Ice Hockey: Flying high with the Bakersfield Condors

Quinn Fair must have wondered why his old girlfriend was on the phone.

It was 1994 and Quinn had recently completed his second successful season at Kent State University.

Taking a break from his summer job of logging, Fair dutifully picked up the phone and learned he was the seventh round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the Supplemental draft.

"I was quite surprised," he remembers. "I had a good year at Kent (11-13-24 in 39 games for the defenseman), but I didn't expect to be drafted. I found out later that the Kings were trying to contact me about being drafted but couldn't track me down."

Like most Canadian kids, Campbell River native Quinn Fair fondly recalls the carefree days and nights playing hockey with his older brother on the frozen lakes and ponds after school and on weekends.

By the time he was five years old, he was into league play and dad taking him to early morning practices was part of his routine.

Little did he know that hockey would one day take him to such places as Biloxi, Mississippi and Bakersfield, California.

Growing up on Vancouver Island meant being a fan of the Vancouver Canucks and the great outdoors.

"We used to, and still do, go hiking in the mountains a lot," he said. "We would take the backpacks and tents and just disappear for days without seeing anyone, the isolation and beauty was incredible!"

Asked to comment on his love affair with the Canucks, he responded with: "For a while there wasn't much to watch, but this year it has been great. They have such a solid team, I still follow them closely."

Growing up, Fair was also handy with a bat and glove, as his team qualified for the 1991 Canadian Fastball Championship in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Hockey was his first love, however, and he continued to progress through the system and eventually ended up playing Tier 2 Junior in Saskatchewan.

His biggest highlight in junior was participating in the 1990 Esso Cup, as teams arrived from all over Europe and North America to play for one of the more prestigious titles.

"Yeah, that was something playing in that tournament," recalls Fair. "What I remember most is being named to the tournament all-star team alongside Scott Niedermayer.

The move to the prairies paid off when the American college recruiters came knocking on his door and Kent State offered a full hockey scholarship and Quinn was headed to Ohio.

"It was a really good school, a great place to play hockey," he remembers.

His first season of 1992-93 saw the 6'1 defenseman picked up six goals and 12 points in 37 games, then in his sophomore campaign saw improved overall play and solid numbers.

Fair's 11 goals and 24 points caught the eye of the aforementioned Los Angeles Kings.

It wasn't all a bed of roses for the communications major though.

"I still remember them calling us all in and telling us that the hockey program was over," he said. "We were shocked! Back then there was a rule that prevented NCAA drafted players from attending an NHL camp until you had completed your eligibility, so with the situation at Kent State, I was wondering what to do. Fortunately, they helped the players latch on to other schools and the next day I learned that I was headed to Bowling Green University."

The school had picked up the remaining two year of his scholarship.

His first season in a Bowling Green Falcon uniform saw the team finish with an overall 25-11-2 record and sweep Notre Dame in a best of three Central Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinal.

They went on to face Michigan State in a one game semifinal in front of a packed Joe Louis arena, which saw the Spartans eliminate Bowling Green in overtime.

His final collegiate campaign was a copy of the previous one, as the Falcons swept their quarterfinal series before being hammered 7-0 by Lake Superior State in the semifinal.

September 1996 saw him attend his first NHL training camp.

"It was really something," he enthused. "I saw all the big names there, like Gretzky and others, but I also knew I still had a long way to go if I was going to make it.

"I did my token week there," he said with a laugh. "I was assigned to the Phoenix Roadrunners for a while and then Grand Rapids of the IHL."

After 11 games and just one step short of the NHL, Fair was sent down to the East Coast Hockey League.

"That is the toughest thing-being sent down," he said. "I've gone through it a couple of times and it is never easy. There is a bit of politics in all of it. Players in the AHL are injured and you get called up, but you know you're just there temporarily. As soon as the injured guy gets back, you go down again. I can understand it--the injured player might have a major contract and they want to see what he can do. But it's no fun if you're the guy heading down."

Quinn Fair is not the first and won't be the last to speak of the sometimes unfair political world of professional hockey. In speaking with him, however, he was pragmatic not bitter.

His first year in the ECHL (1996-97) was also the first for the Mississippi Sea Wolves.

"That first year was awesome!," he said. "The people in Biloxi really got behind the team and the arena was rocking every game. We had a physical team and the crowd would go wild, especially during the fights. You hear a lot about southern hospitality and it's true. The people are so friendly down there and we were recognized on the street. Unlike Canadians who take their hockey very seriously, the people down there see it more as entertainment."

Two seasons later, the Sea Wolves won it all.

"I know this might sound crazy but winning that ECHL Championship probably felt as good to me as winning the Stanley Cup does to an NHLer," he said. "It was game seven of the finals and it was in Biloxi. The game went into double overtime. I remember watching the puck go into the net and I went crazy! Sure, it was only the Kelly Cup but it was wonderful to win it! The city gave us a parade and about 5,000 people came out. We got rings and everything. Biloxi is a great city, it's got its own casino area and a lot to do."

Fair was a steadying influence on the blue line that championship season, picked up 11 goals and 29 points during the regular season, and added 3-10-13 numbers in 18 playoff games.

The autumn of 1999 saw him in Kempten, Germany playing hockey. If everything was wonderful in Biloxi, why the move to Europe?

"I had an opportunity and I thought it would be a great experience. My wife and I loved it over there," he answered. "My only regret is that I didn't do it more. You get exposed to a different culture, people, see different things, and even a different way of playing hockey."

The defenseman finished fourth in team scoring and led Kempten in penalty minutes.

The desire to acquire his degree necessitated his return after the season in Germany, so the recreational squash player signed on with the Bakersfield Condors of the West Coast Hockey League (the WCHL merged with the ECHL prior to last season).

Another late season call up to the AHL, this time for eight games at Lowell and four playoff games, convinced him his NHL shot was over.

"It was the same thing," said the disillusioned defenseman. "I was playing the best hockey of my life and was third defenseman at Lowell, but the injured guys came back and I was done."

Now in his fifth season with the Condors, life is good for the Fair's. 17 months ago, wife Shelley gave birth their first child, a boy named Jagger -- and, no, he is not named after the singer of the Rolling Stones.)

"We just liked the name," he laughed. "People down here wonder if he's named after Jaromir Jagr."

The Condors pay Quinn a generous salary and have thrown in a few perks to keep him around.

"They pay my mortgage and utilities and we get great meal money on the road, so it's a good lifestyle here," he said.

Commenting on the quality of play in the ECHL, Fair noted: "The merger with the WCHL made it a younger league and the league itself has become more of a developmental league, rather than just a place to play. I know that many guys have made it from here to the NHL (over 200 at last count) so it's well respected. But I realize my time to make the NHL is gone. If I really pushed it I could move up to the AHL but I don't think it's worth it at this stage-I like where I am."

What is Hockey Night in Bakersfield like?

"We get over 5,000 per game and hockey has been here for a while so the fans are pretty knowledgeable," he said. "They're actually more fun to play in front of than Canadian fans because they're noisier and have more fun. Even here, we are recognized on the street as a bunch of Canadian boys playing hockey. It is funny at times, though, seeing the difference between playing in Canada and here. On a power play we will be passing it around to catch the other team out of position and get the best shot and the whole time the fans here will be screaming 'Shoot...Shoot!' They don't quite understand the way a power play is set up." However, American fans are no different when it comes to a good hockey fight, except for one thing. "Some people have asked me if the fighting is real," chuckled Fair. "I guess they think it's like the WWF."

Asked about his future plans, Fair responded by saying: "I don't know if I'm going to play next year...but then again, I've said that the past few years and I'm still at it."

Whenever that day comes, the friendly 30 year old plans a career in pharmaceutical sales.

"I've learned a lot about it, it is something that interests me, and I want to pursue it," he said.

It has been almost a decade since Quinn Fair learned the Los Angeles Kings drafted him.

Hockey has taken the fellow from Campbell River across a continent and an ocean to play the sport he loves.

His employer takes good care of him and he has a young family to come home to.

While he never played an NHL game, he can honestly say he has given hockey and life his best.

That is the mark of a successful player and person.