THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 11, 1994 TAG: 9411110785
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
He had more important things on his mind, such as a plague of injuries and the fact that he was toiling for a troubled franchise. But each time Colin Gregor came to Scope last season to play against the Hampton Roads Admirals, he marveled at the atmosphere.
``How could you not be ready to play hockey in this rink?'' said Gregor, a forward in Richmond last season.
``The atmosphere is big time. To me it's the league's Cadillac franchise.
``I'm sure a lot of players from other teams dream about what it would be like to play here.''
The dreaming ends tonight for Gregor, who makes his debut for the Admirals when they host Greensboro at 7:30.
It has been a long and tortuous route for Gregor that began last summer, when he asked to be traded by Richmond.
Gregor tore the rotator cuff in his left shoulder, then broke his right thumb in four places. With a cast on his right hand and his left shoulder virtually useless, Gregor says he ``had the worst hockey experience of my life. It was awful.''
He managed to score 31 points in 40 games, a remarkable statistic considering the injuries. He also attracted the attention of Admirals coach John Brophy.
``When I talked to (Richmond coach) Roy Somner about being traded, he mentioned that Broph might be interested,'' he said.
``It was tough to ask Roy to trade me. Richmond is a pretty good place and I have nothing against Roy. But my on-ice experience was so negative, I just wanted to make a clean start. Everything there had gone wrong for me.''
He figured he'd wind up in Wheeling, a team that had tried to deal for him last season. Then in early September came the word he was going to Hampton Roads.
``I was happier than hell to be traded here,'' he said. ``I was thrilled.''
Days later came another phone call and another thrill - he was issued an invitation to play for The Canadian National Hockey Team.
He played with the national team for more than a month, traveling to France while playing with a half dozen NHL players. The Admirals expected he would remain in Canada for the season.
But as the NHL lockout wore on, Glenn Anderson of the New York Rangers signed with the national team and Gregor was released.
Gregor then heard from officials at another ECHL team that the Admirals had suspended him.
``I didn't know what was happening and was worried,'' Gregor said.``My reaction was, `How can I be suspended?' ''
It took only a phone call to Admirals assistant coach Al MacIsaac to straighten things out. He was suspended, he was told, because that was the only way for the Admirals to protect ECHL rights to him.
Come on down today and we'll play you tomorrow, MacIsaac said.
So he flew down, watched the Admirals lose a shootout to Richmond on Oct. 29 and he was scheduled to play at Richmond the next day.
But just hours before the game the Admirals were told Gregor could not play for two more weeks, that being suspended meant sitting out a minimum of 30 days.
``I was frustrated,'' he said. ``I was ready to play, anxious to play, but there was nothing I could do about it.
``I've been practicing, trying to stay in shape and to become a part of the team.''
Brophy says he likes what he's seen of Gregor in practice.
``He's a very good skater and had quite a game in Richmond last year,'' Brophy said. ``He's a strong, physical guy in great shape. He looks to me like he has a great work ethic, and we need that.''
He surely has a great hockey background. Raised in rural Alberta on a farm 40 miles southeast of Edmonton, he cut his teeth watching the great Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup champions and grieved when the Oilers sold Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings.
``I'm still an Oilers fan, but I'm not a fan of (Oilers owner) Peter Picklington,'' Gregor said. ``He dismantled the best team ever created.''
After playing four years in the Western Hockey League, Gregor rejected an offer from Salt Lake City of the IHL to play at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, where he was a member of the Canadian college national champion.
He finally broke into pro hockey last season, only to break his hand and wrench his shoulder.
``The shoulder is great now,'' he said. ``I had surgery last spring and it's fine.
``The best part about playing for the Canadian National Team was just having the chance to play. I'd been in rehab all summer for the shoulder. The national team got me into shape. There were games, but mostly a lot of practice, a lot of two-a-days.
``It's almost a track team there. They play on the big ice and really whip you into shape.
``Last year was a nightmarish season. Every game I dressed I was hurt. But I've put that behind me. I want to regroup and have a good year.'' ILLUSTRATION: JIM WALKER/Staff
by CNB