B4 Terrace Review — Wednesday, October 10, 1990 Defenceman Sharples still on winding road NEW JERSEY — For every Ray Bourque, whose season would not be a complete success without winning the Norris Trophy, there are dozens. of defensemen who would simply ’ like to win a job in the NHL. For every Paul Coffey and ‘Scott Stevens, who can com-: mand huge contracts and head- lines, there are many defense- men who would simply like to grab the attention of their coaches during training camp. ‘Meet Jeff Sharples, the 23-year-old defenseman ac-. quired from Edmonton last March in the trade for Reijo Ruotsalainen. After watching a promising career with the Detroit Red Wings come to an abrupt halt and never getting a chance with the Oilers, Sharples is hoping to draw some attention in his first training camp with the Devils. "It seems funny," said Sharples as he sat on a bench outside the rookies’ dressing room at South-Mountain Arena in West Orange. ‘I’ve gone through two organizations, and I’m on my third. Things don’t always work out like you hope they will, but sooner or later if . you have skill and determination you'll stay.’ Sharples, Detroit’s second pick (29th overall) in the 1985 NHL entry draft, has skill. There are those who believe his NHL career with the Red Wings was derailed because success came too easily. ‘*Up to now, this guy has got- ten by on his talent alone,”’ said Utica’s Tom McVie, who coach- ed Sharples for 13 games last season in the AHL. “‘I don’t believe he knows what it takes, and there’s nothing wrong with that because nobody has told him what it takes. . “T think he got there (the NHL) too quick, He didn’t get the training. It got to the point where he was going too quickly, and he didn’t learn the trade of pro hockey. That’s not to say he’s not talented. I think his talent hurt him.” Four years ago, as a 19-year- old kid from Terrace, B.C., Sharples made his NHL debut and played three regular-season and two playoff games for the Red Wings. The following season (1987-88), he played 56 games for Detroit and scored 10 goals and 35 points for what should’ve been the start of a solid career. _ That career, however, quickly - began to unravel and Sharples found himself buried in the Red Wings’ minor league system at Adirondack, “‘When we brought Sharples up he looked like he was going to be something special,’’. re- called former Red Wings’ GM Jimmy Devailano. ‘I take responsibility. 1 don’t think we handled him like we could have. He needed to play more at Adirondack.” ‘Everyone had a. different Opinion of what happened,’’ Sharples said. ‘Hindsight is 20-20. I can look back and say I should’ve played two years in the minors, but it’s not a matter of where I was or where I should be. It’s where I am right now. If things go well, maybe | can help the New Jersey organization.’” He faces a difficult task. Coach John Cunniff plans to keep eight defensemen to start the season, one of which is likely to be “swing man’ Jamie Huscroft, who can play forward and defense. With. Alexei Kasatonov, Viacheslav Fetisov, Bruce Driver, Ken Daneyko, Eric Weinrich and Tommy Albelin filling out the depth chart, that leaves one spot open. Sharples, Sergei Starikov, Dave Marcinyshyn and Myles O’Connor are the leading can- ‘didates for the job created when Randy Velischek went to Quebec to complete the Peter Stastny deal. “Jeff has as much chance as anyone,’’ said GM Lou Lamoriello. ‘‘He has outstan- ding skills, 1] think he’s been a victim of circumstances. Ed- monton wanted him from Detroit. Detroit didn’t want to give him up but did and, when he got to Edonton, it was a veteran-oriented defense. He found himself in Cape Breton (AHL).” The Red Wings parted with Sharples because they had a chance to get Jimmy Carson last Nov. 2. Carson, Kevin McClel- land and Edmonton’s fifth- round pick in the 1991 draft came to Detroit for Adam Graves, Petr Klima and Joe Murphy. ‘‘When I got sent down’ by Detroit last year things were go- ing well until I got injured and was out two months with a separated right ‘shoulder,’’ Sharples recalled. ‘‘when I came back from the injury at Christmas, the trade had been made, and 1 went to Cape Breton, Edmonton went on a winning streak, and they didn’t get any injuries, Sometimes you need a break. When a team isn’t going well they’ll bring someone Ailment fells Fitz Kitimat’s Mark Fitzpatrick didn’t start in New York Islanders season-opener at Los Angeles last Thursday. That’s because the talented netminder had ‘been. hospitalized at L.A., suffering from a strange virus. Mark had been felled by something “that attacked the covering of his muscles. Doctors said it’s an inflammation. caused from either excessive training, or possibly a parasite he picked up during his stay off Florida in, the. summer. In any case, it has curtailed his NHL action for a while at least. Doctors told his mother at Kitimat that Mark was facing a two-week to two-month - recovery session, His treatment is medication, rest and physio- therapy, Mark was expected to be flown back to Kitimat after. more treatment at New York this week, in, but that team was going well. ” The Oilers, who acquired Ruotsalainen for Sharples on March 6, went on to win the Stanley Cup. Sharples finished the season in Utica. “‘} don’t think anybody comes here without thinking they have 2 legitimate shot. I wouldn’t be here if [ didn’t. I’m not going to make a career out of playing in the minors if I don’t make it in the NHL. Hopefully, I’ll get an opportunity to play, but if I don’t make it I'll have to go back to Utica and work harder.’’ The knock on Sharples has been that he is good enough as an offensive player but needs to - . improve defensively. On a team loaded with offensive defense- men that could be a liability. ~ “I try to work on all parts. of my game,”’ he said. ‘‘You try to improve so you’re not con- sidered a one-dimensional! player, but all parts of your game aren’t going to be equal. When you’re on the ice you have to concentrate on your strengths. Don’t play to your weaknesses. © ‘*When I was young, 19-year-- olds like Cam Neely were break- ing into the NHL, and all of a sudden the rush was on,’’ he said. “You want to make it . when you're 19, 20 or 21, but the fact of the matter is that a defenseman might not be estab- lished until he’s 24."’ Final Tun ‘The running season winds up Oct. 14 when the annual All Seasons Half-Marathon | - takes place in Terrace. The race, which also includes five- and 10-kilo- “metre runs, will start and end at Northwest Commiunity College. Fees vary from $10 — to $15. . Registration is.on now at Ail Seasons sports store, On race day registration is at 11 a.m, with the race starting at noon. Games coordinator pleased with results from Telethon by Nancy Orr A “Winner for the Winter Games’’, the telethon at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre Sept. 30, was a preat success. A total of $16,355 in pledges came in, surpassing the goal of $15,000 that had been set earlier in the campaign and ‘‘an indica- tion of the enthusiasm that has kept the Games going all along,’’. said Marg Skead, Games coordinator. Under the capable hands of Doug Smith, Laurie Thain and Sharon Taylor, the phones kept ringing and the pace kept mov- ing from if a.m. to a trium- phant closing at 9 p.m., when the Terrace Community Band played the final number to close the performance as they had opened it 10 hours earlier. Led by Terrace’s own Laurie Thain, the entertainment in- cluded the Prince Rupert Chinese Dancers; the Kitsum- kalum Dancers; Jim Ryan Jazz Quartet, Jack Wreggitt and Jim Larkin on classical guitar and Don Pettipas and Glen Fossum; Vicki Parviainen Dancers; Monique Gartland, Tina Hoven- kamp, Ellie Higginson, Karin Ljungh and Jennifer Mills, vocalists; Norm Desjardin and his fiddle; the Rube Band; the Mothballs; the Stage Hogs; the Davy Hickey Band; the Dia- mond Back Band; the River- bottom Nightmare Band; Big Bark and the Howlers; Gillian . Campbell with her puppets; the Shrine Club Clowns; the Terrace Peaks Gymnasts; the Karate Club and the Summer Theatre Group; the Skeena Squares and the Terrace Pipes and Drums. “The entertainment was fan- tastic,” said Marg. ‘‘Everyone had a great time. | ‘And I wish we had had more items like the hockey stick autographed by Stan Smyle,”’ said Marg. ‘‘We auctioned it off about 7 p.m. and it brought in $650. Harry Rogers won it final- ly. _ “Kalum Kabs picked up tlie pledges for us,’’ she said, ‘and Gayle Appleton was the organization chairman.” Marg would like to remind everyone that pledges can be mailed to Box 98, Terrace, ms Judy Degerness and Marg Skead show the Northem B.C. Winter Games look with custom sweatshirts, now on sale as another fund raising angle for the 1991 Terrace Games. ‘V8G 4A2, or dropped off at the Winter **So many people helped us,”? Games office on said Marg, “‘I can only say a big Highway 16 (in the former thank-you to everyone.”’ tourist information office). Champ doing Salmon Belt honours _ Canadian heavyweight boxing champion Ken Lakusta is coming to Prince Rupert in November. He'll be acting as referee, judge and awards presenter at the combined Salmon Belt champton- ships and B.C. Games zone seven tryouts at the Civic Centre on Nov. 24, Lakusta was a recent victim of ancient heavyweight George Forman during his comeback bid. However, instead of going in . the first round like many of Forman’s opponents, Lakusta lasted until the third round, That bout was held in Edmonton, Lakusta’s home town. Figure skaters receive Summer school results Contributed by Linda Levesque Chella Levesque attended in Victoria: tests passed — fourth figure, bronze artistic. Jennifer Kuehne attended in Lake Cowichan. Nicole Page attended in Powell River: tests passed — fifth figure, variation dance and completed her gold dances. The Terrace Figure Skating Club held our first fall school from Aug. 27 to Sept. 21 with an attendance of 25 skaters. Tests. were held in Kitimat on Sept. 29: Stephanie Kerr — preliminary freeskate, preliminary figure, canasta; Nicole: Hill — | baby . blues, swing; Lisa Clark — baby blues, swing; Shelley Hawryluk — variation dance; Melanie Kerr ‘= willow; Jennifer Kuehne —_ junior bronze freeskate, bronze artistic; Nicole Page — bronze artistic; Shelley Lefebvre — novice competitive. Also, some of our skaters at- tended a coaches’ clinic in Prince Rupert on Sept, 29 and 30. — Chella Levesque and Amanda’ Owens, certified Can- skate instructors; Pam Essensa and Jennifer Kuchne, certified Canfigure skate instructors: Kristen Dediluk and Michael Talstra, assistant Canfigure © ‘skate instructors,