Sports Trade Deadline Looming Stephanie Smith, OP Hockey Guru {a A. with every year the trade deadline makes me nervous. I both love it and hate it. I love it because sometimes my team will make a move so absolutely amazing that it makes me smile with glee. When Toronto traded Maxim Kondratiev and Jarkko Immonen for Brian Leetch in 2004 I could not believe it. I mean, this is a good defenseman and we nabbed him for very little. I hate it because sometimes you see some of your favourite players dealt away to other teams for players you would rather not have in his stead. The deadline is looming over us. February 27 is not that far off. And what is coming up for your favourite players and teams? Who will stay and who will go? Who will make big moves, and who will not? It’s always tough to guess, but as always there are many rumours floating around trying to figure out what moves will be made. Anson Carter’s name has been in the centre of these rumours all year long. He signed a one-year deal in Columbus, but has not lived up to last year’s production. Since his signing, it has been rumoured that Vancouver will make a trade for him at the deadline and put him back with the Sedin line. This Pg 16 is one rumour that I see as being very feasible. It makes sense. They gelled together very well last season, and no one this season on the Canucks seems to have the same chemistry. It would show that the Canucks are ready to make that last big playoff push. Peter Forsberg was another name that has been at the centre of the trade rumours as of late. With the Flyers doing as poorly as they are, they are ready to give it up and hope for the best for next season. It’s just a matter of where he will end up. Teams rumoured to want him include the New York Rangers, the Colorado Avalanche, the Detroit Red Wings, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Nashville Predators. Darcy Tucker yet another player whose name has been popping up in trade rumours these last few weeks. His contract with Toronto expires this season, and both the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames have been rumoured to have some interest. However, Tucker has expressed interest in getting a deal done with Toronto soon, so if he is traded it is likely that he would end up back in Toronto during the summer. Gary Roberts has been rumoured to want out of Florida (remember the beginning of the year when he asked for a trade?) But who would want him at this point? I heard on Sportsnet that The Senators were interested in Roberts, but most prominent are the rumours that he will head back to Toronto. This is likely, because from what I know of Toronto’s deadline acquisitions, they usually trade for someone who has done at least one stint with Toronto before. Most puzzling of all are the rumours that put Jose Theodore on the move. He has not been great, again, and has lost his starting position with the Avalanche to Peter Budaj. But with his enormous salary, which team is going to want him. No one is going to pay six million dollars for a goaltender in an off year, and there is no one rumoured to be after him. We will have to wait and see what happens with the deadline, as, like I said, it is impossible for us to predict what will happen. But one can only just hope that whatever your team does, it helps. And actually, just as I finished writing this, it was confirmed that Peter Forsberg was indeed traded to the Nashville Predators. Forsberg goes to Nashville who gives up Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent, and a first and third round draft pick. So, it has begun. Number One Royals Still Unstoppable Douglas College Athletics r; the seventh consecutive week, the Douglas Men’s Basketball team held down the number one ranking in the country. The Royals team was able to keep the top ranking after a two game sweep of the Langara College Falcons this past weekend, despite missing forward Graeme McCallum. In first game, the Royals came out flat and were unable to get their offence going in the first quarter as they trailed 13-10. The second quarter saw much of the same, as Douglas shot a dismal 39 per-cent from the field through the first five minutes but were able to put together a late 8-0 run to lead 31-25 at the break. The second half was a different story. Three minutes into the second half, Royals guard, Jevon Boyde-Joseph and Langara guard, Kyle Watson got into a scrum leading to the ejection of Watson. The Royals used the momentum from the loss of Langara’s leading scorer and cruised to an 83-63 victory. Clayton Heuring led the Royals with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Chris Veale had 15 points for the Royals while Jevon Boyde-Joseph and Andrew Sturgeon added 13. Donald Lindo had a season high in minutes and contributed 7 points, 4 assists and 5 steals. Kenny Ryan led the Falcons with 17 points and 13 rebounds. In Saturday’s game, the Falcons came out hungry. Without the suspended Kyle Watson, the Falcons got contributions from all eight players and were able to hang tough as they had the Royals trailing 46-36 at the break. However the more experienced and deeper Royals’ squad were able to play all 12 players at least five minutes and hold on to a 95-82 victory. The Royals were led by 22 points from Chris Veale. Andrew Sturgeon had 20 points and Shane Heuring added 17. However, the best performer for the Royals was ex-Langara star Justin Adams, who had 15 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. The Falcons had six players in double figures in scoring led by rookie Tony Otim, with 15. “T thought we had trouble getting motivated for the second game,” said Douglas Head Coach, Jamie Oei. “Without (Kyle) Watson and (Paul) Naka we did not respect them, and that is a dangerous way to play. It is good to have contributions from the entire team and we look forward to finishing off the regular season at home next weekend.”