Club set to enter last days of Daigle

By TOM JONES

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 28, 1999

The Lightning will make another round of cuts this morning. But, truth be known, the cuts may have started Monday afternoon. Alexandre Daigle is a goner.

The enigmatic forward moped around the Lightning locker room in Brandon on Monday as if he had just seen Old Yeller for the first time. While the rest of his teammates worked on conditioning in the weight room, Daigle showered while his belongings were flung into an equipment bag. Though nothing is official, it appears Daigle has played his last game for Tampa Bay.

Daigle was exposed in Monday's NHL waiver draft, but none of the other 27 NHL teams wanted him. Add No. 28: the Lightning. GM Rick Dudley would not comment on Daigle and would not agree that Daigle has played his last game in a Lightning uniform. Coach Steve Ludzik also declined to criticize Daigle.

But the fact is, the new regime doesn't like Daigle's attitude or game.

Daigle, a former No. 1 overall pick, is loaded with talent, and he does have two 20-goal seasons under his belt. But he has a reputation -- some of it justified -- for taking shortcuts and not working hard every night. Plus, Daigle is a carefree spirit, someone who lets go of the game as soon as it ends. He's not the type to break sticks or throw equipment after a tough loss. He moves on, and that often doesn't sit well with hockey people. It certainly would not sit well with overly intense Dudley and Ludzik.

One has to wonder if the Lightning is making a critical mistake cutting ties with Daigle, if it, indeed, cuts ties. Daigle, bad attitude or not, is a pure goal-scorer. The team has few of those and isn't in the position to be giving up on players such as Daigle, who is only 24.

Maybe the new regime is worried that keeping Daigle sets a bad example. That other players will be bothered that Daigle can float through and make the team, while others are expected to work hard every night. Maybe that's true.

But you can't replace talent. You can't teach goal-scoring. Maybe Daigle is a bum. Then again, maybe he isn't. The goal-starving Lightning likely won't be the team that finds out which is true.

POOPS, THERE HE IS: Ludzik made it official Monday. Goalie Daren Puppa will start the season-opener against the Islanders on Saturday. Ludzik will have no set pattern for the goalies. He could alternate them, or he could play one for four consecutive games. "I'll just go by my gut, and start the guy I think should start," Ludzik said.

CLOSE CROSS: It appears as if the Lightning and defenseman Cory Cross, who has not been in training camp, will reach a contract agreement. The ball is in the Lightning's court, but Dudley said, "I think we're close; we'll get it done."

Meantime, the Lightning also is negotiating with defenseman Ben Clymer, who was invited to camp for a tryout. The Lightning liked Clymer, the 27th overall pick in the 1996 draft, in his one preseason appearance and want to sign him.

FAMILY NIGHT: The Lightning players and significant others gathered for a team dinner Monday night.

"I want to know my players, but it's also important to know their families," Ludzik said. "The only way to do that is to sit down with them, and talk to them."

WITCH DOCTOR: A few years ago, Ludzik thought a man named Dr. Randy Tent was a witch doctor. Tent studies pressure points on patients, then prescribes herbal remedies. Ludzik thought Tent was crazy when Tent said Ludzik had gall bladder problems. No way, Ludzik thought. But this summer, four years after being examined by Tent, Ludzik had his gall bladder removed.

"I told them to take the bladder, but leave the gall," Ludzik joked. "But, seriously, this guy is amazing. So we brought him in."

Tent examined Lightning players over the weekend to help determine things such as nutritional intake and injury prevention.

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