Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 9, 1996, Winnipeg, Manitoba Nesbitt Burns of ii Bint or group o omd wit i a to nil Hohlt Call Andrew or Claire 9498018 or 18005060005 Winnipeg free press sports Section Julian Rachey 6977285 c1 april Scott Taylor bitter Fraser looks Back growing up in Southern Iain Fraser had no idea How parochial the game of hockey had become in the neighbouring province of but since the Day he found his hockey career has been a last night in Fraser sat out another the first game after he scored his first goal of the season for the Winnipeg he was relegated to the press Hes played Only 11 nil games this of that been the Story of erasers hockey life in recent Ever since Andre Lacroix showed him what a goal scoring anglophone meant to the Quebec i was just a typical kid from Southern said i Learned to play the game on a backyard and he played pretty Good enough to be drafted by the Oshawa generals of the Ontario hockey league As a 16 year old and Good enough to play four seasons in the in his final year with the generals 198990 he was the memorial cup of he still haunt been Given much respect by the in his draft the summer of he was made to wait until the 12th round the 233rd Choice before he was taken by the new York at 5 he want the Ideal size for an nil but he worked his butt after his Junior career he toiled almost two full seasons in the islanders system before he was Given a seven game Chance with new York in but at the end of the 9293 sea new York had seen he was let go and signed As a free agent by and he made every Effort to take advantage of his new i thought id won a spot in the Fraser said with a i showed them i could score and i Felt Nords coach and pm Pierre Page really liked but then they changed management the next year and that was its something i still dont but i was Back to Square in 60 games with the Nords in Fraser scored 17 goals and dished out 20 he thought hed but Andre Lacroix took Over As general manager and told the Quebec newspapers that he was going to give the French canadians Fraser i did it even get a Chance to i was on the but never played at in january of they traded me to i Felt id proven that i was an nil but i want a French so it didst matter if i was capable of play ing or i want going to in he played four games and was Edmon ton claimed him in March of 1995 and he scored three goals in nine games for the but at the end of the season he was a free agent and it was time to step Back and take a deep last he decided hed accept an offer from not because of the but because the jets seemed to have a roster he could i thought i had a Good train ing but i kind of expected to Start the season in Spring he i knew it would be a but i guess i just didst realize How am i bitter about How its gone i think youre always going to feel some bitter Ness when you dont i guess ill always wonder How it might have gone if id been Given another shot in i thought id proven but Here i still proving myself every unfortunately for his last name want Gretzky close to Deal by Scott Taylor sports reporter or run Louis blues Stephane Matteau tries to squeeze puck past Khabibulin last night in Louis but its a nogo Hail that shabby Drake help grab huge Point for jets by Scott Taylor sports reporter if the Winnipeg jets hold on and make the the organization and All its fans should throw a party for Nikolai and they should save a Toast for Dallas As jets 2 blues 2 of last in front of spectators at the Kiel Khabibulin made 37 saves while Drake scored the tying goal with five seconds remaining to give the jets a gut wrenching 22 draw with the Louis it was a huge Point for said the jets usually unemotional general manager John pad it was just How did i feel when Dallas scored glad just it was a game the jets probably have it might have been Khabibulin a Day in the life of c3 finest he made some Brilliant saves in the first two nearly saved the game in the third while the jets tried to fight off a two Man disadvantage and then made a Stop off blues defence Man Charlie Huddy in overtime that might have been the save of the with the Winnipeg playoff Hopes remained the jets improved to 35386 for 76 Points while they waited for the outcome of the Calgary Edmonton and Anaheim Vancouver games last is now fourth in the West with 79 Points and two games it would be impossible to Over state the magnificent performance by Winnipeg was out shot 3932 2611 in the first two periods As Khabibulin played As Well As he had at any time during the jets recent stretch of five wins in six his save percentage in the last seven outings is now he was absolutely just like he was against said i think someone said we bailed him out after he gave up that one weak goal against the that not he bailed us out and he did it again last in the first the jets were flatter and a lot less Chippy than the ice surface at Winnipeg even though they were battling for a playoff they seemed tentative and although they were out shot 134 in the opening Peri Khabibulin was incredible and Winnipeg slipped into its dressing room trailing Only 10 after 20 Brett just Back from a hamstring ripped Home a snapshot from the right Circle for the Only goal of the Peri in the second Kha Bibu Lins magic the jets were out shot 137 but their 23 Phoenix is howling year old net minder made some absolutely Brilliant Khabibulin brilliance kept the jets in the game Long enough for Darrin Shannon to tip Home a Dave Manson drive from the after two the teams were tied 11 and Khabibulin was solely responsible for the jets Good in the third Hull scored his second of the night and 43rd goal of the season at the Mark while the blues held a woman both Calls by referee Bill Mccreary were questionable and it appeared As if the referee would have a great Deal to do with the but with a minute jets head coach Terry Simpson pulled Khabibulin and the jets made one Las ditch Effort to tie the and with five seconds they pulled it Teppo Numminen fed Dallas Drake alone in the Slot and Drake beat Grant Fuhr to tie the game with Only five seconds left in regulation Louis blues president Jack Quinn has never had any problems opening his teams Bank Wayne Gretzky Doest expect him to have any trouble this time Gretzky said yesterday that he and his representatives would like to have a new three year contract completed with the blues by the time the playoffs the want the same so this contract talks Between Quinn and Gretzky Mike Are expected to heat i really feel were close to get Ting something Gretzky said yesterday i think it will be a Deal that will be great for me and great for the when Gretzky was acquired by the blues from los Angeles on there was concern that no nil team would be Able to come up with the million us per sea son Gretzky allegedly there were also questions about a teams desire to give Gretzky the three year Deal that he Quinn and general manager Mike Keenan held a Pri vate meeting with Gretzky to Dis cuss a new everyone was but Gretzky basically told Quinn and Keenan that they were talking to the wrong Barnett handles All of Gretzky financial dealings and Gretzky was not going to betray his Friend and agent by working out a Deal behind Barnetts Mike Barnett will handle and it will be the right Gretzky the Only thing that appears to be standing in the Way of an immediate Deal is Gretzky Sig likeness and marketable the blues would like to obtain at least a portion of Gret Zukys marketing rights in order to have companies in the Kiel Cen tre partners use him As a regional spokesman to help defray the costs his expected million us Gretzky already has ties to National firms and that could create potential contract associated press Phoenix say hello to the Phoenix who will take to the ice next season in uniforms of dark Sand and the Winnipeg jets will move to Phoenix after this season and become the the who joined the nil in have worn Blue and red since their inception in the world hockey association in by hockey ventures last night unveiled the new colours and logo an upright Coyote wearing an ext along mask styled to resemble a menacing hopi Kachina Fig ure from Northern Arizona at the America West coyotes operations chief Shawn Hunter said the new nickname won put in a Nameth team com petition that attracted More than we internally refer to it As Coy Hunter we think this logo is made with incredible distinction and not Only does it capture the Southwest colors that we it also weaves in the ice hockey by executives Steven Gluck Stern and Richard Burke Are buy ing the jets in a Deal scheduled to close in they originally considered relocating in but were swayed by an offer from Jerry president of the nabs Phoenix suns and chairman of the Arizona diamondbacks expansion base Ball the suns play in the which seats for basketball and can be configured to seats for a said he thought the logo would grow on fans and capture a Strong share of the sports merchandising mar i tested it on two really Good fans in my Ages 10 and the first Day they were looking at it what is it the second they were screaming about wanting to go show their the name scorpions was a Strong heres the logo jets will Wear when there Phoenix Umpire gets weightless leave associated press a photo listed at 325 has been Given an Opportunity to get in new York baseball react ing to the death of John have Given a leave of absence to Umpire Eric Gregg so he can lose weight and get in listed at 325 pounds but visibly has Long been an example used by critics of overweight the decision to give him a leave was made following a sunday night meeting among american league president Gene National league president Len Coleman and umpires a 11 Union head Richie in Light of recent i feel this is the right time to take a serious look at my weight and said an no Umpire since my goal is to be a major league Umpire for Many years to and to accomplish that i need to take a closer look at my Overall during the Phillips asked for training machines such As treadmills and stairmaster to be installed for umpires at each major league he also would like umpires to remain in a single City each rather than rotate after every whose weight had gone up to an nearly 400 pounds at had a heart attack and collapsed behind Home plate on april 1 seven pitches into the season opener in he died about an hour baseball officials have pushed for weight but the umpires association has Gregg also took a leave of absence from april 4may and league officials sent him to a weightless the no chose de Montague to replace Mcsherry As a Crew spoke at a memorial service for Mcsherry last he became a regular no Umpire in and Umpire in the world series in 1986 and i ;