HOCKEY
Sipotz drafted by Thrashers
By STEVE LOWE
Tribune Staff Writer
General
managers in the National Hockey League just love a big guy who can
skate.
At 6-foot-7,
245 lbs., Granger resident and former Culver Academy hockey player Brian
Sipotz fit that bill for the Atlanta Thrashers.
A recent
graduate of Miami University (Ohio), where he played defense for four
years, Sipotz signed a two-year deal with the Thrashers on June 2.
Sipotz was
chosen in the fourth round of the 2001 draft by Atlanta, and despite a
college career devoid of gaudy numbers (0 goals, three assists), his
physical statistics were enough for the Thrashers.
"They
were happy with my skating ability and my physical presence on the
ice," Sipotz said during a phone interview this week. "My
biggest advantage is my size and reach and how I use my strength in the
corners."
Sipotz likens
his game to another NHL defender, 6-9, 260-lb. Ottawa Senators behemoth
Zdeno Charra.
He also has
gotten advice from 17-year NHL veteran Uwe Krupp, himself a large
defender who played sparingly for Atlanta last season.
Krupp, who is
probably best known for his Stanley Cup-clinching overtime goal for
Colorado in 1996, is listed at 6-6, 235, and has passed along some of
the knowledge he has gained from his long career.
"Coaches
have lots of ideas for you when you're that big," Sipotz said.
"It was great to hear from Uwe what ideas are realistic because he
knows what a big player can do in the NHL."
Sipotz will
find out at training camp in September which Atlanta minor league
affiliate he will likely be playing for next season -- either the
Chicago Wolves of the AHL or the Gwinnett Gladiators of the East Coast
league.
Of course,
plenty of scenarios will play out between now and September as the NHL
heads through the offseason toward a possible player lockout by team
owners. The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire
Sept. 15 and the owners and players are still at odds over a new CBA.
A lockout
could result in many talented first- or second-year players who would
have been in the NHL playing in the minors instead, making roster room a
precious commodity.
Sipotz,
however, is not worried about finding his place in the organization.
"I'm
confident there's a spot for me," Sipotz said. "They wouldn't
have signed me (to an NHL contract) if there wasn't a spot."
In the
meantime, he'll continue to work out with his personal hockey trainer,
Sean Karp of Vancouver, and prepare for a shot with the big club.
"Getting
drafted was step one," Sipotz said. "Step two was an NHL
contract. This is just another stepping stone."
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