www.pgcitizen.ca | Wednesday, April 15, 2009 9

JIM SWANSON, Sports Editor 250.562.2441 Ext. 400 DIRECT SPORTS LINE: 250.960.2764 sports E-MAIL: [email protected] First trip to playoffs thrills LaBarbera

Jim Swanson come back to Vancouver and he was able to matter of who can stay healthy and who With Mason as the anchor, the Cats went Citizen Sports Editor be born where I grew up. It’s the first gets hot.” on a memorable playoff run in 1997 that in- grandson on both sides of the family, so With Luongo entrenched, LaBarbera cluded knocking off LaBarbera’s team, the Jason LaBarbera has pretty much maxed there’s no doubt he’ll be spoiled.” laughed when asked if he’ll have the best Hawks, in a stunning first-round upset. out on new experiences. The new arrival hasn’t left LaBarbera seat in the house. “Mason has been unbelievable for them,” The first was being involved in an NHL with a lot of time to rest when the Canucks “I’ll have my pom-poms ready and every- said LaBarbera. trade — from the to the have been at home, so it is likely a blessing thing,” he joked. “He’s such a quality person and team guy, , just prior to Christmas. in disguise that LaBarbera, who started just “I want to be out there playing but I’m not and he works so hard. The biggest reason The second — experiencing life in a one game after Feb. 13, has mostly viewed stupid, Luongo is the best goalie in the he’s been successful at this level is his com- Canadian NHL city. Ramping that up is the Vancouver’s late-season hot-streak from the league. It’s been different (being the back- petitiveness, and that’s something we’ve fact Vancouver is at least as much his home- bench. up) because I went from being the guy that talked about in our meetings here. It’s how town as Prince George, since the 29-year- That’s exactly where LaBarbera will be as everyone catered to (in L.A.), to the guy hard he wants to stop the puck, how hard old was born in Burnaby. the highly-paid Luongo is the key who has to cater to everyone else. he competes, and (Canucks shooters) have The third new trail is his first trip to the figure if the Canucks are to claim The best thing for me is that we’ve been told that it doesn’t matter if they’re NHL playoffs, where he’ll serve as backup the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. been winning and coming to the looking at an empty net, he’ll battle with to established starter and Canucks’ meal That trip starts tonight at Gener- rink on a winning team is a breath anything he can to keep it out of the net. He ticket . al Motors Place in Vancouver, of fresh air. You don’t have to walk finds a way.” Roll it all together and it might — MIGHT Game 1 in a best-of-seven series around on eggshells because LaBarbera, a six-foot-three, 225-pounder, — add up to one of the best days of his life. against the surging St. Louis Blues, you’ve lost a few games.” is completing the final season of a two-year That was the birth of his first child, son Ry- owners of the NHL’s best second- LaBarbera has learned a lot from pact he signed with the Kings, and will be- der, on February 26. half record. LABARBERA watching the man who will get come an unrestricted free agent. He has LaBarbera, who played his last years of “It’s my first time in the NHL consideration to start for Canada in two schools of thought on where his NHL minor hockey in Prince George before ad- playoffs, but having it in Vancouver and a the 2010 Olympics. future lies. vancing to the WHL with the Portland Win- Canadian city — well, we all know what it’s “It’s amazing how detailed he is, and how “I have no clue what will happen, but I ter Hawks, and fiancee Kodette are now the like in the playoffs in Canada,” said LaBar- he plans for every practice,” said LaBarbera. kinda get the feeling the Canucks would proud parents of a baby boy who checked bera, who finished the season with 28 ap- “He knows what he wants to get done, he like to have me back,” said LaBarbera, a in at eight pounds, seven ounces at Vancou- pearances, an 8-10-6 record, and a 2.78 doesn’t just show up and work. He’s got third-round draft choice by the New York ver Women’s Hospital. It’s the first grand- goals-against average. enough pull around here that he can get Randers in 1998 and a two-time winner of child for Tony and Debbie LaBarbera of “The excitement level is cool all the way practice (planned) around what he wants, the AHL’s goalie-of-the-year award. He was Prince George. around the city and it’s fun to see people re- drills to help things he needs to work on or also the MVP of the AHL in 2004. “It’s been amazing, and I’ve never been acting to it all. The atmosphere in GM Place get better at.” “Who knows what will happen? I’ll be an through this before so it’s definitely been a will be something, that’s for sure. LaBarbera noted the irony that the Blues’ unrestricted free agent so it’s a decision for pretty cool experience,” said LaBarbera, “We’ve proven we’re a contender the last starting netminder is Chris Mason, who me to make if I want to stay in Vancouver who plans to go from fiance to husband in few months, and with that comes some happens to be a bit of a hockey hero in and be Luongo’s backup. I wouldn’t play a the summer of 2010. pressure, but it’s pressure we want. You Prince George for his work with the lot, so I could look at going somewhere else “It was kinda cool that we were able to play all season for this time of year. It’s a Cougars. where I might get a chance to play more.”

Hogh second at bowling provincials

Jason Peters Citizen staff Two more strikes, and Kelsy Hogh would have been bound for nationals. Hogh, a local five-pin bowler, rolled to a second-place finish at the Coastal Insurance provincial open championships, held at Galaxy Bowl in Abbotsford on the weekend. In the ladies singles championship match, she lost 204-185 to top-seeded Leanne Wasden of Vancouver Island. With her victory, Wasden claimed the lone berth to nationals, June 3-6 in Saskatoon. Hogh’s score entering the 10th Junior frame was 160. Three strikes would have given her a 205 total and a one-pin victory. Unfortu- nately for Hogh, things didn’t work out that way. “I got one strike and then I punched the headpin,” she said. “We were both really nervous (in the match). I didn’t really miss returns the middle. It was just punching headpins — that’s what killed me. But we both struggled.” Hogh, a 20-year-old from the 5th Avenue Bowladrome, was Fans at Safeco Field cheer Ken Griffey Jr. as he steps to the plate Tuesday in Seattle in the first inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels. Griffey singled in his first time at the plate at home since rejoining the Mariners. making her second appearance in AP photo provincials as a ladies singles com- petitor. Last year, she finished fourth, so her weekend result was Mariners fans give warm welcome home to Griffey a definite improvement. “Last year, I didn’t know what to The Associated Press the first Seattle sports star to gain Griffey did in the 1990s to put the the stadium’s brief history. expect,” she said. “This year, I national notoriety, Griffey hadn’t Pacific Northwest on the baseball “And now welcoming home kind of knew more but the gold SEATTLE — First inning singles donned a Mariners uniform in a map. your favourite son,” Niehaus said. medal was a little more nerve- never get the kind of raucous decade. Signs decorated every level of Of course, this isn’t the same wracking. crowd reaction usually reserved Griffey went 1-for-3 as the des- the stadium, mostly created by Griffey that once clung to outfield “I wanted to place top-two, so I for game-winning homers. ignated hitter in Seattle’s 3-2 vic- 20- and 30-somethings who grew walls like sticky tape to rob extra- can’t complain.” Then again, it’s been a decade tory in 10 innings over the Los An- up with Griffey as their idol dur- base hits and cracked homers into Hogh qualified in third place for since Naughty By Nature’s “Hip geles Angels, his first game in ing his reign as one of the premier the upper reaches of the King- the five-person stepladder play- Hop Horray” blared over the Seattle with the Mariners since players in baseball. dome. offs. In her first playoff match, she speakers as The Kid strode to the Sept. 26, 1999. One woman in her 20s had Despite the graying hairs and in- beat Joann Bosch of the Okana- plate wearing the home whites at “Everybody put a lot into it and “Marry Me Griffey” on the front of juries that have chipped away at gan 290-156. Next, Hogh took out Safeco Field. it’s more about the 25 guys in her shirt. Another group in the Griffey’s career, the fans that grew Chelsea Ealey of the Fraser Valley. Welcome home Ken Griffey Jr. here, not just me,” Griffey said af- left-field bleachers held up letters up watching him during his finest The score in that game was 261- “Everyone knows this is the terward. “It just so happens for me reading “The Kid Is Back.” seasons are just happy to see 203. house that Griffey built,” said 21- it was my return, but we’ve got In the team store down the “Mariners” written across the Hogh’s current average is 244, year-old Kennedy White before something special going on in third-base side of the stadium, a front of his jersey again. which is actually a little lower Tuesday night’s game. “To finally here. It’s about everybody and not store employee was stationed with “His legacy is cemented, but I than normal. She’s a third-year have him come back and play in just me.” a hook in hand, regularly pulling think what he does this year is still nursing student in a joint CNC- his house is something that you As if there was any doubt, the down new Griffey jerseys off the important,” said 22-year-old UNBC program and the demands can’t really describe.” love-affair the region has with rack. Aaron Wham, wearing a gray of her course work have limited With his No. 24 jerseys pulled Griffey was displayed from the During the pre-game cere- Griffey jersey. “We’re not expect- her time on the lanes. from thousands of closets, dusted moment he first trotted onto the monies marking the 10th anniver- ing Griffey of the 90s, but I’m also “I’m not worried about bowling off and worn by countless fans, red carpet during pregame intro- sary of Safeco Field, Hall of Famer not expecting some hobbled 40- — just school,” she said with a Seattle made it clear that Griffey ductions. announcer Dave Niehaus noted year-old. chuckle. “It’s a little busy.” is still No. 1 in their hearts. The ovations were roaring the magnitude of the day as he “I’m still expecting a Hall of Prince George’s Kim Thompson The face of the franchise and waves of appreciation for what ran through the top moments of Fame player.” also scattered pins in the ladies singles category at provincials. Thompson qualified fourth for the stepladder playoffs but lost her first match to the fifth-seeded Grigg, Jackson fastest in Hart Half Bosch, 380-269. Mary Ann Sanders, also from Citizen staff winning time of 1:31:20. Her closest rival was 10 student at D.P. Todd secondary school — Prince George, finished 21st. Maizie Bernard (1:43:42). covered the 10km course in an impressive In the men’s singles division, Kevin Grigg showed some heart in the Hart The Hart Half also offered up a 10km race 56:44. Jeff Hickey was the top P.G. Half Marathon. and a 5km event. In the 5km race, masters runner Brian bowler. He ended up 12th in a 21- In the Prince George Roadrunners race, held In the 10km distance, masters athlete Patrick Nemethy outpaced the field with a clocking of player field. Fellow locals Ryan Sunday in the Hart Highlands area of the city, Turner beat the younger guys across the line. 16:49. Jacqui Benson topped all female com- Borne and Cec MacAdams were Grigg was the first man across the finish line in Turner clocked in at 38:12, almost a minute petitors in the same distance. The national-cali- 13th and 15th respectively. the 21-kilometre distance. He stopped the clock quicker than open runner Bryce Gladdish bre cross-country skier showed she’s just as fast In team play, the north zone in one hour 25 minutes 14 seconds, comfort- (39:08). The women’s 10km winner was Re- in a pair of running shoes, finishing in a time of women were fifth, the men were ably in front of second-place runner Stephen becca Chishoth. She finished in 41:25, well 18:51. sixth and the mixed team placed Matyas (1:27:08). ahead of runner-up Lindsay Mandryk (46:17). The next event on the Roadrunners schedule seventh. In the women’s race, Shar Jackson posted a Local race walker Kevin Gaiesky — a Grade is the Miworth Run. It is planned for April 26.