| Dave Inkpen
may play hockey for the Quebec Nordiques, but his heart is still in Cincinnati. Inkpen,
the young defenseman who was so popular with Cincinnati fans, is in town with the
Nordiques to take on the Cincinnati Stingers at Riverfront Coliseum tonight (7:35 p.m.).
he would be happier if he were skating with the Stingers rather than against them. "I
still have a lot of feeling for this team," he said of the Stingers. "It was my
first major league team and I made a lot of friends in Cincinnati. It was difficult
leaving." Inkpen was dealt to the Indianapolis Racers
late last season. He came back to haunt the Stingers in the playoffs when Indy dumped
Cincinnati four straight. This year he was traded by Indy to the Edmonton Oilers who later
traded him to Quebec. Edmonton is Inky's home town, but playing in front of family and
friends was a less than happy experience. "I just wasn't in the picture (in
Edmonton)," he explained. "When I played, I played well, but I knew right off I
wasn't going to get a chance. I felt I proved myself. I gave them a lot more than they
expected, and I gave them no reason to trade me."
But trade him the Oilers did, shuffling him to Quebec in a deal
which sent another former Stinger, Pierre Guite, to Edmonton. "It's been a
frustrating year," Inkpen said. "Not disappointing, because I feel I've
improved, but frustrating because I'm playing so little. I didn't get any ice time in
Edmonton and I'm not getting much now with the Nordiques." Inkpen has been sitting on
the bench - or in the stands - for many of the games since he joined Quebec. he saw
limited action while the Avco Cup champions were competing in the Izvestia Cup tournament
in Moscow, but all told he has only seen full activity in four games.
"I'm as comfortable as I've ever been on the ice," the
6-foot, 185-pound blueliner said. "I'm not disturbed by the lack of ice time because
I have confidence in my ability. If this had happened to me a year ago it would have hurt
me a lot." He added, however, that he can't really saw he is playing as well as he
might because "you have to play a lot to play well." Although Inkpen probably
hasn't had a fair opportunity to prove his worth to the Nordiques, he is confident that
things will turn around for him. At any rate he will be playing tonight simply because
Quebec is currently hampered by injuries.
Defenseman Francois Lacombe, J.C Tremblay, Jim Dory and Wally Weir
are out of the lineup, so Inkpen is assured of regular shifts on the Coliseum ice. In
fact, the Nordiques have several others out of action, including Serge Bernier, Chris and
Pailin Brodeleau, Curt Brackenberry and goalie Richard Brodeur. But the Stingers have
their problems, too. Captain Rick Dudley is doubtful due to a broken toe, defenseman Pat
Stapleton is in Christ Hospital with an intestinal disorder and won't be ready for several
days and rookie defenseman Craig Norwich is weakened by flu.
And yet both squads are coming off big wins. The Stingers stopped
Houston, 5-3, here Wednesday night while the Nordiques were handing the league-leading
Whalers a 6-4 setback in Hartford, Conn. The Stingers have been in control in nearly every
meeting with Quebec this year, beating the powerful Nordiques twice in the Colisee which
is one of the toughest buildings in the World Hockey Association. A victory tonight would
certainly be a big boost for the Stingers, giving them two straight at home where they
have had so much trouble this season.
And for Dave Inkpen it will be a time for mixed emotions. Inkpen
only knows how to play one way, all out. He'll play to win. But he'll also be rooting deep
down inside for the success of the Cincinnati team, because his heart still belongs to the
Stingers. |
