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Roy, Hlavac To Sit Out Preseason Opener

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 19, 2007

BRANDON - It was just a little nudge, barely worthy of being called a hit. But there had to be something to it if Lightning RW Andre Roy yelped with pain and crumpled to the ice in agony.

Turned out, when LW Mathieu Darche bumped Roy at the end of a shift during the final intrasquad scrimmage Tuesday at the Ice Sports Forum, there was an accomplice: the door to the bench.

'I was gliding against the board. It wasn't a big hit,' Roy said. 'The door was open, so, my tailbone I guess hit the metal. I didn't expect that. I was going backward and hit my tailbone. I think it might just be a big bruise.'

It was painful enough that Roy went for X-rays to make sure his tailbone wasn't broken. The result from those X-rays - as well as the result from an MRI on Tuesday on the sore right instep of LW Jan Hlavac - will be available today.

Neither will play in the first preseason game tonight against the Dallas Stars. Both were limping noticeably at the end of practice.

'I guess they'll take a different approach if it's cracked,' Roy said. 'But I don't think it is cracked. You never know, but I think it's mostly just a big bruise.'

Hlavac, trying to secure a spot as a winger on C Brad Richards' line, took a shot off his right foot during Monday's scrimmage. He returned to the ice after a brief absence Monday but said the foot swelled overnight.

'Monday night it was very bad,' Hlavac said. 'I could barely walk. Today is a little better after treatments. So, I hope it's going to be OK.'

Darche regretted his role in hurting Roy, with whom he worked out in Montreal during the offseason.

'It was just an accident,' Darche said. 'I never saw the door open. I didn't even hit him that hard.'

'I'm going to fight him next practice,' joked Roy, adding, 'If the door wasn't open, everything would've been fine, you know?'

DENIS UP FIRST: Coach John Tortorella said G Marc Denis will play the entire game tonight in the preseason opener. In four intrasquad scrimmages, Denis saved 54 of 56 shots (.964 save percentage) and had a 1.12 goals-against average.

In other words, he earned tonight's start.

'Yes, he did,' Tortorella said.

It was a small step toward redemption for Denis, whose disappointing 2006-07 season left Johan Holmqvist as the No. 1 and rookie Karri Ramo as the backup during the playoff series against New Jersey.

'The first part, I guess you could say, is behind now,' Denis said. 'I'm happy to be called upon to be in there. I'll just have the same approach that I had the first six days.'

Holmqvist saved 52 of 58 shots (.897) during the scrimmages and had a 3.10 GAA. Ramo had the best numbers of the three: .967 save percentage (58 of 60), 1.08 goals-against.

'I want to get a good look at all of them,' Tortorella said.

BOARD UPDATE: The league's Board of Governors met in Chicago on Tuesday for four hours with the schedule format - which is expected to be revamped for next season, therefore ending the eight-divisional game format after a three-year run - the main topic.

But the sale of the Lightning also was brought before the board, although there wasn't much of an update. The board was informed that there was an application process in place to transfer ownership of the team and that it was moving along.

The board will be updated as needed as the sale moves forward.

FIVE MORE YEARS: The Lightning will soon announce a five-year extension of their agreement to hold training camp and occasional regular-season practices at the Ice Sports Forum.

The facility, which has two playing surfaces, is expected to expand with a third rink on the north side of the building. A planned news conference to announce the deal Tuesday was pushed back, possibly until Thursday.

NUTS AND BOLTS: Richards led all scorers with four assists in the four scrimmages. ... Darche scored all three goals Tuesday in Team White's 3-0 victory against Team Black. Brad Lukowich, Matt Smaby, Chris Gratton, Kyle Wanvig and Richards recorded assists. ... G Sean Burke, who played 35 games for the Lightning during the 2005-06 season, officially retired Tuesday after nearly 20 years in the league.

Carter Gaddis, Erik Erlendsson

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