Columnist Ron Kantowski: McCleary injury sparks memory for Malarchuk

Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2000 | 9:37 a.m.

Ron Kantowski's notes column appears Tuesday and Thursday. Reach him at ron@vegas.com or 259-4088.

By Monday afternoon he had heard from five daily newspapers, but nobody was calling Clint Malarchuk to inquire about how his Idaho Steelheads (he's coach and GM) are faring in the West Coast Hockey League these days.

When the Canadiens' Trent McCleary nearly died Saturday night after having his larynx shattered by a slap shot off the stick of Flyers defenseman Chris Therien, it opened an old wound -- at least figuratively speaking -- for the "Cowboy Goalie," the most popular player to ever wear the Las Vegas Thunder sweater.

Back in 1989, Malarchuk was minding the Buffalo Sabres' net when his jugular vein was sliced open by a skate during a scramble in the crease. Blood spurted grotesquely from an open wound in Malarchuk's neck and he nearly bled to death, right there on the ice.

It took more than 300 stitches and emergency surgery to save his life.

Malarchuk said what made McCleary's injury even more unsettling is that he knows him well, having coached the hard-nosed forward in Las Vegas during the 1997-98 season, when McCleary appeared in 54 games for the Thunder.

"I'll be trying to get a hold of him, although I know he can't talk now," Malarchuk said of McCleary, who is said to be out of danger although he remains on a respirator to help him breathe.

Malarchuk said as bad as the physical part is, it was the mental hurdle of coming back from a near catastrophic injury that proved tougher for him. He expects McCleary -- provided he plays again -- will have to battle those same demons.

"There will be speculation from a lot of people saying you'll never be the same, that you'll always have that fear (it could happen again)," said Malarchuk, who did manage to come back strong in 1990, posting the same goals-against average (3.35) as he had when his throat was slashed.

"And he's the type of player who hits the ice all the time (to block shots)."

Next to auto racing, there is no sport faster or more dangerous than hockey, with the possible exception of downhill skiing. But up on the mountain, guys like Al MacInnis don't blast a vulcanized rubber disc at your noggin.

The inherent risks notwithstanding, Malarchuk said hockey players rarely consider their mortality when they lace up the skates.

"You don't think about dying. Maybe you think about getting a broken bone," he said.

"But when you're dealing with razor-sharp skates, the speed of the shot, hard pucks, the fact we're carrying sticks and that we're playing a contact sport with a great amount of speed, the safety record of hockey is actually pretty good."

* THE PRACTICE: The most incredible thing about the Super Bowl, other than the spine-tingling finish and Boomer Esiason's strategy thoughts during the Titans' final drive (he would have accepted a 7-yard gain and declined a first down offsides penalty that stopped the clock, and burned his last timeout with roughly 45 seconds to play rather than save it until the end), was that teams couldn't get on the Georgia Dome carpet for practice.

Every time the Rams and Titans tried to come in from the cold it seemed like Up With People or whoever was performing at halftime (as if it matters) was already on it. The teams simply couldn't get much accomplished skating around the frozen practice tundra.

It's a wonder they played as well as they did. In this case, lack of practice made perfect, but the teams -- not the halftime lip-sync crew -- should get first dibs on the field two days before the game.

* JONATHON O: About the only time you hear from an offensive lineman is when he's called for holding, so perhaps it is no surprise that Jonathan Ogden was able to sneak into Las Vegas virtually unnoticed.

The Baltimore Ravens' standout offensive tackle -- he'll play in his third consecutive Pro Bowl on Sunday -- has built a home here. And there have been a lot of calls from the Ravens' home office to the 702 area code in recent days. Baltimore is trying to sign the former UCLA Bruin to an extension before the beginning of next season, after which his current contract will expire.

"I don't know if they are going to get the deal done," said Ogden, who along with Jacksonville's Tony Boselli are considered the two best players at their position.

"It could be tough because the team wants to improve the offense. And maybe they figure it's a good time to add those players now and if we play well, I won't want to leave. But for me to play through the final year (unsigned) and not test the market wouldn't be a smart thing."

* AROUND THE HORN: Prediction: Former baseball manager and longtime Henderson resident Dick Williams was a regular visitor to the Cashman Field press box in the capacity of a Yankees scout, but probably won't be coming around for the pregame meal after pleading no contest to indecent exposure charges in Fort Myers, Fla., Jan. 18. Prediction II: The Hall of Fame veterans committee, which had been seriously considering the 70-year-old Williams for enshrinement in Cooperstown before he was caught with his pants down, won't look too kindly on the episode, either ... Former Chicago Cubs great Ryne Sandberg took in Monday's UNLV-St. Mary's college baseball game at Wilson Stadium. Sandberg's stepson, B.R. Koehnemann, is a reserve infielder for the Gaels. ... How long does UNLV coach Bill Bayno stay with Trevor Diggs at shooting guard? Diggs had yet another awful game at Wyoming Monday night, going 1-for-12 from the field. Just be thankful his game is basketball and not biathlon.