Suspect Becoming a Prospect

By CHRIS FOSTER

Jan. 23, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM — David McNab, Mighty Duck assistant general manager, makes his opinion on Frank Banham quite clear.

“If anyone had told me two years ago that I would be in an organization that was interested in Frank Banham, I would have laughed at them,” McNab said.

Yet there was McNab Wednesday, not a grin in sight, talking about Banham as a Duck prospect.

Banham spent the last week huffing and puffing around the ice with the Mighty Ducks. His legs hurt, his timing was off and drawing a breath took great effort.

Ah, but don’t let the way Banham lugged his 6-foot, 200-pound body around recently. He is one of the top prospects in the organization. Banham, 21, a right wing, was signed as a free agent a year ago. He scored 83 goals for the Saskatoon Blades, a junior team in the Western Hockey League.

His rapid development was put on hold. Banham injured his groin last season, an injury that lingered and required surgery in October. He worked out with the Ducks last week and is expected to begin playing with the Baltimore Bandits of the American Hockey League next week.

“It’s tough losing your first year as a pro,” Banham said. “I was going to get a chance, and if I did well, who knows? Maybe I would have been called up.”

No one ever questioned his scoring ability. That was as visible as the two large tattoos on Banham’s arms. Yet, other aspects of his game were more appalling than appealing.

McNab’s description pretty well covers it. What Banham called skating didn’t impress people. His rough, sometimes dirty, play turned them off. There also were big concerns about his work ethic.

Now McNab can hardly contain himself talking about Banham.

“He has the ability to score from 50 feet or from five feet. And he has this move, kind of his change-up. Just when the goalie thinks he’s going to shoot, he passes.”

This is coming from a guy who wouldn’t touch Banham two years ago.

Banham was drafted in the fourth round by the Washington Capitals in 1993, but didn’t sign. He was returned to the draft and no one was interested.

It was then that Banham changed.

“I started working every day after practice,” Banham said. “I worked on my shot, worked on my skating, lifted weights. I worked out during the summers. I wanted to get better.”

He did, although some remained suspicious. Banham scored 50 goals with Saskatoon in 1993-94, yet no one made an offer. That changed last season.

“I think people get an opinion about a guy and then won’t change it,” McNab said. “Frank made me change my mind.”