THE CITIZEN. Prince George — Friday. October 10. 1980 — 17 RON ALLERTON Sports of sorts Don’t be too concerned about the Vancouver Canucks’ less than sparkling pre-season exhibition record. Darcy Rota says the team has been playing much better than its exhibition games indicate. The Canucks open their National Hockey League season at home tonight against the Detroit Red Wings and in a telephone interview with The Citizen this week Rota was confident. Rota, a Prince George minor hockey product, is starting his first full season with Vancouver, after playing for the Chicago Black Hawks and the Atlanta (now Calgary) Flames. Rota went to Vancouver Feb. 7. along with centre Ivan Boldirev, a line-mate./or six seasons in Chicago and Atlanta. The Canucks had the second worst pre-season exhibition record, with no wins, seven losses and two ties. Only the Quebec Nordiques were worse, with just one tie in four games. “Some of the guys were joking around about that,” (beating Quebec by one point) said Rota, a left winger. Only eight of the 21 teams played more exhibitions than the Canucks and Rota says the winless record doesn’t mean much. “If you look at our record I guess it is kind of distressing, but in our last five games we played well ... we outshot them.” The Canucks lost their final exhibition 7-4 in Los Angeles, but outshot the Kings 48-20. “I think we are playing pretty well. It (pre-season games) doesn’t mean anything until Friday.” The Canucks, as most teams do, have tried many different combinations with rookies. The Canucks were third in their division last season, behind Chicago and the St. Louis Blues, but division standings don't mean much, since the playoffs are based on overall standings of the 21 teams. Vancouver had 27 wins, 37 losses and 16 ties last season, for 70 points and finished only 15th of 21 overall. The top 16 teams make the playoffs. Rota says “The experts say we can’t move up any higher, but I have reason to doubt that. “We’re not going to score a lot of goals, but the guys come to play every night.” The teams which finished below Vancouver last season are the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, Detroit. Quebec, Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Rockies. Edmonton, rated by many to do much better this season, was just one point behind Vancouver and the much-improved Capitals were just three back. The Canucks needed a late surge to make the playoffs and if Edmonton and Washington improve as much as expected, Vancouver could be in a real battle to make the playoffs. Teams which finished above Vancouver, but within five points, were the Hartford Whalers and Pittsburgh Penguins (73), Los Angeles (74) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (75). An improvement by Edmonton is based primarily on Wayne Gretzky having another super year and Rota con-ceeds Washington has a good chance to move up. Saying "I'm always an optimistic person,” Rota has found himself on a solid line, if it isn’t broken up. This is his seventh season on left wing with Boldirev at centre and the right winger is proven goal-scorer Bobby Schmautz, a big crowd favorite with the Canucks before being dealt to the Boston Bruins in 1974. Boldirev, with Atlanta and Vancouver last season, had 32 goals and 35 assists, for 67 points in 79 games. Rota had 15goalsand 14assists,for29pointsin70games. Schmautz, a gunner, had 25 goals and 18 assists, for 43 points in 69 games. Part of Rota’s optimism likely stems from the Canucks’ training camp in Duncan on Vancouver Island, where he had a good start and scored as many goals as anyone else in scrimmages. He’s happy in Vancouver and says “This is the most unselfish team I’ve played with ... it’s the type of team I want to play on. "We don’t care who scores the goals . . . just go out and win the games ... I’ve always wanted to be part of that attitude." Rota pulled a neck muscle in Atlanta last season and has been taking therapy three times a week. He says it’s better and he’s obviously anxious to start fing for real. If the Canucks are to have a moderately successful season and make the playoffs, Rota will have to play a key role. He didn’t have a negative comment on the phone - he certainly sounds ready. playi City players do well Prince George’s Alan Graves didn’t score Thursday, but still helped the Western Hockey League Seattle Breakers. Graves assisted on both Breakers' goals in a 4-2 loss at home to the Billings Bighorns, as penalties killed Seattle, with six Breakers ejected with four Bighorns after a first-period brawl. Role defended by Habs' coach MONTREAL (CP) - Any player who can contribute to the team is welcome with Montreal Canadiens, coach Claude Ruel said Wednesday. He was referring to criticism that the National Hockey League club has traded Gilles Lupien and Normand Dupont, two French-speaking players. and that their presumed replacements are Bill Kitchen and Keith Acton, both English-speaking. Torre signs NEW YORK (AP) - Joe Torre, reported to be under pressure after his National League baseball team lost 40 of its final 51 games this season, was signed to a new two-year contract Monday by New York Mets. Despite the late-season slide, the Mets’ record of 67-95 earned them fifth place in the NL East Division, enabling the team to escape a last-place finish for the first time since 197G. Meanwhile, Gary Leask from Prince George scored three times to lead Kelowna, but the Buckaroos still lost 8-6 to the Revelstoke Rockets. Russ Allen, who played for the Prince George Spruce Kings last season, scored one for Revelstoke in the B.C. Junior Hockey League game in Revelstoke. Mark Blondin of Prince George scored once in Merritt as the hometown Centennials edged the Penticton Knights 2-1. Just can't wait Cttlun photo by Doug Wrllrr Members of the Hickory Wing Ski Club’s cross-country racing team are working hard already to prepare for the Canadian championships here Feb. 17 to 22. The local club trains Tuesdays and Thursdays at Rainbow Park at 6 p.m. For more information about the club call Bob Herchak at 564-7252. CANADIAN CHAMPIONS Golden Bears play 'Hawks here by RON ALLERTON Citizen Sports Editor Hockey fans have a chance to see a real class team play here this weekend. The Canadian university champion University of Alberta Golden Bears from Edmonton visit for pre-season exhibitions against the senior A Mohawks Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. "This is probably one of the fastest, best-coached teams ever to come here,” said ’Hawks’ coach Bill Bell before taking his team on the ice for another rugged practice Thursday night. “Students of hockey should really enjoy it,” said Bell. Not only did the Golden Bears win the Canadian university championship last year, but they have an even better team this season, says veteran coach Clare Drake, considered one of the best coaches in amateur hockey. University hockey has improved tremendously in recent years and the majority of players on the 1980 Canadian and American (gold medal winning) Olympic teams were from universities. The ’Hawks tied and beat the Golden Bears while Bell was a player in their only previous visit here in the early 1970s, but they’ll be hard-pressed to repeat this weekend. The Golden Bears are unbeaten this season and won three straight to take a tourna- Late score for UBC gets tie with Japan VANCOUVER (CP) - Dino Sita scored with 52 seconds left in the game to lift University of British Columbia Thunder-birds to a 2-2 tie with Seibu of Japan in an exhibition hockey game Thursday night before about 1,000 fans. Jim Allison opened the scoring for UBC late in the first Lions' dinner $47,000 boost VANCOUVER (CP)-British Columbia Lions, suffering again at the gate this Canadian Football League season, attracted 700 to the club’s annual fundraising dinner. General manger Bobby Ackles said the Tuesday event raised $47,000. The Lions and other teams in the Western Football Conference depend on annual dinners to supplement gate receipts. Only Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos finished in black ink last year. period but second period goals by Satoru Misawa and Nubuyuki Itoh gave the visitors a 2-1 lead going into the final period. Former National Hockey League player Garry Monahan assisted on Misawa’s goal. Ted McAneeley, a Prince George minor hockey product and former NHL and minor pro player, is a member of the Japanese team. UBC goaltender Ron Paterson blocked 30 shots, while Minoru Misawa stopped 33 shots for Seibu. ment in Saskatoon last weekend. Bell, in his second season coaching the team which finished last in the B.C. Senior Hockey League’s first season last year, has been working his players much harder than in the first practices last year. He says the ’Hawks are stronger than at this time last year and in better condition. "The guys have worked hard in practice and it shows." Last weekend, in two exhibitions against the junior A Spruce Kings, many fans expected the ’Ifawks to run out of legs in the third period, as they’d had just six practices, while the Kings had been on the ice since mid-August, including an undefeated six-game series in West Germany. But the 'Hawks didn't tire and beat the juniors 5-3 and 6-4. Bell says the 'Hawks will have to play a hitting game to stay with the Golden Bears. “With a good skating team you must go to the body.” Game times are 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. The 'Hawks have their busiest pre-season schedule ever and when they open the regular BCSHL season in Quesnel Nov. 1 they’ll have played 11 exhibitions. After this weekend they play the Quesnel Kangaroos of the BCSHL here Wednesday, then are in Fort St. John Oct. 18 and 19 to play the intermediate Flyers. After a game in Quesnel Oct. 22, the ’Hawks play Fort St. John here Oct. 25 and 26, then entertain Quesnel Oct. 29. in a special game, with all proceeds going to the United Way campaign. The 'Hawks had 10 new players in the line-ups last weekend, along with a dozen veterans and the list of newcomers will be at least as long this weekend. Claude Bertoli, who looked good against his former Spruce Kings team mates, will start both games in goal. His back-up will be Brian Claus, a former Cariboo Hockey League all-star, who has practised just three times since returning from a trade course. Claus didn’t play last season, but his experience will be needed now, with the retirement of standout veteran Glen Bueckert, who is the 'Hawks' new general-manager. Another player who could play a dominant role for the 'Hawks is defenceman Al LeBrun, a veteran of many years in the minor pro ranks, who was with the team briefly in 1974. Curling season starting A 24-rink mixed bonspiel begins the local curling season this weekend at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club. The annual Thanksgiving 'spiel starts at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, with eight-end games in three events. The Bill Small foursome won last year’s A event with five straight wins, while Mike Mathews took the B event and Gary Couch won in C. South trip 1-1 record Kings' goal If things go as planned, the Prince George Spruce Kings will be 1-1 after the weekend. The Peace Cariboo Junior Hockey League defending champion Kings play the Mustangs in Williams Lake Saturday. Prince George dropped a 3-1 decision to the Quesnel Millionaires here Wednesday, to open the PCJHL’s first season as a junior A tier two league. The Kings were in much better shape than Quesnel. but took numerous bad penalties and didn't play to their potential. Prince George coach Grant Williams says, “some of the boys are really frustrated right now. “It's a slump . . . we’ll just have to play our way out of it.” The Kings had no serious injuries Wednesday and the only major changes Williams has planned is to start Alan Loring in goal instead of Dean Chartier. Williams says the Kings will likely alter their regular style on the small Williams Lake ice surface and “will just dump the puck in and chase it.” He's heard the Mustangs are a big team and have goalie Dan Mussel, who played in Quesnel last season. “I thought he was the best goalie in the league.” The Mustangs visit Quesnel Sunday in the only other PCJHL weekend game. The Dawson Creek Kodiaks beat the Fort St. John Golden Hawks 3-1 in an exhibition Thursday. The Kings don't play after this weekend until the Mustangs invade the Prince George Coliseum Oct. 22. Welsh fighter battles for life LOS ANGELES (AP) -Welsh bantamweight boxer Johnny Owen, knocked unconscious during a title bout, remained in critical condition Wednesday in a California hospital. Owen, 24, remained “critical, comatose and still on life support systems,” said nursing supervisor Jane Armour. 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