European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 16, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 34 the stars and stripes sports wednesday february 16,1994 soon Aba by Chris Sheridan Minneapolis a the Vancouver mounties have to wait another month to find out whether  be the a bad a 29th team. The Minnesota Timber wolves have another month to decide if they want to leave town. The Aba Board of governors took action on two issues monday voting to extend the March 1 deadline for the Timber wolves Money losing owners to notify the league that they plan to relocate and hearing a Progress report on the expansion bid by a Vancouver group. The mounties led by majority owner Arthur Griffiths will learn their Fate at the next Board meeting if they resolve internal transactions regarding ownership shares. If so a the expansion committee would recommend to the Board in april the granting of a franchise to begin play in 1995-96, along with Toronto a Deputy commissioner Russ Granik said. A vote would be taken immediately. The Toronto franchise was a roved last fall. No nickname has Een chosen yet. The Timber wolves financial situation remains tenuous. Despite drawing an average of 18,062 fans per game a 95 percent of capacity owners Marv Wolf Enson and Harvey Ratner Are losing a reported $10 million a year because of their substantial mortgage on the target Center which was completed in 1990 without Public funds and which lost a great Deal of expected income when the no la a Minnesota North stars moved to Dallas. San Diego and Nashville arc the cities most often mentioned As possible new Sites for the Tim be wolves. Aba rules state that a team must notify the Board of governors by March 1 if it plans to relocate. Then there is a 120-Day Cooling off period during which the league prepares a report on the situation before the Board votes on whether to allow the move. Wolfenson and Ratner have until april 1 to try and work out a Deal with local politicians. Wolfenson and Ratner Are seeking to sell the target Center to the state or City. I Dallas apr the super bowl Champion Dallas cowboys decided monday to forgo the nil s a franchise player designation for the second straight year but declared Erik Williams a a transition player a which will allow teams to match any offer made to the pro bowl tackle. Under the Nell a collective bargaining agreement last year teams were allowed to protect four players from the free agent Market three transition players a two in 1993 and one in 1994 a plus a franchise player. The announcement on Williams came rangers goaltender Mike Richter got his 27th win monday As he improved to 8-1-1 in his last 10 games. The rangers won 4-2. Hot rangers show Why they re leading league by the associated press the new York rangers found a Way to score against Quebec no matter How Many skaters they had on the ice to no Surprise of nor Dique goaltender Ste Phane Rise. A a they re definitely one of the Best teams in be seen this nil season a Rise said monday night after a 4-2 Ranger win. A they can beat you in so Many  Mark Messier scored a shorthanded goal. Steve Larmer scored twice on the Power play and Nick Kypreos added an even strength goal for the league leading rangers. Sergei Zubov assisted on three of the Ranger goals. A we wanted to take advantage of the penalty killing and Power play situations and we be got to be Happy about the Way things went a Messier said. Mike Ricci and Bob Bassun scored for the Nordques who dropped their fourth straight All at Home. Quebec has lost six of its last seven. Rangers goaltender Mike Richter improved to 8-1-1 in his last 10 games and got his 27th win to move one game ahead of Montreal s Patrick Roy for the league Lead in wins. In other games monday night Boston beat los Angeles 3-2 in overtime and Chicago beat Calgary 4-2. The Nordques went up 1-0 in the first period on Riccio a goal before Larmer answered with two straight. All three goals were scored with a two Man advantage. Referee Kerry Fraser adhering to a directive sent to officials last week to crack Down on such infractions As interference called 13 minor penalties in the opening period and 28 in the game. Rangers coach Mike Keenan conceded that Fraser was merely following instructions but Wasny to pleased with what resulted. A i think canadians and americans would not want to witness the Type of game we saw tonight a a Keenan said. But again i think it comes Down to an obvious Gap Between the nil ownership and the officials in terms of officiating and How they interpret the rules. A the game will survive but we done to need to go through this  Kypreos who had Only one other goal in 30 games made it 3-1.at 13 47 of the second period beating Fiset with a Low Sharp angled shot. After Bassen brought Quebec within a goal just under four minutes later Messier scored his 23rd of the season a shorthanded goal when his soft shot glanced off Fiset a stick and into the net. Bruins 3, Kings 2 of Glen Murray scored with 57 seconds left in overtime to lift visiting Boston Over los Angeles and extend the Bruins unbeaten Streak to four games 3-0-1. Steve Heinze found the puck in the right Circle and fed Murray who beat Kelly Hrudney to the stick Side from the Slot. Cam Neely scored the first two goals of the game his 40th and 41st of the season to climb within two goals of Toronto a Dave Andreychuk for the league Lead. Blackhawk 4, flames 2 Chicago rallied for three goals in the third period and snapped a four game losing Streak at Calgary. Jeremy Roenick sparked Chicago a comeback with his game tying goal Christian Uuttu got the game Winner and Joe Murphy finished the scoring for the Blackhawk who snapped the flames six game winning Streak. Q ise one Day before the a Fly a deadline for deciding on the franchise player designations. Franchise players can to solicit contract offers As free agents but must be paid the average of the top five players at their position. Transition players can sign with other teams but their team can retain such players by Matching the offers. The cowboys used Only one of the two transition player designations available last year a on wide receiver Michael Irvin. The unused designation automatically disappeared. Not using the franchise player designation allows a team an extra transition designation but owner Jerry Jones said monday he decided not to. Besides Williams Jones was considering using the transition designation to protect tight end Jay Novacek or defensive tackle Leon Lett. Jones said he d like to hold onto key players like linebacker Ken Norton fullback Daryl Johnston and Center Mark Stepnoski. But the fact that transition players must be paid the average of the top 10 players at their positions May pros Hibit retaining them All he said. A we wont use the designation on anybody whose contract is up this year. Erik has two years remaining on his contract Quot Jones said. Franchise players must be paid the average of the top five players at their positions. Quarterback Troy Aikman and running Back Emmitt Smith Are the cowboys two most prominent players but the franchise player designation wont be used on either since they Are under contract. 1994 aed Ilot r a Are an she eak she vet led isl be air s3 in in h Ernd >84 Felt id saw id a a to Fly not Swan