The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.

December 17, 1971

The Hockey News December 17, 1971

<div class="byline">BY PAT CONNOLLY</div>HALIFAX&mdash;General Manager and coach Al MacNeil of the Nova Scotia Voyageurs had just digested a diet of statistics when we had caught up with the hard working executive for an assessment of the first seven weeks of operation in the American Hockey League&rsquo;s Eastern Division.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-01124/2838547-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="274" height="422"><figcaption class="caption-body">Randy Rota</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I think the records will show&rdquo;, he said, &ldquo;that the league has greater depth and balance than it has had for many years. There was a time perhaps when strong teams could count on an occasional easy night but that doesn&rsquo;t apply anymore. There are no patsies in this league. You earn every point and if you stop working you can go from top to bottom very quickly&rdquo;.At the time of his analysis, MacNeil&rsquo;s Voyageurs were berthed in second place in the Eastern Division.The Vees greatest strength through the first 23 games was their ability to maintain home ice superiority while losing a number of tough decisions on the road. In their first 13 games at the Forum, Voyageurs won ten, tied two and dropped only one game, 5-3 to the Baltimore Clippers Oct. 30. Their road record showed only one win, seven losses and a pair of ties, but MacNeil wasn&rsquo;t too disturbed at the team&rsquo;s inability to win away from home. &ldquo;Of those seven losses&rdquo;, he said, &ldquo;three were by one goal, to Richmond, Rochester and Cincinnati and with any breaks we could have won, or at least tied, all three&rdquo;.While expressing a healthy respect for Springfield, Providence and Rochester, MacNeil agreed that at this point in time, Boston must be considered the team to beat. He considered a number of factors as being responsible for the Braves early successes&hellip;&ldquo;They have had fantastic fan support, playing before sell-out crowds and this has a direct effect on visiting teams. They have also played 13 of their first 20 games at the Boston Garden and this is important. They&rsquo;ve been getting superior goaltending and a lot of production from that front line of Peters, Boehm and Roberts but as I see it we have the horses to overtake them and I&rsquo;m not prepared to settle for anything other than a first place finish.&rdquo;The Voyageurs, too, have received superb goaltending from Michel Plasse and Wayne Thomas who have combined for an aggregate goals-against average of 2.81 for 23 games.Veteran Germain Gagnon continued to lead the team in scoring with (5-23-28), followed by brilliant rookie Chuck Arnason who leads the team in goals with 14 and a points total of 24. Left winger Randy Rota, acquired from California in a pre-season deal, was chasing Arnason in the goals department with 11. Captain Mike Laughton, who had seen limited action during November, signalled his return with a key goal against Springfield in a 2-2 tie and appeared to have recaptured his position when Montreal recalled Chuck Lefley on Dec. 1.The Voyageurs&rsquo; center corps of Lefley, Laughton, Rey Comeau and Joe Hardy provided the Vees with strong pivotal play over the first 23 games. &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

MacNeil Experts Vees To Finish On Top In East

<div class="byline">&#x2014;BERRY</div>DETROIT&mdash;The Wings continue to buy journeymen and shuffle them between Detroit and Tidewater. Billy Hicke was purchased from Pittsburgh with the proviso he report to the American League. General Manager Ned Harkness said Hicke could help Tidewater, which needed it, could also be a hedge against next year&rsquo;s expansion draft and might even see some service with Detroit.Guy Charron suffered a fracture of the left cheekbone when hit by a stick in the Montreal game and Ron Harris&rsquo; knee gave out on him again during a fight with California&rsquo;s Paul Shmyr.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-03617/2837524-1-eng-US/f0013-032.jpg" title="f0013-03" width="268" height="432"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bill Hicke</figcaption></div>The Wings&rsquo; 2-2-3 November journey plus the lure of New York and Montreal brought the fans back to Olympia with successive standing room turnouts of 15,025 and 15,087 and they responded with roars of approval and standing ovations, strange sights and sounds after last year. &#9632;

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Wings Shuffle Hicke Off To Strengthen Tidewater

The Cincinnati Swords haven&rsquo;t exactly been setting the world on fire but it&rsquo;s no reason to stop Butch Deadmarsh from waging a personal offensive campaign of his own. The young second-year pro emerged with a six-point week, despite the Swords&rsquo; nose dive, scoring five times and assisting on a sixth goal. His performance made him the club&rsquo;s No. 1 point man and also warranted his recall by the parent Buffalo Sabres.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-0744/2838270-1-eng-US/f0022-072.jpg" title="f0022-07" width="467" height="609"><figcaption class="caption-body">BUTCH DEADMARSH</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Player Of The Week

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-01711/2837667-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"></div><h2>TOP 25 SCORERS</h2>(Including Games of Sun. Dec. 5)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-02601/2837660-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="1400" height="900"></div><h2>BOSTON Bruins</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-03463/2837653-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="756" height="742"></div><h2>BUFFALO Sabres</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-04337/2837646-1-eng-US/f0014-042.jpg" title="f0014-04" width="748" height="826"></div><h2>CALIFORNIA Seals</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-05255/2837639-1-eng-US/f0014-052.jpg" title="f0014-05" width="764" height="784"></div><h2>CHICAGO Black Hawks</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-06214/2837632-1-eng-US/f0014-062.jpg" title="f0014-06" width="752" height="730"></div><h2>DETROIT Red Wings</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-07172/2837625-1-eng-US/f0014-072.jpg" title="f0014-07" width="740" height="766"></div><h2>LOS ANGELES Kings</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-08147/2837618-1-eng-US/f0014-082.jpg" title="f0014-08" width="750" height="790"></div><h2>MINNESOTA North Stars</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-09133/2837611-1-eng-US/f0014-092.jpg" title="f0014-09" width="734" height="722"></div><h2>MONTREAL Canadiens</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-10117/2837604-1-eng-US/f0014-102.jpg" title="f0014-10" width="740" height="692"></div><h2>NEW YORK Rangers</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-11106/2837597-1-eng-US/f0014-112.jpg" title="f0014-11" width="742" height="764"></div><h2>PHILADELPHIA Flyers</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1295/2837590-1-eng-US/f0014-122.jpg" title="f0014-12" width="748" height="734"></div><h2>PITTSBURGH Penguins</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1378/2837583-1-eng-US/f0014-132.jpg" title="f0014-13" width="738" height="858"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS Blues</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1459/2837576-1-eng-US/f0014-142.jpg" title="f0014-14" width="750" height="800"></div><h2>TORONTO Maple Leafs</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1550/2837569-1-eng-US/f0014-152.jpg" title="f0014-15" width="738" height="802"></div><h2>VANCOUVER Canucks</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1639/2837562-1-eng-US/f0014-162.jpg" title="f0014-16" width="746" height="758"></div><h2>NHL&rsquo;S EAST WEST SCOREBOARD</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1737/2837555-1-eng-US/f0014-172.jpg" title="f0014-17" width="1456" height="390"></div>(Statistics include games of Sunday, Dec. 5) &#9632;

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PLAYERS SCORING-PENALTY RECORDS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cover-01504/2839958-1-eng-US/cover-012.jpg" title="Cover-01" width="546" height="885"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOBBY LEITER: PROLIFIC PENGUIN</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cover-02378/2839951-1-eng-US/cover-022.jpg" title="Cover-02" width="1821" height="1509"><figcaption class="caption-body">CESARE MANIAGO Superlative Net Play Lifts Stars On Road (Hockey News Photo by Richard Pellegrini)</figcaption></div>RANGERS HOT LINE HITS 127 IN RECORD BID &#9632;

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NORTH STARS ROAD DEMONS

<div class="byline">BY DWAYNE NETLAND</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-01678/2836697-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg" title="f0002-01" width="406" height="498"><figcaption class="caption-body">CESARE MANIAGO&hellip;Superlative In Goal</figcaption></div>TWIN CITIES&mdash;Remember the popular music hit that swept the United States and Canada eight years ago entitled &ldquo;King of the Road&rdquo;?The Minnesota North Stars were no more than a gleam in Walter Bush&rsquo;s eye at that time, but through the first seven weeks of this National Hockey League season they have established themselves as kings of the NHL road teams.After Minnesota&rsquo;s first 23 games, 11 at home and 12 away, the North Stars had the West Division lead by three points. In those 12 games on enemy rinks they compiled a remarkable record of 9-1-2, good for 20 of a possible 24 points.No other NHL team could match that record.The North Stars were also 7-31 at home during that span, but there was no doubt among general manager Wren Blair, coach Jack Gordon or the players that they were more effective on the road.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a puzzling thing,&rdquo; conceded Gordon, &ldquo;but we play better positional hockey on other rinks than we do on our own. We check better and we seem a lot more loose and relaxed.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very pleased with our ability to win on the road, of course, but I wish I knew the answer why we can&rsquo;t be as consistent at home. Last season we were 16-15-8 on our own ice, and that&rsquo;s one statistic we set out to improve on this year&rdquo;.In their first 12 road games the North Stars gave up only 19 goals, five of them at Boston. In 11 other games they allowed only the meager total of 14 goals, the most incredible performance on a sustained basis that the Stars have ever authored.One of the primary reasons, of course, had been the superlative goaltending of Cesare Maniago and Gump Worsley. Maniago had a 10-3 record in 13 games with a 1.66 average and Worsley was 6-1-3 in 10 games with a 1.29 mark.&ldquo;The goaltending has been great,&rdquo; said Gordon. &ldquo;But Cesare and Gump have been the first to insist they are only as good as the skaters in front of them. Our defensemen have really come along and the forwards have done their job coming back. It has been, if we may use that cliche one more time, a team effort all the way&rdquo;.Gordon&rsquo;s close-checking style of play results in a number of close, low-scoring games, and the North Stars have capitalized in that area, too. Through their first 23 games, they had a 7-2 record in games decided by one goal. They were 4-0 in one-goal games on the road.Minnesota&rsquo;s only losses during that productive surge were 5-2 at Boston and 5-1 to Montreal at home. The Bruins and Canadiens each scored twice in the third period to break up what had been close games.&ldquo;We have been in every game we&rsquo;ve played&rdquo;, declared Gordon, &ldquo;and to me that&rsquo;s the most important single aspect of our record so far. It means nothing if you win 6-1 one night and lose 72 the next. The type of games we have been involved in are a little tough one the coach&rsquo;s stomach, but we have to play them that way in order to win in this league&rdquo;.Prior to Minnesota&rsquo;s recent 2-1 victory at Oakland, the Seals had scored 73 goals, highest total of any team in the NHL. &ldquo;If there&rsquo;s one thing we can do&rdquo;, claimed coach Vic Stasiuk, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s score goals&rdquo;. Yet the North Stars came within the final 2:40 of becoming the first team to shut the Seals out this season.One factor, however, should be brought out: the North Stars had yet to play at New York, Montreal and Chicago after those first 22 games, and must return twice more to Boston Garden, where they have never won.So the schedule has probably been as contributive to Minnesota&rsquo;s early-season success as the checking and the goal-tending.NORTH STARS NOTES: Minnesota encountered its first serious wave of injuries this season when J.P. Parise suffered a bruised shoulder. Bill Goldsworthy a bruised knee and charley-horse and Bob Nevin a sprained knee which required a splint. Dennis Hextall, however, is ready to make his debut with the club after undergoing knee surgery last Oct. 4&hellip;Goldsworthy, after six goals in his first 36 shots on the net, took 56 straight shots at rival goaltenders before breaking through with a goal which won a 2-1 victory at Vancouver&hellip;Billy Heindl was called up from Cleveland on emergency and played well for the North Stars before being returned&hellip;The Stars played their best game of the season in a 4-1 win over the Rangers, which snapped New York&rsquo;s 14-game unbeaten streak. The next night the Rangers demolished California 121&hellip;Goldsworthy scored two goals within seven seconds in a 31 win at Los Angeles&hellip; &#9632;

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North Stars Sweep To Top With Crunching Road Play

(Statistics include games of Sun. Nov. 28)<h2>EAST AT HOME</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-02640/2836749-1-eng-US/f0002-022.jpg" title="f0002-02" width="530" height="203"></div><h2>WEST AT HOME</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-03533/2836742-1-eng-US/f0002-032.jpg" title="f0002-03" width="532" height="208"></div><h2>EAST ON ROAD</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-04378/2836735-1-eng-US/f0002-042.jpg" title="f0002-04" width="530" height="202"></div><h2>WEST ON ROAD</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-05265/2836728-1-eng-US/f0002-052.jpg" title="f0002-05" width="539" height="206"></div> &#9632;

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NHL Home, Road Records

<h2>BOSTON</h2>REG LEACH<h2>BUFFALO</h2>RICHARD MARTINCHRIS EVANSCRAIG RAMSAY<h2>CALIFORNIA</h2>IVAN BOLDIREVLYLE CARTERGILLES MELOCHESTAN GILBERTSONCRAIG PATRICKJOEY JOHNSTON<h2>CHICAGO</h2>DARRYL MAGGS<h2>DETROIT</h2>MARCEL DIONNEDOUG VOLMAR<h2>LOS ANGELES</h2>GARY EDWARDSAL MCDONOUGHJEAN POTVIN<h2>MINNESOTA</h2>None<h2>MONTREAL</h2>GUY LAFLEURKEN DRYDEN<h2>NEW YORK</h2>GENE CARRPIERRE JARRYAB DeMARCO<h2>PHILADELPHIA</h2>LARRY WRIGHTPIERRE PLANTERICK FOLEY<h2>PITTSBURGH</h2>DAVE BURROWSRENE ROBERTSHELDON KANNEGIESSERDARRYL EDESTRANDJOE NORIS<h2>ST. LOUIS</h2>JIM McLEODANDRE DUPONTMIKE MURPHYMIKE PARIZEAUPETER McDUFFE<h2>TORONTO</h2>DENIS DUPERE<h2>VANCOUVER</h2>FRED SPECKRON WARDJOCELYN GUEVREMONTDENNIS KEARNS &#9632;

Calder Cup‘Eligibles’

<div class="byline">BY DONALD BERNS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-01680/2836787-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg" title="f0003-01" width="580" height="850"></div>ST-LOUIS&mdash;For as long as he can hold the job Jim McLeod is the No. 1 goalie of the St. Louis Blues.McLeod is a no-nonsense career man in hockey who carries the label of rookie at the age of 34. He had been beaten only once in his first seven starts in the National Hockey League when St. Louis coach Bill McCreary announced that McLeod would be the team&rsquo;s regular goalie except on occasion when the Blues played games on successive days. Ernie Wakely would then handle the second game.With Glenn Hall finally retired this season the Blues had expected Wakely to bear the brunt of the goaltending load, and attempts were begun shortly after last season ended to find a backup goalkeeper. McLeod was one of several acquired. He was taken from the Portland roster in the inter-league draft.&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;d ever get drafted by an NHL club,&rdquo; McLeod said. &ldquo;I had hoped several years ago that I would get a break in the first expansion draft, but I was always owned by a club in the Western Hockey League.&rdquo;McLeod spent 11 years in the WHL and had an impressive minor-league record. In seasons with Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland he won three WHL leading goalkeeper awards, led the league in shutouts three years and in goals-against average twice, including a 1.88 in 1966-67, right before the first expansion draft. He was the top goalie in the WHL playoffs the last two years.&ldquo;My 11 years&rsquo; experience has helped me a lot this season,&rdquo; McLeod says. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m used to being, under pressure.&rdquo;&ldquo;I was ready five years ago to play in the NHL,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;You learn something every day in this game, but you can learn in the NHL the same as you can in any other league.&rdquo;McLeod began the current season as the Blues&rsquo; third goalie. Wakely started the opening game, and Peter McDuffe, acquired in a trade from New York&rsquo;s Omaha farm club, was No. 2&mdash;chosen over McLeod as one unknown quantity over another. But the Blues lost 10 of their first 14 games with Wakely and McDuffe in the nets. Trades were made, coaches were changed, and lines were constantly jumbled. Finally, McCreary, the new coach, decided to give McLeod a chance to start against the California Golden Seals.&ldquo;I closed my eyes and just hoped,&rdquo; said McCreary, at that time still doubtful about McLeod&rsquo;s major-league abilities.&ldquo;He told me, &lsquo;This is a no preasure game,&rsquo;&rdquo;McLeod said, &ldquo;&lsquo;so just go out there and yell a little.&rsquo;&rdquo;McLeod stopped everything the Seals shot at him except Bobby Sheehan&rsquo;s high whistling shot late in the second period, and the Blues won, 5-1.McLeod quipped after the game, &ldquo;I had plenty of rest for this one&mdash;11 years and 14 games. &ldquo;McLeod stayed in the St. Louis net for the next six games and lost only in Boston.&ldquo;I got a couple games under my belt before we went into Montreal,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We tied them 2-2 in the Forum, and I picked up a lot of confidence.&rdquo;McCreary gave Wakely another start, but Ernie was bombed by the Rangers in New York, and McLeod was back in goal for the next game when the Blues held the Bruins to a tie.&ldquo;Actually I was fortunate to get into the games when the guys were getting organized,&rdquo; McLeod said. &ldquo;We were a little disorganized at the beginning of the year and got off on the wrong foot.&rdquo;At 34. McLeod is not a wed by the NHL but he readily admits the difference between goaltending in the minors and majors.&ldquo;In the NHL everybody shoots and skates a lot more.&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You can let up in the WHL and get away with it, but in the NHL it costs you a couple of goals&mdash;you have to be in the game 60 minutes.&rdquo;If McLeod has been at all nervous about his new league, his performances haven&rsquo;t shown it. He yells frequently at he Blues&rsquo; veteran defensemen and doesn&rsquo;t hesitate to bang his stick on the ice to get the attention of a teammate who may not be listening to the man in goal.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m yelling to them all the time because I think it makes it easy for them.&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I bang my stick to let them know that a wing is open, because sometimes they can&rsquo;t see it and I can.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-02562/2836780-1-eng-US/f0003-022.jpg" title="f0003-02" width="1170" height="1290"><figcaption class="caption-body">JIMMY McLEOD&hellip;Almost Gave Up Hope</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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ALWAYS TOP DOG IN THE MINORS BUT OVERLOOKED BY THE MAJORS

<div class="byline">Ken McKenzie&#x2019;s</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-01742/2836856-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="518" height="536"></div>&bull; TWO OF the biggest surprises in the National Hockey League this season have been the outstanding play of the Minnesota North Stars and the California Golden Seals. Charlie Finley, owner of the Seals, assembled a championship baseball team in Oakland with youth and he&rsquo;s doing the same thing in hockey. Finley says if he&rsquo;s going to lose it might as well be with kids. At least they have a chance to improve&hellip;The team spirit on the Seals this season is terrific according to all reports&hellip;Canadiens&rsquo; coach Scotty Bowman points to his goalie Ken Dryden when reporters ask the reason for his team&rsquo;s success. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s in the nets&rdquo;, he says. &ldquo;He was picked as one of the three stars in 18 of our first 22 games&rdquo;&hellip;Noel Picard of St. Louis, recovering from a severe foot fracture suffered in a horseback-riding mishap, was back at the St. Louis Arena shortly after his release from the hospital. Minutes before the opening faceoff in a Blues-Bruins game Picard&rsquo;s wheelchair was pushed through a doorway near the ice surface, and the 19.104 fans burst into a spontaneous ovation&hellip;Immediately after Jack Egers and Mike Murphy were obtained from New York by St. Louis they were thrown on a line centered by Garry Unger. Unger is the oldest on the line at 2.3. Egers is 22 and Murphy 21&hellip;Hot off the press is the OFFICIAL NATIONAL HOCKEY ANNUAL 1972 and it&rsquo;s the greatest edition yet of this widely sought after hockey encyclopedia. If you can&rsquo;t find it at your favorite newsstand be sure to order your copy through this publication. The special TV Section listing the names and numbers of all NHL teams, referees and linesmen and where to find NHL hockey on radio and television has been enlarged. The OFFICIAL NATIONAL HOCKEY ANNUAL is a must for every hockey enthusiast&hellip;When Buffalo Sabres visited Vancouver for an engagement with the Canucks on the eve of the Grey Cup game, they were quartered in Horse Shoe Bay, a remote community some 20 miles from Vancouver. To while away the hours some of the Sabres went fishing. Richard Martin landed two six-pound salmon and Doug Barrie hauled in two sand sharks&hellip;Radio WOW-25 covers 25 of the Omaha Knights&rsquo; games plus all playoff contests&hellip;Despite getting off to one of his better starts, New York&rsquo;s Rod Gilbert recently went six games without a goal. &ldquo;All I have to do is go three games without a goal and I get irritable. I punish myself.&rdquo; says the player considered one of the leading playboys in the East Division, &ldquo;I just stay home&rdquo;&hellip;Hockey announcer Dan Kelly tells us that KMOX St. Louis recently advised hockey fans to write directly to the station instead of the NHL for their hockey schedules. As a result the station received requests from 41 states and five provinces&hellip;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-02693/2836849-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="276" height="444"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ken Dryden</figcaption></div>&bull; NEW YORK RANGERS are looking for a name for their high-scoring Hadfield-Gilbert-Ratelle line to give it an identity like Detroit&rsquo;s &ldquo;Production Line&rdquo; of Howe-Abel-Lindsay and Montreal&rsquo;s &ldquo;Punch Line&rdquo; of Richard-Lach-Blake. &ldquo;Gag Line&rdquo; has been suggested to imply goal-a-game&hellip;Biggest win for the Minnesota North Stars this season was their 41 victory over New York at the Met Center, which stopped the Rangers&rsquo; 14-game unbeaten streak. It was also the best 60 minutes of hockey the North Stars have played in five years&hellip;Just like his Oakland A&rsquo;s baseball team, Charlie Finley&rsquo;s California Seals will be shod entirely in white. The all-white boots are in Oakland now and it&rsquo;s just a matter of breaking them in at practices before they&rsquo;ll be used in games. Right now the Seals have green and gold boots&hellip;An unidentified NHL writer had this to say: &ldquo;Garry Unger used to date Miss America. Now he looks like Miss America.&rdquo;&hellip;Ebbie Goodfellow and his wife are retiring to Fort Myers, Florida. The former Detroit Red Wings&rsquo; great and a member of Hockey&rsquo;s Hall of Fame spent all 14 NHL seasons with the Red Wings and was the first member of that team to win the Hart Trophy until Sid Abel, won it in 1949. Says he plans to do a lot of fishing and play lots of golf&hellip;Scotty Morrison, NHL refereein-chief, told Toronto writers that he had no doubts but that the World Hockey Association would conduct a raiding war on his officials in the future. But like President Clarence Campbell of the NHL, Morrison says he&rsquo;s not worried. &ldquo;The NHL Referees Association is fully recognized by the league, the salaries are good and the officials have a pension plan comparable to the players.&rdquo;&hellip;Walter Bush, president of Minnesota North Stars, is still very active in the promotion of amateur international hockey. He is running a tournament at Broadmoor in Colorado Springs on Dec. 27-29 involving United States, Russian and Czechoslovakian teams. On Jan. 1-3 at Met Sports Center in Bloomington, Minn., Bush will conduct the World Cup with the same teams&hellip;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-03595/2836842-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="286" height="426"><figcaption class="caption-body">Scotty Morrison</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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PASSING THE PUCK

OFFICIAL NATIONAL HOCKEY WEEKLYFounded October 1st, 1947Published weekly except monthly June through September by Ken-Will Publishing Co. Ltd.1434 St. Catherine Street West Montreal 107, Canada.U.S. Office: 16 Maple Street, Rouses Point, N.Y. 12979Kenneth William McKenziePresident and PublisherCharlie HalpinEditorial DirectorYearly SUBSCRIPTION Rates: $6.00 in Canada $7.00 in the U.S.A, and $9.00 in Foreign Countries.Postpage paid at Rouses Point, N.Y. 12979. Send address changes to 1434 St. Catherine Street West, Suite 212, Montr&eacute;al, 107, P.Q.Second class mail&mdash;Registration No. 1.327Printed in CanadaVol. 25 MONTREAL, DECEMBER 17, 1971 No. 11 &#9632;

The Hockey News

<h2>Defense Marks Difference Between Good Teams</h2>Expansion has brought about a marked decline in the quality of defensemen in the National Hockey League, and I feel this is truely a grave problem. Teams such as Boston, New York, Chicago and Montreal are superior mainly because of good, solid defensemen while the weaker teams such as the Buffalo Sabres, the California Seals, the Los Angeles Kings and the other expansion teams have a common characteristic of weak blueline units.I would like to suggest a plan I hope the NHL might consider to alleviate this problem. I would like to see a limit put on the number of defensemen a team can include on their protected rosters for the upcoming June 1972 expansion draft as well as the intra-league draft.This I feel would go a long way to helping the two new clubs (Atlanta and Long Island) as well as the present clubs with weak defensive corps.JOE WASIK, Buffalo, N.Y.<h2>WHA Will Provide More Hockey Jobs</h2>The new, proposed World Hockey Association is a great step for hockey.It brings this great sport to more people in the United States and Canada and hopefully to other nations as well. This new league will also give a chance to play pro hockey to a greater number of youngsters. I just hope the quality of the hockey isn&rsquo;t too diluted and that there won&rsquo;t be a serious clash between the National Hockey League and the WHA.BRYAN KORNBERGER, Winnipeg, Man.<h2>Rotating Schedule Would Stimulate Fan Interest</h2>I think that a rotating schedule for the National Hockey League would prove very enjoyable and beneficial to both the fans and players.The idea is that every game in each city would be between two different teams; that way people in Oakland, for example, would be able to see Boston and Chicago play each other.This would help bolster attendance in the areas that need it and I think the fans in the extablished cities would come out to see the games no matter who was playing.A few years ago when part of the roof was blown off the new Spectrum Arena in Philadelphia, several Flyers&rsquo; home games were played in New York. The large attendance at those games seems to indicate my plan is feasible.B. CERNIAWSKI, Whitaker, Pa.<h2>Don&rsquo;t Build New Teams By Tearing Down Old</h2>I strongly disagree with the story in the Nov. 26 issue of THE HOCKEY NEWS to the effect that the loss of players by the &ldquo;Big Four&rdquo; (Chicago, Boston, Montreal and New York) in the upcoming expansion draft will move the 1967 expansion clubs closer to parity.The new clubs should not be made equal by tearing apart the old clubs. The new clubs should be given time to develope players of their own in their farm systemsCLEM PETRICCA, Schiller Park, Ill. &#9632;

Fan Forum

<div class="byline">BY DAN PROUDFOOT</div>TORONTO&mdash;Brian Glennie&rsquo;s biggest challenge these days is gritting his teeth and grinning.He sits in press boxes and watches hockey games&mdash;games in which he is naid to play. &ldquo;Gotta keep smiling,&rdquo; he says. Toronto Maple Leafs are paying Glennie $20,000 or thereabouts, as a defenseman but not playing him. They have decided he is most useful sitting down. He practices, he isready to play, but if Glennie tells anyone he is happy with the situation, he is kidding. Why?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-01695/2836935-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="270" height="458"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brian Jennie</figcaption></div>Leafs have seven defensemen, which is more than they can use. Glennie obviously is ranked seventh. Because only 19 players are allowed in uniform for a game, and Leafs now have 21 practicing, two must sit out.The National Hockey League has rules to make sure established players actually play. The rules are laughable, because most every team in the league has a stock of press box players&mdash;men like Glennie who aren&rsquo;t highly skilled but who nevertheless could help other teams.Glennie isn&rsquo;t a star. But he&rsquo;s a competent workman whose limitations are compensated for by his willingness to work. And the fact is that if Leafs tried waiving him out of the NHL to a minor league affiliate, they would fail. Another NHL team would grab him, and use him.The failure of the waiver system is obvious. When a coach thinks a player isn&rsquo;t quite good enough to play regularly, but the general manager knows other NHL teams could use him, that player is relegated to the press box or, if he&rsquo;s lucky, a seat in the stands with his wife.The idea of the waiver system is to make such players available to those teams which can use them. It seldom works that way, and it won&rsquo;t as long as teams are allowed to keep more players than they can use.All this has Alan Eagleson, executive director of the NHL Players Association, concerned.&ldquo;I feel this is a legitimate complaint. It&rsquo;s not fair to the players, and it&rsquo;s something which will be on our paper for discussion at the league meetings in January.&rdquo;Eagleson suggests two changes. The number of players allowed on a team&rsquo;s roster should be reduced to 19, the same as the number allowed in uniform for a game. And a player who sits out more than a stipulated number of games, perhaps five, should have the right to go to an arbiter or Clarence Campbell, president of the league. The arbiter or Campbell would then have the right to force the team to accept the best trade offer they had received for the player.&ldquo;I know the Leafs have had several trade offers for Glennie. But they want too much for him.&ldquo;Glennie is good enough to play for Several teams in this league. But he&rsquo;s stuck with the Leafs and their seven defensemen.&rdquo;General Manager Jim Gregory feels that Glennie may be more useful as an extra body. He explains his reasoning clearly.&ldquo;I only make a deal if I feel it&rsquo;s going to improve this hockey club.&ldquo;This year we have a problem we didn&rsquo;t have last year. We&rsquo;re heading toward an expansion draft. We know we&rsquo;re going to lose three players. So if we have seven defensemen going into the draft and we lose one or two, we&rsquo;re still in good shape.&rdquo;Gregory was saying what Glennie fears most: he may be stuck as an extra all season, until he becomes useful as fodder for the draft.&ldquo;Another thing to remember is that last year we had 107 games missed by players with injuries, and the year before that it was 256. Many of the players out with injuries were defensemen. So, the chances are we&rsquo;re going to have players out with injuries this year, and Glennie will get a chance to play.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Leafs Reluctant To Trade Glennie Off

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-02617/2836966-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="820" height="788"></div><h2>The Hip Check</h2>Everyone knows body checks are supposed to stop opponents. The idea is to take a man out or spoil the rhythm of an attack. But always remember, the best check is the one which leaves you in the play and your opponent out of it.The illustration shows you a hip check. Used near the boards, you&rsquo;ll box your man in. He&rsquo;ll be skating fast so you can use his speed against him. &#9632;

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Hockey for Kids

JOHN BEGG OLD SCOTCH WHISKYDistilled, blended and bottled in Scotland. Represented by: The Distillers Company Canada limited<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03468/2836997-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="544" height="540"></div> &#9632;

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The Incoming Scotch for Outgoing People

<div class="byline">BY GIL SMITH</div>MONTREAL&mdash;He was the most improved player on the Canadians&rsquo; team, and certainly one of the most versatile. The loss of Guy Lapointe. therefore, had to rank as a major blow to the Habs. With him sidelined, they lose not only a fine rushing defenseman but a man who can double as a forward, kill penalties and play a big part on the powerplay.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-01771/2837035-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="260" height="458"><figcaption class="caption-body">Guy Lapointe</figcaption></div>Lapointe, whose five goals and 15 assists made him the third-highest scorer on the team after 22 games, was hurt in a late November game in Detroit when struck by a deflected puck.Lapointe suffered a fractured cheekbone when a shot by Wings&rsquo; Al Karlander deflected off Guy&rsquo;s stick and struck him in the face. Fortunately, the injury was not quite as serious as first reports indicated and he is expected to be back in action after about two weeks.The loss of Lapointe, coupled with news that the return of Serge Savard had again been delayed, cut the Habs usually well-stocked defense corps to five. It was reported that Canadiens would call up someone from the Vovageurs to augment the blueline brigade. The five now on hand are J.C. Tremblay, Terry Harper Jacques Laperriere and youngsters Pierre Bouchard and Dale Hoganson.Meanwhile, Canadiens had an 11.game undefeated streak snapped by Detroit Red Wings who scored a 4-2 win in the game in which defenceman Lapointe suffered his injury. The Hab streak had begun back on November 3 against St. Louis and ran till the 28th when the Wings broke it up. Included in the streak were four ties.Despite the long undefeated stretch. Canadiens weren&rsquo;t always playing that well and relied heavily on goalie Ken Dryden to keep them in games. Dryden had appeared in all of the first 22 contests, which gave him more ice time than any other NHL goalie at that point. His closest competitor was Buffalo&rsquo;s Roger Crozier who&rsquo;d appeared in 21 of his team&rsquo;s first 23 contests. Crozier shares the Sabres&rsquo; netminding duties with Ken Dryden&rsquo;s brother Dave.Dryden&rsquo;s average was 2.03 for 22 outings, during which he allowed 44 goals, plus an empty-net goal. He&rsquo;d posted two shutouts.Of some concern was the fact that three men on the team had accounted for well over half the goals scored during the early part of the schedule.Frank Mahovlich, Yvan Cournoyer and Marc Tardif had a collective total of 44 goals. The team, as such, had scored eighty-three. This bunching up of scoring power has been something Scotty Bowman has had to contend with since the start of the season. The &lsquo;Big M&rsquo; and Cournoyer provided practically all of the scoring punch in the very early games of the campaign. They have now been joined by Tardif. But, there&rsquo;s lots of room at the top for others on the squad.HAB-BITS: Canadiens got a scare when Marc Tardif pitched into the backboards in a recent game against Pittsburgh. It happened just after Tardif set up a goal by Guy Lafleur. Tardif was badly stunned for a moment but luckily missed serious injury. Not so fortunate was Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Rene Robert who suffered a bad back injury when he crashed into the boards at almost the identical spot where Tardif hit. Robert was hospitalized&hellip;Terry Harper broke a very long scoring famine with a goal against Chicago on November 24. The last one was versus Detroit on January 23, 1971&hellip;Dryden picked up his second assist of the season on an empty net goal by Henri Richard against the Penguins. One more assist will tie him with Bernie Parent for the record by a goalie in a season. Parent&rsquo;s three were earned with Philadelphia in 76 games of the 1969-70 campaign&hellip;John Ferguson, now playing in Oldtimers&rsquo; games, is said to be still charging headlong into enemy goalies. Old habits are hard to get rid of.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-02630/2837028-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="1818" height="878"><figcaption class="caption-body">Winning the Stanley Cup last spring brought still more rewards for the Montreal Canadiens. The Gruen Watch Company of Canada Ltd., presented watches to the members of the Canadiens, players, coaching staff, officials and their wives. Shown at the presentation ceremonies from the left, DAVID MOLSON, president of the Canadiens, HENRI RICHARD, new team captain, ROLAND LEROYER, Gruen&rsquo;s Quebec Sales Manager, and JEAN BELIVEAU, retired ex-captain and now a vice-president of the Canadiens.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Loss Of Lapointe Slices Habs’ Defense

MONTREAL&mdash;What difference does a year make?Well, for Montreal Canadiens the difference has been two more wins, five less losses, three more ties and seven more points.After 22 games this year, Habs had a 13-3-6 record and were tied with Boston Bruins at 32 points for second place in the standings.After the same number of contests last year, the record was 118-3. Habs had 25 points and were in third place.There has also been quite an improvement in the goals-for and against columns. Canadiens have scored 83 and given up 49 in 22 outings, this year. It was 74 and 57 respectively after the same number of games last season.Technically, Habs were listed as third in the league standings this year after the 22 contests, by virtue of two less wins than Boston. However, they were only two points behind front-running New York Rangers. Last year at this time they were a full seven points out of first place.Canadiens wound up third last season, with 97 points in the 78 games. &#9632;

Canadiens’ Pace Ahead Of Cup Year

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-01723/2837090-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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Phil Esposito knows the score, when it comes to hockey equipment.

<div class="byline">By Bill Libby</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-01757/2837128-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="290" height="368"></div><h2>The Older The Better&hellip;</h2>WHEN EXPANSION BEGAN five years ago, the assumption of most seemed to be that the road to gold and glory was bound to be bumpy and the teams that went the furthest would be those with enough youth to take the punishment and grow up eventually strong enough to take on the big guys who had established positions along the way.&ldquo;You&rsquo;re going to lose now, anyway, so you better be building for the future,&rdquo; was the rallying call.However, in St. Louis, Scotty Bowman shot this full of holes with his Blues, who wanted to win right away.He collected more old bodies than can be found in the average home for the aged. By sports standards, that is. His stars were players in their late 30&rsquo;s and early 40&rsquo;s, such as Jacques Plante, Glenn Hall, Al Arbour, Dickie Moore, Phil Goyette, Jean-Guy Talbot, Camille Henry, Doug Harvey, and others. When one died on him, he simply wheeled in another.Confronted with charges he favored the aged, he refused to confess, as though it was a sin, and insisted always, &ldquo;We have a lot of outstanding young players, too. It&rsquo;s the blend of age and youth that counts, the balance.&rdquo; But it was the old men who took this new team to the top of the expansion heap.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-02668/2837121-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="582" height="849"><figcaption class="caption-body">LORNE WORSLEY&hellip;Brilliant at 42</figcaption></div>And since Scotty has gone this season, and most of the old men have been cleared out to make way for a youth program, the team has fallen far off its former pace. And who has taken its place atop the expansionists, but one following the same old formula, manager Wren Blair&rsquo;s Minnesota North Stars. A study of the Stars&rsquo; roster reveals the presence of Gump Worsley at 42 and Ceasare Maniago at 32 in the nets, Doug Mohns at 38 and Ted Harris at 35 on defense and Dean Prentice at 39, Charlie Burns at 35, Ted Hampson at 34 and Murray Oliver and Bob Nevin at 33 up front.And coach Jackie Gordon sounds like Scotty as he insists, &ldquo;We have a lot of good young players, too. It&rsquo;s the blend of age and youth that counts. We have balance.&rdquo; But they went 20 games without a victory just two years ago before they added Worsley, Mohns, Harris and Oliver and they have gone a lot of games without a defeat this year since they added Prentice and Nevin.St. Louis clearly was the class of the expansionists the first four seasons, but they never could compete with the established teams. Now, however, Minnesota seems not only to have risen to the top of the class among the expansionists, but they seem competitive with most of the old clubs and better than some. Leaders of other teams keep saying when the old men wear out they&rsquo;ll have nothing left, but what&rsquo;s to stop them from running in more old men then? Maybe the Blues are used up now, but no one can take away the four years of glory they already have had, which is more than some clubs in this circuit will have ten years from now. A lot of the clubs building-with youth tore down their own foundations by trading away their amateur draft picks, anyway. And if they were honest few among them wouldn&rsquo;t trade rosters with the North Stars right now.Gordon admits, &ldquo;Most NHL games are close and the teams with the old hands who don&rsquo;t panic under pressure are going to win their share. We had a lot of close games in our first 20 and because our guys were always in position and knew what had to be done we only lost three or four, where as a younger team loses two or three times as many. So we look great and they look lousy and the only real difference between us is experience.&rdquo;<h2>Three For The Money&hellip;</h2>DEAN PRENTICE, WHO WAS DROPPED by Pittsburgh after last season, but had ten goals in the first fourth of his milestone 20th NHL campaign, says, &ldquo;Nobody likes to leave a club after he&rsquo;s been with it awhile and this is my fifth team now, but landing here seems to have given me a new lease on life. Blair is a manager who makes you believe you still have a lot left and Gordon is a coach who teaches a sound system a veteran can fit into.&ldquo;I guess you could have too many old guys on a team, but 1 guess you could have too many young guys, too. You need old guys to show the young guys how, to set an example for them. And I think too many players were written off too soon some years ago. Expansion has diluted the quality of play and has opened up spots for old guys to stay. And many of them are playing better than the young ones who would have replaced them in the past.Concludes Prentice: &ldquo;The big thing on any team is the team. The old guys know this and are willing to make sacrifices. It doesn&rsquo;t matter how many stars you have, if they don&rsquo;t play well together, the team won&rsquo;t win. Here, we all help each other out. Everyone is passing. Everyone is checking. Everyone is supporting the goal-tenders, who are the guts of this club.&rdquo;Old Gump, who wasn&rsquo;t protected, but was passed up in the draft last summer, has been brilliant. He says, &ldquo;I played a lot of years without a lot of help. Whenever I had help, I played well. Here, I have help. In Minnesota, they don&rsquo;t put pressure on you like they do in Montreal. And sessions with a head shrinker helped me learn to live with air travel. I&rsquo;m happy now.&rdquo;He concludes, &ldquo;Age itself doesn&rsquo;t help, but it takes time to learn your trade. I&rsquo;m as good now as I&rsquo;ve ever been. And winning makes me feel young. I&rsquo;ll do anything to keep winning. Even give up drinking. They used to talk about my beer belly. But I never drank beer. This,&rdquo; he says, proudly patting his tummy, &ldquo;is composed of pure rye and ginger.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Hockey Ad Lib

<div class="byline">BY HAL SIGURDSON</div>VANCOUVER&mdash;For a coach, the ground rules are really quite simple. You win or you get fired.Like all coaches in professional sport, Hal Laycoe understood those rules when he signed a two-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks.Laycoe is also enough of a pragmatist to realize that hockey games are won on the talent of the players, not on the genius of the man behind the bench.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-03551/2837159-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="276" height="448"><figcaption class="caption-body">Hal Laycoe</figcaption></div>Understandably, then, he is less than enthralled with the system the National Hockey League uses to distribute its playing talent.The old line about &ldquo;the rich get richer and the poor get children&rdquo; seems to apply.He particularly feels that way on nights when his Canucks play to the maximum of their ability and still get clobbered by one of their NHL opponents.&ldquo;If you play bad and get your ears pinned back, you&rsquo;re just getting what you deserve,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;But when you play as well as you can and still get run out of the rink, then you have to start wondering about the system.&rdquo;For one thing he insists, the best 280 players in the world should be in the NHL. Right now, he doesn&rsquo;t believe they are.He is certain, for instance, there are several players in the farm systems of the power laden clubs who could help not only his Canucks, but several other of the weaker NHL teams.&ldquo;Why should a guy be in the minors if he&rsquo;s good enough to play in the NHL?&rdquo; he asks. &ldquo;It certainly isn&rsquo;t fair to the player. He could make a lot more money in Vancouver or Buffalo than he could with, say, a New York farm club.&ldquo;And it&rsquo;s not fair to the fans of the so-called have-not cities, either. Maybe the fans in Vancouver, Buffalo, Oakland and Los Angeles aren&rsquo;t entitled to expect an instant winner, but I think they are entitled to at least see the best talent available.&rdquo;In other words, Laycoe favors a system where once a team has settled on its major league roster, everyone else in its system become available to every other team in the league.Laycoe, naturally, also favors a shorter protected list in the intra-league draft. The way things stand now each team is allowed to protect 18 players and two goaltenders. All other players, with the exception of first year pros, are available for $40,000.Hal suggests that list be trimmed to eight players and one goaltender, though obviously he would settle for much less drastic measures than that. But, he argues, even a protected list that short wouldn&rsquo;t impose too serious a penalty on the strong teams.&ldquo;Look,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s the supestars who affect the balance of power. Boston is going to be a great team as long as Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito are around. But guys on Boston&rsquo;s fourth line could make Vancouver a better hockey team.&rdquo;As a realist, Laycoe knows changes that drastic aren&rsquo;t likely to take place in the near future. Nevertheless, he must secretly applaud the efforts of the NHL Players Association in that direction.Meanwhile, Laycoe finally got a chance to see his Canucks win a game after nine consecutive winless efforts. Until Vancouver clipped Buffalo 5-2 Nov. 27 at the Pacific Coliseum, the club had gained only two ties in its previous nine starts.CANUCK CAPERS: Poul Popiel, a penalty killer and the Canucks&rsquo; most versatile utility man, suffered a broken bone in his foot in a game against Minnesota&hellip;He&rsquo;ll be out of action for seven weeks&hellip;Wayne Connelly has scored a point in three straight games since joining Vancouver from New York, via St. Louis&hellip;Dale Tallon, who broke Bobby Orr&rsquo;s scoring records for rookie defencemen last season, is now a full time forward playing on left wing. &#9632;

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Laycoe Says System Deprives Have Nets Of Stars In Minors

<div class="byline">BY CHARLEY BARTON</div>BUFFALO&mdash;The return of Joseph Richard Crozier to the shores of the Pacific was something less than earth-shattering.One of hockey&rsquo;s most successful coaches at the minor league level, Crozier was a loser in his first stand behind a National Hockey League bench when the Buffalo Sabres dropped a 5-2 decision to the Vancouver Canucks in the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver.Crozier sought and was awarded the one-game arrangement when he joined the Buffalo organization last summer as general manager and coach of the Cincinnati Swords, the Sabres&rsquo; American League affiliate.Punch Imlach, the Buffalo general manager and coach, stepped down for the game in order to permit his longtime friend and business associate to direct the Sabres against the Canucks.Crozier and Imlach became personna non grata with the Vancouver organization when they sold their shares in the Vancouver Western League club to the present NHL organization at what was considered inflated prices. Crozier, winner of a flock of American League titles at Rochester before taking Vancouver to the Western League championship, was fired by the Canucks and forced to take legal action in order to get paid for the remainder of his contract.Crozier, who makes his offseason home in Vancouver, and Imlach clearly hoped to deal the Canucks a king-sized needle as well as a loss. Both Bud Poile and Hal Laycoe, the Canucks&rsquo; general manager and coach, respectively, were upset at the move which installed Crozier.However, the Canucks&rsquo; head men were smiling broadly in the closing scenes, and probably wondering what Imlach would be up to the next time he brings the Sabres to Vancouver.The deal to make Crozier a one-game coach of the Sabres was made when he came to terms with the club.&ldquo;Joe wanted it that way, and I was more than willing to go along,&rdquo; Imlach said. &ldquo;After all, this guy is one of the finest coaches the game has ever had, and it was a small consideration for what he would do to help our young players.&ldquo;I certainly could appreciate his feelings. I&rsquo;m just sorry we weren&rsquo;t able to win the hockey game. But, there will be other games and other nights.&rdquo;&ldquo;The boys gave me a good effort, and that&rsquo;s all any coach can ask,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We had enough chances to win it going away in the first period, and couldn&rsquo;t get a break around the net.&rdquo;ALONG THE BOARDS&mdash;The game in Vancouver was the third in the Sabres&rsquo; brief history in which Imlach was not behind the bench. Last season, he watched from the stands in Pittsburgh while Phil Goyette, idle with a leg injury, directed the club. In the last game of the season at Philadelphia, Imlach ordered Eddie Shack to run the team for the second period. The Sabres&rsquo; boss was unhappy with the back-checking of Shack and some of his teammates earlier, and wanted Shack to know what it felt like behind the bench&hellip;The Sabres recalled left-winger Craig Ramsay, the No. 2 amateur draft choice last summer, Butch Deadmarsh and Terry Ball from Cincinnati, and Imlach planned a series of changes. The loss in Vancouver stretched the winless streak to eight, longest in the club&rsquo;s history&hellip;Ted Darling, the Sabres&rsquo; play-by-play man and a former Ottawa football announcer, was a guest on a number of pre-game Grey Cup telecasts and broadcasts from Vancouver. &#9632;

One-Game NHL Bow Fails

BUFFALO&mdash;Another of hockey&rsquo;s all-time top scorers has called it a career in the National Hockey League.Veteran left wing Dick Duff announced his retirement from active playing last week when it became evident he didn&rsquo;t fit into the Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; picture after riding the bench since the outset of the season and more recently not dressing at all for league games.Duff, who closed out a 16&mdash;year big league career by scoring 283 goals, had played with five different NHL clubs and was a part of six Stanley Cup winning teams in his hockey lifetime.Now 35 years of age, Duff had moved from Toronto to New York to Montreal to Los Angeles and finally to Buffalo last season. He played in 1,140 league and playoff games and counted a grand total of 313 goals.Buffalo general manager and coach Punch Imlach called Duff &ldquo;one of the greatest little players in the NHL.&rdquo; Despite his five-foot-nine-inch stature, the 165&mdash;pound Duff was able to hold his own with the best of them throughout his long career.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-02678/2837214-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="495" height="579"><figcaption class="caption-body">DICK DUFF</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Duff Quits After 283 NHL Goals

<h2>CENTRAL JUNIOR LEAGUE</h2>(Standings on Fri Dec 3)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-03565/2837252-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="576" height="153"></div><h2>MID-WEST AMATEUR LEAGUE</h2>(Standings on Wed. Nov. 22)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-04475/2837245-1-eng-US/f0009-042.jpg" title="f0009-04" width="579" height="182"></div> &#9632;

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HOW THEY STAND

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-01736/2837283-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAVE BURROWS&hellip;Pittsburgh Penguins</figcaption></div>When the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to scrap their veteran defense this season and swing over the youth one of the newcomers they selected among others was Dave Burrows. Although he is already a four-year pro, Burrows is only nearing 23. He is not big by NHL defense standards either at 175 pounds but is rangy at 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;. A former Chicago farmhand, he was drafted by Pittsburgh from the Hawks last summer and proceeded to impress the Penguins&rsquo; brass at training camp winning a regular berth when manager-coach Red Kelly swept out the vets and stocked the backline with promising youths for the future. &#9632;

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MEET THE ROOKIES

Following are the latest player movements in hockey:<h2>NATIONAL LEAGUE</h2>DETROIT&mdash;Bill Hicke, forward, purchased from Pittsburgh and assigned to Tidewater of AHL. Rick McCann, forward, recalled from Tidewater.VANCOUVER&mdash;Murray Hall, forward, placed on waivers.BUFFALO&mdash;Butch Deadmarsh and Terry Ball, forwards, recalled from Cincinnati of AHL. Dick Duff, forward, placed on voluntary retired list.MONTREAL&mdash;Chuck Lefley, forward, recalled from Nova Scotia of AHL.NEW YORK&mdash;Mike. McMahon, defenseman, ended holdout, signed contract and was assigned to Providence of AHL.MINNESOTA&mdash;Bill Heindl, forward, returned to Cleveland of AHL.ST. LOUIS&mdash;Gerry Odrowski, defenseman, purchased from Phoenix of WHL. Brian Lavender, forward, returned to Denver of WHL. Larry Hornung, defenseman, returned to Kansas Citv of CHL.PITTSBURGH&mdash;Rick Kessell, forward, recalled from Hershey of AHL.<h2>AMERICAN LEAGUE</h2>SPRINGFIELD&mdash;Keith Silvernagle, defenseman, brought up from Sun Coast of EHL on five-goal pro trial.PROVIDENCE&mdash;Don McLeod, goalkeeper, securef from Richmond of AHL on loan. Gordon McRae, goalkeeper, returned to Toronto of NHL for reassignment. Rick Newell, defenseman, assigned to Omaha of CHL.<h2>WESTERN LEAGUE</h2>SEATTLE&mdash;Bob Sneddon, goalkeeper, secured from Providence of AHL. Dick Meissner, forward, claimed from Phoenix on waivers. Tom Reilly, defenseman, sent to Columbus of IHL.<h2>CENTRAL LEAGUE</h2>KANSAS CITY&mdash;Ray Larose, defenseman, secured from Denver of WHL on loan and later returned.OKLAHOMA CITY&mdash;Dave Forbes and Ken Tarnow, forwards, signed to pro contracts after five-game trvouts.<h2>INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE</h2>FORT WAYNE&mdash;Tommy McVie, forward, signed as free agent after release by Seattle of WHL. Mike Jakubo, forward, sent to Columbus of IHL on loan.COLUMBUS&mdash;Jim Bartlett, forward, announced retirement from hockey. Ken Oliphant and Tom Anderson, forwards, placed on waivers. &#9632;

Movements of Players

<div class="byline">BY BOB VERDI</div>&mdash;CHICAGO&mdash;Ever since the invention of ice&mdash;or so it seems&mdash;the Black Hawks have been looking for that strong, sturdy center. Or has it been just since the departure of Tony Esposito&rsquo;s talented brother, Philip?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-01754/2837338-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="266" height="464"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bryan Campbell</figcaption></div>Well, anyway.The issue was very much undecided going into the closing stages of November when Coach Billy Reay summoned still another fellow to play pivot between left wing Bobby Hull and right wing Chico Maki.The newest candidate was debonair Bryan Campbell. Tall, dark, handsome, and going slightly nuts sitting on the bench. The interesting aspect of this candidate was that he is a old new candidate.He started splendilly last year&mdash;his first full one with the Hawks&mdash;and had a brilliant first half. Then he sagged, and the search started all over again for that strong, study center.&ldquo;After I had the good first half,&rdquo; Campbell recalled, &ldquo;I let up. I figured that the job was mine, and I relaxed a bit. I don&rsquo;t know if it was overconfidence or not&mdash;maybe it was&mdash;but I didn&rsquo;t do anything in the second half of the season.&rdquo;He did manage to do one thing. Lose his job. Through diminishing production, plus a fierce virus which tackled him late in the campaign, Campbell ended up on his posterior at the Hawk bench for the 1971-72 wars.Then on Oct. 16, the Hawks picked up Andre Lacroix from Philadelphia. This further enforced Campbell&rsquo;s idleness.Then Lacroix seemed to satisfy Reay less and less with his consistency or lack thereof, and on Nov. 20 in Boston, Campbell&rsquo;s renaissance began.&ldquo;I set Bobby up on a goal,&rdquo; he recalled, &ldquo;and then things started to come back.&rdquo;Four nights later Campbell notched his first score of the campaign against Montreal, and four nights after that, he bagged No. 2&mdash;the winner against Toronto. Thus in 23 games he had 2 goals. After 23 contests last winter, he had 11 and ranked eighth in the National Hockey League scoring derby.&ldquo;After the first half, we figured he could do the job,&rdquo; Reay said. &ldquo;Then he tailed off a bit. But don&rsquo;t forget that the sickness took a lot out of him, knocked him out of the playoffs, and made him weak coming into this season. Just recently has he regained his proper weight (180 pounds).&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been waiting for either Lacroix or Campbell to assert themselves, and so have two other guys who work pretty hard (Hull and Maki).&rdquo;The coach added that Campbell&rsquo;s playing a few solid games in a row was the most heartening aspect of the &ldquo;comeback,&rdquo; and added &ldquo;if he plays like he has been in the last week, there&rsquo;s no need for us to go out and look for a center.&rdquo;Lacroix, of course, was still not out of the picture. He, too, has talent. Nor was a trade unthinkable. And Campbell is the first to realize that he&rsquo;s not yet at the point of no return to the Hawk bench.&ldquo;I guess if I go out and have a few bad shifts,&rdquo; Campbell remarked, &ldquo;then Andre could be right back in there. That makes me press a little, I guess. But sitting on the bench drove me nuts, and I figure if 1 just skate and check, I can do the job.&rdquo;At any rate he was playing again. Since the arrival of Lacroix&mdash;and until that Boston turnabout game&mdash;Campbell had been restricted to merely spot duty.Campbell&rsquo;s tally against the Leafs brought the Hawk unbeaten string to 11 games at home. Only a 3-3 tie with Montreal smudged the record.HAWKEY TALK: Jim Pappin, the big right winger off to a fine start, severely banged his right shoulder in Toronto Nov. 27 was expected to be out for at least a week. There was no fracture, but fear of a slight seperation&hellip;Reay indicated that filling in would be a combination of Eric Nesterenko, rookie Darryl Maggs, and Lou Angotti&hellip;In a Thanksgiving Eve bit of unfriendliness, Keith Magnuson took on giant Pete Mahovlich of Canadiens and won&hellip;Two of the best Hawks during the first two months of the season were old men named Bobby Hull (12 goals, 13 assists) and Stan Mikita (9 goals, 15 assists)&hellip;And goalie Gary Smith was getting a lot of work, including important games against East foes in Boston, Montreal, and Toronto&hellip; &#9632;

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‘Reborn’ Campbell Gets Off Bench To Star Once More For Black Hawks

<div class="byline">BY BILL LIBBY</div>LOS ANGELES&mdash;At the tail end of the year two seasons back when the only place the Kings were going was to a new NHL record for losses, the team drew home crowds of 11,692 and 10,209 and 9,128 the last month of the campaign.Last season, when the club again was out of the running for a playoff position, there were turnouts at home of 14,316 and 10,196 and 9,202.This season, the Kings lost their first eight games at home, returned from a roadtrip in which they lost five of six, had only three victories in 19 games, and 10,193 turned out to see them take on a last-place team.When the Kings scored the first goal, the fans came to their feet in a sustained cheer. Later, the game was tied. When the Kings got a lead goal near the end, the fans went wild. When they sewed it up with an empty-net goal, there was pandemonium. At the final buzzer, the club was given a standing ovation such as usually is saved for the clinching of the Stanley Cup.Outside team owner Jack Kent Cooke&rsquo;s rink-end box, a large group of smiling supporters gathered, yelling happily, arms upraised, fists clenched in the &ldquo;right on&rdquo; gesture. &ldquo;I was thrilled,&rdquo; Cooke commented later.More than an hour after the game, young fans still waited outside the arena for their new hero, Rog Vachon, to emerge, chanting, &ldquo;Row-Gee, Row-Gee, Row-Gee.&rdquo; loudly and enthusiastically.For a frustrated follower of the club whose spirits have sagged and whose enthusiasm has been drained by a third straight season of defeat, the showing of these loyalists seems astonishing.A week later, the team drew more than 10,000 for the second straight Saturday night, against Minnesota. This now is standard for Saturday nights, against anyone, though midweek nights are much less.After this one, Kings&rsquo; coach Fred Glover jumped up into the stands to confront a heckler who has been barbing the team for years. He lectured the startled guy, then left. No blows were exchanged. But this is a sick soul. In every section of every stadium there is a loud-mouthed self-styled comic and critic who annoys all around him. Generally, the Kings have not been booed or berated by their fans as would be bad teams in other towns.It is true also that this is one of the biggest population centers, yet one of the few NHL entries not selling out. Season-ticket sales are so small the proprietor will not permit them to be publicized. And the town has been put down for it. as though all an NHL team should have to do is throw bodies on the ice to deserve support.But this is not a town with hockey tradition and atmosphere. Only New York has more competition for the entertainment dollar and even New York does not have the competition for the sports dollar. There are no longer college football and basketball teams of consequence there.The Kings are losers competing in a town full of big winners. They get less publicity than any other NHL team in any other town. Yet they still average between 8,000 and 9,000 fans per home game their first three seasons, more than 9,000 last season and more than 9,000 for the first 10 home games this season.&ldquo;We have a hard core of loyal fans who have been the most satisfying part of my career in sport and I am enormously proud of them and grateful to them,&rdquo;comments Cooke. &ldquo;If we just once have a season in which we win more games than we lose, we will sell out in good times and bad forever after. We just need a spark to ignite the fire. The fans are ready.&rdquo; We agree.The 10,000-plus crowd at the Forum for the Wings&rsquo; game followed a turnout of nearly 70,000 for USC-UCLA football at the Coliseum, despite home TV, that same day and despite more than 17,000 for harness racing at Hollywood Park adjacent to the Forum that same night. And local fans already were committed to sellouts of more than 80,000 for the Rams-49ers football at the Coliseum and more than 17,500 for the Lakers-Bucks basketball at the Forum the following day and night.This is some kind of sports town and those who put down hockey attendance in southern California simply have not studied the situation. The day when Kings&rsquo; tickets are scare is no further away than the day when Kings&rsquo; victories no longer are scarce. &#9632;

Kings Still Have Box Of fice Appeal

The NEWARK BREWERS Hockey club presents some of the East&rsquo;s finest college and senior competition at Ironbound Arena, located in the Ironbound Recreation Center at the Wilson Avenue Exit on Route 1-9 in Newark, New Jersey.All home games on Saturdays and Sundays. Starting time&mdash;5:15 p.m.<h2>COMING HOME GAMES:</h2>Sunday, January 16 vs New York Greenleafs SeniorsSunday, January 30 vs Washington ChiefsSunday, February 6 vs LafayetteSunday, February 13 vs VillanovaSaturday, February 19 vs Westchester RamsSunday, February 20 vs New Haven &#9632;

SEMI-PRO ICE HOCKEY

<div class="byline">BY TOM MONAHAN</div>BOSTON&mdash;When you are facing a schedule that calls for 12 of 17 games on the road and there is just a whisker-thin distance between first and third place in the National Hockey League&rsquo;s East Division, manpower becomes a very important consideration.Oh yes, goals are important, too, and Mons. Tom Johnson of the Bruins is one of the first to agree on this point, especially when he looks down his list of B&rsquo;s and finds only Phil Esposito, Bobby Orr, and Johnny Bucyk in double figures.But to offset the comparative drop in production by the likes of Ken Hodge, Johnny McKenzie, Fred Stanfield, and Derek Sanderson, Johnson has what may be the best five-man line in hockey history.Naturally, no one ever has played a five-man front for an extended period. But Johnson has been making judicious use of four wings and Sanderson that in a stretch could be quite important.Mike Walton, Ace Bailey, Reggie Leach and Eddie Westfall comprise the quartet with Sanderson that has everyone guessing just how Johnson will go on any given situation.As a combination the five accounted for 23 goals, which contrasted with Phil Esposito&rsquo;s 18 single handed, is not overwhelming but they have played their part in Bruins maintaining their 1970-71 winning pace.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not worried about players who haven&rsquo;t produced early in the season as they did before,&rdquo; said Johnson. &ldquo;They will produce. It&rsquo;s just a matter of time.&ldquo;You know,&rdquo; he said, scoring in hockey is like hitting in baseball. A man with a lifetime .300 average is going to find that level before the end of the season. So a hockey player will score to his average no matter when he gets them.&ldquo;But I am well aware of the schedule that is coming up for us and as long as we have the manpower and stay healthy that&rsquo;s the key right now.&rdquo;The reunion of Walton and Leach with Sanderson has justified the training camp thinking of Bruins&rsquo; brass on this trio.They have been playing better as a unit and the major reason has been the development of the 21-year-old Leach.&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t been doing anything differently,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Except for one thing. I have stopped worrying. At the start of the season I was afraid of making mistakes. The result was I made twice as many as I should. Now I have confidence I can do the job.&ldquo;I like to skate and Mike likes to skate. If Turk can get us the puck we can score. I don&rsquo;t mean we&rsquo;ll score in bunches like Espo&rsquo;s line, but we&rsquo;ll get goals when we need them. We&rsquo;ve been getting chances and if you get chances that means you are working.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-03495/2837417-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="554" height="772"><figcaption class="caption-body">REG LEACH&hellip;Goals Are Coming</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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‘Five-Man’ Line Innovation Bailing Bruins Out

<div class="byline">BY BOB GOLDHAM</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-01723/2837455-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="340" height="346"></div>TORONTO&mdash;There are almost as many ways to watch a hockey game as there are hockey fans. Just about everybody looks at things in their own way. Up in the gondola at Maple Leaf Gardens alongside Bill Hewitt, my approach to the game as color commentor and analyst is to look beyond the obvious and I recommend you do the same. The game will take on more meaning.Here are some examples of what I mean.Keep in mind that most goals are scored as the result of a mistake made somewhere by the defending team. Look further back than the shot that goes into the net, for the missed check, the bad pass, for the error that made the scoring play possible.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-02625/2837448-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="264" height="448"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bob Goldham</figcaption></div>Watch for the center getting in behind the defense for a long lead pass; watch the play in front of the net when the puck is in the corner or out at the point; keep your eye on the center as he floats around in the &ldquo;slot&rdquo; to get in position for a set-up pass.Deflections are very much a part of our game and are less of an accident in most cases than many fans believe. Forwards throughout the league practice deflecting shots&mdash;watch them in front of the net and see how often they deliberately change the flight of shots in an attempt to score.The things that I really watch most closely in a game are the basic defensive abilities of a team. The way a defense pair operate together, how one covers up for the other, how the wingers pick up their checks and come back to help out, or how the center forces the play by forechecking in the offensive zone.I like to keep a close eye on the goalkeepers to see how they move out to cut down angles, how well they&rsquo;re clearing the puck, not only out of the way but to one of their own men. Jacques Plante started it all way back when, and today the best defensive teams have goalies who really help their defense by properly handling the puck.If I&rsquo;ve given the impression that my outlook is defensively oriented, it is only because of the fact that if a club looks after things in its own end of the rink properly, the other end will take care of itself.With very few exceptions, over the years the Stanley Cup winners bear out this theory.I watch team benches and coaches as closely as possible. Quite often you can get an indication of a change in strategy, or more important, can sometimes tell which players are &ldquo;up for the game&rdquo; and likely candidates to come up with the big play.And one final point&mdash;try to remember that very often the best action isn&rsquo;t always where the puck is&mdash;so look around as much as the screen permits.I should add of course that my field of vision, at the game, is perhaps greater than yours at home. You are restricted by what the screen shows you. But with our Hockey Night in Canada replays and slow motion coverage, you won&rsquo;t miss many of the key plays in a game, especially if you know what to look for.In the December 31 issue our guest editor will be Dick Irvin. &#9632;

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HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA LA SOIRÉE DU HOCKEY

<div class="byline">BY JACK BERRY</div>DETROIT&mdash;Granted that it is early in the season and back-to-back victories over hockey&rsquo;s two best teams don&rsquo;t make a season, but if the Red Wings continue to play the way they did in their upsets of New York and Montreal, then Johnny Wilson should be a solid cinch to win THE HOCKEY NEWS&rsquo; Coach of the Year honors.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-01711/2837493-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="272" height="426"><figcaption class="caption-body">John Wilson</figcaption></div>The change in the Wings&rsquo; play and their attitude since Wilson was appointed coach on Oct. 31 has been nothing short of amazing&hellip;And. to a man. they give the credit to Wilson.Now you wouldn&rsquo;t expect players to go overboard for a man who doubled their practice time and didn&rsquo;t give them a day off for a month. But they have and they are.Retired super star Gordie Howe, now a club vice president, talked approvingly of his old teammate&rsquo;s handling of the club.&ldquo;There are two ways of doing everything&mdash;you can do something because you want to or because you have to. Johnny&rsquo;s getting them to do it because they want to. And he&rsquo;s got some bite when he needs it.&ldquo;He always worked hard and he&rsquo;s still doing it,&rdquo; Howe added.Wilson admittedly wasn&rsquo;t a star player but he made a good NHL career through skating and checking and thinking and that&rsquo;s what he has been getting from the Red Wings.Detroit is not a highly-talented team. Only one player, Alex Delvecchio, ever has made the NHL&rsquo;s official first or second All-Star team at the end of the season.But skating and, checking wins hockey games and that is one of the many maxims Wilson believes. &ldquo;The harder you work, the luckier you get,&rdquo; he said.He&rsquo;s added some Vince Lombardi philosophy to the dressing room wall to go with the old Jack Adams legacy: &ldquo;We supply everything but guts.&rdquo;The Lombardian sign reads: &ldquo;When a game is over, it&rsquo;s not how I did but how the team did.&rdquo;And over the door is another sign ordered by conditioning addict Wilson: &ldquo;Fatigue makes cowards of us all&mdash;we tolerate no cowards.&rdquo;All the signs in the world won&rsquo;t win games, however, unless the players react to them and the Red Wings have. Certainly they have a long way to go. The club is far from the talent level of New-York, Montreal and Boston which gobble up three of the four playoff spots in the East Division.Winning with talent isn&rsquo;t the most difficult achievement in the world; winning with a journey-man takes coaching.&ldquo;I never thought coaching could make that much difference,&rdquo; one awed, long-time Red Wing watcher said after the Wings polished off first New York and then Montreal, both of which entered Olympia atop the East Division standings.And Wilson does coach. His practices, while long, move briskly&mdash;he plans them with game situations in mind and there is very little standing around. When confronted in a game with the play they&rsquo;d practiced, Wilson expects the players to react automatically.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-02664/2837486-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="560" height="586"><figcaption class="caption-body">DOUG VOLMAR&hellip;A New Protege</figcaption></div>&ldquo;The game is much faster now than when I played,&rdquo; Wilson said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s geared to speed and durability and a player has to react quickly.&rdquo;Another Wilson offering is that &ldquo;hockey is basically a one-on-one game&hellip;you have to challenge the individual.&rdquo;And he wants his team to &ldquo;play with authority.&rdquo; That doesn&rsquo;t mean shadow checking or arm-checking. It means check hard.&ldquo;When you&rsquo;re agitating the opposition, they can&rsquo;t come up with the key play.&rdquo;Why, with all these thoughts and energy, didn&rsquo;t Wilson do anything with the Los Angeles Kings during his first fling at NHL coaching a couple seasons ago? He was brought in to replace Hal Laycoe in December and just finished out the season.&ldquo;We just didn&rsquo;t have the talent,&rdquo; Wilson said. &ldquo;We had 18 courageous athletes. I&rsquo;ll tell you. Every single game was a strain and when they&rsquo;d come off the ice they were really whipped.&ldquo;Somewhere along the line you&rsquo;ve got to be able to have some games where you just go out and everything happens right lor you and you&rsquo;ve got complete control. We never had one of those.&ldquo;I think that of the forwards I had, only Eddie Joyal and Bill Flett are still with the club and the rest are in the minors.&rdquo;And Wilson made it clear that he resigned&mdash;he wasn&rsquo;t fired&mdash;because he couldn&rsquo;t see the situation improving. He went back to Springfield in the American League, scraped into the playoffs last season&hellip;and won the Calder Cup.One of his projects was working with hard-shooting Doug Volmar, Cleveland native, former Michigan State All-American on whom Red Wing management had hung a &ldquo;can&rsquo;t skate&rdquo; tag.Volmar led the league with 42 goals and Wilson recently brought him up to Detroit from the Tidewater Wings and Volmar is one of Wilson&rsquo;s biggest boosters.&ldquo;Johnny knows hockey,&rdquo; Volmar said. &ldquo;He thinks.&rdquo;That current runs through the Red Wing room and there&rsquo;s a whole new attitude.Nick Libett, who is running neck-and-neck with Al Karlander as the club&rsquo;s most improved player, said that when the club got into a losing rut at the beginning of the season, the attitude sagged and it was much like last year, the most disastrous in club history.Wilson is pulling the team up by its boot strings and he deserves full credit. &#9632;

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Wilson’s Tactics Making Wings Look Like New Club

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-01685/2837712-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="681" height="434"></div><h2>THE TOP 10 NETMINDERS</h2>(Including games of Sunday, Dec. 5)<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-02617/2837705-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="1128" height="492"></div><h2>COMPLETE GOALKEEPING RECORDS FOR NHL TEAMS</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03521/2837698-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="1137" height="2001"></div> &#9632;

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LOOKING AT NHL GOALERS

<div class="byline">BY NORMAN MacLEAN</div>NEW YORK&mdash;Jean Ratelie, at least the second best center in the National Hockey League, did it again. Like Lou Gehrig who slammed four home runs on the day the great John J. McGraw retired as manager of the old New York Giants, Jean scored four goals and was partially overshadowed by the work of the newest Ranger, rookie Gene Carr who got two and two assists.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-04405/2837743-1-eng-US/f0015-042.jpg" title="f0015-04" width="276" height="439"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jean Rateile</figcaption></div>But Ratelle, soft spoken and normally unobtrusive off the ice did change character once when asked if he felt sorry for the California Golden Seals, beaten by New York on November 21 by 12-1.&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; mused the 31-year-old-Lac St. Jean, Quebec native, &ldquo;When it got up to about 10-1 I knew we would win. But I still wanted to score more. When I was first with with the Rangers we were always on the losing end of things and no one let up on us.&rdquo;Ratelle was the first player in the NHL to pot four goals this year and his line was pacing the league with 127 points in 25 games. An extension of this pace would easily shatter the league record of 336 points established last year by the Boston trio of Phil Esposito, Wayne Cashman and Ken Hodge. At press time, Jean had 16, Vic Hadfield 19 and Rod Gilbert had 18 goals.Hadfield, speaking at a press conference with a big gash over one eye, the product of an accidental errant stick from Carol Vadnais, noted, &ldquo;Our line has a bit of everything. I go in the corners, Jean is the playmaker and Gilbert the scorers.&rdquo;Vic, rugged and more valuable as captain than before, is now 31, and is off to the best ever start in&rsquo; his eleven year Ranger career.&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t changed my style, but I might be skating just a bit better. As captain, I have to play a bit more aggressively,&rdquo; said Hadfield.In the Rangers&rsquo; big win over California, the team set three NHL records, tied another and set or equalled a host of team marks. The NHL records were: most points in a period-23; most assists in a period-15; most assists in a game-23 and most goals in a period-8 (tied with Boston and Detroit).The third period action in which eight goals were poured by the Seals goalies, Gilles Meloche and Lyle Carter, saw Carr and Pierre Jarry both get two goals. Jarry&rsquo;s were eight seconds apart, breaking Phil Goyette&rsquo;s old mark of nine seconds between markers.&ldquo;Those were the ones I was looking for,&rdquo; said Pierre. &ldquo;The pressure is off now. I almost couldn&rsquo;t believe it when that first one went in. Getting you first NHL goal is quite something.&rdquo;Jarry is being given the full shot on the Walter Tkaczuk-Billy Fairbairn line in the place of the traded Dave Balon.Carr, scoring his fourth and fifth NHL goals, was in seventh heaven. The Madison Square Garden crowd was impressed by the new blonde wizard. Gene got ice because Bobby Rousseau had sprained an ankle the night before in Minnesota.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great to be on a winner,&rdquo; enthused Gene, ruggedly built at five eleven and 184. &ldquo;I played in the first NHL game I ever saw with St. Louis, but this is the first time I have ever been in New York. Imagine getting two goals&mdash;this is like a dream.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0015-04

Ranger Hot Line Reaches 127 In Race To Set Point Record

<div class="byline">BY JOHN PORTER</div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH &BRADSBY, LTD. Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH &BRADSBY, LTD. Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaOAKLAND&mdash;A position change netted Wayne Carleton three goals in two games. It was the same number of goals he had scored in the previous 20 games.&ldquo;When I first came to the Seals I was told I would play center,&rdquo; said Carleton, who was used at left wing. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m big (6-3) and like to skate all over the place,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I feel better at center and more in the game. Every faceoff is a challenge of me.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-01532/2837774-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="282" height="444"><figcaption class="caption-body">Wayne Carleton</figcaption></div>Taking a third-period faceoff from Buffalo&rsquo;s Gerry Meehan resulted in an unsasisted goal for Wayne when he slid the puck past goalie Roger Crozier.&ldquo;I was more surprised than anyone,&rdquo; admitted Carleton after putting the Seals ahead 5-3 on the effort. The victory also boosted California into third place in the NHL West Division, not bad for a club that was in last place all last season but for one day.&ldquo;Swoop&rsquo;s goal,&rdquo; claimed Seal goaltender Lyle Carter, &ldquo;was the clincher. That did it for us.&rdquo;California GM Garry Young said Carleton was the obvious choice to go first in the intra-league draft last June in Montreal. Wayne had been a 20-goal scorer despite his part-time work for the Bruins last year.In addition, Young felt too many of his forwards were in the mini size and he was looking for a few maxis. In Carleton, though, he got more than he bargained for.Wayne&rsquo;s playing weight with the Bruins was listed at 219, but with the Seals he&rsquo;s been as high as 243. Lugging all those extra pounds didn&rsquo;t help him much early in the season. His only high point was scoring two third-period goals to tie Toronto in a game at Oakland.&ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to get down to 220,&rdquo; remarked Carleton after the Buffalo game. &ldquo;I felt good in the first period, but after that it was tough sledding.&rdquo;He entered the game at 230 after a week on a high protein and water diet, supplemented by vitamins.The combination of feeling discarded by Boston, a knee injury suffered in a game at Boston Garden and the weight problem hurt Carleton&rsquo;s play, so the shift from left wing to center was a big morale booster.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s enjoying playing center, isn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo; asked coach Vic Stasiuk, who was enjoying the turnaround in his biggest skater.&ldquo;We changed him to center for several reasons. It would put Tommy Williams on right wing, where we hoped he would start going, and Bobby Sheehan would be on a wing where he has shown the ability to score.&rdquo;Williams scored his first goal of the season, but suffered a fractured cheekbone minutes later when he was accidentally kicked in the face. He was expected to be lost for 10 days.Sheehan scored twice in the game against Buffalo and also set up Carleton&rsquo;s first goal.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not what I want to do,&rdquo; said Sheehan, who refused to state a preference for his position on the ice. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s where they put you. I tend to roam around once in a while, but that&rsquo;s my style.&rdquo;With Stan Gilbertson on the left side and Sheehan on the right, Carleton&rsquo;s line scored four of five goals against the Sabres.&ldquo;Stan is a good steady up and down player,&rdquo; said Stasiuk. &ldquo;He brings out Wayne&rsquo;s good skating and long reach. Sheehan has that amazing speed.&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s wait a while and test it first,&rdquo; he cautioned. &#9632;

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Seals Put Carleton At Center To Rejuvenate Ice Giant

<h2>In The East</h2>Jacques Lemaire got off to an unusually slow start in the first month of the new National Hockey League season but it is obvious he is making up for lost time.The swift-skating Montreal center clicked for five goals and two assists to turn in a highly productive week for the Canadiens. Included in Lemaire&rsquo;s outburst was a hat trick against Vancouver, his first of the season.But when Lemaire scores a goal it usually is a significant one. Of the nine he has counted this season, three have been game winners and three on the power play. He&rsquo;s well on the way to surpassing both his 1970-71 marks in this respect. Last year he had six power play goals and three winning goals.Lemaire is off and running with five of his nine goals coming in the Hab&rsquo;s last two games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-02457/2837812-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="558" height="684"><figcaption class="caption-body">JACQUES LEMAIRE&hellip;Montreal Canadiens</figcaption></div><h2>In The West</h2>Making the NHL this season was a big plus for Bobby Leiter of the Pittsburgh Penguins and judging by his play, his addition to the West Division club was a stroke of genius.The 30-year-old Leiter convinced the Pens he could cut it in the big time and they aren&rsquo;t sorry they gave him a chance to prove himself. Like last week when the scrappy little center drove in four goals and assisted on two. Three of Leiter&rsquo;s goals came in one game against Detroit but probably the one he cherished most was No. 4, which was the game winner that sunk the high flying Rangers last weekend.Leiter is another of those scorers who doesn&rsquo;t waste his goals. They are of the important variety. He has scored eight times this season&mdash;four on the power play and three won games for the Penguins.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-03358/2837805-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="568" height="644"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOBBY LEITER&hellip;Pittsburgh Penguins</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Player’s of the week

<h2>MONTREAL</h2>GOALKen DrydenPhil MyreDenis DeJordyDEFENSETerry Harper AJacques LaperrierePierre BouchardJ.C. Tremblay ADale HogansonCENTERHenri Richard CJacques LemairePete MahovlkhChuck LefleyR. WINGYvan CournoyerClaude LaroseRejean HouleGuy LafleurL. WINGMarc TardifFrank Mahovlich APhil RobertoLarry PleauINJUREDSerge SavardGuy Lapointe<h2>CHICAGO</h2>GOALTony EspositoGary SmithDEFENSEPat StapletonBill WhiteKeith MagnusonDoug Jarrett AJerry KorabCENTERStan Mikita APit MartinBryan CampbellLou AngottiAndre LacroixR. WINGCliff KorollChico MakiEric Nesterenko ADarryl MaggsL. WINGBobby HullDennis HullDanny O&rsquo;SheaINJUREDGerry DesjardinsJim PappinGOAL<h2>BOSTON</h2>GOALGerry CheeversEd JohnstonDEFENCEBobby OrrDallas SmithRick SmithMatt RavlichBob StewartCENTERPhil Esposito AFred StanfieldDerek SandersonR. WINGJohn McKenzieEd Westfall AReg LeachKen HodgeI. WINGJohn Bucyk AWayne CashmanGarnet BaileyMike WaltonINJUREDDon MarcotteDon AwreyTed Green A<h2>ST. LOUIS</h2>GOALErnie WakelyJim McLeodPete McDuffeDEFENSEAndre DupontCarl Brewer AJim Roberts CBarclay Plager ABill PlagerGerry OdrowskiCENTERGarry UngerChris BordeleauTerry CrispGene CarrCurt BennettR. WINGGary Sabourin AFrank St. MarseilleMike MurphyJack EgersL. WINGGeorge MorrisonFloyd ThomsonMike PorizeouINJUREDNoel PicardBob Plager<h2>DETROIT</h2>GOALAl SmithJoe DaleyDEFENSEGary Bergman AArnie Brown ARon StackhouseLarry JohnstonBob WallCENTERAlex Delvecchio CRed Berenson AMarcel DionneAl KarlanderDanny JohnsonRick McCannR. WINGTim EcclestoneMkkey RedmondBill CollinsDoug VolmarL. WINGBrian ConacherNkk LibettAb McDonaldGuy CharronINJUREDGerry HartRon HarrisLeon Rochefort<h2>CALIFORNIA</h2>GOALGilles MelocheLyle CarterDEFENSECarol Vadnais CBert Marshall AMarshall JohnstonDick RedmondPaul ShmyrCENTERJoey JohnstonWalt McKechnieWayne Carleton AIvan BoldirevR. WINGNorm FergusonCraig PatrickGerry PinderI. WINGBobby SheehanGary CroteauStan GilbertsonErnie HickeGary JarrettINJUREDTommy Williams ATom Webster<h2>TORONTO</h2>GOALBernie ParentJacques PlanteDEFENSEBob Baun AJim McKennyBrad SeiwoodBrian GlennieJim DoreyMike PelykCENTERNorm Ullman ADave Keon CJim HarrisonR. WINGRon Ellis ABrian SpencerGuy TrottierBilly MacMillanL. WINGPoul HendersonDenis DupereDon MarshallDarryl SittierINJUREDNone<h2>PHILADELPHIA</h2>GOALDoug FavellBruce GambleDEFENSEBarry Ashbee ALarry BrownWayne HillmanBrent HughesEd Van ImpeJoe WatsonRick FoleyCENTERBobby ClarkeSerge BernierJimmy JohnsonLarry WrightR. WINGGary Dornhoefer ASimon NoletLew MorrisonLarry MickeyPierre PlanteL. WINGJean-Guy GendronBob KellyBill LesukLarry KeenanINJUREDNone<h2>NEW YORK</h2>GOALEd GiacominGilles VillemureDEFENSEBrad Park AJim Neilson ARod SeilingDale RolfeAb DeMarcoGary DoakCENTERJean RatelieWalt TkoczukBobby RousseauR. WINGRod Gilbert ABill FairbairnPierre JarryBruce MacGregorI. WINGJim LorentzVic Hadfield CTed IrvineGlen SatherINJUREDPete Stemkowski<h2>PITTSBURGH</h2>GOALRoy Edwardsles BinkleyJim RutherfordDEFENSEDarryl EdestrandDave BurrowsSheldon KannegiesserBryon WatsonBob WoytowichJoe NorisCENTERRon SchockBobby LeiterBryan HextailSyl AppsRick KessellR. WINGNick HorbarukKen Schinkel AJean PronovostL. WINGKeith McCreary AVai FonteyneGreg PolrsINJUREDTim Horton ARene Robert<h2>BUFFALO</h2>GOALRoger CrozierDave DrydenDEFENSEAl Hamilton ADoug BarrieRay McKayJim WatsonChris EvansMike RobitailleCENTERGilbert Perreault AGerry Meehan CDon LucePhil Goyette AR. WINGRon AndersonSteve AtkinsonKevin O&rsquo;SheaEddie ShackLarry Mickey ATerry BallI. WINGDanny LawsonRichard MartinButch DeadmarshRod ZaineCraig RamsayinjuredTracy Pratt<h2>LOS ANGELES</h2>GOALRogatien VachonGary EdwardsDEFENSElarry HillmanHarry Howell AGilles Marotte AJean PotvinBill MikkelsonPaul CurtisCENTERRalph Bockstrom AButch GoringBob Pulford CJuha WidingR. WINGMike ByersBill HettLucien GrenierAl McDonoughI. WINGEd Joyal ABob BerryRoss LonsberryReal LemieuxMike CorriganINJUREDNone<h2>VANCOUVER</h2>GOALGeorge GardnerDune WilsonDEFENSEPat QuinnJocelyn GuevremontBarry WilkinsDennis KearnsJohn SchellaCENTEROrland Kurtenbach CAndre Boudnas ARon WardFred SpeckR. WINGRosaire PoimentMurray HallBobby SchmautzWayne ConnellyRon StewartI. WINGWayne MakiTed TaylorDave BalonDale Tallon AINJUREDPoul Popiel<h2>MINNESOTA</h2>GOALCesare ManiagoLorne WorsleyDEFENSETed Harris CTom ReidBarry Gibbs ADennis O&rsquo;BrienDoug MohnsCENTERJude DrouinTed HampsonMurray OliverCharlie Burns ADennis HextallR. WINGBill GoldsworthyLou NanneBob NevinCraig CameronI. WINGDanny GrantJean-Paul Parise ADeon PrenticeINJUREDNone &#9632;

NHL Team Rosters

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-01446/2838011-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="443" height="294"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-02394/2838004-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="503" height="295"></div><h2>Tues. Nov. 30 CHICAGO 2 at VANCOUVER 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03325/2837997-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="587" height="596"></div><h2>CALIFORNIA 2 at ST. LOUIS 5</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-04255/2837990-1-eng-US/f0017-042.jpg" title="f0017-04" width="600" height="646"></div><h2>Wed. Dec. 1 LOS ANGELES 3 at MONTREAL 5</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-05209/2837983-1-eng-US/f0017-052.jpg" title="f0017-05" width="601" height="632"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS 2 at TORONTO 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-06174/2837976-1-eng-US/f0017-062.jpg" title="f0017-06" width="589" height="536"></div><h2>BUFFALO 2 at NEW YORK 7</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-07155/2837969-1-eng-US/f0017-072.jpg" title="f0017-07" width="607" height="685"></div><h2>DETROIT 2 at PITTSBURGH 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-08124/2837962-1-eng-US/f0017-082.jpg" title="f0017-08" width="596" height="601"></div><h2>CALIFORNIA 1 at MINNESOTA 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-09111/2837955-1-eng-US/f0017-092.jpg" title="f0017-09" width="596" height="516"></div><h2>Thurs. Dec. 2 DETROIT 1 AT PHILADELPHIA 1</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-10102/2837948-1-eng-US/f0017-102.jpg" title="f0017-10" width="595" height="479"></div><h2>LOS ANGELES 0 AT BUFFALO 2</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-1185/2837941-1-eng-US/f0017-112.jpg" title="f0017-11" width="602" height="413"></div><h2>Fri. Dec. 3 CHICAGO 1 at CALIFORNIA 2</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-1275/2837934-1-eng-US/f0017-122.jpg" title="f0017-12" width="593" height="464"></div><h2>Sat. Dec. 4 VANCOUVER 0 at MONTREAL 7</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-1358/2837927-1-eng-US/f0017-132.jpg" title="f0017-13" width="594" height="711"></div><h2>BOSTON 5 at TORONTO 3</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-1447/2837920-1-eng-US/f0017-142.jpg" title="f0017-14" width="598" height="715"></div><h2>NEW YORK 2 at PITTSBURGH 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-1538/2837913-1-eng-US/f0017-152.jpg" title="f0017-15" width="607" height="620"></div><h2>LOS ANGELES 1 at DETROIT 5</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-1636/2837906-1-eng-US/f0017-162.jpg" title="f0017-16" width="590" height="619"></div><h2>BUFFALO 1 at St. LOUIS 5</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-1729/2837899-1-eng-US/f0017-172.jpg" title="f0017-17" width="598" height="618"></div><h2>PHILADELPHIA 1 at MINNESOTA 3</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-1823/2837892-1-eng-US/f0017-182.jpg" title="f0017-18" width="604" height="546"></div><h2>Sun. Dec. 5 VANCOUVER 3 at NEW YORK 6</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-1918/2837885-1-eng-US/f0017-192.jpg" title="f0017-19" width="591" height="715"></div><h2>PITTSBURGH 3 at BOSTON 5</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-2013/2837878-1-eng-US/f0017-202.jpg" title="f0017-20" width="598" height="768"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS 2 at DETROIT 1</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-01274/2837871-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="600" height="506"></div><h2>MINNESOTA 1 at BUFFALO 3</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02199/2837864-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="594" height="534"></div><h2>LOS ANGELES 0 at CHICAGO 7</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04126/2837857-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="602" height="618"></div><h2>CALIFORNIA 0 at PHILADELPHIA 3</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-0564/2837850-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg" title="f0020-05" width="604" height="578"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03167/2837843-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="552" height="574"><figcaption class="caption-body">GARY SMITH&hellip;blanked kings</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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National Hockey League SUMMARIES

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-01451/2838073-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg"></div>(Standings on Tuesday, Dec. 7)<h2>EAST DIVISION</h2><h2>WEST DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-02361/2838066-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="1116" height="342"></div><h2>GAMES COMPLETED</h2>Tues. Nov. 30Chicago 2 at Vancouver 4California 2 at St. Louis 5Wed. Dec. 1Los Angeles 3 at Montreal 5St. Louis 2 at Toronto 4Buffalo 2 at New York 7Detroit 2 at Pittsburgh 4California 1 at Minnesota 4Thurs. Dec. 2Detroit 1 at Philadelphia 1Los Angeles 0 at Buffalo 2Fri. Dec. 3Chicago 1 at California 2Sat. Dec. 4Vancouver 0 at Montreal 7Boston 5 at Toronto 3New York 2 at Pittsburgh 4Los Angeles 1 at Detroit 5 Buffalo 1 at St. Louis 5Philadelphia 1 at Minnesota 3Sun. Dec. 5Vancouver 3 at New York 6Pittsburgh 3 at Boston 5St. Louis 2 at Detroit 1Minnesota 1 at Buffalo 3Los Angeles 0 at Chicago 7California 0 at Philadelphia 3<h2>GAMES TO COME</h2>Tues. Dec. 7St. Louis at VancouverWed. Dec. 8Detroit at MontrealMinnesota at TorontoNew York at ChicagoBoston at Los AngelesCalifornia at PittsburghThurs. Dec. 9New York at PhiladelphiaChicago at BuffaloFri. Dec. 10St. Louis at CaliforniaSat. Dec 11Minnesota at MontrealChicago at TorontoBoston at VancouverPhiladelphia at DetroitBuffalo at PittsburghSt. Louis at Los AngelesSun. Dec 12Montreal at PhiladelphiaToronto at BuffaloPittsburgh at New YorkBoston at CaliforniaMinnesota at ChicagoTues. Dec 14Toronto at St. LouisDetroit at VancouverWed. Dec 15Montreal at Los AngelesPittsburgh at TorontoPhiladelphia at New YorkBuffalo at ChicagoSt. Louis at MinnesotaThurs. Dec 16New York at BostonBuffalo at PhiladelphiaFri. Dec 17Montreal at VancouverDetroit at California &#9632;

f0018-01

NHL SCOREBOARD

NEW YORK&mdash;The Canadian contingent in the new, proposed World Hockey Association was increased to four teams recently with the announcement that two Toronto businessmen&mdash;Doug Michel and Jim McCreath&mdash;have been awarded a franchise to operate somewhere in the province of Ontario.Calgary and Edmonton, Alta., and Winnipeg, Man., were the three original Canadian sites that were granted memberships in the new circuit at the inaugural meetings earlier this fall.At the same time that the successful Ontario bid was announced, WHA president Gary Davidson also disclosed that the New England area of the United States had been admitted as well, bringing to 12 the number of franchises and completing the slate of teams for the league&rsquo;s first season of operation to begin next fall.New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles, Dayton, and St. Paul are the other franchise holders.Michel and McCreath informed the press representatives that the Ontario industrial center of Hamilton would be their first choice for the team&rsquo;s home if arrangements could be completed for the construction of a suitable arena in time for the fall of 1972. They discussed a plan with Hamilton city mayor Victor Copps whereby the WHA team would finance the building of the new facility and then rent it back to the city for various non-hockey functions.If they are unsuccessful in making the proper arrangements in Hamilton, McCreath and Michel named the city of Kitchener as a possible alternative. &ldquo;Even renting ice time in Maple Leaf Gardens in not completely out of the question&rdquo;.Michel added that the league plans to guarantee payment of players&rsquo; salaries and that each club would be required to post a $100,000 bond to be used to pay the players if the league folded.<h2>SOUTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR</h2>(Standings on Wed. Dec 1)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-01430/2838125-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="587" height="232"></div><h2>LEADING SCORERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-02377/2838118-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="593" height="336"></div><h2>NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR</h2>(Standings on Tues. Nov. 30)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-03306/2838111-1-eng-US/f0019-032.jpg" title="f0019-03" width="587" height="142"></div><h2>LEADING SCORERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-04263/2838104-1-eng-US/f0019-042.jpg" title="f0019-04" width="591" height="396"></div> &#9632;

f0019-01

New England, Hamilton Swell WHA To 12

<div class="byline">BY JERRY LINDQUIST</div>RICHMONDThere was no accounting for the Richmond Robins, for after having only two points to show for their first nine games on the road, they turned around and won three straight away from home.Frank Spring. Andre Gaudette, and Bill Clement scored to pace a 3-1 victory in Rochester as Michel Belhu-meur brought his personal record in goal to 3-1-2.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-01138/2838156-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="255" height="434"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dave Schultz</figcaption></div>Three nights later the Robins were in Norfolk, serving as party of the second part to hockey&rsquo;s debut in the new $30 million Scope. Dave Schultz scored two goals and assisted on another as Tidewater fell, 4-1.Then, Richmond traveled to Cincinnati and extended the Swords&rsquo; losing streak to four with a 4-2 decision. Rick MacLeish (two), Dick Sarrazin and Schultz, were the marksmen, and Bob Taylor lowered his goals-against average to 2.92. With a little bit of luck, he would have had a shutout.Marcel Pelletier, the parent Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; Director of Player Personnel, joined the Robins in Cincinnati, and he traveled with them to Cleveland where the string came to an end the next night. &ldquo;I heard some of your guys weren&rsquo;t playing up to their potential, and I wanted to find out why. I wanted to see for myself,&rdquo; Pelletier said.This marked the second time he had been on hand to watch the Flyers&rsquo; No. 1 farm club in action within a week. During his previous visit, Pelletier gave Don McLeod, the Robins&rsquo; third goaltender, the news that he was being sent to Providence of the American Hockey League on loan, and McLeod refused to report.Six days later, McLeod, acquired from the Detroit organization in last summer&rsquo;s draft, changed his mind. Faced by possible suspension, he left to joi the Reds. In five games for the Robins, McLeod has an impressive 2.61 average.PARTING SHOTS: Jimmy Mair snapped out of offensive slump with goal and two assists in 5-3 loss in Cleveland. Last Barons&rsquo; goal went into open net and enabled Norm Beaudin to secure hat trick&hellip;Richmond completed four games in five days schedule by settling for 3-3 standoff with Cincinnati at home. Clement had two goals, Spring the other, and Robins missed numerous other blue-ribbon scoring opportunities&hellip;Swords&rsquo; Rick Dudley made mistake of tangling with Billy Brossart. Best Dudley could do was butt Brossart in face with his head&hellip;Leg injury received in Cleveland sidelined rookie defenseman Don McCulloch&hellip;Hillman Lyons, the Robins&rsquo; general manager, named chairman of local Muscular Dystrophy drive. Goal: $50,000&hellip;Home attendance: 43,851 (eight games) &#9632;

f0021-01

Richmond Spoilers On Road

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH &BRADSBY, LTD. Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario Sold in U.S. and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH &BRADSBY, LTD. Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario Sold in U.S. and Canada<h2>AMERICAN LEAGUE</h2>(Standings on Tues. Dec. 7)EAST DIVISION<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-01155/2838208-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="593" height="155"></div><h3>WEST DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-0295/2838201-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="593" height="279"></div><h2>GAMES COMPLETED</h2>Mon. Nov. 29Hershey 2 at Tidewater 5Tues. Nov. 30Richmond 1 at Boston 4Baltimore 4 at Cincinnati 3Springfield 2 at Nova Scotia 2Wed. Dec. 1Nova Scotia 5 at Providence 5Thurs. Dec. 2Rochester 2 at Tidewater 7Fri. Dec. 3Baltimore 2 at Cleveland 5Rochester 1 at Richmond 7Nova Scotia 2 at Springfield 1Sat. Dec. 4Richmond 1 at Baltimore 3Boston 0 at Cleveland 3Hershey 6 at Springfield 3Sun Dec. 5Boston 5 at Cincinnati 3Hershey 1 at Nova Scotia 1Rochester 1 at Providence 3Cleveland 1 at Richmond 3<h2>GAMES TO COME</h2>Tues. Dec. 7Providence at BaltimoreRochester at BostonHershey at Nova ScotiaWed. Dec. 8Cleveland at TidewaterThurs. Dec. 9Cleveland at CincinnatiFri. Dec. 10Hershey at BaltimoreSpringfield at BostonTidewater at RichmondProvidence at RochesterSat. Dec 11Providence at ClevelandBaltimore at HersheyBoston at SpringfieldCincinnati at TidewaterSun. Dec 12Tidewater at BostonCincinnati at Cleveland (afternoon)Springfield at Novo ScotiaRichmond at RochesterTues. Dec 14Richmond at BostonProvidence at CincinnatiWed. Dec 15Nova Scotia at ProvidenceCleveland at RichmondBaltimore at TidewaterFri. Dec 17Springfield at BostonProvidence at RichmondNova Scotia at Rochester<h2>LEADING SCORERS</h2>(Including Games of Sun. Nov. 28)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-0381/2838194-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="592" height="522"></div><h2>GOALKEEPERS RECORDS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-0466/2838187-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="594" height="726"></div> &#9632;

f0022-01

<div class="byline">BY GREG FARLEY</div>BOSTON&mdash;The Braves&rsquo; super goaltending tandem of Ross Brooks and Butch Bouchard has been nothing less than sensational for the new Boston AHL entry. Just ask coach Bep Guuidolin.&ldquo;Both of these guys have proven to me that they can do the job,&rdquo; chirped Bep. &ldquo;Danny, of course, is the goalie of the future for the Boston organization, and I&rsquo;ll be very much surprised if he isn&rsquo;t up with the Bruins within two years, if not sooner.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-0557/2838239-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="269" height="433"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ross Brooks</figcaption></div>&ldquo;Brooksie has performed remarkably well as a fill-in for Danny, and he&rsquo;s going to be seeing a lot more action than he anticipated.&rdquo;Guidolin is tickled pink to have a youngster and a veteran as his backstops.&ldquo;There&rsquo;s so many advantages to the situation,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;In Danny, we have a youngster who can be counted upon to play as many games as we want him to.&ldquo;And Ross is always there to relieve Dan on occasion and help him correct mistakes in games or in practices. I&rsquo;m really impressed with their attitude, too. There&rsquo;s not a bit of resentment between them.&rdquo;Both Bouchard and Brooks attest to it proudly.&ldquo;Ross has been just terrific,&rdquo; insisted Bouchard,&rdquo; he&rsquo;s really been a big help to me. He knows the shooters, the angles&mdash;everything a youngster needs help with.&ldquo;And the best part is that he&rsquo;s more than willing to give it. We really complement each other well. I can&rsquo;t understand how the Reds could quit on him.&rdquo;Ross agrees.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m enjoying the best season of my career with the Braves,&rdquo; he pointed out. &ldquo;Coach Guidolin has told me I&rsquo;ll be seeing plenty of ice time, and I&rsquo;m looking forward to it.&ldquo;As for Danny&mdash;well, he&rsquo;s not the only one learning. He&rsquo;s been a big help to me, and I&rsquo;m happy that I&rsquo;ve been able to give him some pointers.&ldquo;This kid&rsquo;s got a lot of potential, and lie&rsquo;s going to be around Boston for a long time to come.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0022-05

Boston Goalers Win Plaudits For Play

<div class="byline">BY BOB BROWN</div>CLEVELAND&mdash;The Cleveland Barons are doing what Coach John Muckier said they would. Muckier predicted his club would get off to a slow start but would move into high gear by mid-November.The Barons, taking advantage of home ice opportunities, moved into second place in the AHL&rsquo;s Western Division and within striking distance of first place Hershey.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-0645/2838301-1-eng-US/f0022-062.jpg" title="f0022-06" width="249" height="434"><figcaption class="caption-body">Norm Beaudin</figcaption></div>There are two good reasons for the Barons&rsquo; surge. Cleveland received help from Minnesota after the season was underway which has greatly strengthened and balanced the club, and, the club has taken advantage of home ice opportunities. Cleveland is unbeaten in its last ten starts at home, as of December 1st, and had lost only once at the Arena up to that time. That loss, a 3-2 squeaker to Cincinnati, came in the Cleveland home opener. Since that game, the Barons are 7-0-3 on the Arena ice.Still, Muckier and the Barons haven&rsquo;t depended solely on home ice opportunities to make their move. They lost only three of sixteen faceoffs between October 17 and December 1, a stetch that included seven away contests. One of those road wins was a 6-3 decision over the first place Bears in Hershey. Also during that period, the Barons surpassed the five hundred mark for the season and had a 5-0-1 record in their last six games in November.Much of the Cleveland offense has come from the Gordon Labossiere line with Norm Beaudin on the right and young Gary Gambucci on the left. That line accounted for 14 of the Barons 31 points scored during that six-game late November blitz.Labossiere, as clever a center iceman as Barons fans have seen here in several years, climbed into second place in the scoring race. He scored nine goals and had six assists in those six November games while Beaudin added four goals and five assists.The season is now over one fourth gone and the Barons are in high gear. If they can stay close to the top spot and Hershey remains the team to beat, the Barons can decide their own destiny. Cleveland and Hershey meet nine times after the first of the year. &#9632;

f0022-06

Barons Hot At Home To Move Up In Race

<div class="byline">BY JOHN TRAVERS</div>HERSHEY&mdash;The power play of the Hershey Bears continued to pay off rich dividends as the club held on to top spot in the Western Division after the first two months of play in the American League.Coach Frank Mathers&rsquo; Bears had struck for 26 power play goals in the first 18 games. Through the complete 72-game schedule of last season, Hershey managed to score only 29 power goals.And the team&rsquo;s defensive effort has been another key factor in its early success. Hershey had permitted the opposition only 11 power goals. The Bears were the second lowest penalizied team with 249 minutes, 19 more than Cleveland which had drawn only 230 in 19 games.Pacing the power attack has been Gil Gilbert with seven goals, while Ralph Keller, Mike Nykoluk and Ron Snell showed four each.The six-man defensive corps of Keller, Duane Rupp, Jean Guy Lagace, Larry Bignell, Butch Barber and Yvon Labre also has contributed to the club&rsquo;s attack, racking up 46 points, better than two a game since the campaign got underway. The blueline crowd collected ten goals, including three game winners in the 18 game stretch.Since his return from the parent Pittsburgh Penguins, winger Robin Burns has turned in some outstanding play. He hammered home two goals against Baltimore Nov. 24 in a key divisional match.&ldquo;Burns is a fine skater,&rdquo; said Mathers, &ldquo;and he&rsquo;s pretty rugged. He gets things stirred up when he&rsquo;s on the ice. He&rsquo;s always moving.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01135/2838332-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="552" height="576"><figcaption class="caption-body">GIL GILBERT&hellip;Powers Offense</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0023-01

Potent Power Play Keeps Hershey On Top

<h2>Tues. Nov. 23 ROCHESTER 1 at BOSTON 8</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0298/2838447-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="593" height="716"></div><h2>PROVIDENCE 5 at NOVA SCOTIA 6</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0375/2838440-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="593" height="810"></div><h2>HERSHEY 2 at BALTIMORE 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0462/2838433-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="589" height="520"></div><h2>SPRINGFIELD 8 at CINCINNATI 5</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0547/2838426-1-eng-US/f0023-052.jpg" title="f0023-05" width="576" height="893"></div><h2>Wed. Nov. 24 SPRINGFIELD 0 at CLEVELAND 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0641/2838419-1-eng-US/f0023-062.jpg" title="f0023-06" width="571" height="425"></div><h2>BALTIMORE 1 at HERSHEY 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0737/2838412-1-eng-US/f0023-072.jpg" title="f0023-07" width="587" height="454"></div><h2>RICHMOND 4 at TIDEWATER 1</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0831/2838405-1-eng-US/f0023-082.jpg" title="f0023-08" width="585" height="513"></div><h2>Thurs. Nov. 25 NOVA SCOTIA 1 at ROCHESTER 2</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0924/2838398-1-eng-US/f0023-092.jpg" title="f0023-09" width="576" height="398"></div><h2>Fri. Nov. 26 SPRINGFIELD 3 at BALTIMORE 6</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-1018/2838391-1-eng-US/f0023-102.jpg" title="f0023-10" width="588" height="708"></div><h2>RICHMOND 4 at CINCINNATI 2</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-1112/2838384-1-eng-US/f0023-112.jpg" title="f0023-11" width="592" height="558"></div><h2>Sun. Nov. 28 TIDEWATER 1 at PROVIDENCE 7</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-1210/2838377-1-eng-US/f0023-122.jpg" title="f0023-12" width="580" height="707"></div><h2>BALTIMORE 4 at ROCHESTER 2</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-137/2838370-1-eng-US/f0023-132.jpg" title="f0023-13" width="602" height="578"></div><h2>CINCINNATI 3 at RICHMOND 3</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-146/2838363-1-eng-US/f0023-142.jpg" title="f0023-14" width="582" height="520"></div> &#9632;

f0023-02

American Hockey League Game Summaries

<div class="byline">BY GEORGE DUFFY</div>PROVIDENCE&mdash;Larry Wilson lives in Riverside. R.I., maybe seven or eight miles from Providence, and the neighbours have been wondering about the lights being on all night.Ask Larry about it and he simply says: Yeh, its true, I burn the midnight oil, and then some.&rdquo; Asked if he has stock in the electric company, Wilsom admits he has none.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-01146/2838485-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="267" height="411"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mike McMahon</figcaption></div>For those who have been in Bulgaria for the past three years and do not know, Wilson is the head coach of the Providence Reds of the American Hockey League. He came to the Reds after two pennant winning seasons in Dayton, O. and last season guided the Reds into the Calder Cup finals.Last summer, Providence signed a five year working agreement with the New York Rangers. Wilson, as well as the rest of the folks in this hockey mad community, began to dream of a Calder Cup and a tremendous season.But the Reds, with a veteran team as compared to the kids who played here a year ago, started slowly. As of Sunday, November 28, the Reds were last, four points behind the Rochester Americans. And Wilson was walking the floor nights, all the lights in the house on.But Larry thinks the worst is behind his Reds. &ldquo;I may be able to douse the lights soon&rdquo; is how he puts it, meaning his Providence team is now ready to move up and challenge for the pennant.The Boston Braves, located 40 miles north of the Reds, are off to a tremendous start and lead by a wide margin in the Eastern Division. Wilson says &ldquo;I think we can catch them.&rdquo;Actually, it was a game against these same Braves which gave Larry a new and brighter outlook. Boston, unbeaten in nine games, moved into R.I. Auditorium on Sunday. November 21. heavily favored to whip the sagging Reds. When it was over, the Reds had a 5-3 triumph which was much more impressive than the score would indicate. Boston trailed 5-1 until late in the game, a fact which made the largest Providence crowd of the season 5,591&mdash;bubble over.The Reds followed that game up by losing a heart breaker at Nova Scotia, 6-5. &ldquo;When a team scores five goals on the road,&rdquo; observed Wilson, &ldquo;there&rsquo;s no way it should lose.&rdquo; But he added: &ldquo;We played well, really well, and it looks like our boys are about to turn it all around.&rdquo;There, of course, are reasons. Bill Speer has been a great addition at defense. Jim Wiste has shored up the center corps and Mike McMahon has provided a much needed power shot from the point. Don McLeod has added some depth to the goaltending department.Ron Garwasiuk. out early in the season, has returned and he has offered his exciting talents to the scene. Marcel Paille, lost with two broken fingers for over a month, is about ready to jump back in between the pipes.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-0298/2838478-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="1165" height="1475"><figcaption class="caption-body">Injured Providence netminder MARCEL PAILLE rides the exercice bike as trainer EARL CURTIS looks on in Reds&rsquo; dressing room. Paille, out over a month with two broken fingers, is about ready to play again.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0024-01

Wilson Figures Boston Win Turned Reds Around

<div class="byline">BY HANS TANNER</div>ROCHESTER&mdash;The Rochester Americans&rsquo; goal is goals&hellip;a lot more of them than they&rsquo;ve been scoring of late.As the December portion of their American Hockey League schedule began, the Amerks were trying to stop from sliding into the Eastern Division cellar. And it was lack of scoring punch that put them in that plight.For their final seven games in November, the Amerks mustered just 11 goals&mdash;an average of 1.57 a game. What makes it even worse is that five of the seven games were played on home ice.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-0369/2838516-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="268" height="438"><figcaption class="caption-body">Doug Brindley</figcaption></div>It all started Nov. 14 when Boston won a 4-1 game here. Rochester went to Halifax and suffered an 8-1 drubbing on the 18th, but returned home and downed Providence, 3-1, the following night. Then came a 3-1 home ice loss to Richmond on the 21st, and 8-1 hammering in Boston on the 23rd, a 2-1 victory over Nova Scotia here on the 25th and a 4-2 defeat by Baltimore on the 28th.Only Doug Brindley, the 22-year-old centerman who played both his previous pro seasons with Tulsa in the Central League, has been producing points at a reasonable rate during the drought.He has two goals and five assists for seven points, meaning he had a hand in all but four of the goals scored in the seven games.While Rich Lemieux had been boomed from the outset as the Amerks&rsquo; leading candidate-for rookie-of-the-year honors in the AHL, Brindley has been gaining ground and going into December was Ro Chester&rsquo;s leading point-getter.General manager-coach Doug Adam can&rsquo;t really put his finger on the problem.&ldquo;After we lost 8-1 in Boston I sat down and looked at the sheets and the lineup and couldn&rsquo;t find one of my players who I could say did not give a good effort. Yet we got routed, he said.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not shooting enough from the points on our power play&mdash;which has been a big disappointment, by the way&mdash;and we sometimes try to make one pass too many before shooting.&ldquo;But that&rsquo;s not all of it, either. Take the Baltimore game as an example. We had 32 shots on goal and sent another 18 wide&mdash;meaning we got the puck near the net 50 times. Baltimore had just 20 shots on goal and only six wide. Yet the Clippers scored four goals and we scored two.&ldquo;I just hope this is the slump that every hockey team runs into during a season and not an indication of our strength,&rdquo; Adam added. &#9632;

f0024-03

Brindley Bright Spot As Team Offense Sags

<div class="byline">BY CHUCK SANTANIELLO</div>SPRINGFIELD&mdash;The Springfield Kings have shown this season that they are not &ldquo;homers&rdquo; and will be the type of club which is going to be tough both at home and on foreign ice this season.Now they are well balanced, they have shown they will be hard to handle no matter where they play.Some of their top players have been on the sidelines, yet they managed to win games. One of them was Wayne Rivers, who was out for some time with a leg injury. The guy, who hit 38 goals last season with Baltimore, took a fast early lead in scoring with 17 for the Kings. To say his loss hurt was putting it mildly.Bill Orban, who came here with Wayne Schultz in a trade, underwent a harrowing two weeks in a Western Canada hospital to correct an irregular heart beat, which threatened to end his hockey career. He came back to the club and has been doing well, though a little short on condition.Orban had to undergo treatment with drugs for a week to thin his blood. Later, he was put under some touch and go treatment where his heart beat was dropped very low and finally his beat was actually stopped, so that the beat was reset to correct the irregularity.Camille Lapierre, the little amateur center who came to the Kings out of the drafts last June, has also been sidelined with a bad back. Bob Poffen-roth has taken over to fill the void and veteran Ed Hoekstra has played the best hockey of his career at pivot, despite his 35 years.More AHL On Page 21 &#9632;

Kings Play Same Away As At Home

<h2>WESTERN LEAGUE</h2>(Standings on Wed. Dec. 8)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-01132/2838616-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="586" height="226"></div><h2>GAMES COMPLETED</h2>Wed. Dec. 1Phoenix 6 at Denver 3San Diego 4 at Portland 3Thurs. Dec. 2San Diego 3 at Salt Lake 5Fri. Dec. 3Salt Lake 5 at Denver 7Seattle 1 at Phoenix 6Sat. Dec. 4Denver 3 at Salt Lake 4San Diego 3 at Phoenix 3Seattle 0 at Portland 10Sun. Dec. 5Denver 6 at Portland 1<h2>GAMES TO COME</h2>Wed. Dec. 8Portland at DenverSalt Lake at PhoenixThur. Dec. 9Portland at Salt LakeSeattle at San DiegoFri. Dec. 10Seattle at DenverPortland at PhoenixSat. Dec. 11Denver at San DiegoSun. Dec. 12Denver at SeattleWed. Dec. 15Denver at Salt LakeSeattle at PortlandSan Diego at Phoenix<h2>LEADING SCORERS</h2>(Including games of Sun. Nov. 28)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-0285/2838609-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="584" height="362"></div><h2>GOALKEEPERS&rsquo; RECORDS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-0367/2838602-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="588" height="365"></div> &#9632;

f0026-01

<div class="byline">BY DOUG MCCONNELL</div>SAN DIEGO&mdash;Bob Courcy tied a San Diego Gulls&rsquo; team record of six points in a game when he fired two goals and assisted on four more in an 8-4 whipping of the Seattle Totems as the Gulls roared through WHL rivals winning five of six games to move squarely into the battle for first place with Denver and Phoenix.Courcy&rsquo;s outburst gave him the Western Hockey League&rsquo;s goal scoring lead with 15 but he trails his own centerman. Gerry Goyer, for the points lead. Courcy has 28 points but Goyer, picking up seven in two games, has 30 on 11 goals and 19 assists.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-0449/2838654-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="268" height="444"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bob Courcy</figcaption></div>Willie O&rsquo;Ree cut loose for nine points in six games after a slow start and rookie Tom Trevelyan, coming back after a knee injury, has scored six points in eight games.Their performances helped make up for the loss of centers Brian McDonald and Orest Kin-drachuk and defenseman Dunc McCallum.McDonald had missed five games with a bad bruise and stretched tendons after slamming his heel against the boards. Kindrachuk had a bad bruise on the point of his shoulder from being upended and slamming into the goal post in the same game McDonald was injured.McCallum had missed eight games with a shoulder seperation.All three were expected back shortly.Rookie defenseman Glen Irwin, called in to fill McCallum&rsquo;s vacancy, has played surprisingly steady hockey. He holds his position well and doesn&rsquo;t give the puck away.Irwin, 5-11 and 195, was the Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; third choice in last summer&rsquo;s draft. Irwin had 261 penalty minutes during his last season as a junior with the Estevan Bruins.Meanwhile, home ice got the Denver Spurs back in the saddle again after a road trip in which ex-Spurs shot them down.The Spurs ran up three straight victories over San Diego, Salt Lake and Portland in the Denver Coliseum. Their only home-ice loss was a 4-3 thriller to the Phoenix Roadrunners.The Spurs led the Roadrunners by two goals the next game at Phoenix but lost 3-2 and ex-Spur Kerry Bond triggered the winner.They had the Gulls two down at San Diego but saw another ex-Spur, Brian McDonald, score twice including the tying goal in a 3-3 deadlock.At Portland, it was Lyle Bradley&rsquo;s turn. Bradley, who played center for the Spurs the past two seasons, scored twice as Portland overcame a two-goal deficit for a 4-3 victory.Otherwise, the Spurs lost center Brian Lavender, called up to the St. Louis Blues. The 24-year-old had been fourth in Denver team scoring with six goals and eight assists in 18 games and led in penalty minutes with 35.Defenseman Ray Larose played a pair of games for Kansas City Blues in the Central League on an emergency loan during a lull in the Denver schedule.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-0542/2838647-1-eng-US/f0026-052.jpg" title="f0026-05" width="563" height="894"><figcaption class="caption-body">GERRY ODROWSKI&hellip;Sold To St. Louis</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0026-04

Rampaging San Diego Captures 5 Out Of 6

PHOENIX&mdash;The Phoenix Roadrunners sent defenseman Gerry Odrowski, 33, to the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League in a straight cash deal. No amount was mentioned.&ldquo;We hate to lose a player of Odrowski&rsquo;s caliber,&rdquo; said Phoenix club president, Jim Wells, in making the announcement, &ldquo;but we can&rsquo;t stand in his way when he has a chance to return to the NHL.&rdquo;Odrowski was purchased early last season from the California Golden Seals. He once played in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings.The strong-skating 5-10, 190-pound defenseman from Trout Creek, Ont., was used up front in killing penalties, played his regular shift on defense and also filled in on the point on the power play. He had three goals and four assists in 20 games this season, plus 30 minutes in penalties.&ldquo;We considered him the best in the league this season,&rdquo; said Wells. Odrowski was a third team All-Star choice last season and finished fifth in the voting for the WHL&rsquo;s outstanding defenseman. &#9632;

Roadrunner Gets Second NHL Chance

SEATTLE&mdash;The balance of power has apparently shifted in the Western Hockey League to the south for the first time in the league&rsquo;s history.The Denver Spurs led the league at the end of the second month of the 1971-72 season with the Phoenix Roadrunners one point behind and the San Diego Gulls another point back.No team south of Portland, Ore., has won the WHL pennant and the Coleman E. Hall Cup since the Denver Invaders did it in 1963-64 and no team south of Portland accomplished the feat before.Only three times in the last 11 years have the Portland Buckaroos failed to finish first. They finished second each time to Calgary in 1961, Denver in 1964 and Vancouver in 1970.No team south of Portland has won the Lester Patrick Cup since the San Francisco Seals&rsquo; victory in 1964.The Buckaroos won both the Hall and Patrick Cups last season but this year were struggling, tied for fourth with Salt Lake City with a 7-10-1 record. &#9632;

WHL Power Goes South

SALT LAKE CITY&mdash;The Salt Lake Golden Eagles have admitted jumping the gun in announcing that Guyle Fielder had passed Gordie Howe&rsquo;s all-time professional hockey scoring record.The Eagles claim in the countdown toward the &lsquo;magic&rsquo; 1,809 point plateau that Howe had attained in his brilliant National Hockey League career, they overlooked the fact that Howe had performed his first season in the United States Hockey League with Omaha Knights and had accumulated 48 scoring points.This is where the Eagles say they went wrong. Consequently Howe has a career total of 1,857 points and Fielder 1,810.With 56 games remaining on the schedule, Fielder can still reach Howe&rsquo;s mark this season. &#9632;

Eagles Admit Fielder Still Trails Howe In Point Race

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-0633/2838757-1-eng-US/f0026-062.jpg" title="f0026-06" width="372" height="594"><figcaption class="caption-body">JACQUES PLANTE</figcaption></div>Since 1955 I have been working to find a mask that could combine: protection, good visibility and lightness. I was never completely satisfied until I found the &ldquo;FUTURAMIC&rdquo; model last year&hellip;with the stream lines to deflect pucks easier.I am now offering you this same &lsquo;&lsquo;FUTURAMIC&rdquo; mask that I and many of the best goalies in the world use.I have so much confidence in them, that I will replace each one that might break under normal use. Furthermore, an insurance company has insured each mask for ONE MILLION dollars, against bodily damages. No company would have done so, if they didn&rsquo;t have faith in my mask.You should find them in your local sport stores. If not, write me at: 1259 Didace street, Magog, P.Q.,Canada and will gladly send you some literature. The masks sell from $12.00 to $22.50 in Canada. (Two dollars more in the United States and Europe).FIBROSPORT INC.JACQUES PLANTEPRESIDENT &#9632;

f0026-06

MILLION DOLLAR MASK

<div class="byline">BY DOUG MCCONNELL</div>PHOENIX&mdash;Don Caley&rsquo;s cure for a bad case of nerves was remarkably simple but difficult to apply.&ldquo;I told my wife that if I was going to let the game bother me.&rdquo; said the 26-year-old newly wed from Dauphin, Man. &ldquo;I might as well quit. I know what I can do. There&rsquo;s no use worrying about it.&rdquo;Caley made it work. He no longer throws up before every game. He even threw up during a game last season.&ldquo;If I let one in during the warmup.&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t get upset anymore. I used to think it was the Stanley Cup and wear myself out before the game started.&rdquo;&ldquo;Maybe marriage has matured him.&rdquo; reflected coach Aut Erickson. &ldquo;Whatever it is he&rsquo;s sure a different guy and his attitude has changed a lot.&rdquo;Caley hung up back-to-back shutouts, stopping the Totems 40 in Seattle and the Portland Buckaroos 3-0 in Phoenix, to run his shutout sequence to 169 minutes and one second.The Western Hockey League record of three consecutive shutouts and 235 minutes and 22 seconds was set in 1963-64 by Portland&rsquo;s Dave Kelly.Caley reduced his league leading goals against average to 1.96. He holds the team record of 3.08. set last season. The league record of 2.29 was set by Jim McLeod of Portland, the year after Marv Edwards had lowered it to 2.36.Edwards, now playing for Phoenix, owns a current 3.00 mark after a slow start.Not only has Caley&rsquo;s attitude improved, but he is quick to point out that so has his defense. He stopped only 17 shots in recording his shutout over Portland.The Roadrunners had allowed only one goal in three games, seven in seven games and 18 in the 11 November games while hanging up their best one-month record ever, 9-1-1.RUNNER RAMBLINGS: Larry Lund, in his first game back after a five-game absence from a virus attack, collected a pair of assists&hellip;Gerry Odrowski&rsquo;s sale to the St. Louis Blues left the Runners with five defensemen. Jim Murray. Sandy Hucul. Harry Shaw. Adam Keller and Gord Nelson&hellip;The Roadrunners were averaging 7.010 for their first nine home games&hellip;the Roadrunner Booster Club&rsquo;s membership has climbed over 1.200 with their goal of 1,500 expected to be reached shortly.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-01116/2838788-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="552" height="579"><figcaption class="caption-body">DON CALEY&hellip;New Outlook</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0027-01

Galey Hangs Up Back-to-Back Shutouts

<h2>FRI. NOV. 19 SAN DIEGO 2 at DENVER 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0285/2838889-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="589" height="475"></div><h2>Sat. Nov. 20 PHOENIX 4 at SEATTLE 0</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0361/2838882-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="589" height="504"></div><h2>Sun. Nov. 21 SAN DIEGO 4 at PORTLAND 1</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0456/2838875-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="585" height="449"></div><h2>Wed. Nov. 24 SALT LAKE 1 at DENVER 3</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0543/2838868-1-eng-US/f0027-052.jpg" title="f0027-05" width="584" height="478"></div><h2>SAN DIEGO 6 at SEATTLE 1</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0637/2838861-1-eng-US/f0027-062.jpg" title="f0027-06" width="590" height="600"></div><h2>Thurs. Nov. 25 PORTLAND 2 at SAN DIEGO 3</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0732/2838854-1-eng-US/f0027-072.jpg" title="f0027-07" width="581" height="509"></div><h2>Fri. Nov. 26 PORTLAND 3 at DENVER 6</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0829/2838847-1-eng-US/f0027-082.jpg" title="f0027-08" width="581" height="769"></div><h2>SALT LAKE 1 at PHOENIX 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0928/2838840-1-eng-US/f0027-092.jpg" title="f0027-09" width="588" height="541"></div><h2>Sat. Nov. 27 SALT LAKE 2 at SAN DIEGO 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1026/2838833-1-eng-US/f0027-102.jpg" title="f0027-10" width="593" height="488"></div><h2>PORTLAND 0 at PHOENIX 3</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1124/2838826-1-eng-US/f0027-112.jpg" title="f0027-11" width="587" height="380"></div><h2>Sun. Nov. 28 SAN DIEGO 8 at SEATTLE 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1223/2838819-1-eng-US/f0027-122.jpg" title="f0027-12" width="596" height="753"></div> &#9632;

f0027-02

Western League Summaries

The San Diego Gulls completed a hot run through the WHL last week in which they scored 27 goals in six games and one player who had a helping hand in the offensive outburst was veteran Gerry Goyer. The Gulls&rsquo; pivot accounted for nine points, scoring twice and setting up seven others to grab the individual scoring lead with 30 points. Four of Goyer&rsquo;s assists came in one game as the Gulls walloped Salt Lake 8-4.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1319/2838920-1-eng-US/f0027-132.jpg" title="f0027-13" width="520" height="514"><figcaption class="caption-body">GERRY GOYER</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0027-13

SALT LAKE&mdash;With captain Bob Ellett placed on waivers, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles selected center Skip Krape to succeed him as team leader.Krake, assigned to the Eagles by the parent Buffalo Sabres after starting the year with the NHL club, was voted captain by his teammates. In his first 16 games with the club, Krake had 15 points before suffering a slightly pulled groin muscle. &#9632;

Eagles Select Krake Captain

PORTLAND&mdash;Gord Fashoway, general manager and coach of the Portland Buckaroos, warned a shakeup is coming.His defending Western Hockey League champion Portland Buckaroos were shut out for the first time this season, 4-0 in Phoenix, for their sixth loss in seven games and their fourth straight setback.The Buckaroos are stranded in a fourth-place tie with the Salt Lake City Golden Eagles. &#9632;

Fashoway Warns Shakeup Coming

<div class="byline">BY TOM LOBAUGH</div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH A BRADSBY, LTD. Arnold Street Wallaceburg, Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH A BRADSBY, LTD. Arnold Street Wallaceburg, Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaDALLAS&mdash;First place, it&rsquo;s wonderful! The Dallas Black Hawks took a long time getting there, and they have no immediate intentions of vacating those choice quarters.In spite of a torrid home streak, once they got to play at home, it took coach Bobby Kromm and his Hawks six weeks to climb to the top perch on the Central League ladder. They achieved that Nov. 21, when they took a 3-1 triumph in Kansas City, while Tulsa&rsquo;s former frontrunners were losing at home to Omaha, 2-1.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-01108/2839006-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="270" height="446"><figcaption class="caption-body">Tom Williams</figcaption></div>Thanksgiving week brought a pair of back-to-back showdowns between the two top contenders, and Dallas clearly came off the winner of the confrontations, by a 5-1 margin in Dallas, Nov. 24, and by a 6-3 count in Tulsa the following night.Left wing Dan Maloney, who cavorted for Chicago in the National League last winter, fired in two goals in the home victory. Teammates tried desperately to set up Dan for the hat trick, especially in a late third-period power attack, but he chimed a goalpost on his best effort in the final flurry.Right wing J. P. Bordeleau tallied twice in the triumph at Tulsa, as the French Line (J.P. Leblanc, Michel Archambault and Bordeleau) dominated the game.By beating Tulsa on Thanksgiving eve, the Hawks won their seventh straight home game, matching the season-opening string compiled by Tulsa. But disaster struck Nov. 27, when the reinforced Fort Worth Wings came into the State Fair Coliseum and grabbed a 5-3 verdict, although outshot by Dallas, 3016.Dave Hudson kept his club scoring lead on 19 points, but Maloney and defenseman Bart Crashley were pressing with 18 each.Crashley, at 26, is the oldest man on a young Dallas club. A Toronto native, he has a name which sounds like the invention of a Hollywood script writer to describe a bone-crushing boardchecker.Actually, the legal monicker is William Barton Crashley. He&rsquo;s a leader on defense, but he has the added value of being a smart puck carrier and a keen playmaker, a good point man on the power play. He set up two goals in the first victory over Tulsa, and scored one (his fifth) the next night in T-town.After three standout seasons as a junior with the Hamilton Red Wings, during which he had two trials with the parent Detroit club, Crashley turned pro in 1966-67, playing for Pittsburgh in the American League and Memphis in the CHL. He spent the entire 1967-68 season with Detroit.Sent down to Fort Worth &ldquo;for a couple of weeks&rdquo; the next season, he was scheduled to return to the big time, but a knee injury sidelined him. Since then he&rsquo;s had a succession of injuries&mdash;dislocated shoulders, a broken leg, surgery, and he made it back to Detroit for only one game in 1968-69.After playing for Fort Worth that season, he was traded to Montreal with Pete Mahovlich in the deal which brought Garry Monahan and Doug Piper to Detroit. He spent the 1969-70 season with the AHL Montreal Voyageurs and was on loan to Kansas City in the CHL last season, getting five goals and 19 assists. This year the Canadiens placed him with Baltimore in the AHL, but he wasn&rsquo;t getting much ice time, as the Clippers had a surplus of blueliners.Ice time is what he&rsquo;ll get with Dallas. Coach Kromm was enthusiastic about getting Crash-ley. &ldquo;He has to be the leader from the blueline back, because he is the most experienced. He&rsquo;s settled some of our kids down, and he&rsquo;s going to be a tremendous asset to us. He&rsquo;s a high class guy.&rdquo;Rookie goalie Michel Dumas had his stingy average down to 2.16 before the loss to Fort Worth. He still led the loop&rsquo;s netminders with a 2.40 average vield through Nov. 27.TULSA: The Oilers, who led the league for the first five weeks, had their seven-game home victory string snapped by Kansas City, 3-2, Nov. 20, and went on to lose five in a row. The once-awesome scoring average dipped to 3.56, after being as high as 5.20 for the season&rsquo;s first three weeks.In most of those five losses, the Oilers were soundly outplayed. An exception was the 2-1 loss at home to Omaha, Nov. 21, which knocked Tulsa out of first place. The Oilers outshot the Knights, 44-16, but came close to being shut out by the magnificent goaltending of Wayne Bell.Coach Marcel Pronovost and general manager Ray Miron were at a loss to explain the sudden form reversal. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re making mistakes now they didn&rsquo;t make the first five weeks,&rdquo; observed Marcel.Failure to play good position hockey was resulting in a lot of enemy breakaways, and the goaltending was not as share as earlier this season. Shooting accuracy had fallen off sharply.While two of the forward lines were being constantly reformed, there was no tampering with the trio of Jean Payette, Errol Thompson and Rick Kehoe. Payette, the club scoring leader ran his total to 23 points. Kehoe, with two goals at Dallas and three assists at Oklahoma City (in a 5-3 loss) ran his total to 21.Ironically, three of those five straight Tulsa losses were on home ice, where they hadn&rsquo;t tasted defeat in seven previous starts.Only bright spot for the slumping Oilers was the attendance. A turnout of 43,869 for the first 10 games was almost 8,000 ahead of last year, and nearly 3,000 better than the best previous season. 1965-66.OKLAHOMA CITY: The Blazers took over third place with a 3-1 triumph at home over Omaha Nov. 26, then pulled within two points of second by beating Tulsa the next night. That was their third straight victory, and their fourth in five games.Greg Sheppard took over the league scoring leadership while Fort Worth&rsquo;s Ross Perkins was out with an injury. The Blazer center, with three goals and three assists, ran his total to 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists), two points ahead of Perkins.Rookie forwards Ken Tarnow and Dave Forbes, up from Dayton of the International League for five-game trials, were signed to pro contracts. Tarnow promptly suffered a broken jaw in Fort Worth, Nov. 19. Then, on a trip to Dayton to collect his belongings, he came down with the flu. Forbes had a four-point night (a goal and three assists) in a 6-3 romp over Kansas City, Nov. 24.Right wing Bud DeBrody was still out, following leg surgery after a Nov. 13 injury in Tulsa. Rookie center Con Schmidt (son of Boston general manager Milt Schmidt) missed a game after suffering a Concussion in the game with KC.KANSAS CITY: Larry Hornung, 26-year-old defensive standout for the Blues, was summoned to the St. Louis parent club. In replacement, KC received Ray Larose, 30-year-old veteran, who had been with Denver in the Western League.&ldquo;We hated to lose Larry,&rdquo; said coach Johnny Choyce, &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s a break for him. And that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re here for, to get players ready for the NHL club.&rdquo;The Blues broke a three-game losing streak by taking a 5-2 home victory over Omaha, Nov. 27, with rookie Bob Roselle scoring twice.Veteran Norm Dennis picked up five points during the week to challenge for the club scoring lead. He had 16 points. Second-year pros Ron Climie and Tom Earl had 19 and 18, respectively.FORT WORTH: The absence of top scorer Ross Perkins for four games may have been a boon to the Wings, according to general manager-coach Bob Lemieux.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not to downgrade Perkins,&rsquo; Bob said, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s great, the best center in our league. But when he was playing, the other guys knew he would get the goals. Since he got the bad charley horse, they knew someone else has to carry the load, and they&rsquo;ve all been playing better. When he comes back, we&rsquo;ll be that much better.&rdquo;The Wings purchased veteran right wing Bob Cook from Vancouver in the National League. The 26-year-old Cook has been a pro since 1966, mostly with Rochester in the AHL. He put in 12 late-season games for Tulsa in the CHL in 1968-69.Fort Worth has the only pair of identical twins in pro hockey, 27-year-old Dave and Doug Ferguson from Central Butte, Sask. Both are right wings, and both played for Syracuse in the Eastern League. Dave turned pro with Baltimore a year ago, and was obtained by the Wings from San Diego. Doug got his pro contract this season with Fort Worth.After losing a 5-3 game in Omaha, the Wings moved into Kansas City for a 2-1 Thanksgiving triumph, and followed with the upset victory at Dallas, giving them three victories in four starts.Showing balanced scoring in Perkins&rsquo; absence, the Wings&rsquo; five goals against the Hawks were by five different players. Rookie defenseman Barry Salovaara from Greensboro had five assists in three games.OMAHA: Two straight road losses, at Oklahoma City and Kansas City, dumped the Knights into a tie for last place.Rookie left wing Tom Williams moved up in the Knights&rsquo; scoring race, accounting for three goals and two assists in three games. The 20-year-old Windsor. Ont., native, who tallied 43 goals for the Hamilton junior Red Wings last winter, had 8 goals and the same number of assists for 16 points, one behind club leader Norm Gratton (11 and 6).<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0255/2838999-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="554" height="552"><figcaption class="caption-body">BART CRASHLEY&hellip;Valuable Acquisition</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0028-01

Hot Run On Home Ice Helps Dallas Hawks Ride To Top

<h2>Sun., Nov. 21 DALLAS 3 at KANSAS CITY 4</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0332/2839107-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="606" height="466"></div><h2>OMAHA 2 at TULSA 1</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0422/2839100-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="612" height="414"></div><h2>Wed., Nov. 24 TULSA 1 at DALLAS 5</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0518/2839093-1-eng-US/f0028-052.jpg" title="f0028-05" width="594" height="478"></div><h2>KANSAS CITY 3 at OKLAHOMA CITY 6</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0613/2839086-1-eng-US/f0028-062.jpg" title="f0028-06" width="593" height="661"></div><h2>FORT WORTH 3 at OMAHA 5</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0710/2839079-1-eng-US/f0028-072.jpg" title="f0028-07" width="594" height="656"></div><h2>Thur., Nov. 25 FORT WORTH 2 at KANSAS CITY 1</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-088/2839072-1-eng-US/f0028-082.jpg" title="f0028-08" width="590" height="408"></div><h2>DALLAS 6 at TULSA 3</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-096/2839065-1-eng-US/f0028-092.jpg" title="f0028-09" width="590" height="738"></div><h2>Fri., Nov. 26 OMAHA 1 OKLAHOMA CITY 3</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-107/2839058-1-eng-US/f0028-102.jpg" title="f0028-10" width="590" height="480"></div><h2>Sat., Nov. 27 FORT WORTH 5 at DALLAS 3</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-114/2839051-1-eng-US/f0028-112.jpg" title="f0028-11" width="602" height="648"></div><h2>OMAHA 2 at KANSAS CITY 5</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-124/2839044-1-eng-US/f0028-122.jpg" title="f0028-12" width="596" height="600"></div><h2>TULSA 3 at OKLAHOMA CITY 5</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-133/2839037-1-eng-US/f0028-132.jpg" title="f0028-13" width="606" height="730"></div> &#9632;

f0028-03

Central League Summaries

<h2>CENTRAL LEAGUE</h2>(Standings on Wed. Dec. 8)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0181/2839166-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="590" height="234"></div><h2>GAMES COMPLETED</h2>Wed. Dec. 1Dallos 7 at Oklahoma City 3Thurs. Dec. 2Kansas City 2 at Fort Worth 2Fri. Dec. 3Kansas City 3 at Dallas 5Oklahoma City 3 at Tulsa 5Sat. Dec. 4Dallas 5 at Fort Worth 7Oklahoma City 5 at Kansas City 1Tulsa 2 at Omaha 4Sun. Dec. 5Oklahoma City 4 at Omaha 5<h2>GAMES TO COME</h2>Wed Dec 8Oklahoma City at Kansas CityFri, Dec 10Omaha at TulsaSat. Dec. 11Oklahoma City at DallasFort Worth at OmahaTulsa at Kansas CitySun. Dec 12Dallas at TulsaWed. Dec 15Tulsa at DallasKansas City at Oklahoma CityThur. Dec 16Kansas City at Fort WorthFri. Dec 17Dallas at OmahaFort Worth at Tulsa<h2>LEADING SCORERS</h2>(Including games of Sun. Nov. 28)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0256/2839159-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="596" height="920"></div><h2>NEW YORK METRO LEAGUE</h2>Standings on Fri. Nov. 26)<h3>EASTERN DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0331/2839152-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="589" height="154"></div><h3>WESTERN DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0425/2839145-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="590" height="139"></div><h3>LEADING SCORERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0524/2839138-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg" title="f0029-05" width="594" height="461"></div> &#9632;

f0029-01

Greg Sheppard of the Oklahoma City Blazers turned in a big week to spark his club to a pair of CHL victories. Sheppard fired the game winner to topple Omaha and counted twice as the Blazers downed Tulsa 5-3. In addition, the Oke City star grabbed off the individual scoring lead with 27 points on 13 goals and 14 assists replacing the injured Ross Perkins of Fort Worth.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0614/2839197-1-eng-US/f0029-062.jpg" title="f0029-06" width="510" height="500"><figcaption class="caption-body">GREG SHEPPARD</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0029-06

Player of The Week

<h2>EASTERN LEAGUE</h2>(Standings on Mon. Dec. 6)<h3>NORTHERN DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0257/2839263-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="584" height="178"></div><h3>SOUTHERN DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0333/2839256-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="592" height="227"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3>Tues. Nov. 30Roanoke 1 at Greensboro 1Syracuse 3 at Charlotte 6Sun Coast 2 at Jacksonville 5Johnstown 3 at Long Island 7Wed. Dec. 1Sun Coast 1 at Greensboro 6New Jersey 2 at New Haven 2Thurs. Dec. 2Greensboro 3 at Roanoke 5New Jersey 1 at Johnstown 5Fri. Dec. 3Sun Coast 5 at Charlotte 4Greensboro 8 at Jacksonville 4New Haven 4 at Clinton 7Johnstown 2 at New Jersey 4Sat. Dec. 4Charlotte 3 at Jacksonville 2New Jersey 3 at Syracuse 6Roanoke 4 at Clinton 4New Haven 3 at Johnstown 5Sun. Dec. 5Jacksonville 2 at Greensboro 10Charlotte 3 at Sun Coast 3Roanoke 3 at Syracuse 0Clinton 1 at New Haven 3Long Island 1 at New Jersey 6<h3>GAMES TO COME</h3>Mon. Dec. 6Charlotte vs Sun Coast(at West Palm Beach)Tues. Dec. 7Roanoke Valley at CharlotteGreensboro vs Sun Coast(at West Palm Beach)Wed. Dec. 8Greensboro at Sun CoastNew Jersey at JohnstownNew Haven at JacksonvilleThur. Dec. 9Long Island at Roanoke ValleyNew Haven at Sun CoastFri. Dec 10New Haven at CharlotteSun Coast at JacksonvilleJohnstown at SyracuseClinton at Long IslandSat. Dec 11Charlotte at Roanoke ValleyNew Haven at GreensboroJohnstown at ClintonNew Jersey at Long IslandSun. Dec 12New Haven vs Roanoke Valley (at Salem)Charlotte at GreensboroLong Island at SyracuseJohnstown at New JerseyMon. Dec 13Roanake Valley at Sun CoastTues. Dec 14Greensboro at CharlotteClinton at JacksonvilleWed. Dec 15New Jersey at SyracuseLong Island at New HavenThur. Dec. 16Charlotte at Roanoke ValleyClinton at Sun CoastSyracuse at Johnstown<h3>MICHIGAN SENIOR LEAGUE</h3>(Standings on Tues. Nov. 30)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0423/2839249-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="588" height="129"></div><h3>LEADING SCORERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0523/2839242-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="585" height="259"></div><h3>MICHIGAN JUNIOR LEAGUE</h3>(Standings on Mon. Nov. 29)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0617/2839235-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="578" height="180"></div><h3>LEADING SCORERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0713/2839228-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="591" height="236"></div> &#9632;

f0030-02

<div class="byline">BY HARVEY POLLACK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-01102/2839315-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="550" height="580"><figcaption class="caption-body">PHIL WITTLIFF&hellip;Hat Trick In Debut</figcaption></div>CHERRY HILL&mdash;It may be difficult to believe but the Jersey Devils&rsquo; status in the Eastern Hockey League would be even worse were it not for the exploits of their goalie, Pete Donnelly.The Devils are on the bottom rung of the EHL&rsquo;s Northern Division but for Donnelly&rsquo;s superb net play, they would be even lower in points. What&rsquo;s more, the team wouldn&rsquo;t even have been &ldquo;in&rdquo; many of the contests they played.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0810/2839308-1-eng-US/f0030-082.jpg" title="f0030-08" width="285" height="432"><figcaption class="caption-body">Billy Smith</figcaption></div>Take the club&rsquo;s recent southern swing for example. In five games, Pete made 234 saves, an average of just shy of 47 per game. That of course doesn&rsquo;t say much for the team&rsquo;s checking or defensive play, but it does say a lot for Donnelly&rsquo;s tenacious play in the cage.As coach Jim Hay said, &ldquo;Pete was super in every game in the south. The scores would have been out of sight had it not been for his work in the nets.&rdquo;Over the course of the year Pete has stopped 729 shots in his first 20 games. He had a 3.90 average and 36.45 saves per game out of the 807 shots taken at him.The Devils&rsquo; statistician figures that &ldquo;taking into account the shot per game and saves per game, Pete had a 90.33 batting average against Devils&rsquo; foes.It was only a stroke of fate that Donnelly made the club this year. The Devils had five goalies in camp, but someone suggested that Pete go to Jersey to acquire some experience.To put it mildly, Pete is getting plenty of it with Jersey. He&rsquo;s learning how to stop shots from every angle. He&rsquo;s learning how to stop shots when his defense is missing. He&rsquo;s stopping them when his club is shorthanded, curiously also many times when the opposition is shorthanded. Hay realizes that Donnelly can handle the cage okay, but the Devils must strenghten their forces in front of him if they are going to make a run to win one of the playoff berths.The Devils cut Ken Paquette and Cal Booth and added Phil Wittliff former Notre Dame grid-der. He had hat trick in first start. Hay missed some action with bruised ankle. Claude Chartre has been most consistent Devil. Club had brawl with New Haven which resulted in 74 penalty minutes assessed.ROANOKE VALLEY: Top line of Jack McCreary, Ken Miller and Jerry Wright continues to score steadily. Defenseman Jack Chipchase is a master at blocking shots. Rebels were unbeaten after 12 home games with two ties marring a perfect slate. Bob Buchy placed on injured list and Norm Bean came off list after being out with groin muscle pull.LONG ISLAND: Ed Stankiewicz is still moaning about penalty shot that ref Bob Smith didn&rsquo;t call in game with Syracuse. A total of 175 penalty minutes marred another game with Blazers. Ducks hopeful that they can improve home log.JACKSONVILLE: Club record of three wins were followed by two disastrous 14-0 and 10-0 routs to Charlotte and Roanoke Valley respectively. Bobby Thompson&rsquo;s hat trick helped beat Charlotte. Jeff Nicholson played two periods with split tongue and broken teeth. GM Bob Sabourin admits he&rsquo;s disenchanted with club&rsquo;s bad showing.SYRACUSE: Pierre Sigman had 21 saves in period against Long Island, Mike Ruest bothered by ankle injury. Ex-coach Phil Watson hired as coach of Syracuse Stars. Brian Elwell suffered a seven stich gash in his forehead from a skate. Loss of Les Calder, Lee Inglis and Roland Goyette to injury list hurt club. Blazers had dismal southern trip.SUN COAST: Suns fined $265 for early season fight with Jacksonville. Owner Walter Brock drew heaviest fine of $100 for arguing with ref Mike McCormick, Purchase of Billy Smith from New Haven is passing dividends. Billy is playing on same line with ex-Blade mate, Don Walker. Keith Silvernagle was loaned to Springfield for two games. Suns had record three straight wins and five game unbeaten streak.GREENSBORO: Wally Sprange broke out of scoring slump. Loss of Don Carter with rib injury has hurt club&rsquo;s attack. Ken Rzepecki&rsquo;s knee injury healing. Gens may get some aid soon from Toronto. Gens trying to get Clyde Simon to play more positional hockey. Stu Roberts deemed one of the fastest, if not the fastest, skater in the league.JOHNSTOWN: Dick Roberge handled team while coach Ed Kachur was ill. Wayne Dempster had cast removed from his ankle injury. Jets game with Long Island snowed out, so the teams were held over for game next night when Jets were supposed to host Jersey. That game will be rescheduled.CLINTON: Comets hoped for three points out of possible six on southern swing and wound up with none by losing three straight. Brian McBratney&rsquo;s back injured by slashing of Syracuse&rsquo;s Ray Schultz. Comets&rsquo; rookies had the top of their heads shaved in annual ritual. Some wore helmets in next games.NEW HAVEN: Don Perry is alternating Dave Hainworth and Jim Armstrong in the nets. Rookie Andre Peloffy is No. 1 scorer and his line (Pierre Brind&rsquo;Amour and Pierre Leblanc) are tops. Armstrong made two big saves with face mask while spawled on Long Island ice.CHARLOTTE: Checkers loss at St. Petersburgh was punctuated by brawl between Don Brennan and Brian Harding. Checkers getting plenty of shots but not converting them into tallies. Bob Shupe&rsquo;s injured knee still bothers him.<h2>LEADING SCORERS</h2>Including games of Sun. Nov. 28)<h2>NORTHERN DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-098/2839301-1-eng-US/f0030-092.jpg" title="f0030-09" width="586" height="234"></div><h2>SOUTHERN DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-107/2839294-1-eng-US/f0030-102.jpg" title="f0030-10" width="594" height="233"></div> &#9632;

f0030-01

Hot Goaler Inspiration For Lowly Devils; Injuries Taking Toll On Greensboro Gens

<div class="byline">BY JOHN GUGGER</div>TOLEDO&mdash;When it came to talking about the slow start of the Toledo Hornets, player-coach Bill Needham wasn&rsquo;t saying much.In fact, if you asked Needham about the Hornets just after Thanks giving, the coach wasn&rsquo;t talking. Not that he wouldn&rsquo;t, but he couldn&rsquo;t.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0186/2839353-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="276" height="486"><figcaption class="caption-body">Moe L&rsquo;Abbe</figcaption></div>Needham underwent an operation for a jaw injury suffered in the season-opener in Port Huron and temporarily turned the team over to defenseman John Gravel. Since taking a puck in the jaw in mid-October, Needham hadn&rsquo;t been able to open his mouth wider than to slip a piece of toast in.Needham went into hospital for repairs in the midst of a four-game losing streak that dropped Toledo to its low mark of the season, five games under the .500 mark. After opening the season with three straight victories, the Hornets had won just five of their next 18 games.Injuries had cut deeply into Toledo&rsquo;s North Division hopes.Needham was weakened by not being able to eat properly, Dino Mascotto was out with a broken right hand, Bill Staub and Gary Braun missed games with separated shoulders, Ken Gratton was out with stomach trouble, and the whole team spent the first month fighting off the flu bug.But it was a porous defense more than anything that was traced to the Hornets&rsquo; early difficulties. The Hornets had allowed 111 goals in 21 games, the most in the league.Toledo was surrendering more than five goals a game and goalie Rick Duffett was under an almost continual bombardment of shots every time out.&ldquo;I hope when we get everyone healthy we&rsquo;ll pull ourselves together,&rdquo; owner Paul Bright said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s more talent on this club than the record shows.&rdquo;Toledo was getting good offensive production from veterans Willie Marshall, Greg Jablonski, Gratton, Geoff Powis, aggressive Howie Heggedal and newcomer Gerry DeMarco. The Hornets had upped their production of last season.One of the team&rsquo;s problems was winning on home ice, where the Hornets were playing to crowds of less than 2,000. Toledo had a losing record&mdash;5-6&mdash;for its first 11 home games.&ldquo;Toledo doesn&rsquo;t get as much out of a home game as some clubs,&rdquo; Flint coach Ken Hodge said. &ldquo;The fans are few in number and they don&rsquo;t lift the club like ours do.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t have to get my players up at home. The fans do that for me.&rdquo;FLINT: Generals have one of the hottest scorers in the IHL at the moment in Moe L&rsquo;Abbe, who was assigned here by Portland Buckaroos recently. L&rsquo;Abbe had 18 points, 12 goals and six assists, in 11 games. Seven of his goals have been at home. He scored twice in each game as Gens beat Fort Wayne 3-2 and 2-1&hellip;Tom Serviss led team in road scoring with 11 points in 11 games&hellip;.Jimmy Booth played first game of season after being out with injury&hellip;Coach Ken Hodge fined $200 by Commissioner Bill Beagan for permitting his players to leave bench in brawl with Muskegon&hellip;Gens has 30th consecutive sellout of more than 4,000&hellip;FORT WAYNE: Rusty Paten-aude had hat trick against Columbus&hellip;K&rsquo;s turned in back-to-back 7-2 victories against hapless Seals&hellip;Komets went over .500 mark for first time, but slipped back under with two losses to Flint&hellip;Coach Marc Boileau upset over Bernie MacNeil&rsquo;s excess weight&hellip;Mike Jakubo sent to Columbus on loan&hellip;Defensive yield improved with opponents scoring nine times in last four games&hellip;Newest Komet is veteran Tommy McVie, who was signed as a free agent after his release last week by Seattle of the WHL. He is 36 and a right winger who spent 14 years in pro hockey.COLUMBUS: Jim Collins added immediate scoring punch on right wing&hellip;Jim Bartlett, feeling he couldn&rsquo;t help decided to retire&hellip;Defenseman Tom Reilly acquired from Seattle&hellip;Ken Oliphant and Tom Anderson placed on waivers&hellip;Dan Helm and Glenn Patrick out with broken bones&hellip;Chance for second victory in 21 games evaporated when Port Huron took 3-2 overtime victory here&hellip;GM Chuck Catto turned down 3-for-l trade involving Wayne King&hellip;MUSKEGON: Goalie Glenn Resch registered first IHL shutout, then was victimized for six goals in next start&hellip;Hawks suffered worst defeat of season, 8-2, at Dayton&hellip;Flint scored powerplay goals 43 seconds apart to edge Hawks&hellip;Best crowd of season, 3,414 on Thanksgiving, saw Hawks blow 5-1 lead and lose to DesMoines&hellip;Ed Sidebottom and Al Globensky sidelined with injuries&hellip;Gary Ford continued to lead scoring with 30 points, just seven of which were goals&hellip;DES MOINES: Leafs rallied from 5-1 deficit to take second victory in four years in Muskegon&hellip;Flint&rsquo;s Bob Perani made 53 saves to step club, 3-2, in Michigan city&hellip;Ex-Leaf Ivan Prediger playing for Waterloo of United States League&hellip;Former Leaf Gaye Cooley, now at Charlotte, was married to Debbie Belisle, daughter of another former Oak Leaf&hellip;Jean Losier had scored in 15 of last 16 games&hellip;Nellie Leclair hasn&rsquo;t drawn a penalty in 56 consecutive games&hellip;PORT HURON: Wings had goals-against average of around 2.65 in 10-2-1 streak that moved then into North Division lead&hellip;Scoring leader Marty Reynolds scored at least one point in 20 of 23 games&hellip;Largest crowd of season, 2,712 on Thanksgiving Night, saw 6-3 pasting of rival Flint&hellip;George Hulme made 45 saves in 3-2 win at Dayton that snapped Gems&rsquo; nine-game home unbeaten streak&hellip;Bob Brinkworth had 15-game scoring streak&hellip;DAYTON: Dave Forbes and Ken Tarnow signed pro contracts with Oklahoma City&hellip;Gems won 8 of 11 one-goal decisions&hellip;Gerry Mazur and Jack Borotsik scored hat tricks in 8-2 rout of Muskegon&hellip;Gems, South Division leaders, and Port Huron, best in North, split first six games&hellip;Gordie Malinoski sidelined by sprained ankle&hellip;Gems have lost five of 22 games, only twice by more than one goal&hellip;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0262/2839346-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="550" height="886"><figcaption class="caption-body">RUSTY PATENAUDE&hellip;Fires Hat Trick</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0031-01

Hobbled Hornets Lose Sting; L’Abbe Hot Scorer For Flint

<h2>INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE</h2>(Standings on Wed. Dec. 8)<h3>NORTHERN DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0347/2839398-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="587" height="139"></div><h3>SOUTHERN DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0434/2839391-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="590" height="227"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3>Tues. Nov 30Muskegon 3 at Port Huron 9Wed. Dec. 1Port Huron 2 at Fort Wayne 5Flint 3 at Des Moines 6Dayton 3 at Des Moines 6Fri. Dec. 3Fort Wayne 10 at Toledo 1Columbus 1 at Flint 5Port Huron 4 at Des Moines 5Sat. Dec. 4Columbus 3 at Fort Wayne 8Flint 2 at Muskegon 5Toledo 4 at Dayton 10Port Huron 2 at Des Moines 3Sun. Dec. 5Muskegon 10 at Toledo 4Dayton 3 at Columbus 1Fort Wayne 4 at Flint 4<h3>GAMES TO COME</h3>Wed. Dec 8Port Huron at Fort WayneDes Moines at DaytonMuskegon at ColumbusFri. Dec 10Dayton at MuskegonFort Wayne at Port HuronDes Moines at ToledoSat. Dec 11Dayton at Fort WayneColumbus at Port HuronFlint at ToledoMuskegon at Des MoinesSun. Dec 12Toledo at FlintFort Wayne at DaytonPort Huron at ColumbusMuskegon at Des MoinesWed. Dec 15Columbus at DaytonToledo at Des MoinesFri. Dec 17Des Moines at ColumbusDayton at FlintMuskegon at ToledoFort Wayne at Port Huron<h3>LEADING SCORERS</h3>(Including Games of Sun. Nov. 28)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0527/2839384-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="585" height="609"></div> &#9632;

f0031-03

<div class="byline">By John Gilbert</div>Notre Dame suffered a letdown and took a 9-3 punch to the chin from Michigan Tech, but the pesky Irish came back to prove they&rsquo;re for real in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.Twenty-four hours after nine different Tech players had scored in the rout at South Bend. Ind., Notre Dame came from a 5-4 deficit to tie the game on Ian Williams&rsquo; goal with 6:05 left in the third period, then won it 6-5 when Paul Regan got his second goal of the game in a sudden-death overtime. Williams had scored twice in the Friday loss.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-01102/2839429-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="265" height="448"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bernie Gagnon</figcaption></div>The split kept Notre Dame atop the WCHA in this, their first year in it with a 4-2 mark. Tech, the defending champion, slipped to an equally surprising 1-3.The only sweep of the third weekend of WCHA play saw Colorado College dim the University of Minnesota&rsquo;s hopes with 5-2 and 5-4 decisions at Colorado Springs. The Gophers, WCHA champs two years ago and NCAA runner-up last year, are 1-5 in last place.-Junior Mike Antonovich is about their only bright spot so far, with six goals.Colorado College used native Minnesotans to key the sweep. Sophomores Steve Sertich, from Virignia, Minn., and Doug Palazzari. from Eveleth. Minn., teamed with goalie Doug Schum to stop Minnesota for new coach-Jeff Sauer. Sertich had three goals and two assists and Palazzari three goals and three assists for the two games.North Dakota nearly had a sweep from Wisconsin at Grand Forks, N.D., as Dennis Johnson scored a power play goal for a 2-1 victory in the first game but was an instant too late the second night. Richard Wilson had scored twice for the Sioux but-Jim Young got three last-period goals to put Wisconsin ahead 3-2.-Johnson scored just as the clock clicked to its final second but the referees ruled no goal, precluding an overtime.North Dakota outshot Wisonsin 42-28 in that second game but Wisconsin&rsquo;s record went to 3-1 and Dakota&rsquo;s to 3-3 with the split.Michigan and Michigan State continued their close rivalry in its usual topsy-turvy manner. In the first game, at Michigan State&rsquo;s East Lansing rink, Michigan won a 5-1 victory on goals from Bernie Gagnon, Randy Neal, and three other Wolverines.The next night the teams shifted to Michigan&rsquo;s Ann Arbor home, where the home-ice advantage again was nullified, with Michigan State posting a 4-2 victory. Michel Chaurest scored twice and Don Thompson and Don St. Jean once each for the Spartans, while Gagnon and Neal tallied the Michigan goals.Denver and the University of Minnesota-Duluth played non-conference competition, with Denver posting two stunning upsets over the United States Olympic team, 5-2 and 6-4. The Olympics had been unbeaten against college teams, although tied 4-4 by Boston University.Minnesota-Duluth hosted its own Thanksgiving Tournament, but Lake Superior State University, of Sault Ste. Marie, won the three-day event by tying UMD 3-3 in the final game. UMD had been upset by Boston College, while Manitoba University beat BC 5-2. In the second round, Lake Superior hammered Boston College 9-2 and UMD beat Manitoba 6-2. &#9632;

f0032-01

WESTERN WAY

<div class="byline">BY JOHN GILBERT</div>DENVER&mdash;If Denver University didn&rsquo;t become the odds-on favorite in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association after its sweep of two opening games at Michigan Tech, then the Pioneers convinced the last of the skeptics with twin victories over the United States Olympic team.Having lost only one regular from last year&rsquo;s youthful team which made it to the NCAA tournament, Denver showed balance, power and class in stunning an Olympic club which had high hopes of sailing undefeated through all its collegiate competition.But the rugged conditioning program of U.S. coach Murray Williamson, which involved rigorous traveling the week leading up to the Denver series, took its toll and helped set up the Denver 5-2 and 6-4 triumphs.&ldquo;We had traveled over 9,000 miles in the week just before the games at Denver,&rdquo; said Williamson. &ldquo;But take nothing away from Denver. We were tired, but they have a very strong team.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0258/2839460-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="568" height="588"><figcaption class="caption-body">MURRAY ARMSTRONG&hellip;His Team Strong</figcaption></div>Denver, coached by Murray Armstrong, right now must be considered the No. 1 college team in North America. They showed little respect for the American Nationals&rsquo; record. The losses had come against pro clubs, with one of the ties a 4-4 match with Boston University&rsquo;s defending national champions. In that tie, however, the U.S. held a 45-20 shot advantage. Victories for the U.S. included decisions over teams like Kansas City, Cleveland and several other professional teams.Tom Peluso, a Denver sophomore from Minnesota, scored twice, as did Ed Hays in the 5-2 first game. Mike Lampman scored three and Vic Venasky two in the 6-4 second game, although much of the credit in that one must go to goalie Ron Grahame.&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t remember ever seeing a goalie play better against us.&rdquo; Williamson claimed, after Grahame had made 20 of his 44 second-game saves in the third period.The U.S. team, slimmed by a couple of nagging injuries, got goals from Henry Boucha and Robbie Ftorek in the first game, and from Tim Sheehy, Ftorek and a pair by Stu Irving in the second &#9632;

f0032-02

Denver Looms As No. 1 After Rocking Nationals

<div class="byline">By Tom Burke</div>It wasn&rsquo;t too long ago that Ralph Romano, athletic director at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, had his troubles lining up a balanced field for his school&rsquo;s annual Christmas City of the North Tournament. But those days are gone now, as is evident from the results of the third annual round robin over the past Thanksgiving weekend at the Duluth Arena.UMD, defending tourney champion, was the WCHA representative. From the East came Boston College, Western Canada sent the University of Manitoba, and from Sault St. Marie, Michigan, emerged Lake Superior State College, the eventual tourney winner which was added to the field late when the U.S. Olympic team had to defect.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0329/2839491-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="264" height="442"><figcaption class="caption-body">Andy Bakogeorge</figcaption></div>The relatively equal shows of hockey strength from these four teams of different leagues and regions proves the value of ecumenical get-togethers such as the Christmas City of the North Tournament, and serves to underline some significant points about the rapidly changing world of college hockey.First, for the record, BC defeated UMD 4-3 in the opening night of play while LSSC was downing Manitoba 8-2. Superior followed up the next night with an impressive 9-2 win over BC, and UMD bounced Manitoba 6-2. Then the final night Superior stormed back from a 3-0 deficit behind the brilliant goaltending of John Muio to tie UMD 3-3 and win the tournament. Manitoba meanwhile had rebounded to set back BC 4-2.So what does it all mean, looking behind numbers and stats? For one thing, the parity of East and West, that is, the ECAC and WCHA, is again underlined. Three of the last five NCAA titles have gone to Eastern teams. Meetings of teams from the two leagues, both in tournaments and during the regular season, are becoming more frequent. For this new affinity we can thank the WCHA for adopting more stringent rules regarding uniform numbers of scholarships annually allowed to its members, and the so called &ldquo;19-year-old rule&rdquo; which limits the age of prospective recruits. The NCAA-passed Tier One Junior A eligibility rule, adopted last season, should help out in bringing the East and West even closer to parity as time passes.&ldquo;We used to worry about Eastern teams being able to compete with the WCHA teams in this tournament,&rdquo; Romano relates. &ldquo;But now we&rsquo;re sure of having at least one in the field every year.&rdquo;Another more important point for the overall college picture is the fine performance of the two teeams which because of conference affiliation, are ineligible for NCAA playoff competition at the present time. Both Lake Superior and Manitoba proved themselves capable of playing against anything the ECAC or WCHA has to offer.Superior, now in its sixth year of varsity hockey under 31-year-old coach Ron Mason, is one of the two heavies in the four team International College Hockey Association, the other being Bemidji State from Minnesota. Both adjusted their eligibility standards and joined the NCAA a year ago. But neither has been admitted to the WCHA, so for the time being they&rsquo;ll just have to bide their time and field good hockey teams without membership in a &ldquo;Name&rdquo; conference.Which brings up the problem of the Central College Hockey Association, a four team loop comprised of St. Louis U., Ohio U., Ohio State, and Bowling Green. With the exception of State, all teams in the league play several games apiece with sextets from both the ECAC and WCHA. They too have shown a quality of hockey comparable to that of the two major college leagues at the present time, and can&rsquo;t be ignored too long.Seems like all signs point toward a revamping of the national college hockey playoff scene. In just a few years, regional playoff series will be set up, much like the present format in college basketball. Right now, one could conceivably set up divisions in the East, Central, and West sectors of the U.S. This is indeed expansion as it should be, since all the new teams entering the picture have to prove their strength before being allowed to join, unlike the inflationary, on paper expansion methods of the NHL. The several schools named here seem to have arrived; the only possible problem concerns their recruiting and scholarship standards.But that can be obviated by setting up universal norms for interested schools to follow.And, while we&rsquo;re at it, why not consider the Canadian colleges as a fourth region? As Manitoba coach Andy Bakogeorge said in Duluth, &ldquo;We like to come to these tournaments because the competition is equal to most of the teams on our schedule.&rdquo;Again, rules and standards of admission would have to be adjusted. But these two worlds are not all that far apart, as the sport of college hockey grows up. north and south of the border. &#9632;

f0032-03

DOWN EAST

<h2>ECAC CONFERENCE</h2>Division I(Standings on Mon. Nov. 29)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0186/2839557-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="584" height="461"></div><h2>GAMES COMPLETED</h2>Clarkson 6 Sir George Williams 1Boston University 4, U.S. Nationals 4Providence 6, Merrimack 2U.S. Nationals 6, Dartmouth 4Boston College 4. Minnesota-Duluth 3Clarkson 9, Colgate 3St. Lawrence 7, Vermont 5Colgate 3, St. Lawrence 2Clarkson 6, Vermont 2Lake Superior State 9, Boston College 2RPI 4, Bowling Green 1Providence 6, Pennsylvania 3Boston University 6, Yale 3St. Lawrence 3, Clarkson 2Vermont 7, Cogate 2Manitoba 4, Boston College 2RPI 6, Bowling Green 4Cornell 11, Laurentian 2Brown 6, St. Louis 5St. Louis 5, Brown 3<h2>WCHA CONFERENCE</h2>(Standings on Mon. Nov. 29)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0259/2839550-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="598" height="337"></div><h2>GAMES COMPLETED</h2>North Dakota 2, Wisconsin 1Wisconsin 3, North Dakota 2Michigan Tech 9, Notre Dame 3Notre Dame 6, Michigan Tech 5Michigan 5, Michigan State 1Michigan State 4, Michigan 2Colorado College 5, Minnesota 2Colorado College 5, Minnesota 4Denver 5, U.S. Nationals 2Denver 6, U.S. Nationals 4Minn-Duluth 6, Manitoba 2Minn-Duluth 3, Lake Superior State 3<h2>ATLANTIC CONFERENCE</h2>(Standings on Mon. Nov. 29)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0338/2839543-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="602" height="291"></div><h3>LEADING SCORERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0426/2839536-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="597" height="244"></div><h3>EASTERN DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0522/2839529-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="585" height="203"></div><h3>WESTERN DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0616/2839522-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="592" height="239"></div><h2>GAMES COMPLETED</h2>Laurentian 6, Ottawa 3Laurentian 13, Carleton 2Queen&rsquo;s 8, Ryerson 2York 7, McMaster 2Queen&rsquo;s 9 Waterloo 4Laurentian 9, Ryerson 0Guelph 2, Western 1Western 4, McMoster 2Lutheran 6, Ryerson 3Guelph 7, Brock 2Toronto 9, Ottawa 2York 9, Carleton 2Laurentian 7, Queen&rsquo;s 5Ottawa 5, Guelph 4Ryerson 5, Carleton 4Windsor 7, Lutheran 2Ottawa 7. Queen&rsquo;s 4Toronto 10, Ryerson ILutheran 4, Waterloo 4 York 5, Guelph 2Waterloo 4. Ryerson 2Western 15, Brock ILutheran 6, Queen&rsquo;s 5Guelph 4, Windsor IYork 6, Carleton 4McMaster 7, Western 4York 9, Ottowa 8Broock 5, Ryerson 4Lutheran 3, Guelph 3Toronto 2. York 2 &#9632;

f0033-01

COLLEGE RACES

<div class="byline">BY TOM BURKE</div>BOSTON&mdash;The final week in November saw the five games played which will count toward the ECAC Division One standings, as the remainder of the loop readied to go full tilt into the schedule the following week.Up in the North Country Thanksgiving Tournament, St. Lawrence&rsquo;s young Larries made the debut of Bernie McKinnon at the coaching reins an auspicious one. SLU parlayed two breakaways and a power play goal into a 3-2 squeaker over arch-foe and defending champ Clarkson to take the three day round robin. The Golden Knight&rsquo;s high scoring wing Jerry Kemp missed a penalty shot during that game in the Larries&rsquo; Appleton Arena.Clarkson trounced Colgate 9-3 in the tourney&rsquo;s opening round while SLU downed Vermont 7-5. The next night it was Clarkson again, 6-2 over Vermont as Ron Ryan&rsquo;s Red Raiders slipped by St. Lawrence 3-2.Providence fans quickly forgot departed Rich Pumple in the Friars&rsquo; home opener with Penn. Gary Williamson and co-captain Tony Bosco notched two goals each in PC&rsquo;s 6-3 triumph.Boston University opened its new rink with a 6-3 win over Yale before 2,511, peppering the Elis&rsquo; sophomore goalie Steve Felnow with 52 shots. Six different players scored for the Terriers, who spotted Dick Gagliardi&rsquo;s sophomore-dominated team a pair of goals before they got rolling.Boston College kicked off Snooks&rsquo; Kelley&rsquo;s final season on a winning note, dumping Minnesota-Duluth 4-3 in the opening round of the UMD-hosted Christmas City of the North Tournament. Soph John Monahan netted a pair of goals in the win, but the Eagles dropped the next two, 9-2 to eventual tourney winner Lake Superior State and 4-2 to Manitoba.Junior wing Dana Johnson scored the hat trick in Dartmouth&rsquo;s 6-4 loss to the U.S. Olympic team in Hanover. The Indians hopped out to a 4-1 lead before faltering in the third period. The Olympics had tied BU 4-4 the previous night at Boston Garden before some 10,000 fans. &#9632;

Larries, Knights, Friars Join BU In Opening College Wins

SUDBURY&mdash;Before they ran into an unexpected eligibility ruling, the Laurentian Voyageurs looked like the best college hockey team in the Ontario Universities Athletic Association Conference. They still may be.The Voyageurs saw their impressive opening 4-0 record washed down the drain when the OUAA ruled they used an ineligible player in all four games and would have to forfeit the decision to their rivals.The player in question was Rick Morris, a former professional with Dallas Hawks of the Central League in 1968-69 and 1969-70. He sat out last season with the idea of being eligible to play with the Voyageurs this year. During his off season, Morris was a student at Laurentian.In a ruling that involved the participation of players with professional experience, Morris would have been ineligible for competition in the OUAA this season. In the rules of the association in which the Voyageurs played last season (the OIAA) Morris would have been eligible this season. In an emergency meeting of the OUAA Board of Governors, the OUAA gave permission for Morris to play as of that date. Since Morris had played while ineligible, the Voyageurs lost their first four games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0713/2839612-1-eng-US/f0033-072.jpg" title="f0033-07" width="516" height="736"><figcaption class="caption-body">RICK MORRIS&hellip;Given Green Light</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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December 17, 1971

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Wings Shuffle Hicke Off To Strengthen Tidewater

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