| The
Cincinnati Stingers have made several young hockey players wealthy but they have not won a
game yet. So far they are only names on paper and coach Terry Slater worries. The
recruiting has been bountiful if expensive, but the recruiting is over. Training camp
starts Thursday. "You can put a million names down on
paper and you won't know what kind of team you really have," Slater avows. "You
can't tell what guys have real heart and what guys just play for a pay check." He
says quite frankly that the Stingers, in dispersing their six-figure, multi-year
contracts, may have made a mistake or two. Many teams have. But Slater swears those errors
will be dealt with severely and quickly, because Cincinnati fans are notoriously impatient
and "we don't have a lot of time to learn by our mistakes."
So the coach promises he will not be tolerant. There will be no
primadonna on his team. He says he won't have time to wipe noses. Growing up will have to
be accomplished in Hampton where the Stingers have their farm club. "Every job is an
open job and will have to be earned," he declares. "Some guys who have major
league contracts with us and think they've got it made are going to be surprised. Anyone
who isn't willing to pay his dues on the ice will go to Hampton." He says "go to
Hampton" as if he means somewhere else.
'That's going to cost us some money to be paying some guy a major
league salary and not be playing him, but we'll do it," he asserts. "Anyone who
thinks he won't get shipped down is crazy. We don't want any loafers, any floaters. I
don't care how much they make.. Some people in the office the other day were looking
at the sweaters and one of them said 'hey, isn't that LaRose's number?' or somebody's
number I don't remember who. 'I said you notice there's no name over that number yet. That
number doesn't belong to anyone yet."
What Slater will be looking for in camp are people who are willing
to fight for themselves or a teammate or any other excuse. Slater is no pacifist. "I
believe in fighters," he says. Fourteen years ago he played with a team that wouldn't
defend itself and he felt like a dartboard. When he ultimately escaped, he says "I
swore I'd never play for another team that wouldn't fight and I swore I'd never coach a
team that wouldn't fight. I Believe in physical strong hockey and I want people who can
take care of themselves. And if on of my players gets into a fight and I see he's getting
hurt. I want another player there right now to pull them apart. If the other team sends in
a second guy, then I'll send in a third. I'll have them down three-to-two of four-to-three
or five-to-four. Whatever it takes."
Sometimes Slater sounds more like a commando than a coach, but he
says he is justified. "We're coming in with a team that's just a lot of pieces. It's
not put together," he explains. "But teams like Houston have been together a
long time. We can make up for some of our inexperience by playing rough. It's the only
way." What it requires, Slater says again is "real heart". He doesn't know
how much of that he's purchased, but players defective in that area will not be harbored.
Ultimately it is the fans who pay the salaries. Riverfront Coliseum tickets will range
from $4.50 to $8.50. Slater promises his people will earn their keep or they will not be
kept. |
