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The Canadien Champion, Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - A19 SPORTS SPORTS EDITOR: STEVE LeBLANO e-mail sIebIanc@haItonsearch.com No Calder Cup this timu o Hya But AHL vete'ranfinishesEM atop play off scoring race for second Urne in three years By Steve LeBlanc SPECIAL TO THE CHAMPION Darren Haydar added one more goal 10 his impres- sive post-season mun Thursday night, but would have gladly given il up for jus! one more game. Multon's 26-year-old American Hockey League veteran struck on the powerplay early in the second perîod, but it wasn'î anywhere near enough for bis host Milwaukee Admirais 10 stave off elimination in game six of the Calder Cup final. The Hershey Bears already had a 4-0 cushion hy the lime Haydar lut the iamp - scoring îhree lies in the first peniod - and went on ta win 5-i.ý Adding 10 the sîing of champîonship deleai was the fact that the Admirais held a pair of ane-game senies leads early on, and headed in the finals on a nîne-game winning streak - baving swepî hoîh the Houston Aeros and Grand Rapids G rîffîns. "Il's dîsappointing, abviausîs;' satd Hayýdar Erîday afîer- nauin. "This is going to stick ssitlh me for a long uie. lis a laugh pili to swallilw" \Vhile the diminutive righi lvinger can't really put lus fin- ger on jss where the series gai avway fron bis .\dmirals. a lack, of early lump \vas no daubi ta blarne for thecir champi- onship demise. Milwaukee gave up ai leasi îhrec iirst-period gioaIs i ail four of their lasses. "'Ne didn'î star! well, bîît stîli feh we caîtld wîn rîghî up untîl the enîd - even wben ssc fll behînd 3-0 last nîghî (Thursday). While the Admirais weren't quite able ta recapture the C aider Cup - having won il two years aga - thecir taiented Mîltontan did reclaîm bis spot atop the AHI playoff scarîng race. In fact he collected nine mare points than he did duning the 2004 championship mun, with Thursdays depasit mark- îng bis l8th goal and 35th point in 21 games. Combine that with a 92-point (35G, 57A) regular season, and Haydar led overali scaning for the AHEs 2005/06 cam- paign. Those numbers should no doubt boister bis options for next monîh, when he rejoins the free agent market. "I've had some positive feedback. and hopehîlly some teamn out there wanls my services aI the NHI level." . - ý ý : 1 ý îý 4P H O T O C O U R T E S Y 0 F S C O T P A U L S / M IL W A U K E E A DM iA L S I Milwaukee Admirais' assistant captain Darren Haydar (right> seen here in action earlier this season -had his hopes for a Calder Cup victory dashed Thursday night, when his Admirais fell 5- to Hershey in game six. Just who that tean is rernaîns a question mark. But whiat seems fairly certain is that ifs not the parent Nashivil.le Predators, who with a number of gilîed younger players in their organization just donft seem ta have the former AHI- Rookie of the Year on their radar. However, with the NHFs new era of wide-open, obstrus. tion-free hockey, Haydar remains cautiously optimisîic about hîs chances of catching on somewhere. Il think more teams are realizing that their third-lîne players need to be skilled - not jus! he able ta skate and play defence. Europe is still an option, hut my dreamn has always heem t play in the NHL, and I'd really like to gîve it one more shot. Just on the shoot-out and special teams alone, 1 shotîld have a chance. Thai's no bollow sentiment - at least when it cornes 10 special-teams product ion. Hlaydar ansassed 17 powerplay points through the play- offs - seven of ihem goals - and scored three limes while shorthanded. "We (Admirais) were top three in penalty killing in the playoffs, and being part of that, I assume, will boosî my stock," suggested the soon-to-be free agent, whose standout playoli mun also included six game-wýinning goals and a 14- game poini scorîng streak -_just two shy of the AHEýs past- r- a -scason record. t ~749Fif IL rt Stte e a sten pfQW lem I1R~UCtfR 905-8716z411Q0 BEsr Top SOIL ~s: Monday - Friday 7-7 eSaturday - 9-7 e S nda 10-5 tIfsd Net r. Let te Plâlnt! I id s.HR48 Foundation planting, accents and focal points for your yard... .we've got a complete selection of evergreens and deciduous! Sv Need a burst of colour in a corner of your yard or patio? Add a container gardien or hanging basket. Check our sale boards every weekend for discounts on plants, pottery and We've got ail the soils, muiches and aggregates youIl need for your garden!1