By BRENDAN BURKE
Two Utah Grizzlies will start in the International Hockey League 1998 All-Star game to be played Feb. 10 at the Orlando Arena.
Defenseman Gord Dineen and center Kip Miller will join the Western Conference All-Star team. Dineen made the starting lineup last year and is making his third all-star appearance. He received 13,967 votes. Miller is also a three-time all-star. He received 14,163 votes.
According to Tim Bryant, IHL media representative, the lineups are based on votes received through the Days Inns/IHL All-Star Fan Balloting. Votes were cast by fans attending IHL games from Nov. 27-Jan. 11 and on the league's official Internet site (www.theihl.com).
Fans were asked to vote for one goaltender, two defensemen, one center and two wings to start for both the Western and Eastern Conference. A maximum of two players from a single IHL team could be named to the starting lineup. Chicago, Cincinnati and Orlando also have two starters as well.
Dineen and Miller will start with goaltender Wendell Young of Chicago, defenseman Dan Lambert of Long Beach, wing Steve Maltrais of Chicago and wing Patrice Lefebvre of Las Vegas for the Western Conference team.
This is Young's first IHL All-Star appearance, and he leads the league in wins (25). Lambert was the top vote-getter in 1997. Maltrais goes to the mid-season classic for the fifth time, fourth in a row, and Lefebvre is an all-star for the third year in a row, fourth overall.
The Eastern Conference All-Star team consists of goaltender Geoff Sarjeant of Cincinnati, defenseman Jeff Buchanan of Orlando, defenseman Brad Shaw of Detroit, Mark Beaufait of Orlando, Gilbert Dionne of Cincinnati and Martin St. Louis of Cleveland.
Beaufait was the leading All-Star vote-getter, garnering 22,774 votes.
Other Utah players who received high votes were goaltender Scott LaGrand (12,958), Jeff Sharples (11,888), Fred Knipecheer (13,288) and Mark Lawrence (12,408).
The Grizzlies are currently second in the Southwest Division. The team faces the Las Vegas Thunder at home Feb. 4.