By Michael Russo mrusso@startribune.com For hours upon hours, Dino Ciccarelli sits at his father's bedside in Sarnia, Ont., and reflects. Benito Ciccarelli, known to all as Vic, is 70, has been in out of the hospital and is dying. What began as stomach cancer has spread to his lungs. In a few weeks, he'll check into the Mayo Clinic for alternative cancer treatments. "But he doesn't have a lot of time left," Ciccarelli said. Which is why potential news that could come Wednesday would be so special. For the fourth year in a row, Ciccarelli, who began a magnificent 19-year-career in 1980 with the North Stars, is eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame. The selection committee meets Wednesday, and a campaign has begun in hockey's most influential circles to try to finally push the only eligible 600-goal scorer not in the Hall into the Hall. "It's very important he makes it this year," said Lou Nanne, who signed Ciccarelli in 1978 after he went undrafted because of a shattered leg as a 16-year-old. "I'd like to see him make it while his dad's still living, but the main reason is he should have already been in there." Ciccarelli's father immigrated to Canada from Italy in the 1950s. With no money, Vic did every odd job imaginable to save enough money to bring over his wife, Celeste. He was a welder and a plumber. He laid pipe and worked at a gas station. "I think it's why I was never satisfied as a hockey player and always pushed for more," said Ciccarelli. "I didn't care how big opponents were or how much it hurt, I wanted to stick my nose in the there. "Dad did anything to make money, to support his family. He's been my biggest fan, from supporting me, to teaching me, to pushing me hard. He drove me pretty hard. He's meant everything." Nanne knows this could be Ciccarelli's last genuine shot to get into the Hall of Fame for awhile. Next year, Mark Messier, Ron Francis, Al MacInnis, Scott Stevens and Igor Larionov are eligible. Soon, Brett Hull will be eligible. Four players can get in a year, and this year, only Patrick Roy is considered a sure bet. Ciccarelli, Glenn Anderson and Doug Gilmour are the next contenders. "The guy has better credentials than many people in the Hall of Fame," Nanne said. "And this kid's not only among the greatest goal scorers ever, but he scored among the biggest goals ever. He had a career of coming through in the clutch." Despite lots of playoff success, Ciccarelli was never able to win a Stanley Cup. That's why the Hall of Fame would mean so much. "I'd certainly cherish it if I could enjoy it with my dad," Ciccarelli, 46, said. "I wasn't able to share [a Stanley Cup] with my dad, and this would be something I could share with him." Right from his first year when he helped march the North Stars into the Stanley Cup Finals with 14 goals and 21 points (still a rookie playoff record), Ciccarelli became one of the gutsiest goal scorers in history. At 5-foot-10, Ciccarelli parked himself in front of the net and was impervious to cross-checks, jabs and slashes, which is why he was a fan favorite in the five cities he played and despised in virtually every opposing rink. "Defensemen could do anything they wanted to you back then," said NHL vet Mark Parrish, a former Blooming Jefferson standout. "Dino got into that dirty area, that garbage area and showed as much courage in front of the net as I've ever seen." Parrish, who has topped 20 goals in six of seven NHL seasons, wanted to be a Dino clone from the moment he saw him at the old Met Center. "The first goal I ever scored as a kid, I lifted my knee and pumped my arm just like Dino did," said Parrish, who was fortunate to be a rookie teammate of Ciccarelli's during his final year with the Florida Panthers. "He had a million different drills that he loved to do in front of the net, and he let me tag along with him right from my first practice," Parrish said. "I was so lucky. He groomed me on how to play in front of the net." Still, despite 608 goals, 1,200 points, 1,232 games and equally impressive playoff numbers, Ciccarelli's not in the Hall of Fame. Character is the big debate. He had indiscretions and brushes with the law. In 1987, he pleaded guilty to indecent exposure. In 1988, he was suspended 10 games and spent a few hours in jail for hitting Luke Richardson over the head with his stick. Asked if he feels character is why he's not in the Hall yet, Ciccarelli said, "That's not for me to say. I don't know. I got myself into pathetic situations in my career, so possibly." Ottawa Senators coach Bryan Murray, who traded for Ciccarelli in Detroit and Florida after coaching him in Washington, said character's the issue. "This is a great player, but anytime off-ice issues occur, people are concerned," Murray said. "I do think it's held him back." Nanne hopes not, saying, "Too many things are involved with those issues that shouldn't come into play. He's a helluva guy, a real good guy, a considerate guy, a kind person. Everybody's got some faults. He might have a couple, but I can promise you, there are others in the Hall of Fame who's had some faults." Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman, who coached Ciccarelli with the Red Wings, is on the selection committee. He says the Ciccarelli character debate is a "non-issue. I've never heard a word." Bowman, who had to be cryptic if he feels Ciccarelli's a Hall of Famer because he's on the committee, said, "Not many have the stats that Dino has. He'll get a lot of consideration. He's something every team needs – fearlessness, never intimidated, competitiveness, tenancity." Ciccarelli won;t get his hopes up. "The last three years, I got a lot of calls saying, "It's this year. It's this year. This is your year," said Ciccarelli, who owns the OHL Sarnia Sting and lives in Harrison Township, Mich. "So I'm trying not to think about it, but it'd be an honor, sure." Parrish feels it's about time. "Six hundred goals," Parrish said. "If that doesn't get you into the Hall of Fame, I don't know what does."
