.
wz CastlagarNews —vecember 23, 1967

SPORTS

Future looking
bright for NHL

By CHRIS STEVENS
Canadian Press
The National Hockey League is
attracting more customers to games
that are more competitive,
working agreement with its players
that puts it in the forefront of labor
relations in professional sports and is
basking in the glory of the recent
Canada Cup triumph of its brightest
stars over the Soviets.

playoffs,
— tw

di

18,239,847 tickets sold — was the
biggest jump since expansion to 21
teams in 1979.

“Right now, over 50 per cent of our
teams are making money,” says NHL
president John Ziegler. “Others are
just under the break-even point and
only three or four teams lost a lot of
money last season.”

And competitively. “I don't know
how we can make it any closer,” says
Ziegler. “Last year we thought was
probably the most competitive year
we'd ever seen, but this year is proving
us wrong because it looks as if it is
going to be our most competitive.

“Everybody still thinks they have
a chance to win the Stanley Cup-and I
think that’s the way it should be.”

‘The NHL is in the second year of a
five-year collective agreement with the
NHL Players’ Association. Headed by
executive director Al Eagleson, the
association has made gains for its

tive annual attendance increases.
Grétzky won the Hart Memorial
Trophy an unprecedented eighth
straight time in 1967 as the league's
most valuable player and took home
the Art Ross Trophy” as top point-
getter for the seventh year in a row.
More importantly, as he would
say, the Oilers won the Stanley Cup for
the third tirfie in four years, beating
the Philadelphia Flyers in one of the
most exciting finals in years.
SHAKES UP TEAM

dynamic r He won the
Smythe ‘award: he was handed an
eight-game suspension for slashing
Edmonton's Kent Nilsson during the
playoffs; and he became the first goalie
in NHL history to shoot a puck for a
goal when he planted a shot into an
empty net in a December game against
the Islanders,

Montreal goaltender Patrick Roy
and Detroit defenceman Mike O'Con-
nell are among players who also have
received eight-game suspensions, and
Dave Brown recently

Shaken by play
disputes since winning the champion-
ship, the Oilers now have their work
cut out to repeat. With all-star de-
fenceman Paul Coffey gone to Pitts-
burgh in a seven-player deal, and with
the Smythe Division-rival Calgary
Flames, the Montreal Canadiens and
the New York Islanders having such
great seasons, the Oilers will need all of
Gretzky's greatness, and more, to win
it all next spring.

The Canada Cup provided the
NHL with a super public relations
boost and Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux
with the platform to prove his great-
ness. On a line with Gretzky, the two
smote the Soviets, with Gretzky
passing to Lemieux for the winning
goal in the deciding game of a series of
three 6-5 scores.

And last February, a team of NHL
all-stars split a two-game series with
the Soviet national team at the highly
successful Rendez-Vous '87 in Quebec

ity.
The Canada Cup was a gratifying
i for

members without making
demands that would threaten stability.
Ziegler is keenly aware that the

Grant Fuhr, who also started in the
Rendez-Vous series. His excellence

3 PPI
during less-prosperous times is one
reason the NHL is in the sound state it
is in today.

Wayne Gretzky continues as the
No. 1 drawing card. It is no coincidence
that, since his arrival when the
Edmonton Oilers were admitted in
1979, the NHL has outstripped most
other professional sports in consecu-

Ditka ices Refrigerator .°:

LAKE FOREST, Ill (AP) —
Starting tackle William (Refrigerator)
Perry was the most notable of three
Chicago Bear defenders demoted
Tuesday as coach Mike Ditka made
good on his threat to shake up the
lethargic unit.

Following Perry to the bench were
strong safety Todd Bell and cornerback
Mike Richardson.

Ditka also said there will be three
new starters on offence as well Sunday
when the 10-4 Bears, playoff-bound
after capturing their fourth consecu-
tive Central Division title, close out the
regular season against the Los Angeles
Raiders.

kept F Ron Hex-
tall on the end of the bench in the
Canada Cup.

Hextall won the Conn Smythe
Trophy as most valuable player per-
former, despite the fact Fuhr and the
Oilers had won the Stanley Cup.

Hextall is only in his second year
in the league, but he's already estab-
lished himself as one of its most

consecutive, lopsided losses to San
Francisco (41-0) and Seattle (34-21) —
marking the first time since 1984 the
National Football League team has lost
two straight.

The Bears led the league in
rushing defence and sacks entering
Sunday's game at Seattle, and were
rated No. 1 in the National Football
Conference in total defence.

On defence, Perry's slot will be
taken over by end Dan Hampton, who
has been slowed by knee surgery.
Hampton's spot, in turn, will be filled
by Al Harris.

Bell's demotion clears the way for

last May were two of the ugliest NHL
scenes in 1967.

The Pat Quinn affair was the most
embarrassing to the NHL, and forced
the board of governors recently to
revise its bylaws. Ziegler the
Vancouver Canucks a heavy fine when
they negotiated to hire Quinn for un
executive post while he still was
coaching Los Angeles. But the B.C.
Supreme Court vastly reduced the fine.

FEWER BRAWLS

There were seven bench-clearing
brawls during the 1986-87 regular
season, but there has yet to be one this
season because new fines and penalties
have made such displays totally im-
practical.

The biggest team stories so far
this season have been: the consistent
play of the Canadiens which has them
riding comfortably along in No. 1 spot
in overall the ”

BEN JOHNSON
GOES AFTER

BIGGER BUCKS

TORONTO (CP) — As sprinter Ben Johnson's star
has risen in international track, so too has his ability to
command the big buck.

The world’s fastest human and Adidas (Canada) Ltd.,
his major sponsor of the last 10 years, have parted
company, it was announced Tuesday.

“Money is an important consideration,” Johnson's
local agent, Glen Calkins, said of the decision to sever
their association with the supplier.

Johnson has been in demand worldwide since he

Bruce Walker, director of marketing for Adidas
(Canada), admitted that when Calkins approached him
about rewriting the agreement his company had signed
with Johnson two years ago, they were unable to match

the offers.
OUT OF REACH

“The bidding went up to such an extent and Adidas
(Canada) can only carry on so far,” said Walker, adding
that Adidas’ international headquarters wasn't in-
terested in pursuing negotiations with Johnson.

“Ben and his agent were looking for long-term
security at significant dollar levels,” Walker said. “We
were not prepared to get into a long-term arrangement.”

However, Walker admitted that since most sprint
stars expect only a short lifespan as @ marketable
product, he didn’t disagree with their efforts to establish
a long-range program for Johnson,

“We are truly sorry to be losing Ben, but we feel we
cannot, in good conscience, stand in the way of ~his
seeking more significant financial compensation in the
i ” he said in a news release.

posted a world record 9.83 seconds — a full tenth of a
second off the existing mark — for the 100 metres at the
world championships at Rome in August.
Calkins said the record-shattering run in Rome was
“one of the most significant sporting events of 1988” and
Hh @ good deal of from inter-
national firms who saw the quiet 25-year-old Toronto
sprinter as a highly marketable product.

However, he said the loss of Johnson as a client did
not represent a dramatic turnaround in Adidas’ market-
ing program since the company is still the official supplier
to Canada's national track and field, soccer, basketball,
ski jumping, bobsled and luge and cross-country and bia-
thlon teams in addition to a number of individual per-
formers.

CFL pulls through 1987

By GRANT KERR

It was second and long for
the Canadian Football
League during a 1987 season
darkened by the sudden
folding of the troubled Mon-
treal franchise.

‘The financially strapped
CFL, reduced to eight teams,
managed to convert enough
of those critical down and
distances to survive a year of
frustrations brought about
by dwindling revenues and
fan interest.

The troubled CFL season
started with the Alouettes
on the eve of

return to the high calibre of play that
saw them win four consecutive Stanley
Cups in the early 1980s; and the huge
improvement of the New Jersey
Devils.

Gretzky has called the Canadiens
“the best team right now.”

The Flyers have awoken from
their early-season slumber and the
Flames have been sizzling.

is the club's all-time leader in tackles
and takeaways. Fencik, in his final
season at age 33, will be back at his
familiar free safety spot, returning Pro
Bowl performer Dave Duerson to
strong safety.

Richardson, who led the team in
interceptions last season with seven
but has yet to steal one this season,
loses his starting assignment to second-
year player Maurice Douglass.

On the offensive side, Kurt Becker
replaces Tom Thayer at guard; Matt
Suhey will start at fullback because
Neal Anderson sprained his knee; and
John Wojciechoski takes over at tackle
for Paul Blair, who became a starter

The changes came in the wake of

MINOR SPORTS
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Phone the Castlegar
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Sports pages.

365-3517

MONTREAL (CP) — Phil.
adelphia Flyers goaltender
Ron Hextall'’s lead at his
position is 10 times greater
than it was a week earlier,
while Kevin Dineen of the

the return of veteran Gary Fencik, who

S.H.S.S.
Homecoming
_ Game

Sat., Dec. 26

Girl's Game 6:00 p.m.
Boys Game 7:30 p.m.

All Ex-Rockers and
Rockettes are Invited!

Hartford Whalers has re-
gained his lead at right wing,
all-star votes released by the
National Hockey -League on
Tuesday showed.

Fan balloting for the start-
ing lineups at the 39th NHL
all-star game, to be played
Feb. 9 in St. Louis, began
Nov. 1 and concludes Dee. 31.
The remainder of the teams
will be chosen by the coaches
— Mike Keenan of the Wales
Conference and Glen Sather
of the Campbell Conference.

Hextall, who led Patrick
Roy of the Montreal Can-
adiens by only 607 votes last
week, increased his lead to
6,114 this week. Hextall has a
total of 94,197 votes com-
pared to Roy's 88,083.

Dineen, who has been in a
see-saw battle with Mon-
treal’s Claude Lemieux since
the voting began, picked up

while replacing the injured Jim Covert.

Hextall extends lead

their opening game that
there wasn't the money or
fan support to keep a team in
Montreal.

The folding forced the CFL
to make a drastic change in

account of what the Canadian
game is all about — wide-
‘open football.

When the spectacular of-
fensive display was over, the
Eskimos had won 38-36 on a
late 49-yard field goal by
rookie Jerry Kauric, the
Windsor, Ont, cabinetmaker
who joined the team at mid-
season after being rejected
as a place-kicker and punter
by two-other CFL teams.

The 1987 season was in-
deed a year of transition for
the CFL, which attempted to
adopt team salary caps to
combat the loss of revenue
from a restructured tele-
vision package. Even com-
missioner Doug Mitchell an-
nounced he would take a
40-per-cent cut in his 1988
salary, reported to be
$275,000.

The among Can-

Canadian — the
city of Winnipeg was pro-
nounced to be part of Eastern
Canada and the Blue Bomb-
ers were swtiched to the
league's Eastern Division to
fill thé'void left by Montreal.
In other cities, turnstile
cunts Were low — especially
in the major markets of Van-
couver, Toronto and Edmon-
ton, where huge stadiums
often had as many empty
eats as occupied ones.
SAVES IMAGE
The Grey Cup game in
was

adian football executives was
“marketing” after the CTV
network dropped _ CFL
broadcasts, and individual
team TV revenues were re-

though the cost-conscious
Saskatchewan Roughriders,
operating in the smallest
marketplace, did the best job
of selling their team to
citizens.
UPS ATTENDANCE

Saskatchewan, with new
general manager Bill Baker
at the financial controls,
actually increased its atten-
dance by about 4,000 a game,
but still lost money on the
balance sheet.

With Montreal gone, the
main sore point in the CFL
was the Ottawa operation,
which suffered through a 3-15
season. The Rough Riders

won just one of their last 15
games despite new head
coach Fred Glick.

The East dominated the
Schenley Awards for the first
time in years, mainly because
of the Blue Bombers’ transfer
to the division.

Veteran Winnipeg quar-
terback Tom Clements was
named the outstanding play-
er in the CFL, edging out
record-setting Edmonton re-
ceiver Brian Kelly. Two
other Winnipeg players won
awards — tackle Chris Wal-
by, the top offensive lineman,
and safety Scott Flegel, the
best Canadian player.

Berbick arraigned
on sexual charge

HALIFAX (CP) — Former
world boxing champion
Trevor Berbick will be ar-
raigned Jan. 5 on a charge of

The charge was filed
against the former heavy-
weight champion on Nov. 26.
The offence is alleged to have
d between Aug. 28

duced to an i d
$325,000/from $1.1 milliop in
1906." 2 PE at BNE aa

1 .

The Canadian Football
Network — a group of
independent stations that
carried league-produced
broadcasts — was created
through the rejection by
CTV, but start-up costs ate

of into proj profits.

an image-saver for the CFL.
The Edmonton Eskimos and
the Toronto Argonauts lock-
‘ed themselves into an artistic

From a marketing view-
point, the remaining CFL
franchises largely failed to
captivate their audiences, al-

sexually a teen-
age girl in. Halifax over two
years ago: ‘

His lawyer, Castor Wil-

liams, gave provincial court
judge Hughes Randall a per-
sonal undertaking this morn-
ing that Berbick will appear
on that date.

Williams told the judge his
client could not appear this
morning because he had
trouble catching a flight from
Florida, where he now makes
his home.

and Aug. 28, 1985.

Neither Berbick nor his
lawyer would comment to
reporters.

A native of Jamaica, Ber-
bick lived for several years in
Halifax, where he won the
Canadian and Common-
wealth heavyweight titles
before moving to Myra, Fla.

He lost his World Boxing
Council title to Mike Tyson
last year.

Mid-Week Wrap-up

22,016 votes during the last *

week to give him a total of
93,697. Lemieux has 86,363.

Pittsburgh Penguins cen-
tre Mario Lemieux, no re-

lation to Claude, continues to fics
maintain a stranglehold at So

centre with 206,980. Peter
Staginy of the Quebec Nor-
diqlés is a distant second
with, 75,905 votes.
‘"Qdebec’s Michel Goulet
continues to set the pace at
left wing with 188,661 votes,
about 35,000 better than
Mats Naslund of Montreal.

Hab
inks
pact

MONTREAL (CP) — Guy
Carbonneau, who had threat-

ened to become a free agent

Maloney Pontiac Buick GMC

1700 Columbia Ave., Castlegar DI. 5058 Call Collect 365-2155
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at the end of the season, has

signed a new three-year con-

tract with the Montreal Can-

adiens, the National Hockey

League club announced
y.

Terms of the pact, which
includes an option year, were
not disclosed.

A defensive and penalty-
killing specialist who was
Montreal's fourth choice in
the 1979 amateur entry draft,

season with the Canadiens.

Carbonneau, 27, has a total
of 110 goals and 164 assists
during his career, including
seven goals and seven assists
this season.

Carbonneau is in his sixth full *

7

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wocKey
Montreal Canadians sign forward Guy
Corbonneau too three yeor contract

BOWLING

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By TERRY SCOTT

A few years ago, a
Wayne Gretzky doll wasn't
a bad Christmas gift to buy
for the sports fan who had
everything.

But there are only so
many things you can do
with ani Gretzky.

Sports dolls

t presents

a one-year membership to are stuck in the mouth that

The Doug Mitchell
model could be even more That’s why a three-doll

And once the creativity
has been exhausted it's
strictly ho-hum, much like
the real Gretzky's pursuit
of the NHL scoring champ-
ionship.

Then there was the
Refrigerator Perry replica,
which attracted some at-
tention when the big guy
was actually moving the
needle on the Richter scale
with his belly flops into the
end zone. But the Fridge
and his follies were soon a
novelty that lost their
amusing appeal, and now
you can't even find a
William Perry doll in the
discount bin.

In the entreprenurial
spirit that has shaped this
continent, it's time for
someone to put a new line
of sports on the
market, so that there's a
little diversity to this
Christmas gift-swapping.

Surely, there should be a
Mike Ditka doll that chews
gum, and, when both the
gum and the event are un-
palatable, flings the wad at
anyone standing within 30
feet. You could even come
up with a Tim Raines
version that sends a
stream of tobacco juice on
the shoes of a bystander.

There has to be a market
out there, too, for a John
Ziegler doll. It comes with

ding a package

guarantee that if you faced Knight, Billy Martin and
financial hardship while Jacques Demers could bea
owning the hand-crafted hit — in more ways than
Canadian Football League one. You could have the
commissioner, you would Indiana Hoosiers coach
be reimbursed 40 per cent

of the purchase price.

the Brian Bosworth doll — In time, you could add to
extras such as 14 different the set — maybe a Ron
tints for the brush cut of Hextall model with a tiny
the stylish Seattle Sea- goalie stick he operates
hawk and an air pump to like scythe, or a John
ensure that his ego is Madden version that uses
properly inflated. words such as Whap! be-
ig off a season in fore it crashes ‘into walls.
which he was selected the
most valuable player in the
American League,

Bell doll would un- tain a sense of realism. A
doubtedly provide hours of Don doll should
enjoyment, especially if it have a red neck, for
was accompanied by the example, and an Ivan
three-volume set contain- Lendl should look under-
ing questions the Toronto nourished. A Martina
Blue Jays outfielder feels Navratilova doll should
reporters shouldn't ask. always be sold with a Chris

The Ben Johnson doll Evert edition, since the
would be much quieter, two dominated women's
marked only by the whir of tennis in the last decade.
his feet, which could be More than filling a void
activated for 9.83 seconds under the drying ever-
just to remind everyone green, a new line of dolls
how quickly the 100 metres would provide a reminder
can be covered. that the games we watch

And on the subject of are loaded with characters,
feet, an Al Campanis doll a diverse group of en-
might be an idea. Espec- tertainers who, like a nice
ially if one could design it Christmas present, have a
in such a way that the feet lasting effect.

EVERYDAY GUYS
In a Blue Jay cam

By TOM MALONEY

Jose Nunez, from the
mound at Exhibition Stad-
ium, zips in a waist-high fast-
ball and the bleacher bum
brags, “I cudda hit that one!”

Shortstop Tony Fernandez
goes into the hole, stops: a
two-hopper and, on the run,
flips a long underhand throw
across the diamond — too
late to get the streaking
runner.

“Why didn't he stop and
plant,” the beer belly behind
third yells. “C'mon Fernan-
dez! Put some heat on it!”

Now comes the reckoning.

The first Dominican base-
ball Fantasy Camp, Jan. 4-11
in Santo Domingo, has been
arranged by a baseball-crazy
Toronto entrepreneur named
Bob Goodman., It’s an op-
portunity to turn double
plays with Alfredo Griffin,
acquire a home run swing
from John Mayberry, whiff
at fastballs from Nunez or,
dare it be said, just maybe
get discovered by Eppy
Guerrero.

For wives with $1,800 or so

perfect CI
husband who spends half the
summer camped in front of
the television, complaining
that Lloyd Moseby can't
touch a lefty’s breaking ball
with a 10-foot pdle.

Let him try it for himself.

“The object is to have fun,
to learn a bit about baseball
and get a feel for what going
through spring training
might be like,” says Good.
man.

Sure — and to get that one Los Angeles Dodgers, St.
sweet swing, dispatching Louis Cardinals and New
that Nunez fastball about 440 York Yankees have been
feet to deep centre. running the camps for sev-

Guerrero and Mayberry — eral years.
the former slugger who play- “But there's no oldtimers’
ed with the Blue Jays from tradition with the Blue Jays
1978-82 — plan to fill the yet,” says Goodman, who is
week with sliding, hitting financing the venture with
and fielding drills each New York lawyer Miguel
morning. Games will be play- Rodriguez. “So we thought

ed at the Eppy Guerrero about going down to the

baseball complex each after- Dominican because so many
noon but Wednesday — that of the Jays have come from

day is for recuperation. there.”

“We'll take it easy with From San Diego to Mon-
them,” said Guerrero, the treal, there probably isn't a
Jays’ Dominican superscout. baseball fan who hasn't
“We won't make them run 85 dreamed he had the right
or 40 sprints like the major stuff to play in the major
leaguers > spring training. leagues.

laybe o1 or seven.

ee ns The 21 men signed up for

‘We don’t want to hurt no- 4,2 camp range age freak

Fernandez, Nunez and 18 to 40.

Nelson Lirianoareamongthe “I think I could do pretty
Jay players who plan to well against them,” says
spend all or part of the week Fonseca, 23, a laborer for a
at the camp. Guerrero says catering company who play-
American League MVP ed catcher ina Toronto junior
George Bell has

want to get abead of myself.”
“This is a fantasy mt pala

exactly what the name says,”

bark at the money but the
money isn't a factor when “I don’t know if I can hit
you get to be on the same Nunez,” says DellaRocca, a
field with these guys.” 225-pound outfielder who can
RUN CAMPS hit them a ton in his local
It's a well-tested idea with Toronto softball

Jeague. “But
- a twist — veterans of long- hitting the ball is what I'm

established teams such as the most looking forward to.” »

Maloney

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