THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 23, 1994 TAG: 9411230606
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 143 lines
He's already skated through two grueling practices, and Trevor Halverson hasn't had enough. He strips off his jersey and pads and walks into an exercise room adjoining the Hampton Roads Admirals dressing quarters.
There he boards a stationary bike and, along with teammate and roommate John Porco, pedals for 30 minutes. Beads of sweat stream down his face and arms when he's finally done.
``That's not unusual for Halverson,'' said Admirals coach John Brophy, whose team hosts the Raleigh IceCaps tonight at Scope. ``The guy works in practice, he works after practice, he works in games. I don't think he's skated a bad shift yet for us.
``He said he was going to come here and try to be the best player on the team and bust his gut.''
Halverson, 23, is busting his gut in part because he's reached a crucial point of his hockey career. He spent most of his first three pro seasons in the American and International hockey leagues, one step removed from the NHL.
Time is growing short if he is to move back up and eventually fulfill his dream of playing in the NHL.
Halverson, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound forward, made a steady climb up the hockey ladder until last season, when he suffered his first sustained injury.
After playing most of two seasons in Baltimore of the AHL, he was claimed by Anaheim in the expansion draft prior to last season. The Mighty Ducks sent him to San Diego and later to Milwaukee of the IHL.
Anaheim was high on Halverson, and a good start last season might have landed him a spot on the Mighty Ducks roster. But a hand injury sidelined him most of the year and he was released.
``It kept me out for a couple of months,'' Halverson said. ``It was very frustrating.
``It finally healed in the off season. I went to training camp at Las Vegas (of the IHL) and sure enough, it popped up again.''
Halverson was cut and immediately came to Hampton Roads, for whom he played briefly two years ago.
Six weeks after hitting the ice for the Admirals, Halverson is injury free. The hand finally appears to have fully healed.
He has played in 12 games for Hampton Roads, tallying 13 points, and three games with the Portland Pirates, the Admirals' AHL affiliate.
Brophy says Halverson will eventually move up to Portland, or another team in a higher league.
``A couple of places have called about him,'' Brophy said. ``While we have him, we're going to enjoy him.''
What Brophy enjoys most is Halverson's combination of size and skill. He is a fast skater with a sure stick, but he's at his best using his size and muscle in front of the net to push opponents away from the goal.
If a team gets too physical, Halverson can punch with the best. Eleven days ago, Greensboro's Chris Valicevic threw down his gloves and went after Halverson, who felled him with one punch. Valicevic is now on the 30-day injured reserve list.
``After he put that guy on the 30-day list,'' Brophy said ``I don't know how many more are going to try him.
``Halverson doesn't go looking for that. He goes out and takes his shots in front of the net and then he skates away. He doesn't mouth off, doesn't pick somebody from behind.
``But he's very physical. It's tough to get a player that good who's that physical.''
Or who plays such a mean guitar. Halverson was raised in rural White River, Ontario, a town of 1,000 people about 200 miles north of the Canadian-Michigan border.
His father is part Ojibway Indian (as is teammate Dennis McEwen), and passed on an affection for hunting, fishing and country music to his son.
Halverson brought his guitar and banjo with him to Hampton Roads, as well as his love for life in the wilderness.
``White River is in the middle of nowhere,'' he said. ``We have a grocery store, a couple of gas stations, a saw mill and a railroad.''
His father works at the sawmill and makes money on the side by trapping.
``A lot of people wouldn't agree with that, but he's done it his whole life,'' Halverson said. ``It's something that was passed down to him by his ancestors.
``When I was growing up we went hunting and fishing. It was a lot of fun. We went ice fishing in the winter.''
He also played hockey during the winter even though White River didn't have any teams of its own. White River kids would bus to nearby Hornetayne to play hockey.
At age 15, Halverson made a big sacrifice for hockey. He moved in with his aunt in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 200 miles away, so that he could play junior hockey.
Curiously, he wound up playing for Porco's father that first season.
``It's something I had to do,'' he said. ``I had to make that commitment.
``It wasn't that hard for me. I wanted to go play hockey, I wanted to go to school out of town. It was harder on my parents.''
His younger brother took the same route and is playing in Ontario.
``It's a lot of sacrifice, but it's something a a lot of hockey players do,'' he said. ``It's paid off.''
Brophy said all of Halverson's sacrifice will pay off when the NHL lockout is finally settled. Many NHL teams have sent younger players to the AHL and IHL to keep them in shape during the lockout. When play begins again, those players will move up, and ECHL players will move up as well.
``Halverson has a good chance of moving up when the lockout is over, if he's not gone by then already,'' Brophy said.
Halverson shrugged when asked about the lockout.
``Whatever happens happens,'' he said. ``It's unfortunate the NHL isn't playing.
``But I don't think about that. For now, all I want to do is work my butt off and help this team win.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff color photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Trevor Halverson, left, has three goals and 10 assists in 12 games.
GAMEWATCH
HAMPTON ROADS vs. RALEIGH
Site: Scope, 7:30 p.m.
Radio: WTAR AM-790 (pre-game show, 7 p.m.).
Tickets: About 3,500 remained late Tuesday afternoon, priced at
$6 and $7. Scope capacity is 8,990. For information, call 640-1212.
Trade show: The Admirals host their annual trade show beginning
at 5:15 p.m. in the Scope exhibition hall. Fans can sample products
from area businesses and Admirals souvenirs will be on sale. Players
will be available for autographs in the exhibition hall for a
limited time.
About the Admirals: Hampton Roads broke a five-game losing streak
with a 2-1 overtime victory Saturday at Greensboro, halting the
longest losing skein in four years. But the Admirals remain in last
place in the six-team East Division with a 6-8-1 record and 13
points, five behind fifth-place Raleigh and 16 behind first-place
Richmond. Coach John Brophy says defenseman Rob MacInnis will be in
uniform tonight after signing a contract with the Portland Pirates,
who are expected to assign him to the Admirals today. Hampton Roads
is at home Friday against Greensboro, then travels Saturday to
Richmond.
About the IceCaps: Raleigh is 8-7-2 and had a four-game winning
streak broken last week by Charlotte. The IceCaps are 0-2 against
the Admirals, having dropped a pair of home openers to Hampton
Roads. The Admirals opened their home season with a 5-2 victory over
Raleigh. Hampton Roads then downed Raleigh, 5-4, in the IceCaps home
opener. Center Kevin Riehl leads the IceCaps with 13 goals and eight
assists. Left wing Lyle Wildgoose has seven goals and 12 assists.
Riehl has scored goals in six of the last seven games.
by CNB