During the summer, the only ice people usually speak of are frozen margaritas and the diamonds in engagement rings. However, the NHL stole the headlines from the rest of the sporting community this past week with several important player moves.\nTo begin, Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne signed with the Colorado Avalanche. As two of the best forwards in the NHL and former linemates in Anaheim, they went against the stereotypical modern athlete's behavior. Kariya turned down a reported $6 million offer from the Mighty Ducks to take a "mere" $1.2 million from the Avalanche in a one-year deal that allows him to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2003-2004 season. Selanne turned down a $6.5 million option with the San Jose Sharks to go to Colorado for one year and $5.8 million. \nThis move sent shockwaves throughout the NHL. While Colorado still has to fill the hole left by the retirement of Patrick Roy (and David Aebischer is not the answer) they now have assembled one of the most offensively talented rosters in recent memory. Kariya and Selanne will join Joe Sakic, Milan Hedjuk, Peter Forsberg and Alex Tanguay in Denver. The Avalanche quickly became a contender again.\nOn the same day, the Detroit Red Wings made their first splash into the free agent market. The Wings, the 2002 Stanley Cup champions who were unceremoniously swept out of this past year's playoffs, signed Dallas defenseman and captain Derian Hatcher to a five-year, $30 million contract. Hatcher, a native of Sterling Heights, Mich. (a Detroit suburb), bolsters a defensive core that already includes three-time defending Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom and all-time great Chris Chelios, plus younger players Jiri Fischer and Mathieu Dandenault. \nThis doesn't even include the potential goaltending strength of the Wings. Dominik Hasek has, by all reports, decided to end his retirement and rejoin Detroit. While he might not be the Dominator anymore, he is still better than Curtis Joseph, who will in all likelihood waive his no-trade clause and go somewhere else (especially at $8 million a season). The rivalry between the Avalanche and the Wings will remain one of the league's best due to these moves.\nFinally, the Buffalo Sabres also made waves Thursday by pulling off a deal that landed them forward Chris Drury from Calgary. Drury was an important part of the Avalanche's 2001 Stanley Cup win, and was shipped off to the Flames before last season. By picking up the former Little League World Champion, Buffalo has done much to strengthen a roster that had one of the worst records in 2002-2003, a season marked by the possibility of relocation after the bankruptcy of former owner John Rigas. The purchase of the team by New York billionaire Tom Golisano, who has already made fan-friendly moves like $10 tickets and floating the idea of changing the uniforms back to the traditional blue and gold before the 2004-2005 season, should combine with an improved on-ice product to bring fans back to the HSBC Arena.\nHowever, the NHL is not completely in the clear. The possibility of a work stoppage after the coming season has many people fearing for the future of the game. The spiraling costs of the game are increasingly creating a league split between the haves and have-nots. Owners feel that a salary cap is the only way to prevent a situation like baseball, where only a handful of teams have a legitimate shot at the Series every year. How the NHL Players' Association reacts is unclear -- will it fight tooth and nail against a cap, or will it take the position of several of its members, including Brett Hull, and consider salary restraints? \nOnly the coming months will tell what the future of the NHL will be. However, at least this has been a good week for the league.
QUICK HITS\n• I made my first trip to the brand new Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati this past Saturday. Despite sitting at the top of the bleachers, the view was great, and the ballpark is definitely worth seeing and worthy of a city with the baseball tradition of Cincinnati.\n• Am I the only one who doesn't really understand why there are two weeks between the opening of negotiations and the opening of the signing period for NBA free agents? It seems to just be a waste -- why not let players sign when they become free agents?
