| Jacques
Demers doesn't want to lose his team captain Rick Dudley. And the Cincinnati Stingers
coach believes Dudley will remain a fixture on the Cincinnati roster. Rumors have been
swirling around the league for more than a week that a deal was in the works for the
Stingers to sell Dudley to his former employers, the National Hockey League Buffalo
Sabres. A price in the $350,000 range had been speculated. Dudley knew about the rumors
from the start. He was even approached by former Buffalo coach Floyd Smith when the
Stingers played in Hartford Conn., last week. Both the Sabres and Stingers, for the
record, are keeping quiet except to admit that there has been discussion concerning
Dudley. "it is my opinion, after talking with Bill DeWitt
(Stinger executive vice president), that Rick Dudley will finish the season with the
Stingers," said Demers. "Personally, I would hate to lose Duds. I've gotten very
close to the guy and he gives me 150% every time he;s on the ice." Dudley said
Saturday he didn't know how far the talks had gone and had no idea if a deal would be
made. "All I can do is wait," he said. "I wouldn't really like to leave
Cincinnati but that's the way things are. Buffalo has wanted me back ever since I left to
join the Stingers."
Demers pointed out that all the commotion concerning the
hard-hitting winger had left it's mark on Dudley's performance. "Rick was himself
again last night," Demers said, referring to Dudley's performance in the Stingers'
4-3 overtime victory over the Jets in Winnipeg Friday night. "I t has been very
difficult for Rick to play hockey with all the talk about being sold," Demers
continued. "It was on his mind in the Houston game and at Edmonton. A lot of this
game is mental and I know Rick was worrying about it. He couldn't concentrate on
hockey."
Demers also took a shot at the Buffalo organization for approaching
Dudley. "I think it shows a lack of professionalism on their part," he said.
"We're trying to win hockey games and they talk to our captain about a deal."
Demers also pointed out that DeWitt couldn't be faulted for talking to Buffalo. "This
is a business," the Stinger coach said. "You have to listen to any offer. I know
Bill DeWitt will take everything into consideration, but he can't ignore an offer that
involves as much money as they are supposed to be talking about."
Demers was impressed with his team's ability to come back against
Winnipeg and pull out the overtime victory. "It was the desire to win that made the
difference," he said. "The players really wanted that game and they kept coming
back and working. We had to play catch-up right from the start after they (Jets) scored 12
seconds into the game." Demers was especially pleased with the goal that tied the
game. He pulled goalie Mike Liut with 1:08 left in regulation for a sixth attacker, and
the strategy worked as defenseman Barry Melrose picked up a deflection goal right in front
of the Winnipeg net.
NOTES - Peter Marsh, benched by Demers in the Winnipeg game for
disciplinary reasons will be back in uniform when the Stingers host Indianapolis at
Riverfront Coliseum Wednesday night....There are three changes in the Stingers' schedule.
The game at Indianapolis December 18 has been moved to April 2; the game originally
scheduled in Quebec January 12 was moved to January 15; and the game against the Swedish
National team on March 12 has been moved to March 26. |
