29.11.2006 von Coyote.

Von TSN.ca kommt ein guter Artikel über Yanic Perreault. Es geht darin um seine Situation in Phoenix, seine Entscheidung nach Phoenix zu kommen und warum er einer der wenigen Lichtblicke der Yotes in dieser Saison ist.

Hier der Artikel:

Perreault finds groove in Phoenix

Canadian Press

11/28/2006 5:53:23 PM

(CP) - As the Phoenix Coyotes try to find a way to turn around a season gone horribly wrong, Yanic Perreault has been a godsend.

The former Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs centre leads the Coyotes with seven goals in 11 games - half the games his new teammates have played.

“It’s a been a good fit,” Perreault said this week from Phoenix. “They gave me good ice time right away. They showed pretty good confidence in me and made me feel good.

“I’ve tried to do the same thing every year, win faceoffs, create some things offensively and be reliable in my own end.”

The 35-year-old native of Sherbrooke, Que., has 10 points overall since signing a US$700,000, one-year deal on Oct. 29 and leads the NHL with a 61 per cent success rate in the faceoff circle - his trademark.

“His reputation for his prowess in the faceoff circle and creating scoring opportunities on the power play preceded him,” Coyotes GM Mike Barnett said Tuesday. “He’s been all of that and more for us since his arrival here in Phoenix.”

And yet, despite decent second-line numbers wherever he’s gone - he’s essentially a 50-point guy - respect seems to be a fleeting thing for Perreault.

Click on his name on NHL.com and you’ll see him wearing a Canadiens uniform - the team he last played for three years ago.

He’s the kind of player that just continues to slip under the radar.

“I’ll never be a spectacular player who’s going to take the puck from end to end,” said Perreault. “I just try to do the little things. When I score a goal I don’t jump into the boards, I don’t show much emotion I guess.

“I suppose it would help me maybe if I did show a little emotion but I’ve always been like that.”

One can’t even find him in Nashville’s media guide last season because as a training camp invite he wasn’t signed until after the guide was published.

For a bargain-basement $525,000, he went out and had a career-high 57 points (22-35) for the Predators last season while of course leading the NHL with a 62 per cent success rate in the faceoff circle.

“I went to Nashville last year and I did everything I told them I was going to do,” said Perreault. “But they wanted to get bigger up front and that’s why they signed Jason Arnott and Josef Vasicek.”

As the Predators eventually made it clear they weren’t going to re-sign him, Perreault drifted into free agency last summer.

But contrary to the widely held perception that nobody wanted him until Phoenix called in October, his phone did indeed ring in July and August but he told teams he wanted to wait until his abdominal issues were settled.

“I wanted to be 100 per cent before I signed somewhere,” said Perreault. “I played many months last year in Nashville with the injury and it’s no fun. Every time I stepped on the ice it would take me 15-20 minutes just to get warmed up and there was still pain. So my main goal was to get healthy, which is why I signed so late.

“We had offers in the summer time but I told my agent Pat Brisson in August that I might as well wait until I got healthy because I would miss training camp any way.”

He was hoping his abdominal issues would just go away in the summer but they didn’t so he had surgery to fix the sports hernia in August.

It was the right call.

“I feel so much better now, I’m glad I got the surgery done,” he said. “Now I can play pain-free and 100 per cent.”

The Chicago Blackhawks were put in a serious offer but he felt the Coyotes were a better fit.

“I played with the Phoenix Roadrunners when they used to be the farm team of the L.A. Kings back in ‘94,” said Perreault. “So I knew the area and knew it wouldn’t take long to adjust to the city and the area. I’ve had a place here all these years so that made it even easier. I’ve always loved the area.

“It was easier for me and my family (four kids) to come here.”

The chance to play for Wayne Gretzky was no small factor as well.

“I was fortunate to play two years with Wayne in L.A.,” said Perreault. “I knew him and I’m fortunate now to have him as a coach.”

Now if only the Coyotes could win a few more games.

They’re currently last in the Pacific Division at 8-15-0.

“It’s more fun when you win but I think we’ve played better the last 10 games (5-5-0) and we’ve won two of our last three,” said Perreault. “Let’s hope we can turn this thing around.

“I’m still having fun playing the game and as long as that’s the case I’ll keep going. And hopefully with Phoenix.”

Maybe he’ll even make their media guide next year.

Quelle: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=186279&hubname=nhl

Geschrieben in NHL Coyotes | Drucken | Keine Kommentare »

29.11.2006 von Coyote.

Die Phoenix Coyotes konnten in der GFHL bei den Columbus Blue Jackets den nun schon sechsten Sieg in Folge einfahren und schob sich mit dem 5:3 auf Platz 1 der Western Conference und auf Platz 3 der Gesamttabelle. Entschieden wurde das Spiel diesmal jedoch erst im Schlussdrittel. Nach dem ersten Abschnitt führte man zwar dank Ladislav Nagy (Morris, Zubov) mit 1:0, doch im Mitteldrittel wehrten sich die Jackets mehr als den Coyotes lieb war. In Unterzahl musste man den Ausgleich hinnehmen - doch kurz darauf konnte man, wieder in Unterzahl, dank Brendan Morrison (Boynton. Lehtinen) zurückschlagen. Kurz vor Ende des Drittel konnten die Jackets trotzdem wieder ausgleichen, das letzte Drittel begann also quasi bei 0.

Doch im Schlussabschnitt drehten die Coyoten auf, gewannen dieses Drittel dank Toren von Nagy (Reinprecht, Morrison) und Brind’Amour (Morrison, Sjostrom) im Powerplay sowie nach dem zwischenzeitlichen 4:3 für Columbus, durch Patrik Elias (Doan, Boynton) mit 3:1.

Für eine Boxeinlage sorgten unterdessen Ossi Vaananen und Chris Clark. Der Sieger kam klar aus Phoenix, Clark musste jedoch mit einer Platzwunde das Eis verlassen - und somit auch Vaananen.

Heute geht es für die Coyoten gegen die Ducks, die in der letzten Saison noch “Mighty” waren, zuletzt jedoch eher als Kloppertruppe von sich reden machte. Es könnte also ein ganz heißer Tanz werden.

Geschrieben in GFHL Coyotes | Drucken | Keine Kommentare »

29.11.2006 von Coyote.

Nun also doch: David LeNeveu wurde heute in die AHL zurück geschickt. Der Grund? Die Coyoten verpflichteten von den Toronto Maple Leafs Goalie Mikael Tellqvist. Dafür geht Tyson Nash und ein 4th Round Draftpick nach Toronto. Nash will seine NHL-Karriere in Toronto fortsetzen, wurde aber schon in die AHL geschickt. Viel Glück in Toronto, Tyson Nash.

Mikael Tellqvist unterdessen ist damit der Backup von CuJo. Seine Stats von Hockeydb.com gibt es hier.

Wie zudem bekannt urde wird Nick Boynton den Coyoten mindestens 3 Wochen fehlen. Boynton spielte seit dem 9. November mit einem gebrochenem linken Fuss und muss nun wirklich pausieren. Gute Besserung, Nick.

Hier der aktuelle Artikel von AZCentral.com:

Coyotes get goalie Tellqvist

David Vest
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 29, 2006 12:00 AM

After weeks of searching for goaltending help, the Coyotes on Tuesday acquired Mikael Tellqvist from the Toronto Maple Leafs for right wing Tyson Nash and a fourth-round draft choice in 2007.

A few hours after the trade was completed, Phoenix officially made Tellqvist Curtis Joseph’s backup by assigning David LeNeveu to its top affiliate in San Antonio.

“Curtis is our No. 1 goaltender, but we needed to find a proven NHL netminder who could provide him with some support,” coach Wayne Gretzky said.

Tellqvist, 27, has a 16-16-2 record and 3.01 goals-against average in 40 NHL games, all with Toronto in the past four seasons. After playing 25 games for the Leafs in 2005-06, Tellqvist lost the backup job to J.S. Aubin late last season and has spent most of this season in the American Hockey League.

“I’m really excited,” Tellqvist said about the deal. “As soon as I heard the news I was jumping up and down in my apartment. It’s going to be a great chance for me to go and play more games than I have this year.”

Nash, 31, has played the entire season for San Antonio after not earning a roster spot with the Coyotes in training camp. Sensing he would spend the entire season in San Antonio, Nash, who posted three goals and 11 assists in 119 games with Phoenix, called General Manager Mike Barnett on Monday and asked him to consider recalling him to the Coyotes so he could be claimed off re-entry waivers by another team.

Nash was ecstatic about the deal, which he learned about via the media after Tuesday’s practice in San Antonio.

“Let’s put it this way, it’s been very hard on me to put on a jersey for a team that you know doesn’t want you,” Nash said. “That’s what I’ve been struggling with every day… At least now I’m with an organization that wants me and is going to give me a chance. As far as leaving the Coyotes, I had a great time there. … But my career is what is most important to me right now. I just want another shot at the NHL.”

Nash will have to wait; Toronto assigned him to its top affiliate in the AHL.

Boynton to miss 3 weeks
Defenseman Nick Boynton expects to be sidelined for at least three weeks because of a fractured bone in his left foot.

Boynton suffered the injury when struck by a shot during a game against Dallas on Nov. 9.

Boynton kept playing, but the foot didn’t heal. X-rays taken Monday revealed the fractured bone.

Surgery is not necessary.

The Coyotes recalled defenseman Travis Roche from San Antonio on Tuesday to replace Boynton.

Roenick ill
Center Jeremy Roenick missed practice on Monday and Tuesday because of an upper respiratory illness that Gretzky said likely will keep Roenick out of Thursday’s game.

Quelle: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/1129yotesnb1129.html

Mikael Tellqvist

Geschrieben in NHL Coyotes | Drucken | Keine Kommentare »