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."
|
