"I'll be miked up every game, I don't care," said Esche, who will be in goal when OLN (formerly the Outdoor Life Network) makes its hockey broadcast debut with Wednesday night's season opener between the Flyers and New York Rangers. "I think players should have to wear them, I really do."

If the NHL wants to sell itself -- really sell itself -- to the average fan, Esche believes it should sell the game within the game. He believes that instead of hiding hockey's rough edges, networks should exploit the game's inner workings.

"The highlight goals are fine," Esche said. "But we need to focus on the fights and guys barking back and forth at each other. You want to keep the swearing off the television, obviously, but ultimately that's what fans need to see."

Putting a camera and a microphone on Esche's mask offers viewers the sights and sounds that only a goaltender sees and hears. Putting a microphone on an enforcer would offer viewers an entirely different look inside the world of hockey fights. Sometimes, fights are completely spontaneous, the result of a big hit along the boards. Other times, they are generated from hits on star players earlier in the game, and others occur simply as a rite of passage for young fighters.

"The guys who are fighting have never had a chance to be in the limelight because ESPN won't show fights," Esche said. "I hope OLN will take fighting and put it back into the game.

Esche will be miked up during Wednesday's opener against the New York Rangers.

"I think you've got to see more goalies getting hit and bumped. You've got to see more forwards going into the corners and hear the sounds of the game. Package the whole game, not just the goals."

Sam Flood, a former college hockey player who is now the coordinating producer for NBC Sports, said he would like to do with the NHL what he has already done for NASCAR: bring fans inside the athletes' helmets.

"NASCAR attracted fans to auto racing by putting viewers behind the wheel and in the pits," Flood said. "We want to do the same thing with hockey."

Tearing a page from the NFL's viewer-friendly playbook, NBC will introduce a sideline reporter for NHL broadcasts. Flood said the player benches have been shortened and a reporter's box has been placed between them.

Former NHL coach Pierre Maguire will provide analysis from ice level, explaining team strategies, player matchups and some of the color often missing in broadcasts from high above the arena.

"You need to have someone down there who understands what can and can't be said," Flood said, "and being a former coach, Pierre knows where to draw the line."

Clement will begin a new phase in his broadcasting career, moving from the booth, where he was a color analyst, to the studio, where he will instruct fans on the nuances of the game. Mirroring what Fox does with its baseball broadcasts, NBC will construct a mini-hockey rink and Clement will inform viewers of different moves players use to make a hit, avoid a check and spring themselves for breakaways.

"We're not talking about telling fans what a hooking penalty is," Clement said. "We're showing them things to look for when they're watching the game."

Goalie cam is definitely a step in the right direction. Like putting a camera over the shoulder of an Indy car driver it offers viewers a glimpse inside the game. Esche said the camera is hardly noticeable and offers him a chance to analyze his own game.

"If you commit too early you can see the camera going down," he said. "On screens you can help coaches see what you're seeing. I think it's a great idea."

Jon Sim led the NHL in preseason goals with 8, including a pair of hat tricks.

Who's hot -- Jon Sim, Josef Vasicek and Brandon Bochenski are not exactly household names, but they topped the NHL in preseason goal scoring.

Sim, a 28-year-old right wing who is subbing for the injured Sami Kapanen in Philadelphia, led the NHL with eight goals in seven preseason, netting a pair of hat tricks.

Vasicek, a 25-year-old center with the Carolina Hurricanes looking to improve his point totals for the fifth-straight season, is off to a fast start with seven goals in six games with the 'Canes.

Bochenski, a 23-year-old right wing for the Ottawa Senators, was virtually unknown before the preseason. He was taken by the Senators in the seventh round of the 2001 draft, 223rd overall, and benefited from playing the preseason on a line with Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. Bochenski, Heatley and Stars forward Bill Guerin all tied for third in preseason goals with six.

Shootout summary -- According to NHL chief statistician Benny Ercolani, shootout statistics were not kept during the preseason, but will begin this week.

Here's a note coaches might be interested in knowing. A coach has the option of changing goalies for the shootout, but not during the shootout.

In other words, if Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro plays the first 65 minutes of a 3-3 tie, coach Steve Stirling has the option of bringing backup Garth Snow in for the shootout without the benefit of a warm-up. He may not, however, alternate between DiPietro and Snow between shots.

Eric Lindros hosts his old team on October 11.

Who would take a cold goalie off the bench for shootout? Probably very few coaches. But Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock said he did it in the IHL and the league changed its rules to prevent it the following season.

Rumor mill -- Some were surprised to see the Devils receive a conditional 2006 draft pick from the Washington Capitals for forward Jeff Friesen, who has averaged 20 goals during his career.

The fact is, Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello was not dealing in a position of strength because he needed to get below the NHL salary cap before the start of the season and not many teams had room under the cap to include Friesen's $2.28 million salary.

The Caps got the better of the deal in that one and the Devils may face a similar predicament next month when they hope to get Patrik Elias back after a bout with hepatitis. Elias' $4.18 million contract will count against the cap when he returns, which is likely to trigger another move.

The week ahead

Oct 7: Lightning at Panthers: The defending Stanley Cup champs get their first look at their Florida rival. Mike Keenan's Panthers have gotten older but better with the additions of Gary Roberts and Joe Nieuwendyk.

Oct. 8: Sabres at Senators: Can Dominik Hasek still perform acrobatics at age 41? He'll find out when he tries to stop his former team and Ottawa's bitter rivals.

Oct. 10: Rangers at Capitals: Jaromir Jagr would like nothing more than to show his former teammates he can lead the Rangers into the playoffs.

Oct. 11: Flyers at Maple Leafs: Eric Lindros faces his former team for the first time in blue and white. Has the surly, burly center turned over a new leaf in Toronto?

Chuck Gormley has covered the Flyers and the NHL for the South Jersey Courier-Post since 1988.