ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 1, 1996 TAG: 9612020091
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-11 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HOCKEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR.
A local hockey wag once said the worst thing that could happen to a hockey player wasn't a high stick to the nose, a scar from a skate-inflicted wound or a slap shot to the forehead. No, the old sage said, the worst fate that could befall a skater would be fatherhood.
It makes a hockey player a human being, the thinking goes.
The logic there being that a guy who in his younger days would have thought nothing of crashing into the boards to knock the puck free from an opponent suddenly thinks twice before doing anything that might inhibit his ability to care for his progeny.
Jeff Jablonski became a father during the past summer. Instead of turning him into a doddering old coot on skates, though, fatherhood seems to have brought out the kid in the 29-year-old left wing for the ECHL's Roanoke Express. After scoring a team-high 39 goals during what he described as a ``roller-coaster year,'' Jablonski is playing better this season and again is leading the team in scoring.
``I just try to be a leader by example,'' said Jablonski, the oldest member of the Express. ``If [shots] go in off my stick, fine. If they go in off somebody else's, fine. I avoid all that business of looking at points.''
He's playing more consistently and more relaxed than he did a season ago, when he returned to the ice after sitting out the 1994-95 season. His 14 goals in 23 games put him on a pace to score 42 this season.
If anything, Jablonski said fatherhood has helped him keep things in perspective better than he did a year ago during an up-and-down season for an experienced Express team. Jablonski said life has been good since his wife, Kim, gave birth to daughter Jordyn, the couple's first child, four months ago.
``I'm the happiest guy in the world right now,'' said Jablonski. ``I let a lot of things bother me in the past. I don't go home and worry about negatives anymore. I go home and forget about things let 'em go.''
It used to be that Jablonski would lose sleep over hockey matters beyond his control. These days, not even little Jordyn interrupts her daddy's slumber.
``She sleeps through the night now,'' Jablonski said. ``It started out, she'd wake up every three hours. Now it's pretty easy. Sometimes it's hard finding a sitter, but there are a lot of good wives [of players] who help out.''
In a way, Jablonski is a father figure to a young team that has 10 rookies on the roster.
``There's a totally different attitude among these guys,'' said Jablonski. ``I know we have better players. We have talent, and if we get everybody on the same page mentally, we can be a good team. That's the only thing if we underachieve mentally. I'm just trying to set a good example for the young guys.''
NO OFF WEEK: The Express is off until Dec.8, but the team is going to spend about as much time on buses and in motels as if it were playing three road games.
That's because the team will have to practice in Charlottesville while the Roanoke Civic Center is playing host to ``Disney on Ice - Beauty and the Beast.''
The Express will practice in Charlottesville on Wednesday and will stay overnight for another practice the next day. Then, the Express will get in a practice in Richmond before playing the Renegades on Dec.8.
ICE CHIPS: Jeff Loder scored in back-to-back games for the first time in more than two weeks when he had goals against South Carolina and Hampton Roads. He became the fourth Express players to reach double digits in goals, joining Jablonski, Chris Lipsett and Jeff Cowan.
The Express does not play at home again until Dec.14 against Knoxville. Roanoke plays eight games in December, five at home.
A public skating session will be held from 1:30-4 p.m. today at the civic center. Admission is $5, skate rental $2.
AROUND THE ECHL: The Columbus Chill became the fourth ECHL franchise to draw 1 million fans Saturday night. Fans were scheduled to enter the Ohio State Fairgrounds Coliseum through a race track-style entrance that would allow team officials to know exactly who the millionth fan would be. The Chill has played to nearly 99 percent of capacity at the 5,700-seat Fairgrounds Coliseum and boasts a minor-league hockey record of 83 consecutive sellouts from 1992-94. The Chill has sold out 143 of 175 games since 1991.
Johnstown played before a sellout for the first time in nearly two years when it attracted a standing-room-only crowd of 4,138 on Nov. 23.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 84 linesby CNB