Primeau Donna? - Philadelphia Flyers center Keith Primeau

Hockey Digest, Feb, 2001 by Tom Worgo

After years of supposed petulance Keith Primeau finally has his wish: To be the No. I center on a top team. Now he has to prove that he is deserving of that honor

REPLACING A LEGEND IS NEVER easy, but for the Philadelphia Flyers' new top center, Keith Primeau, replacing captain Eric Lindros and playing in front of packed crowds at the First Union Center came as a relief. Primeau's three years with the Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes--much of it spent competing in half-empty arenas--were much more challenging.

"It's actually mentally tougher to come to the rink and play there, because you're in front of only 3,000 or 4,000 people," says Primeau. "Philadelphia really is a hockey town. People are crazy about the Flyers and the building is always full. You can't go anywhere without people recognizing you. For me, that has put the fun back in hockey."

Still, the 6'5", 220-pound hard-nosed Primeau has some big skates to fill. For eight years Lindros has been Philadelphia's franchise player and one of rite best all-around players in the game. And Lindros still casts a long shadow over the team he failed to lead to a Stanley Cup.

Now Primeau fills the roles that belonged to Lindros: Special-teams leader, the Flyers' primary physical presence, and the one of the players expected to lead the team in scoring.

For many players, being compared to Lindros would be a distraction, but Primeau doesn't seem to be bothered. "I honestly don't feel any additional pressure," says Primeau, who broke into the in 1991 with the Detroit Red Wings. "I'll say the same thing I did last year, `I'm not going to replace Rod Brind'Amour and I'm definitely not going to replace Eric Lindros.' I'm just going to play my game. I hope that is good enough."

Primeau's Flyers teammates have noticed the new star center's nonchalance and are appreciative. "Keith has a quiet confidence and he handles pressure fairly well," says forward Rick Tocchet. "I just don't think pressure gets to him very much."

Under any circumstances Philadelphia is still a better place for Primeau to be than Carolina, where a bitter salary dispute with owner Peter Karmanos led to a prolonged holdout. Primeau's name was tossed around as, trade bait in several potential deals, including one with the Phoenix Coyotes for Keith Tkachuk and a three-way deal trade involving the Coyotes and New York Rangers. Even today, Primeau refuses to talk about his rupture with the Hurricanes.

After Philadelphia acquired Primeau in exchange for Brind'Amour, highly touted goalie Jetta-Marc Pelletier, and a second-round draft pick, the Flyers signed him to a five-year, $21-million contract. He will earn $4.25 million this year and $5 million in each of the next three seasons.

By most accounts, Primeau appears to have handled the pressure of playing in Philadelphia like any franchise player would. After all, that is what he was in Carolina, where he averaged 27 goals and 31 assists a season from 1996-99. "Keith thrives on pressure," Philadelphia coach Craig Ramsey says. "He likes the challenge of being a top player."

Primeau began this season centering a line with LeClair and 19-year-old rookie Justin Williams. Although LeClair and Primeau have played together less than a year, a synergy has grown between them. "It would be hard for anybody to follow Eric," John LeClair says. "But Primeau has already been a No. 1 center. He handles the responsibilities well both on and off the ice. He has done a terrific job for us."

But Philadelphia's No. 1 line became a merry-go-round when back surgery sidelined LeClair. In the first month of the season alone, Primeau played with Tocchet, Jody Hull, Marc Recchi, Kevin Stevens, Gino Odjick, and Keith Jones.

Playing with LeClair again will no doubt benefit Primeau.

"I played with some skilled guys in Detroit over my five years there: Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Dino Ciccarelli, and Ray Sheppard," Primeau says. "John is a different type of player. He is a true power forward. I try to pick up on the things he does and the ability he has to score goals."

Primeau came to Philadelphia in late January 2000, after scoring 30 goals the previous season. It was a controversial move by general manager Bob Clarke, because the Flyers dealt Brind'Amour, the team's heart-and-soul leader and most gritty player, in order to get Primeau. Besides, it was felt that Philadelphia needed goaltending and defensive help more than another big forward.

"The goal here from management on down is the Stanley Cup," Primeau says. "That's why I feel so good to be here, because you know every year the Flyers have an opportunity to win the Cup. Just making the playoffs does not make for a successful season here."

In 23 regular-season games, Primeau totaled seven goals and 10 assists. He experienced an eventful postseason, scoring the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a five-overtime game, but two days later, Penguins defenseman Bob Boughner knocked him cold with a bone-jarring open-ice hit, suffering a concussion in the process.