CP) - The Toronto Maple Leafs kick off the NHL's 123-game pre-season schedule Tuesday when they take on Jokerit in Helsinki, site of Canada's gold-medal performance at the men's world championship in May.
The game officially starts what could be the last season before a long labour war following the expiry of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement next September.
In Jokerit, the Leafs face a club that's been training for nearly two months.
"We've had like six weeks of two-a-days," Jokerit winger Glen Metropolit, a former Washington Capital, told NHL.com. "We get up and run 40 minutes and then we are on the ice for an hour and half. Then, we get to go home and get a little snack before we come back to the rink for another hour and a half on the ice.
"It's way harder than an NHL camp," added the Toronto native. "It's a little like the army. It's a boot camp."
Other former NHLers on the Jokerit roster are Sami Helenius and Ville Peltonen.
The Leafs, meanwhile, are just shaking off the cob webs before playing three games in four nights.
"We've had four practices now, so we're just very much starting," Leafs head coach Pat Quinn told reporters in Helsinki. "We expect tough games here because some of the clubs have been working out pretty well.
"But our guys have practised hard, and for only four days into it, they're skating well and it looks like they've paid attention to their conditioning during the off-season."
After an off-day Wednesday, it's off to Stockholm where Leafs captain Mats Sundin will face his old team Djurgarden on Thursday as the NHL exhibition schedule really gets going with eight games, including Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne making their Colorado debuts as the Avalanche host newly acquired Teppo Numminen and the Dallas Stars.
Also Thursday, Sergei Fedorov is scheduled to make his Mighty Ducks debut as Anaheim faces the Kings in Los Angeles while a pair of traditional rivalries also highlight the night with Boston at Montreal and Edmonton at Calgary.
The first slate of exhibition games will also help fans get used to the home teams wearing dark jerseys this season, a return to the way it was done in the NHL before 1970.
The defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils open play on the road Friday against the Philadelphia Flyers while star defenceman Derian Hatcher makes his Red Wings debut, also Friday, when Detroit hosts Jaromir Jagr and the Washington Capitals.
The Leafs wrap up NHL Challenge 2003 on Friday when the face Swedish League champs Farjestad in Stockholm and then return home Saturday.
The NHL's pre-season concludes Oct. 5 with Toronto hosting Detroit and Buffalo playing Ottawa in St. Catharines, Ont.
The NHL's regular season starts Oct. 8.
http://canada.com/sports/story.html?id=B41EDD4F-113B-4F80-9E8C-3017DFD6A218
The game officially starts what could be the last season before a long labour war following the expiry of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement next September.
In Jokerit, the Leafs face a club that's been training for nearly two months.
"We've had like six weeks of two-a-days," Jokerit winger Glen Metropolit, a former Washington Capital, told NHL.com. "We get up and run 40 minutes and then we are on the ice for an hour and half. Then, we get to go home and get a little snack before we come back to the rink for another hour and a half on the ice.
"It's way harder than an NHL camp," added the Toronto native. "It's a little like the army. It's a boot camp."
Other former NHLers on the Jokerit roster are Sami Helenius and Ville Peltonen.
The Leafs, meanwhile, are just shaking off the cob webs before playing three games in four nights.
"We've had four practices now, so we're just very much starting," Leafs head coach Pat Quinn told reporters in Helsinki. "We expect tough games here because some of the clubs have been working out pretty well.
"But our guys have practised hard, and for only four days into it, they're skating well and it looks like they've paid attention to their conditioning during the off-season."
After an off-day Wednesday, it's off to Stockholm where Leafs captain Mats Sundin will face his old team Djurgarden on Thursday as the NHL exhibition schedule really gets going with eight games, including Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne making their Colorado debuts as the Avalanche host newly acquired Teppo Numminen and the Dallas Stars.
Also Thursday, Sergei Fedorov is scheduled to make his Mighty Ducks debut as Anaheim faces the Kings in Los Angeles while a pair of traditional rivalries also highlight the night with Boston at Montreal and Edmonton at Calgary.
The first slate of exhibition games will also help fans get used to the home teams wearing dark jerseys this season, a return to the way it was done in the NHL before 1970.
The defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils open play on the road Friday against the Philadelphia Flyers while star defenceman Derian Hatcher makes his Red Wings debut, also Friday, when Detroit hosts Jaromir Jagr and the Washington Capitals.
The Leafs wrap up NHL Challenge 2003 on Friday when the face Swedish League champs Farjestad in Stockholm and then return home Saturday.
The NHL's pre-season concludes Oct. 5 with Toronto hosting Detroit and Buffalo playing Ottawa in St. Catharines, Ont.
The NHL's regular season starts Oct. 8.
http://canada.com/sports/story.html?id=B41EDD4F-113B-4F80-9E8C-3017DFD6A218
