SN: The Lightning open the season in Prague against the Rangers. Are there concerns about that kind of early travel?

Melrose: We can make it work as a team bonding experiment. It'll be a chance to get everyone together and get something really useful out of it. It's a tough trip -- we're lucky we have some days off after the games. We don't play for a few days after the game. All in all, it's a positive -- you make it one.

SN: NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly suggested the league should explore European expansion in the next five or 10 years. Do you think that's where this is headed?

Melrose: With the number of Europeans in the game, the way the European financial situation has changed, you'd have to look at something like that -- a European division. They don't have great buildings in Europe like they do in North America. That would take some time for them to build buildings up to snuff. With the money in Europe, Russia doing so well financially, the Czech Republic, England with a new building -- yeah, I think down the road, you'll have to look at Europe.

SN: What was the reaction in Tampa from fans when you were hired?

Melrose: A lot of people there were still mad at me for 2004. Supposedly, I made derogatory remarks about Tampa Bay. If people remember you saying it, it doesn't matter if you said it. That was fun. We were doing autograph sessions and stuff and people said, "Barry I hated what you said in 2004." It's really funny these people think it was personal, what I say on TV is personal. All in all, I think it's been very favorable, but it's a wait and see. They're waiting to see the ownership, but (they) liked what they did. It's wait and see; the last few years have been tough on them.

SN: So what did you supposedly say in 2004 that has fans in Tampa so riled up?

Melrose: That Tampa didn't have a chance (in the Stanley Cup final), not nearly as good as Calgary. That was nuts -- I picked Tampa Bay. I don't know what was going on. If they think you said it, you said it.

SN: You're close with people at ESPN -- is hockey going to return to ESPN anytime soon?

Melrose: Paul (Kelly) has made it very clear, one of the biggest things was to get the game back on ESPN. I think the way to get ESPN's attention is ratings increases. That happened this year, the ratings increase in the playoffs, the way the ratings were unbelievable in Pittsburgh and Detroit, the outdoor game on New Year's Day -- that gets ESPN's attention. Believe it or not, people think people at ESPN hate hockey. A lot of the big brass love hockey. They would love to have hockey on our air. They just can't justify spending the money.

SN: Did you ever get frustrated with getting 10 seconds at the end of SportsCenter? Were there back-room battles to get more hockey highlights on the air?

Melrose: I'm a coach. I sit back and analyze. I know what goes on. The guys would love to have more hockey on the air. Some of the producers who love hockey would love to do more. Football is king in the United States, not just at ESPN. I know what ESPN paid for football, for baseball. I know ESPN doesn't have money in hockey. It has to be a pretty big story in hockey to be at the top of SportsCenter. When hockey was leading SportsCenter in the playoffs, that was amazing. I know how things work at ESPN and in sports. That's one of the reasons it has got to get back on ESPN. If we want to see it on SportsCenter, more hockey features -- ESPN will always do more for the sports they own.

SN: Tampa's focus was at forward in free agency and you guys traded your best defenseman. What are you doing to address the Tampa Bay defense?

Melrose: I think we are a young defense waiting to explode. We have some great young defensemen. I had young defensemen in Los Angeles -- Rob Blake, Alexei Zhitnik and Darryl Sydor. They all went on to be great NHL defensemen. We have to make sure these guys are mentally ready and physically ready. We have to make sure the forwards help, cut back on their freelancing and have the right positioning. Everybody was a young defenseman at one time. We need some of these guys to step up. Our forwards are our strength. The one good thing is we won't have to win 1-0 games. We will score goals.

SN: You've said you build winning teams around great goaltending. Does Tampa have great goaltending?

Melrose: I like Karri Ramo. He's 22 years old and was great when he played with Tampa at the end of the year. Mike Smith, whoever has been close to this guy at any level loves him. He handles the puck well. (Olaf) Kolzig is a veteran goaltender who feels he can still be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL. He feels he wasn't handled with the respect he was due in Washington and wants to show people. I like our goaltending.

SN: How good is Steven Stamkos?

Melrose: This kid is unbelievable, which is very important. I've seen a lot of great talent not turn into much -- guys who were not tough mentally. Steven comes from a hockey family. He loves it, his talents are perfect for the new rules. He's a great skater, great speed, great shot, great vision and competes very hard.

SN: What do you think of the new Tampa ownership so far?

Melrose: They have done everything they told me they were going to do, bar none. They went after the players they said we'd go after. They almost got Brian Rolston. Every free agent we talked about, we made a serious effort to get, and we got a lot of them. The signing of (Vincent) Lecavalier, he'll never become a free agent. Our six top forwards -- none have less than three years left; we've positioned ourselves pretty good up front. We have to put a good product on the ice. They drew pretty well last year -- eighth in attendance with a struggling team. There is a lot of talk in Tampa Bay about the team. All I can say is they've been great. They've been the most active, they're different. I think that's what a lot of people fear. They've already changed how things are done at the (free-agent) deadline, giving up draft picks for the rights to talk to people. Most people are hoping they fail.

Craig Custance is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at ccustance@sportingnews.com.

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One former NHL goalie, Islanders general manager Garth Snow, hired another.

"You can never have enough," Snow said, joking.

Gordon played in 23 career NHL games and first met Snow during training camp with the Quebec Nordiques. Gordon was also a goalie on the 1992 U.S. Olympic team.

But more importantly, he's earned a reputation for developing talent with the Boston Bruins' top affiliate, AHL Providence. That's what got him this job. That, and his patience -- which he'll need while the Islanders rebuild.

"When you take a close look at what Scott has done with the young players that he's had in Providence, you don't have that kind of success if you don't have patience," Snow said during a Tuesday night conference call. "He's a great teacher, that's exactly the right recipe we need for this organization."

As the last NHL team to fill a coaching vacancy this summer, the Islanders had plenty of time in which to choose -- and plenty of candidates from which to choose.

It was Snow's first coaching search as a general manager. He seized the opportunity to speak with as many viable candidates as possible.

"It was a great experience for me, my first time through it," Snow said. "I met a lot of great coaching candidates. It was a tough decision because there were so many great candidates. You get to sit here in the middle of August and the end of July as this process unfolded and get to talk hockey with great hockey minds."

Ultimately, it came down to three final candidates. Newsday early in the week identified them -- Bob Hartley, Paul Maurice and Gordon.

And Snow took a risk, choosing man without NHL coaching experience.

"All the coaches you mentioned didn't have head coaching experience at one point. I have no doubt that Scott will do a great job with this organization," Snow said. "It was a decision that was made because Scott fits into our plan of developing young players and we have no doubt he'll connect with the veterans as well."

Gordon became coach in Providence for the final nine games of the 2002-03 season and AHL playoffs. He then coached the next five seasons in Providence, finishing with a record of 221-141-20(OT)-27(SOL).

He began his coaching career the Atlanta Knights of the old International Hockey League and spent time in the ECHL with the Roanoke Express.

Gordon will be the Islanders' fifth coach in six seasons. Snow is convinced Gordon is the right coach to implement his long-term plan.

"Garth isn't here to use smoke and mirrors to fool the fans. He wants to build a tradition the Islanders deserve," Islanders center Doug Weight recently told Sporting News Today. "But it's up to us to be in shape, unite our team and know every night you're not going to get outworked. If you go in with that attitude, you can be right there at the end."

Craig Custance is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at ccustance@sportingnews.com.

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Aug. 9 is the 20th anniversary of the biggest trade in hockey history -- and Marty McSorley was right in the middle of it. He talks with Sporting News' Craig Custance about being in the Wayne Gretzky trade and his playing days as Gretzky's personal protector.

Q: So what do you remember about Aug. 9, 1988?

A: It was really unique. I was in probably the biggest gathering of hockey people in that time. I was in St. John's, Newfoundland, in a golf tournament.

A ton of hockey people were at this event and Don Koharski came to me and said, "There's been a trade. Gretzky got traded from Edmonton." I'm thinking, "Oh God, they didn't." I was like, "Oh wow, they can't do this." I was in no way a major player on that team, but being a fan of the game, I was like, "You can't do that."

I called my agent to see what was going on. He said, "Sit down, big boy, you're in it." Right after that, Glen Sather called me. Glen was really good. It was a call I really appreciated. To me it made sense at the time.

Then I went to a big banquet that night, and the trade on the tip of everyone's tongue and you're in the middle of it.

It turned my life in a totally different direction. You're in Edmonton, a great hockey environment, basically all you have to do is do is show up and play. In L.A., they're selling the game, they needed a lot more. It went from playing the game, to really helping sell the game. It puts you in a totally different frame of mind as a player. You hate to use the word entertainer, but you're cognizant of performance and selling the game.

The Great Gretzky deal

SN Archives: How the deal was done

Gretzky stats: from HockeyDB.com

Gretzky tribute: Hockey Hall of Fame

With [Kings owner] Bruce McNall, you were exposed to things, you were there with an ultimate salesman. The doors opened to the players -- the game was growing, the glass was half full. Bruce was not only a true fan, but a salesman of the game.

That trade enabled San Jose, Anaheim, Dallas, Florida and Tampa Bay to join the league.

Michael Eisner was flying with us in our plane to the Stanley Cup Finals, Bruce was making a pitch with him at that time. The impact of that trade� from the business side of the game was huge.

Q: So did Wayne really insist that you were part of the deal?

A: First, let me just say, obviously there were a number of guys better than me that Wayne could have requested.

I think I was a guy Wayne felt ... Wayne always liked guys around him that he knew. He knew he was in a position that guys were going to take shots at him. There was comfort level with me and him, I think. In Edmonton, I considered Wayne and I friends. We spent time together. There weren't cliques in the locker room. You're just one of the bigger number of people ...

[Gretzky] felt comfortable with my focus, he was trying to surround himself with people who wanted to win and were pushing to win. We became that much closer when we got in L.A. Yes, he wanted the physical presence. Yes, he wanted to win too. He knew I would do what I could. I think he believed that I was a piece that [Edmonton owner] Peter Pocklington would give up. I have to be realistic with that.

Q: So, 20 years later, what is the biggest impact of the trade?

A: Where it took the game. It gave the game such a tremendous boost. Here's a place in Edmonton you didn't have to work at selling, now you take the biggest star in the game and you throw him into one of the two major media markets in the U.S. You had somebody with Bruce McNall's salesmanship.

Wayne told me that one year we outdrew the Lakers. Pete Sampras during Wimbledon asked, 'How are my Kings doing?' The doors that were opened as players made you laugh.

Q: What do you think when you're referred to as Gretzy's bodyguard?

A: I just smile, I'm not going to lie. There were things I did some nights that would remind people that liberties weren't to be taken. You needed sometimes in a 1-1 hockey game to give a look or say something without having to take a penalty or doing anything that got you in trouble.

The one great thing about playing with Wayne Gretzky, I didn't want to disrupt the game as much as keep the game played cleanly. Or basically say, "Listen, that's enough."

Craig Custance is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at ccustance@sportingnews.com.

The other Gretzky deals
The blockbuster trade of 20 years ago wasn't the first -- or last -- time Wayne Gretzky was traded. In fact, the Edmonton Oilers weren't his first pro hockey team. Here is a history of Gretzky's transactions.
June 12, 1978	Gretzky signs with the World Hockey Association's Indianapolis Racers as an underage free agent.
Nov. 1, 1978	Indianapolis trades Gretzky, Eddie Mio and Peter Driscoll to the Oilers, who are then in the WHA.
June 9, 1979	In the WHA-NHL merger, the Oilers are one of four teams admitted to the NHL. They reclaim Gretzky as an underage junior prior to expansion draft.
Aug. 9, 1988	The blockbuster: The Oilers trade Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyski and McSorley to the Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, first-round pick (later traded to the New Jersey Devils - Jason Miller) in 1989, first-round pick (Martin Rucinsky) in 1991, first-round selection (Nick Stajduhar) in 1993 and cash.
Feb. 27, 1996	The Kings trade Gretzky to the St. Louis Blues for Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, fifth-round pick (Peter Hogan) in 1996 and first-round selection (Matt Zultek) in 1997.
July 21, 1996	After things go sour in the Blues' contract talks with Gretzky, management decides to let him walk as a free agent. Gretzky signs with the New York Rangers.
April 16, 1999	Gretzky announces his retirement

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The desire to work with his son was even stronger than the pull of an opportunity to stay with an organization favored to win a Stanley Cup.

For a guy like Scotty Bowman, whose legacy is winning Stanley Cups, that's saying a lot.

Sitting next to his son Stan during a press conference in Chicago, Bowman explained why he left the reigning champion Detroit Red Wings for the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks.

"The biggest reason was the fact that I could come in and be a good force with the team and work with my son Stan," Bowman said on Thursday afternoon.

"That's a dream everybody has that doesn't happen very often in sports."

Bowman was hired Thursday by the Blackhawks as a senior advisor to the hockey operations department, a similar position to the one he held with the Red Wings. He said he'll report to general manager Dale Tallon and work closely with his son, who is the assistant general manager of the Blackhawks.

Growing up, Stan Bowman said, his favorite moments were sitting quietly and listening to his dad talk hockey with coaches, scouts and general managers.

Now, the two can talk daily about a common goal: getting the Blackhawks back in the playoffs. Oh yeah, and knocking off archrival Detroit.

"It's a dream come true for me, truthfully," Stan Bowman said. "I started with the Blackhawks eight years ago. When I first started it was in the back of my mind."

Scotty Bowman said his primary job will be to give the team an extra set of eyes, to which Tallon later responded: "Those are the best eyes a person can have."

Bowman plans on working with Chicago's prospects in Rockford and as a sounding board and mentor for head coach Denis Savard.

While he said he won't spend a lot of time in Chicago, Bowman will likely be a regular at games in Tampa, which is near his home.

Even though he left for a division rival, Bowman went out of his way to praise the Red Wings for their endorsement of his move to the Blackhawks.

"To a man, they said there's no better feeling than to work with your son. They just said this is what should happen," Bowman said. "They weren't trying to push me out the door."

Craig Custance is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at ccustance@sportingnews.com.

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