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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1976, PAGE 13 "Wedon't want sympathy, we want justicee" - Pres Tom Fitzsimmons, President of the e Witby Warriors Senior 'A' Hockey, team watches intently as the Warriors play their regular l'hursday night game at the Iroquois Park Arena. Watching with him are iyoung hockey fans Rick Nieuwendyk and Jim '{oach. Mr. Fitzsirnmons has been frustrated by the lack of attendance at Warriors games this year. Free Press Photo by BLAKE PURDY Staff Writer Whitby Warriors President Tom Fitzsimmons is a very frusttated man. Most of his frustration stems from the long hours of liard work he 'devotes to running the local franchise in tlie Ontario Hockey Association Senior 'A' League with little or no reward. Reward for Fitzsiaimions, tlîe vice-priaci ual of t' O'Connor H Figli School in Whitby, wouild be a boister- ous capacity crowd at each aad every Warriors' harne ganie. But ;here are forces, aîany beyoad Fi tsziniaaos' coiîtrol, wlîiclî are working against it happening - forces sucli as conflicting events on ganie niglits, player injuiries, player work conîaîitnîents, inabiliîy ta maotivate players, but, mast imîportant, the attituide of the prafessional leiguies toward the anmateur circuits. However, these prob- ms are liat confiaed ta tlîe Warriors. Thecy are prablenms wilîi are slîared by nîast ania t *' r hockey teamns, especially tihose iii the Senior 'A League. The first probleni -coni- flictinig evenlts on ganie nighlts will always lhe around as long as thiere are people withi varying interests. The Va rriors, l'or exanîple, were forced by the stubhor- ness of the visiting Lindsay Lancers ta play a home gaine on an evening of' a recent SP o rtstelevised contest betweeal the Sports Moscow CentralRe National H ockey Leagili- HALLMARKt FIBERGLASS SWIMMING POOLS PRE. 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Whitby, for instance, has rarely entered a contest with a full complement of players, due in large part ta injuries, aiast notably ta inspirational playing caach Dave Nichai- ishen whose an-ice duties were terminated for the balance of the season by a damaged knee. The ilîird problemi-player work conîitmieîts- will stand as long as anî.teur hockey remnains amateur. Because amateur players receive little or fia pay, tlîey aîust rely on other jobs for their bread, butter and beer. The Warriors, for exanîple, have lost aile player through a work transfer and, or niaiîy evenings, aile or twa players cari be seen nîakinîg a nîad dash taward the dressinîg rooni as the niationîal antlîem is beiag cued up. w The forth prohlemi iinaliliiy' ta notivate players is shared aliîast exclusively by the senlior leagues because dlie players are neither get- iing paid a grecat deal nor are thley playiiîg ta iîîîpress prafessional scoutîs in the liopes of' getting paid a great deal in the future. "You caiî'î psyclîe up a senior hockey pkî,yer l'or-a gaine iin thle saiî way thiat youi can a junior player hecairse their nmotivations for playing the ganme a re different", says Fitzsimmons. Colour it green. "Since that motivation is not there in senior hockey tI-ere is not the samie ernotional pilch", hie says. The fifth and most important problem - the attitude of the professional leagues toward the amateur circuits- is one which, at presenit, is beyond the contrai of the amateurs. Hawever, the amateur leagues-, notably the Senior 'A' League, are working ta rectify the situation., In short, prafessio-ial teamis are stealing players away f rom the amateur squads while providing litile or na compensation. ThVe Warriors have been hit particularly liard by thiis practice, losing goaltender Dave Tata ryn and defencemian Ken Desjardine ta the World Hockey Association and forward Howie Menar'd ta the Anierican Hockey League. "On no occasion was thiere any contact of aay type. niot evea a phione calI, ta the management of aur ieami fremi the manageaient of the pros", says Fitzsinmans. "Tlhe pros don't care", lie says. "Thecy waat players aînd tiey're not prepared ta canipeîisate'. "They are arrogant", says Fitzsiinimans. "T'îey say 'we dan't have ta talk ta you. We can take any of your players we wanî anîd there is iîothing you can do about it' ý Tlîe probleni is they are ri glît. At present, tliere is notiang tlîat the senior ieamis can do about it. - "That's exasperating be- yond anything else", lie says. "We're flot able to protect ourselves this year because there is 'no agreement be- tween the professionals and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association". "Riglit now, no amateur hockey club lias - the financial resources to take action against any profession- ai club", says Fitzsirnm-ons. "We'd like to take legal action but we're flot- in a position where we c-an afford $5,000 or $6,000 in lawyers' fees ta take it to court".' "Even if the present player card was interpretted to be a contract, noa amateur teamf could impede a player fromi signing a pro contract", lie says. "We (the management of the senior teams) are drafting a personal services -contract to be -signed by every senior player with a pratective clause covering a player m oving from a senior team ta a pro tearn",* says Fitzsimmions. "With thîs personal ser- vices conrtract, wve waflt ta insure that anyoae wa-iting one of aur players will have to negotiate with aur management and will have ta provide compensation for that player loss either withi mnoney or aiother player", hie says. "We're not asking aay- body ta feel sorry for uis because everybody who is trying ta operate a team is having the saine problemis", says 1- tzsiiimains. **,,dan't want sympathiy, we want justice and we're damin well gaing ta get it". >Napanee Cornets' goaltender Steve Rexe stops p drive duringTlaursday's Senior 'A' contest against the Whitby Warriors. The Warriors woni 6-2 but droîped a 7-S decisioîi iii Napance onâsundav. F1ree Press Photo Warriors earn split against th e Cornm-ets Tho Onîtario Hockey Associat îin Senîior 'A' Wiibly Warriors split a pair of gpilles witlîi Illc Napaiîec b a lîurd~yeveingi( houme galine, thé Warri ors. vi tIi anly I12 players, scored a 6-1- vict(iry ove Itlie Coie1S, Mike Nooiîan scored twice lfo i le wiaîîers vho Hoîiles, Calvian Pe rtit . Mike Keena îî and (1 regBodlla r. .iliî Sunstrui l scored both1 of thie Naipance&s goals. ùOn Sunday ini Napaiîee, the' Warnojrs. ,\/ili m'on1Y 10 players, dropped a 7. decision. lVike 1,1E lilîiga il andi I'erî'y Ailgel each i red a liairi for the winncrs whîfle Bob Fergusoii. J mi Suristruni and Gary 1I h lot added singles. iiah Ediwuids anid Mike Nooîîan cidit turned in txvo- goal1 peu! oriances for Whitby - file Gord McCosli added a siigle. Tie WVtîriors play hast ta the firsllplace Thutnder Bay \vîiis iSainrday ai 7:45 at 1 euiluois Park Arena.