Show wywhiyiMi The Salt Lake Tribune Eagle Rookie Goalie Uneasy on Bench Golden Eagle goaltender Grant Blair has been sitting idle for nearly a month now but don’t get the idea he's gotten used to it The Harvard rookie who was alternating starts in net with veteran Rick Heinz through the end of 1986 found himself the odd man out when the NHL affiliate Calgary Flames reassigned netminder Marc D’Amour to the Eagles in early January Because IHL rosters make room for only two goalies Blair — a Flames farmhand himself — hasn't logged a minute of game time since He’s seen plenty of games — usually from the front row in his street clothes — and he’s gotten plenty of practice time But he hasn’t been called upon by Coach Wayne Thomas for a start since Jan 4 and he doesn’t know when he will be again Therein lies a good deal of frustration “It’s the worst part about it” the Ontar native said Tuesday prior to a Sut Palace workout “It’s tough when they don’t tell you when you’re going to be able to play again I’ve kind of prepared myself for the fact I might not play again this year But then again in this situation I might be playing next week so that's how I have to look at it” The problem isn’t that Blair has been a miserable failure in his first professional season Granted he’s hit his share of rookie-sized chuckholes In 18 starts as an record Eagle he’s sitting with a and a 462 goals against average Those aren’t great numbers and they tend to pale further when lined up next to the stats Blair racked up in his senior season at Harvard — a 1 record and 272 GAA But the IHL isn’t the Ivy League and what the rookie’s numbers don’t reveal is that he’s played well in nearly all of his victories and he’s been stung with some losses that he really didn’t deserve Blair’s real problem is that the Flames have more goalkeepers than they know what to do with D’Amour for example sat for a couple of months at Calgary’s AHL affiliate in Moncton And now that he’s here it’s Blair’s turn to sit “That’s basically how I look at it” he said “Calgary’s got six goalies and only four spots where they can play them — two on the Flames one at Moncton and one here “I think they thought having a lot of goalies would be a good thing” he continued "But I think they’re hurting themselves They put Rick Kosti on the Canadian Olympic team so he’s doing all right But Marc’s only played in four or five games the one guy in Moncton Doug DadswellJ hasn’t played that much and I’ve only played in 18 games You can’t develop people that way” Knowing the reality of the situation didn’t make it any easier for Blair “My initial reaction was that I was very upset” he recalled “I wouldn’t be much of a player if I wasn’t upset about it The biggest thing was that I felt Calgary gave up on me after a high-scorin- g Palace weight room and occasional — when it's forays onto the ice available “The toughest time" he said “is really the home games It’s tough to sit there and watch” into a similar situation when he was a netminder young “The fact that Wayne is a goalie is a huge advantage for me” says the rookie who also benefits from Thomas’ personal tutoring in practice “I've probably worked more with him in the last three weeks than in the last three months” notes Thomas y 1 0 IHL Attendance: The IHL has announced a 20 percent increase in attendance through the first half of the season with an average of 3196 fans n per game filing through the turnstiles Eaglet va Fort Wovft Kometi at Memortol Coliseum 6 30 0 m M (6J0)ond since Komoti Clone — The Komoti ore being swept In Sort lake lost month but ore overtime loss at Milwaukee coming off a MonOov night Despite that setbock thev're still the leogu s premier club ond may still harbor some vengeful thoughts towards the Eagles -her lost even though they beat the Birds Saturday The secret to Fort Woyne's success Is 10 scoring-wis- e balance No one groces the IHi'i top Tonight KTKK-- but four Komets hove over 40 points while onother four hove topped the mark Michel DuFour (J 30 goots ogalnst ovroge) ond A loin Raymond (3 66) are both superb In goal Eoglet done — The Eogs took Monday off then proctlced in Indianapolis Tuesday before boarding the bus for Fort Wovne The two should help shake off the affects of losses over the weekend Plus the Birds hove won In the Coliseum once alreodv this season so this moy be on opportunity for o rare rood victory Doug Morrison has the lead from Bobby Fronds for the teom scoring leod although It's o slim one Morrison has 59 points on 32 goals ond 26 osslsts while Fronds hos 14 goois ond 42 assists for 56 points Rick Heinz (3 72 GAA) will stort tonight In the nets Komets Records — Eogies: Seoson Series — Eogies leod Kom the Nets ) Eogies Rick Heinz or Alain Raymond ) mets: Michel DuFour - (11V most import vehicles Remonufactured exchange Special orders available at same discount With $3 OH 5 OFF 2 BBI ’86-8- 7 Fuel Filters By MPA 10 °o most For import vehicles Except diesel OFF 999 Dleiel Fuel Filters Valve Cover 10 Gaskets For By most Import vehicles OFF Champion Spark Plugs 84 America’s bestl Limit 16 r 94 Resistor New Import Water Pumps 1988 ByGMB lifetime warranty No exchange required Without fan clutch 3488 fan Clutch With Spark Plug Wire Sets Or CapRotor most By MPA 4 A 0O Kits III IUoFF For import vehicles Your Choice Import By MPA Tune-UKits tor most Import vehicles Import Starters Remanufactured Except gear reduction With exchange 299 2988 Gear Reduction Starters Replacement Witn 4988 exchange Import Alternators " Remanufactured Except Internal regulator With exchange Thomas says Calgary hasn’t given up on Blair “Calgary didn’t sign him for three months” the Eagle coach reminded "They signed him for two years They’re not panicking so he shouldn’t panic either “He’s a bright kid and he’s levelheaded” Thomas added “Everyone has to be concerned about their career and he’s concerned because he’s not playing I can’t blame him But we’ll find a spot for him It just hasn’t happened yet” Blair’s taken some comfort from that and from the fact Thomas ran M Internal Regulator Alternators With exchange Voltage Regulators For most vehicles Oilers’ Goalie Fuhr Back Stumps Blues import A AM M B w mg IU0 Uii 088 MEGA TORQUE Batteries peformance low maintenance All prices shown are with exchange 40 Month High Tribune Wire Services Edmonton goalie Grant Fuhr returned to NHL action Tuesday night for the first time since suffering a back injury on Jan 17 and the Oilers promptly won in St Louis for the first time in three seasons beating the Blues Numbers to Remember — When the Birds go on the rood the opponents shots on gool go up After allowing lust about 30 shots per contest during the lost homestand the Eogies went out ond gove up 42 to the Komets Saturday ond 39 to the Checkers Sunday CarburetorsFor 24-6-- half-year- C5 4 1987 IIIL Faceoff The biggest increase is at Indianapolis where the Checkers have put a entertaining winning team on the ice Their 4655 average is the league's best which only two Fort Wayne months ago had filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy is doing just over 4000 per contest thanks to a December-Januarrun that saw the Komets go They've had one sellout (8022) in that span and several others in the 5000-600range The Golden Eagles who have also averaged just over 4000 for most of the season are at 3979 per contest after 27 games That's still well under the club's break-evegoal of 4800 but well ahead of last year’s 3011 average "We were home for awhile so we had the time But now we’re on the road and he doesn’t go on the trips so that’s tough on him” Blair agrees but says he doesn't miss the IHL bus trips and can keep busy with regular workouts in the February Wednesday 3695 50 Month 60 Month 2 Mark Napier and Kevin Lowe scored in the first 13 minutes and Fuhr made four good saves during a St Louis power play midway through the second period The saves prelead and the served Edmonton’s Oilers pulled away in the final period when Jari Kurri and Craig MacTa-vis- h scored four minutes apart Doug Gilmour and Rick Meagher scored for St Louis 4195 72 Month Maintenance-tre- e dLYtf Autolite Spark Plugs 2-- 1 Limit 16 r Nordiques 4 Canadiens 1: At Michel Goulet extended his current scoring spree to four games with a goal and an assist as Quebec downed Montreal Anton Stastny Risto Siltanen and Basil McRae also scored for Quebec which hasn't lost at home to the Canadiens in two years The Nordiques led 0 after two periods Canucks 4 Flames 2: At Calgary Quebec SALE PRICES EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 4 THROUGH 1987 FEBRUARY 7 Sale prices subject to stocking items 4-- PARTS Brent Peterson scored midway through the third period to snap a tie and help Vancouver beat Calgary Dave Lowry intercepted an errant pass by Calgary defenseman Jamie Macoun and sent Peterson in alone The veteran center fired a wrist shot past goalie Mike Vernon at 7:57 Tony Tanti added an insurance goal for Vancouver with 143 to play 79 Resistor DAILY 9am-6p- 8am-7p- m 8am-9p- m HOLLADAY 1984 SALT LAKE CITY 915 WN Temple 1785 S State 1108 E 3300 South 328-005- 272-942- 1 484-412467-891- 4800 E S 9 BOUNTIFUL 350 W 600 S 3 1 292-493- 1 and special orders where applicable If an Item Is unavailable a rain check will be Issued We reserve the right to limit quantities m 5400 W 966-767- 3881 S 566-307- 5901 S 266-104- 2 9493 S 571-734- 2 S 700 1 TOOELE SANDY WEST JORDAN 7800 3500 W 969-378- 2 1525 W MURRAY S State WEST VALLEY CITY KEARNS 3770 336 E 882-808- 3 N Main 0 - 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