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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 3, 2001
BRANDON -- The Lightning will not name a new captain if Vinny Lecavalier's holdout continues, allowing alternates Fredrik Modin, Dave Andreychuk and Tim Taylor to handle the duties.
"These are three leaders of the team," coach John Tortorella said after Tuesday's practice at the Ice Sports Forum.
Three other leaders were named after a team vote: defensemen Pavel Kubina and Grant Ledyard and center Brian Holzinger. The six make up what Tortorella called a "leadership group."
"It makes for an interface among the coaches and staff and players," Tortorella said. "For the player to be a good player, he has to feel good about himself before he steps on the ice. I think they can do that if they're communicating."
Ledyard said responsibilities include being a liaison between the players and the coaches and "saying the right things (to teammates) before, during and after games."
"I love our leadership group," right wing Matthew Barnaby said. "We brought in some guys who command respect and deserve respect. Everybody has to be a leader in their own way, but these guys are more prone to stand up and say something in the room."
KUBINA LOSES HIS A: When Tortorella named the alternate captains, he chose Modin over Kubina, who wore the A last season.
"I want Kuby to watch the leadership here," Tortorella said. "Someday, he will be a leader. It's an opportunity for the kids to step back and become leaders in the organization; to stop and learn."
"I wasn't happy with it," Kubina said. "But other players came in, and Freddie is older than me and has more games. And he's a good guy in the dressing room. He's got an A. All I have to do is keep playing and do a better job, and I'll get it back sometime."
Kubina said he appreciated Modin approaching him to talk about the change.
"I'm cool with Freddie," Kubina said.
Said Modin: "I just wanted to talk to Kuby and see his feelings. I didn't want to step on his toes."
HEDICAN HURT: Right wing Jimmie Olvestad knew he hit Florida's Bret Hedican in the face with his stick during Saturday's preseason finale but didn't realize the injury was so serious.
"I didn't even know," he said. "(I thought) maybe a bad cut."
Hedican's jaw was broken in half by the blow. The defenseman needed surgery to have a titanium plate implanted. His jaw will be wired shut for four weeks.
Olvestad hit Hedican with the follow-through of a backhand clearing attempt.
"It was very careless," Hedican told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I thought it was funny how (Olvestad) was not really concerned about where his stick was going. You see a lot of that these days."
"I didn't see him," Olvestad said. "He came from behind me. If he had come along the boards, I would never have gone so high (with the stick)."
Olvestad said he was sorry for the "total accident."
He also said, "I learned my lesson to just try to keep the stick down."
LINES COMING TOGETHER: Tortorella said two lines are set, the No. 1 line featuring Modin, center Brad Richards and right wing Martin St. Louis and a line of Olvestad, Taylor and left wing Juha Ylonen.
Tortorella said two other lines are works in progress. Center Vinny Prospal played between left wing Dave Andreychuk and right wing Glen Metropolit on Tuesday. Holzinger was between Barnaby and left wing Ben Clymer.
PRATT'S FOOT BROKEN: New X-rays of Nolan Pratt's right foot show it is broken. Head medical trainer Dave Boyer said the defenseman is expected to miss at least four weeks.
Pratt suffered the injury Saturday when he was hit by a shot from Florida's Viktor Kozlov.
MORE INJURIES: Richards practiced for a consecutive day but might sit out today's practice because his strained groin tightened up. He said he expects to play in Friday's opener vs. the Islanders.
"I felt so good (Monday). I probably did too much," Richards said. "No pain. It just got tight. We'll see (today) if I practice. I'm more focused on being ready for Friday."
Defenseman Jassen Cullimore also is practicing. He said his sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee felt "so-so." He said he wasn't sure if he would be ready for the Islanders.
ODDS AND ENDS: Sunshine's Lightning Preseason Special will be shown at 6:30 tonight and features interviews with Tortorella and assistant general manager Jay Feaster. ... Left wing Nikita Alexeev will hold a Web chat at 6 p.m. Thursday at tampabaylightning.com.