ready fo _-., How does Terrace’s sifttothe '. ‘National Hockey League spend’ - . his. off-season ‘after: a debut. against the Stanley Cup cham- ....Pions in the league semi-finals? — Nineteen-year-old Jeff Shar- Ples ‘spends'a few weeks in his hometown, just: Telaxing- and renewing . old friendships _ be- cause: “I was born and raised here, and it’s i @ good place to ive ane , ‘ -.... He_also spends time keeping "in shape for next season which is _ only-a few weeks away. . _. “Although I'll spend some of. - ; my time ‘here, I’ll have to leave - _ for ‘July to find an arena with ice so the Okanagan about mid- I can get in a lot of skating,” - Skarples said. ’ “I'd like to spend all- my time in Terrace, but there’s no ice in the arena til August,” he add.’ ed, pointing out that summer skating was an integral part of keeping in condition between ' SCASONS. Sharples says one of. the easiest ways to drop out of pro-. fessional hockey is to come to your team’s training camp over-. weight and not ready for the Strenuous workouts that sepa- rate the best from the also-rans. Sharples has «finished four years of hockey.in the Western Junior Tier One league. He could go back to Portland Win- terhawks to play as an overage junior, but he won’t. “If I don’t make the Wings (Detroit Red Wings) lineup, then [°ll play in - the Americari Hockey League or the International League,hesaid. Both these leagues are a notch below the N-H-L, and are used as “farm’’ teams for both old-. _ timers and new comers by most of the 21 N-H-L teams. |’ - Sharples said the fact he had an injury-free season at Port- land, and some good statistics to back him up (25 goals and 35 assists), resulted in Detroit call- ing him up to fill in a defensive spot in the N-H-L. semi-finals: against Edmonton Oilers. :He probably would shave developed even faster had it not. been for. 1985-86 when he suf- - feréd'a fractured wrist that kept him out of Portland’s lineup for most.of the year, == J “Tt was very frustrating,’ he related. “‘I couldn’t shoot the puck, so I spent alot of time at home. ss “But Portland stuck with him, knowing Sharples would be back GILA-QUOEX” at KITSUMKALUM Terrace Saturday, August 1, 87 \o 2:00 P.M. Come and witness! he faced, saying he is big, strong | Jett Sharples - to lead their defense corp. . “The Winterhawks are a first- | _Class organization. The owner spent a lot of money on the team and we enjoyed big crowds. It was like playing hockey in a small N-H-L city.” The Hawks got a few days off _ after losing out to Medicine Hat Tigers in the W-H-L playoffs: It. was during this time that Detroit called: up Sharples to face Gret- zky and company, __ oo After Detroit was eliminated, Sharples went back to Portland and joined his team on an ex- pense-paid trip to Barbados as a - gift from management, Detroit players had a similar trip to Florida; but Sharples felt he wouldn’t have been asked to go with the Wings due to only appearing in two games at the end. ‘Besides, I wanted to go with my Portland gang.” The day Detroit decided to call up Sharples, he and a,friend _ Were on their way from Portland to ‘the Okanagan. His father, Cliff, had been. contacted by Detroit to chase down Jeff and get him on a plane to Detroit. . Cliff found Jeff on arrival at Kelowna and passed on the mes- sage. He managed to fly out the next day, but between traffic congrestion at Detroit, he arriv- ed at the arena just five minutes after the start of game three. ‘Coach -Demers told me he planned to play me that night if I had arrived on time, I'm glad he didn’t — I was too tired from all that travelling.” : Sharples said it was quite a thrill to find himself playing “against Edmonton. “After years ' of watching these guys on televi-- sion I was somewhat nervous.’ He said Gretzky is as gteat as the media says he is. “I ‘tried to give him a ‘gift’, but he was too slippery.” He felt that Mark - Messier was the scariest player KRACRGRRA GR KS RRAKRRRR EERE RARE & , and fast, ae “Gretzky is awsome, but you can give him a little bit more room than Mark. However, if ‘fj you give Messier an inch, he’s ‘gone and the puck is likely in the. metry He feels that ‘Wings’ coach - Jacques Demers is very fair with the players and gets the best - out of them. In‘training camp Demers told Jeff to work on " _ Séveral aspects of his game and "tO. never be’ satisfied with his development. : _- “(Demers showed confidence in me and played me. He de- mands a complete job from. his players, whether during the game or at practice. When they called me up for the Edmonton . », Series I though I’d just bea spec- tator in the press box, but Demers played-me.”’ 7 . Sharples was asked about Medicine Hat goalie Mark Fitz- patrick, who happens to live in neighboring Kitimat and was picked 'in 27th place by the Los Angeles Kings, - -. “He’s a big, solid goalie — as good as we faced all season in the W-H-L. He’ll have a very good chance to make the Kings _but.not: likely. for ‘this coming ‘Season. I’m sure-Los Angeles didn’t draft Mark to move right into their net for 87-88. But then he did take his team toa Memor- ial Cup championship.’ Sharples is smart enough to realize that two playoff games won't guarantee him a regular. spot in the Wings’ lineup. He points out that Detroit just sign- e CM -a® Andrea Komlos of the Terrace Peaks Gymnastics Club recently received a old medal for an overall score of 33.99 in Provinclai competition at Skeena Sunior Secondary School. Nicole Stiles and Natalie Howard, both of the Prince George Gympix Club, captured second and third during the meet. Stilee. won second standing with.an overail-‘score of 27.63 while her teammate took third with 18.56, - ed some veteran blueliners and chances are they won't play in the minors, *T’m not thinking I’ve cinch- ed a berth on Detroit. I'll get in- to shape, work my butt off in camp and hope for the best. _. “I’m quite prepared for a season in the American or Inter- national Leagues. I have two © more years plus an option on my . coniract, and if I don’t crack the lineup by then, I might just have to look around and see what's. available for a former hockey Lo player.”” | KNOW YOUR — In order to encourage a greater interest in the Scriptures of God ae special FREE Home Bible Study Course in now being offered. This -° iat in Fm a a m Q e: > gg. mi fr 2 Rg 8 >. pi. YYYYYYYVYYIVYYYVYIWWWYDPOBY, | Fishermen -» Ken’s Marine, & Spe fore __ (please print) or call 624-4449 Bl During our “sall”-a-bration, 7 - Outboards designed with the quiet running, Mariner's have great. maneuverability in tight spots. Stop in and eC ea MARINE Better in the Long Run! |