Insatiable drive for Isles’ Tavares

John Tavares wants to continue getting better until he delivers a Stanley Cup for the Islanders.

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INSATIABLE DRIVE FOR ISLES’ TAVARES

Newsday asserts Islanders star John Tavares emerged as one of the National Hockey League’s best players after a typically intense offseason.

“I just don’t want to stop here. I want to keep getting better,” he said Tuesday. “It’s my goal to help this team win a Stanley Cup and if I can improve myself in any way, that’s what I’m going to do.”

His drive was written all over a series that had the Penguins a little scared while it was going on and very impressed when it was over. It was obvious that Tavares never was content with the normal learning curve of a No. 1 overall pick. He worked like crazy and this year lifted his team and became a finalist for the Hart Trophy as the NHL Most Valuable Player.

“Skating was a knock on him early, and he seemed to improve on that,” Sidney Crosby, a fellow Hart finalist, said during the series of someone he called a “complete player.”

Tavares’ frequent linemate Matt Moulson said Tuesday: “He just keeps getting better at the things he’s already great at, he gets better at the things he’s not as good at. He’s going to keep getting better because his mind-set is he wants to be the best in the world. If he’s not there yet, he’s going to be there pretty soon.”

APATHY FROM CANUCKS’ CROWDS?

The Vancouver Province details how high-profile entertainment manager Bruce Allen is now a minority owner with the WHL Vancouver Giants and how at Tuesday’s press conference, Allen mentioned the Canucks.

“I just think there’s been an alienation for a lot of hockey fans from that organization up the street,” Allen noted.

That wasn’t all.

“We saw some interesting phenomena happen during the playoffs here. We saw apathy from the Vancouver crowds,” Allen said.

“Why was that? You have to ask yourself. It could be lots of things: They didn’t think they had a chance; it was too expensive; they were just totally uninterested. That’s bad for that to happen. That’s really bad.”

Check out what else Allen had to say in general, including why people have to remember that it’s called ‘sports and entertainment.’

SPEAKING OF THOSE CANUCKS…

FLAMES’ ALUMNI OFF TO HONG KONG

The Calgary Herald relays that seven Flames’ alumni from the 1989 Stanley Cup champs — Lanny McDonald, Perry Berezan, Colin Patterson, Jim Peplinski, Joel Otto, Jamie Macoun and Dana Murzyn — are among a troupe of 11 ex-players, wives included, heading to Hong Kong in short order to promote hockey, as guests of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

“I continue to be impressed by how you can take the universal language of hockey, that says Canada, and take it to a land that doesn’t know much about it,” says Peplinski. “All of a sudden, people get Canada and they like hockey.

“I’ve seen it happen in all kinds of unlikely places, even in Dubai.

“The Chamber has been the driver behind this. The Flames and (vice-president of sales) Rollie Cyr have done a ton of work in putting it all together. When you have the opportunity to see a foreign land and people are interested in your game and want to expand it, we’re only too happy to over, give our insights and hopefully have a positive impact.

“Sport is a worldwide calling card that really opens up doors.”

ST. LOUIS CONFIDENT IN LIGHTNING’S YZERMAN

The Tampa Bay Times has a series of recent quotes from Lightning right wing Marty St. Louis, who will turn 38 in June.

On general manager Steve Yzerman: “Steve Yzerman is a smart guy. He’s been in every situation. His experience, his knowledge, I have full confidence in what he’s trying to do. I feel some of his pain because he wants to win and it hasn’t gone the way he’d like to the last couple of years. It’s a tough act to follow after the first year we go to the conference final (in 2011) and we’re one game away from the Stanley Cup final. I always feel when you set the bar like that it becomes a pretty big responsibility. There’s only four teams that get to that point out of 30 so it’s hard to get there. But we all want to get back there and the first guy in line who wants that is Steve Yzerman. I have full confidence in what he’s doing and what he wants to do.”

HUBERDEAU FINE AFTER SURGERY

The Sun-Sentinel indicates even one of the few seemingly healthy Panthers players needed surgery after an injury-marred season, as rookie forward Jonathan Huberdeau underwent successful hip surgery Tuesday in Nashville.

Huberdeau, one of four Panthers to play in all 48 games, along with forwards Tomas Fleischmann and Shawn Matthias as well as defenseman Brian Campbell, is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in September.

PANTHERS GRANTED NEW SCOREBOARD

The Miami Herald describes that after being dressed down and forced to apologize for the Florida Panthers’ incomplete financial records, team president Michael Yormark walked out of Tuesday’s Broward County Commission meeting with a $4.2 million grant for a new scoreboard at the county-owned BB&T Center.

Yormark said the scoreboard would be ordered immediately. The old one would be dismantled and hopefully donated to a local high school.

The new scoreboard would be in place by the Panthers’ first preseason game in mid-September, he said.

“When you look at what we’ve done to our building over the past decade, this is the final piece,” Yormark said. “To have this behind us, to open our 20th anniversary season with a new scoreboard is exciting. The experience is going to be enhanced.”

HAMHUIS HONOURED TO SKATE FOR CANADA

The Vancouver Sun notes this is the fifth time Dan Hamhuis has played at the world championship for Canada and before leaving for Europe the Canuck defenceman said it never gets old.

“It’s neat to travel to Europe and that and I love playing for Canada,” he said. “It truly is an honour to wear that jersey and play. Hockey Canada treats us so well over there, too. Our families come over so it’s neat to share with the families. And then there’s camaraderie with the players you meet over there. It has been a great experience in those (previous) four years that I did play. I made a lot of friends that I still keep in touch with.”

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