| ST. PAUL,
Minn. - Tuesday was Stingers coach Terry Slater's 14th wedding anniversary, and it would
have been a nice day, but Rick Dudley fell down the stairs. The Stingers are an impressive
4-2. They're tied for the lead in the Eastern Division of the World Hockey Association.
They're playing better than Slater ever thought they would this early. But Rick Dudley
fell down the stairs. They face the Minnesota Fighting Saints
next, a good team, but one Slater says "We could have beaten". But Rick Dudley
fell down the stairs. Limping now, and frowning, Dudley is aggravated at the whole silly
situation, and Slater is nearly beside himself. "If he can't play, that ruins our
best line, the line that's been doing the most for us. And then it ruins another line too
because you have to shift people around. What are you going to do?" he keeps asking
rhetorically. "What are you going to do"?
"We had tow lines that were just starting to go for us. They
were really clicking, The Campbell line (with Dudley and Gary Veneruzzo) was the best.
They were really starting to go. Now look. We've got one line, the (Jacques) Locas line
(with Pierre Guite and Cluade Larose). You can't play hockey with one line". So much
for Slater's 14th wedding anniversary.
And Dudley, looking hopelessly forlorn, was dragging around his
right knee, the same one he injured in Buffalo the end of last season. He was just back
from a trip to a Minneapolis doctor. "He says, I've got ridges on my knee, whatever
ridges are," Dudley explained, sorrowfully. "He says there's not much I can do
for it. He just gave me some exercises I have to do".
"That's right," Slater moans. "He fell down the
stairs at his own house. He was going down the stairs Sunday night and he didn't want it
turn on a light and wake up his wife. So there wasn't any light on. he took a very bad
fall. Headfirst all the way down." Complaining of knee pain, Dudley missed practice
Monday but not too much was thought of it. Then upon arriving in the Twin cities Tuesday,
Dudley tried to work out with the rest of the team at the local coliseum. He thought he
could do it," Slater explains. "He got all suited up and ready to go, but he
couldn't skate at all. Not at all. I sent him to the doctor immediately. Of all the people
to get hurt," the coach moans "That's the way it goes in this crazy business.
You beat your brains out trying to find just the right combinations and then as soon as
you do, something like this happens". What it means to the team, if Dudley can't play
is most everyone else will be shifted. There will be two new line combinations and no time
for the players to get used to each other. Its like going back to training camp. Slater
says.
The Stingers next opponents, the Fighting Saints, are 3-3 on the
season. The backbone is two top goalies, John Garret and Mike Curran, and forward Mike
Walton who scored 48 goals and 45 assists last season. "It's a hockey team a lot like
ours," Slater points out. "They're explosive. They can score a lot of goals. But
they're a tough bunch that can play physical hockey, too." All in all, Slater still
believes, "We could have beaten them".....But Dudley fell down the stairs.
* * *
NOTE - The Cincinnati Stingers have posted a $1500 bond
with the World Hockey Association that will be forfeited if the team receives an
"intent to injure" penalty against either the Quebec Nordiques or Winnipeg Jets.
Bill DeWitt, Stingers board chairman said the bond was posted after an incident against
Quebec in an exhibition game.
"The bond specifically said if the same thing
happened again we would forfeit the bond, "said DeWitt. Winnipeg, because of a
Stingers fight in an October 21st regular season game, has been included in the $1500 bond
order. The Stingers play at Winnipeg Thursday night. |
