’
eo Castlegar News *.'6. 1986

SPORTS

Nielson firing

costs Canucks
$250,000

VANCOUVER (CP) —
Former Vancouver Canucks
coach Roger Nielson won his
breach-of-contract suit
against the National Hockey
League club and was
awarded $173,500 in a British
Columbia Supreme Court
judgment delivered Tuesday.

Nielson, currently an assis-
tant coach with Chicago
Blackhawks, was also
awarded interest and costs
which bring the total award
by Mr. Justice Alan Mac
donell to more than $250,000.

The Nielson-coached Ca-
nucks reached the 1981-82
Stanley Cup final, losing in
four straight to New York
Islanders, and Neilson was
fired Jan. 18, 1984, following
a game in Edmonton against
the Oilers.

The termination clause in
his contract that allowed the
Canucks to fire Nielson called
for a buyout of $60,000 — half
of his $120,000 salary for the
following year. The buyout
was not paid.

Nielson's lawyers argued
the Canucks owed the former
coach $53,500 for the balance
of the 1983-84 season and
$120,000 for the 1984-85 sea
son, the last year on his four
year contract.

The club argued that Niel
son, 52, who lives in Peter
borough, Ont. mitigated any
damages due to him by
accepting jobs with other

teams.

Shortly after he was fired,
Nielson, known as Captain
Video for his use of video

PUEBLA, Mexico (AP) — Power hitter Willie
Aikens, who destroyed his major league baseball career
with cocaine, sits in the Puebla Black Angels dugout
wishing he were back home playing and hoping for that
chance.

“I guess I have to prove-myself all over again to
everybody, the former Toronto Blue Jay said in a recent
interview. “You can't prove anything if you don't play,
and this was the only place I really had a chance to play.”

In 1983, Aikens beeame one of the first major league
players convicted on drug charges. Released after three
months behind bars, Aiken's three-year career with the
Kansas City Royals ended with a trade to Toronto.

After a mediocre 1984 season with a .205 average,
the Blue Jays released Aikens in 1985 and he went to
their Class AAA farm team in Syracuse, N.Y.

Aikens refused to discuss his drug use, saying, “It's

tapes asa hing tool, went
to Leos Angeles Kings as a
coach and assistant general
manager for the remainder of
the 1983-84 season.

When the Kings missed
the playoffs, he did video
analysis of Edmonton Oilers’
playoff opponents and then
went to Chicago for the
1984-85 season.

“It is my view that on the
wording of the contract it
was implicit that Nielson was
guaranteed employment

Regatta scheduled

One of the largest sailing
events in the Interior, the
Gray Creek Regatta, will be
held at Crawford Bay, east
side of Kootenay Lake, Aug.
30, 31, and Sept. 1.

This fun racing event,
sponsored by the West Koot-
enay Sailing Club, is a com-
petition for sailors of all
levels .of sailing and racing
skills and open to cruising
class boats, dinghies of all
kinds, lasers, sailboards and
catamarans.

Depending on wind con-
ditions, there will be three to
four races each on Saturday
and Sunday (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
with a fun race on Monday

gmorning followed by prize
giving ceremonies at noon.
Skipper’s meeting will be
9:30 a.m. Aug. 30.

All races are held off the
beach in Crawford Bay at the
Gray Creek Auto Camp and
children’s entries are raced
close to the beach for super
vision.

Last year, approximately
68 vessels competed with
about 200 people either par.
ticipating or watching as

MINOR SPORTS
Sure, we're interested!
Phone the Castlegar
News for details on how
to get reports of your
organization onto the

sports pages.
365-3517

coaches

Application forms

LLL

Coaching Applications

Castlegar Minor Hockey Association is
still taking coaching applications for the
upcoming ‘86/87 season.

‘or the following:

© NOVICE ALL STARS © PEE WEE REP
© MIDGET REP

Also Division Managers for
ATOMS AND PEE WEES

Fodor took first in the
crusing class; Tweedale, first
in West,

Participants bring their
boats from as far away as the
East Kootenays and the
Okanagan.

Gold
Glovers
named

Trail Cardinals pitcher
Kevin Hendrickson and Trail
Orioles outfielder Gerry Hol
lett are the only two repeat
winners of Kootenay Inter-
national Senior Baseball
League Gold Glove awards.

The awards are handed out
for excellence in defensive
play.

Hollett had a .958 fielding
percentage, while Hendrick-
son posted a .950 fielding
percentage.

Other 1986 winners in.
clude: catcher — Terry Box
leitner, Rep.-Curlew (.933);
first base — Darrell St.
Denis, Cardinals (.990); sec-
ond base — Dan Graham,
Rep.-Curlew (.979); third
base — Al Cicchetti, Orioles
(.864); shortstop — Lou Cie
chetti, Orioles (.905); outfield
— Darren Stahl, Grand Forks
(1.000); outfield — Shawn
Brandt, Cardinals (.938).

Needed are

ible at C

h that d almost three years ago,
something I would just like to forget about. It's
something that's out of my life now.”

Asked if he had any advice about drugs, Aikens
paused before answering.

GRETZKY
FAVORS DRUG
TESTING

By JOHN KOROBANIK
Canadian Press

American author James Mills, who spent five years
studying the multi-billion-dollar illegal drug world, says
drug trafficking is the biggest growth industry in the
world today — so much so that people spend more on
drugs than on food. -

That shouldn't be shocking because this is the drug
generation. Witness the recent deaths in the United
States of basketball player Len Bias and football player
Don Rogers, both young, rising stars.

Until their deaths, baseball pitcher Steve Howe and
basketball guard Micheal Ray Richardson were among
the most notable drug abusers on the growing list of
users in professional sports. Both were young and
enormously talented; both ruined their careers with

Still, despite the drug problems and deaths, players’
‘unions refuse to ledge the need for
drug testing.

The union stands, however, don't always agree with
the feelings of individual members. Take the case of
Edmonton Oilers’ Wayne Gretzky, the brightest star in
hockey today and one of the most dominant sports figures
in the world.

“Drugs are everywhere in life, not just in sports, and
we have to clean it right out of our whole society,” he
says. “I would like to see drug testing. I think that, if
anything, it's beneficial not only to the game and the
image of the game, but, if a guy does have a problem then
we ean help him out.”

Aikens blew career for coke

“I can only speak for myself about drugs. I've tried
them and I know what they can do to you. I don't think
what I say right . . . is going to help anybody else out who
wants to use drugs.”

Many consider Aikens a washed-up player who, at
age 31, has impressive statistics in an inferior league.
Nevertheless, he keeps trying, knowing efforts to re-
capture his glory days are a longshot.

“It’s no guarantee that I'll get a chance to play in the
major leagues again,” he admitted. “I really feel it's tough
to come down here and play and then go back to the
States and play.”

This year, he is the Mexican Baseball League's top
hitter with 454 batting average and 46 homers, and
setting league records with 145 runs batted in and 370
base hits.

“It doesn't matter where you hit .454.
Aikens said.

He had a major league career average of .271 with
110 home runs and 415 RBIs. His best single-season
statistic was 98 RBIs in 1980 when he batted .364 in the
American League playoffs and .400 in a six-game World
Series loss to Philadelphia Phillies.

still good,”

“Baseball is almost my total life. It is something I
enjoy doing, regardless of what the pay is. Financially,
I'm not in the pinch or anything in the States because I
have invested my money the right way, 80 I'm doing OK."

He is also drawing a deferred salary from the Blue
Jays for the next 12 years.

Of his hopes of returning to the big leagues, Aikens
said, “the only way I'm going to is to keep playing to open
some eyes up.”

But Angels coach Mauro Ramirez said: “Sometimes
the scouts come here to see the players, but the only ones
who come to see Willie Aikens are the reporters.”

Aikens said his reputation is keeping him~ from
returning to the majors.

“Tl just put it this way,” he said. “A player who has
played in the major leagues for almost seven years,
averaged almost’ .280, averaged 20 home runs and
averaged over 80 runs a year, just all of a sudden don't
get invited to a spring training camp because he can't

lay.”
, "te he can't make it back to the majors, Aikens said he
may have a chance next year playing in Japan. Or he may
just come back to Puebla.

Cocaine
Intoxication

1. 60 percent of snorted
immediately

SNIFF OF DEATH?
... Diagram shows
ettects of cocaine
inhalation on the body.
The drug can lead to
oxygen deprivation
causing seizures and
cardian arrest

athletes.

Cocaine intoxication has been
linked to the deaths of two star

That put Gretzky somewhere between NHL presi-
dent John Ziegler who wants to blindly ban any player
caught using drugs and the NFL Players Association,

which equally blindly, refuses to consider commissioner
Pete Rozelle’s mandatory, random drug testing program.

Gretzky says he would willingly submit to drug
testing if asked by the Oilers or if the NHL introduced it,
but understands other players’ opposition.

There's a solid case to be made for the argument that
mandatory drug testing is an infringement upon a
person's civil rights.

On the other hand, the drug users have stained all

professional athletes and the only way the non-users can
prove their innocence may be through testing.
So, is it time for professional athletes such as

Gretzky to ignore their unions and step forth to telt the
world there are still sports heroes worthy of respect?,
And if they do, will the general public, its faith in
professional athletes badly shaken, still believe?

Perhaps more important than the damage to pro-
fessional sports’ image is the potential harm to children
who are influenced by the athletes.

“To be a pro athlete you have to understand that you
do have an image to kids . . . the responsibility is
inherited whether you like it or not,” says Gretzky.

Matthews wants to

VANCOUVER (CP) — cated by Ackles, who left the

ing, we've been ona couple of ministrative duties separate.

stay put

as head coach with two versity of Hawaii, but elected

vvvovveeuvvevenv vee Mg

Head coach Don Matthews of
the British Columbia Lions
wants to remain with the
Canadian Football League
team despite his rejection by
the team's board of directors
in selecting a new general
manager.

Matthews, who coached
the Lions to their first Grey
Cup championship in 21 years
last season, was bypassed in
favor of Joe Galat of the
Montreal Alouettes last week
in the naming of a front-office
suecessor to Bob Ackles.

“I was looking for job
security when I applied for
the position because I want
to stay here,” Matthews said
Tuesday at his weekly news
conference. “Naturally I'm
disappointed I didn't get the
job because I'm a competitor.

Galat was general manager

plex. For more intormation call:

gar Com

365-3461 or 399-4357

in for 2% years
before resigning Friday to
take the B.C. position va

Lions to become vice-presi-
dent in charge of pro per-
sonnel for the Dallas Cow-
boys of the National Football
League.

Matthews, whose coaching
contract runs through 1987,
said the selection of Galat
wasn't exactly a vote of con-
fidence for himself.

“You're always looking for
security in my profession.”

Matthews became head
coach of the Lions in 1983
after six years with the Ed-
monton Eskimos as an assis.
tant. B.C. has finished first in
the Western Division three
straight years under Mat-
thews and the Lions are in
first place this season with a
51 record.

Galat will arrive in Van-
couver on Thursday night
and meet the B.C. coaches
and administrative staff Fri-
day.

“I know (Joe) from coach-

CAS LLMEGAR

AORTS
iNTR
CE dae

Sports
Calendar

FRIDAY
FOOTBALL—CFL: chonne! 13 4:30 p.m
SATURDAY
WRESTLING— Hulk Hogon’s rock, n roll wrestling. 9.30 om

channel 7

TENMES — Ployer's Challenge womens semitinals trom Mon

treat, 10 o.m. channel 13

BASEBALL— Dodgers vs. Reds or Royols vs. Yonkees

chennel 6

GOLF — PGA championship third round. 12.30 p.m

chonnei 4

Fishing

Report

Good fishing on Lower
Arrow Lake continued as
July wound down with boat-
loads of kokanee and some
rainbow trout being caught.

Some of the catches re
ported to Scotties Marina
from July 28 - Aug.2:

Ernie and Shir.

kokanee; Harvey Bruggen-
cate of Trail — eight kok-
anee

Terry Onyschak and friend
of Trail — 26 kokanee and
one rainbow; Hugo Smecher
f tlegar — 10 kokanee;
Jill and Jason Tait of Castle-
gar — eight kokanee; Bill
Seoffham of

ley Barton of Rossland —

Bd

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A public service of
Sports

Contre.

three raii ighing one.
three and four pounds, a
1%-pound kokanee and sev
eral smaller ones; Nick Shel.
fontiuk of Castlegar — 15
kokanee and two rainbow;
Albert Demke and family of
Robson — 30 kokanee; Grant
Smith of Robson — 15

and
friend — 24 kokanee; Bert
Kitchin of Robson and friend
— 29 kokanee; John Sapriken
of Castlegar and friend — 28
kokanee, 25 kokanee and 23
kokanee over three days;
Larry and Eileen Prough of
Rossland — 30 kokanee;
Anne Hubert of Robson — 15
kokanee.

committees and we've had
some dealings in the trading
of players,” said Matthews.
“I'm progressing like there
will be no changes.”
Matthews applied for the
dual position of coach and
general manager, but the
board of directors wanted to
keep the coaching and ad

Galat, 44, joined the Mon
treal franchise in 1979 as an
assistant coach. He went to
the NFL Houston Oilers in
1981 as an assistant coach
and returned to Montreal as
head coach in 1982. Galat
became both head coach and
general manager in Montreal
in 1984 before stepping down

games left last season
Matthews also said Tues
day he will not negotiate with
Canadian offensive tackle
Jim Mills, released Monday
by the NFL Denver Broncos.
Mills, from nearby Rich
mond, B.C. was a territorial
protection by the Lions in
1983 after attending the Uni.

to sign with the NFL Balti
more Colts.

The 280-pounder was re
leased by the Colts last
winter and signed with Den
ver after negotiating with
the Lions.

Matthews said any new
contract talks
be handled by

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Ministers
resign but
deny rift

VICTORIA (CP) — Two cabinet ministers resigned
Tuesday, one day before Bill Vander Zalm is to be sworn
in as premier of British Columbia.

Playing down any suggestion of a rift in the govern-
ment, Municipal Affairs Minister Bill Ritchie and Agri-

linister Tom Waterland said their resignations
prompted by the return of Vander Zalm to
ities.

52, was chosen as new leader of the
rty last Wednesday in a sometimes

quit the

offended some of his colleagues with his frank outbursts.
“No, I don't expect any more,” Vander Zalm told

reporters when asked about the resignations as he took a

BILL RITCHIE TOM WATERLAND

break from a series of meetings at the premier’s office
with cabinet ministers and leadership candidates.

“On the other hand, I'm still talking to all the cabinet
members. In the final analysis, it's their decision,” he
added.

Human Resources Minister Jim Nielsen and former
health minister Stephen Rogers, both leadership
candidates, ex reservations during the campaign
about working with Vander Zalm. But they toned down
their stance later, saying they would be part of the team
if invited to join.

PREMIER TODAY

Vander Zalm was sworn in this afternoon by Lt.-Gov.
Robert Rogers after Bill Bennett formally submitted his
resignation as premier.

Vander Zalm has ruled out an immediate cabinet
shuffle

Ritchie, 59, one of the 11 unsuccessful leadership
candidates, was quoted earlier as saying he would have
difficulty serving with Vander Zalm. After a “friendly”
chat with the premier-designate, Ritchie denied having
refused to work with Vander Zalm but would have stayed
in politics only if he had won the leadership. “Obviously,
it was not to be.”

He has resigned from cabinet but will remain the
member for Central Fraser Valley until the next election.

He offered to relinquish his seat in the Socred
stronghold to make way for the unelected Vander Zalm, if
a byelection is called there.

Vander Zalm said he would think about it, but
prefers to run in the vacant South Peace River con
stituency.

Waterland, 52, who supported candidate Bud Smith
in the leadership race, quit both the cabinet and his seat
in Yale-Lillooet to become president of the Mining
Association of B.C.

Head on.

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Fraser's future

up in the air

VICTORIA (CP) — Trans.
portation Minister Alex Fra
ser is literally keeping his
cards close to his vest these
days when it comes to ques
tions about his future in
polities.

Fraser, who had his voice
box removed last month after
it was discovered he had

2 ied

ALEX FRASER

no comment
throat cancer, was released
from hospital Tuesday and
met with premier-designate

Bill Vander Zalm

With his characteristic
good humor, the 69-year-old
minister just flashes a card

*© Cranbrook
© Penticton
*° Kelowna

365-7701

that reads “No comment”
whenever he is asked what
his plans are.

Fraser's secretary, Muriel
Coates, said Fraser wrote the
card especially for questions
from the media. He is cur
rently learning how to speak
from his esophagus and it can
take six to eight months for a
person who has had his voice
box removed to learn to
speak again

Coates said Fraser's prog
nosis is good but she doesn't
know if Fraser will remain in
the Vander Zalm cabinet.

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