Calgary Sun
By Michael Collins

(Calgary) The Flames had what many would consider a typical preseason. A few glimpses of greatness that made their fans dream of the playoffs followed by more worthless play which caused the fans to cringe in their seats and wear paper bags.

Calgary ended up with a 2-5-1 record with 5 points in 8 preseason games. Ironically, in a pseudo playoff look, the Flames would be in the hunt for a spot but again they would not meet with success.

The usual Calgary stars showed up as Michael Nylander and Ray Whitney led the team with 3G and 6A for 9 pts each, Craig Janney had 2G and 6A for 8pts and Jarome Iginla had 2G and 3A for 5 pts.

Surprises for the Flames were Number One pick Mike Maneluk scoring 2G (one goal was a GW) and 3A for 5 pts as the 3rd LW, Toumas Gronman getting a lot of action with 2G and 2A, and winger Richard Zednik looking to make his mark this year in the pros as he scored 2G and 2A as well.

Is this the year Gronman becomes the offensive defenseman the Flames expected him to be when they traded for him in LML1? Has a year on the Farm given Zednik the confidence to take his game to another level in the Pro's?

These are questions the Flames fans are eagerly awaiting someone to answer this season before they'll be happy. However, head coach Bob Gainey has other questions that need to be answered before he feels content and talkative.

Gainey, in this preseason, had to juggle his defensive corps as Cale Hulse and Jeff Beukeboom were suspended for 3 games for their play against the Ducks. While Gainey and his staff are stressing a physical defensive game obviously losing two important defensemen is not on their agenda. Can Gainey get Hulse and Beukeboom to play tough but smart hockey?

In another surprise, Gainey heavily used RW Mikael Andersson, who scored 1G and 3A, and played Andersson in front of million dollar free agent German Titov.

Titov stayed on the 4th line in limited duty with veteran center Dale Hunter and amazingly Fredrik Modin. Modin and Titov didn't play that much in the preseason. Was Gainey just showcasing Maneluk and Andersson for potential trade talks? Or is he upset with Modin and Titov coming into camp out of shape due to their big contracts?

"As usual you guys in the press are creating stories out of the thin air", GM Liam O'Sullivan said. "Maybe you guys should take your over active imaginations and go write scripts for Hollywood", O'Sullivan said sarcastically.

Since Gainey's not talking to the press and O'Sullivan is in a rumored caffeine withdrawal (and writers in the LML press corps voted to stay clear of his acidic remarks in the near future) I decided to talk to a calmer Calgary representative.

"When Mikael came here last year all of our lines were set", assistant coach Jan Erixon said, "so he was really stuck with playing on the 4th line. And, speaking as a former player, if you don't have much time to prove your skills sometimes you go into a funk. One mistake leads to another and I don't think Calgary fans saw the player Mikael really can be."

Erixon continued his spin, "We wanted to play him some more so we teamed him up with Marleau and Maneluk in training camp. Just to see how Mikael would respond with more ice time. And he's done a pretty good job. As did Maneluk. Maybe Mikael's strong showing now will earn him more ice time later if we ever need to shake up our lines. Who knows?".

Who knows indeed?

Preseason is just used as a warmup so it is hard for writers, and fans of the LML, to make any judgements for the upcoming regular season. But with the Flames in the tough Pacific Division with upper echelon teams like Colorado, Anaheim and Vancouver, the strongly improved Sharks and the talented Kings it could be a rough year once again in "rodeo-land".

Trade rumors have apparently cooled around the team. While Michael Nylander, Jeff Beukeboom and Mike Maneluk were on the active trade block for the Flames, team sources now say the 3 players have been pulled from GM O'Sullivan's trade blotter. According to the team source, the other team's trade offers were good but just not good enough for O'Sullivan to pull the trigger on any deal. Apparently, he's going to wait until after the waiver draft before resuming trade talks. .... The LML waiver draft will start on 12/17/98 and the third LML season is expected to start on 12/26/98... The team will also be announcing their alternate or assistant captains in a few days. A few players spoke off the record and it appears the players are leaning towards Ray Whitney, Petr Svoboda and Cale Hulse as the alternates.... Tickets are still available for the Flames home opener against the expansion Nashville Predators. Contact you local ticket agent or go to the box office at the Saddledome between the hours of 9am and 6pm Monday-Friday.