KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | Scott Gomez traded to Montreal Canadiens

Scott Gomez traded to Montreal Canadiens

by Andrew Hinkelman
Tuesday, June 30, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The most accomplished hockey player to ever skate out of Alaska is joining the most accomplished team to ever skate in the National Hockey League.

The Montreal Canadiens acquired Scott Gomez from the New York Rangers on Tuesday in a six-player trade between Original Six clubs.

Gomez grew up in the Airport Heights neighborhood and attended East High School before embarking on a junior hockey career with the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League in Kennewick, Wash.

The New Jersey Devils made Gomez the first Hispanic player drafted in the first round. He went on to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year for the 1999-2000 season.

He signed with the Rangers as an unrestricted free agent two years ago after seven seasons with New Jersey. During the NHL lockout of 2005-05, Gomez returned to Anchorage and played for the Alaska Aces.

Gomez, who won two Stanley Cup championships with New Jersey, joins a Canadiens team that while owning a record 24 Cup titles, hasn't been to the top of the mountain since 1993.

"We are extremely pleased to acquire an impact centreman (sic) in Scott Gomez," Montreal general Manager Bob Gainey said in a statement. "He is an outstanding playmaker and an excellent skater. Having won the Stanley Cup twice with the New Jersey Devils, he brings a lot of playoff experience to our team. Scott is an elite player who will certainly contribute success to our team for years to come."

In recent years the Habs have been perennial underachievers -- either flaming out in early rounds of the playoffs after a promising regulars season, or failing to live up to expectations during the course of the year and limping into the second season as a lower-seeded also-ran.

The move is widely seen as a salary dump by the Rangers -- themselves annual visitors to the land of results not meeting expectations -- on the eve of NHL free agency. New York signed Gomez to a seven-year deal worth $51.5 million.

According to The Associated Press the remainder of Gomez's contract, which runs through the 2013-14 season, contains a salary cap hit of $7.35 million each year.

In addition to Gomez, Montreal acquired minor leaguers Tom Pyatt and Mike Busto. The Rangers got forward Chris Higgins and defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko.

A talented center, the Rangers signed Gomez and Chris Drury -- another center -- in hopes of creating a dynamic offensive threat.

Instead New York became one of the most anemic teams in the attacking zone, ranking 28th out of 30 NHL teams last season in scoring. The Rangers were able to sneak into the playoffs thanks to the goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist and a defense that ranked sixth in goals against.

Gomez did his part, finishing second on the Rangers in scoring (16 goals, 54 assists, 70 points) his first season, behind Jaromir Jagr (25-46--71), and tying for the team lead this past season with Nikolai Zherdev with 16-42--58 totals, but in five fewer games.

Now he goes to a Montreal team that was middle of the pack scoring last year, and is apparently willing to part with its top center, 35-year-old Saku Koivu, an unrestricted free agent.

The Canadiens' top scorer from last year, right-winger Alex Kovalev, is also a free agent, as is their top left wing, Alex Tanguay. The signing period begins at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

Tuesday's trade is bad news for Gomez's Alaskan fans. Versus and NBC, the two networks who have national contracts to broadcast NHL games in the United States, rarely show games involving Canadian teams during the regular season and only as a last resort in the playoffs.

By contrast, Gomez's old team, the Rangers, are frequently featured on national broadcasts no matter how the team is faring.

Contact the Channel 2 News room at news_desk@ktuu.com