Old man Christian can't wait to prove he's still got game

At 35, his playing days may be numbered, but a second career beckons.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- On the night before last week's media day, Youngstown SteelHounds forward Jeff Christian sat on his couch and watched "Scarface" "for about the one-millionth time.
"I'll watch anything I've seen five times before," he said.
His favorite movie? Of course -- "Slap Shot," the 1977 movie about a minor-league hockey team struggling to draw fans in a blue-collar town after the steel mills closed, prompting player/coach Reggie Dunlop (played by Paul Newman) to encourage violence in order to save the team.
The fans in the movie loved it; the fans who saw the movie loved it; and the film has become a cult classic.
Christian, who also serves as an assistant coach, isn't going to steal Newman's strategy, but he knows a little contact won't hurt in a football-crazy town.
He also knows a little contact will prove to the younger players that this 35-year-old man is still serious about the game.
Still serious
"A lot of guys will think, 'Hey old man, you need to get out of the game,'" Christian said. "They'll wonder if I can still play. And the only way to answer that is to grab them by the throat and show them who's who."
Christian (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) is nearing the end of his career, but he wants to play for a few more years.
The Burlington, Ontario, Canada, native was drafted in the second round (23rd overall) in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft and has played 18 games in the NHL for Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Phoenix.
He played 268 career games for the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the IHL between 1994 and 2000, finishing among the franchise's career leaders with 105 goals and 131 assists. He also was third all-time with 721 penalty minutes, proving that he's not afraid to mix it up.
"One of the things about our game is that you have to prove yourself every day," Christian said. "The younger guys may give me a little respect because I've been there, but if you're terrible, they're going to abuse you."
One of his career highlights came in 1999 when he scored 45 goals with 41 assists to help the Houston Aeros win the International Hockey League's Turner Cup.
Christian is hoping to make a smooth transition from playing to coaching, which is one of the reasons the SteelHounds opportunity was so attractive.
But coaching is something you do when you can no longer play, and it's clear Christian feels he can still play.
"If I couldn't do it, I wouldn't do it," he said. "If I didn't think I could still perform, that's when I'll hang it up."
A nice place to call home
Christian has been in the Youngstown area since July, helping recruit players and promote the team.
His wife, Dorie, is from Columbus and went to law school in Cleveland, so they've grown to consider Northeast Ohio home. And after playing for 16 teams over his 19-year career, he's hoping to make this a permanent home.
"I love Ohio," he said. "I've been in this area for 10 years, and it's a perfect fit. [Youngstown] is a nice little town where you can make connections with people. You can get lost in a big city.
"Hopefully I can spend a couple more years as a player here in Youngstown and then segue that into a coaching job and have this be the final stop on my world tour."
Of course, Christian won't be home as much as he'd like during the season.
Because the SteelHounds play in the Central Hockey League, they'll spend several weeks playing road games in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.
That equates into more times on a bus and less time with his wife and his 3-year-old daughter, Ryan.
"But you have to make sacrifices in this sport," he said.
"I'd love to be home every day with my kid. That's the best part of being a dad. But we're going to make it work."
And besides, he doesn't mind the road trips. It gives him a chance to hang out with the guys, listen to music -- his tastes range from Dean Martin to Beck to Fatboy Slim to AC/DC -- and, of course, watch movies.
Does that include "The Mighty Ducks" trilogy?
"No, we're more into Dora the Explorer," he said, laughing. "But hey, [Emilio Estevez] is Canadian. I can't badmouth him.
"The thing is, the longer I go, the more I appreciate the game," he said. "I want to keep playing. I love it and everything that goes along with it. The guys. The road. Everything."
scalzo@vindy.com