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| What's Hot, What's Not for 2002-03 NHL season | ||
| Category | Hot | Not |
| Captain | Joe Thornton (Bruins) | Alexei Zhamnov (Blackhawks) |
| Goalie |  Curtis Joseph |
 Olaf Kolzig |
| Goalie tactic | Hypnotism | Lunacy |
| Mask |  Steve Shields' tribute to "Cheesy" Cheevers |
 Mikka Kiprusoff's straight off the shelf number |
| Figure skater's beau | Bret Hedican (Kristi Yamaguchi) |
Brad Ference (Michelle Kwan) |
| Teammate | Jarome Iginla (Flames) | Bill Guerin (Stars) |
| Unstoppable force | Todd Bertuzzi (Canucks) | Brad Isbister (Islanders) |
| Contract brouhaha |  Ron MacLean and CBC |
 Byron Dafoe and everyone |
| Souvenir | Game-worn jerseys | Bobblehead dolls |
| Traitor | Bryan Trottier | Bobby Holik |
| Offseason acquisition | Chris Drury (Flames) | Robert Lang (Capitals) |
| Twins |  Olsens |
 Sedins |
| Rookie coach | Dave Tippett (Stars) | Bruce Cassidy (Capitals) |
| Coach on hot seat | Pat Quinn (Maple Leafs) | Curt Fraser (Thrashers) |
| Defenseman | Niklas Lidstrom (Red Wings) | Lyle Odelein (Blackhawks) |
| Pending restricted free agent set for big year |
Ed Jovonovski (Canucks) | Chris Gratton (Sabres) |
| Pending unrestricted free agent set for big year |
Sergei Fedorov (Red Wings) | Shawn McEachern (Thrashers) |
| Job stealer | Mikka Kiprusoff (Sharks) | Steve Shields (Bruins) |
| Troubled soul | Theoren Fleury | It's always Theo |
| Celeb fan |  Queen Elizabeth II |
 Cuba Gooding Jr. |
| Rookie | Jamie Lundmark (Rangers) | Jay Bouwmeester (Panthers) |
| Pool pick | Jason Allison (Kings) | Sami Kapanen (Hurricanes) |
| Pool sleeper | Alyn McCauley (Maple Leafs) | Jan Hrdina (Penguins) |
| "He's due" player | Adam Oates (Mighty Ducks) | Dave Andreychuk (Lightning) |
| Young star set for breakout season | Patrick Marleau (Sharks) | David Legwand (Predators) |
| Young 'n' fun team |  Coyotes |
 Thrashers |
| New rules effect | Quicker faceoffs + more power plays = faster games and more scoring |
Penalty parade + lack of scorers = no change in scoring and length of games |
| Enforcer | Georges Laraque (Oilers) | Sandy McCarthy (Rangers) |
| Anticipated grudge match |
Peca vs. Tucker, Dec. 6 | Zednik vs. McLaren, date TBD |
| Pest | Matt Cooke (Canucks) | Darcy Tucker (Maple Leafs) |
| Comeback |  Nirvana |
 Alexandre Daigle (Penguins) |
| NHL concern | Financially strapped owners and numerous teams up for sale |
End of collective bargaining agreement after 2003-04 |
| Sweater to be seen in |
 Jarome Iglina's No. 12 |
 John LeClair's No. 10 |
| Trade bait | Peter Bondra (Capitals) | Mike Dunham (Predators) |
| Hart front-runner | Joe Sakic (Avalanche) | Pavel Bure (Rangers) |
| Gutsy Stanley Cup finals prediction | Sharks vs. Senators | Red Wings vs. Hurricanes |