European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 28, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday april 28, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary Sand from playing Heads up hockey in the unofficial code of ethics of the nation Al hockey league it is far better to give than to receive particularly in the Case of elbows Knees hips and Knuckles. Tomas Sandstrom the rangers rambunctious Sec Ond year player from the Rural Refuge of Fagerstam Sweden has done his Best to acclimate himself to the rough and Tumble world of North american hockey. Sandstrom wants to be just like his kind hosts from the United states and Canada and to help himself in this cultural Exchange Between the old world and the new he is forever dishing out presents to his opponents sometimes even punctuating the ceremony with Sharp Little tattoos from his hockey stick. The rangers were in a position to eliminate the Washington capitals from the playoffs sunday night at Madison Square Garden in part because Sandstrom took one for the team in Friday night s 4-2 stunner Down in Landover my. Sandstrom scored the tie breaking goal Midway through the second period but his other contribution consisted of having Rod Langway use his head As a punching bag in the first period. Actually Sandstrom did not have much Choice in the matter since both his arms were pinned by Langway near the boards. His head just happened to protrude near Gangway s left fist and for some reason Langway saw fit to perform one flagrant left Jab to Sandstrom s helmet. The referee could not ignore the obvious punch and whistled Langway into the penalty Box for the Basic two minutes for head punching penalty. One minute 22 seconds later the rangers took advantage of the extra skater to tie the game and the momentum stayed with them for the rest of the night. The capitals fans were so demoralized that they started streaming for the Beltway with six minutes remaining. This was not much of a vote of Confidence to the reeling Home boys who Are now in danger of losing a playoff series to a team that barely squeaked past the Pittsburgh penguins for the last space in the division playoffs. Sandstrom has played no Small role in these 10 games in which the rangers have won six and lost four against the flyers and capitals. He made an exquisite thread the Needle pass to Advance the puck to Brian Macclellan for the overtime goal that started this weird series and he tied the game in the rangers second Victory in new York. Sandstrom is a Long cry from the old stereotype that existed a decade ago when sluggers from the great White North tried to browbeat Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg in the first wave of swedish players. You look at the swedish players in the Canada cup says Macclellan who plays on the line with Sandstrom. They can take care of Sandstrom however is a new variation on the theme. He accumulated 51 minutes of penalties As a Rookie but was fourth on the earn this season with 109 minutes and not even the rangers would say he was often framed. I would Call him feisty says the erudite Hedberg who this year became the first swedish player to become an assistant general manager with an nil franchise working for the rangers. Sandstrom Calls Hedberg my second Hedberg who accumulated 211 minutes of penalties in 11 seasons in Winnipeg and new York added Tomas is not quite typical of the swedish player. It s a gift to be feisty but sometimes his Fei Stiness almost takes Over from his Hedberg who had to absorb some fearsome hits before he proved to the league that he could not be bullied said he thought Sandstrom was the object of a new reaction to swedish players. Because he is feisty they say we re going to give you double Back " Hedberg says. But he s a Strong Guy and he can take Many hockey players dwindle to mortal size with their equipment off but Sandstrom is still a rugged 6 2, 200-Pounder when he gets Down to to shirt and shorts. Unlike Hedberg and Nilsson of the rangers and Anders Kallur and Stefan Persson of the islanders Sandstrom comes by his aggressiveness naturally. He was born in Jakob stad Finland where his father was working in construction and he grew up in Fagerstam a town of 16,000 Northwest of Stockholm. He took two years of High school preparing to be a Carpenter and after joining Bryna of the swedish elite league he worked As a Carpenter. When he came to the Jumble of urbane new York he thought it was a stupid place nothing like Rural Fagerstam. But he has grown to like suburban Rye. Here we play hockey without carpentry he once said it is Sandstrom says he does not think of himself As being Chippy. I Only do what the other player docs to me he says. However on Friday night he did not strike Back when Langway punched his head. I Don t know Why he hit me Sandstrom said. "1 thought he was going to punch me so 1 grabbed him and then he punched me. I was t going to hit him Back after Langway who has had better nights was on the ice when Pierre Larouche slapped in the goal that brought the rangers Back to life after two Early Power play goals by the capitals. Langway was in the penalty Box when Wilf paiement knocked in a rebound from Larouche to tie the score. And Langway was dazed in a collision during the capitals ineffective flurry late in the game. The capitals Captain said the penalty was a dread Ful he had not been trying to punch Sands trom at All he explained but had merely been trying to keep them both from falling As they grappled along the boards. I was just throwing up my Langway said. And Sandstrom s head just happened to be there perhaps the most Heads up play in this entire bizarre series that May still have other strange twists before it is Over. New York times now wants to help clean up the game Holmes says he s out of ring for Good a photo Larry Holmes. I feel i got robbed Cleveland a former heavy weight boxing Champion Larry Holmes says he is out of boxing for Good and now wants to devote himself to helping other boxers and children. I want to help clean up the boxing game Holmes said Friday. There should be mandatory checkups and mandatory brain scans. Boxers need a pension plan. If a Boxer does t make hundreds of thou Sands of dollars in his fights he s going to have nothing because boxers Are exploited by people in the boxing business the managers and Holmes was in Cleveland to promote the candidacy of Cleveland attorney Clarence Rogers for Cuya hoga county common pleas court judge and to support a series of fight cards in the City. Holmes 36, lost a controversial split decision to International boxing federation Champion Michael Spinks on april 19 in Las vegas. Spinks took the title from Holmes last september in Las vegas hand ing Holmes his first professional defeat after 48 victories. Holmes claims he beat Spinks in their latest bout and says the decision did not go his Way largely because of remarks he made about boxing judges before the fight. I feel i got robbed Holmes said. I fought my heart out. Michael really did t Hurt me. I Hurt myself More by breaking my right Holmes predicted that one of his victims Gerry Cooney will emerge As up inks chief challenger. Holmes emphasized that his retirement is permanent. There s too much critical judgment of me in boxing now because i am outspoken. I cannot get Back into the ring. What i will do is fight exhibitions to raise Money for charities he said. Holmes said he wants to be actively involved in speaking to Young people. I m going to talk to kids about the wrongs in life such As drugs and the rights in life. I Hope i can have a Good influence on youngsters. They can relate to me be cause i m not a person who grew up with everything he said. Holmes is involved in several businesses including interests in land development a hotel and a restaurant in his Hometown of Easton a. Nil draft pickings lean after Early rounds by Dave Goldberg a football writer new York there Are enough Story lines in tuesday s National football league draft to fill a season of will to bypass the bucs for baseball will Byars be bypassed because of his break will the nil provide a Home for the 57 prospective draftees who tested positive on their first pro football drug exam the annual session begins at 8 . Tues Day at the Marriott Marquis hotel in the heart of times Square and will continue for 12 rounds arid approximately 19 hours. The draft will be seen live on Cable television. But the real action will be at 28 Sites around the country that resemble Battle Field command bunkers where generals coaches and general managers make life or death career threatening decisions based on information from intelligence staffs no less diligent than the Cia in Sepa rating fact from Rumor. This year the decisions May be harder to make than usual. The draft is deep in run Ning backs and offensive linemen and relatively thin everywhere else. It s the kind of draft where you May have to sacrifice position for Quality says Dallas coach Tom Landry. If the position we want in t there when it s our turn to pick Well take Quality even if it s where we re Well i d say there Are six rounds of make it players plus about 10 More says Dick Steinberg director of player development for the new England patriots. But at some positions you can t find much at All. We need a tight end desperately but there s no tight end Worth a first round there also is the question of the 57 play ers who tested positive for illegal substances during drug tests Given after the super bowl by the nil scouting Combine. Most of those were for marijuana but one player a potential first Rounder showed tra Ces of cocaine in his urine. Dan Reeves coach of the Denver Bron cos says he won t draft any of the players on the list. But most other coaches probably will look at each Case individually. You have to determine if there s a per manent problem says Gene Stallings coach of the St. Louis cardinals. Just be cause a Guy made a mistake once does t mean he s going to do it the first Choice will be exercised by the Tampa Bay bucs who say they will take to Jackson the Heisman trophy Winner from Auburn who is considered the Best running Back Prospect since . Simpson in 1969. But Jackson like John Elway in 1983, has a Hole card to use in the negotiations that already have begun he s considered a top baseball Prospect. The second Choice goes to the Atlanta Falcons who say they will take Oklahoma nose tackle Tony Casillas. The Houston oilers draft third and for the third year in a Row have the broker s see nil on Page 26
