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.

July 1, 1975

The Hockey News July 1, 1975

<h2>REGULAR SEASON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-01194/3285844-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="947" height="7050"></div><h2>GOALTENDER&rsquo;S RECORDS FOR ALL CHL TEAMS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02143/3285837-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="887" height="794"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0026-01

IN THIS ISSUE

Central Hockey League Final Statistics

<div class="byline">BY HANS TANNER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0024-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-01229/3285521-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>Calder Cup Champs&mdash;Springfield Indians</b></p><p><b>The 1974-75 hockey season was a big year for &ldquo;Cinderella&rsquo; hockey teams and the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League qualified by coming from a fourth-place finish to win the Calder Cup playoff championship. Here are the new AHL champions, front row, from the left, RICH CHARRON, PAUL SHAKES, JIM PETERS, RON STEWART, coach, MARK HEASLIP, TIM JACOBS and STEVE REXE. Middle row, EDDIE TYBURSKI, asst, trainer, DALE LEWIS, DENNIS ABGRALL, MURRAY FLEGEL, ERNIE MOSER, PETE HA-RASYM, JIM WEATHERSPOON, ROGER LEMELIN and RALPH CALVANESE, trainer. Back row, JIM SLATTERY, publicist, KEN MURRAY, BARRY CUMMINS, PHIL HOENE, BOB POFFENROTH, JIM NICHOLS, TOM CASSIDY, LORNE STAMLER, and HARVEY STEWART.</b></p></figcaption></div><p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER</p><p>HOCKEY STICKS</p><p>Made in Canada by</p><p>HILLERICH 8i BRADSBY. LTD</p><p><b>Arnold Street. Wallaceburg. Ontario</b></p><p>Sold in U. S. and Canada</p><p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER</p><p>HOCKEY STICKS</p><p>Made in Canada by</p><p>HILLERICH&BRADSBY. LTD</p><p><b>Arnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario</b></p><p>Sold in U. S. and Canada</p><p>SPRINGFIELD&mdash;</p><p>The American Hockey League appears certain to start with the same nine teams it finished the 1974-75 campaign with.</p><p>Virginia Wings have acquired new ownership under Reid Ewrin as well as choice dates in the Scope to assure the team of being among the AHL&rsquo;s nine starters for &lsquo;75-76. Syracuse Eagles have been strangely quiet in the offseason and while their plans are still unsettled, the AHL expects they&rsquo;ll be back on the firing line next season. Officials are going ahead with a new schedule for a nine-team system.</p><p>All through the 1974-75 American Hockey League season, the Northern Division was much the stronger. The five Northern clubs lost only 37 of 17-014 inter-division games with the South, winning 86 and tying 21.</p><p>The superiority of the Northern Division teams was given further backing when the results of the AHL All. Star and award voting were announced.</p><p>All 10 of the players on the two All Star teams were from Northern teams.</p><p>The first three and 13 of the 15 players who earned votes for the most valuable player were from the North.</p><p>The top six point-getters and 12 of the 15 named for the outstanding defenseman award were from the North.</p><p>And in the balloting for the No. 1 rookie, the first five finishers and eight of the 13 mentioned were from the North.</p><p>Oddly, Calder Cup playoff champion Springfield was the only Northern club shut out in the All Star voting.</p><p>Division champion Providence placed three players on the first team&mdash;defenseman Joe Zanussi, right wing Pierre Laganiere and left wing Jerry Holland. Nova Scotia had a pair&mdash;goalie Ed Walsh and defenseman Rick Chartraw. while Rochester center Doug Gibson was the other pick.</p><p>On the second team. Rochester placed goalie Dave Reece and defenseman Rick Pagnutti. New Haven had defenseman Billy Plager and left wing Alain Langlais, Nova Scotia had center Peter Sullivan and Providence placed right wing Hartland Monahan.</p><p>As expected. Gibson won the most valuable player award, giving Rochester the winner of that honor two straight years, Zanussi was a unanimous choice as outstanding defenseman and Holland was the top rookie.</p><p>While the AHL used to be led by veteran players, the 1974-75 All Star first team shows the way the league is changing.</p><p>The six players have a total of 12 years professional experience as Walsh. Holland and Chartraw were all rookies. Average age of the first team was only 22.</p><p>In the voting, done by the league&rsquo;s players and media representatives (the Syracuse players did not turn in&rsquo; a ballot), Walsh finished with 62 points to 37 for Reece.</p><p>Zanussi had the maximum 75 points on defense, followed by Chartraw with 62. Plager with 17 and Pagnutti with 16. Pagnutti also was a second-team choice two years ago.</p><p>At center, Gibson pulled 63 points to 53 for Sullivan. On the left side, it was Holland with 69 points and Langlais with 42, while on right wing, it was Laganiere with 52 points and Monahan with 34.</p><p>Two ballots, one from the players and one from the media, were supposed to be turned in by each city. with voting for their own players banned. Points were given on a 5-3-1 basis.</p><p>Sixty-one players received points. 44 of them from Northern Division teams</p><p>Breaking it down by position, the North had five of the eight goaltenders mentioned. 15 of the 20 defensemen. seven of the l0 centers. 11 of the 17-01 right wings and six of the nine left wings.</p><p>Rochester and Nova Scotia each had 11 players who received points. Providence had nine, Springfield seven and New Haven six.</p><p>Gibson, who scored 116 points for the Amerks on 44 goals and 72 assists, collected 47 points in the voting for MVP. Zanussi was runnerup with 35, followed by Sullivan with 19 and Hershey&rsquo;s Billy Inglis with 17. Gibson is the fifth Rochester player to win the honor&mdash;Rudy Migay and Billy Hicke sharing it in 1958-59. Dick Gamble winning in 1965-66 and Art Stratton last year.</p><p>Zanussi had little competition for the defenseman award. Chartraw finished with 33 points, far behind Zanussi&rsquo;s maximum 75. Harry Shaw of Rochester was third with only nine points, followed by Paul Shakes of Springfield with seven and Pagnutti with six.</p><p>Zanussi was only the second Providence player to be picked as the best defenseman. Larry Hillman was a member of the Reds when he won it in 1958-59.</p><p>Holland&rsquo;s easy triumph in the rookie voting made it two years in a row the Reds had the top first-year player. Rick Middleton won the award last year. Other Providence winners were Bruce Cline in 1955-56. Bill Sweeney in 1957-58 and Stan Baluik in 1959-60.</p><p>Holland finished with 69 points in the voting. Walsh was second with 30 points, followed by Chartraw with 26.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0024-01

AHL Ready To Go With Same Nine-Team Format

<div class="byline">Ken McKenzie&#x2019;s</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-01869/3283574-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="457" height="451"></div><p>&bull; <b>HOCKEY DELEGATES</b> went away from the summer meetings feeling a little bitter that the NHL didn&rsquo;t resolve its many problems and create a little more news for the visiting media, but solving the seemingly endless troubles besetting the league, can&rsquo;t be done over-night. NHL, president Clarence Campbell was kept hopping with so many queries to so many problems. He did predict California would make it to the starting line next fall but wasn&rsquo;t quite as optimistic about Pittsburgh. The NHL didn&rsquo;t finalize its format for the Russian tour of NHL American cities next December and January either. Litigation is running rampant and the uncertainty of how many teams has delayed the completion of the schedule&hellip;CHL president Max McNab elated the NHL will again subsidize his league, which has been again reduced to six teams. Omaha Knights, a longtime minor hockey name, have disappeared from the scene. McNab was personally pleased by the drafting of his goaler son, Dave, by the St. Louis Blues from Wisconsin University. The rookie is 6&rsquo;7&rdquo; and Max quipped. &ldquo;I hope he&rsquo;s stopped growing.&rdquo; The youngster could be the biggest player in pro hockey&hellip;It was disappointing for young Greg Neeld not to be accepted by the NHL. The loss of his eye during a junior hockey game put his big league career in jeopardy as far as the NHL was concerned. They voted 13-3, with two abstentions, against rescinding a stern league bylaw banning players with less than 25 percent vision in one eye. The youngster made a very impressive presentation to the NHL during the Montreal meetings.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-02825/3283567-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="278" height="523"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Max McNab</b></figcaption></div><p>&bull; <b>ST. LOUIS BLUES,</b> who lost their top farm club when Denver was admitted to the WHA, have signed an agreement to share Providence of the American Hockey League with the New York Rangers, Dennis Ball, who joined the Blues in February after many years with the Rangers, helped to work out the pact&hellip;Bernie Parent donated the $1,000 he received for winning Philadelphia&rsquo;s Wanamaker Award to trainer Frank Lewis, who split it with assistant Jim McKenzie. Last year Bobby Clarke and the Flyers won the Wanamaker, which goes to the athlete and/or team bringing the most credit to the city&hellip;A crowd estimated between six and ten thousand turned out to welcome the Turner Cup champion Toledo Goaldiggers. The turnout of hockey fans to greet the International League champions caused a traffic jam in the area of the Toledo Sports Arena and some damage resulted from their celebration. One policeman was injured and four persons were arrested&hellip;Gordie Howe, apparently headed for the president&rsquo;s chair with the Houston Aeros, on contract talks with his two sons: &ldquo;When Mark and Marty come in, I intend to give them what they want in their new contracts. Then. I will resign.&rdquo;&hellip;Vladislav Tretiak, who is considered by many to be the best goaltender in the world, has been named player of the season for the second straight year by Soviet journalists&hellip;Philadelphia Flyer supporters will have to dig deeper into their pockets to see their heroes in action next season. The club has raised their season tickets by $1 but team officials admitted they could have hiked the increase even higher and still sold out every game&hellip;One of the finest NHL officials has resigned and may be headed for a desk job with the league. Art Skov.46, attributed tired legs and long travelling hours as the keys to his decision&hellip;Nice to see Glenn Hall, George Armstrong, Pierre Pilote, Ace Bailey and a long-time friend, Gordie Drillon, named to the Hall of Fame&hellip;Ailing Al Leader attended NHL meetings as disbanded WHL met to tie up loose ends before officially burying the once thriving minor league.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-03721/3283560-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="266" height="497"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Art Skov</b></figcaption></div><p>&bull; <b>PHILADELPHIA&rsquo;S DRAFTING</b> of Russian junior Victor Khatulev, a 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;. 200-pound center, was no joke. Flyer scouts saw him play in the World Junior Tournament in Winnipeg. Coach Fred Shero saw Khatulev on television and said he was the best player on the ice. Shero wrote to Alexander Greschko, Soviet director of sports, inquiring about Khatulev&rsquo;s availability&hellip;Father and son combinations don&rsquo;t always breed stability. Such was the case with the Patricks in St. Louis. Blues&rsquo; vice-president Lynn Patrick saw his son Craig traded to Kansas City along with Denis Dupere in exchange for Lynn Powis and a second-round draft choice. Another member of the Patrick family is coming along in hockey. Dean has graduated from high school in St. Louis and will be attending Colorado College in the fall. The younger Patrick, who is 6&rsquo;3&rdquo; in height, is a right winger&hellip;Atlanta Flames&rsquo; star center Tom Lysiak is facing two law suits, one for $175,000, the other in the amount of $160,000. resulting from a car accident on Feb. 17. Lysiak pleaded no contest to criminal charges in the accident and was fined $150.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-04619/3283553-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="265" height="400"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Tom Lysiak</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0004-01

PASSING THE PUCK

<div class="byline">BY JACK BERRY</div><p>DETROIT&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>A</span>fter four straight years of drafting forwards or goalkeepers first, the Detroit Red Wings took a look at their poor defensive statistics and loaded up on rearguards in the amateur draft.</p><p>The first three, including No. I pick Rick Lapointe, were defensemen and half of the 17-01 picks were defensemen with another listed as a defenseman forward.</p><p>Not since 1970. when then general manager Sid Abel selected Serge La-jeunesse. had Detroit used its first round pick to select a defenseman.</p><p>Unfortunately for the Wings, Lajeunesse didn&rsquo;t turn out as they hoped he would nor did trades improve the quality of the Detroit defense.</p><p>Now the hopes are high for Lapointe, a 6&rsquo;2&frac12;, 200-pounder who played at Victoria. British Columbia.</p><p>When Washington traded its top spot in the draft to Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia, Red Wing general manager Alex Delvecchio was afraid the Flyers would take Lapointe.</p><p>Instead, they took Lapointe&rsquo;s teammate. center Mel Bridgman.</p><p>Delvecchio is hopeful Lapointe will become a regular right from training camp.</p><p>Jerry Rollins, son of former NHL goalie Al Rollins, was Detroit&rsquo;s second round pick and he&rsquo;s a big defenseman. too&mdash;6&rsquo;3&rsquo;&rsquo;. 195 pounds.</p><p>In something of an understatement considering Rollins&rsquo; 473 penalty minutes in 62 games at Winnipeg, he was described as &ldquo;extremely aggressive.&rdquo;</p><p>Drafting and signing are two different things, of course, and both Lapointe and Rollins are represented by Toronto agent Alan Eagleson and they also were drafted by the WHA Toronto Toros.</p><p>Times have been so trying and the press so bad in Detroit that public relations director John Bell was bounced and long-time broadcaster Budd Lynch hired in his place.</p><p>Bell, also a former broadcaster, had handled the job professionally and never criticized the team or management.</p><p>Although hired when Jim Bishop&rsquo;s flag was flying high at Olympia, he did a smooth transition when Bishop faded out of the picture and Delvecchio ascended.</p><p>While Bell&rsquo;s dismissal was shocking, it certainly wasn&rsquo;t without precedent. The club has been going through PR men as fast as it&rsquo;s been going through coaches.</p><p>Lynch, 57, is well-known in hockey.</p><p>A native of Hamilton, Ont., he&rsquo;s worked Red Wing games on radio and television since 1950.</p><p>Lynch lost his right arm in World War 11 near Caen. France, while trying to save a wounded comrade. Lynch was hit by a German artillery shell.</p><p><b>RED WING NOTES:</b> After Dionne&rsquo;s walkout the need for centers became imperative and Delvecchio traded left wing Dave Kryskow (acquired during the season from Washington for defenseman Jack Lynch) to Atlanta for 34-year-old Bryan Hextail.</p><p>To nearly everyone&rsquo;s surprise, Dionne showed up for and played in the annual Gordie Howe tournament here&hellip;&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not ashamed of what 1 did and I&rsquo;m not afraid.&rdquo; Dionne said.</p><p>He hinted darkly that someone in the organization had done him wrong, failed to fulfill promises although he did get his $150.000 salary and was offered a four-year million dollar pact&hellip;but he wouldn&rsquo;t say who did it or what was done or not done.</p><p>While in Detroit to close out his bank account and take care of other personal business. Dionne and his wife stayed with the Mickey Redmonds&hellip;Redmond got a call during the Howe tournament to hustle to the hospital&mdash;his wife. Sue. gave birth to their first child a daughter.</p><p>The Wings&rsquo; other draft choices after Lapointe and Rollins were defenseman Al Cameron of New Westminster, B.C.: defenseman Mike Wirachowski of Regina; defenseman-forward Blair Davidson of Flin Flon; forward Clark Hamilton of the University of Notre Dame; center Mike Wong of Montreal; defenseman Mike Harazny of Regina and center Jean-Luc Phaneuf of Montreal.</p><p>Also picked were right wing Gary Vaughn of Medicine Hat; center Steve Carlson of the Johnstown Jets; center Jean Thibodeau of Shawinigan; defenseman Dave Hansen of Colorado College and defenseman Robin Larson of the University of Minnesota.</p><p>The Detroit drafting also showed a moving away from the drafting of great numbers of collegians with only three picked this time and two of them at the end.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Winas Dio Into Amateur Draft To Solve Defense Problems

<div class="image-hero"><img title="Cover-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cover-01570/3287079-1-eng-US/cover-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MARCEL DIONNE Carried High NHL Price Tag</b></figcaption></div><h2>KINGS PAY OUT TO LAND DIONNE</h2><p><b>ORR, CLARKE PARENT WIN BULK OF AWARDS</b></p><p><b>RANGERS SWING OVER TO YOUTH</b></p><p><b>&mdash;page 2</b></p><p><b>14</b></p><p><b>PAGES OF HOCKEY STATISTICS DRAFTS INSIDE</b></p><p><b>BAUN AMONG 3 NEW WHA COACHES</b></p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cover-02435/3287072-1-eng-US/cover-022.jpg" title="Cover-02" width="1160" height="992"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Bernie Parent, left, and Bobby Clarke walked off with the lion&rsquo;s share of the NHL post-season awards. See page 3.</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

Cover-01

NHL TO RESIST CHANGING CITIES

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0002-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-01810/3283453-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Goaler John Davidson will be kicking them out for the New York Rangers next season. He was recently traded by the St. Louis Blues. For details see page 17.</b></figcaption></div><h2>SAINTS DUMP BATTLER</h2><p>ST. PAUL&mdash;</p><p>World Hockey Association bad man Gord Gallant has been sent to the Quebec Nordiques by the Minnesota Fighting Saints in exchange for cash and a future consideration.</p><p>Gallant, who led the WHA in penalty minutes last season with 203 and also in 1973-74 with 223, has been under suspension since April 10 when he attacked Saints&rsquo; coach Harry Neale after his club&rsquo;s first playoff game.</p><h2>TOROS TO SWEDEN?</h2><p>TORONTO&mdash;</p><p>The Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association will be holding their 1975 training camp in Sweden, that is if the players go along with the proposition.</p><p>The Toros have arranged to hold their training camp September 8 to 28 in Sweden with the costs of the training period being underwritten by the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation in exchange for exhibition games there.</p><p>Bob Giroux, Toros&rsquo; vice-president, has finalized the deal after former coach Billy Harris had begun negotiations.</p><h2>MORRISON NEW COACH</h2><p>KINGSTON&mdash;</p><p>Former NHL player Jim Morrison has become the new coach of the Kingston Canadians of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League. Morrison succeeds Jack &lsquo;Red&rsquo; Bownass, who has been released from the job.</p><p>Morrison formerly coached the Baltimore Clippers in the AHL and served as interim coach of the Kitchener Rangers last year when the OHA team fired Eddie Bush. Morrison will be the second new league coach named in recent weeks. Jerry Toppazzini, also a former minor league player and Springfield coach, will guide the Sudbury Wolves of the OHA Junior series.</p><h2>DURBANO FREE AGENT</h2><p>PITTSBURGH&mdash;</p><p>Steve Durbano, who missed the entire 1974-75 NHL season with a hand injury, has informed the Pittsburgh Penguins he has filed notice to become a free agent. Durbano says the Pens didn&rsquo;t come through with 99 per cent of his final cheque for the season. He said his contract stipulated he was to receive playoff money and it hadn&rsquo;t been forthcoming.</p><p>Durbano is among nearly 100 players who have either declared themselves free agents or were released by their clubs in a move to cut down expenses and reduce farm club commitments. Other notable players who were released were Norm Ullman and Eddie Shack by Toronto and Keith McCreary by the Atlanta Flames.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0002-01

Deadline Stoppers

<div class="byline">BY NORM MacLEAN</div><p>NEW YORK&mdash;</p><p>The trade between the New York Rangers and the St. Louis Blues which brought the Rangers 22-year-old goalie John Davidson, plus the drafting of center Wayne Dillon of the Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association have been the main items in a busy off-season for general manager Emile Francis.</p><p>Davidson, the Blues&rsquo; first draft selection two years ago, played 40 games with a 3.66 goals-against average last season. He is rated one of the finest young goalers in the National Hockey League. In return for Davidson. the Rangers gave left wingers Ted Irvine, Bert Wilson and right winger Jerry Butler, all honest workers who had helped the Ranger cause. New york also got 31-year-old forward and utility man Billy Collins.</p><p>&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t get a goalie of the calibre of a Davidson very often.&rdquo; said Francis. &ldquo;Only the Blues signing of their 1975 number one choice Ed Staniowski made the deal possible. Irvine. Wilson and Butler will help the Blues. Collins and forward Dale Lewis, whom we drafted from Springfield in the AHL will help our checking.&rdquo;</p><p>With Davidson, the Rangers have four goalers, including Ed Giacomin. 36. Gilles Villemure. 35 and DuncWilson 27. Francis can sit back and wait for the telephone to ring with that kind of surplus.</p><p>&ldquo;We have until October 8 to make a trade,&rdquo; said the Cat. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I have any problem.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;Davidson was the top junior goalie available two years ago.&rdquo; said Dennis Ball, the Blues&rsquo; assistant to the president, who negotiated the trade with Francis. &ldquo;He is an oustanding prospect.&rdquo;</p><p>The drafting of Dillon, who played the last two seasons in the WHA, and has just reached 20. has led to the Toros telling the center that he can forget the third year in his Toronto contract and join the Rangers now.</p><p>&ldquo;Dillon is one heck of a hockey player.&rdquo; said Lou Passador, the &lsquo;Rangers&rsquo; chief scout. &ldquo;He is big, rangy, can skate, shoot, do just about everything.&rdquo;</p><p>He did score 29 goals and 66 assists for 95 points in leading the offensive-minded Toros in scoring in 1974-75. His agent Gus Badalli indicated he had signed a seven-year $1.4 million deal with the Rangers.</p><p>The Cat also revealed he had signed Pat Hickey, a versatile left wing-right wing, whom the Rangers drafted two years ago. Hickey is also a TorontoToro, whom John Bassett, the Toros owner, has released from his contract.</p><p>With Hickey and Dillon, both young and vigorous. (Hickey is 22) signed to multi-year contracts, the Rangers have changed their image in just over a year to one of almost total youth, with just the right quantity of veterans.</p><p>And the center strength will be almost un believeable. In addition to Dillon, New York would boast Jean Ratelle, 34, on the last year of his $175,000 deal. Walter Tkaczuk, Pete Stemkowski and Derek Sanderson. Most likely Stemmer would go in a trade during the summer. Also on hand is Bob MacMillan, who played mostly with Providence last year, but helped in a coupel of emergencies with the Rangers.</p><p>&ldquo;Dillon has the ability of a Jean Ratelle,&rdquo; said Francis of the 6&rsquo;, 180-pound youth.</p><p>Trade-winds-might bring a defense man to New York. Brad Park and Ron Greschner are known quantities, with Gilles Marotte and Ron Harris also available. Injuries hurt the Rangers rearguards last year, especially the pair to Dale Rolfe, which left the 35-year-old off the protected list with no takers.</p><p>As chronicled in THE HOCKEY NEWS in March Francis had been eyeing Dillon, Hickey and defenseman Jim Dorey since last season.</p><p>&ldquo;We own the NHL rights to Jim Dorey and would like to find him and sign him when his contract expires.&rdquo; said the Cat.</p><p>In the remainder of the draft, the Rangers showed their interest in getting youth in goal, when both their second and fourth picks were netminders. Edmonton&rdquo;s (WCHL) Doug Soetaert, a big 6 1&rdquo; puck blocker, was the number two selection.</p><p>&ldquo;He has very quick hands.&rdquo; said Passador. &ldquo;Doug has a future.&rdquo;</p><p>Pick number four was St. Catharines (OHA) Bill Cheripota, a 5&rsquo;1&rdquo;. 185 pounder.</p><p><b>BLUE CHIPS:</b> Rod Gilbert has compromised with the Rangers about the length of his contract and will accept three years at $200,000 per year. However, he still wants a no cut, no trade arrangement and hadn&rsquo;t signed at press time. The betting is he will remain a Ranger&hellip;Left wing Jerry Holland was named the rookie of the year in the AHL and Joe Zanussi, the winner of the Eddie Shore Trophy as the best defenseman&hellip;led Irvine, a high class guy. was named the winner of the Charlie Conacher Award for humanitarian service. He will be missed in the Ranger dressing room</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-02747/3283422-1-eng-US/f0002-022.jpg" title="f0002-02" width="564" height="701"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>WAYNE DILLON&hellip;Freed By Toros</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0002-02

Rangers Quickly Turn It Around Grabbing Davidson, Dillon, Hickey

<div class="byline">BY CHARLIE HALPIN</div><p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he National Hockey League is proceeding on the theory that time will heal their inner problems as far as the roubled Pittsburgh Penguins and Caliornia Golden Seals are concerned.</p><p>NHL president Clarence Campbell said he was optimistic that both situations would individually sort themselves out enabling the league to move ahead with the same 18-team cast that made up the NHL at the termination of the 1974-75 season. Campbel) is aware of the fact the N. H. L. must have its team makeup declared by mid-August in order to escalate the completion and approval of the 1975-76 schedule among other things.</p><p>Both the California and Pittsburgh picture appeared bleak when the teams descended on Montreal for the annual summer hockey meetings but the four-day gathering closed with NHL governors much more hopeful that they would ultimately resolve both team&rsquo;s problems and keep them in the league for next season.</p><p>The California problem appears to be the easiest to terminate. Mel Swig, the San Francisco businessman-hotel owner, is reportedly finally making progress towards purchasing the club and ultimately moving the Seals into a new sports arena complex in San Francisco.</p><p>Solution to the Pittsburgh problem is a thorny one and only a rash of fresh new capital appears to be the only way of bringing the Penguins out of the financial doldrums they have been plunged into in the past few years. The bankrupt Penguins have incurred approximately $6.5 million in debts from back taxes, loans from the NHL to supplement their payroll, and liens against the club from banks holding loans that have kept the Pens in business in recent years.</p><p>Campbell left the door open in the event either or both clubs failed to find a solution to their troubles. &ldquo;We could be forced to go with 17 teams,&rdquo; he commented but added he wouldn&rsquo;t bet on the NHL becoming a 16-team league.</p><p>Campbell said the club or the NHL has to find a purchaser for the franchise or disolve it. The NHL has already poured $1 million into the club to keep it going and Campbell said the league would probably have to write it off.</p><p>The NHL chief executive, who has headed the league since 1946 and admits to be being weary of the job, would like to have both problems cleaned up before he starts a new term in office. NHL governors elected him for another term during the meetings.</p><p>But Campbell said the NHL would go slow on naming new people to direct the California and Pittsburgh clubs. He said the NHL was in trouble in both cities because it didn&rsquo;t take the time to establish the right owners when the league originally expanded in 1967.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-01815/3283491-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg" title="f0003-01" width="548" height="615"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MEL SWIG&hellip;Wants Seals</b></figcaption></div><p>Pittsburgh general manager Jack Button has been appointed receiver of the bankrupt Penguins, who have had their offices padlocked by a federal decree following seizure of the club&rsquo;s assets by the Internal Revenue Service for payment of back taxes, an arrangement was made with the court whereby the team will not have to sell off all its assets until it has a chance to work out a solution. The Pens must fire a list of assets and liabilities with the court by July 31 and a plan of action by Sept. 30.</p><p>There is speculation that the people who bankroll the Penguins&rsquo; home rink, the civic Arena, may ultimately step into the picture and bail out the hockey club, the situation is grave in the city and Pittsburghers are concerned the team will fold which has spurred new interest in the Penguins.</p><p>Owner Tad Potter has been trying unsuccessfully to line up new financing for the club and reported to the NHL governors that he had just about exhausted any means of financial assistance when the summer meetings terminated. With all their inner financial problems, the NHL owners still managed to look on the bright side at the upcoming Russia-NHL hockey exhibition series that will be played entirely in American cities during late December and early January. An eight-game series with eight different NHL clubs playing two touring Russian national teams is all but approved.</p><p>The Soviets have been attempting to add more players than the NHL would want on their touring teams and this point is being negotiated at the moment. The NHL has permitted each team six additions to help the Russians get ready for the 1976 Winter Olympics.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-02689/3283484-1-eng-US/f0003-022.jpg" title="f0003-02" width="1797" height="1429"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Three new NHL coaches stopped to exchange good luck wishes at the recent summer hockey meetings. Ron Stewart, left, of the Rangers, and Ted Harris, right, of Minnesota flank new California pilot Jack Tex&rsquo; Evans. All three will be making their major league coaching debuts in 1975-76.</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0003-01

NHL Optimistic No Changes Needed, Seals, Penguins Will Start Season

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-03468/3283522-1-eng-US/f0003-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Atlanta&rsquo;s Eric Vail accepts the NHL&rsquo;s&hellip;Calder Trophy award as the league&rsquo;s outstanding rookie for the 1974-75 season. Making the presentation to Vail is his former Atlanta coach, Bernie Geoffrion.</b></figcaption></div><p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>o win back-to-back awards is quite an accomplishment in any sport. But Bobby Orr of the National Hockey League&rsquo;s Boston Bruins has put himself among the immortals of the sporting world after capturing his eighth consecutive James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league&rsquo;s premier defenseman.</p><p>The Bruin rearguard became the first player in NHL history to win an award eight times, let alone consecutively.</p><p>Orr also won the Art Ross Trophy as the 1974-75 scoring champion, marking only the second time he or any other defenseman has topped the NHL points race.</p><p>Orr collected 266 points in the Norris balloting, only four short of a unanimous vote. Denis Potvin of the New York Islanders was runnerup with 99.</p><p>The closest balloting arose in the Hart Memorial Trophy voting for the league&rsquo;s most valuable player.</p><p>Bobby Clarke, 25-year-old captain of the Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers, edged Los Angeles Kings&rsquo; brilliant netminder Rogie Vachon, I27 points to 113, to capture the coveted award.</p><p>Eric Vail of the Atlanta Flames was named the NHL&rsquo;s most outstanding rookie in 1974-75 and received the Calder Memorial Trophy for his efforts.</p><p>Vail, a 21-year-old native of Timmins, Ont. and Atlantas third choice in the 1973 amateur draft, collected 183 points in the voting while Pierre Larouche of the Pittsburgh Penguins finished second with 122.</p><p>The other award, the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, went to former Red Wing Marcel Dionne as he was judged to be the player to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct, combined with a high standard of playing ability.</p><p>Dionne, traded to Los Angeles by Detroit after the season, collected 150 points and last season&rsquo;s recipient Johnny Bucyk of Boston was runnerup with 55.</p><p>The winners each receive $1,500 from the NHL and the second place finishers $750.</p><p>Only Clarke has been able to break the domination of Orr and Phil Esposito of the Bruins in the Hart Trophy department in the past seven years.</p><p>Esposito won in 1968-69 and 1973-74 while Orr won in 1969-70 through 1971-72.</p><p>Clarke is the only player from a post-1967 team to earn the Hart Trophy.</p><p>As recipient of the Ross and Norris Trophies, Orr captured his 16th individual award in his nine NHL seasons. Besides the eight Norris Trophies, he has won the Hart three times, the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP on two occasions, the Ross twice and the Calder Trophy in his freshman season.</p><p>Orr and Bernie Parent of Philadelphia are the only players to repeat as winners from the previous season, Parent cashing in on his second Vezina Trophy in two seasons.</p><p>Dionne is the tenth Red Wing player to win the Lady Byng. This past season he led his club in points with 121, third highest in the NHL.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0003-03

Bruins’ Orr Sets Trophy Record But Clarke Captures Hart

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-01803/3283605-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Buffalo GM Punch Imlach toasts his new goaler Robert Sauve after signing the Sabres&rsquo; first NHL amateur draft pick to a multi-year contract. Sauve is a product of the Lavarteam of the Quebec Major Hockey League.</b></figcaption></div><p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Western Canada Hockey League provided the bulk of the first round and subsequent drafting of Canada&rsquo;s top junior amateur hockey players for the National Hockey League.</p><p>The WCHL provided the first seven picks for NHL clubs, who took 10 Western League players in their first 18 choices.</p><p>In all some 217 players were drafted by the pros. 55 from the WCHL, 53 from the Ontario Major Hockey League, another 28 from the Quebec Major Hockey League and surprisingly 68 from American college hockey ranks.</p><p>The NHL proceeded to sign five of their first round selections in their continuing war with the rival World Hockey Association for the rights to the best amateur players in the country. Ironically, one of the NHL&rsquo;s first round choices was Wayne Dillon of the Toronto Toros, who was released from a two-year contract with the WHA club to sign with New York Rangers, who drafted him. 12th in the first round.</p><p>Other first-round players signed by NHL clubs included the overall No. I amateur draft pick in the country. Mel Bridgman of the Victoria club of the WCHL. Bridgman won the league scoring title and was obtained by the already talent rich Philadelphia Flyers after a trade with Washington for the Caps&rsquo; No. 1 first round draft choice. Atlanta Flames also signed defenseman Richard Mulhern of Sherbrooke of the QMHL while Montreal Canadiens inked Pierre Mondou from the Montreal juniors and Buffalo signed goaler Robert Sauve of Laval.</p><p>Other first round picks were signed but not disclosed at press time or were close to negotiations with the NHL teams that drafted them. Kansas City, drafting No., 2, took Barry Dean of Medicine Hat while California, chosing third, grabbed Ralph Klassen of Saskatoon.</p><p>Fourth-pick Minnesota took Barry Maxwell of Medicine Hat while Detroit drafted defenseman Rick Lapointe of Victoria, a player who had generally been conceded to be the most sought after of all the junior crop.</p><p>Toronto Leafs chose center Don Ashby of Calgary as No. 6, Chicago took Greg Vaydik of Medicine Hat seventh. Atlanta selected Mulhern eighth. Montreal drafted defenseman Robin Sadler of Edmonton ninth as their No. I pick. Vancouver took right wing Rick Blight of Brandon. New York Islanders drafted WHA malcontent Pat Price from the new Calgary Broncos as the 11 th choice hoping to lure Price back from the WHA with a better contract. Rangers took Dillon 12th in the draft before Pittsburgh selected goaler Gord Laxton of New Westminster 13th and Boston named Doug Halward of Peterborough as the 14th choice. Mondou went as the 15th pick by Montreal. Los Angeles took Tim Young of Ottawa 67s. Buffalo chose goaler Robert Sauve of Laval as the 17th pick and Washington, which gained Philadelphia&rsquo;s 18th first round draft choice in exchange for ther first, selected center Alex Forsyth of Kingston Canadians.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0005-01

NHL Draft Cleans WCHL Stars; Teams Sign Five First Picks

<h2>ATLANTA FLAMES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-02686/3283755-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="698" height="382"></div><h2>BOSTON BRUINS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03498/3283748-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="697" height="320"></div><h2>BUFFALO SABRES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-04331/3283741-1-eng-US/f0005-042.jpg" title="f0005-04" width="694" height="294"></div><h2>CALIFORNIA SEALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-05213/3283734-1-eng-US/f0005-052.jpg" title="f0005-05" width="696" height="321"></div><h2>CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-06134/3283727-1-eng-US/f0005-062.jpg" title="f0005-06" width="698" height="262"></div><h2>DETROIT RED WINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-0778/3283720-1-eng-US/f0005-072.jpg" title="f0005-07" width="694" height="403"></div><h2>KANSAS CITY SCOUTS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-0932/3283713-1-eng-US/f0005-092.jpg" title="f0005-09" width="693" height="292"></div><h2>LOS ANGELESKINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-1019/3283706-1-eng-US/f0005-102.jpg" title="f0005-10" width="697" height="462"></div><h2>MINNESOTA NORTH STARS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-1113/3283699-1-eng-US/f0005-112.jpg" title="f0005-11" width="695" height="415"></div><h2>MONTREAL CANADIENS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-1210/3283692-1-eng-US/f0005-122.jpg" title="f0005-12" width="732" height="611"></div><h2>NEW YORK ISLANDERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-138/3283685-1-eng-US/f0005-132.jpg" title="f0005-13" width="694" height="381"></div><h2>NEW YORK RANGERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-145/3283678-1-eng-US/f0005-142.jpg" title="f0005-14" width="695" height="516"></div><h2>PHILADELPHIA FLYERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-155/3283671-1-eng-US/f0005-152.jpg" title="f0005-15" width="695" height="264"></div><h2>PITTSBURGH PENGUINS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-164/3283664-1-eng-US/f0005-162.jpg" title="f0005-16" width="698" height="448"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS BLUES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-172/3283657-1-eng-US/f0005-172.jpg" title="f0005-17" width="699" height="296"></div><h2>TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-182/3283650-1-eng-US/f0005-182.jpg" title="f0005-18" width="700" height="522"></div><h2>VANCOUVER CANUCKS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-19/3283643-1-eng-US/f0005-192.jpg" title="f0005-19" width="691" height="324"></div><h2>WASHINGTON CAPITALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-20/3283636-1-eng-US/f0005-202.jpg" title="f0005-20" width="692" height="289"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0005-02

How NHL Teams Picked The Amateurs

f0005-08

Top 18 Picks By Teams

<h2>NATIONAL LEAGUE</h2><p class="dropcap"><span>D</span>ETROIT&mdash;<b>Marcel Dionne</b>, forward, and <b>Bart Crashley</b>, defenseman, traded to Los Angeles in return for <b>Terry Harper</b>, defenseman, <b>Dan Maloney</b>, forward, and Kings&rsquo; 1976 second round amateur draft choice.</p><p>TORONTO&mdash;<b>Gary Sabourin</b>, forward, traded to California in exchange for <b>Stan Weir</b>, forward. Norm Ullman and Eddie Shack, forwards, handed unconditional releases.</p><p>PHILADELPHIA&mdash;<b>Bill Clement</b>, forward, and <b>Don McLean</b>, defenseman. traded to Washington along with Flyers&rsquo; 1975 18th pick first round amateur draft choice in return for Capitals&rsquo; 1975 1st pick first round draft choice. <b>Mel Bridgman</b>, forward from Victoria and Flyers&rsquo; first round amateur draft pick, signed to pro contract.</p><p>ATLANTA&mdash;<b>Bryan Hextail</b>, forward, traded to Detroit in return for <b>Dave Kryskow</b>, forward. <b>Richard Mulhern</b>, defenseman from Sherbrooke, and Flames&rsquo; first round amateur draft pick, signed to pro contract.</p><p>N.Y. ISLANDERS&mdash;Secured NHL rights to <b>Gary Lariviere</b>, defenseman. plus future considerations from Buffalo to complete earlier deal for <b>Gerry Desjardins</b>, goalkeeper.</p><p>N.Y. RANGERS&mdash;<b>Wayne Dillon</b> and <b>Pat Hickey</b>, forwards, jumped Toronto Toros of WH A to sign NHL contracts with Rangers to play next season.</p><p>PITTSBURGH&mdash;<b>Don Seiling</b>, forward, sent to Washington to complete earlier deal for <b>Lew Morrison</b>, forward.</p><p>ST. LOUIS&mdash;<b>Bruce Cowick</b>, forward, claimed on waivers from Washington as free agent. <b>John Davidson</b>, goalkeeper, and <b>Bill Collins</b>, forward, traded to N.Y. Rangers in exchange for <b>Ted Irvine, Jerry Butler</b>and <b>Bert Wilson</b>. Blues bought NHL rights to <b>Gil Gratton</b>, goalkeeper, from Buffalo.</p><p>BUFFALO&mdash;<b>Roy Edwards</b>, goalkeeper, claimed on waivers from Detroit as free agent. <b>Robert Sauve</b> goalkeeper from Laval, and Sabres&rsquo; first round amateur draft pick, signed to pro contract.</p><p>KANSAS CITY&mdash;<b>Lynn Powis</b>, forward, traded to St. Louis in return for <b>Craig Patrick</b> and <b>Denis Dupere</b>, forwards. Scouts also gave Blues their 1976 second round draft choice to complete deal.</p><p>MONTREAL&mdash;<b>Wayne Thomas</b>, goalkeeper, traded to Toronto in return for Leafs&rsquo; I976 first round amateur draft choice. <b>Pierre Mondou</b>, forward from Montreal Juniors, and a first round draft pick of the Canadiens, signed to pro contract.</p><h2>WORLD HOCKEY ASSN.</h2><p>MINNESOTA&mdash;<b>Gord Gallant</b>, defenseman, traded to Quebec for cash and future considerations. <b>Henry Boucha</b>, forward, jumped Minnesota North Stars of NHL to sign contract with Fighting Saints.</p><p>NEW ENGLAND&mdash;<b>Ted Green</b>, defenseman, traded to Winnipeg in return for future considerations.</p><p>CLEVELAND&mdash;<b>Lyle Moffat</b>, forward, jumped Toronto Leafs of NHL. to sign contract with Crusaders.</p><p>TORONTO&mdash;<b>Gilles Gratton, goalkeeper, handed outright release to become free agent</b>.</p><h2>CINCINNATI&mdash;</h2><p>CLEVELAND&mdash;<b>Lyle Moffat</b>, forward, jumped Toronto Leafs of NHL to sign contract with Crusaders.</p><p>TORONTO&mdash;<b>Gilles Gratton</b>, goalkeeper, handed outright release to become free agent.</p><p>CINCINNATI&mdash;<b>Lorne Rombourgh</b>, forward, from Hampton of SHL, signed to pro contract. <b>Bernie MacNeil</b>, forward, jumped Boston organization to sign pro contract with Stingers. <b>Dale Smedsmo</b>, forward, jumped Toronto organization to sign with Stingers.</p><p>EDMONTON&mdash;<b>Ted McAneeley</b>, defenseman, and <b>Bob McAneeley</b>, forward, jumped California organization to sign with Oilers. <b>Kerry Ketter</b>, defenseman. and <b>Alie Sutherland</b>, forward, jumped Atlanta organization to sign with Oilers.</p><h2>INTRA-LEAGUE DRAFT</h2><p>N.Y. RANGERS&mdash;<b>Dale Lewis</b>, defenseman. drafted from Los Angeles. Hartland Monahan, forward, drafted from N.Y. Rangers. <b>Tom Williams</b>, forward, dropped from reserve list but went unclaimed.</p><h2>COACHING CHANGES</h2><p>MINNESOTA&mdash;<b>Ted Harris</b> named coach of North Stars replacing <b>Charlie Burns</b>, who remains as asst, to general manager. <b>Andre Beaulieu</b> named asst, coach to Harris.</p><p>TORONTO&mdash;<b>Bob Baun</b> named coach of Toros replacing Bob Leduc, who was released.</p><p>SAN DIEGO&mdash;<b>Ron Ingram</b> stepped up to become general manager-coach of Mariners replacing <b>Harry Howell</b>, who was released as coach.</p><p>EDMONTON&mdash;<b>Clarke Drake</b> named coach of Oilers replacing <b>Bill Hunter</b>, who remains as general manager.</p><p>NHL Free agent list on page 18; WHA expansion and inter-league draft lists on page 20.)<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Off-Season Movements

<div class="byline">BY BILL FLEISCHMAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-01900/3283841-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>There was general approval all around when the Philadelphia Flyers announced the signing of their first draft pick, Mel Bridgman, the Western Canada Hockey League scoring champion. Here&rsquo;s Bridgman flanked by Ed Snider, chairman of the board, left, and the team&rsquo;s vice-president and general manager, Keith Allen, at press conference disclosing Bridgman&rsquo;s acquisition to the team.</b></figcaption></div><p>PHILADELPHIA&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he parades and parties celebrating the Flyers&rsquo; second straight Stanley Cup triumph had barely staggered to a halt when the Flyers gave their fans another reason to hoist their glasses.</p><p>In a deal that left many hockey observers shaking their heads in disbelief, the Flyers pried loose Washington&rsquo;s prized top amateur draft choice and picked Victoria center Mel Bridgman.</p><p>No one, including Bridgman, was comparing him to previous number one picks such as Gil Perreault, Guy Lafleur or Denis Potvin, but the Flyers&rsquo; scouts, who funneled Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber. and Jimmy Watson to Philadelphia, agreed Bridgman was the best player available in the draft. And the 6&rdquo;, 185-pound Western Canada League scoring leader will be wearing a Flyers&rsquo; sweater next season after signing a five-year $500,000 contract.</p><p>&lsquo;He&rsquo;s the best center I&rsquo;ve coached since Bobby Clarke,&rdquo; said Victoria&rsquo;s Pat Ginnell.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the opinion of our scouts that Mel will step right in next season,&rdquo; said Flyers&rsquo; GM Keith (the Thief) Allen. &lsquo;&lsquo;Everyone will be gunning for us now. but we think we can stay on top. One of the reasons we can is getting players of Mel&rsquo;s ability.&rdquo;</p><p>Bridgman, whose agent. Frank Milne, agreed to terms with the Flyers before the deal with Washington was closed, startled some Flyer followers before travelling to Philadelphia two days after the draft and signing a multiyear contract.</p><p>Clearly a candid young man, Bridgman said. &ldquo;Before I saw the Flyers-1 slanders playoff game (at the Spectrum on an earlier visit) all 1 had heard was &lsquo;Dave Schultz can&rsquo;t skate and can&rsquo;t shoot.&rsquo; After seeing him. I was amazed. I&rsquo;m not sure I&rsquo;m a better hockey player than he is.&rdquo;</p><p>Flyers&rsquo; super scout Jerry Melnyk scoffed at such self-doubt.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s got real good hockey sense, he can check and he can score.&rdquo; said Melnyk. &ldquo;He reminds us a lot of Walt Tkaczuk, and he hasn&rsquo;t done too bad. The only thing we&rsquo;ll get criticized for is his (Bridgman&rsquo;s) skating. He may not look too good, but he gets from A to B as fast as anybody.&rdquo;</p><p>Bridgman grew up in Thunder Bay, Ont. but moved to Victoria when his father, Dick, was transferred to a new meteorologist&rsquo;s post. According to Dick Bridgman, his son was &ldquo;a very ordinary hockey player until he was about 15. I&rsquo;m sure the coaches in Thunder Bay had no indication he&rsquo;d go anywhere in hockey.&rdquo;</p><p>Overcoming osteomyelitis (bone infections in the legs) and the shock of failing to make the first Victoria team he tried out for, Bridgman worked hard at polishing his skills.</p><p>Bobby Clarke, who was coached by Ginnell at Flin Flon. had an early tip on his new teammate.</p><p>&ldquo;Patty was high on him (Bridgman) even before last season.&rdquo; Clarke said. &ldquo;He told me he&rsquo;s a real fine kid and real fine hockey player with a lot of heart.&rdquo;</p><p>The Flyers&rsquo; who are heavy on heart, have been Bridgman&rsquo;s favorite hockey team and Clarke his favorite player.</p><p>&ldquo;1 wanted to play for the Flyers, but 1 never thought I&rsquo;d be here,&rdquo; Bridgman said. &ldquo;1 thought California would draft me.&rdquo;</p><p>California might have claimed Bridgman if the deadline-beating trade hadn&rsquo;t been sealed. Had Washington retained its top pick, it reportedly would have drafted Calgary center Don Ashby. Instead, the Capitals wound up with Bill Clement. Richmond defenseman Don McLean and the Flyers&rsquo; first-round selection surprise: Kingston center Alex Forsythe.</p><p>Predictably, Clement was crushed at leaving the Flyers. The talented 24-year-old forward had just completed his best NHL season, scoring 21 goals and adding the clinching goal over Buffalo. However, he never succeeded in earning regular duty in Philadelphia.</p><p>Despite Bridgman&rsquo;s hesitant outlook, the Flyers are convinced he&rsquo;ll be a regular, and soon.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0006-01

Flyers’ Deal For First Draft Lands Scoring Whiz With Champs

<p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>hree hockey moderns and two players of another era were among the five latest inductees into Hockey&rsquo;s Hall of Fame as announced at the summer hockey meetings</p><p>Glenn Hall. Pierre Pilote and George Armstrong made up the trio of &lsquo;modems&rsquo; elected to the hockey shrine while Gordie Drillon and &lsquo;Ace&rsquo; Bailey represented a bygone hockey era. All five will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame at Toronto&rsquo;s CNE Exhibition Grounds Aug. 28.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-02724/3283910-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="556" height="597"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>GLENN HALL&hellip;Goaling Great</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03533/3283903-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="561" height="879"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PIERRE PILOTE&hellip;Defensive Star</b></figcaption></div><p>The five new Hall entries raised the number of members to 205 and all five newcomers were admitted under the players category, which now stands at 148. Bill Jennings, the president of the New York Rangers, was named to the Hall of Fame earlier in the year under the builders category.</p><p>Hall played 16 seasons in the league, with Detroit Red Wings, the Hawks and St. Louis Blues. He was consistently one of the league&rsquo;s outstanding net-minders and was an All Star selection in 11 seasons.</p><p>Hall, a native of Humboldt, Sask., led the NHL in shutouts for six seasons including his rookie year, 1955-56, when he won the Calder Trophy as the league&rsquo;s outstanding newcomer.</p><p>Hall, now a goaltender coach with St. Louis, holds the NHL record for most consecutive games by a goaltender (502) and appeared in 906 games. Hall also holds two Stanley Cup records&mdash;most playoff games by a goaltender (113) and most minutes played by a goalie in a career (6.899).</p><p>In 1968. Hall was selected as the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy for an outstanding, but losing playoff effort against Montreal Canadiens.</p><p>Hall was the first player selected by the Blues in the NHL expansion draft and in three years with the team, he posted averages of 2.48, 2.17 and 2.91.</p><p>Pilote played with the Black Hawks from 1956 to 1968, before finishing off his career with Toronto Maple Leafs in 1968-69. He won the Norris Trophy as the league&rsquo;s best defenseman in 1963, 1964 and 1965 and was a first-team All Star from 1963 to 1967. He was a second-team choice from 1960 to 1962.</p><p>Armstrong, now coach of Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey Association Major Junior A series, played with the Maple Leafs from 1949-50 to 1970-71. He was named captain of the Leafs during the 1957-58 season and held the position until his retirement.</p><p>While with the Leafs. Armstrong played on four Stanley Cup championship teams including the last Toronto playoff win in 1967.</p><p>Drillon, a native of Edmonton. N.B., played a comparatively short span in the league&mdash;six seasons with the Leafs and one with Montreal.</p><p>He scored 155 goals and in five of his playing years, he scored 20 or more goals. Hrs highest goal output came in 1942-43 when he had 28 goals and 22 assists for Montreal.</p><p>Drillon, who broke into the Toronto lineup as a replacement for Charlie Conacher in 1936-37, won the Lady Bying Trophy as the league&rsquo;s most gentlemanly player in 1937-38 and was a first-team All Star selection in both 1937-38 and 1938-39.</p><p>Drillon also won the scoring championship in his rookie season.</p><p>Bailey&rsquo;s hockey career came to an end in Boston when he was knocked heavily to the ice by Boston defenseman Eddie Shore.</p><p>Two brain operations were performed on Bailey and for three weeks it was uncertain whether he would survive.</p><p>The injury occurred in the 13th game of the 1933-34 season and later at Toronto&rsquo;s Maple Leaf Gardens, a benefit All Star game was held in Bailey&rsquo;s honor.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0007-02

NHL Adds Five Ice Stars To Hockey Hall

<div class="byline">BY RALPH BRIDGLAND</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-01841/3283872-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Young Greg Neeld displays the special face mask and protecting shield that he wears after losing his eye during a junior hockey game two years ago. NHL turned down the rookie when he appeared at summer hockey meetings in Montreal.</b></figcaption></div><p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p>Discrimination in the National Hockey League is an unheard of thing.</p><p>After all there are players of all colors, races and creeds making a living from performing in the NHL.</p><p>But one young man believes the NHL is discriminatory and made his feelings clear at the league&rsquo;s annual summer meetings in Montreal.</p><p>Greg Neeld, who was chosen by the Buffalo Sabres in the fourth round of this year&rsquo;s amateur draft, wants to play in the NHL. But the league&rsquo;s board of governors won&rsquo;t allow it.</p><p>It&rsquo;s not that Neeld has a different way of life that might darken the league&rsquo;s reputation that is keeping him from making his living within that body. It&rsquo;s the fact that he has only one eye.</p><p>While playing junior hockey with the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey Association two seasons ago, Neeld lost the sight of his left eye as the result of a freak mishap which saw an errant stick strike him in the face.</p><p>For anyone with less perseverance that would have put the damper on any hopes of a career in professional hockey. But not Neeld.</p><p>He returned to the Marlboros this past season brandishing a protective face guard and helmet to preserve his only remaining good eye and the desire to show all disbelievers that he wasn&rsquo;t about to give in.</p><p>Early in the season Neeld was shipped to Calgary of the Western Canada Hockey League where he totaled 59 points on 29 goals and 30 assists in 62 games from his left wing position.</p><p>And then came the draft and his selection by the Sabres. But the NHL has a rule which prohibits one-eyed players from participating within the loop. The threat of possibly losing the other eye and becoming totally blind is something the NHL doesn&rsquo;t want hanging over its head.</p><p>But the 5&rsquo;11&rsquo;&rsquo;. 187 pounder had his helmet and face mask which he claimed to be foolproof.</p><p>Thus with the aim of getting the NHL&rsquo;s Board of Governors to change their view on the subject. Neeld and his lawyer. Roy McMurtry, journeyed to Montreal to appear before the NHL&rsquo;s heads of state.</p><p>The result: 13-3 (with two abstentions) against Neeld and other players in the same boat.</p><p>&lsquo;&lsquo;My lawyer presented all the governors with a five-page brief. We argued eligibility on ability,&rdquo; said Neeld following his denial.</p><p>Two of the main reasons for his rejection were that of not being able to get sufficient insurance and that his helmet could hurt other players.</p><p>&lsquo;&lsquo;My insurance company said 1 could have as much insurance as I wanted,&rdquo; explained Neeld obviously bitter over the turn down.</p><p>&ldquo;1 played with the helmet all last season and didn&rsquo;t hurt anyone,&rdquo; he stated.</p><p>&ldquo;I think I will take the NHL to court and sue for damages. I have no preference to the NHL. (He was also drafted by the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association which will not bar him because of his decreased vision.) I took on the NHL because it is discriminating against me and I want to help others who are in the same situation.</p><p>&ldquo;I have been straight down the middle as to which league I wanted to play in The deciding factor was going to be which team I could help the most.</p><p>&ldquo;The Sabres are very disappointed and also added that it wasn&rsquo;t over yet.&rdquo;</p><p>Surprisingly Neeld found it wasn&rsquo;t that difficult to get over the loss of an eye.</p><p>&ldquo;It was a two-week adjustment,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;I had to learn how to carry my head. I had to turn my head to the left and keep my right eye straight ahead. The strong eye got stronger and my left ear is supersensitive. I can tell how far a player is behind me just by the sound of his skates.</p><p>&ldquo;Once the adjustment was overcome it was just like playing with two eyes again.&rdquo;</p><p>So what lies ahead in the career of Greg neeld?</p><p>&ldquo;I plan to sign with Minnesota (WHA) and go to court at the same time on the principle of discrimination.&rdquo;</p><p>Whether or not this young man makes it into NHL competition or not. he is as big a winner as any member of a Stanley Cup champion for he has fought back from a deficit that would have grounded most athletes and stands up for a cause that had been foremost in his, thoughts on his road to recovery.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0007-01

Neeld Plans Suit After Rejection By NHL Teams

<div class="byline">By Bill Libby</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-01888/3283948-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="302" height="352"></div><h2>Summing Up A Season&hellip;</h2><p class="dropcap"><b><span>N</span>OBODY ASKED JIMMY CANNON, BUT:</b> When a team wins one championship it simply establishes them as the best team of that season. When a team wins two. it establishes them as the dominant team for the time being. Thus, the Philadelphia Flyers have become the dominant team of the present time in the National Hockey League. However, I do not believe they are so far in front that a dynasty has dawned&hellip;</p><p>To the best of my memory, this was the most competitive campaign the NHL ever has had. There were more teams capable of often beating the other teams than ever before. This was caused because the expansion clubs became competitive. Except for the two newest teams, the 10 &ldquo;new&rdquo; teams compiled a better regular-season record than the six &ldquo;old&rdquo; clubs. And three of the four playoff finalists were expansionists&hellip;</p><p>It took eight seasons for the &ldquo;new&rdquo; teams to reach a par with the &ldquo;old&rdquo; ones, but that was at least two seasons less than the most optimistic of the establishment expected. Except for the newest teams, the term &ldquo;expansionists&rdquo; now should be discarded. By winning two in a row. Philadelphia&rsquo;s Flyers have become a member of the establishment&hellip;</p><p>There were more solid coaching performances in the NHL this season than ever before. More teams made the most of the talent they had, more played disciplined hockey, more improved than any season I can recall. Coaching is responsible. During the regular season I considered the coaching job done by Bob Pulford of the Kings the best. As the playoffs proceeded the coaching job done by Al Arbour of the Islanders appeared best. By the time the championships were concluded, Fred Shero of the Flyers seemed tops&hellip;</p><p>Shero has been neglected because his team was the defending champion, but the Flyers did not have better talent than many other teams on the tour and his success in bringing back-to-back titles may be the most impressive performance by a coach in hockey history. A revolutionary. the intense and innovative Shero has called attention to the importance of coaching and so has left a mark such as few men in sports ever will&hellip;</p><p>Although more conservative in their tactics. Pulford and Arbour typify the new breed of defensively-oriented tutors who have shown the way for others to follow. As with Shero&rsquo;s teams, their teams are teams. The individual sacrifices himself for the group. And so the whole becomes more than the sum of the parts. Perhaps it does not make for the most exciting hockey, but it has been established that players, press and public alike care a lot less about how you win. than they do about winning.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-02790/3283941-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="339" height="619"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Fred Shero</b></figcaption></div><p><b>ALTHOUGH MONTREAL&rsquo;S</b> up-and-down performance in the playoffs was the single most disappointing showing of the post-season, Scotty Bowman did a solid coaching job with the Canadiens throughout the regular season. Other impressive coaching jobs were turned in by Floyd Smith of Buffalo. Marc Boileau of Pittsburgh, Garry Young of St. Louis and Phil Maloney of Vancouver. Who is to say who did best?</p><p>Los Angeles and Buffalo were the most surprising success stories of the regular season. Along with the Islanders, &lsquo;who were the most surprising success story of the postseason. The Kings were a disappointment in the playoffs, with the ironic-result that it may have saved ex-King coach Red Kelly&rsquo;s coaching job with Toronto&hellip;The Rangers and the Bruins were the most disappointing teams of the regular season&hellip;Harry Howell and John Ferguson turned down the Ranger coaching job before it went to Ron Stewart, but Ron rated it off a remarkable record in the minors.</p><p>I thought Rogie Vachon of the Kings and Bernie Parent of the Flyers rated 1-2 in the most valuable player consideration for the regular season, but Shero made it clear he considered Bobby Clarke the most valuable Flyer&hellip;Vachon and Parent are both great goalers. but I did not think Vachon had as much support as Parent and was more the indispensable player to his team. Vachon was superb in the playoffs, too. but his team did not go far. Parent of the champions was a worthy playoff MVP&hellip;</p><p>Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito of the Bruins remain among the great players of this sport, despite the disappointing performance of their team. Esposito may be the most under-rated player in hockey. Oh. some put him on a</p><p>pedastal. but others put him down. His side is expected to capture the cup annually. Well, with him, the Bruins won it twice. Most never win it once. It is not as easy as some observers would like us to believe. If he is not now the greatest center of all time, he comes close&hellip;Gil Perrault of Buffalo now comes close to Orr of the Bruins as the most exciting player in the league&hellip;</p><p><b>RICK MARTIN</b> of the Sabres, Guy Lafleur of the Canadiens, Pete Mahovlich of the Canadiens. and Marcel Dionne and Danny Grant of Detroit are other forwards who had sensational seasons, to say nothing of the incomparable Clarke&hellip;Denis Potvin of the Islanders became in his second season runnerup only to Orr among all-around defensemen, although Guy Lapointe of the Canadiens and Brad Park of the Rangers remain remarkable&hellip;Borje Salming of Toronto may have become the best of the defensive defensemen, although Bill White of Chicago, and Dave Burrows of Pittsburgh are right there, too&hellip;</p><p>All awards, including the MVP. should be voted upon following the playoffs, not before. The fact that the clubs of a few candidates will not get this extra exposure is far outweighed by the fact that this second season is far more important than the first. Performances under championship pressure must be measured to make these awards meaningful&hellip;It is not because there were upsets, but because the upsets became suspect that the extra round of the playoffs must be lengthened from best-of-three series or discarded&hellip;And the playoff system must be revised so those teams that do the best in the regular season earn the best positions in the playoffs, or else it is a waste of what these men work so hard for&hellip;</p><p><b>DETROIT REMAINS</b> the most troubled member of the establishment and no solution has surfaced&hellip;It is sad that Minnesota has slipped into such a troubled situation, but Oakland has slipped into such a troubled situation, but the Pittsburgh team reamins the most troubled of the original expansionists&hellip;For some reason, the Oakland franchise will be sold for a lot less money than has been bid for new expansion franchises&hellip;It may be shifted to San Francisco, where it would have been a success from the first, bad building or not&hellip;As the NHL draws back from further expansion, the WHA figures to pick up Seattle and Denver&hellip;Why did the WHA fold the Chicago franchise, while set to shift the Baltimore bunch to Seattle?&hellip;Salt Lake City would make a good WHA franchise&hellip;And Calgary, inheriting the Vancouver club, will do well, within the limits of its small arena.</p><p>After three seasons, the World Hockey Association seems established. It has its troubled spots, but so does the NHL. And the WHA has some smashing success stories, such as in Edmonton, Toronto, Quebec and Winnipeg&hellip;It came as a shock to the NHL when the Toros cut into the Leafs in Toronto&hellip;Overall, attendance was up almost 50 percent over last season. And a couple of the clubs would have been competitive with the bottom half of the NHL&hellip;A number of WHA teams would have swept series from Washington, the worst team we have ever seen in the NHL.</p><p>Houston was the best team through the regular season and captured the playoffs for the second straight season in the WHA, and with a new arena now may join the elite in interest. However, Houston will miss the playing of its new president. Gordie Howe, as he returns to retirement next season&hellip;At 47, Howe had the most remarkable season of any hockey man in my memory.</p><p>Bobby Hull remains remarkable and rated the WHA MVP plum, but San Diego&rsquo;s Andre Lacroix came close and the coaching job done by Harry Howell and aide Ron Ingram with the Mariners, as did that by Bill Dineen in Houston, Jean-Guy Gendron in Quebec and some others most particularly Sandy Hucul of Phoenix, rate with the best&hellip;Serge Bernier, Marc Tardif and J.C. Tremblay of Quebec, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson of Winnipeg, Wayne Rivers of San Diego, Tom Simpson of Toronto, Mike Walton of Minnesota and Frank Hughes and Ron Grahame of Houston had super seasons.</p><p>Players who attack refs and those who start stick-fights should be suspended for a minimum of one month&hellip;As it is in coincidental major penalties, teams should remain at full strength after coincidental minors.&hellip;No one can play four-man hockey&hellip;Let&rsquo;s remove the red line and open up passing. If players still can pass&hellip;The goal-line should be moved back so the moment a puck touches it. it is a goal&hellip;Ten-minute sudden-death overtimes should return to the NHL&hellip;Pulling goaltenders is the worst percentage play in the sport&hellip;And when is a dollar bidding war going to begin for members of the news media?</p><p>It was a super season for most of us. even if every team didn&rsquo;t win it all.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-01

Hockey Ad Lib

<div class="byline">BY DICK JOHNSTON</div><p>BUFFALO&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>hen Rick Martin underwent an operation on his ailing thumb during June, one follower of the Buffalo Sabres marveled, &ldquo;Gee, I wonder how many goals he would have scored if he had two good thumbs.&rdquo;</p><p>The All Star left winger for the Sabres, you see, had played nearly all season with the thumb on his right hand bothering him in one way or another. And he ended up with 52 goals.</p><p>The left winger for the French Connection line jammed his thumb in a game against St. Louis last October. He kept playing and even scored four goals in a game against Washington (&ldquo;didn&rsquo;t really shoot them, just steered them in,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;was in the right spot at the right time.&rdquo;) but then suffered tom ligaments in the thumb.</p><p>He was sidelined for seven games and handicapped through most of the season. He wore a plastic cast on his right hand most of the time from December on. At the halfway mark of the campaign. Rick had 21 goals but he came through with a strong second half and equalled last season&rsquo;s total of 52 by scoring once in the finale against Toronto.</p><p>In the closing minutes of that game, however, he got into a fight and hurt the thumb again punching Lanny McDonald. All the way home on the team bus, with the other players whooping it up because they had won the game and were sure to finish at least tied for first place in the league in points, Rick sat with his right hand in a pail of ice water.</p><p>Fortunately, the Sabres by winning their division drew a bye in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and had a week off and Martin&rsquo;s sore thumb had time to heal.</p><p>Rick played in the second round against Chicago without the cast and again against Montreal in the semi-finals. Before the last game of the Montreal series he decided to put the cast back on. &ldquo;My wirst kept getting weaker,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t shooting accurately or with much force.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-03657/3283979-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="306" height="491"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Rick Martin</b></figcaption></div><p>He played the last game of the series against the Canadiens and the finals against Philadelphia wearing the cast. He and Gil Perreault led the Sabres in scoring in the playoffs, with 15 points each. Rick had seven goals and eight assists.</p><p>He had an additional handicap in the last game of the finals, in which the Flyers beat the Sabres, 2-0. As the players were skating around just before the first faceoff, the Buffalo fans were throwing rolls of paper on the ice. One roll, adding machine tape, did not unwind. It hit Martin just below the right eye, knocking him flat.</p><p>He was helped to the dressing room but returned a few minutes after the game began. He played his regular shift throughout but still was woozy from the blow two days later.</p><p>The operation on his hand will keep the young forward from playing his favorite off-season sport, golf, all summer. He shoots in the low 70s.</p><p>The same week Martin was operated on, so were two other Sabres. Center Don Luce had a hernia operation and left winger Brian Spencer underwent an operation on the left shoulder that was dislocated early in the season and &ldquo;popped out&rdquo; several times later.</p><p>Being hospitalized kept Martin, Luce and Spencer from attending the wedding of a teammate, Larry Carriere, who was married in Montreal that same week.</p><p><b>ICE CHIPS:</b> Three of the Sabres&rsquo; 11 picks in the amateur draft were goaltenders. Their first choice was Robert Sauve from the Laval Nationals of the Quebec Junior League, who has come to terms with the Sabres. They also took goalie Don Edwards from the Kitchener Rangers and another netminder, Len Moyer, from Notre Dame University.</p><p>As Gary Bromley, who did the bulk of the goaltending during the season, was benched during the playoffs for Gerry Desjardins, obtained from the Baltimore Blades of the World Hockey Association, in the final weeks of the campaign, and as Desjardins was benched in the playoff finale in favor of often-ailing Roger Crozier, the goaltending situation should be interesting in training camp.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-03

Martin’s Super Season Could Have Been Better If Not For Thumb Injury

<div class="byline">BY RALPH BRIDGLAND</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-01864/3284017-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>I Am The Coach. I Shall NOT&mdash;I Shall NOT Resign!!</b></figcaption></div><p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p>The saying &ldquo;two&rsquo;s company, three&rsquo;s a crowd &lsquo;proved to be correct, at least in the ranks of the Montreal Canadiens.</p><p>Netminder Wayne Thomas, who never saw action in the Habs&rsquo; goal during the past season although on their roster the whole time, has been sent to Toronto in exchange for the Maple Leafs&rsquo; first round pick in next summer&rsquo;s amateur draft.</p><p>The 27-year-old goaltender watched his teammates from the press box for most of the season after having captured the Molson Cup, awarded to the Montreal player who gathers the most points in the three-star selections through the regular season, in 1973-74.</p><p>The return of Ken Dryden to active duty last fall left the backup job in the hands of Michel Larocque and as it turned out the closest Thomas got to seeing duty in the regular schedule was late in the season when coach Scotty Bowman became disgruntled with the showing of Larocque and promoted Thomas to end-of-the bench duty.</p><p>As a result of obtaining the Leafs&rsquo; first amateur pick, Hab general manager Sam Pollock is in the enviable position of having four opening round choices from next season&rsquo;s crop of graduating juniors.</p><p>The Canadiens&rsquo; top pick from this summer&rsquo;s grab bag was Robin Sadler a 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 180 pound defenseman from Edmonton of the Western Canada Hockey League. Sadler, who was selected ninth overall, in 66 games totaled 93 points on 32 goals and 61 assists while collecting 103 minutes in penalties along the way.</p><p>A young man who is not unfamiliar with the Montreal Forum was the Habs&rsquo; other first round choice (15th overall).</p><p>Pierre Mondou, a 5&rsquo;10&rdquo;, 170 pound center, collected 40 goals and 87 points with the Montreal Juniors of the Quebec Major Junior League.</p><p>Mondou came to terms quickly with the Canadiens despite being drafted by another French Canadian franchise, the Querbec Nordiques of the World Hockey Association.</p><p>Of the Habs&rsquo; next 18 choices 11 were from college ranks.</p><p>Brian Engblom, a 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 195 pound defenseman from the University of Wisconsin, headed the list as he was the Canadiens&rsquo; third pick, 22nd overall</p><p>Of the 11 collegians Pollock commented. &ldquo;We hope to turn one (Engblom) pro in about 10 minutes. All the rest still have college eligibility remaining.&rdquo;</p><p>Pollock feels that his club may be set personnel wise for the upcoming season.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve drafted our players and we ll take a good look at everybody in training camp. If something comes up during the summer we&rsquo;ll consider it but it&rsquo;s very unlikely any changes will be made.&rdquo;</p><p>One position where all doubt has been removed is in net. Dryden will be number one and Larocque is the man that will stay in Montreal to provide backup support.</p><p>Thomas deserves a lot of credit for during this past season he was void of criticism and kept level headed in a situation which could have had a disrupting effect on the rest of the team.</p><p>In going to Toronto he gets the chance to prove himself as a first-string goaltender, something he might not have had the opportunity to do had he stayed with the Habs.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-02773/3284010-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="558" height="1029"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MICHEL LAROCQUE&hellip;Stays With Habs</b></figcaption></div><p><b>HAB-BITS:</b> Rookie defenseman Rick Chartraw won the Canadiens&rsquo; second annual golf tournament with an 18-hole score of 79. Defending champion Yvan Coumoyer had his problems in recording a 93.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-01

Thomas Dealt To Toronto For Draft Pick

<p>WASHINGTON&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>N</span>ot overly impressed with the graduating juniors available the Washington Capitals traded their first round selection to the Philadelphia Flyers for two players they believe will help them immensely this coming season.</p><p>Bill Clement, who was the Flyers&rsquo;first round amateur pick in 1970 and has been with them the past three seasons, Don McLean, a rugged 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;, 190 pound defenseman who was Philadelphia&rsquo;s first selection in the 1974 amateur draft, and the Flyers&rsquo; first round pick from next season&rsquo;s junior grab bag were received in return for the Caps&rsquo; opening selection.</p><p>Clement notched 21 goals and added 16 assists in 68 games with the Stanley Cup champs this past season while McLean spent the season with Richmond of the American Hockey League where he had one goal and eight assists plus 186 minutes in penalties.</p><p>The Capitals&rsquo; first selection in this year&rsquo;s amateur draft (18th overall) was Alex Forsythe a 6&rsquo;2&rdquo; center with the Kingston Canadians of the Ontario Hockey Association. The 191 pounder notched 27 goals this past season.</p><p>Washington drafted two other centers, Craig Crawford, 6&rsquo;, 185 pounds. from the Toronto Marlboros of the OHA and Jim Ofrim, 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 180 pounds, from the University of Alberta.</p><p>Added to the defense corps were Pete Scamurra, 6&rsquo;3&rdquo;, 185 pounds, from Peterborough Petes of the OHA and Blair Mackasey, 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;. 185 pounds, from Montreal of the Quebec Junior League.</p><p>Meanwhile two players who performed with the Capitals last season but were contemplating moves to the rival World Hockey Association have come to terms with the NHL club.</p><p>Veteran winger Stan Gilbertson has agreed to a new two-year contract while goaltender Ron Low has signed a long-tern pact with the Capitals.</p><p>The 30-year-old Gilbertson scored 13 goals and 15 assists in 62 games last season and also set a record for American born players by tallying four goals against Pittsburgh in the final game of the season.</p><p>Low, 25, was selected the Capitals&rsquo; most valuable player by the local fan club. He was in the nets for all eight of Washington&rsquo;s victories and registered the team&rsquo;s lone shutout, a 3-0 win over expansion sisters the Kansas City Scouts.</p><p>Peter O&rsquo;Malley, a Clinton. Maryland attorney, was elected president of the Washington Capitals in a meeting of team&rsquo;s board of directors. The announcement was made by Abe Pollin, board chairman of the Capital Centre and major owner of the hockey team.</p><p>.O&rsquo;Malley, a prominent Prince George&rsquo;s County attorney with offices near the Capital Centre in Largo, immediately assumes full and complete responsibility for all matters relating to the Capitals.</p><p>In making the announcement. Pollin commented that his duties with the Capital Centre, the Washington Bullets, and the National Basketball Association had made it impossible for him to devote the time needed to make the Capitals the success the community deserved.</p><p>&ldquo;In my dealings with him, Peter O&rsquo;Malley has displayed a high degree of leadership, a tenacity of purpose, and exceptional organizational ability, and these are the elements our team needs in its formative years. Professional sports today require the leadership of a person with a high degree of business ability and business ethics. Peter O&rsquo;Malley has both,&rdquo; Pollin said.</p><p>O&rsquo;Malley indicated that he approaches the job with unbounded enthusiasm and expressed great pleasure in the fact that Pollin had the confidence in him to take on this job. He, in turn, expressed confidence in Capitals&rsquo; general manager and coach, Milt Schmidt, in saying, &ldquo;Milt has been Pollin&rsquo;s choice and remains my choice. I want to give him the front office backup he needs to bring Washington hockey fans a winner.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;With Peter O&rsquo;Malley in the front offices, as president, and Milt Schmidt, general manager and coach, I think the Washington hockey fans will have the best of both possible worlds and will see a stronger, more competive team next season,&rdquo; Pollin said.</p><p>O&rsquo;Malley is a Regent of the University of Maryland and a director of both the Capital Centre and Rosecroft Raceway. He is presently a partner in the law firm of Shipley, O&rsquo;Malley and Miles.</p><p>After graduating from Mount St. Mary&rsquo;s in 1960. with a degree in history, he received his law degree from Geoge-town Law Center in 1965 while working on Capitol Hill at night. He currently resides in Clinton, Maryland, with his wife, Janice and their five children.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-01878/3284055-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="557" height="656"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>STAN GILBERTSON&hellip;Rejects WHA</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-02747/3284048-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="561" height="553"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BILL CLEMENT&hellip;Plus For Caps</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0010-01

Caps Keep Regulars Out Of WHA Hands, Trade Draft Pick To Acquire Clement

<p>OAKLAND&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he California Seals have finally given up on Stan Weir becoming the big scorer they had hoped he would be when they acquired him. Weir was traded by the Seals to Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for veteran Gary Sabourin, who was once a productive performer with the St. Louis Blues.</p><p>The 23-year-old Weir counted 45 points in 80 games with the Seals last year while Sabourin had 23 in spot duty with the Leafs.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Seals picked 10 juniors in the 1975 summer amateur draft. They hope to induce Ralph Klassen, their No. 1 choice, to sign with them after a starry career with Saskatoon of the WCHL.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Seals Give Up On Weir To Land Leafs’ Sabourin

<div class="byline">BY JAY GREENBERG</div><p>KANSAS CITY&mdash;</p><p>In his year-long search for the Scouts&rsquo; second great hope, John Choyce travelled to watch Barry Dean play hockey 10 times. Choyce only got nine good looks. He loved missing the 10th one.</p><p>&ldquo;He got in a fight.&rdquo; said Choyce. &ldquo;and got thrown out the other time.&rdquo; Dean didn&rsquo;t lose any points for enthusiasm that day. And when Choyce. the Scouts&rsquo; director of scouting, and Dean, the club&rsquo;s No. I draft choice&mdash;to be. met for the first time at the Memorial Cup playoffs in Kitchener the enthusiasm that Choyce had come to expect of Barry&rsquo;s play, surfaced in his personality.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-01866/3284110-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="258" height="406"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Denis Dupere</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t believe it when he said they were thinking about drafting me No. I,&rdquo; said Dean. &ldquo;He said they were considering both me and Bryan Maxwell.&rdquo;</p><p>The actual decision to pick Dean was not made until the day before the draft, about the time it became obvious a deal or a series of deals the Scouts were seeking. would not materialize in time to affect their draft plans.</p><p>Defensive problems notwithstanding. the Scouts just felt that Dean, a 6&rsquo; 195-pound left wing from Medicine Hat. was simply the best player available in the draft. Abel and Choyce had four defensemen. including Maxwell. Dean&rsquo;s teammate at Medicine Hat. on their list that were considered to be first-round material. But so. apparently. so did four other teams. By the time the Scouts&rsquo; second pick rolled around, all four were gone.</p><p>Left wing, is an area where the Scouts could use considerable sprucing up too. though, and they are expecting Dean, if he is signed, to step in and do the same job that Wilf Paiement did on the right side a year ago.</p><p>The comparison, from one No. I choice to another, was natural enough to make. &ldquo;He (Dean) has the same potential that Paiement has,&rdquo; said Choyce. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not a real great skater. But he&rsquo;s tough and he holds on to the puck long enough to make a play with it. A lot of guys will carry it in and drop it in the slot, not knowing what to do with it. He holds on.</p><p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s also had that extra year of junior hockey that Paiement (an underage pick a year ago) didn&rsquo;t. It&rsquo;s obviously helped him.&rdquo;</p><p>Obviously the Scouts need more help than what just one draft can provide, and they may have aided the cause by obtaining Denis Dupere and Craig Patrick from St. Louis in exchange for Lynn Powis and a second round draft choice. They also expressed hope that Don Cairns of Victoria, their second-round pick, has an outside shot at making the club. Cairns is considered a diamond a good deal rougher than Dean, as far as finesse goes, but a number one priority if the club is to improve and one way is for it to toughen up. Cairns and his 214 penalty minutes might qualify for such a program.</p><p>Dean, a 40-goal scorer this year, was visiting the home of the Medicine Hat Tigers&rsquo; most famous graduate. Tom Lysiak, in Atlanta, on the day of the draft. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t be happier.&rdquo; said Barry reached by phone a few hours later.</p><p>Dean&rsquo;s world Hockey Asosciation rights belong to the Edmonton Oilers, which may be only a moose&rsquo;s jaw or two away from Medicine Hat, but not enough, right now to influence Barry&rsquo;s decision. &ldquo;I feel more strongly towards the NHL.&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Its too cold here. I want to get away. I&rsquo;ve seen enough cold.&rdquo;</p><p>Money, though, will inevitably be the deciding factor when Abel sits down to talk to Frank Milne. Barry&rsquo;s attorney.</p><p>&ldquo;It will be nothing like last year,&rdquo; said Ed Thompson, the Scouts, president, who ended up having to make Paiement the highest-paid rookie in National Hockey League history.</p><p>Alan Eagleson extracted close to $200,000 a year over three years for Wilfs services. &ldquo;I just don&rsquo;t think we have the competition from the other league that we had last year,&rdquo; said Thompson. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s probably only a couple of teams (in the WHA) that can afford to get into a bidding war.&rdquo;</p><p><b>LOOSE PUCKS:</b> The Scouts&rsquo; first three picks and four of the first five are represented by Milne&hellip;Their sixth round choice is named Eric Sanderson, (no relation to Derek) who is 6&rsquo;5&rdquo;. 215. None of the Scouts&rsquo; picks were under 6&rsquo;&hellip;After listening to a Scouts&rsquo; offer. Larry Hornung of the Winnipeg Jets decided to sign for another three years with the WHA. club. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m disappointed.&rdquo; said Abel. &ldquo;I thought for sure he would come here.&rdquo;</p><p>Hornung said that monetarily. the Scouts, and Jets&rdquo; offers were about the same. &ldquo;My family is settled here,&rdquo; said Hornung. &ldquo;It just wasn&rsquo;t feasible to make the move for the same amount of money.&rdquo; Hornung spent parts of five seasons in Kansas City with the Central League Blues. His NHL, rights were acquired from the New York Islanders in the deal which also saw Bob Bourne and Bart Crashley exchanged. Crashley then was sent on to Detroit in December in the Guy Charron deal<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0011-01

KC Lands Dupere, Patrick In Trade

<p class="dropcap"><span>A</span> noted publisher reports a simple technique of everyday conversation which can pay you real dividends in social and business advancement and works like magic to give you poise, self-confidence and greater popularity.</p><p>According to this publisher, many people do not realize how much they could influence others simply by what they say and how they say it. Whether in business, at social functions, or even in casual conversations with new acquaintances there are ways to make a good impression every time you talk.</p><p>To acquaint the readers of this publication with the easy-to-follow rules for developing skill in everyday conversation, the publishers have printed full details of their interesting self-training method in a new booklet, &lsquo;&lsquo;Adventures in Conversation,&rdquo; which will be mailed free to anyone who requests it. No obligation. Send your name, address, and zip code to: Conversation. Dept. 746-42, Sherman Turnpike, Danbury, Conn. 06816. A postcard will do.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Why Are You Poor Talker?

<div class="byline">BY JULES FURTH</div><p>CHICAGO&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Wirtz entourage hit Montreal for the league meetings with high hopes, a large wallet and some players to be bartered. They came home with exactly what they left. Hopes of trading and strengthening the roster were dissipated when the terms of player exchanges were outlined. Nobody seemed to need money except Pittsburgh and California, all in all, it was a pretty empty trip.</p><p>The Black Hawks did. however, make two very important contributions. They contributed Pierre Pilote and Glenn Hall to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Pierre played for Chicago 13 years from 1956 to 1968 and was named to the All Star team eight successive, years. He won the Norris Trophy for best all around defenseman three times</p><p>and was considered an aggressive checker and puck carrier as well. Glenn Hall &ldquo;Mr. Goalie&rdquo;, ah outstanding but somewhat unorthadox goaltender, came to the Hawks from Detroit in 1957 where he won the Calder Trophy, playing 10 years before going to St. Louis in the expansion draft. His NHL record for most consecutive games by a goaltender of 502 is one of the few NHL records that will probably never be broken. He leads the league in playoff games (113) and won the coveted Vezina Trophy three times and the Conn Smythe Trophy once. They join the select company of Doug Bentley, Max Bentley. Bill Gadsby, Chuck Gardner. Bill Mo-sienko and Earl Siebert as the most well known Hawks enshrined. Other Hawk Hall of Famers who had a brief career with the team are Mickey Mackay, Dick Irvin, Duke Meats,</p><p>Black Jack Stewart, Ted Lindsay, Frank Brimsek, Sid Abel and George Hay.</p><p>Tommy Ivan. Chicago&rsquo;s energetic GM did accomplish a few things worth mentioning. Ivan waded through the legal red tape and signed goalie Michel Dumas to a multi-year contract. Although coach Billy Reay rates Dumas pretty much on a par with Mike Veisor, Dumas would seem to have the edge in size and strength. Veisor played well as he finished the season with Dallas only to lose in a thrilling overtime seventh game of the finals for the Central League championship. Those two will battle it out again next fall for a place on the bench in the Stadium. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Stingers will have to look elsewhere for a rubber stopper.</p><p>The big trade was made earlier and involved the Hawks and Seals. The tribe gave up right wing Jim Pappin who shot his age last season (36) and acquired left wing Joey Johnston, captain and Seals&rsquo; all-time scoring leader (185). The Hawks gained 10 years in age and fans will have to find someone else to boo. They gained a 22 goal per year scorer and filled a vital hole in their decimated left wing spot. Pappin was often misunderstood but knowledgable hockey persons knew what he was doing. Ivan said, &ldquo;Pappin&rsquo;s greatness came from his ability to anticipate. He knew where to be and where the play was going. Miss him? Darned right we will but we made a good deal&rdquo;. Ivan went on. &ldquo;We are going to go with a youth program. Right wing will be young. Grant Mulvey is 19, Alain Daigle is 20, J.P. Bordeleau is 26 and Cliff Koroll 29. Mulvey is progressing and Daigle is quick and can put the puck in the net. I believe in building through the draft and I think we did exceptionally well this time. Greg Vaydik, a center (first choice and eighth selection) scores well and has some size at 5&rsquo;11&rdquo;, 185 pounds. He also had 55 goals and 51 assists for Medicine Hat. Sask&hellip;Western Junior League. Our scout John Davidson rated his very high and was surprised to find him available when our turn came,&rdquo; added Ivan. The Hawks selected eighth, 25th and 43rd landing Dan Arndt a left wing from Saskatoon, also from Western Canada., and Mike O&rsquo;Connell a native born Chicagoan who moved to Higham. Mass, and played defense with Kingston in the OHA. Mike scored well for a rearguard getting 18 goals and 55 assists. Ivan wondered why the Hawks didn&rsquo;t get anyone from their perennial supplier Edmonton.</p><p>The trades that never came off? Marcel Dionne was a definite disappointment. Hawk management would have had to &ldquo;strip the club&rdquo; to get him. They couldn&rsquo;t afford to do it. Dallas has a few good prospects that will bear close watch in camp.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Hawks Had Money To Spend But Discovered No Takers

<div class="byline">BY PAT THOMPSON</div><p>TWIN CITIES&mdash;</p><p>Ted Harris, newly named coach of the Minnesota North Stars, likens his upcoming job to that of raising a family&mdash;a happy, healthy one.</p><p>Toward that end. Harris indicated he wanted all players in uniform to participate in the game. In other words, all 18 skaters will be seeing action. That makes for a happy family. He wants a line of communications open to the players. That. too. makes for a happy family.</p><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to do anything on a hunch.&rdquo; he said upon accepting the successorships to Charlie Burns, who remains an assistant to manager Jack Gordon. &ldquo;Discipline is something that comes with knowing the players. I want to communicate with them. Some players will need a heavier hand than others. It&rsquo;s something you have to learn&hellip;kind of like raising a family. You learn as you go along and act accordingly.&rdquo;</p><p>The muscular defenseman of 18 professional seasons ended his playing career as a member of the 1975 Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers. It was the fifth time he played on a Stanley Cup winner, counting the four times he shared in helping Montreal win the championship.</p><p>To his new job. Harris brings the experience of playing under such coaches as Toe Blake. Eddie Shore and Fred Shero.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m certain he can impart to our players the skills and knowledge he learned from these men.&rdquo; said Gordon. &ldquo;As long as I&rsquo;ve known Ted. he has had the respect not only of his teammates, but also of the majority of players in the NHL. I feel the leadership he showed as a player will carry over into his career as a coach.&rdquo;</p><p>Harris played with the Canadiens. North Stars. Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and the Flyers with career totals of 788 games, 30 goals, 168 assists and 1,000 penalty minutes. There are no statistics for his play in front of the net, but ask any of the goalies he played in front of about his ability.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always wanted to coach in the NHL.&rdquo; said Harris, who was North Star captain during playoff years of 1970-71 through 1972-73. The chance has presented itself. Now I want to get right into it and see what I can accomplish. The playoffs? I&rsquo;m sure of it. The personnel is here. There is a strong nucleus to build a winner.</p><p>&ldquo;This team beat us (Flyers) 5-0 this past season. It is a matter of regrouping The thing I noticed is that the North Stars had a problem after falling behind a goal or two. You have to keep fighting back.&rdquo;</p><p>It was less than a week after the Flyers took the crown that Harris turned up at the Met Sports Center to accept the coaching job.</p><p>&lsquo;I was wondering about my capabilities at first.&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But if I haven&rsquo;t learned in 18 years about this game. I haven&rsquo;t learned a thing. &ldquo;</p><p>Just 24 hours later, the North Stars gave Harris the type of player they think will can become a NHL regular in his rookie season.</p><p>Bryan Maxwell, a 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 210-pound defenseman from Medicine Hat of the Western Canada Junior League, was Minnesota&rsquo;s No. I choice out of the NHL amateur draft. North Star scouts said one junior coach in Canada called the 20-year-old Maxwell the meanest player he had ever seen.</p><p>&ldquo;We know Maxwell can take care of himself, but he&rsquo;s also a very sound hockey player with a good shot and the ability to move the puck.&rdquo; said Ted O&rsquo;Connor, chief scout.</p><p>Maxwell was impressed that Harris had just been named coach, and indicated it was a long-time aspiration to play in the NHL.</p><p>&ldquo;I enjoy the-physical aspect of hockey,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I love to drop the gloves-no sticks. 1 suppose I will have to establish myself early so I can concentrate on my skating.&rdquo;</p><p>The North Stars were the fourth team to draft in the first round, but had rated Maxwell the second-best prospect.</p><p>&ldquo;We worried that he might not be available when our turn came around,&rdquo; Gordon said of the defenseman who scored 64 points and had 188 PIM as a junior this past year.</p><p>The second round choice went to pay back an old trade to Montreal. On the third round, the North Stars took goalie Paul Harrison from the OHA&rsquo;s Oshawa team and right winger Alex Pirus of Notre Dame University. Pirus and No. 4 choice Steve Jensen of Michigan Tech (a Minnesota native) have two years of college eligibility remaining.</p><p>Along the image set by the Flyers, the No. 5 choice was a lad by the name of David Norris, a Hamilton player who has taken pro boxing lessons.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

New Coach Harris To Combine 3 Systems With North Stars

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-01849/3284220-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"></div><p><b>MAYBE THE MAIN PROBLEM</b> with the world tournament Alan Eagleson proposes to stage in 1976 is the magnitude of the idea.</p><p>The idea is a dandy. Eagleson, the executive director of the National Hockey League Players&rsquo; Association, with strong backing from the Canadian government, wants to match the national teams of the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia. Finland and Sweden plus U.S. and Canadian teams comprised of the NHL and World Hockey Association players born in those countries in a single round-robin in September, 1976.</p><p>Eagleson made it sound as if he had abandoned his partnership in a heavyweight Toronto law firm to devote every ounce of his abundant energy to the project. That wasn&rsquo;t quite true. Eagleson decided to open his own office some time ago but he would have more time for his hockey-related endeavors&mdash;the players&rsquo; association, his own hockey clients led by Bobby Orr. and the tournament.</p><p>Of course, the NHL reaction to the idea was colder than a well-digger&rsquo;s butt. The WHA was much more positive.</p><p>You see, the NHL wants to arrange its own confrontation with the Soviets, preferably a series of matches between NHL and Soviet club teams during the 1975-76 season. They even invited the comrades to Montreal to play a little footsy about future matchches.</p><p>Often, though, the NHL is a bit like a little kid whose mother has handed him a plate of spinach. The initial reaction is a strong &ldquo;no&rdquo;, but when they think about it a little, the idea&mdash;and the spinach&mdash;improves. A gorgeous satirical number could be written about a meeting between the NHL brass and the Soviet big hockey gunners. It could be called &ldquo;The No-Nyet Rag.&rdquo;</p><p>Anyway. Eagleson is determined to arrange his six-team tournament. The NHL people say it can&rsquo;t happen. They said the same thing in 1972 when the first Soviet Union-Team Canada series was proposed. Four months later, it happened, with Eagleson front and center. This time, he has more than a year to accomplish the same thing and no one is betting that he won&rsquo;t do it.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-02736/3284213-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="443" height="569"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Alan Eagleson</b></figcaption></div><h2>Party Lines were Down</h2><p><b>THE TOURNAMENT WAS ANNOUNCED</b> by Canadian Minister of Health Marc Lalonde, under whose department sport falls, with Eagleson at his elbow. It appeared that Eagleson loaded the gun and Lalonde tired it.</p><p>Thus, hockey placed a large bridge over political waters. Lalonde is cabinet minister in the majority Liberal party while Eagleson is a large wheel in the Conservatives, especially in the province of Ontario. Politics makes strange bed-fellows and so does hockey. Place the two together and anything can happen.</p><p>Eagleson alternates between wide-eyed wonder and hard-headed practic lity when he discusses the tournament. He did the ground work for it at the 1975 would amateur championship in West Germany. He claims the countries involved are quite warm to the notion and he&rsquo;s certain he can turn up their burners to hot.</p><p>&ldquo;The world tournament simply is the greatest thing that ever happened tc hockey in Canada.&rdquo; Eagleson enthused.</p><p>&ldquo;Just think of it! All the great players in a tournament. The U.S. born players in the NHL and WHA would give the Yankees a pretty fair team Team Canada would be great. The Russians and Czechs, of course, are extraordinary. And, all the Swedes in the NHL and WHA would be eligible to play for the Swedish nationals. What a prospect!&rdquo;</p><p>When he steps down from the cloud, the Eagle has a few schemes up the old sleeve to convince the NHL owners that they can&rsquo;t afford not to be involved. Money, of course, heads the list.</p><p>In a round-a bout way, Eagleson proposes a little trade for the NHL owners. He claims the players&rsquo; association must be consulted on any extra NHL games especially the Soviet matches next season. They weren&rsquo;t invited to the chats with the Soviet brass.</p><p>&ldquo;Not that we want to stand in the way of those games but co-operation by one side often brings co-operation by the other.&rdquo; Eagleson said.</p><h2>Bunny Ahearne Is Ready</h2><p><b>NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED</b> in all this world tournament stuff is John &ldquo;Bunny&rdquo; Ahearne. the talented and lovely president of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Eagleson&rsquo;s tournament would rub the lustre off the 11HF&rsquo;s annual world amateur championship, which has turned into a laugher for the Soviets.</p><p>Bunny hasn&rsquo;t stayed in front by being behind the times. When the I1HF holds its summer congress in July, Ahearne has two proposals ready which will guarantee his inclusion in the Eagle&rsquo;s get-together if they&rsquo;re passed One is the long-awaited vote on an &ldquo;open&rdquo; world tournament which would allow the nasty, old mercenaries of North America to play against the Simon Pures of the Iron Curtain countries.</p><p>&ldquo;I personally, will propose that professional organizations be allowed to the become associate members of the II HF&rdquo;, Ahearned said.</p><p>If that one passes, then the NHL. and WHA could join the II HF and make more direct deals without having to use the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association as a go-between with the IIHF.</p><p>If it happens. Eagleson will have a key role. The 1976 tournament is his baby. Sure, he&rsquo;ll have representatives of the CAHA and the remnants of Hockey Canada and the government along for the ride. But he made one thing clear: he&rsquo;ll call the shots&mdash;all the shots.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

The Problem Is Bigness

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0013-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-01834/3284258-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>STANLEY CUP CHAMPS&mdash;PHILADELPHIA FLYERS</b></p><p>Winning the Stanley Cup twice in succession is a feat only a handful of teams have achieved down through the years and the Philadelphia Flyers became only the fifth team in NHL history to turn the trick this season. The Flyers won it all by beating Toronto, New York Islanders and finally Buffalo in the cup final. First row, from the left, BERNIE PARENT, KEITH ALLEN, vice-president and general manager, ED SNIDER, chairman of the board, BOBBY CLARKE, FRED SHERO, coach, F. EUGENE DIXON, Jr., JOE SCOTT, president, and BOBBY TAYLOR. Second row, BARRY ASHBEE, asst, coach, OREST KINDRACHUK, JOE WATSON, ROSS LONSBERRY, RICK MacLEISH, GARY DORNHOEFER, ED VAN IMPE, TERRY CRISP and MIKE NYKOLUK, asst, coach. Third row, FRANK LEWIS, trainer, DAVE SCHULTZ, JIM WATSON, BILL BARBER, BOB KELLY, REG LEACH, WAYNE STEPHENSON, and JIM McKENZIE, asst, trainer. Back row, JOHN BROGAN, public relations director, TOM BLADON, BILL CLEMENT, MARCEL PELLETIER, director of player personnel, DON SALESKI, ANDRE DUPONT, and JOE KADLEC, press relations director.</p></figcaption></div><p>14 Pages Of Statistics</p><p><b>PHILADELPHIA FLYERS</b></p><p>Stanley Cup Champs</p><p><b>HOUSTON AEROS</b></p><p>Avco Cup Champs</p><p><b>SPRINGFIELD INDIANS</b></p><p>Calder Cup Champs</p><p><b>SALT LAKE GOLDEN EAGLES</b></p><p>Patrick Cup Champs</p><p><b>TOLEDO GOALDIGGERS</b></p><p>Turner Cup Champs</p><p><b>JOHNSTOWN JETS</b></p><p>NAHL Champions</p><p><b>CHARLOTTE CHECKERS</b></p><p>SHL Champions</p><p><b>THUNDER BAY TWINS</b></p><p>USHL Champions</p><p>Allan Cup Champs</p><p><b>TORONTO MARLBOROS</b></p><p>Memorial Cup Champs</p><p><b>SPRUCE GROVE METS</b></p><p>Centennial Cup Champs</p><p><b>DETROIT REDWINGS</b></p><p>U.S. Junior Champs</p><p><b>MICHIGAN TECH HUSKIES</b></p><p>NCAA Champions</p><p><b>ALBERTA UNIV. GOLDEN BEARS</b></p><p>CIAU Champions</p><h2>WHERE TO FIND STATISTICS</h2><p>NHLp. 14-15-17</p><p>WHAp. 21-22</p><p>AHL p. 25 CHL p. 26</p><p>IHLp. 29 NAHL p. 31</p><p>SHL p. 32 USHL p. 27</p><p>OHAp. 33 WCHLp.34</p><p>QMHLp.35</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-02748/3284251-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="2424" height="1038"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>AVCO WORLD TROPHY CHAMPS&mdash;HOUSTON AEROS</b></p><p><b>Showing very definite signs of class from the outset of the season, the Houston Aeros swept through the WHA this season to win the Avco World Trophy for the second year in a row as they dominated both league and playoff competition. The Aeros defeated Quebec Nordiques four straight in the championship final to keep their hold on the title. Front row, from the left, RON GRAHAME, PAUL POPEIL, GORDIE HOWE, IRV KAPLAN, chairman of the board, JIM SMITH, president and general manager, BILL DINEEN, coach, TED TAYLOR, GORD LABOSSIERE and WAYNE RUTLEDGE. Middle row, ANDRE HINSE, FRANK HUGHES, MARK HOWE, RICH PRESTON, TERRY RUSKOWSKI, MURRAY HALL, GLENN IRWIN and JIM SHERRIT. Back row, BOBBY KINCAID, equipment manager, BOB SKELTON, clubhouse manager, DON LARWAY, LARRY LUND, MARTY HOWE, LARRY HALE, BILL PRENTICE, JOHN SCHELLA and BOBBY BROWN, trainer.</b></p></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0013-01

HOCKEY NEWS SALUTES The 1974-75 Champions

<p>(Final Standings For 1974-75 Season)</p><h2>NORRIS DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-07199/3284558-1-eng-US/f0014-072.jpg" title="f0014-07" width="593" height="177"></div><h2>ADAMS DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-08170/3284551-1-eng-US/f0014-082.jpg" title="f0014-08" width="591" height="149"></div><h2>Home Record</h2><h3>NORRIS DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-09156/3284544-1-eng-US/f0014-092.jpg" title="f0014-09" width="593" height="177"></div><h2>ADAMS DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-10140/3284537-1-eng-US/f0014-102.jpg" title="f0014-10" width="588" height="146"></div><h2>PATRICK DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-11126/3284530-1-eng-US/f0014-112.jpg" title="f0014-11" width="593" height="148"></div><h2>SMYTHE DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-12115/3284523-1-eng-US/f0014-122.jpg" title="f0014-12" width="588" height="179"></div><h2>PATRICK DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1397/3284516-1-eng-US/f0014-132.jpg" title="f0014-13" width="591" height="146"></div><h2>SMYTHE DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1478/3284509-1-eng-US/f0014-142.jpg" title="f0014-14" width="587" height="178"></div><h2>Road Record</h2><h3>NORRIS DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1569/3284502-1-eng-US/f0014-152.jpg" title="f0014-15" width="592" height="178"></div><h2>ADAMS DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1658/3284495-1-eng-US/f0014-162.jpg" title="f0014-16" width="589" height="150"></div><h2>PATRICK DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1756/3284488-1-eng-US/f0014-172.jpg" title="f0014-17" width="591" height="148"></div><h2>SMYTHE DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1837/3284481-1-eng-US/f0014-182.jpg" title="f0014-18" width="589" height="178"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0014-07

NHL FINAL STATISTICS

<h2>Top 25 Scorers</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-01835/3284450-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="595" height="755"></div><h2>Top 10 Rookies</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-02721/3284443-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="594" height="327"></div><h2>Top 10 Bad Men</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-03564/3284436-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="595" height="320"></div><p><b>FINAL SCORING BY TEAMS</b></p><h2>ATLANTA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-04409/3284429-1-eng-US/f0014-042.jpg" title="f0014-04" width="598" height="696"></div><h2>BOSTON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-05295/3284422-1-eng-US/f0014-052.jpg" title="f0014-05" width="602" height="819"></div><h2>BUFFALO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-06245/3284415-1-eng-US/f0014-062.jpg" title="f0014-06" width="598" height="701"></div><h2>CALIFORNIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1934/3284408-1-eng-US/f0014-192.jpg" title="f0014-19" width="600" height="960"></div><p>Yvan Cournoyer of Montreal became only the second player since the NHL&rsquo;s original expansion of 1967-68 to score five goals in a game. That was against Chicago, Feb. 15, during Canadiens&rsquo; 12-3 win at Montreal. Red Berenson scored six times for St. Louis against Philadelphia, Nov. 7, 1968.</p><h2>CHICAGO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-2032/3284401-1-eng-US/f0014-202.jpg" title="f0014-20" width="608" height="696"></div><h2>DETROIT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-2128/3284394-1-eng-US/f0014-212.jpg" title="f0014-21" width="604" height="930"></div><h2>KANSAS CITY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-2225/3284387-1-eng-US/f0014-222.jpg" title="f0014-22" width="598" height="958"></div><h2>LOS ANGELES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-2319/3284380-1-eng-US/f0014-232.jpg" title="f0014-23" width="595" height="643"></div><h2>MINNESOTA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-2417/3284373-1-eng-US/f0014-242.jpg" title="f0014-24" width="600" height="959"></div><h2>MONTREAL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-2513/3284366-1-eng-US/f0014-252.jpg" title="f0014-25" width="596" height="726"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-2613/3284359-1-eng-US/f0014-262.jpg" title="f0014-26" width="550" height="1397"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DAVE SCHULTZ&hellip;Top Bad Man Again</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-2712/3284352-1-eng-US/f0014-272.jpg" title="f0014-27" width="563" height="1331"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BOBBY ORR&hellip;Scoring Champ</b></figcaption></div><h2>ISLANDERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-2812/3284345-1-eng-US/f0014-282.jpg" title="f0014-28" width="596" height="638"></div><h2>RANGERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-2911/3284338-1-eng-US/f0014-292.jpg" title="f0014-29" width="594" height="841"></div><h2>PHILADELPHIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-309/3284331-1-eng-US/f0014-302.jpg" title="f0014-30" width="602" height="758"></div><h2>PITTSBURGH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-01544/3284324-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="600" height="877"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-02481/3284317-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="601" height="901"></div><h2>TORONTO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03400/3284310-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="598" height="820"></div><h2>VANCOUVER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-04309/3284303-1-eng-US/f0017-042.jpg" title="f0017-04" width="598" height="786"></div><h2>WASHINGTON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-05253/3284296-1-eng-US/f0017-052.jpg" title="f0017-05" width="593" height="673"></div><h2>Team Penalties</h2><p><b>FINAL STATISTICS</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-06214/3284289-1-eng-US/f0017-062.jpg" title="f0017-06" width="592" height="547"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0014-01

<h2>Preliminary Round</h2><h3>SERIES &lsquo;A&rsquo;</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-01812/3284757-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="584" height="120"></div><h3>SERIES &lsquo;B&rsquo;</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-02717/3284750-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="582" height="126"></div><h3>SERIES &lsquo;C&rsquo;</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03586/3284743-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="586" height="127"></div><h3>SERIES &lsquo;D&rsquo;</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-04455/3284736-1-eng-US/f0015-042.jpg" title="f0015-04" width="585" height="130"></div><h2>Quarter-Finals</h2><h3>SERIES &lsquo;E&rsquo;</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-05337/3284729-1-eng-US/f0015-052.jpg" title="f0015-05" width="583" height="124"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3><p><b>Sun. April 13</b></p><p>Toronto 3 at Philadelphia 6</p><p><b>Tue. April 15</b></p><p>Toronto 0 at Philadelphia 3</p><p><b>Thu. April 17</b></p><p>Philadelphia 2 at Toronto 0</p><p><b>Sat. April 19</b></p><p>Philadelphia 4 at Toronto 3</p><h3>SERIES &lsquo;F&rsquo;</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-06280/3284722-1-eng-US/f0015-062.jpg" title="f0015-06" width="532" height="124"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3><p><b>Sun. April 13</b></p><p>Chicago 1 at Buffalo 4</p><p><b>Tue. April 15</b></p><p>Chicago 1 at Buffalo 3</p><p><b>Thu. April 17</b></p><p>Buffalo 4 at Chicago 5</p><p><b>Sun. April 20</b></p><p>Buffalo 6 at Chicago 2</p><p><b>Tue. April 22</b></p><p>Chicago 1 at Buffalo 3</p><h3>SERIES &lsquo;G&rsquo;</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-07248/3284715-1-eng-US/f0015-072.jpg" title="f0015-07" width="530" height="130"></div><h3>PLAYOFF GOALING</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-08223/3284708-1-eng-US/f0015-082.jpg" title="f0015-08" width="595" height="582"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3><p><b>Sun. April 13</b></p><p>Vancouver 2 at Montreal 6</p><p><b>Tue. April 15</b></p><p>Vancouver 2 at Montreal 1</p><p><b>Thu. April 17</b></p><p>Montreal 4 at Vancouver 1</p><p><b>Sat. April 19</b></p><p>Montreal 4 at Vancouver 0</p><p><b>Tue. April 22</b></p><p>Vancouver 4 at Montreal 5</p><h3>SERIES &lsquo;H&rsquo;</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-09206/3284701-1-eng-US/f0015-092.jpg" title="f0015-09" width="537" height="124"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3><p><b>Sun. April 13</b></p><p>Islanders 4 at Pittsburgh 5</p><p><b>Tue. April 15</b></p><p>Islanders 1 at Pittsburgh 3</p><p><b>Thu. April 17</b></p><p>Pittsburgh 6 at Islanders 4</p><p><b>Sun. April 20</b></p><p>Pittsburgh 1 at Islanders 3</p><p><b>Tue. April 22</b></p><p>Islanders 4 at Pittsburgh 2</p><p><b>Thu. April 24</b></p><p>Pittsburgh 1 at Islanders 4</p><p><b>Sat. April 26</b></p><p>Islanders 1 at Pittsburgh 0</p><h2>Semi-Finals</h2><h3>SERIES &lsquo;I&rsquo;</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-10183/3284694-1-eng-US/f0015-102.jpg" title="f0015-10" width="587" height="121"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3><p><b>Sun. April 27</b></p><p>Montreal 5 at Buffalo 6</p><p><b>Tue. April 29</b></p><p>Montreal 2 at Buffalo 4</p><p><b>Thu. May 1</b></p><p>Buffalo 0 at Montreal 7</p><p><b>Sat. May 3</b></p><p>Buffalo 2 at Montreal 8</p><p><b>Tue. May 6</b></p><p>Montreal 4 at Buffalo 5</p><p><b>Thu. May 8</b></p><p>Buffalo 4 at Montreal 3</p><h3>SERIES J&rsquo;</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-11162/3284687-1-eng-US/f0015-112.jpg" title="f0015-11" width="537" height="119"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3><p><b>Tue. April 29</b></p><p>Islanders 0 at &lsquo;Philadelphia 4</p><p><b>Thu. May 1</b></p><p>Islanders 4 at Philadelphia 5</p><p><b>Sun. May 4</b></p><p>Philadelphia 1 at Islanders 0</p><p><b>Wed. May 7</b></p><p>Philadelphia 3 at Islanders 4</p><p><b>Thu. May 8</b></p><p>Islanders 5 at Philadelphia 1</p><p><b>Sun. May 11</b></p><p>Philadelphia 1 at Islanders 2</p><p><b>Tue. May 13</b></p><p>Islanders 1 at Philadelphia 4</p><h3>SERIES &lsquo;K&rsquo;</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-12135/3284680-1-eng-US/f0015-122.jpg" title="f0015-12" width="532" height="116"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3><p><b>Thu. May 15</b></p><p>Buffalo 1 at Philadelphia 4</p><p><b>Sun. May 18</b></p><p>Buffalo 1 at Philadelphia 2</p><p><b>Tue. May 20</b></p><p>Philadelphia 4 at Buffalo 5</p><p><b>Thu. May 22</b></p><p>Philadelphia 2 at Buffalo 4</p><p><b>Sun. May 25</b></p><p>Buffalo 1 at Philadelphia 5</p><p><b>Tue. May 27</b></p><p>Philadelphia 2 at Buffalo 0</p><h2>TOP PLAYOFF SCORERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-13121/3284673-1-eng-US/f0015-132.jpg" title="f0015-13" width="564" height="494"></div><p><b>SCORING BY TEAMS</b></p><h2>PHILADELPHIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-14107/3284666-1-eng-US/f0015-142.jpg" title="f0015-14" width="566" height="624"></div><h2>BUFFALO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-1591/3284659-1-eng-US/f0015-152.jpg" title="f0015-15" width="563" height="585"></div><h2>ISLANDERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-1684/3284652-1-eng-US/f0015-162.jpg" title="f0015-16" width="563" height="615"></div><h2>MONTREAL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-1779/3284645-1-eng-US/f0015-172.jpg" title="f0015-17" width="569" height="554"></div><h2>PITTSBURGH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-1870/3284638-1-eng-US/f0015-182.jpg" title="f0015-18" width="571" height="613"></div><h2>CHICAGO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-1961/3284631-1-eng-US/f0015-192.jpg" title="f0015-19" width="561" height="561"></div><h2>TORONTO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2049/3284624-1-eng-US/f0015-202.jpg" title="f0015-20" width="563" height="561"></div><h2>VANCOUVER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2138/3284617-1-eng-US/f0015-212.jpg" title="f0015-21" width="569" height="585"></div><h2>BOSTON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2227/3284610-1-eng-US/f0015-222.jpg" title="f0015-22" width="566" height="534"></div><h2>RANGERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2318/3284603-1-eng-US/f0015-232.jpg" title="f0015-23" width="571" height="563"></div><h2>LOS ANGELES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2416/3284596-1-eng-US/f0015-242.jpg" title="f0015-24" width="562" height="531"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-2511/3284589-1-eng-US/f0015-252.jpg" title="f0015-25" width="567" height="560"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0015-01

Final Stanley Cup Playoff Statistics

<div class="byline">BY BILL LIBBY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-01641/3284788-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MARCEL DIONNE&hellip;Sought By Three NHL Team</b></figcaption></div><p><b>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER</b></p><p>HOCKEY STICKS</p><p>Made in Canada by</p><p>HILLERICH&BRADSBY. LTD</p><p>Arnold Street. Wallaceburg, Ontario</p><p>Sold in U. S. and Canada</p><p><b>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER</b></p><p>HOCKEY STICKS</p><p>Made in Canada by</p><p>HILLERICH&BRADSBY, LTD</p><p>Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario</p><p>Sold in U. S. and Canada</p><p>LOS ANGELES&mdash;</p><p>The Los Angeles Kings decided to blow the bundle and go for high scoring free agent Marcel Dionne of the Detroit Red Wings.</p><p>Kings&rsquo; president and owner Jack Kent Cooke waited for the right moment to spring the windfall on L.A. hockey fans after the Kings came up with the best deal in the eyes of the Red Wings for Dionne&rsquo;s services.</p><p>Almost everyone in the country was aware of the fact the Kings had Dionne under lock and key after vieing with Toronto and Chicago for the fast-skating little Detroit captain who became a free agent after the 1974-75 season on the expiration of his contract. Dionne wanted out of the Detroit setup and the Kings quickly jumped into the bidding war with both feet.</p><p>Unofficial sources claim the Kings will pay Dionne $1.500.000 spread over four years, including a $250.000 signing bonus. In return L.A. will hand over to Detroit defenseman Terry Harper, the Kings&rsquo; team captain, rugged Dan Maloney and Los Angeles&rsquo; second round draft choice in 1976. The Wings also tossed defenseman Bart Crashley into the deal.</p><p>It was high stakes for a player of Dionne&rsquo;s calibre but Cooke wants a winner and he is aware the team needed a big scorer like Dionne to turn the trick.</p><p>Harper was unsigned by the Kings after agreeing to terms for two more years joining Mike Murphy, who was in a similar position. Bob Nevin and Frank St. Marseille are heading into the option years of their new-style contracts. Gary Edwards and Shelly Kannegiesser were the last Kings to sign.</p><p>As a result of an earlier deal with Montreal, the Kings had their first first-round choice in the amateur draft. It was the 16th in rotation and brought them Tim Young. 6&rsquo;2&rdquo; and 178, a center from the Ottawa team who scored 56 goals and assisted on 107 in missing by two points the title in the OH A last season&hellip;Johnny Bucyk&rsquo;s nephew. Terry, 6&rsquo;2&rdquo; and 195, a right winger from the Lethbridge team, was their second selection, followed by defenseman Andre Leduc from Sherbrooke and Dave Miglia from Trois-Rivieres, forwards Bob</p><p>Russell from Sudbury. Dave Faulkner from Regina and Bill Reber from Vermont U., defenseman Sean Sullivan from Hamilton and goaler Brian Petrovek from Harvard&hellip;Miglia had 308 penalty minutes, Leduc 210. Russell had 51 goals, Faulkner 56.</p><p>Chief &ldquo;Scout George Maguire has a marvellous record of finding players who can play in the NHL from among players still available in late rounds. Of Young, he says, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a fair to good skater and a good puckhandler who can score. He&rsquo;s fairly tough and can fight. He has a chance to play in the NHL next season.&rdquo; He was drafted by, but refused a bid from New England of the WHA last season. Of Bucyk, Maguire says, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s good-sized and a good skater. He&rsquo;s more defensive-minded than offensive-minded, but has good moves and can put the puck in the net.&rdquo;&hellip;It is not clear where they will land as the Kings may move out of Springfield and the AHL into a shared operation in the Central League next season with a greatly reduced list of minor leaguers.</p><p>NHL rulings will sideline Dave Hutchison the first five games and Gene Carr the first two games of next season as a result of a brawl in the final playoff loss to Toronto. Carr was suspended for spitting at Dave Williams. Hutchison for provoking a stick-fight with him. Williams drew a two-game ban&hellip;Butch Goring is recuperating rapidly from a post-season operation on the shoulder which has sidelined him parts of the last two seasons&hellip;Gary Sargent is recovering from the knee operation which sidelined him most of his first pro season at Springfield this past season&hellip;Manager Jake Milford&rsquo;s son. John Jr., graduating from William S. Hart High School in Newhall, accepted a golf scholarship to UCLA. He&rsquo;s a I-handicapper who made the California scholastic finals&hellip;Gary Edwards and Mike Murphy won amateur golf tourneys&hellip;Mike Hope now is set to return as Kings&rsquo; PR director.</p><p>Ex-Kings defensemen Paul Popiel and Barry Long and center Serge Bernier were second-teamers and rightwing Wayne Rivers a third-teamer on the official WHA All Stars&hellip;One or two would have helped here&hellip;Larry Regan no longer is coaching Montreal&rsquo;s Juniors&hellip;Rogie Vachon bought a beachside condominium for his family in Pacific Palisades and is selling the house he bought in Montreal last year&hellip;Nevin. St. Marseille. Hutchison. Tom Williams and Vic Venasky now are the only Kings who return to Canada for the full summer&hellip;Harper is remodelling his Manhattan Beach home in &ldquo;spectacular modem&rdquo;&hellip;Larry Brown is adding a retreat he is having built in the northern California mountains near Shasta&hellip;Bob Murdorch is adding a lakeside log cabin he is building himself in old-fashioned style in the woods outside Tacoma. Washington&hellip;Expecting their first-born near year&rsquo;s end. Shelly and Debbie Kannegiesser bought a home in Northridge&hellip;</p><p>.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-01

Kings Bid High To Land Dionne

<p>KENOSHA&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Kenosha Flyers captured the Continental Hockey League championship by taking 5-4 and 8-1 victories over the Peoria Blades. The double win at Kenosha gave the powerful Flyers the best-of-seven final series four games to two in the league&rsquo;s first year of operation.</p><p>Prior to the final series, the Flyers, after finishing in first place, dumped the Chicago Wildcats while Peoria sidetracked the Madison Blues in the semifinals.</p><p>Center Jerry Dunne blasted the winning goal with only 37 seconds remaining in the Flyers 5-4 win. The following evening Flyers right-winger Steve Anderson paced the winners, scoring the hat trick, while Jim McCllelan and Dick Masiuk each added a pair of goals in the 8-1 finale.</p><p>Following the title winning game, league president Mark Olson presented Flyers&rsquo; player-coach Gene Stoney with the Walmar Cup. emblematic of league supremacy.</p><p>Kenosha team owner Don Walsh was named executive of the year, while Peo-ris star defenseman Ric Olson was the CHL&rsquo;s player of the year. Brother Mike Olson was named coach of the year, after leading his team from last place earlier in the season to the CHL finals.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Kenosha First CHL Champions

<div class="byline">BY DONALD BERNS</div><p>ST. LOUIS&mdash;</p><p>The St. Louis Blues picked a goaler as their top choice in the amateur draft and Blues&rsquo; fans were waiting for the axe to fall since the club had four netminders. They didn&rsquo;t have to wait long.</p><p>Blues dealt big John Davidson to the New York Rangers in a five-player swap to ease the congested St. Louis goaling picture. The drafting and ultimate signing of Ed Staniow-wski of Regina Pats of the Western Canada Hockey League made Davidson expendable in the eyes of the Blues&rsquo; brass.</p><p>St. Louis gave up on Davidson after two years in the NHL and along with veteran Bill Collins, sent the pair to the Rangers in exchange for some &lsquo;muscle&rsquo; which will be provided by the acquisition of Ted Irvine. Bert Wilson and Jerry Butler, all of whom are noted for their ruggedness on the ice. &#9632;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-09136/3284843-1-eng-US/f0017-092.jpg" title="f0017-09" width="246" height="414"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>John Davidson</b></figcaption></div><p>The Blues without Davidson still have plenty of goalies. Besides Staniowski, who was chosen the No. I junior hockey player in Canada for 197475, there are also 38-year-old Eddie Johnston and rookie Yves Belanger to contest the Blues&rsquo; two goaling jobs for next year.</p><p>The Blues did not have a pick in the first round of the 1975 amateur draft because that selection had been given over to Montreal as part of the complicated three-team deal that allowed the Blues to draft Davidson two years ago.</p><p>Staniowski was the 27th player chosen in the &lsquo;75 draft and the Blues were happy to get him. Sid solomon Ill. president of the club, expects a keen battle between Staniowski. Belanger and Johnston for the two St. Louis goaling jobs. It would seem the Blues plan to carry only two netminders for the 1975-76 campaign.</p><p>The Blues had two picks in the second round. They also had Philadelphia&rsquo;s second-round choice, the last in the round and 36th in the draft, as the main compensation for Wayne Stephenson, who went to the Flyers before last season. The Blues, took Ottawa defenseman Jamie Masters, the highest scoring defenseman in the Ontario Hockey Association last season with 26 goals and 69 assists.</p><p>Because Masters is a righthanded defenseman. he may have a better chance of making the Blues. At many times last season Lawrence Sacharuk was the only righthanded defenseman on the team. The seven major-leaguers ahead of Masters are Sacharuk, Rick Wilson. Bob Gassoff, Bob Hess. Barclay Plager. Bob Plager and Bruce Affleck.</p><p>That number will be six for the first five games of next season because of the league suspension given to Bob Plager. He will miss the first five games because in the last two minutes of the Blues&rsquo; last playoff game last season he slammed referee Andy Van Hellemond into the boards while going for a puck. Van Hellemond suffered a back injury and was in a hospital in Toronto for 10 days.</p><p>The Blues took a total of eight players in the draft&mdash;four juniors and four college players with all four juniors being picked before the first collegian. They picked two goalies, three defensemen and a forward line.</p><p>After Staniowski and Masters in the second round the Blues did not have a third-round choice because of the deal that reacquired Red Berenson from Detroit in December. They picked in the fourth through ninth rounds before dropping out of the drafting.</p><p>The brother of one of the Blues. Bob Gassoff, was drafted in the second round. Brad Gassoff. who played with Kamloops, was taken by the Vancouver Canucks. The younger Gassoff is a left wing.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0017-09

Blues Unload Davidson To Ease Goaling Jam After Drafting Junior

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-07" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-07185/3284881-1-eng-US/f0017-072.jpg"></div><h2>FINAL GOALKEEPING RECORDS FOR ALL NHL TEAMS</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-08152/3284874-1-eng-US/f0017-082.jpg" title="f0017-08" width="1159" height="2610"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0017-07

LOOKING AT NHL GOALERS

<div class="byline">BY FRANKORR</div><p>TORONTO&mdash;</p><p>The news had to hurt but Norm Ullman and Eddie Shack discovered the way it will be for several National Hockey League veterans this summer.</p><p>Ullman, 39, and Shack, 38, were not offered 1975-76 contracts by the Toronto Maple Leafs and became free agents on June 1. The Leafs placed them on waivers, and no other NHL team wanted them for $100.</p><p>Thus, two distinguished veterans, Ullman as one of the finest players in the game&rsquo;s history, and Shack, the much-publicized, free-wheeling winger who made the sport great fun, found that the NHL string had expired. The game is on a youth kick and many players in their 30s will have a similar fate.</p><p>The Leafs gave some indication they want younger legs next season by purchasing much-maligned goaler Wayne Thomas from the Montreal Canadiens in return for Toronto&rsquo;s first round amateur draft pick in 1976. Thomas, who was the victim of the three-goaler system at Montreal and saw no service in league action, could be the Leafs&rsquo; No. 1 goaler next year if he ever recovers from a frustrating season of sitting and hot dog eating in the league&rsquo;s press boxes. Inactivity has often ruined promising goalers. Thomas however still has youth at 27.</p><p>Ullman could work his own deal with another NHL team and he had one discussion with Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association. He definitely wants to play another season.</p><p>Because of assorted business interests, Shack won&rsquo;t leave Toronto. That narrows his future as a player down to the WHA Toros and they weren&rsquo;t exactly knocking down his door.</p><p>Ullman, who has scored 490 goals and is fourth on the all-time list with 1,229 points, was reduced to spot play with the Leafs last season. It griped him a little, too. because many times, the team&rsquo;s kids were going nowhere.</p><p>&ldquo;If I had played on a regular basis last season and saw that I couldn&rsquo;t play well, I would have retired because there&rsquo;s no way I&rsquo;d just hang on.&rdquo; Ullman said. &ldquo;But I didn&rsquo;t play enough to find out because I never had a chance to get a fine edge on my game.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s why I&rsquo;d like to play again on a regular basis. I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;m finished and I feel I can contribute something good to an NHL team. I just want a chance to show it. or find out that I can&rsquo;t do it, that&rsquo;s all. If I can&rsquo;t, I&rsquo;ll know. No one will have to tell me.&rdquo;</p><p>Ullman was interested in the Oiler offer because Alberta is his home province and he played junior and minor pro hockey in Edmonton. But he felt the Oilers were waiting to see if they acquired Marcel Dionne before finalizing their center plans.</p><p>Shack played only a few Leaf games last season, although the Maple Leaf Gardens&rsquo; crowd repeatedly yelled: &ldquo;We want Shack.&rdquo; Eddie was paid $80,000 for sitting in the press box, slightly more than the media roost&rsquo;s regular inhabitants.</p><p>The Leafs did dispatch him to their Oklahoma City farm team in the Central League for two weeks in an effort to hike the gates there. But few people among the oil wells knew that an Eddie Shack wasn&rsquo;t middle America&rsquo;s equivalent of a Johnny-On-The-Spot.</p><p>Shack spent 17 seasons in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Leafs twice, Boston Bruins, Los Angeles, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. He claimed he was &ldquo;90 percent decided&rdquo; to retire, unless the Toros called. He didn&rsquo;t plan to call them.</p><p>The Toros discovered last season that big names don&rsquo;t exactly guarantee wins or crowds. They said they were interested in Shack but on the grounds that he&rsquo;d have to make their team as a legitimate player, not as a court jester.</p><p>Shack is part owner of a golf course and he plans to open a travel agency. He also has a lengthy string of endorsements. both commercials and sales promotion contracts.</p><p><b>LEAF NOTES:</b> Red Kelly is almost certain to return as Leaf coach despite some mutterings by owner Harold Ballard of a change&hellip;The Leafs and captain Dave Keon were talking but it&rsquo;s likely Keon will be traded. First, however, Keon must sign a contract and the team won&rsquo;t offer a no-trade clause Which Keon wants&hellip;Center Don Ashby, the Leafs&rsquo; first choice in the amateur draft, claims he wants to play in the NHL and seemed pleased that the Leafs had claimed him. However, the WHA Calgary Cowboys stated that they&rsquo;d offer stout competition for the big attacker who starred in junior hockey there&hellip;The Leafs could have used the first draft pick of-Pittsburgh Penguins which they acquired in a 1974 trade but they exercised the option of postponing it until 1976 or &lsquo;77.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-01550/3284912-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="553" height="593"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>WAYNE THOMAS&hellip;Another Chance</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0018-01

Ullman, Shack Job Hunting After Release By Toronto

<p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he long expected player cutdown by National Hockey Leaxgue teams was becoming more evident following the release of some 97 players by NHL clubs as &lsquo;surplus talent.&rsquo;</p><p>Almost all 18 NHL teams dropped players in a move to stem expenses as the hockey economy, ike all phases of business, was running rampant. NHL clubs will be limited to 17 players and two goalkeepers next season and most teams have reduced their farm club operations drastically.</p><p>Here is a list of the known NHL free agents:</p><p>Atlanta (13): Tim Ecclestone, Jim McMasters, Wayne Schaab, Keith McCreary, Mike Conroy, Lucien Grenier, John Huber, Bob Law, Don Muio, John Voss, Billy Klatt, Allie Sutherland, Al Young.</p><p>Boston (5): Steve Lyon. Ron Boehm, Yvon Bouillon, Neil Clairmont. Bernie MacNeil.</p><p>Buffalo (1): Larry Mickey.</p><p>California (3): Ted McAneeley, Bob McAneeley, Brian Lavender.</p><p>Chicago (2): Bill Orban. Clyde Simon.</p><p>Detroit (4): Roy Edwards, Mike Jakubo, Ted Snell, Dan Makey.</p><p>Kansas City (3): Kerry Ketter, Morris Stefaniw, Tom Peluso, Denis Caru-fel.</p><p>Los Angeles (5): Scott Seagrist, John Healey. Bob Poffenroth. John Van Horlick. John Dobie.</p><p>Minnesota (4): Bob Cook. Rod Norrish, Ron Wilson, Mike Hornby.</p><p>Montreal (I): Len Cunning.</p><p>N.Y. Islanders (10): Brian Marchinko, Tom Miller, Skip Teal, Dennis Anderson, Wynne Dempster, Denis Desgagnes, Bob Fowler, Jim Maertz, Ron Smith, Jim Webster.</p><p>Philadelphia (4): Mark Bousquet, Tom Young, Bob CoIlyard, Randy Wy-rozub.</p><p>Pittsburgh (1): Rich Uhrich.</p><p>St. Louis (4): Bob McCord, Ron Docken, Francois Ouimet. Ray Brownlee.</p><p>Toronto (11): BII Flett. Norm Ullman. Eddie Shack. Steve Dolloff, Denis Deslauriers, Ron Clarke, Jim Marsh, Brian Bowles, Bob Duncan, Dale Smedsmo, Mike Sauter.</p><p>Vancouver (6): Larry Gould, Daye Westner, Emile DeMoissac, Peter Folco, Dave Wisener, Paul O&rsquo;Neil.</p><p>Washington (6): Bruce Cowick, Steve Atkinson, Doug Mohns, Joe Lundrigan, Terry Bozack, John Nazar.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

NHL On Economy Kick, 97 Players Free Agents

<p>Exciting instruction will be the format of Elmira College&rsquo;s 3rd Soaring Eagles Hockey School.</p><p>Individual and team skills will be a specialty with the curriculum being dedicated to the special needs of the youthful hockey player.</p><p>Highly personalized instruction is designed to give the maximum amount of improvement in all aspects of the game of hockey.</p><p>Special instruction will be given to goalkeepers, forwards and defensemen. Games and game situations will also be an integral part of the instructional program.</p><p>Join us at the Soaring Eagles Hockey School, August 4-16 and 17-30.</p><p>Plenty of ice time!!</p><p><b>For futher Information write:</b></p><p>Mr. Paul Brand</p><p>Executive Director</p><p>Soaring Eagles Sports Camps</p><p>Elmira College</p><p>Elmira, New York 14901<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

HOCKEY CAMP

<div class="byline">BY HARRY KLAFF</div><p>LONG ISLAND&mdash;</p><p>One of the nice things about an expansion team that doesn&rsquo;t win very often is that a fan can walk up to the window a half hour before a game and buy a seat. But those days are over forever&mdash;at least on Long Island.</p><p>Thanks to the Islanders&rsquo; fantastic playoff showing this year, tickets at the Coliseum next season will be as rare as myopics at a nudist camp. In the span of only a few weeks, the N.Y. Islanders have become one of the hottest tickets in town.</p><p>The Isles drew well all last season. and sold out almost all games in the month of March. Then came the playoffs, which saw thousands of fans line up at the Coliseum and at computer ticket outlets, hoping to gobble up the remaining couple of hundred ducats.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-01531/3285015-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="276" height="408"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Pat Price</b></figcaption></div><p>The Islanders averaged approximately 8.000 season tickets for their first three years. This was a static figure, with newer fans picking up for the cancellations. And in spite of the Isles&rsquo; fine showing on the ice, it didn&rsquo;t look like the club&rsquo;s making the playoffs for the first time would do anything to this total,</p><p>But that was until J.P. Parise slipped the puck past Ed Giacomin in overtime to push the Islanders by the rival Rangers in their preliminary round confrontation. The phone in the club&rsquo;s season ticket department hasn&rsquo;t stopped ringing since.</p><p>&ldquo;Things were pretty quiet until we beat the Rangers,&rsquo;&rsquo; says Ken Hare, the Isles&rsquo; assistant sales director. &ldquo;Then we started selling 200-300 season tickets every single day. It was incredible. Suddenly everyone wanted season tickets.&rdquo;</p><p>At press time, the Islanders had only about 200 season seats available for next season. Because of clause in their lease with the Nassau Coliseum, the club is only permitted to sell 11,500 seats on an annual basis. The remainder&mdash;or approximately 15 percent in all price ranges&mdash;must be allocated for a game-to-game sale.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re pretty sure that we&rsquo;ll have the remaining season tickets sold before the summer is over.&rdquo; says Hare. &ldquo;This is ordinarily the quiet time, but things generally pick up again when training camp opens.</p><p>&ldquo;The interesting thing about the recent rash of sales has been the type of people that have been buying,&rdquo; continues Hare, who has been a part of the Islander organization since the team was formed. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d say at least 75 percent of the new customers are private individuals. not corporations. It&rsquo;s been the die-hard hockey fan that&rsquo;s been signing up.&rdquo;</p><p>The playoffs have long since been over, but general manager Bill Torrey has yet to catch up on all the sleep he lost during the season. Torrey&mdash;who has pulled off more acts of grand larceny since the Union Pacific served as Jesse James&rsquo; private expansion club&mdash;appeared to have pulled off one more heist at the annual draft.</p><p>After watching the WHA steal a number of his original draftees in 1972, Torrey reciprocated last month by naming defenseman Pat Price of the Calgary Cowboys (n&eacute;e Vancouver Blazers) as his number one pick. Had he not signed previously with the rival league, Price could have been the NHL&rsquo;s first selection last year.</p><p>It seems that Price was disenchanted with the WHA from the very beginning, especially after the brand-new Ferrari they gave him slid off the road into a ditch one rainy evening. He expressed his sorrow to his former defense partner on the Saskatoon Blades Jrs., Dave Lewis, who of course, is an Islander regular. Lewis spread the word to Torrey, who took it from there. Since all WHA clubs have since waived Price, it&rsquo;s a good bet he&rsquo;ll play on Long Island.</p><p>If Price signs, his contract would assuredly be worth plenty, although it wouldn&rsquo;t be in the million dollar range that he was reportedly getting from the WHA. His presence&mdash;especially at that price&mdash;would place the Islanders in the enviable position of having too many defensemen.</p><p>Price would join the crowded blueline corps which already features the likes of Denis and Jean Potvin, Bert Marshall, Lewis, Gerry Hart, and Dave Fortier. Someone will have to go, unless Al Arbour plans to use Jean Potvin more on the right wing, as he did during the playoffs.</p><p>The Islanders&rsquo; two free-agents&mdash;Billy Harris and Ed Westfall&mdash;have yet to ink new contracts, although talks with Harris&rsquo; attorney, Alan Eagleson, have reportedly been making progress. Harris has yet to blossom into the superstardom that was predicted for him, but Torrey will probably go to almost all lengths to keep him.</p><p>The Westfall situation is somewhat of a mystery in that the Islander captain mentioned to a reporter early in June that the club had not even tried to contact him. Westfall was the heart of the team last year&mdash;especially in the playoffs&mdash;and the loss of his services could have a disastrous effect. He was the guy everyone looked to for the big play&mdash;and he generally delivered.</p><p>&ldquo;Eddie doesn&rsquo;t have an agent, so we,&rsquo;ll have to wait for him to make up his own mind. &lsquo;Torrey was quoted as saying at the time. Islander fans hope he&rsquo;s a fast thinker.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0019-01

Islanders’ Success Reflects In Box Office Boom

<div class="byline">BY ALAN TRUEX</div><p><b>ATLANTA&mdash;</b></p><p class="dropcap"><span>S</span>uddenly the Atlanta Flames are without (I) a team captain. (2) their best right winger and (3) their three main penalty killers of last year.</p><p>The Flames clearly are undergoing a youth-and-size movement, and some of the housecleaning casualties had fans a little puzzled.</p><p>The big puzzler was why general manager Cliff Fletcher waived Timmy Ecclestone, who was the most consistently competent right winger the team had last season.</p><p>Ecclestone, who is 27. played in 67 games last year, scoring 17-01 goals and 36 points. Those are not gaudy statistics, certainly, but Ecclestone was occupied a great deal of the time with penalty killing. and for much of the season he did not take a regular shift.</p><p>Even so, his scoring totals were better than those of any Atlanta right winger except Buster Harvey, who played 12 more games than Ecclestone and scored three more goals and eight more points.</p><p>Ecclestone has become one of the most travelled players in the NHL, as he has already played for four teams in his eight-year career. And now he has to move again.</p><p>Fletcher said Ecclestone was not offered a new contract because it was necessary to pare the roster, with the league adopting a rule limiting each club to 17 players and two goaltenders.</p><p>When the Flames acquired Bill Flett on waivers from Toronto. Fletcher had a surplus of right wingers. So Ecclestone was unloaded.</p><p>Fletcher indicated that he preferred Flett to Ecclestone because of a size and strength difference. Flett is 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;. 195 pounds. Ecclestone is 5&rsquo;10 &lsquo;and 180 pounds.</p><p>Along with waiving Ecclestone, Fletcher gave team captain Keith McCreary his unconditional release. That move was not particularly surprising, since McCreary is 35 and was played only sparingly last season.</p><p>Fletcher continued his trend toward youth by trading 34-year-old center Bryan Hextall to Detroit as the June 5 trading deadline closed. For Hextall, Atlanta obtained 24-year-old left winger Dave Kryskow.</p><p>Statistically, the advantage was Detroit&rsquo;s. Hextall, although not playing regularly for the first month of the season and then suffering a bothersome knee injury for the last month, scored 18 goals and 34 points. Kryskow, shuffling from Washington to Detroit, scored 19 goals and 29 points last season.</p><p>Hextall got caught in a logjam at center. where Flames&rsquo; coach Fred Creighton played Tom Lysiak, Gerry Meehan and Rey Comeau regularly. Then there was also veteran Bob Leiter in reserve and 18-year-old Guy Chouinard bucking for a promotion from the Omaha farm club.</p><p>With Hextall. McCreary and Ecclestone gone, the Flames were put in a possibly troublesome position as far as penalty killing goes.</p><p>Those three players handled almost all the shorthanded assignments last season, although Lysiak also proved effective at killing penalties during the few times he was called to do so.</p><p>In the amateur draft, the Flames went almost exclusively with large players, starting with first-round selection Richard Mulhern, a 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;, 195-pound defenseman from the Sherbrooke Beavers of the Quebec Junior League.</p><p>Then Atlanta chose Richard Bowness. 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;, 185-pound right winger. on the second round. The Flames&rsquo; next three selections were all over six feet and 190 pounds.</p><p>&ldquo;We drafted big.&rdquo; Fletcher said. &ldquo;As our team grows and gets older, you readjust your thinking to the areas that concern you most.</p><p>&ldquo;At first you draft players to help you immediately. But as you progress, you look toward the areas that are weakest. We feel we could be bigger and more aggressive.&rdquo;</p><p><b>FLAMES NOTES:</b> Flames quickly signed No. I choice Mulhern to a multi-year contract and expressed the feeling that he probably would work into a regular position on the team next season. That would put the team overstocked on defense and open up trade possibilities&hellip;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Flames Cleaning House In Bid For More Muscle

<p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER</p><p>HOCKEY STICKS</p><p>Made in Canada by</p><p>HILLERICH&BRADSBY, LTD.</p><p><b>Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario</b></p><p>Sold in U.S. and Canada</p><p><b>LOUISVILLI SLUGGER</b></p><p>HOCKEY STICKS</p><p>Made in Canada by</p><p>HILLERICH&BRADSBY, LTD.</p><p><b>Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario</b></p><p>Sold in U.S. and Canada</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-01376/3285084-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="557" height="631"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BOB BAUN&hellip;To Coach Toros</b></figcaption></div><p>TORONTO&mdash;</p><p>The World Hockey Association completed three days of whirlwind activity here as their summer meeting sessions closed on a happy note.</p><p>The league had rid itself of the financially-troubled Baltimore Blades and proceeded to stock the new Denver Spurs with some of their players. They also reeled off a special player draft that eased the WHA coffers of approximately $3 million dollars. In addition they held their first intra-league draft and came away with an increased 80-game schedule plus three new bench coaches.</p><p>The Baltimore franchise folded when backers were unable to come up with the necessary capital to carry the club this season but the WHA didn&rsquo;t appear too remorseful at losing the Blades. After all they had just taken on Denver and Cincinnati, shifted the Vancouver franchise to Calgary and were ready to go with a three-division setup again with 17-01 teams, the same number they finished up with last spring.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02284/3285077-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="296" height="449"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Harry Howell</b></figcaption></div><p>The league will also move from a 78 to an 80-game schedule and it will mean a longer season for the likes of Bob Baun, Clare Drake and Ron Ingram, who inherited head coaching jobs in the past few weeks.</p><p>Baun promised to lend more muscle to the Toros after he was named by president and owner John Bassett Jr., to succeed Bob Leduc at the helm of the Toros. Clare Drake took over the Edmonton coaching job from Bill Hunter. who relieved Brian Shaw of the job midway in the 1974-75 season. Hunter is too preoccupied with his dual role of vice-president and general manager to direct the ice fortunes of the Oilers. Drake takes on his first professional coaching challenge since directing University of Alberta to the Canadian collegiate hockey title last year.</p><p>The third new WHA coach isn&rsquo;t really new. Ingram had been serving as assistant to coach Harry Howell and general manager both. Mariners&rsquo; owner Joe Schwartz said he was moving the hard-working Ingram into the coaching job as well and promptly released Howell.</p><p>With John Wilson at Cleveland, Jean-Guy Talbot at Denver and Terry Slater heading up the incoming Cincinnati club, the WHA will have six new coaches for next season.</p><p>The WHA stated a special player draft to unload some of the financial burden the league had incurred by carrying the culminative Baltimore and Chicago player contracts when both the Blades and Cougars were box office flops late in the &lsquo;74-75 season.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re now on the hook for between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of the contracts.&rdquo; said Ben Hatskin, chairman of the WHA board and chief executive officer. With Dennis Murphy resigned as president. Hatskin has been calling the shots for the WHA.</p><p>Players were offered to the highest bidder in the draft. As an example of how the draft procedure went, defenseman Jim Watson was offered for bids. Indianapolis and Toronto dropped out of the bidding at $36,000. Quebec and New England stayed in until $40.000 before Quebec won out claiming Watson&rsquo;s $60,000 contract for $46.000 with the WHA making up the remaining $17-01.000. Rod Zaine went for $40.000 meaning the Toronto Toros, who selected him, paid $20,000and the WHA the other $20,000.</p><p>In the hastily conducted intra-league draft, teams were allowed to protect only 17-01 players and two goalkeepers. First year pros, including graduate juniors and European players in their first pro season, were not eligible for the draft.</p><p>Cleveland Crosaders didn&rsquo;t protect the Hillmans, Larry and Wayne, and Larry was picked by Winnipeg Jets. He said he would probably retire rather than report to the Jets. Calgary left veteran John McKenzie open but he went unclaimed.</p><p>In the special player draft on Baltimore and Chicago, defenseman Pat Stapleton was claimed by the Indianapolis Racers. Stapleton said he would be interested in playing in Indianapolis, which isn&rsquo;t too far from his Chicago business interests, but he said he was also leaving the door open to offers from the Toronto Toros, who have shown an interest in him. Defenseman Barry Legge was picked by Denver as the first choice in the draft. Baltimore&rsquo;s Danny Gruen went to Cleveland and Chicago goaler Dave Dryden was drafted by Edmonton. Gruen and Dryden have already signed with their new clubs. Ralph Backstrom was drafted by Denver but hadn&rsquo;t signed.</p><p>The Minnesota North Stars protected Gord Gallant, who was suspended for punching out coach Harry Neale and then turned around and sold him to Quebec for cash and future considerations.</p><p>In other WHA developments. New Engand Whalers sold defenseman captain Ted Green to Winnipeg Jets for future considerations. Cincinnati Stingers grabbed off two high draft choices in Claude Larose and Normand Lapointe, the latter a goalkeeper who was highly sought after by the Vancouver Canucks. Larose, who played with Sherbrooke in the Quebec League where he scored 69 goals, was the Stingers&rsquo; first draft choice.</p><p>Cleveland Cruasders lured Lyle Moffat away from the Toronto Leafs&rsquo; organization while Henry Boucha jumped Minnesota North Stars for the crosstown Minnesota Saints. Edmonton Oilers corailed a quartet of NHL farmhands when they signed the McAnee-ley brothers. Ted and Bob. from California&rsquo;s Salt Lake Championship club, as well as Kerry Ketter and Allie Sutherland from Omaha of the CHL.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03239/3285070-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="557" height="797"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PAT STAPLETON&hellip;Drafted By Racers</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0020-01

Baun, Ingram, Drake New Coaches; Player Draft Gets League Off Hook

<h2>INTRA-LEAGUE</h2><p>Fellowing is the complete intra-league draft:</p><p>Denver Spurs, Brian Gibbons, from Toronto Toros: Indianapolis Racers. Bill Prentice from Houston Aerose Cleveland Crusaders, Terry Ball from Minnesota; Calgary Cowboys. Francois Lacombe from Quebec Nordiques: Winnipeg Jets. Larry Hillman from Cleveland; Minneosta. Gerry Odrowski from Phoenix; San Diego Mariners. Mike McMahon from Minnesota, Indianapolis, Al Karlander from New England Whalers, Cleveland. Doug Brindley from Indianapolis, Calgary. Mike Laughton, from San Diego.</p><h2>SPECIAL DRAFT</h2><p>The round-by-round special draft of players from the defunct Baltimore and Chicago franchises:</p><h2>FIRST ROUND</h2><p>Barry Legge. Denver from Baltimore: Pat Stapleton. Indianapolis from Chicago: Danny Gruen. Cleveland from Baltimore: Dave Dryden, Edmonton from Chicago: Don ashby. Calgary from Baltimore; Randy Legge, Winnipeg from Baltimore: Rick Bourdonnais. Cincinnati from Baltimore, Rick Blight. Phoenix from Baltimore: Dennis Owchar. Minnesota from Chicago; Gord Laxton, Toronto from Baltimore: John Raynak. San Diego from Baltimore; Paul Hoganson. New England from Baltimore; Alan Caron, Quebec from Baltimore: Ian McKegney. Houston from Baltimore.</p><h2>SECOND ROUND</h2><p>Dale Ross, Denver from Baltimore; Michel Dubois, Indianapolis from Chicago; Gil Perreault, Cleveland from Baltimore; Boris Mikhailov. Edmonton from Baltimore; Duke Harris. Calgary from Chicago; Gary Sittier. Winnipeg from Baltimore: Richard Coutu, Cincinnati from Chicago; Alexandre Guksev, Phoenix from Baltimore; Ross Lonsberry. Minnesota from Baltimore; Denis Herron, Toronto from Baltimore; Alton White, San Diego from Baltimore: Dave Birch. New England from Baltimore; Don Saleski, Quebec from Baltimore: Dave Forbes, Houston from Baltimore.</p><h2>THIRD ROUND</h2><p>Gilles Villemue. Denver from Baltimore: St. Marseille. Indianapolis from Baltimore, Hilliard Graves, Cleveland from Baltimore: Vladimir Petrov, Edmonton from Baltimore; Paul Nicholson, Calgary from Baltimore: Scott Garland, Winnipeg from Baltimore; Jim Pappin. Cincinnati from Baltimore; Ken Lockett. Phoenix from Baltimore; Gord McDonald. Minnesota from Baltimore; Doug Towler, Toronto from Chicago. Dave Walter. San Diego from Chicago: Bob Goo-denow. New England from Baltimore: Jim Benzelock, Quebec from Chicago: Lynn Zimmerman, Houston from Baltimore.</p><p>Following players were also drafted or selected by auction: Gary Venerozzo, Cincinnati from Baltimore; Craig Reichmuth, Minnesota from Baltimore; Tom Serviss, Quebec from Baltimore; John Miszuk, Calgary from Baltimore: Gerry Zrymiak. Minnesota from Baltimore; Bill Evo, Edmonton from Baltimore: Reg Thomas, Indianapolis from Baltimore; Gary Bredin. Denver from Baltimore; Jim Watson, Quebec from Chicago: Rod Zaine, Toronto from Chicago: Ron Pronchuk. Quebec from Baltimore: Bill Reed. Calgary from Baltimore; Steve Richardson. New England from Baltimore: J.P. Leblanc. Denver from Baltimore.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

How They Drafted In WHA

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-01228/3285307-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="568" height="642"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BOBBY HULL&hellip;Top Goal Sniper</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02166/3285300-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="573" height="643"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ULF NILSSON&hellip;Leading Rookie</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03121/3285293-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="556" height="659"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>RON GRAHAME&hellip;Best Goaltender</b></figcaption></div><h2>CANADIAN DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-0498/3285286-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="1075" height="267"></div><h2>EASTERN DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-0582/3285279-1-eng-US/f0021-052.jpg" title="f0021-05" width="1075" height="232"></div><h2>WESTERN DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-0672/3285272-1-eng-US/f0021-062.jpg" title="f0021-06" width="1069" height="268"></div><h2>TOP 25 SCORERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-0763/3285265-1-eng-US/f0021-072.jpg" title="f0021-07" width="600" height="948"></div><h2>TOP 10 GOALERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-0857/3285258-1-eng-US/f0021-082.jpg" title="f0021-08" width="591" height="323"></div><h2>TOP 10 BAD MEN</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-0950/3285251-1-eng-US/f0021-092.jpg" title="f0021-09" width="590" height="326"></div><h2>TOP 10 ROOKIES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1042/3285244-1-eng-US/f0021-102.jpg" title="f0021-10" width="592" height="351"></div><h2>SCORING BY TEAMS</h2><h3>BALTIMORE</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1132/3285237-1-eng-US/f0021-112.jpg" title="f0021-11" width="594" height="588"></div><h2>CHICAGO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1222/3285230-1-eng-US/f0021-122.jpg" title="f0021-12" width="597" height="736"></div><h2>CLEVELAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1320/3285223-1-eng-US/f0021-132.jpg" title="f0021-13" width="599" height="682"></div><h2>EDMONTON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1418/3285216-1-eng-US/f0021-142.jpg" title="f0021-14" width="597" height="740"></div><h2>HOUSTON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1516/3285209-1-eng-US/f0021-152.jpg" title="f0021-15" width="597" height="617"></div><h2>INDIANAPOLIS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1615/3285202-1-eng-US/f0021-162.jpg" title="f0021-16" width="593" height="739"></div><h2>MINNESOTA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1713/3285195-1-eng-US/f0021-172.jpg" title="f0021-17" width="590" height="673"></div><h2>NEW ENGLAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1811/3285188-1-eng-US/f0021-182.jpg" title="f0021-18" width="600" height="772"></div><h2>PHOENIX</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-1910/3285181-1-eng-US/f0021-192.jpg" title="f0021-19" width="592" height="643"></div><h2>QUEBEC</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-209/3285174-1-eng-US/f0021-202.jpg" title="f0021-20" width="593" height="624"></div><h2>SAN DIEGO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-218/3285167-1-eng-US/f0021-212.jpg" title="f0021-21" width="594" height="617"></div><h2>TORONTO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-227/3285160-1-eng-US/f0021-222.jpg" title="f0021-22" width="595" height="713"></div><h2>VANCOUVER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-235/3285153-1-eng-US/f0021-232.jpg" title="f0021-23" width="593" height="708"></div><h2>WINNIPEG</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-244/3285146-1-eng-US/f0021-242.jpg" title="f0021-24" width="595" height="709"></div><h2>GOALTENDING RECORDS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-253/3285139-1-eng-US/f0021-252.jpg" title="f0021-25" width="597" height="1993"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0021-01

Final World Hockey Association Statistics

<div class="byline">BY PAT THOMPSON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-01249/3285338-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="558" height="770"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>HENRY BOUCHA&hellip;Long Term Pact</b></figcaption></div><p>ST. PAUL&mdash;</p><p>Wayne Belisle, president of the Minnesota Fighting Saints, called it mere coincidence that his WH A team called a news conference an hour before the rival Minnesota North Stars introduced their open house to season ticket holders.</p><p>The North Stars, out of the NHL playoffs for two straight seasons, are trying to rebuild their image in the Twin Cities. They&rsquo;ve hired a new coach in Ted Harris, promised season ticket holders a free T-shirt if they miss the Stanley Cup playoffs and came up with the idea of the open house&mdash;free beer, hot dogs, soft drinks and a tour of the Met Sports Center.</p><p>But the Fighting Saints were thinking of public relations as well.</p><p>So they dropped a shocker in time to have North Star customers hear the news as they drove to the Met for the evening gathering.</p><p>Henry Boucha. the home state hero who has been a big disappointment in the NHL, signed a long-term contract with the Saints after one very frustrating season with the North Stars. Boucha played in only 51 games with 15 goals and 17-01 assists, suffering a very serious eye injury which may not be fully corrected yet from the spearing by Boston&rsquo;s Dave Forbes in early January.</p><p>Boucha also was a disciplinary problem. missing curfew calls and reporting late for practices. Meantime. Danny Grant, who was traded to Detroit for Boucha. turned in a 51-goal season. Things will be different in 1975-76, said Boucha who scored 49 goals in 210 NHL games.</p><p>&ldquo;I have something to prove, especially to Twin Cities&rsquo; hockey fans,&rdquo; Boucha promised at the Saints&rsquo; news conference. &ldquo;1 watched the Saints in the playoffs. The club has a great future&mdash;they&rsquo;re good now and getting better. I think I can fit in.&rdquo;</p><p>The Saints obtained the rights to negotiate with Boucha by dealing their negotiation rights to the Houston Aeros for Murray Oliver, another member of the 1974-75 North Stars.</p><p>Gordie Howe, hockey&rsquo;s all-time leading goal scorer who is now president of the Aeros, told St. Paul reporters that he and Oliver are old friends and that he expected to come to terms with the long-time NHL veteran.</p><p>In signing Boucha with the Saints, general manager Glen Sonmor finally caught up with the 24-year-old forward who can play wing and center. Sonmor tried to recruit Boucha for the University of Minnesota several years ago, and also tried to sign him after he played for 1972 U.S. Olympic Team. Boucha. instead, signed with Detroit.</p><p>Belisle said Boucha&rsquo;s new contract is &ldquo;nothing like what a top NHL player would have gotten two or three years ago to jump to the WHA. But make no mistakes. Henry will be well paid. &ldquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0022-01

Boucha Jumps North Stars For Saints

<p>DENVER&mdash;</p><p>The Chicago Cougars expired as a World Hockey Association franchise but turned up the same week, apparently alive and well, in Denver</p><p>The Denver Spurs, owned by Ivan Mullenix. join Houston. Minnesota. Phoenix and San Diego in the Western Division of the WHA. They replaced the Baltimore Blades, whose future remained in doubt although WHA spokesmen said local ownership was being negotiated. If the Blades remain in existence they will play in the Eastern Division.</p><p>A special draft to stock the &ldquo;expansion team&rdquo; saw the Spurs claim 17-01 players from the Cougar roster. They included rookie standout Gary MacGregor. who scored 44 goals and 34 assists last season.</p><p>At the same time, the Spurs announced that Jean-Guy Talbot, who coached Mullenix&rsquo;s Spurs in the Central Hockey League last season, will remain in Denver as coach of the new WHA club along with his assistant Bob McCord.</p><p>The players going to Denver did not include player-owners Dave Dryden and Whitey Stapleton, who was also player-coach-manager, but did include a third member of the Cougar ownership. center Ralph Backstrom.</p><p>The other players selected from the Chicago roster were: defensemen Darryl Maggs. Byron Baltimore and Keith Kokkola; right wings Mark Lomenda and Rosaire Paiement; left wings Francois Rochon. Bob Liddington. Jan Popiel. Rick Morris and BrianCoates; center Peter Mara; goaltenders Cam Newton from Chicago and Chris Grigg from Long Island of the North American League.</p><p>Mullenix. who gave up on awaiting-promises from the National League to buy a WHA franchise, has filed a $1.3 million anti-trust suit against the NHL. claiming he suffered damages because of coercion and conspiracy by the NHL in refusing to grant him a 1975-76 franchise.</p><p>Mullenix said violations of the Sherman and Clayton AntitrustActs on part of the NHL and some of its officials had cost him $885.899 since 1973 until April of this year.</p><p>Mullenix said in the suit that he could not obtain an NHL franchise without first buying the Spurs, a farm club owned entirely by the St. Louis Blues of the NHL.</p><p>In his complaint, Mullenix said he was told by NHL officials he had to &ldquo;pay his dues&rdquo; by buying the Western Hockey League club &ldquo;for the benefit of Sports Holdings, Inc., and Missouri Arena Corp., owners of the Blues and the Spurs franchise before 1973.&rdquo;</p><p>Mullenix also alleged that under the &ldquo;asset purchase agreement&rdquo; required by the NHL. he would have to pay $750.000 to Sports Holdings. Inc., if he obtained an NHL franchise or if he ceased operation of the minor league Denver team before the 1980-81 season.</p><p>He said he was also required to sign a &ldquo;purchase option agreement&rdquo; giving the Blues the right to buy the Spurs, including any rights to an NHL franchise. for $500.000 if he disbanded the Denver team.</p><p>Mullenix is asking damages of $855.899 he claims he lost in operating the Spurs since 1973; $375.000 he says he spent on the. unwanted purchase of the Spurs, and $37,500 in interest on the purchase price of the Spurs.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Mullenix’s Franchise Wait Over But Denver Owner To Sue NHL

<h2>Finals</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02179/3285428-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="581" height="120"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3><p><b>Sat. May 3</b></p><p>Quebec 2 at Houston 6</p><p><b>Tue. May 6</b></p><p>Quebec 3 at Houston 5</p><p><b>Sat. May 10</b></p><p>Houston 2 at Quebec 0</p><p><b>Mon. May 12</b></p><p>Houston 7 at Quebec 2</p><h3>Semi-Finals</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03154/3285421-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="582" height="239"></div><h3>Quarter-Finals</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04121/3285414-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="586" height="478"></div><h3>PLAYOFF SCORING</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05102/3285407-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="606" height="3942"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-0677/3285400-1-eng-US/f0022-062.jpg" title="f0022-06" width="557" height="596"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MARK HOWE &ldquo;Top Playoff Scorer</b></figcaption></div><h3>PLAYOFF COALING</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-0767/3285393-1-eng-US/f0022-072.jpg" title="f0022-07" width="582" height="380"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0022-02

Final Avco Trophy Playoff Statistics

<div class="byline">BY DOUG MCCONNELL</div><p>PHOENIX&mdash;</p><p>&ldquo;Hire good people.&rdquo;</p><p>Bill MacFarland&rsquo;s formula made the Phoenix Roadrunners a competitor in their exparision season in the World Hockey Association and earned him the WHA&rsquo;s executive-of-the-year award.</p><p>One of the &ldquo;good people&rdquo; was Sandy Hucul, who earlier had been named WHA coach-of-the-year. MacFarland&rsquo;s honor was bestowed by a vote of his fellow executives. Hucul&rsquo;s, like the All Star team, was selected by the media. Hucul was also named THE HOCKEY NEWS coach-of-the-year for the WHA.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01226/3285459-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="292" height="314"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Bill MacFarland</b></figcaption></div><p>The other &ldquo;good people&rdquo; included Al Rollins, director of player personnel: scouts Rudy Filion and Murray Costello; Jim Wells, vice-president of operations and a former winner of THE HOCKEY NEWS minor league executive-of-the-year award as president of the Roadrunners of the Western Hockey League; publicist Dave Weiser. imported from Salt Lake City; Joe Daggett, lured from Seattle, and Mike Leonard, former captain of Providence College hockey team, who together form one of the game&rsquo;s best broadcast teams; and Porter McKinnon, a sales director who feels certain of doubling the season ticket sale to 6,000 with a chance of reaching 7,000.</p><p>MacFarland even imported Karen Eversole from Seattle where she had been his secretary in his law office and later the WHL president&rsquo;s office. There are some who think she ran the WHL.</p><p>Rollins, a former Vezina Trophy winner in the National League, was general manager and coach of one of the Roadrunners&rsquo; chief WHL rivals, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, and removed his name from consideration for the California Seals&rsquo; coaching job to join the Road runners.</p><p>Filion, high on the WHL&rsquo;s all-time scoring list and later a scout for the Vancouver Canucks, was coach of the Seattle Totems in the WHL in 1973-74.</p><p>Costello was once the general manager of the Totems and left an administrative position with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to join the Roadrunners.</p><p>The team put together by the organization MacFarland calls &ldquo;as good as any in all of hockey&rdquo; held second place in the strong Western Division of the WHA from mid-December until the final week of the season, took a midseason run at the champion Houston Aeros and qualified for the playoffs.</p><p>The WHA officially classified 15 of the Roadrunners as rookies, pointing up MacFarland&rsquo;s policy of spurning the big names for players who are about to blossom into major leaguers.</p><p>MacFarland came to Phoenix with a three-year contract estimated as high as $400.000. with stock options.</p><p>The 41-year-old former University of Michigan All-American averaged 33 goals a season for 10 seasons in the WHL with a high of 46 for Seattle in 1961-62, the year he was the WHL&rsquo;s most valuable player. He also found time to earn his law degree and pass his bar exams while still playing.</p><p>He later led the Totems to back-to-back Patrick Cup championships as coach and general manager and became the WHL president in 1971.</p><p>&ldquo;Packy,&rdquo; as he was known during his playing days, has been pressured to take over the WHA presidency but is not interested, not right now.</p><p>&ldquo;League administration is for an older man,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;For now. I&rsquo;m right where I want to be.&rdquo;</p><p>Hucul was earlier named Arizona coach of the year by the Phoenix Press Box Association for bringing the Roadrunners home in front of the Western League pack in 1972-73 and 1973-74 then adding Patrick Cup championships both years, the only time it was ever done in the WHL&rsquo;s 27 years.</p><p>&ldquo;The system,&rdquo; is what Hucul teaches and his players swear by it, and by him. Discipline and confidence are his major tools.</p><p>Hucul agreed to terms for the 1975-76 season not long after the Roadrunners announced Gary Kurt. THE HOCKEY NEWS second All Star team&rsquo;s goaltender. had signed a two-year contract.</p><p>Kurt, voted the team&rsquo;s most valuable player by his teammates, was one of only six players off last season became the WHL president&rsquo;s roster not under a multiple-year contract.</p><p>The others are his goaltending partner Jack Norris, forwards Pete McNamee and Don Borgeson and defensemen Mike Stevens and Wendell Bennett.</p><p>Bennett was traded to Winnipeg for a second round draft choice.</p><p>The Roadrunners have high hopes of signing most of their draft choices. They took center Greg Vaydik from the Medicine Hat Tigers in the first round, left wing Neil Lyseng of Kamloops, B.C&hellip;in the second round, defenseman Blair Davidson from Flin Flon. Man., in the third and goaltender Roger Swanson from Flin Flon in the fourth.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0023-01

MacFarland Hired ‘Good People’ In Shaping Phoenix Franchise

<p>CLEVELAND&mdash;</p><p>Lyle Moffat, a National Hockey League free agent, signal a multiyear contract with the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association.</p><p>The 27-year-old left wing is 5-foot-IO. 180 pounds and a native of Calgary, Alberta. Moffat split the past season between the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs and the Leafs&rsquo; top minor league affiliate. Oklahoma City in the Central Hockey League.</p><p>Moffat started the 1974-75 season as the only rookie on the Leafs&rsquo; roster and scored two goals in his first three games before suffering a shoulder injury. He played 21 games, in all, for Toronto, scoring two goals, seven assists and nine points before being sent to Oklahoma City where he scored 19 goals, 17 assists and 36 points in 39 games.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02178/3285490-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="538" height="804"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LYLE MOFFAT&hellip;New Crusader</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0023-02

Crusaders Lure Moffat Away From NHL Leafs

f0024-02

AHL All Star Teams

<h2>FINAL STANDINGS</h2><h3>North Division</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-01187/3285667-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="589" height="190"></div><h3>South Division</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02129/3285660-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="592" height="212"></div><h3>TOP LEAGUE SCORERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-0396/3285653-1-eng-US/f0025-032.jpg" title="f0025-03" width="605" height="810"></div><h3>FINAL SCORING BY TEAMS</h3><h2>HERSHEY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-0473/3285646-1-eng-US/f0025-042.jpg" title="f0025-04" width="595" height="716"></div><h2>NEW HAVEN</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-0565/3285639-1-eng-US/f0025-052.jpg" title="f0025-05" width="596" height="686"></div><h2>NOVA SCOTIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-0650/3285632-1-eng-US/f0025-062.jpg" title="f0025-06" width="596" height="656"></div><h2>PROVIDENCE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-0747/3285625-1-eng-US/f0025-072.jpg" title="f0025-07" width="597" height="660"></div><h2>RICHMOND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-0839/3285618-1-eng-US/f0025-082.jpg" title="f0025-08" width="598" height="717"></div><h2>ROCHESTER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-0933/3285611-1-eng-US/f0025-092.jpg" title="f0025-09" width="594" height="626"></div><h2>SPRINGFIELD</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-1022/3285604-1-eng-US/f0025-102.jpg" title="f0025-10" width="598" height="604"></div><h2>SYRACUSE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-1117/3285597-1-eng-US/f0025-112.jpg" title="f0025-11" width="593" height="570"></div><h2>VIRGINIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-1214/3285590-1-eng-US/f0025-122.jpg" title="f0025-12" width="592" height="602"></div><h2>GOALTENDING RECORDS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-1310/3285583-1-eng-US/f0025-132.jpg" title="f0025-13" width="605" height="1315"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0025-01

American Hockey League Final Statistics

<h2>PLAYOFF FINALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-149/3285782-1-eng-US/f0025-142.jpg" title="f0025-14" width="537" height="120"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3><p><b>Tue. April 29</b></p><p>New Haven 2 at Springfield 4</p><p><b>Fri. May 2</b></p><p>New Haven 5 at Springfield 3</p><p><b>Sat. May 3</b></p><p>Springfield 8 at New Haven 1</p><p><b>Tue. May 6</b></p><p>Springfield 4 at New Haven 2</p><p><b>Wed. May 7</b></p><p>New Haven 0 at Springfield 4</p><h2>SEMI-FINALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-157/3285775-1-eng-US/f0025-152.jpg" title="f0025-15" width="538" height="245"></div><h2>QUARTER-FINALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-166/3285768-1-eng-US/f0025-162.jpg" title="f0025-16" width="542" height="475"></div><h2>Preliminary Round</h2><p>Syracuse 3 at New Haven 8</p><p>(Sudden-death to decide last playoff spot.)</p><h2>TOP PLAYOFF SCORERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-175/3285761-1-eng-US/f0025-172.jpg" title="f0025-17" width="545" height="571"></div><h2>PLAYOFF GOALING</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-183/3285754-1-eng-US/f0025-182.jpg" title="f0025-18" width="541" height="514"></div><h2>HERSHEY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-193/3285747-1-eng-US/f0025-192.jpg" title="f0025-19" width="545" height="658"></div><h2>NEW HAVEN</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-203/3285740-1-eng-US/f0025-202.jpg" title="f0025-20" width="538" height="590"></div><h2>NOVA SCOTIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-213/3285733-1-eng-US/f0025-212.jpg" title="f0025-21" width="542" height="564"></div><h2>PROVIDENCE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-222/3285726-1-eng-US/f0025-222.jpg" title="f0025-22" width="547" height="688"></div><h2>RICHMOND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-232/3285719-1-eng-US/f0025-232.jpg" title="f0025-23" width="549" height="595"></div><h2>ROCHESTER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-242/3285712-1-eng-US/f0025-242.jpg" title="f0025-24" width="545" height="628"></div><h2>SPRINGFIELD</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-252/3285705-1-eng-US/f0025-252.jpg" title="f0025-25" width="543" height="594"></div><h2>VIRGINIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-262/3285698-1-eng-US/f0025-262.jpg" title="f0025-26" width="540" height="532"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0025-14

Final Calder Cup Statistics

<div class="byline">BY TOM LOBAUGH</div><p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER</p><p>hockey sticks</p><p>Made in Canada by</p><p>HILLERICH&BRADSBY. LTD</p><p><b>Arnold Street. Wallaceburg. Ontario</b></p><p>Sold in U. S. and Canada</p><p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER</p><p>HOCKEY STICKS</p><p>Made in Canada by</p><p>HILLERICH&BRADSBY. LTD</p><p><b>Arnold Street Wallaceburg. Ontario</b></p><p>Sold in U. S. and Canada</p><p>TULSA&mdash;</p><p>In 12 seasons of operation the Central Hockey League has never had exactly the same membership from one season to the next, and the 1975-76 campaign will be no exception.</p><p>In past years the makeup of the CHL hasn&rsquo;t been certain until July (or even August in a couple of cases). Max McNab, having just completed his first year as league president, was naively hoping to have the membership details settled in late May, but that was too optimistic.</p><p>&ldquo;We never know where we stand until the National League meeting in June,&rdquo; observed one club executive, &ldquo;and lots of times we don&rsquo;t know till long after that.&rdquo;</p><p>As it turned out, the Montreal meetings cleared up a lot of things for McNab and the CHL&mdash;in fact there were a few surprises, too.</p><p>The Omaha Knights, long a revered name in minor hockey circles, will disappear completely from the CHL setup and a newcomer, Tucson, takes over. The league will return to a one-division six-team format with Dallas, Fort Worth, Tulsa, Salt Lake, Oklahoma City and Tucson the starting teams.</p><p>For various reasons, not all parent teams committed themselves to the CHL operation but the pieces were starling to fit into place.</p><p>Salt Lake would have the backing of California again, Chicago would be behind Dallas once more, the New York Islanders will share Fort Worth with either Los Angeles or Vancouver, Toronto Leafs will support Oklahoma City and Tulsa will have Atlanta Flames and either L.A. or Vancouver to share their operation. The Flames backed Omaha for the past two years.</p><p>The WHA will apparently throw its support behind the new Tucson entry with Roy Jackson, president of the Pacific Coast Baseball League, the man overseeing the new Arizona team. Merrill Miller will be the club&rsquo;s business manager. Both Houston Aeros and Phoenix Roadrunners will provide Tucson with players, management and a coach for their first year in the CHL.</p><p>McNab was informed by NHL president Clarence Campbell that there would definitely be a Central League in order to develop players for the major leagues. Campbell said there was never any doubt of suspending the CHL operation although the future life expectancy of the league may be shortened as the result of so many players being declared free agents.</p><p>Dropping out after one season of membership are Denver and Seattle. Both had been promised NHL expansion franchises for 1976-77 and both had hoped to be in the NHL next season. Now it appears neither will be. Denver has bolted to the WHA and Seattle is also pondering a move in the same direction if the NHL doesn&rsquo;t act on their bid for entry into the NHL for next fall.</p><p>The demise of the Omaha Knights had to be both sad and surprising. But difficulties over rink mental conditions for the AK-Sar-Ben Coliseum seemed to cool NHL teams towards the city. Atlanta dropped its support of the Knights and is was reported Kansas City was about to set step in and take over but the Scouts, too, backed off.</p><p>Omaha had been a CHL member for 11 seasons, like Tulsa, but it hasn&rsquo;t been continuous. The Knights were charter members when the league was formed in 1963-64 but missed the 196566 season.</p><p>The Oilers, heading into their 12th season, have the CHL&rsquo;s oldest continuing franchise. They joined the CHL in 1964-65, the CHL&rsquo;s second year of operation. Bobby Gilbert remains as general manager and local owner but it is not known whether Atlanta, L.A. or Vancouver will provide the team with a coach. It was known that Orland Kurtenbach, who coached Seattle last year, is in the running for the coaching job indicating Canvouver may appoint the club&rsquo;s bench boss and share the operation with Atlanta leaving Los Angeles to divide the Fort Worth operation with the Islanders. Adam Keller won&rsquo;t be back as the Tulsa coach.</p><p>Oklahoma City, backed by the Toronto Maple Leafs for the third season, appears set, with Ray Miron continuing as coach and general manager. However, there will be one big change in the Blazer setup.</p><p>During January and February the Blazers will move out of the spacious downtown Myriad and go back to their old home at the State Fair Arena. Lack of weekend dates in the Myriad for those two months forced the move. Miron said. Other months the Blazers will play in the Myriad.</p><p>The American Bowling Congress will occupy the Myriad&rsquo;s Exhibition Hall from January through May. forcing some of the regular tenants to move from the hall to the big arena.</p><p>The Blazers are getting ready for their 10th CHL campaign. They joined the league in its third season. 1965-66, but had no team in 1972-73.</p><p>Another certainty for the coming season in the CHL is Dallas, which will be backed for the ninth year by the Chicago Black Hawks. Dallas came into the league in 1967-68, when NHL expansion required the Hawks to relocate their St. Louis farm.</p><p>Although there has been no official announcement, Bobby Kromm is expected to be the Dallas coach for the ninth campaign. He had coached the franchise in St. Louis in 1966-67 before the move, making him by a wide margin the dean of CHL coaches.</p><p>Salt Lake&rsquo;s Golden Eagles, having copped the league championship in their first year of membership, are expected back, sponsored by the California Golden Seals, as that club begins a new operation under new owners. (The financially-troubled Seals have been operated by the NHL.)</p><p>One coaching change is certain, as Jack Evans has moved up from the Eagles to the parent Seals.</p><p>Rumors that the parent New York Islanders would drop their Fort Worth operation are being laid to rest. The Los Angeles Kings have shown an interest in joining the Islanders in the Fort Worth venture. But the backers are also seeking some local ownership, and this reportedly has held up completion of plans. The Islanders&rsquo; unexpected prolonging of their Stanley Cup playoff bid kept New York officials from doing anything about their minor league operation until late May.</p><p>There has been no word as to how Texans&rsquo; coach Ed Chadwick fits into the new picture. Like Dallas, Fort Worth entered the CHL in 1967-68, and is looking toward its ninth season.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Tucson New Entry As CHL Reverts To One Division

<p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>F</span>or only the second time in 45 years, eight teams are represented on the 1974-75 official National Hockey League first and second All Star teams.</p><p>The only other time as many teams were represented was back in 1935-36.</p><p>Only the Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers placed two players on the first All Star squad, goaltender Bernie Parent and center Bobby Clarke.</p><p>The voting, conducted among members of the Professional Hockey Writers&rsquo; Association in the 18NHL cities, is based on regular season play only.</p><p>Two players received unanimous votes to the first team, right winger Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins&rsquo; defenseman Bobby Orr.</p><p>Orr made All Star history with his selection. It was the eighth consecutive time he has been named to the first team, eclipsing the record of seven which he shared with former Montreal defenseman Doug Harvey.</p><p>Others placed on the premier squad were defenseman Denis Potvin of the New York Islanders and left winger Rick Martin of the Buffalo Sabres.</p><p>Goaltender Rogie Vachon of the Los Angeles Kings topped all vote getters on the second team.</p><p>The defense pairing consisted of Montreal&rsquo;s Guy Lapointe and Borje Salming of the Toronto Maple Leafs.</p><p>Center Phil Esposito of Boston, right winger Rene Robert of Buffalo and New York Rangers&rsquo; left winger Steve Vickers rounded out the second squad.</p><p>Half of the twelve players named to the All Star teams are from post-1967 teams, including four of the six first team members. Until 1973-74, only two post 1967 players had been chosen to either All Star team.</p><p>Balloting was closest at the center position where Clarke squeaked by Esposito by 24 points.</p><p>Six players received All Star credit for the first time in their careers, Potvin, Lafleur. Vachon. Salming, Robert and Vickers.</p><p>This was the first time in 16 seasons that Chicago has not had a representative on one of the two All Star teams and only the third occasion in 31 years that a performer from the Detroit Red Wings has not been selected.</p><p>Each player named to the first team receives $2,000 from the NHL and second team members collect $1,000 apiece.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Eight NHL Teams Named In Selections

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0027-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-01177/3285899-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg"></div><p><i>Here are the NHL&rsquo;s First and Second Team All Star selections with points received in the balloting in brackets.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0027-01

NHLs All Star Teams

<h2>FINAL STANDINGS</h2><h3>Southern Division</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02137/3286045-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="588" height="180"></div><h3>Northern Division</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03105/3286038-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="588" height="152"></div><h3>SCORING LEADERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0494/3286031-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="589" height="324"></div><h2>FINAL SCORING BY TEAMS</h2><h3>CENTRAL WISCONSIN</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0579/3286024-1-eng-US/f0027-052.jpg" title="f0027-05" width="594" height="550"></div><h3>CHICAGO</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0668/3286017-1-eng-US/f0027-062.jpg" title="f0027-06" width="594" height="562"></div><h3>COPPER COUNTRY</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0761/3286010-1-eng-US/f0027-072.jpg" title="f0027-07" width="591" height="558"></div><h3>GREEN BAY</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0857/3286003-1-eng-US/f0027-082.jpg" title="f0027-08" width="589" height="552"></div><h3>MARQUETTE</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0956/3285996-1-eng-US/f0027-092.jpg" title="f0027-09" width="595" height="587"></div><h3>MILWAUKEE</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1053/3285989-1-eng-US/f0027-102.jpg" title="f0027-10" width="597" height="679"></div><h3>SIOUX CITY</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1145/3285982-1-eng-US/f0027-112.jpg" title="f0027-11" width="597" height="565"></div><h3>THUNDER BAY</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1239/3285975-1-eng-US/f0027-122.jpg" title="f0027-12" width="592" height="581"></div><h3>WATERLOO</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1334/3285968-1-eng-US/f0027-132.jpg" title="f0027-13" width="593" height="585"></div><h3>GOALKEEPING RECOROS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1430/3285961-1-eng-US/f0027-142.jpg" title="f0027-14" width="588" height="466"></div><h3>TEN GAMES OR LESS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1526/3285954-1-eng-US/f0027-152.jpg" title="f0027-15" width="582" height="178"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0027-02

Final USHL Statistics

<p>How the selectors voted for the various NHL individual awards:</p><h2>HART TROPHY</h2><p>Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia, 17-019; Rogie Va chon, Los Angeles, 113; Bobby Orr, Boston, 73; Bemie Parent, Philadelphia, 54; Guy Lafleur, Montreal, 43; Gary Smith, Vancouver, 20: Denis Potvin, N.Y. Islanders, 16; Marcel Dionne, Detroit 12; Rick Dudley, Buffalo, 5; Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo, 5; Bob Nevin, Los Angeles, 5; Rene Robert, Buffalo, 3; Ron Schock, Pittsburgh, 3; Borje Salming, Toronto, 3; Pete Mahovlich, Montreal, 2; Jean Pronovost, Pittsburgh, 1; Don Luce, Buffalo, 1.</p><h2>NORRIS TROPHY</h2><p>Bobby Orr, Boston, 266; Denis Potvin, N.Y. Islanders, 99; Guy Lapointe, Montreal, 45; Borje Salming, Toronto, 31; Serge Savard, Montreal, 17-01; Jerry Korab, Buffalo, 6; Don Awrey, Montreal, 6; Brad Park, N.Y. Rangers, 5; Terry Harper, Los Angeles, 4; Jim Schoenfeld, Buffalo, 3; Ed Van Impe, Philadelphia, 2; Carol Vadnais, Boston, 2; Dave Burrows, Pittsburgh, 1; Larry Robinson, Montreal, 1; Ron Stackhouse, Pittsburgh, 1.</p><h2>BYNG TROPHY</h2><p>Marcel Dionne, Detroit, 150; Johnny Bucyk, Boston, 55; Bob Nevin, Los Angeles, 38; Butch Goring, Los Angeles, 33; Guy Lafleur, Montreal, 25; Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo, 19; Rod Gilbert, N.Y. Rangers, 18; Ed Westfall, N.Y. Islanders, 17-01; Don Luce, Buffalo, 17-01; Craig Ramsay, Buffalo, 13; Jacques Lemaire, Montreal. 13; Borje Salming, Toronto, 10; Dave Keon, Toronto, 10; Jean Ratelle, N.Y. Rangers, 9; Syl Apps, Pittsburgh. 8; Ron Schock, Pittsburgh, 8: Danny Grant, Detroit, 8; Gregg Sheppard, Boston, 6; Terry Crisp, Philadelphia, 6; Pit Martin, Chicago, 5; Denis Potvin, N.Y. Islanders, 5; Ron Ellis, Toronto, 5: Bill Fairbairn, N.Y. Rangers, 5; Garry Unger, St. Louis, 3; Stan Mikita, Chicago, 3; Rey Comeau, Atlanta, 1; Jim Lorentz, Buffalo, 1; Dave Burrows, Pittsburgh, 1.</p><h2>CALDER TROPHY</h2><p>Eric Vail, Atlanta. 183; Pierre Larouche, Pittsburgh, 122; Danny Gare, Buffalo, 102; Bob Hess, St. Louis, 25; Ron Greschner, N.Y. Rangers. 15; Wilf Paiement. Kansas City, 10; Dave Hrechkosy, California, 7; Rick Middleton, N.Y. Rangers. 6: Clarke Gillies, N.Y. Islanders. 6: Gary Bromley. Buffalo, 4;Glenn Resch, N.Y. Islanders, 3: Doug Risebrough, Montreal, 2: Mario Tremblay. Montreal 1.</p><p>Following is a complete list of players who received votes in All Star balloting.</p><p>GOAL&mdash;Bernie Parent, Philadelphia, 229; Rogie Vachon. Los Angeles. 194; Gary Smith, Vancouver, 29; Ken Dryden, Montreal, 15; Billy Smith, N.Y. Islanders. 8; Tony Esposito, Chicago 6; Dan Bouchard. Atlanta. 3; Gilles Meloche. Ca lifornia. 1; Gary Bromley, Buffalo, 1.</p><p>DEFENSE&mdash;Bobby Orr, Boston, 270; Denis Potvin. N.Y. Islanders. 202; Guy Lapointe. Montreal. 166; Borje Salming, Toronto, 76: Brad Park, N.Y. Rangers. 38; Serge Savard. Montreal. 32; Bill White, Chicago. 25; Carol Vadnais, Boston. 25; Terry Harper. Los Angeles. 21; Jerry Korab. Buffalo, 19; Don Awrey, Montreal, 18; Bob Mur doch, Los Angeles. 17; Larry Robinson, Montreal, 13; Dave Burrows. Pittsburgh, 10; Jim Schoenfeld, Buffalo. 8; Jim Watson. Philadelphia, 4; Bob Dailey, Vancouver. 4; Ed Van Impe, Philadelphia. 3: Dick Redmond, Chicago, 2; Andre Dupont, Philadelphia, 2; Bill Hajt, Buffalo. 1; Randy Manery. Atlanta. 1: Jim Neilson. California. 1; Tom Bladon, Philadelphia, 1; Nick Beverley. N.Y. Rangers, 1.</p><p>CENTER&mdash;Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia, 179; Phil Esposito, Boston, 155; Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo. 85; Marcel Dionne, Detroit, 47; Pete Ma-hovlich, Montreal 18; Jean Ratelie. N.Y. Rangers. 1; Stan Mikita, Chicago, 1.</p><p>RIGHT WING&mdash;Guy Lafleur. Montreal, 270; Rene Robert. Buffalo. 118; Rod Gilbert. N.Y. Rangers, 30: Reg Leach. Philadelphia, 24; Jean Pronovost, Pittsburgh, 22: Bob Nevin. Los Angeles. 8: Yvan Cournoyer, Montreal. 4; Rick Martin. Buffalo, 3; Bill Goldsworthy. Minnesota, 2; Ed Westfall. N.Y. Islanders. 1; Mike Murphy, Los Angeles 1; Rick Kehoe, Pittsburgh, 1; Pierre Plante, St. Louis, 1; Steve Vickers, N.Y. Rangers, 1.</p><p>LEFT WING&mdash;Rick Martin, Buffalo, 243: Steve Vickers. N.Y. Rangers, 85; Danny Grant, Detroit, 81. Bill Barber. Philadelphia, 36; John Bucyk, Boston. 12; Don Lever, Vancouver, 7; Yvon Lambert. Montreal, 6; Lowell MacDonald, Pittsburgh, 6; Dan Maloney, Los Angeles. 3; Eric Vail, Atlanta, 3; Craig Ramsay, Buffalo. 2; Dennis Hull. Chiqago, 1; Garry Monahan. Vancouver. 1.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

How They Voted For NHL Awards

<div class="byline">BY LEN HOYES</div><p>For the finest in Hockey Magazines subscribe today to I the Hockey Twins: HOCKEY WORLD&HOCKEY PICTORIAL</p><p>For the same price as a ticket to ONE GAME you can read over 1600 PAGES of outstanding news about Hockey by subscribing today to THE HOCKEY NEWS</p><p>FLINT&mdash;</p><p>Overtime games are out and a balanced schedule is in for the International Hockey League in 1975-76.</p><p>In addition, the IHL has decided to impose an age limit on new players coming into the league next season. Team governors legislated that any player born in 1949 or earlier will not be eligible for play in the IHL for next season. However, if a player finished the 1974-75 season with an IHL club his services may be retained by that team.</p><p>The Board ot governors, at the semi-annual meeting in Detroit, junked the sudden-death rule which had been in effect for four seasons and abandoned the accent on intra-division play after a one-season trial.</p><p>Using a 10-minute overtime in an attempt to settle tie games never had been fully accepted by some IHL teams and the growing incidence of ties apparently was a contributing factor to ending the overtime period.</p><p>The anti-overtime group contended that the heavy odds in favor of the home team made a tie game seem almost as good as a victory. However, in four seasons the use of overtime would have altered the positions of teams only once.</p><p>Dropping the overtime period apparently was hastened by the growth of the schedule from 72 games in 1971-72 to 78 games for 1975-76. The growth of six games in the same time span means that all teams will be playing almost every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and also playing mid-week games approximately 50 percent of the time.</p><p>The rigors of travel and the possibility of playing four games in five nights helped dictate the return to the 1970-71 format.</p><p>However, statistics prove that the overtime period reduced the incidence of ties. In 1970-71 there were 32 ties in 252 games, or 12.7 percent of the time.</p><p>In 1971-72, only 3.1 percent of the games ended in ties. But the percentage was growing, from 3.9 to 4.1 and 5.5 in 1974-75. There were 22 ties in 398 games last season.</p><p>Despite finishing fourth in the North Division, the Port Huron Flags had the best overtime performance in 1974-75, with a 5-1-3 record The second-place Columbus Owls of the South Division had the worst overtime record. 3-7-3, and overtime was responsible for most of the 11-point gap between them and South champion Dayton which had a 6-3-3 record in overtime.</p><p>There&rsquo;ll be more traveling in 1975-76 because of the move to a balanced schedule in which each team plays all others as equally as possible. However, the Governors felt that some old rivalries had been watered down by the accent on intra-division play.</p><p>Fort Wayne, for instance, saw less of old rivals Muskegon and Port Huron. However, some North Division teams wanted to retain the intra-division accent because the 1974-75 campaign produced a record attendance for the IHL. It was especially true in Flint-Saginaw and Kalamazoo-Muskegon rivalries.</p><p>Those four Michigan teams, plus Port Huron, comprise the North Division while the South has Dayton, Toledo and Columbus from Ohio, Des Moines, Iowa, and Fort Wayne. Ind.</p><p>Meanwhile, the coaching combination that guided Muskegon Mohawks to a record seventh Huber Trophy in 1974-75 will remain intact for the 197576 season. General-manager-coach Moose Lallo announced his intention to retain the dual role, with Bryan McLay returning as assistant coach.</p><p>The 50-year-old Lallo received second team All Star honors for his coaching efforts last season in leading the Mohawks to the regular season championship. It was the second year in a row in which second team recognition was awarded to Moose, who is the only IHL coach with five first team All Star berths to his credit.</p><p>Despite the club&rsquo;s regular season success, the 1974-75 season ended in frustration for the Mohawks, as they were eliminated in the seventh game of the Turner Cup semi-finals. The cup has eluded the Mohawks since 1967-68, and Lallo&rsquo;s decision to return as coach is based largely on his desire to bring it back to Muskegon, in his words. &ldquo;If we had won the Turner Cup. I would have thought seriously about giving up coaching. but I want at least one more shot at it. Having Bryan as my assistant coach made things much easier for me last season, and I am very glad to have him back.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

IHL Scraps Overtime Play Rule, Plans Age Limit For Newcomers

<p>DETROIT&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>D</span>espite mid-season reports of a move to end his reign, Bill Beagan has been retained for a seventh season as commissioner of the International Hockey League.</p><p>He will complete the second year of a two-year contract. The second year had an option clause which allowed Beagan to withdraw or the IHL&rsquo;s hoard of governors to dismiss him.</p><p>Officials of the Toledo Goaldiggers were most prominent in talk about a dump-Beagan move but failed to gather support.</p><p>General manager Frank Gallagher of the Flint Generals, who was critical of some moves by Beagan, said, &ldquo;When you weigh the pros and cons of his office, I think there are more good points than bad.</p><p>&ldquo;He has done a lot for our league, especially in its relations with the National Hockey League. It would be difficult to find a replacement with the same credentials.&rdquo;</p><p>Beagan operates the league office from Windsor, Ont.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Beagan Back For 7th Term As IHL Head

<p>GRAND RAPIDS&mdash;</p><p>The Furniture City apparently must wait at least one more year before re-entering the International Hockey League.</p><p>A decision about awarding a franchise in Grand Rapids was tabled by the IHL&rsquo;s Board of Governors at its semi-annual meeting.</p><p>Several groups apparently are seeking the franchise but only one request has been formally received. That group is headed by Phil Simon, a veteran promoter, who operated the Grand Rapids Rockets for six seasons from 1950-56.</p><p>Simon is renovating the old Grand Rapids Arena to enlarge the ice surface and provide more seating. However, one IHL official said, &ldquo;We held off awarding the franchise until the renovations are finished. We didn&rsquo;t want to get into another Lansing situation.&rdquo;</p><p>He referred to the ill-fated Lansing Lancers who lasted only 41 games in 1974-75 before folding, mostly because a planned renovation of their arena never materialized.</p><p>There apparently also are some legal problems with a bid by Jerry DeLise, former owner of the Muskegon Mohawks, to operate a franchise in Grand Rapids.</p><p>Until those problems are resolved, the IHL figured it would be better to wait.</p><p>Thus, there&rsquo;ll be a 10-team alignment for the IHL&rsquo;s 31st consecutive season in 1975-76.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Grand Rapids’ Entry Bid Frustrated By Problems

<p>FORT WAYNE&mdash;</p><p>The Saginaw Gears appeared to be a little over anxious in their efforts to establish themselves as the best single season draw in the history of the International League.</p><p>According to publicist Bob Chase of Fort Wayne Komets, the honor of box office champion of the IHL still belongs to the Komets. The Fort Wayne club of 1972-73 drew 190. 020 fans in 37 home games during the regular season and another 32,760 for five home playoff games giving them a grand total of 222,780.</p><p>Saginaw had claimed the title after this past season when they attracted 212.749 fans for both league and playoff games.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Fort Wayne Still Box Office Champ

<div class="byline">BY HALL SINGURDSON</div><p>VANCOUVER&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he crop of &lsquo;75&mdash;that group of hockey players celebrating their 20th birthday and thus becoming eligible for the National Hockey League draft&mdash;wasn&rsquo;t supposed to be that great.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01135/3286179-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="267" height="452"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Rick Blight</b></figcaption></div><p>Last season the NHL and the rival World Hockey Association allegedly skimmed off the cream by drafting 28 under-aged players, a practice now abandoned by both leagues. But perhaps the crop wasn&rsquo;t so bad, after all.</p><p>In a year when virtually every NHL team announced it would be cutting back on expenses and shortening its draft list, 217 players were selected. That&rsquo;s only 30 less than last season when it seemed everyone warm and moving was claimed by someone.</p><p>Certainly the Vancouver Canucks aren&rsquo;t complaining about their share of the player pool. They went into the affair with general manager-coach Phil Maloney estimating he would draft only as far as the sixth round. Instead the Canucks would up claiming 10. headed by Brandon Wheat Kings&rsquo; right winger Rick Blight.</p><p>Blight was the first choice of the Canucks who had 10th pick int he draft overall. He was also the first step in a plan obviously designed to improve the Canucks&rsquo; overall size and muscular nature.</p><p>Although Blight was drafted more for his goal-scoring ability&mdash;he had 60 goals plus 52 assists last season&mdash;than for his size, he comes well equipped in the latter category too at 6&rsquo;2&rdquo; and 185 pounds.</p><p>Second-round choice Brad Gassoff is also a goal-scorer&mdash;he found the range 50 times with the Kamloops Chiefs last season&mdash;but chances are the Canucks were also attracted by his aggressive nature.</p><p>The 5&rsquo;11&rdquo; 188-pound left winger was whistled down for 251 penalty minutes, indicating he takes the same approach to the game as brother Bob. a defenseman with the St. Louis Blues.</p><p>The Blues, undoubtedly recalling the success of the Plager brothers, attempted to make a deal for Gassoff&rdquo;s rights immediately after the Canucks drafted him. Maloney listened to their offer and said thanks, but no thanks.</p><p>&ldquo;He could give us a little more muscle&hellip;someone to back up Harold Snepsts,&rdquo; Maloney said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not trying to phase out all of our small players, but I feel some of them could be 10-15 percent better if we surrounded them with a little more size.&rdquo;</p><p>Both Blight and Gassoff quickly indicated they will probably sign with the Canucks rather than the WHA teams who claimed them. Blight was taken as an underage player in &lsquo;74 by the Michigan Stags-come-Baltimore Blades-come-??? Gassoff was drafted this year by the Winnipeg Jets.</p><p>&ldquo;Our scouts tell me both Blight and Gassoff can step right into our lineup though I&rsquo;m not counting on that,&rdquo; said Maloney. &ldquo;But I do feel every player we drafted today has a chance to play in the NHL. In some cases we passed up smaller players who are better right now to take kids with more size and potential.&rdquo;</p><p>The Canucks&rsquo; other selections were: Third round&mdash;Normand Lapointe, goaltender, Trois Rivieres;</p><p>Fourth round&mdash;Glen Richardson,, left winger, Hamilton;</p><p>Fifth round&mdash;Doug Murray, left winger, Brandon;</p><p>Sixth round&mdash;Bob Watson, right winger. Flin Flon;</p><p>Seventh round&mdash;Brian Shmyr, center-left wing. New Westminster;</p><p>Eighth round&mdash;Allen Fleck, left wing. New Westminster;</p><p>Ninth round&mdash;Bob McNeice, defense, New Westminster;</p><p>Eleventh round&mdash;Sydney Veysey, center. Sherbrooke.</p><p>All expect Veysey have average size or better&mdash;in some cases much better</p><p>and even Versey, at 5&rsquo;H&rdquo; and 165 pounds, isn&rsquo;t exactly small.</p><p>&ldquo;Our scouts felt Lapointe was the best goaltender in the Quebec Junior League,&rdquo; Maloney continued. (Unfortunately for the Canucks Lapointe signed with Cincinnati of the WHA.) &ldquo;The others all impressed us as good competitors&hellip;kids who want to be good hockey players.&rdquo;</p><p>How well the Canucks have drafted only time will tell. And to find out how good their selections are the Canucks will first have to sign them. But if they&rsquo;ve done as well as they think, the Canucks should be tougher physically in the future.</p><p>That could make them tough to dislodge from their position as pennant winners in Division Two.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02108/3286172-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="570" height="495"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DENIS DESROSIERS&hellip;Top Playoff Scorer</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0029-01

Size Factor As Canucks Pick Ice Giants

<h2>FINAL STANDINGS</h2><h3>North Division</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0371/3286266-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="595" height="206"></div><h3>South Division</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0456/3286259-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="596" height="209"></div><h3>PLAYOFF FINALS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0551/3286252-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg" title="f0029-05" width="589" height="123"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3><p><b>Wed. April 23</b></p><p>Saginaw 3 at Toledo 5</p><p><b>Fri. April 25</b></p><p>Saginaw 5 at Toledo 3</p><p><b>AAMon. April 28</b></p><p>Toledo 8 at Saginaw 5</p><p><b>Wed. April 30</b></p><p>Toledo 4 at Saginaw 5</p><p><b>Sun. May 4</b></p><p>Toledo 6 at Saginaw 5</p><p><b>Tue. May 6</b></p><p>Saginaw 7 at Toledo 3</p><p><b>Wed. May 7</b></p><p>Toledo 6 at Saginaw 5</p><h3>SEMI-FINALS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0640/3286245-1-eng-US/f0029-062.jpg" title="f0029-06" width="595" height="239"></div><h3>QUARTER-FINALS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0731/3286238-1-eng-US/f0029-072.jpg" title="f0029-07" width="596" height="468"></div><h3>TOP PLAYOFF SCORERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0827/3286231-1-eng-US/f0029-082.jpg" title="f0029-08" width="597" height="674"></div><h3>PLAYOFF GOALKEEPING</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0923/3286224-1-eng-US/f0029-092.jpg" title="f0029-09" width="598" height="468"></div><h3>FINAL LEAGUE SCORING</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1019/3286217-1-eng-US/f0029-102.jpg" title="f0029-10" width="638" height="8295"></div><h3>GOALTENDING RECORDS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1116/3286210-1-eng-US/f0029-112.jpg" title="f0029-11" width="597" height="968"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0029-03

Final International League Statistics

<div class="byline">BY DEREK KNIGHT</div><p>Follow All The Action Every Week By Subscribing Today To THE HOCKEY NEWS</p><p>Superb Hockey Reading Each Month I HOCKEY WORLD&HOCKEY PICTORIAL</p><p>LEWISTON&mdash;</p><p>At press time it was learned that last year&rsquo;s coach of the Maine Nordiques, Jean Charles Gravel, had been offered a contract to coach the club again next season. That announcement should not come as a surprise to anyone because Gravel more than earned a full year shot after directing the fortunes of an 0-16 team he inherited to a respectable competitive club that just missed out on the NAHL&rsquo;s final playoff berth.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-01160/3286304-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="274" height="443"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Gregg Pilling</b></figcaption></div><p>If Gravel agrees to the contract terms and returns to lead the Nordiques, he will see a big change in the Lewiston based operation. For one thing there will be more people in the stands next year. The reason being that close to 1,000 season tickets have already been sold as compared to a much leasser figure of 460 sold all of last year. In two years of operation combined. the Nordiques had not been able to sell 1,000 season tickets. At this point the club&rsquo;s early ticket success has caused them to optimistically change their original goal from 1,200 season tickets to 1.400 and it&rsquo;s a good bet that they will reach that new plateau.</p><p>Why have the Nordiques become so popular all of a sudden? Well. first of all let it be said here that the &lsquo;74-75 club never quit, no matter how bad things ever were on the ice. Nordique fans rerhember their team that made such an outstanding comeback once Gravel took over the reins from Michel Harvej. There are more important reasons than the last one though. The city of Lewiston and the State of Maine almost lost their only professional sports team because of low attendance. Stories around mid season had quoted Nordique officials as saying that unless crowds picked up. the team would have to look elsewhere for a home. Undoubtedly the thought of losing their team prompted several people to sign up early for season tickets.</p><p>Another reason is that the club itself has begun to sell and promote the team outside of Lewiston, to include such cities as Portland, Augusta, and Brunswick. They are pushing it as a state team which it&rsquo;s always been meant to be as the name Maine Nordiques implies.</p><p>For the first time in their short history the club will enjoy the services of an active full time publicist throughout the summer months, as this issue of THE HOCKEY NEWS went to press the position of director of public relations and sales was about to he filled by 29-year-old Normand Guay who had verbally agreed to officially assume the position. Guay, a Lewiston resident, has always been close to the Nordique scene having served as the president of the Maine Nordiques Fan Club. Guay also pointed out another reason for the club&rsquo;s newly found acceptance. &ldquo;All1 throughout the state the radio, television&rsquo;. and newspaper people have been really helping us,&rdquo; he explained, &ldquo;television could also aid the hockey club in the form of a proposed half hour weekly talk show on the North American Hockey League, featuring the Maine Nordiques. That proposed show could make its way to WMTW-TV Channel 8 in Poland Springs. Maine.</p><p>On the ice the club will once again be working with the WHA&rsquo;s Quebec Nordiques, however, that arrangement last year did little to aid the Maine club so Maine&rsquo;s leaders will be looking to latch onto another affiliate from either the NHL or the WHA. Overall, things appear to be more promising than ever for the Maine Nordiques.</p><p>On another front the Mohawk Valley Comets could look different next year, depending on whether or not</p><p>Brian Conacher (NAHL executive of the year) is elected commissioner, succeeding outgoing Bob Dextraze who has announced his resignation effective Sept. 1. Although Conacher is not actively campaigning for the job, he is interested and would serve if elected. He is also a most qualified individual to serve as NAHL chief.</p><p>Other candidates mentioned incidentally are Jack Riley and Terry Reardon. Should Conacher be elected, the Comets would be in the market for a new leader to guide their fortunes. If he is not elected commissioner, the Comets&rsquo; job is still his but there could be some variation. For the past two seasons, the ex-NHL-WHA skater has served in the dual capacity of coach general manager. This year could be different as Conacher along with the Comet owners may decide to separate the positions. Word has it that Conacher and the Comets might be interested in a coach or a player-coach. This would free Conacher to concentrate more on his extensive administrative GM duties. Whichever way they go the club seems assured of continuing their dual agreements with the WHA&rsquo;s Toronto Toros and Indianapolis Racers. More will be known once the commissioners job is settled.</p><p>As for next year&rsquo;s Comets, the club is set to embark on a season ticket campaign with a goal of 1.500 that does seem to be within their reach.</p><p>While the Comets are ready to move full speed ahead, the Buffalo Norsemen made their first significant move in the full speed ahead direction (since the signing of GM Willie Marshall) when they named Paul Herman to the position of vice-president-marketing. Herman is not new to Buffalo, nor is he new to marketing or professional sports. He has handled tickets, publicity, promotions, and business for various sports and sports clubs including the Buffalo Bisons and Syracuse Chiefs (AAA Baseball) and Buffalo Braves of the National Basketball Association. His experience should be an invaluable asset to the Norsemen. The club is all set for what should be an extensive season ticket campaign. Their 3,000-seat home. Tonwanda Sports Center, will serve as home till their new home is ready. That facility, when complete, should hold close to 7.000 patrons for ice hockey.</p><p>Gregg Pilling, the NAHL&rsquo;s coach-of-the-year last season, will return as general manager-coach of the Firebirds for the 1975-76 season.</p><p>Last season he guided the first-year Firebirds to a second-place finish in the 1)1AHL, 12 points behind the first-place Syracuse Blazers. The Firebirds were eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs by the Long Island Cougars, three games-to-one.</p><p>Our goal now is to improve the Firebirds for this season,&rsquo; he said. I&rsquo;ve gotten a lot of satisfaction from coming in here last August 1 and accomplishing what we did last season. But now our goal is first place and to win the playoffs.&rdquo;</p><p>In the realignement of the Firebirds&rsquo; front office. George Piszek remains as president: Frank Keenan is the executive vice-president; and Frank Thomas is business manager.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02110/3286297-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="558" height="869"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BRIAN CONACHER&hellip;May Step Up</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0030-01

Nordiques Look To Turn Things Around; Conacher Looms As Commissioner

<p>JOHNSTOWN&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he saying &ldquo;Everyone likes a winner&rsquo; can not be disputed in Johnstown. That&rsquo;s the new home of the Lockhart Cup winners whose success has not only given the team and its fans a lift, but also the city itself. &ldquo;It gave us a great boost,&rdquo; said a proud excutive director, John Mitchell, who also noted that there was more enthusiasm shown by this year&rsquo;s fans than by previous fans who witnessed Jet championships in the Eastern Hockey League (1959-62).</p><p>Mitchell placed this year&rsquo;s season tickets sold figure around the 1,300 mark and expected 1,500 before the season starts. A recent promotion at Johnstown&rsquo;s Richland Mall produced several new season ticket subscribers. Another similar season ticket promotion is expected sometime in early fall.</p><p>Hard work on the ice and off has led to a new enthusiasm in Johnstown. The Jets success didn&rsquo;t come overnight. I hey worked long hours at it and now it&rsquo;s paying off.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Jets’ Ticket Campaign Becomes Huge Success

<h2>FINAL STANDINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-01143/3286488-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="587" height="260"></div><h3>PLAYOFF FINALS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02110/3286481-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="585" height="118"></div><h3>GAMES COMPLETED</h3><p><b>Wed. April 23</b></p><p>Binghamton 1 at Johnstown 5</p><p><b>Thu. April 24</b></p><p>Johnstown 7 at Binghamton 4</p><p><b>Sun. April 27</b></p><p>Johnstown 2 at Binghamton 1</p><p><b>Thur. May 1</b></p><p>Binghamton 2 at Johnstown 6</p><h3>SEMI-FINALS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0391/3286474-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="584" height="240"></div><h3>QUARTER-FINALS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0472/3286467-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="589" height="348"></div><h3>TOP PLAYOFF SCORERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0560/3286460-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="590" height="495"></div><h3>PLAYOFF GOALKEEPING</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0641/3286453-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="588" height="407"></div><h3>FINAL SCORING LEADERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0731/3286446-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="593" height="553"></div><h2>FINAL SCORING BY TEAMS</h2><h3>BINGHAMTON</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0826/3286439-1-eng-US/f0031-082.jpg" title="f0031-08" width="590" height="866"></div><h3>CAPE CODDERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0916/3286432-1-eng-US/f0031-092.jpg" title="f0031-09" width="594" height="1016"></div><h3>JOHNSTOWN</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1013/3286425-1-eng-US/f0031-102.jpg" title="f0031-10" width="594" height="1017"></div><h3>LONG ISLAND</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1110/3286418-1-eng-US/f0031-112.jpg" title="f0031-11" width="600" height="1102"></div><h3>MAINE</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-128/3286411-1-eng-US/f0031-122.jpg" title="f0031-12" width="597" height="1226"></div><h3>MOHAWK VALLEY</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-136/3286404-1-eng-US/f0031-132.jpg" title="f0031-13" width="590" height="869"></div><h3>PHILADELPHIA</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-146/3286397-1-eng-US/f0031-142.jpg" title="f0031-14" width="591" height="876"></div><h3>SYRACUSE</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-156/3286390-1-eng-US/f0031-152.jpg" title="f0031-15" width="596" height="1131"></div><h3>GOALTENDING RECORDS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-164/3286383-1-eng-US/f0031-162.jpg" title="f0031-16" width="595" height="1189"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0031-01

Final North American League Statistics

<div class="byline">BY BILL BRILL</div><p>THE HOCKEY NEWS EVERY WEEK for the price of a ticket to a SINGLE GAME!</p><p>Superb Hockey Reading Each Month HOCKEY WORLD&HOCKEY PICTORIAL</p><p>WINSTON-SALEM&mdash;</p><p>The Southern League has announced that it will indeed operate in 1975-76. but nobody is quite certain just which teams will form the league&rsquo;s third season.</p><p>All five of the current teams indicated at a SHL meeting in Winston-Salem that they would be on hand when the next campaign starts.</p><p>Four of them&mdash;Charlotte. Hampton. Winston-Salem and Greensboro&mdash;appear to be certain of coming out of the starting gate. But the status ot Roanoke. which won the championship in the SHL&rsquo;s first season, remains unclear</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-01145/3286526-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="545" height="809"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>GARY MacMILLAN&hellip;Back With Gens</b></figcaption></div><p>Gene Hawthorne, president of the Rebels, also was renamed SHL president. But that will be a temporary job. Hawthorne will relinquish that title as soon as the SHL gets around to naming a full-time commissioner, something it has never had.</p><p>Al Manch of Charlotte was appointed a one-man committee to find the SHI. a new executive head and he reported good progress was made at the Montreal meetings. He said he wasn&rsquo;t in a position to divulge the name of the new commissioner as we went to press but assured his fellow owners that the man he has in mind for the job is solid and knowledgeable.</p><p>The new appointment would free Hawthorne to straighten out the Roanoke situation.</p><p>The real question is whether or not Hawthorne and his board will operate the Rebels. Business losses have left the eight-man Roanoke board unwilling to invest more money in a hockey team that has been a losing proposition fiancially.</p><p>Yet Hawthorne says nobody has come forward to try and buy the team, although there have been numerous rumors floating around. The local Booster Club has been conducting a vigorous ticket campaign, but currently the Rebels have nobody in their front office, no coach, and no assurance that they will play.</p><p>Detroit is pulling its ownership out of Norfolk, and the Wings have been unable to come tip with enough local money to make certain that the team can stay in the older, more prestigious AHL.</p><p>Meanwhile, three separate groups from Norfolk are bidding for an SHL franchise and despite the fact Virginia Wings are going to stay with the American Hockey League, there is still an outside possibility of a Norfolk team operating in the Southern League. It appears that whichever group comes up with the sufficient amount of money and the best playing dates, will get the nod. The SHL has&rsquo; already granted Norfolk a tenative franchise.</p><p>Richard J. Davis, mayor of Portsmouth. remains ready to place a team in the SHL if the Wings can&rsquo;t be saved for the American League.</p><p>Davis was blasted by some Wings&rsquo; officials, but he denied that he was attempting anything for selfish purposes. Davis says he wants to save hockey for Norfolk, that he will place a team in the Southern League only if the AHL franchise folds.</p><p>The Southern desperately needs Norfolk as a sixth entry. With the success story that was written in Hampton last season, there is every reason to believe that a Norfolk-Hampton rivalry would be an excellent one.</p><p>There also is the thought for the future that the SHI. heads privately express. If Norfolk joins the SHL. just where does that leave Richmond? The Robins are committed to at least one more season in the American League, but how will the AHL. feel with just one southern city in its makeup? The SHL eventually would like to bring Richmond into the fold.</p><p>There is supposed to be a final decision on the Norfolk situation by the end of June. The SHL will have another meeting at that time, when teams will have to make financial commitments toward the upcoming campaign. Until the money is actually paid, it is anybody&rsquo;s guess what will happen.</p><p>The pressure in Norfolk is being applied by Scope, where the team will play. Scope officials want to make sure they have hockey, and they won&rsquo;t continue indefinitely to hold dates for the AHL team when Davis is ready to commit himself definitely to an SHL team.</p><p><b>SHL NOTES</b>: Garry MacMillan has been rehired by Greensboro. MacMillan took over from Bob Perreault after the Generals got off to a woeful 5-18 start. Under MacMillan, Greensboro still finished last but played respectable hockey (18-26-2). MacMillan will be in charge of all player movement and no one will override his decisions, according to Greensboro president Sid Sutker. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s much better than last year when I had to go through 15 people to get a decision,&rdquo; said MacMillan. &ldquo;I will be very tough. We put up with a lot last year. This year I&rsquo;m going to say if you don&rsquo;t like it, go play someplace else.&rdquo;</p><p>Hampton&rsquo;s Lorne Rombough, a 56-goal scorer who just took a bride, has signed a contract with the Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA. The Stingers will work with the Gulls again next year, but Cincinnati personnel director Jerry Rafter says he expects Rombough to make the big club. Cincinnati also has signed Gull&rsquo;s tough guy Dale Smedsmo and is talking to All Star center Claude Chartre. who scored 113 points last season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-01126/3286519-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="2418" height="1243"><figcaption class="caption-body"><p><b>Memorial Cup Champs&mdash;Toronto Marlboros</b></p><p><b>The Toronto Marlboros returned the famed Memorial Cup to the East this past season with a scintillating performance throughout their respective OHA playoffs and the Canadian national finals in which they outclassed the other two top major junior loops in the country&mdash;the Western Canada and Quebec Major Hockey Leagues. First row, from the left, STEVE BOSCO, JACK WHITE, asst, manager, FRANK BONELLO, general manager, BRUCE BOUDREAU, HAROLD BALLARD, president, GEORGE ARMSTRONG, coach, and GARY CARR. Second row, DR. L. HALL, team physician, CRAIG CRAWFORD, AL CAMERON, MARK NAPIER, MIKE KITCHEN, JOHN SMRKE, JOHN ANDERSON, and AUSTIN KIMMIS, statistician. Third row, BRUCE KENNEDY, asst, trainer, BILL WELLS, JIM KIRKPATRICK, MIKE McEWEN, BERNIE JOHNSTON, STEVE HARRISON, DAN LEMELIN, trainer, PAUL McNAMARA Jr., administrator. Back row, GEORGE HANNAH, equipment manager, TREVOR JOHANSEN, MARK MURPHY, MIKE KASZYCKI, ED SAFFREY, RON WILSON, BRIAN CRICHTON and LYNN JORGENSON.</b></p></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0032-01

Norfolk Groups Bid For Franchise

<h2>FINAL STANDINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0296/3286599-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="586" height="176"></div><h2>PLAYOFF FINALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0357/3286592-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="582" height="119"></div><p><b>Thu. March 28</b></p><p>Hampton 1 at Charlotte 3</p><p><b>Mon. April 1</b></p><p>Hampton 0 at Charlotte 4</p><p><b>Tue. April 2</b></p><p>Charlotte 4 at Hampton 6</p><p><b>Wed. April 3</b></p><p>Charlotte 2 at Hampton 4</p><p><b>Thu. April 4</b></p><p>Hampton 0 at Charlotte 7</p><p><b>Sat. April 7</b></p><p>Charlotte 6 at Hampton 3</p><h2>SEMI-FINALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0442/3286585-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg" title="f0032-04" width="587" height="239"></div><h2>TOP PLAYOFF SCORERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0529/3286578-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="596" height="695"></div><h2>PLAYOFF GOALKEEPING</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0620/3286571-1-eng-US/f0032-062.jpg" title="f0032-06" width="585" height="235"></div><h2>FINAL LEAGUE SCORING</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0713/3286564-1-eng-US/f0032-072.jpg" title="f0032-07" width="624" height="4489"></div><h2>GOALTENDING RECORDS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0811/3286557-1-eng-US/f0032-082.jpg" title="f0032-08" width="587" height="576"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0032-02

Final Southern League Statistics

<h2>FINAL STANDINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0293/3286721-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="587" height="349"></div><h2>SCORING LEADERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0368/3286714-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="587" height="328"></div><h2>FINAL SCORING BY TEAMS</h2><h3>HAMILTON</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0453/3286707-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="591" height="583"></div><h2>KINGSTON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0545/3286700-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="593" height="615"></div><h2>KITCHENER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0635/3286693-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="595" height="729"></div><h2>LONDON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0732/3286686-1-eng-US/f0033-072.jpg" title="f0033-07" width="590" height="524"></div><h2>OSHAWA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0829/3286679-1-eng-US/f0033-082.jpg" title="f0033-08" width="597" height="670"></div><h2>OTTAWA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0924/3286672-1-eng-US/f0033-092.jpg" title="f0033-09" width="593" height="610"></div><h2>PETERBOROUGH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-1022/3286665-1-eng-US/f0033-102.jpg" title="f0033-10" width="596" height="549"></div><h2>ST. CATHARINES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-1121/3286658-1-eng-US/f0033-112.jpg" title="f0033-11" width="591" height="670"></div><h2>SAULT STE. MARIE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-1220/3286651-1-eng-US/f0033-122.jpg" title="f0033-12" width="594" height="554"></div><h2>SUDBURY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-1314/3286644-1-eng-US/f0033-132.jpg" title="f0033-13" width="593" height="560"></div><h2>TORONTO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-1412/3286637-1-eng-US/f0033-142.jpg" title="f0033-14" width="596" height="608"></div><h2>GOALKEEPING RECORDS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-1510/3286630-1-eng-US/f0033-152.jpg" title="f0033-15" width="591" height="731"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0033-02

Ontario Major League Final Statistics

<h2>FINAL STANDINGS</h2><h3>Eastern Division</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-01138/3286857-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="591" height="201"></div><h3>Western Division</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0290/3286850-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="596" height="202"></div><h3>SCORING LEADERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0369/3286843-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="597" height="494"></div><p>FINAL SCORING BY TEAMS</p><h2>BRANDON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0454/3286836-1-eng-US/f0034-042.jpg" title="f0034-04" width="598" height="754"></div><h2>CALGARY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0542/3286829-1-eng-US/f0034-052.jpg" title="f0034-05" width="601" height="893"></div><h2>EDMONTON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0630/3286822-1-eng-US/f0034-062.jpg" title="f0034-06" width="598" height="896"></div><h2>FLIN FLON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0725/3286815-1-eng-US/f0034-072.jpg" title="f0034-07" width="598" height="865"></div><h2>KAMLOOPS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0820/3286808-1-eng-US/f0034-082.jpg" title="f0034-08" width="602" height="721"></div><h2>LETHBRIDGE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0913/3286801-1-eng-US/f0034-092.jpg" title="f0034-09" width="599" height="899"></div><h2>MEDICINE HAT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-1013/3286794-1-eng-US/f0034-102.jpg" title="f0034-10" width="596" height="608"></div><h2>NEW WESTMINSTER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-1114/3286787-1-eng-US/f0034-112.jpg" title="f0034-11" width="605" height="629"></div><h2>REGINA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-1213/3286780-1-eng-US/f0034-122.jpg" title="f0034-12" width="596" height="752"></div><h2>SASKATOON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-138/3286773-1-eng-US/f0034-132.jpg" title="f0034-13" width="601" height="817"></div><h2>VICTORIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-146/3286766-1-eng-US/f0034-142.jpg" title="f0034-14" width="599" height="660"></div><h2>WINNIPEG</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-156/3286759-1-eng-US/f0034-152.jpg" title="f0034-15" width="604" height="932"></div><h2>GOALKEEPING RECORDS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-166/3286752-1-eng-US/f0034-162.jpg" title="f0034-16" width="604" height="1496"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0034-01

Western Canada Hockey League Final Statistics

<h2>FINAL STANDINGS</h2><h3>East Division</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-01126/3286979-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="594" height="181"></div><h3>West Division</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02100/3286972-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="592" height="180"></div><h3>SCORING LEADERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0373/3286965-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="595" height="385"></div><h2>FINAL SCORING BY TEAMS</h2><h3>CHICOUTIMI</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0463/3286958-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="598" height="551"></div><h3>CORNWALL</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0552/3286951-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="592" height="641"></div><h3>HULL</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0641/3286944-1-eng-US/f0035-062.jpg" title="f0035-06" width="608" height="580"></div><h3>LAVAL</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0736/3286937-1-eng-US/f0035-072.jpg" title="f0035-07" width="598" height="528"></div><h3>MONTREAL</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0829/3286930-1-eng-US/f0035-082.jpg" title="f0035-08" width="596" height="616"></div><h3>QUEBEC</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0929/3286923-1-eng-US/f0035-092.jpg" title="f0035-09" width="597" height="557"></div><h3>SHAWINIGAN</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-1023/3286916-1-eng-US/f0035-102.jpg" title="f0035-10" width="601" height="561"></div><h3>SHERBROOKE</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-1121/3286909-1-eng-US/f0035-112.jpg" title="f0035-11" width="601" height="734"></div><h3>SOREL</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-1215/3286902-1-eng-US/f0035-122.jpg" title="f0035-12" width="595" height="615"></div><h3>TROIS-RIVIERES</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-1312/3286895-1-eng-US/f0035-132.jpg" title="f0035-13" width="597" height="560"></div><h3>GOALKEEPING RECORDS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-1412/3286888-1-eng-US/f0035-142.jpg" title="f0035-14" width="596" height="1219"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0035-01

Final Quebec League Statistics

<div class="byline">BY BILL HILTS</div><h2>Olympic Team Drilling</h2><p class="dropcap"><span>A</span>ll across the United States the word was just about the same&mdash;reorganization, realignment, etc. Few had little to report in player activity with all preparing for the fast-approaching fall, when the hockey camps will start again.</p><p>As we pen this writing, the U.S. Olympic tryout camps are being conducted in various rinks across the country. Bob Johnson, U.S. Olympic hockey coach ran each of the camps, striving to come up with the very best representative team possible. With the U.S. National Team&rsquo;s poor showing in Europe this past winter&mdash;losing every game, they have nowhere to go but up.</p><p>The final tryout camp will be held in Madison, Wis., during August. Coach Johnson is planning a little different strategy this time around. Instead of taking the team into international competition &ldquo;cold&rdquo;, they will play a 50-game schedule in preparation for the big one to be held next winter in Innsbruck, Austria.</p><h2>Midwest League</h2><p>According to Ken Austin, president of what is generally considered to be the premiere junior league in the U.S., reorganization is also the order of the day. Ken says that in all probability the Midwest League will be a six-team operation this fall&mdash;all in Minnesota. Fargo N.D. has dropped out and the most likely lineup will include two teams from St. Paul, Bloomington, Minneapolis, St. Cloud and Austin.</p><p>Gigi Pillhoffer, the most capable PR director for the Midwest League, informed us that Andre Beaulieu, coach of the Minnesota Junior Stars for the past two seasons, has been named assistant coach of the NHL Minnesota North Stars. Gigi said the league was proud of the fact that 13 &ldquo;graduates&rdquo;, from three teams, have been drafted by pro clubs.</p><p>She also mentioned the fact that it was very difficult to keep junior teams together as a group for more than one season in the midwest, because of the strong high school programs, then with just about a single season of junior action the boys move on to college or the pro ranks.</p><p>It&rsquo;s interesting to note that in just the past two seasons, 47 players from the Midwest Junior League received college scholarships for hockey.</p><h2>New England League</h2><p>Here too, reorganization is the word I According to Norman &ldquo;&lsquo;Husky&rsquo;&rsquo; Poirier, the New England Junior League lineup is still not firm and teams are still being screened. The final league setup should consist of eight to 10 teams, playing a 44 game schedule.</p><p>Husky notes that in the New England League, they arrange their schedule to allow open dates so member clubs can get in several exhibition games with top college squads, N.Y. City Metro League, Montreal Metro League and the Quebec Junior &ldquo;A&rdquo;, Tier 2 League. Their &ldquo;75-76 schedule will start about the first week in October.</p><p>Since our May writing, Husky notes a few changes in player plans he revealed at that time. The Berlin, N.H. Maroons had a very talented squad this past season and two of that club, Frank Roy and John Normand have accepted hockey scholarships to the University of New Hampshire. Jerry Gingras will be attending New England College, also in N.H. Mike Richard has been invited to try out for the WHA Quebec Nordiques.</p><p>The Sherbrooke Beavers of the QMJHL have invited several players to the fall camp&mdash;including Hank LeClerc, &ldquo;Ducky&rdquo; Martin, Dave Payeur. Ray Roy and Butch Poirier.</p><h2>Greater New York City</h2><p>PR Director of the Greater New York City Ice Hockey League Jerry Rodelli sends us word that they are anticipating their biggest and best season ever in &ldquo;75-76. The league, now 10 years old, has 15,000 boys playing hockey. With only two rinks to schedule games on, it must take a master-mind to arrange the games and practices required for that great number of players. About 300 volunteers run the program.</p><p>Jerry was pleased over the fact that Rick Hansen, a Greater N.Y. League graduate, was drafted in the seventh round of the recent NHL amateur draft by the New York Islanders.</p><h2>Michigan Leagues</h2><p>Again, chatting with Carl Schwarz, AHAUS Director for Michigan&mdash;the word is reorganization. Carl says they are planning to come up with a Class &ldquo;A&rdquo; and B&rdquo; Tier setup for the entire state. This will be built around a structure of 17-01 to 15 teams. By mid-summer, Carl hopes to have the plans finalized.</p><h2>New York-Penn League</h2><p>The Amherst Hockey Assn., a long and continuing formidable power in amateur hockey, not only in N.Y. State, but in the U.S. and Canada as well, is the home of mighty pround group of people these days. Two graduates from their development league&mdash;Peter Scamurra and Jack Brownschidle, represent the very first hockey players from Western N.Y. to ever be drafted by the NHL.</p><p>Scamurra toiled as a defenseman for the Peterborough Petes the past two seasons, after giving up a scholarship at the University of Wisconsin. He was the first pick by the Washington Capitals in the second round. Scamurra was also selected by Cleveland in the fourth, or first public round, of the WHA draft. Brownschidle, a defenseman at Notre Dame University, was a sixth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues.</p><p>Ray Cotter, general manager of the Amherst Knights of the NY-Penn Leauge, expressed nothing but praise for the two youths and pride in the Amherst organization<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

JUNIOR JOTTINGS

<div class="byline">BY JACK MCCARTHY</div><p>BOSTON&mdash;</p><p>The Bruins have been stirring around a bit, following the Stanley Cup playoffs, but more is expected before the summer is over.</p><p>Principally, they ended all speculation that high-scoring center Phil Esposito would move to the WHA or anywhere, for that matter, by signing Espo to a multi-year contract, along with right-winger Terry O&rsquo;Reilly. Although not announced, they were believed to be three-year contracts.</p><p>The signings took place in Boston on Tuesday. May 27. not too long before Esposito&rsquo;s contract would have expired on June 1. No figures were mentioned, nor the length of the deals, except for the &ldquo;multi-year&rdquo; statement.</p><p>And Espo was no great help either, with this gem: &ldquo;I signed for two and one half times less than the WHA offered&hellip;&rdquo; He added. &ldquo;1 had an offer from Vancouver last summer and passed it along to my advisors. But I&rsquo;ve been well-treated in Boston and I&rsquo;m very happy here. 1 called my father about the Bruins&rsquo; contract and he asked me if the money offer was good and I said it was. Then he asked me if 1 was happy here, and 1 said yes. So he said. &lsquo;What the heck else do you want? Sign.&rsquo;&hellip;&rdquo;</p><p>There had been some friction during the past season between some of the Bruins and the press covering the club, especially over players retreating into trainer Dan Canney&rsquo;s room to avoid interviews. The trainer&rsquo;s room is out of bounds. The usually effervescent Espo did this, also, but has vowed that he would not do it again, and would cooperate next year.</p><p>The Bruins have been accused of having a negative attitude toward a lot of things, not exclusively the press, but this too, is said to be changed next season. Said Expo, &ldquo;We talked it over and decided to make ourselves available to the media. I was a prime offender, I know, but next season will be different.&rdquo;</p><p>Said O&lsquo;Reilly, who is attending summer school at Boston University. &ldquo;&hellip;We agreed that it was wrong, negative. We have to think positively as a team and stick together, the bunch of us&hellip;&rdquo;</p><p>In other news, the Bruins were believed to be talking with Ron Grahame, the goaltender of the Houston Aeros. The Bruins hold the NHL rights tp Grahame, who backboned the Aeros to the WHA title.</p><p>Said Bruins&rsquo; GM Harry Sinden, &ldquo;We do hold the rights to Grahame and we have scouted him. But we&rsquo;ve scouted a lot of people we have the rights to&hellip;&rdquo;</p><p>He would not discuss this any further.</p><p>Grahame&rsquo;s contract with Houston is due to expire on Sept. 30, 1975, and it is believed that he will talk to Boston, which had purchased his NHL rights from San Diego.</p><p>In still another matter, two Bruins became free agents when their existing contracts expired&mdash;Johnny Bucyk and Gary Doak. The latter had been offered a contract for next season, but had not signed as of this writing. The veteran Bucyk was reported to have been asking for protection in the draft, and that he not be used solely as a powerplay specialist, at which he is a great one in the left corner.</p><p>Now, to the junior draft. The Bruins went with a defenseman (according to their new defensive philosophy) when they took Doug Halward of the Peterborough Petes on their first choice (the 17-01th pick in the first round).</p><p>According to scout Gary Darling &ldquo;He is the best young defensive defenseman in Canada. We had him rated right at the top, so we were quite pleased when he was still available as a I4th choice&hellip;&rdquo;</p><p>Said Sinden. &ldquo;Halward can carry the puck all right, but he is primarily a defensive defenseman.</p><p>&ldquo;It is also important that he is a left defenseman. Looking to the future, we want to avoid the necessity of switching Carol Vadnais to the right side&hellip;&rdquo;</p><p>Still on the defensive kick, the Bruins took Barry Smith, a center from New Westminster. B.C., as the second-round choice. Darling said, &ldquo;We wanted the best defensive center available and Smith was the best in this category&hellip;&rdquo;</p><p>In the sixth round, Boston took Matti Hagman, a center for the Finnish National team. Sinden said that Hagman was the best player on that national team.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c4-01194/3287041-1-eng-US/c4-012.jpg" title="C4-01" width="553" height="704"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PHIL ESPOSITO&hellip;Likes Boston</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c4-02172/3287034-1-eng-US/c4-022.jpg" title="C4-02" width="546" height="741"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TERRY O&rsquo;REILLY&hellip;Can&rsquo;t Be Negative</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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July 1, 1975

Central Hockey League Final Statistics

AHL Ready To Go With Same Nine-Team Format

PASSING THE PUCK

Winas Dio Into Amateur Draft To Solve Defense Problems