Dollas Says Climate Right for a Change

Defenseman Bobby Dollas is adjusting to life in Edmonton just fine. He bought a heavy leather jacket and a pair of warm boots his first week in town.

“Sometimes change is good,” said Dollas, an original Duck who was traded Jan. 9 for defenseman Drew Bannister. “Change has been good for me.”

Dollas, who believed he was the victim of a youth movement in Anaheim, asked Duck General Manager Jack Ferreira to be traded. Ferreira sent a fax to the 25 other NHL general managers and Edmonton’s Glen Sather responded.

Dollas couldn’t be happier, although he misses getting in a round of golf after practice. There’s no golf in Edmonton in February.

“I’m playing a ton of minutes here,” said Dollas, who also plays on the Oiler power-play and penalty-killing units. “I feel like they want me to play a lot. I sort of got rejuvenated. I owe a lot to the Ducks for extending my career, but life goes on.”

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Goaltender Guy Hebert believes it’s high time for the culprits in the late-night fire-extinguisher attack on Mike Richter in the Olympic Village to come forward. But if Hebert knows who is responsible he’s not saying.

“We all make over $1 million,” Hebert said. “Those responsible should just come forward and say, ‘It was me. I’ll pay for it.’ [But] there’s been so much media attention on it, if I was the guy I don’t know if I would step forward. You might be labeled the ultimate ugly American.”

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Hebert accepted at least partial blame for Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

“I just felt lousy,” he said. “I felt good when I got back from Nagano. I didn’t feel rusty in practice. In the game, I was there to make the saves and didn’t. I covered everything up. It was just maybe a couple of mental mistakes.”