Corpus Christi Online - / Two Timers

Marketplace \| Services \| Contact Us \| Community \| Arts & Leisure \| Local Guides

Friday, Jan. 8, 1999
Two Timers
'Rays Harper, Robertson return to WPHL all-stars
By MARK BUTTON
Staff Writer

   For two guys so dissimilar from each other, Chris Robertson and Regan Harper actually have a lot in common.
   Robertson and Harper, two-time Western Professional Hockey League All Stars with their recent selections to this weekend's game in Austin, represent opposite ends of the game.
   Opposites that are pulled together by a shared human trait: What you see on the ice is a lot like what you get off the ice.
   Each in his own way, the two have led Corpus Christi to first-place perch in the WPHL Central Division where the team has resided most of season. The first-ever IceRays All-Stars have contrasting styles.
   Robertson is flash and dash. A center-forward whose skating, stick-handling and vision make him the center of attention. Harper is barely visible out there - the best defensemen go largely unnoticed - he clears the puck, keeps it in the offensive zone, does the things defensemen do that don't show up in box scores.
   Players and fans always know when Robertson's on the ice, he's got the 54 points to prove it. Harper gets lost in the shuffle, just skating almost unseen, stifling the opposition.
   Off the ice, Robertson is quick to "jab" teammates, hockey-speak for good-natured trash-talking. Maybe not the loudest or most outspoken member of the IceRays, Robertson still isn't one to shy from the spotlight. Harper is different. He's the guy at the company picnic you didn't realize was there. Reserved would be a fair word to describe the third-year professional from Birch Hills, Saskatchewan.
   Just like on the ice.
   "That's exactly it," said Mike Tomlinson, a former two-time All Star who played with both Roberston and Harper in New Mexico. "Regan is really laid back. He's not a partier or anything. I'd say he was your typical family man.
   "Robo doesn't mind the limelight. He likes to be more of a vocal leader when it comes to team decisions."
   Whether it's Robertson setting up a teammate with a smooth pass through rush-hour traffic or Harper breaking up a two-on-one rush with the poke of his stick, the two All-Stars have given Corpus Christi fans reason to cheer thtoughout the first half of the season.
   It is how they do what they do that most mirrors their off-the-ice personalities.
   Neither puts himself in front of what's important, the team. Harper and Robertson can be counted on to do the right thing, be in the right place, even carry the team if needed.
   "Harps is as steady as they come," said Jody Praznik, a former All Star and the WPHL Defensive Player of the Year for 1996-97. "With me being out so long, he carried the load."
   They carry with them a certain professionalism that is not uncommon among All-Stars in any sport.
   They don't preen or taunt. They don't look to blame teammates for failures. They have that indefinable something that separates the few from the rest of the pack.
   Class.
   This weekend they join the class of the WPHL at the 1999 All Star game in Austin. Saturday's 7 p.m. game will televised, live, on FOX Sports Southwest. Harper played in last year's game, Robertson was selected in his only other year in the WPHL, 1996-97. Both were played for New Mexico during their previous All-Star seasons.
   "It's a great honor, but I'm not taking it too seriously," Harper said of his selection. "I'm not looking at this as any kind of stepping stone or anything. Just knowing I was selected means a lot."
   For Harper, the weekend in Austin provides a brief getaway for himself and Jill, his wife of four years.
   "We might go to San Antonio if we get a couple of off days," he said. "We'll probably do some shopping."
   His teammates would expect nothing less from him.
   Robertson said he looked forward to catching up with some of the other All-Stars, like New Mexico's Aldo Iaquinta and Shreveport's Doug Lawrence. Both mentioned that being an All- Star is never a goal.
   "It's just nice to get a pat on the back," Robertson said. "I just want to go up there and represent the IceRays and the league. It's going to be a good game."
   Staff Writer Mark Button can be reached at 886-3613, through e-mail at buttonm@scripps.com or on the internet at www. caller.com.

Post your comments on this story in our forums.