HOCKEY

The Gulls’ pursuit of Victor Kozlov, a 17-year-old Russian phenom, will come to an end today or tomorrow when Paul Theophanus, a New York-based agent, will make one more attempt to convince Kozlov’s parents to allow their son to leave home.

“I’m still trying,” Theophanus said. “But it looks like it won’t happen more than it will. The parents are pretty hard-nosed.”

General Manager Don Waddell, meanwhile, hopes to lure defenseman Lindy Ruff into the fold. Ruff played with the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL under current Gull Coach Rick Dudley.

“Rick really likes him,” Waddell said. “He has great character and great leadership qualities.”