Jeremy Roenick doesn’t think speculation that players may refuse to play one game in the near future to show sympathy for the officials’ strike will get universal approval.
“It’s not a good idea,” he said. “I wouldn’t be in favor of it.”
But Roenick, the Blackhawks player representative, said that the topic was one of the items discussed in a Monday morning conference call with team reps set up by Players Association Executive Director Bob Goodenow. There was no decision on the matter.
“It’s apparent games are getting more and more difficult and it could become a bigger concern,” Goodenow said.
He alluded to growing criticism from some of hockey’s biggest stars about the inability of replacement refs to control the clutching and grabbing, and the turbulent emotions on the ice.
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Double dip: Coach Darryl Sutter was looking for defensemen Neil Wilkinson and Frantisek Kucera to play better Monday against Vancouver than they have lately.
“I’m having to play Cam Russell more because Wilkinson hasn’t played as well,” Sutter said. “I like to keep Russell and Kucera, and Wilkinson and (Keith) Carney together as partners, so Carney isn’t playing much because of Wilkinson.”
“And Cammie is carrying Kucera. Cammie’s been outstanding.”
Staying low: Goalies know all about deflecting heavy fire. So backup Jeff Hackett was prepared for the hot questions about how he felt not getting a chance to start two games in a row after playing well enough in all three starts to rate consideration for another start. Ed Belfour was back in net Monday.
“I’ve got nothing to say,” Hackett said with a smile. “I just felt good about what happened in Calgary (a 6-3 victory last Friday) and I have to stay prepared for my next chance.”