NHL Notes: IIHF Creating Champions League Tournament
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Hill First Player Suspended
Under NHL’s New Drug Program
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In Toronto, Kevin McGran reported the IIHF is creating a Champions Hockey League for the best club teams in Europe and the “ultimate goal is to have the European champion play an NHL challenger for a world trophy.” The 12-team league is scheduled to begin play in ’08-09. NHL officials could not be reached for comment, but it is “believed they’d be mulling the benefits of growing the sport internationally and the tournament’s economic impact against the ego-deflating possibility that the NHL club might lose.” Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson: “The entire idea is interesting, but there are many, many issues to be resolved before that could ever fly on any kind of a regular basis” (TORONTO STAR, 4/21). In N.Y., Klein & Reif noted the IIHF operated a similar league from ’96-’00, but “underfunding and low television interest caused its demise” (N.Y. TIMES, 4/22).
SUSPENDED REALITY: Islanders D Sean Hill on Friday became the first player suspended under the NHL’s program banning the use of performance-enhancing substances, receiving a 20-game suspension. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the suspension “shows that our program is working as it was designed and intended to work.” Hill missed the final game of the Islanders-Sabres series and the suspension will carry into next season. Hill will become a free agent in July (CP, 4/20).
FURTHER REVIEW: In order to improve the TV replay process, NHL Exec VP & Dir of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell “wants the league to install high-definition cameras above both goals in each arena because of their enhanced picture quality” (NEWSDAY, 4/21).
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