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Date Posted: 20:41:53 02/18/05 Fri
Hopes disappear with season
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Cincinnati Mighty Ducks photo
Zenon Konopka (11) of the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks may be missing out on his best shot to play in the NHL.
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By John Lachmann
Post contributor
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks center Zenon Konopka was at teammate Joel Perrault's apartment Wednesday for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's press conference, during which he learned that the season had been canceled.
Most fans, Konopka's teammates and even NHL players close to the negotiating process also learned of the season's demise via Bettman's statement on ESPN.
So it is not hard to believe Konopka when he says a communication problem between the players and union head Bob Goodenow has existed throughout the lockout.
"Don't forget that what Goodenow is doing, and what the players' union is doing, is going to affect everyone with an NHL contract, from bonuses to (salary) rollbacks," Konopka said. "So you'd think they'd be a little more updated."
Konopka said players on the Cincinnati roster who logged games in Anaheim last season, such as first-round pick Joffrey Lupul, defenseman Tomas Malec, left wing Chris Kunitz and right wing Michael Holmqvist, also have been kept in the dark about the work stoppage.
"What a lot of guys don't know, too -- these guys playing in the AHL -- is how does this work and does this (count) as a year of the contract," Konopka said. "Everyone's pretty sure it is, but we haven't gotten any communication from anyone."
Each NHL team has a player representative, who theoretically relays information to the players on his team. Jean-Sebastien Giguere, a former Cincinnati Mighty Ducks goalie, is Anaheim's representative.
But Konopka said the player representatives are not being made aware of the union's progress, and Konopka points to Buffalo Sabres representative Jay McKee as an example.
McKee was asked Tuesday what he thought of the players accepting a salary cap, something all players had to that point vehemently denied would ever be accepted by the union. McKee was caught totally unaware that such an agreement had beenreached.
"I always said the whole year, that it's weird that the guys that are down here shouldn't have any communication with the union," Konopka said. "Well, I guess that communication with the union wasn't even (made) with the regular NHL players. When you're in negotiation, when you're striking at General Motors or Ford, that everyone usually is pretty updated, there's memos sent out and there's votes, and this is a little different. I don't think there's been anything like this in the modern era of any work stoppage, not just in sports."
Kunitz is more optimistic about a deal being struck. He admits he does not follow the process closely, but still believes this season could be saved if the sides negotiate the next couple of days.
"If not, the next best thing is to get it done in the early summer so we can have a draft, and have the season start (on time) next year and have all the sponsors come back," Kunitz said.
Unlike some of the future NHL stars on Cincinnati's roster, Konopka is not a prospect. He is undrafted, and did not even play in the AHL until the 2002-03 season. Possessing a work ethic few players wearing a Cincinnati uniform have displayed, Konopka is third on the team in scoring (13-18-31), and has played himself into a position to make his debut in the NHL.
"It's every kid's dream to play in the NHL, especially in Canada," Konopka said. "Now there's no NHL, so what are you supposed to dream of? It's pretty frustrating."
Konopka said the handful of players at Perrault's place sat in relative silence after Bettman's announcement, simmering with emotions ranging from shock to disappointment.
Ducks coach Brad Shaw gave Konopka a chance to succeed here, but 24 is old for an up-and-coming player in hockey, and he risks being passed up by younger and faster players next season.
"He would've played games in the NHL this year," said Shaw, a player representative for the Ottawa Senators during the last work stoppage in 1994. "His best chance to hit the home run might have just went by. I hope for his sake it didn't, but he's the one guy that's positioned himself from coming out of nowhere to, wow, we've got to give this guy a chance."
Lupul, who leads the team in scoring, is losing the most money of anyone on the team now (he made $1.2 million with Anaheim last season, and the AHL average is $65,000). But when the NHL resumes, he will rejoin Anaheim and begin collecting large checks again. Konopka may not see another opportunity.
"(Lupul) skates and shoots and does everything at an NHL level. Zenon Konopka doesn't," Shaw said. "Zenon Konopka has found a niche here on this team; he's had a great year. This is the type of year that vaults you into the NHL."
Publication Date: 02-18-2005
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