Realty

Saturday, April4, 1992 @

Ed Mills
SPORTS EDITOR

When does a dynasty be-
come a dynasty?

___Three consecutive champi-
onships? Four? Five?

How about winning two
championships a year for two
years in a row?

If the latter qualifies, then

Ee
Castlegar Realty is on the
‘verge of dynasty status in
men’s basketball in the West
Kootenay.
i A win away from the Trail

-ball
weep

Mi Castlegar Realty is per-
fect in Trail Men’s
Basketball League playoffs,
needs one win for sweep of
both local leagues. —

— Men’s Basketball League title,
Realty can make its dynasty a
reality at the Cominco Gym
Wednesday night.

Last week, Realty virtually
assured itself a spot in the
league final with its second
straight win in the round-
robin playoffs.

And it sowed up that spot
with a 66-62 win over Flying
Steamshovel at Cominco Gym
last Wednesday.

Turlock said terming Realty
a dynasty makes him uncom-
fortable.

“I suppose Castlegar Real-
ty, rather than a dynasty,
might be establishing a tradi-
tion of winning, one that we’re
enjoying very much I might

Lou Cicchetti led Castlegar ~ .

with 18 points, while Brian
Turlock had 10 and Wayne Mc-
Carthy and Darren Tamelin
had eight each.

Steve Plaa scored 16 to lead
Steamshovel, which went 0-3
in the playoffs.

Realty’s opponent this
Wednesday is league champs
Rock Island Tape Centre,
which advanced to the final by
beating Victoria Place in the
other game Wednesday night.

A victory Wednesday and
Realty will have completed the
double-double — titles in both
local men’s basketball leagues

“We set a team goal at the
beginning of the playoffs that
what-we were going to do is
make up for a pretty dismal
season. And we're three quar-
ters of the way there.” :

Unlike the Kootenay West
League, where Realty won the
league and playofftitles, it fin-
ish third in the four-team Trail
league.

Realty was 1-4 against Rock
Island during the regular sea-
son but beat them in the play-
offs.

Turlock said the key for Re-
alty is to shut down Rock Is-
land’s. biggest offensive
weapon, Mark MacConnell.

“We can’t let MacConnell
get too hot and we can’t let
anybody else hurt us.

“If we can keep him under
20 points and prevent anybody
else from picking up the slack,

I think we have a pretty good _

chance of winning.”

Realty proved it can neu-
tralize MacConnell in its play-
off win over Rock Island and
its win over Selkirk College —
MacConnell -plays for both
teams — in the KWMBL fi-
nal.

Also working in Realty’s fac-
tor is the fact that, for the first
time in a long time, the team
is healthy.

McCarthy, who has battled
injuries all season, is the key
player now playing at 100 per
cent.

“We're all ready to go and
we're pretty motivated — it’s
our last shot at the double-
double,” Turlock said.

The game starts at the

in two straight years.

Wayne McCarthy

Cominco Gym at 7:15 p.m.

The Vancouver Canucks have good
reason to feel snake-bitten these days.

You know, snake-bitten, as in un-
lucky, as in can’t win for losing.

Talk about the Charlie Brown of
hockey.

Only in the land of Peanuts would
the scenario that is unfolding for the
Canucks this year occur.

I mean, why couldn’t the NHL
Players’ Association figure out its
members were getting bamboozled by
the owners during a usual, losing year
for the Canucks?

And why did the strike have to be
called when the Canucks have their
first legitimate shot at the chalice?

It’s like Lucy Van Pelt jerking away
the football just as Charlie’s about to
give it a boot.

“We waited 22 years for a legiti-
mate chance at the Stanley Cup and

it’s been taken away. It just kind of
| leaves a bitter taste

te in your mouth,”

talk of the rookie of the year, Bure isn’t
even mentioned in the same breath as
Tony Amonte of the New York
Rangers?

Even the reporters-slash-hockey
goobers around here don’t think Bure
has a chance at the Calder Trophy,
and they should know better having
had the opportunity to see him more
than most.

Tflocal hockey fans don’t know that
the Russian Rocket is far and away
the best and most exciting rookie in
the NHL, how is a reporter in Hobo-
ken supposed to know?

(It’s those reporters who belong to
the Professional Hockey Writers’ As-
sociation who will vote on the rookie of
the year. 5

Of course, I’m assuming here that
the NHL will still hand out its regu-
lar season awards even if the suits
can’t come to an agreement over who
gets the bubble gum in the hockey

said Canucks media relations guru
Steve Frost.

Now Frost knows how Charlie feels
when he stands at the mailbox wait-
ing for a Valentine from that little red
headed girl. Give it up Chucky, it’s not

And to top it all off, take the case of
Pavel Bure.

Why oh why is it that when people

Frost said if the rest of the season is
cancelled the awards ceremony will al-
so be gaffed, but there has been no of-
ficial word on that yet.)

Back to Bure, I got talking to a me-
dia guy in New York who more or less
said Bure stands as much chance of
winning the Calder as Yahk does of
getting an NHL franchise next year.

Free
Agent

“Everybody knows the story, the
Rangers finish with the best overall
record and we just have a feeling of
letting the stats speak for them-
selves,” said Rangers PR guy Kevin
McDonald.

Okay then, lets just take a quick
peak at stats and other factors relative

as I see it — Amonte plays on a line
with Mark Messier and Adam Graves.

As for the Rocket, he is first in
shorthanded goals with three, second
in goals with 31, first in shots on goal
with 246, first in game-winning goals
with six, third in powerplay goals with
six and is a minus one.

Bure plays on a line with Nelson
native Greg Adams and fellow Rus-
sian product Igor Larionov.

Then there’s the big factor as I see
it — Bure’s played in 62 games and
Amonte’s played in 77. Bure’s. 12
points behind Amonte but has played
15 less games!

Now step back, make a sandwich
and digest the facts.

Besides the games-played factor,

_you have to think (although Adams

and Larionov are good players) even
the Algonquin Assassin (aka Gino
Odjick) could fill thapet playing this
year with Messier. *¥

I

@ Saturday, April’4, 1992‘

Minorhockey\WRAP-UP

FINAL LEAGUE STANDINGS Livolski, M.RT#1_——-16 17 10 27
(Reg. Season) Benton, J. RT#1 18:27;
BANTAM HOUSE Fenton, H. Kas. 5 26

Meakes, R. B.V. 13
(W.K.M.H.A.) Kozak, S. Nel. 1 a
1991-92

Boater Valiey CASTELGAR TEAM STATS -

L
5
Nakusp 5
Castlegar 6
Ross./Trail #1 9
* Nelson 10
Ross./Trail #2 1
Kaslo 16

eae pe fe
R. Coulson’ 17-/ 3
R. Case
B. Phillips 1
W. Archambault
K. Skibinski
J. Drazdoff
G: Hydema

TOP SCORERS

Spavor, B. Nak.
Street, R. B.V.
Carson, Greg Nak. M. Proctor
Paul, K. Nak. J. Leason
Cromarty, J. B.V. C. Barton
Harper, D. RT#1 D. Davies
Ashman, D.J. RT#1 A. Koftinoff
Williams, M. RT#2 L. Ferraro
E. Ismay

Josh Sookero

coocoH-HHnhnNunHON
On =]+$00NNGhAO=-N

Coach and a -
General Manager

(separate) positions open for

Castlegar Rebels Hockey Club
for the 1992-93 Season.

Send Applications to: Box 3451, Castlegar, B.C., VIN 3N8

TIER 1 ATOM CHAMPS

t r

CASTLEGAR & DISTRICT
MINOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION

Annual General Meeting
Wednesday, April 8

7 p.m.
CASTLEGAR COMMUNITY
COMPLEX
EVERYONE WELCOME!

CASTLEGAR GOLF CLUB

DENNY McARTHUR PROSHOP

‘Adult Group Lessons
Beginning Monday Apni 6/92
oe 6Lessonsfor$SO
10-11 a.m., 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Junior Lessons
Beginning Tuesday April 7/92
5 Lessons for $12
3:30 - 4:30 p.m., 7 - 10 yrs.
4:30 - 5:30 p.m., 11 - 14 yrs.
5:30 - 6:30 p.m., 15 - 18 yrs.

After finishing fifth in the regular season, the Castlegar Bruins proved who's best by beating
Rossland 4-3 to win the West Kootenay Tier 1 Atom Championship. The Atoms are: Craig Davis
Dan and Mark Chrnenkoff, Paul Oster, Brian Watt, Jason Quiding, Shand Fowlie, Mathew Bragg,
Nicholas Baal, Kyle Hurford, Dennis Podovennikoff and coaches Bob Watt and Tim Keraiff. ?

Private Lessons
Six 15 Minute Lessons - $60
Five 30 Minute Lessons - $120

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Okay, Amonte is first in rookie scor-
ing with 67 points, first in scoring with
35 goals, first in powerplay goals with
nine and fourth in assists with 32.

* The Bingham, Massachusetts na-
tive has a plus/minus rating of plus 10
and is second in the league in shots on
goal with 229.

But here’s the most important fact,

gree with the guy in New York,
the facts do speak for themselves and
Bure is my pick for the Calder.

But even if Amonte does win, Van-
couver can take solace in the fact that»
the Rangers might have the best team
inthe NHL and won't get their chance
to run for the Cup either. Talk about
snake bitten, the Rangers haven't won
the Cup in over 50 years.

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