryan Miller has 6 wins in 10 starts.

18. Toronto Maple Leafs (10): Mats Sundin returns from eye injury. Key stat: Darcy Tucker is a -9.

19. Calgary Flames (18): Flames may have finally found out how to win. Key stat: Goalie Miikka Kiprusoff already has 3 shutouts.

20. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (21): Ducks continue to play second fiddle to Kings. Key stat: Teemu Selanne has 9 goals and 7 assists in 15 games.

21. Phoenix Coyotes (27): Holding their own in competitive Pacific Division but must score more often. Key stat: Ladislav Nagy has just 3 goals on 28 shots.

22. Florida Panthers (16): Roberto Luongo can't do it all. Key stat: Joe Nieuwendyk has only 3 points in 7 games.

23. New Jersey Devils (17): Strong goaltending is keeping this team above water. Key stat: Scott Gomez has just 2 goals on 31 shots.

24. New York Islanders (15): Team slipping following strong start to season. Key stat: Alexei Yashin has 17 points in 14 games.

25. Washington Capitals (26): Back-to-back wins against Thrashers and Maple Leafs shows this team is competitive at home. Key stat: Alexander Ovechkin is averaging a point per game.

26. Chicago Blackhawks (22): Not even close to competing in Central Division. Key stat: Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin's goals against average is up over 4 goals per game.

27. Atlanta Thrashers (25): It can't get much worse for this struggling team. Key stat: Marian Hossa has just 6 goals in 64 shots.

28. Pittsburgh Penguins (29): Despite the hype, this team won't be competitive this year. Key stat: Mario Lemieux has 5 goals in 14 games.

29. Columbus Blue Jackets (30): Another injury puts Rick Nash on the shelf. Key stat: Adam Foote tallied 5 points in 15 games.

30. St. Louis Blues (28): Keith Tkachuk is hurt once again. Key stat: The Blues have lost 8 consecutive games.

Associated Press photo

Language Barrier

Jacques Demers has been an NHL coach for five teams, including a stint as a general manager, positions in which communication is vital. So it's quite surprising to learn that the Quebecker is illiterate.

Demers shared his disability in a recently published book, "Jacques Demers En Toutes Lettres," which roughly translates as "Jacques Demers From A To Z." At this time, the book is only out in French.

In it, Demers pinpoints his illiteracy to his childhood. His father was an alcoholic and abusive to him and his mother. He said that his father's behavior affected him in such a way that it made learning in school nearly impossible.

''... if I could not write or read, it was because I had so much of a problem with anxiety because of the things going on in the family," Demers told Canadian Press. "I couldn't go to sleep at night. I'd go to school and I couldn't learn anything.

''So the message is, leave the kids alone. Don't beat them up. They're defenceless. Don't beat up their mom in front of the kids."

Demers said he relied on his strong verbal skills to communicate while working as a coach and general manager. As GM for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Demers hired two others to handle contracts, and his secretary would write memos for him.

''I could read a little bit but I can't write very well," he told the Press. "I took to protecting myself. You put a wall around yourself. And when I was given the possibility of talking, I could speak well and I think that really saved me.''

The disibility was so personal to Demers that he didn't even let on to his wife until one day when she pressed him as to why bills hadn't been paid, he told the Press.

Demers coached the Quebec Nordiques, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, whom he led to a Stanley Cup, and Tampa Bay.

Demers lived a life fearing embarrasment and fought decades to keep his illiteracy a secret. It's more than admirable that he has come out with it with the hopes of it inspiring others to seek help.

''I have no problem saying what I wanted to say. That's what I needed," Demers told the Press. "I've been carrying this all my life. I succeeded, and I'm telling people `you're capable of doing something in your life even if you have some big handicaps.'''