The Windsor Star from Windsor, Ontario, Canada • 19

THE WINDSOR STAR TOP OF THE NEWS: All-Star smile Michael Jordan of (he Chicago Bulls displays a winning smile during an interview session which followed the NBA's All-Star game in San Antonio. Jordan was named the games most valuable player after scoring 20 points in the East team's 129-118 victory over the West Grant Hill of the Detroit Pistons, the top vote-getter in All-Star balloting, netted 14 points. More on C3. Sports Editor 255-5769 To report results 255-5747 Fax 255-5515 Toronto's Damon Stoudamire honoredC3 'SECTION MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1996 DD MpM A mm 11 Despite his fearsome reputation, the Windsor native wont win the alder as NHUs top rookie pi. NHL scores, standingsC2 The Memorial Cup gets the ink as the hockey trophy hardest to win.

Close but wrong. The right team and great timing could give you two or three shots. Not exactly a flood of opportunities, true, but check the Calder by comparison. You're only an NHL rookie once. Ed Jovanovski of Windsor won't have to hang his head if he isn't chosen this season's top freshman.

The small money says he won't win it. OK, we'd prefer to be more soft-hearted but the facts don't lie. Rookie defence-men are in tough. If bodychecks translated into ballots, Eddie would be near the top of the early polls. JBIHIi LLOYD McLACHLAN SPORTS COLUMNIST coach Doug MacLean.

"At 19, he's already the most physical defenceman in the NHL, without a doubt." Needless to say, MacLean wouldn't take Eric Daze, Vitali Yachmenev, or Daniel Alfredsson for him even-up. Forget all biases though. Let's be brutally honest here. To win the Calder, Jovanovski needs legitimate votes to go along with the sentimental ones. Few are chosen The bad news? Real votes tend to be scarce for defencemen.

In the last 27 years, only five claimed the rookie hardware. The select group: Orr, Potvin, Bourque, Suter, and Leetch. That tells you the immense skill required. Putting it differently, some great defencemen of this era didn't get within a sniff of the Calder: Paul Coffey, Scott Stevens, and Larry Robinson. Norris Trophy winners all.

Chris Chelios? All he needed was better timing. He showed up the same winter as Mario Lemieux and, naturally, finished No. 2. Stevens had serious growing pains in Washington where he debuted at 18. It cost games, but nobody remembers that now.

Everybody focuses on the finished product. Stevens was a prime example of why defencemen traditionally have a tough time in the Calder derby. One, the exposure rate for big-time goofs is a lot higher on the blue line. You lose a little support every time you cough up the puck or somebody "waltzes around you (see Phil Housley, 1983 Calder runner-up to Steve Lamer). Mnrfsor 's Jennifer Robinson performs in the parade of champions Canadian Press photo: Tom Hanson FIGURE SKATING Champion gracious in victory Tm sorry, Robinson says to Chouinard There's a decent list of big hitters in the NHL.

The majority who can really put a hurt on you won't get invited to any Skate Canada auditions. Jovanovski's mobility makes him a serious exception. He doesn't have Lamborghini wheels, but you prefer something more practical anyway. Minutes galore He gives you plenty of muscle to the gallon, and when there's open ice he can react like a thoroughbred instead of just another Enrico Ciccone. Digesting the Miami hype, it's the tip of one more south Florida crime spree that he's not already in the spotlight.

"Our last game against Philly (a 1-1 tie at the Spectrum Jan. 22) he played 27 minutes. That sums up what he's been doing for us," notes Panthers' Windsor native Ed Jovanovski of the Florida Panthers, right, hugs teammate Stu Barnes after Barnes scored in their game against St. Louis. Jovanovski also Scored in the contest, Which ended in a 2-2 tie.

Associated Press photo: Marta Lavandier By Don Wilcox Special to The Star OTTAWA ers is a tale of sacrifice for success Even Orr could be embarrassed, once his ice-time exceeded 35 minutes. Two, if you're a stay-at-home species who doesn't take many chances (Kyle McLaren of Boston among this year's class), you end up catching the coach's eye but nobody else's. And coaches don't vote. "Ed's made some mistakes, sure, but you have to expect that," reasons MacLean, focusing on the huge Jovanovski upside. Patience, everybody.

If it all falls properly into place for Eddie, the trophy he's got the best chance of winning some day is the Norris. It is a story of a girl who left her hometown, her friends and her family at age 13 to pursue a dream. It is a story of that girl, now a young woman, making her dream come true. Jennifer Robinson, the pride of Windsor, is the Canadian women's figure skating champion. Phew.

That's a mouthful. Robinson herself isn't yet sure how that crown feels, perched atop her long mane of fa Jill flowing, black hair. "I'm really excited and happy that I won, but it was really hard competing against Josee (Chouinard), because I looked up to her for so many years," said Robinson, 19. "It was a really bittersweet victory" Her joy at winning was tempered by compassion for Chouinard, a three-time national champ: Canada's former skating queen who fell down and broke her crown. Success or failure doesn't change the fact Chouinard is a "good friend" who has gone out of her way to help Robinson since returning from a year in the pro ranks.

After the competition, as they approached the medals podium, Robinson could see and acutely feel, Chouinard's pain. When asked what she said to Chouinard as they embraced, Robinson broke down. "This might sound a little silly, it makes me very emotional. I said, 'I'm because I really didn't expect this at all. "I mean, Josee Chouinard Windsor's Rob Rumfeldt, second from left, helps hold the spoils from the Ontario men 's curling championship in lackering.

With him are Jim Bracket, left, Larry Smyth and Skip Bob Ingram Toronto Star photo: Oavld Cooper CURLING Brier-bound rink has 2 DodXBK I pftl Featuring: wrinkle Free TO 5 Selection of ffiflfcl T-sfSltllhort's, MM ((miSl i Casual Pants, pl fMllWMilwS es 3 PcWintfsuits m0 fe; Pxv 118 Windsor connection see Robinson page C4 The Canadian Press PICKERING, ONT. ob Ingram earned his first provincial curling title Sunday when his rink defeated eight-time winner Russ 1 Howard at the Ontario men's championship. The 39-year-old skip from the Ridgetown Curling Club de feated Howard 7-5 in the final at the Pickering Recreation Complex. Complete resultsC5 It's like a dream come true," Ingram said. He shared the 8 win with Larry Smyth, Jim Brackett and Windsor's Rob Rumfeldt who curls out of Beach Grove.

Though Ingram has been curling for 26 years, his best showing was fifth place in previous Ontario championships. He now moves on to compete at the Brier in Kamloops, B.C., in March. OTTAWA (CP) A quick sketch of Jennifer Robinson, Canadian women's figure skating champ. Bom: Dec. 2, 1976, Goderlch, Ont.

Home town: Windsor, Ont. Training centre: Mariposa (club), Barrie, Ont. Coach: Doug Leigh, also coach of two-time defending world men's champion Elvis Stojko. Previous awards: Canadian silver medallist, 1995 nationals; 1994 Canadian Junior champion. Quote: "I didn't get much sleep last night.

I was just lying there thinking of the map of Canada." Jennifer Robinson. Howard tried to win Sunday's draw with his final rock in the 10th end. The attempted double take-out narrowly missed the mark. "I've been here too many times not to take a chance at winning it when it's there," Howard said. "We're pretty proud of what we've accomplished, but Tm not getting any younger so it's pretty disappointing (to miss the Brier)." Ingram began the Ontario championship by losing the first draw to Ed Werenich and draw two to Howard.

He then won six of his final seven matches to earn a semi-final berth and finish third behind Howard and Werenich. "There's no doubt these were the toughest matches of my career," Ingram said. hii-iii ijl1MtmTnr TljlWSfWr rTiHiMy i ftr JSU JS! 1.