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(JUNIOR HOCKEY Papineau key part of | os Ottawa native already starring for young team By Paul Svoboda The Intelligencer When the Belleville Bulls used their first Bier at the 1996 OHL mi draft in Kitchener last spring they not only landed a top- flight talent, they also got a first- rate family a Papineau, 16, was ini- disappointed wh hen the Bulls habted ht him with the 11th overall pick. A 31-goal scorer in Tier I guins, Papineau is learning quick- ly that life in finesse player — can be ro Q0A) Bulls’ i, yr the Ottawa Senators last sea- A Papineau wanted to play at home. He didn’t even attend the draft. Papineau didn’t have a college scholarship deal waiting on the side. He didn’t want to stay in Ottawa just to have an instant shot aM a Memo Cup with the highly ranked Ottawa 67's. “I wanted to stay close to my little brother and sister,” he ue ees “They're seven and 11 and me moving away has been hard on them. Papineau makes daily phone calls to his siblings. rent he eel them he’s enjoying his OHL season immensely. “It’s been really good and peo- the OHL — even for a a recent brawl in Wind- ple here have been very nice to Papineau _ points off three goals and eight aa before being sidelined with groin ora offensive player who tries to emulate the moves of his As hero, NHL superstar Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Pen. “We've got a lot of rookies and we all xueia each other and it’s to jell,” he says. “We During sor, the foot. 10, 160-pound Pap- ineau was accos' by Spitfire rookie Kip Brennan — 6-foot-2, 200 pounds. He received a two-game suspension. “The speed and size differences (from ee II to OHL) are not as bad as it,” he says, “but I've got ak toughen Bet a bit and play more aggressive With only a ene of return- Still, he says it’s a club that can make some noise this year. really got ofr ae a rough start but now we're losing games by a goal. Later in the season, we could come on. Papineau refuses to set any def- inite personal “T just rant to take it game by ‘ . “You never know what's gone to happen.” Meanwhile, Papineau’s groin is one treated on a day-to-day basis. He hopes to play Saturday night when the Bulls make their first home ice appearance since Oct. 19, against the Kitchener Rangers, but his status is current- ly questionable.