In today's NHL, a 46-point season that included double digits in goals would be considered a strong campaign for a defenseman.
Don't tell that to Al MacInnis, who did just that with 11 goals and 35 assists in 71 games for the St. Louis Blues in 2001-02.
But the following season as a 39-year-old, even after taking a stick to the eye from San Jose Sharks defenseman Scott Hannan the previous season, MacInnis found himself back to his scoring ways of previous seasons.
In this THN Archive story FEB 21, 2003/VOL. 56, ISSUE 24 done in MacInnis's final full season in 2002-03, he was an All-Star one final time.
MacInnis would retire three games into the 2003-04 season because of that eye injury, a partially detached retina, but he went out on a high note individually. In this
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BIG SHOT MACINNIS FIRING FINE AT 39
By Mike Brophy
February 21, 2003
SUNRISE, Fla.
There were plenty of other things Al MacInnis and his 39-year-old body could have been doing on all-star weekend.
But Maclnnis wouldn’t have changed his plans for the world.
“I cherish this weekend,” said the St. Louis Blues veteran defenseman, who helped the Western Conference beat the Eastern Conference 6-5 in a wonderfully entertaining exhibition of hockey skill that was decided in a shootout.
“It’s probably going to be my last one and when you come down here and see all these young guys, it’s like seeing the changing of the guard. You see a Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik…these guys are great hockey players. The league is going to be in good hands for a long time.”
HEATLEY TAKES THE TRUCK
Heatley was the hands-down winner of the game’s top player award (and the MVP truck), scoring four goals to tie an All-Star Game record shared by Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mike Gartner and Vincent Damphousse, and adding one assist. Heatley actually scored a fifth goal in the shootout, but it doesn’t count toward the record.
Scout says:
-“THE SHOT IS AS GOOD AS EVER AND THE REST OF HIS GAME IS BACK TO AN ELITE LEVEL AS WELL.”
The loudest cheer of the day came when it was announced the 5-5 tie would be broken by using the controversial shootout format, usually reserved for minor hockey and international play. Had the fate of tie games in NHL regular season games been put in the hands of fans at the Office Depot Center that afternoon, we would never witness another tie again.
While there was no checking to speak of (there was a Scott Stevens bump on Jarome Iginla and no, we’re not counting Jeremy Roenick’s manhandling of Sergei Fedorov as real down-and-dirty physical play), the game was played at a higher level of intensity than the past several years.
The line of Heatley, hometown hero Olli Jokinen and Washington’s Jaromir Jagr produced all the scoring for the East, but it wasn’t enough. Jokinen, much to the sellout crowd of 19,250’s delight, chipped in a goal and three assists while Jagr set up three goals. Minnesota’s Marian Gaborik had a goal and three points for the West while MacInnis, Phoenix’s Teemu Selanne, Colorado’s Peter Forsberg and Vancouver’s Ed Jovanovski counted one goal apiece.
After Detroit’s Fedorov missed on the first penalty shot in the shootout for the West, Vancouver’s Markus Naslund, Dallas’s Bill Guerin and Anaheim’s Paul Kariya (on a laser) scored. Heatley was the only one of four Western shooters to connect, making the fifth shot for both teams redundant.
RELISHING THE CHANCE
While some veteran players declined the opportunity to play in the game, MacInnis leaped at the chance. After all, it wasn’t that long ago he wondered if maybe his best days were behind him and whether it was time to hang ‘em up.
MacInnis struggled last season. Though he finished 10th in defenseman scoring with 11 goals and 46 points in 71 games, he clearly was not as effective, particularly in his own zone, in his 19th season as he had been in the past.
-“HE BROKE MY FINGER WITH A SLAP SHOT…I TOOK MY GLOVE OFF AND IT WAS BLEEDING.”-CHICAGO’S JOCELYN THIBAULT, REMEMBERING THE DAMAGE THREE YEARS LATER.
“Going into this year I thought if I played like I did last year, then that would be it,” MacInnis said. “At the end of last year I felt really worn down and when you’re not feeling well, your level of play drops off and you lose your confidence. It was a time where I considered maybe it was time to move on and look at doing something else, but I wanted to give it another shot this year…As long as I can keep my play at a level where I’m satisfied, I’ll continue to play.”
BLUES BENEFIT
That comes as good news for the Blues, who have been forced to play this season without superstar defenseman Chris Pronger as he recuperates from knee and wrist surgeries.
The Blues have been one of the league’s surprise teams, largely in part because of the way MacInnis, who was second in defenseman scoring with 14 goals and 46 points in 53 games, has positioned himself nicely to challenge for a second Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman.
He won the award in 1999–at age 36–and was runner-up way back in 1990 and 1991.
Of course, when you talk about Al MacInnis, the first thing that always comes up is his slapshot. To nobody’s surprise he won the hardest-shooter event at the NHL SuperSkills for a seventh time with a blast of 98.9 miles per hour, down slightly from his personal best of 100.4 m.p.h. in 1998.
You don’t need to tell goalies about his powerful shot. Most of them have had the misfortune of having been hit by one.
“He broke my finger with a slap shot,” Thibault said. “It was three years ago in Chicago, near the start of a game. I knew right away it was broken because I’d broken my finger before. I took my glove off and it was bleeding.”
“I was really glad he was on my team (at the All-Star Game),” added Dallas goalie Marty Turco. “I was fearing having to face him in warm-up, though. I’ve seen it enough in actual games to know what it’s about. Poor Patty Lalime starting the third period–the first shot he sees is a cannon, top shelf.”
MacInnis, who has 338 career goals, was thrilled to get one in the All-Star showdown.
“I was thinking, it’s about time,” MacInnis said. “I mean I’ve been to 12 of these and this is my first goal, I think. I had a pretty good drought going, so I was hoping to get a chance.
Everything opened up and, actually, I was looking for someone to pass to, but I got close enough and figured maybe I’ll give it a shot. It’s nice to get one in 12 games. I’ll take it.” (Actually, it was his second all-star goal. He scored in his third appearance in 1990.)
REST HAS REWARDS
MacInnis said the key to his comeback this season is rest. He took an extra month off from training last summer to give his tired body extra time to mend and said the coaching staff with the Blues is good about giving him extra days off during the year.
“I’m staying fresh for the games and I’m able to keep my level of play up to this point,” MacInnis said.
There was one casualty in the game. MacInnis St. Louis teammate, center Doug Weight, left with a deeply bruised ankle after being hit by a Jovanovski wrist shot and was expected to be out until mid-February.
The All-Star Game was preceded by the NHL YoungStars Game, won 8-3 by the East. Washington’s Brian Sutherby was MVP with two goals and an assist. Rick Nash had two goals and an assist for the West The West also won the SuperSkills competition 15-9 with Colorado’s Patrick Roy being named top goalie.
There was plenty of talk about no-shows and guys who would rather spend their break on the beach, but all-star weekend hasn’t lost any of its luster for MacInnis.
“Some people tell me I should take the time to rest, but there’s really not a whole lot to do down here,” he said. “Yesterday I went to the rink and took two shots and a penalty shot Then in the game you play maybe 15 or 16 minutes and you’re done. I wonder if, when guys who choose not to come and their careers are over, they’ll look back and think, ‘Damn, I should have participated. I should have gone to the All-Star Game.’ ”I like the weekend. I enjoy it. It’s always fun for me and my family.”
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