Capitals to Retire Gartner's No. 11 Before Dec. 28 Game

The Washington Capitals will retire Mike Gartner's No. 11 jersey before their Dec. 28 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, another of the five teams the Ontario native suited up for during his 19-year NHL career. Gartner, the first player drafted by Washington to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, will be the fourth Capital to receive the honor, joining Yvon Labre (No. 7), Rod Langway (No. 5) and Dale Hunter (No. 32).

"Sometimes these things take a little time," Gartner said yesterday. "Look at guys like Ken Dryden. The Canadiens retired his jersey last year in Montreal, and the last time he played was 25 years ago. To me it doesn't matter whether it was five years ago or 10 years from now, it's a tremendous honor."

Drafted fourth overall by the Capitals in 1979, Gartner tallied 397 of his 708 career goals (sixth on the NHL's career list) and 392 of his 627 assists for Washington. The speedy right wing, who scored least 35 goals in his first nine seasons, was the team's all-time leader in goals and points when he was traded to Minnesota in 1989. (He now ranks second behind Peter Bondra in both categories.)

"We think it's important for our team to embrace our heritage, and Mike is a significant part of our past," majority owner Ted Leonsis said. "For us, it's difficult for a team that hasn't won a [Stanley] Cup to retire jerseys. So we had to think long and hard about this because it's such a high honor."

· POTHIER UPDATE: Defenseman Brian Pothier, who has not played since January because of post-concussion syndrome, said yesterday that he's making significant strides in his recovery but remains unsure when -- or if -- he'll resume his playing career.

"It's been improving the last month or so," Pothier said in his first comments to local reporters this offseason. "I've made some pretty good gains."

That's a big turnaround from earlier this summer, when a routine activity such as playing with his two young sons might knock him off his feet for a few days or longer. But over the past month, Pothier said he has been able to sustain light physical activity, such as jogging and weightlifting, giving him hope that he will make a full recovery.

"May was frustrating because I would say to myself, 'Man, I've got to get better,' " he said. "Then I would end up on the couch, totally shut down."

While there's been some progress, he acknowledged there's still reason for caution and concern. He still experiences blurry vision and sometimes struggles to keep his balance.

"Has retirement crossed my mind?" he said. "Of course it has. We have two little kids, and when you can't chase them around the yard, you have to ask yourself if it's worth it to do this. But it's not something that's on my mind right now. My focus is on getting healthy."

· MORRISONN BACK: Defenseman Shaone Morrisonn said yesterday he's fully recovered from a broken jaw and cracked collarbone that plagued him late last season. He also said he does not hold a grudge against the Capitals after a reportedly contentious arbitration hearing, which resulted in Morrisonn being awarded a one-year, $1.975 million contract.

"It's our right as players, and if I had to do it again, I would," Morrisonn said. "There's no hard feelings. It's part of the business."

Morrisonn joined teammates José Theodore, Brent Johnson, Boyd Gordon and Donald Brashear at Kettler Capitals Iceplex for an informal practice.

-- Tarik El-Bashir