= 24

ie Saturday, December 21, 1991 @

™=Datience with Petr

Perhaps the jury is still out on Petr
Nedved, but.a lot of people, Canucks
fans and otherwise, have already re-
turned a verdict in the case of
Nedved’s young hockey career.

What the people I’m talking to are
saying, is the Canucks have another
wasted-draft pick in the 20-year-old
Czech defector who was picked second
overall in the 1990 amateur draft.

He’s not producing, he looks slow
on the ice and he tends to get clob-
bered in the corners, are just some of
the things hockey fans are saying

about Nedved.

And it’s not just local-yokels shoot-
ing off at the mouth either. On Hockey
Night In Canada last Saturday, for-
mer Canucks goaltender now CBC
color commentator John Garrett, went
so far as to say Nedved seemed to lack
the desire to play the game compared
to other young prospects in the league.

Nedved has got himself in hot wa-
ter by being a little too honest to the
Vancouver media about his relation-
ship with the Canucks. (But anyone
who has dealt with a person learning
anew language knows that those with
arudi tary grasp of] tend
to get to the point without a lot of ver-
bal fanfare. Often, and I think this is
the-case with Nedved, who doesn't
have the usual repertoire of cliches at
his command, his answers to ques-
tions are blunt in way that a lot of us

are not accustomed to.)

Still; like just about every hockey
player who isn’t already a legitimate
star, Nedved believes he would get
better if he saw the ice more often.
And saw it more often in critical situ-
ations, like the powerplay and penal-
ty killing.

That's probably true. But then it’s
probably true for a lot of young NHL
players who have to wait their turn if
they can’t budge their way to the front
of the line with head-turning talent.

Canucks director of hockey infor-
mation Steve Frost says fans, like the
organization itself, have to be patient
with Petr.

“He’s only 20 years old, he just
turned 20, and it’s far to early to give
up on a player ina year-and-a-half.
We have no intention of giving up on
him,” Frost said.

“He's got to learn the game, he’s got
to get bigger. You can see in practi: e
he has all the skills in the world.”

Frost said fans who are expecting
more from Nedved because of how
high he was drafted, should take a
look at the rest of the players in that
draft.

“Keith Primeau was drafted right
behind Petr and he’s in the minors
right now. Ricci in Philadelphia has
six goals, which is one more than
Nedved has. The only players that
have had an impact are (Owen) Nolan
(in Quebec) and (Jaromir) Jagr Gn
Pittsburg) from that draft group,”

Frost said.

And Nedved is a lot different in
terms of experience than the afore-
mentioned players, said Frost. That's
because he played just one year of ju-
nior hockey (with the Seattle Thun-
derbirds) after defecting at a Midget
hockey tournament in Calgary.

“It’s a big jump playing one year of
junior to the NHL. It doesn't happen
overnight and it’s a rare player that
can make that kind of transition.”

Frost offers Pierre Turgeon. as an
example.

“He was number one overall, (tak-
en by Buffalo in 1987) and it took him
four years to score more than 50

points.” (Actually it was only two
years.)

“Everyone has their own opinion
about Nedved, but we’re happy with
the progress he’s making. We didn’t

7S @euere errr aaene ee

may pay

expect him to come in and score 50
goals and more.

“These things take time, and that’s
the commitment the team made at the
time they drafted him. They knew
they might not have the best player
right now, but in four or five years
down the road they would.”

I would tend to agree with Frost,
but there are examples in the
Canucks not-too-distant past that
would lend support to either side of
the question.

The last time Vancouver had a top-
five draft pick was 1988 when they
chose Trevor Linden second overall.

But unlike Nedved, ~ Linden
stepped into the NHL and scored 30
goals and had 59 points in his first
year. This year the hulking forward is
in the top-10 scorers in the league.

On the other end is the Canucks
last top-five pick before Linden, which
was in 1985 when they chose Jim
Sandlak fourth overall.

Some people might look at Sandlak
over the last six years and say the
scouting staff bit the big one on him.
But then again, that wasn't a banner
draft year. Wendel Clark was first
overall, Craig Simpson second, Craig
Wolanin third and Dana Murzyn

In the final analysis, memories of
Cam Neely have to swing the argu-

ment in Frost's direction.

The last thing the Canucks need to
do is pull another Neely deal.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

shop this week.

give skiers some insight on the sport, the Cas

The cross-country ski season is well under way at the Nancy Greene ski area west of the city. To
tlegar Nordic Ski Club held a track setting work-

News Staff

The Castlegar Recreation-

Wheels spinning in
rec hockey league

CASTLEGAR
RECREATI

@ Saturday, December 21, 1991

Showdown is set in men’s

Ed Mills
SPORTS EDITOR

The showdown is set in the
West Kootenay Men’s Basket-
ball League. ;

When league play resumes
after the Christmas break, it
will do so with what should be
a classic game featuring the
league's top two teams.

Selkirk College and. Castl-
gar Realty meet Jan. 7 at the
college to decide first place in
the five-team league.

The last time they met, Re-
alty handed the college team
its first and only loss of the
season in a 78-72 barnburner.

Selkirk made sure that
game will have meaning by
beating RHC Realty 92-73 at

Mt. Sentinel Secondary School
in one of two games Tuesday
night.

Mike Perra scored 29 points
to lead Selkirk, which moves to
4-1 on the season and sits
alone in second place.

Castlegar Realty is in first
place with a 5-0 mark.

RHC, which got a 28-point
game from Eli Chernenkoff,
still hasn’t won a game in the
WKMBL this season.

In the other game, Cowan
Office Supplies missed its
chance to move into third place
all alone by losing 88-58 to the
Winlaw Pistons at Kinnaird
Junior Secondary School.

“They shot like you wouldn't
believe,” said Office Supplies
Ron Norman. “They hit three-

TheNUMBERS

WEST KOOTENAY MINOR HOCKEY
ASSOCIATION HOUSE DIVISION
STANDINGS TO DEC. 11.

<>

Castlegar #3
Rossland #2
Trail #1
Castlegar #4
Rossland #1
Beaver Vall
Castlegar $1
Beaver Vail. #1
Trail #3
Nelson #2
GF. #1

Trail #2
Castelgar #2
Nelson #1
GF. #2
Nelson #3
Kaslo

©20--00---00n-00004

ae cc iswosedwoct abet

2

Ross /Trail #2
Ross /Trail #1

K. Pacheco Cas.
D. Stanton, Ros.
P. Garland, Net

J. Proulx, Trail

S. McCarthy, Trail

C. Keith, Nelson
M. Ukrainetz, G.F
N. Plotnikoff, G.F

J. Robinson, Trail

PEEWEE
S. Skinner, G.F

R. Horkoff, G.F

A. Johnson, F/T

P. Kelly, G.F

D. Halll, Net

C. McCormick, Cas
R. Paolini, R/T

R. Lyall, VT

L. D’Lerma, GF

K. Kuharski, F/T

D. Hopkins, R/T

R. Murray, Spo.

K. Hagen, R/T

pointers all night.”
The win moved Winlaw into

a third-place tie with Office;

Supplies with a 2-4 record.

Castlegar Realty had a bye
in the WKMBL, but it might
have wished it had one in its
Trail Men’s Basketball League
game Wednesday night at the
Cominco Gym.

-Chad Coupland victimized
Realty with a 34-point night in
a 65-55 win for Victoria Place.

Coupland’s output included
six, three-point baskets.

“The guy was just on fire,”
said Realty’s Brian Turlock.
“He wasn’t even stopping at
the three-point line, he was

, Stopping about two-metres
away and just launching

them.”

Place Your
Classified Ad in

dThe News

AND TURN THOSE UNWANTED
ITEMS INTO CASH

OUR ACTION AD
PHONE NUMBER
1S 365-2212

basketbal

KOOTENAY WEST MEN’S
BASKETBALL LEAGUE
To Dec. 21.

Cas. Realty
Selkirk College
Ottice Supplies
Winlaw Pistons
RHC Realty

TRAIL MEN’S
BASKETBALL LEAGUE
To Dec. 21

Victoria Place 5 11
Tape Centre

Chad Coupland Cas. Realty

Castlegar & District Golf Club
is taking applications for

CATERERS

or
CATERING MANAGER
to operate the clubhouse
concession and bar.

For further information contact

JOE PAPP

Tel. 604-365-7057 after 5 p.m.
or send applications to:
Box 168, Robson, B.C. VOG 1X0

will be until De

31, 1991

al Hockey League is becoming
a lot like a car stuck in a snow
drift — a lot of spinning
wheels, but nobody’s really go-
ing anywhere.

Case and point was a 7-7 tie
Tuesday between Banjo’s Pub
and Castlegar Sports Centre
at the Community Complex.

Apparently every time
there’s an opportunity for a
team to make a move in the
five-team standings, the log-
jam just gets tighter.

The tie moved Sports Cen-
tre into a third-place tie with
Woodland Park Shell in the
CRHL and leaves them just
two points behind first place
Castlegar Pressure Wash.

Banjo’s, meanwhile, re-
mains in last place, but is just
a point behind Shell and
Sports Centre, and three

points from the penthouse.

Lorne Anderson’s two g
capped a three-goal, third-pe-
riod comeback to give Sports
Centre the tie.
jo’s, which led 3-1 after
the first and 7-4 after two pe-
riods, got two goals each from
Kevin Cheveldave and Ian
Stewart. Stewart also had two
assists to lead his club.

EATIONAL
HOCKEY LEAGUE STATS
TO DEC. 17.

Pressure Wash a
Shell 1
Sports Centre 1
Banjo's Pub 1

Frank Costa and Wayne
Salekin both had a goal and
three assists for Banjo’s, while
Larry Price had a goal and two
assists.

Anderson’s two in the third
completed his hat trick and he
also set up a pair of goals to
lead Sports Centre.

Dan Walker had two goals
for Sports Centre, while Brent
Petrick and Neil Archambault
had a goal and two assists

each.

Dan Wallace kept Banjo’s
off the scoreboard in the third
period to allow Sports Centre
to get back into it.

Rick Rogerson played in
goal for Banjo’s.

Just one game remains in
the CRHL prior to the Christ-
mas break, with Sports Centre

ing on Kootenay Comput-
ers Saturday at the Complex
at 9 p.m.

Castlegar #1

3
PVRWN=NPIMOUNWWNOOO

Nakusp

Ross/Trail #1
Ross /Trail #2
Kaslo

H“NOOMAVFCO“NNOEAAGAMOCCO=NNNNNHHHEDAAY

O-en=-n

M. Thiel, R/T

BANTAM
B. Spavor, Nak
K. Paul, Nak.
G. Carson, Nak.
R. Sweet, B.V.
D.J. Ashman, R/T
H. Fenton, Kas.
J. Cromarty, B.V
S. Mailey, B.V
S. Gillies, Kas

Coop CO OHwH

SCORING LEADERS
ATOM

B. McCormick, Cas.

G
32

CHRISTMAS

Sunday, Dec. 22
EARLY BIRD 6:00 P.M.
$500 BONANZA
WIN DOOR PRIZES!

60% PAYOUT

Gift Basket with
Specially Scented
Soaps and
Bath Oil Beads!

Perfect Stocking Stuffers
e Necklaces
Earrings ¢ Bracelets

e Pins e Broaches

ALL IN STOCK MUGS

30% OFF Our Unusual
Multi-purpose Fabric Lunch Bags!

Picture Frames
© Assorted Mobiles
¢ Brass Candle Holders & Figurines

@ OPEN SUNDAYS DECEMBER 8, 15 & 22 ©

12:00 Noon ‘til 5:00 p.m.

© Free Gift Wrapping

EXCELLENT

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“Picture “Place q Hou ytd

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