sols

’ ut 2 call from the Minnesota

Nort: from

his hockey future.

yer Tight winger packed his

: : conn rican Hockey League (AHL)

' ans and took a three-game tour techniques were nurtured in the aeind ‘the . National Hockey North Shore Winter Club (NSWC) 3 arojue aS a Minnesota North Star. ‘program, where. Houck had _ the é Lene scored: his first NHL goal: good fortune to be on teams Ied . : March ‘26 against the Quebec Nor- with first-rate coaching and fired diquess Playing in only his second with the magic of winning. HH game, In back-to-back seasons from

a i NE. was jelly..before my first. 1978 to 1980, the NSWC’s midget

° q hift, +» Houck ‘said, ‘‘but I played A. squad, . ‘under coach Vern 5 s' sy and | I: think. ‘everybody was’ Moberg and manager Vern Dug- h we y You! like to produce | when gan, were provincial champions : hapP et a chance, ‘so it’s a real and winners of the national Air

G ; 00 ‘| feéling, yes.” Canada Cup.

ie 7YGU. LIKE TO PRODUCE WHEN |

you GET. A. CHANCE...IT’S A

ms REAL. GOOD FEELING” - HOUCK | i Th yer his brief tour of NHL du- Houck was his team’s . top t Ho ‘ovek was: temporarily return- scorer. He won the ‘national 5 bo the AHL’ Springfield Indians. championship’s most’ sport- ‘ where fe has-been throughout the . smaniike player: award. in the 4 4 1985+ 86 Sason.: .» 1978-79 Canada Cup. to, i “How ck has no complaints, as he ‘Really, the hockey program on i ; most “guys don't’ get beyond - the North Shore is fantastic. We : says 7 Moca rink and their local had a great group of guys, a con-

ve i or: pockey league.’ But having _ sistent team and. consistent

. & mn as far as he has, Houck is not _ coaching.”

_— epout | 10° chang up his: skates until .. That initial sweet taste of hockey ; iB has taken? a. few “more laps “success. convinced’ Houck to a Eee nd he big-league circuit. persevere. Amercian colleges soon

whet, Springfield missed. the

: iF jgol of Indians called up as a | han th Stats’ reserve player for the me “No nes! team’s run. at. the

Stan nley Cup...

_ AYERS. from North Vancouver United, in ‘striped ‘shirts, scramble to o keep control of the accer ball. “The local PLA day at Lillo et Park during the B. C. “Youth Association Soccer Playoffs. North Vancouver United won the game four to one and placed first

Sah n the

play offs. :

playoffs, Houck: was one of”

th Stars suddenly blew the grey

y The 22-year-old North Van-:

By TIMOTHY R AAW

News Reporter

Houck has been playing hockey since he was six. His talents and

picked up the scent, and: hockey

“scholarship offers began rolling in-'

tothe Houcks’ North Vancouver

“household. He eventually chose the Univer- ; with

sity of Wisconsin, primarily for its

“sports

RIGHT WINGER PAUL HOUCK SCORES FOR MINNESOTA

NV hockey player hits NHL big time

BEFORE March 24, Pau! Houck was skating along the edge or noche obscurity down on the farm.

action

photo submitted

HOCKEY PLAYER Paul Houck, 22, of North Vancouver scored big last month: when he was given the oppor- tunity.1o play three games with the National Hockey League’s Minnesota North.Stars. The right-winger is cur- rently playing with the American Hockey League.’ Lo ;

hockey .reputation, which had blossomed under coach Bob Johnson, 'now head coach of the NHL Calgary Flames.

In June, 198!, the North Van- couver-product was a fourth round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers. He was one of only two BCJHL players selected that year.

In his 1982-83. sophomore year

the -Wisconsin University’s ¥

“Badgers, Houck hit full stride. He: ;

led the team’s scoring attack with

?-38 goals and 33 assists in 45 games. - He scored the winning goal against

North Dakota in a 6-5 triple over- time victory that sent the team to National College Athletic Associa- tion finals, and ultimately to the

’ 1982-83 college championships.

But Houck hit a low spot the

following year .when.a pair. of

NEWS Sonoie Mike eee | am played Victoria Bays United

Soha a McManus. we

shoulder operations knocked him “out-of contention for ‘a spot on Canada’s Olympic hockey team.

His. play with the. Badgers ‘suf- fered, but.2again he . persevered. Following NCAA playoffs in 1985, Houck was called up to Edmon-' ton’s Halifax farm team, where he signed his first -pro-.contract.-: In June, he’ was traded to Minnesota .. and assigned to Springfield. ©

NORTH Vancouver's Grant Con-

nell has been named.B.C.: Athlete

‘of the month for April by Tennis

Canada. _ 7

‘The 20-year-old. tennis pro was selected for his brilliant: showing during February. on the Associa- tion of Tennis Professional (ATP) British satellite. circuit. .

Finishing first in one of the cir- cuit's tournaments and second in another, Connell racked up 19 ATP points and jumped from 550 to 350 in world professional tennis :rankings. .

“Connell, who began his tennis

‘career seven. ‘years ago at the North.-

- Shore’ Winter: Club, is currently’ touring Mexico. as a member’ of

Canada’s . seven-member Molson

National Team. Touring ‘coach for the teain is

+