22 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2007 Long but successful ski season for OT student By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF When you can extend your Alpine season into April -- a month that has people thinking more about breaking out the golf clubs than strapping on a pair of skis -- you know it's been a good year. That's exactly what 14-year-old Mike Turnbull did. After winning the super combined Super G/slalom gold medal at the national championships at Mount Tremblant, Quebec in March, Turnbull earned himself the opportunity to represent Canada at the Whistler Cup earlier this month. The Whistler Cup is one of two races -- the other is held in Italy -- that brings together the world's best 13- and 14-yearold skiers. Similar to a World Cup race for the age group with 20 countries represented, Turnbull turned in a 19th-place finish out of 97 competitors in the Super G. He was also 27th in the slalom and 31st in the giant slalom. His inclusion in the Whistler Cup was a reward for the long hours of training he has put into the sport. The Grade 9 student at Oakville Trafalgar High School trains seven hours a day, Thursday to Sunday. Complicating matters is that he skis out of Georgian Peaks in Collingwood. Turnbull, who has been skiing since he was three, keeps on top of his school work through a program which allows him to get his assignments for the days that he's not in school. His dedication to the sport paid off this year. He finished third overall at the Ontario championships in Thunder Bay at the beginning of March, including second-place finishes in the slalom and the super combined Super G/slalom in the K2 division. He was also fourth in the combined and eighth in the Super G. He followed that up with a fourth overall finish at the nationals. And although he was second at provincials in the super combined, he knew he had a chance to get to the top of the podium at nationals. "Ontario is the strongest province, so I knew I could do well at nationals, too," he said. In addition to his super combined gold, he was also eighth in the giant slalom and 13th in the Super G. Turnbull's season has also earned him a spot on the Ontario developmental team for next season. And while everyone is still soaking in the summer sun, Turnbull will be off to Colorado in August for a pre-season training camp. GOING DOWNHILL FAST: Oakville Trafalgar High School student Mike Turnbull recently concluded a successful downhill skiing season. The 14-year-old won the super combined Super G/slalom gold medal at the national championships last month in Quebec, then represented Canada at the Whistler Cup -- a competition featuring the world's best 13- and 14-year-old skiers. Legein, Cann, Gagner all likely to go in first round of draft The Ontario Hockey League's coaches recently voted Stefan Legein the Eastern Conference's most improved player. Apparently, those coaches weren't the only ones paying attention. Scouts also noticed the strides the former Oakville Rangers player took this past season. NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings for June's NHL entry draft on Wednesday and the Mississauga IceDogs winger jumped from 32nd among North American skaters (goalies and European skaters are rated separately) in the mid-season report to 13th. "It's nice to know my year was noticed and to be rated in the first round," Legein said. "But you never really truly know until way the team played, we were winning the draft. Sometimes guys are rated 10th games and scouts are going to come to and go 50th, and a guy rated watch a team that's winning." "It's nice to know my 50th goes 10th." He certainly did his part in While Legein isn't count- year was noticed and helping the IceDogs win as he ing on being a first-round to be rated in the first went from 16 points last seapick until he hears his name round, but you never son to 75 this year. He also called at the draft in scored a goal in the Canadian Columbus, Ohio, the odds are really truly know until Hockey League's top in his favour. In the past 10 the draft." prospects game. drafts, it has taken an average Last year, two Oakville of 19 selections for 13 North Stefan Legein players -- Steve Mason, third American skaters to be choround to Columbus, and Nick sen. Dodge, sixth round to Carolina -- were cho"I have to give my teammates and coach- sen in the NHL draft. es a lot of credit," the 18-year-old said. "The This year, when the 30 NHL teams gather in Columbus, Ohio, there could be three local players selected in the first round. In addition to Legein, Peterborough Petes goalie Trevor Cann and the London Knights' Sam Gagner are also rated highly for the June 22-23 draft. Cann is the second-rated North American goalie. Cann held the top spot in the previous ranking but was surpassed by Jeremy Smith of the Plymouth Whalers. There have been at least two North American goalies selected in the first round in seven of the past 10 drafts, with the second non-European netminder being selected 24th overall, on average. See Tavares page 23 N O O PE W N ! Voted Burlington's #1 Course (everyday after 2:00pm) Featuring On-Line Booking Reader's Choice Winner