FROM THE ARCHIVES: Brown trying to make major contribution

With the death of former Brandon Wheat Kings captain Cam Brown at age 56 in a motorcycle accident in Georgia on Saturday, here’s a look back at a story about him that appeared in The Brandon Sun on Dec. 30, 1988.

Cam Brown is an interesting paradox.

After all, here’s a handsome-enough-looking guy with no visible scars and all his original teeth, but yet he’s one of the top fighters in the Western Hockey League.

Going into tonight’s game with the Prince Albert Raiders. Brown leads the Brandon Wheat Kings with 15 fighting majors, one more than linemate Jeff Odgers.

It’s also one of the top such totals in the league, so one could probably say Brown likes to duke it out.

One would be right.

“I think it’s starting to become something you enjoy doing,” says the 19-year-old Saskatoon native. “It gets the adrenaline going and gets you into the game. I know I play better after a fight.”

On a number of occasions, Brown’s scraps have also given the entire team a boost.

‘‘If the team’s struggling and we need some kind of spark, sometimes it works,” he says.

But before people say that Brown is only a fighter, they should consider the other part of the paradox — how this guy contributes in other ways to the Wheat Kings.

True, his fights fire up his teammates, but so do his stick and his heart.

“I try to come to play every game, I try to offer leadership in the dressing room, I try to play tough every game, and any points I can put away would be a benefit.” says the 6-foot-1, 198-pounder.

And so far, he has put away more points this year than all of last year.

His eight goals and 15 assists put him seventh on the team in scoring at this point, and he leads the team with four game-winning goals.

To explain his sudden scoring touch. Brown points at his year of experience in the WHL and, more importantly, coach Doug Sauter.

‘‘It’s a different style of coaching this year,” says Brown. “It’s my style of coaching this year rather than the run-and-gun style of last year (under Marc Pezzin).”

The respect goes the other way as well.

‘‘He’s a hardworking player,” Sauter says of Brown. “His skating has to improve for him to become a professional, but he’s good in all the aspects of the game.”

And that includes versatility, a characteristic which saw the forward fall back when the Wheat Kings ’ defence corps was depleted.

Brown had played on the blueline with the Weyburn Red Wings of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, but by no stretch of the imagination is the SJHL the WHL.

As a result. Brown could have been forgiven for being nervous, but he wasn’t.

He didn’t have time to be.

“The first time, we were short-handed because one of our defencemen got a penalty or something and Doug just told me to drop back,” recounts Brown. “I didn’t really have time to think about it and worry myself. I just dropped back there and played it the way it comes naturally to me.”

He must have done well enough, because Sauter has sent him back to the blueline a couple more times.

Much to Brown’s chagrin.

‘It doesn’t suit my style of game,” he says. “I can’t play with the same impact on the team, as far as playing it tough.”

And that’s just the way Sauter wants Brown to play.

“When he plays aggressively, he’s a team leader,’’ says the coach. “That’s his role, and he’s a role player.”

Brown may be performing in that role tonight when the Raiders visit the Keystone Centre.

Prince Albert will be without Mike Modano, their leading scorer and the top point-getter in the WHL. He’s playing with Team

USA at the World Junior Championships in Anchorage, Alaska.

So, Cam, how are the Raiders without Modano?

“Definitely takeable.”

Game time is 7:30 p.m.