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.

August 1, 1975

The Hockey News August 1, 1975

<p>CLEVELAND&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>U</span>ntil Cleveland hockey fans get to know him better, remember the &ldquo;A&rdquo; in John A. Stewart is for Alexander. John Alexander Stewart, the Crusaders&rsquo; newest left wing and newest &ldquo;John Stewart.&rdquo;</p><p>John A. (as opposed to John C. Stewart. the Crusaders&rsquo; second-year center), a National Hockey League free agent and most recently the third leading goal scorer for the California Seals, has signed a multi-year contract with Cleveland&rsquo;s World Hockey Association club.</p><p>Stewart. 25, a native of Eriksdale, Manitoba, is 6-feet and 180 pounds. This past season with the Seals, he scored 19 goals, 19 assists, 38 points and took 55 minutes in penalties.</p><p>&ldquo;John combines most of the assets we are looking for on the left wing,&rdquo; said Crusaders&rsquo; general manager Jack Vivian, who has recently added Danny Gruen and Lyle Moffat to the left side. &ldquo;John has speed, good moves with the puck and proven goal-scoring ability in the National Hockey League.&rdquo;</p><p>A five-year NHL veteran. Stewart was drafted from the Flin Flon Bombers of the Western Canada Hockey League by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the 1970 amateur draft. After scoring 19 goals in 57 games for Amarillo of the Central Hockey League. Stewart was called up by the Penguins during the later part of the 1971 season for 15 games and again in 1972 for 25 games.</p><p>The Atlanta Flames drafted Stewart in the NHL expansion draft of 1972, and in two seasons with the Flames he scored 35 goals and 67 points. It was during the 1973-74 season that Stewart came to the attention of new Crusaders&rsquo; coach Johnny Wilson, who was then the Flames&rsquo; assistant general manager.</p><p>Stewart came to the Seals in July of 1974 in a trade that sent Hilliard Graves to the Flames. The Crusaders recently obtained the WHA rights to Graves from Baltimore in the special draft of players from the Blades and Chicago Cougars.</p><p>In addition to the recently signed Stewart, Lyle Moffat. Danny Gruen and Craig Reichmuth. left wings on the Crusaders roster include Gary Jarrett, Grant Erickson. Steve Cardwell (whose contract has expired) and Gerry Pinder. Pinder, however, is a right shot and played the right wing his first two seasons as a Crusader before switching to the left side last season.</p><p>Gruen, a left wing who played most of last season with Michigan has been signed to a multi-year contract.</p><p>Earlier the Crusaders signed 27-year-old left wing Moffat, a National Hockey League free agent and former Toronto Maple Leaf.</p><p>The Crusaders obtained Gruen as their first pick in a special WHA draft of remaining players from the rosters of the now defunct Chicago and Baltimore clubs.</p><p>Gruen. 5&rsquo;11&rdquo;. 185 pounds and a native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, started last season with Michigan Stags, and scored nine goals and 21 points in 32 games. When the Stags moved to Baltimore at mid-season, however. Gruen requested and was sent to Winnipeg where he scored 10 goals and 26 points in 34 games.</p><p>Gruen, who is 23, spent the first two seasons of his professional career in the NHL Detroit Red Wings organization before signing with the Stags in April of 1974. He was called up tw ice by the Red Wings for three games in 1973 and 18 games in 1974.</p><p>Besides now being teammates with the Crusaders, Gruen and Moffat also have a scoring title in common. Gruen scored 35 goals and 45 assists for 80 points with the Fort Worth Wings in 1972-73. his first professional season, to tie Moffat, then with the Tulsa Oilers, for the Central Hockey League scoring honors.</p><p>Gruen also led the CHL in another category, however, penalty minutes with 194.</p><p>&ldquo;Danny fits into our youth movement.&rdquo; points out Crusaders&rsquo; general manager Vivian, who in addition to Moffat, has brought young forwards like Richie Leduc. Jim Harrison, John Stewart. Al McDonough and Terry Holbrook to Cleveland in the past year.</p><p>&ldquo;Danny, like Lyle Moffat, is a proven goal scorer, &ldquo;Vivian added, &ldquo;and he has the inclination to mingle. In other words, he&rsquo;s aggressive.&rdquo;</p><p>Wilson too is pleased to have Gruen. &ldquo;He should be a tremendous asset to our club.&rdquo; said Wilson. &ldquo;He possesses a lot of positive ingredients. He&rsquo;s productive and aggressive, the kind of player the fans can get attached to.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

IN THIS ISSUE

Crusaders Grab Stewart From Seals

<p>EVELETH&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>wo Western amateur greats and three Eastern college stars headline this year&rsquo;s selections as enshrinees for the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.</p><p>The announcement was made by hall selection committee chairman Walter L. Bush, Jr. who also serves as president, of the Minnesota North Stars.</p><p>The hall&rsquo;s national selection committee, which recently met in Boston, picked five players for the Eveleth, Minnesota based facility&rsquo;s third annual enshrinement. It is the first year in which no coach, administrator, or referee will be admitted.</p><p>In making the formal announcement Bush commented, &ldquo;We are now getting down to an annual selection figure that should hold for our future. The committee had done a fine job in making these quality selections. They have to continually keep in mind that we are the smallest team sport and therefore have the smallest pool to draw on.&rdquo;</p><p>The 1975 enshrinees with the career years for which they are honored:</p><p>Tony Conroy, a forward, with St. Paul Athletic Club and St. Paul Saints from 1914 to 1929. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Conroy was part of the great St. Paul hockey tradition that is so entwined with the names of Goheen, Fitzgerald, and Weidenbroner. Conroy starred with these men through the glory years of the St. Paul Athletic Club which later became the professional St. Paul Saints. There are many who feel he was the fastest, surest, back checker hockey has ever had.</p><p>Francis &ldquo;Austie&rdquo; Harding, a forward with Harvard University from 1936 to 1939. Born in Boston, he was one of the Crimson&rsquo;s all time great skaters. Harding led the team in scoring his three varsity years and was captain as a senior. A real &ldquo;iron man&rdquo; he once played 58 minutes of one game scoring four goals and three assists. At the time of his playing he was described by observers as being &ldquo;the best American college hockey player today.&rdquo;</p><p>Stuart Iglehart, a defenseman with Yale University, New York Rovers, and the Crescent Athletic Club from 1929 to 1939. Born in Westbury, New York. Inglehart was a great defenseman at Yale. He performed for the 1933 United States World Tournament Championship team, at center and right as well as on defense. Later playing amateur hockey with the Crescent Atheltic Club in New York he was described as the mainstay of the team as well as one of the outstanding defensemen developed in college hockey. Most hockey observers feel he could have easily made the New York Rangers of his day.</p><p>Joseph Linder, who was both a forward and a defenseman out the Portage Lake Hockey Club. Hancock Hockey Club, Shamrock Hockey Club, Duluth Curling Club and the Duluth Hockey Club from 1904 to 1920. Born in Hancock, Michigan and described by some contemporaries as the first great American born hockey player, Linder was a member of Doc Gibson&rsquo;s first great Portage Lake team. A great leader and versatile performer he captained most teams he played on. A writer in the early forties indicated Linder would have to be included on any list of the thirty best players in the world.</p><p>Frederick Mosely was a forward with Harvard University from 1933-1936. Born in Dover, Mass., Mosely was regarded as one of the top United States collegiate hockey players during the 1930&rsquo;s. He captained the Crimson during his senior year being selected as an All-American in 1936. Always a top scorer Mosely was a great team player leading in assists, a tireless and powerful skater, and a great back checker.</p><p>The 1975 enshrinees will be installed in ceremonies at Eveleth on Saturday, Oct. 25. Completing the annual festivities will be the Hall of Fame annual hockey game pitting the defending WCHA champion, University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, against the United States Olympic Team.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

U.S. Hall Of Fame To Enshrine Five Hockey Greats

<h2><b>ONTARIO LEAGUE</b></h2><h3>FINAL STANDINGS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02111/3359273-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="604" height="350"></div><h3><b>SCORING LEADERS</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0381/3359266-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="602" height="328"></div><h3><b>GOALKEEPING RECORDS</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0469/3359259-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="602" height="744"></div><h2><b>WESTERN CANADA</b></h2><h3><b>FINAL STANDINGS Eastern Division</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0557/3359252-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="604" height="200"></div><h3><b>Western Division</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0645/3359245-1-eng-US/f0035-062.jpg" title="f0035-06" width="615" height="211"></div><h3><b>SCORING LEADERS</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0740/3359238-1-eng-US/f0035-072.jpg" title="f0035-07" width="610" height="503"></div><h2><b>QUEBEC LEAGUE</b></h2><h3><b>FINAL STANDINGS East Division</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0831/3359231-1-eng-US/f0035-082.jpg" title="f0035-08" width="603" height="177"></div><h3><b>West Division</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0931/3359224-1-eng-US/f0035-092.jpg" title="f0035-09" width="614" height="180"></div><h3><b>SCORING LEADERS</b></h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-1025/3359217-1-eng-US/f0035-102.jpg" title="f0035-10" width="603" height="385"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0035-02

Final Major Statistics

<div class="byline">BY CHUCK EPSTEIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-01188/3358276-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="562" height="730"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>GARY SABOURIN&hellip;Gets Another Chance</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02147/3358269-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="564" height="574"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LARRY PATEY&hellip;He Can Score</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03112/3358262-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="570" height="696"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DAVE HRECHKOSY&hellip;Seals&rsquo; Leader</b></figcaption></div><p>OAKLAND&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>N</span>ew coach Jack Evans and director of hockey operations Bill McCreary figure the California Golden Seals will surprise quite a few people around the National Hockey League during the 1975-76 campaign by scoring more goals. If they combine that with a tighter defense, the Seals will shock many opponents.</p><p>&ldquo;Our most pressing need right now,&rdquo; stresses McCreary, &ldquo;is to get our offense untracked and score more goals. We&rsquo;ve got to add another 50 goals or so. If we do that, we&rsquo;ll be right in there with most teams.&rdquo;</p><p>Taking a giant stride in the right direction, the Seals added 36-goai scorer Jim Pappin from the Chicago Black Hawks to shore up their right side, then promptly backed him up with scrappy Gary Sabourin from the Toronto Maple Leafs.</p><p>To get that pair, the Seals had to give up two popular players. Captain Joey Johnston, a left winger who scored 14 goals last season, went to the Hawks, and Stan Weir, who notched 18 goals at center, was dealt to the Leafs.</p><p>Coming off two injury-interrupted seasons that saw him score only five goals with Leafs in &rsquo;74-75 and seven with St. Louis the year before, Sabourin hopes that he&rsquo;ll come back to the form that made him a Blues&rsquo; fixture when he scored 116 goals with them in five seasons.</p><p>Despite the loss of Weir at center, the Seals figure to show improved strength down the middle. Their two top draft choices this year are both centers whose sparkling play earned them raves in Canadian major junior ranks, and both are capable of making the varsity squad in 1975-76.</p><p>Ralph Klassen, the classy 19-year-old pivot of the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Canada Hockey League, was the first-round choice of the Seals and was selected third overall. He was regarded by most experts as one of the 10 best juniors in all of Canada last season. Klassen collected 21 goals and 47 assits in 41 games and was outstanding in the World Junior Tournament played at Winnipeg. A fine playmaker, Klassen impressed the pro scouts, but his statistics were misleading because he missed over six weeks of action in the last half of the season with mononucleosis.</p><p>The Seals&rsquo; second choice was Denis Maruk of the London Knights, who led his Ontario Hockey Association Junior &ldquo;A&rdquo; squad with a whopping 145 points on 66 goals and 79 assists. The diminutive center, who checks in at only 5&rsquo;8&rdquo; and 165 pounds, also has a shot at making the NHL roster. Maruk scored as many goals in the OHA as highly-regarded Mel Bridgman did for Victoria in the Western League.</p><p>Holdover centers who can find the net are Larry Patey and Dave Gardner. Patey cashed in 25 goals and tied Weir for the club point leadership with 45. Gardner, who came to California from St. Louis after the season started, registered 16 goals for the Seals and has shown great potential.</p><p>Dave &ldquo;The Wrecker&rdquo; Hrechkosy, who burned opposing goalies for 29 goals in his rookie season, will be back on left wing. Other portsiders who should add to the Seals&rsquo; production are Al MacAdam, who lit 18 red lamps last season, and Gary Holt, up from the Salt Lake Golden Eagles where he scored 26 times in Central League action.</p><p>There are plenty of others at all forward positions who can find the net, but as of this writing, these are the men the club is counting on most to increase the Seals&rsquo; scoring punch in the 75-76 campaign. If they accomplish the task, it could be the Seals&rsquo; turn to be a surprise team in the NHL.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0497/3358255-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="1192" height="1238"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JIM PAPPIN&hellip;Big Shooter To Aid Seals</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0027-01

Seals Aim To Increase Offense By 50 Goals

<div class="image-hero"><img title="Cover-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cover-01580/3359366-1-eng-US/cover-012.jpg"></div><p><b>ORR, CLARKE HOCKEY&rsquo;S TOP PLUS PLAYERS&mdash;Page 3</b></p><p><b>DIONNE &ldquo;DEAL&rdquo; RAISES FUROR&mdash;Page 13</b></p><p><b>WHA SAINTS MAKE BID FOR ORR&mdash;Page 20</b></p><p><b>EXCLUSIVE!</b></p><p><b>NHL PLUS-MINUS STATISTICS&mdash;Pages 3-30</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Cover-01

HOCKEY JURY TRIAL SETS PRECEDENT

<div class="byline">BY DONALD BERNS</div><p>ST. LOUIS&mdash;</p><p>The St. Louis Blues took a big gamble with their future when they traded away John Davidson, the first goalie to jump directly from junior hockey to the National Hockey League.</p><p>Davidson was the top draft choice of the Blues two seasons ago, and as late as this year&rsquo;s draft the team was still paying off Montreal for the right to land him. The praises of many young goalies have been sung over the last couple of years in the NHL, but Davidson was the only young goalie on whom the verdict was unanimous&mdash;he is the best of the young goalies and undoubtedly has a very bright future in the NHL.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-02766/3356184-1-eng-US/f0002-022.jpg" title="f0002-02" width="289" height="450"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Gilles Gratton</b></figcaption></div><p>The Blues&rsquo; reasons for trading Davidson are unclear. Obviously the team&rsquo;s management believed that the three agressive. forwards obtained from New York, Ted Irvine. Jerry Butler and Bert Wilson, will help the team, and the Blues also believe that the team can survive in goal without Davidson&rsquo;s talents.</p><p>Let it be said for any skeptics that there were no off-the-ice reasons for trading Davidson. Big John proved in his two years in St. Louis he is a very coachable young man willing to bend and conform to any measure taken for the improvement of himself and his team. Personally he is a serious, clearheaded, affable young man liked and respected by his teammates, his employers and everyone with whom he comes into contact.</p><p>What the Blues are hoping to do is duplicate Davidson&rsquo;s development in the person of their top draft pick this year. Ed Staniowski of the Regina Pats.</p><p>Denis Ball, vice president of hockey operations, said. &ldquo;The reason we were able to make the trade is because of the decision to draft Staniowski.&rdquo;</p><p>Ball a year ago was righthand man to New York general manager Emile Francis and values the three forwards obtained by the Blues. The Rangers, on the other hand will be in a decidedly better position with Davidson ready to step in for either of the team&rsquo;s two aging goalies, Eddie Giacomin and Gilles Villemure.</p><p>Staniowski also has the hearty endorsement of one of the best goalies of them all. Glenn Hall, who frustrated the opposition for 16 years in the NHL. is now a special consultant to the Blues and shadowed the Regina games to get a good look at the prospective draft pick.</p><p>Hall said. &ldquo;Ed plays the angles and recovers very well for a player of his age. He is, in fact, the best goalie in junior hockey at doing that. He also stands up well under the power-play attack, and all aspects of his play are sharp.&rdquo;</p><p>Staniowski is not the only St. Louis goalie. The Blues also have veteran Eddie Johnston, young Yves Belanger and a league-jumper form the World Hockey Association, Gilles Gratton, who was with the Toronto Toros last season and is unproven in the NHL.</p><p>Among the members of that trio Belanger is the key man on the ice. and Johnston is the key man off the ice. Belanger, who made his NHL debut in the middle of last season, probably will carry a heavy load of games, and if he continues to develop as he did during the second half of last season the Blues&rsquo; gamble will be closer to paying off. Johnston, the conscientious old pro. is a patient teacher who can skate into the nets to show a pupil how its done. Be-langer and Staniowski will become better goalies if they pay attention to what Johnston is saying and doing.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0002-02

Blues Sacrificed Best Young Goaler In Move For More Muscle Up Front

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0002-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-01832/3356215-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Reg Leach of the Flyers has benefitted from Fred Shero&rsquo;s coaching in his first year with the club. Read what goodies Shero has planned for 1975-76 on page 15.</figcaption></div><h2>NHL HIRES BUTTON</h2><p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>J</span>ack Button, the man who had the financially-troubled Pittsburgh Penguins thrust on his shoulders as a court-appointed receiver, has gotten out from under by accepting the position of director for the National Hockey League&rsquo;s new central scouting service.</p><p>NHL president Clarence Campbell said Button, who served as general manager of the Penguins for the past season and a half, will be located in Montreal after he winds up his duties with the Penguins. Button, who is 36, will be preoccupied with developing and administering the NHL&rsquo;s central scouting computer operation for all 18 teams. He will hire eight scouts to work with him.</p><h2>WHA NAMES COACHES</h2><p>WINNIPEG&mdash;</p><p>Bobby Kromm, the man who waited years to step into the Chicago Black Hawks&rsquo; head coaching job, has grown tired of toiling in the minors and has accepted the head coaching position with the Winnipeg Jets of the WHA. Kromm leaves Dallas of the CHL where he has been developing young Hawks for the past seven years.</p><p>Kromm becomes the seventh new WHA coach named this season. Ron Ingram has been installed at San Diego over Harry Howell; Bob Baun has taken over from Bob Leduc and Billy Harris at Toronto; Clare Drake succeeds Bill Hunter at Edmonton; John Wilson is the new man at Cleveland; Jean-Guy Talbot is with the new Denver club and Terry Slater is also new with the first-year Cincinnati Stingers. Houston also named a new assistant coach to Bill Dineen in Jack Stanfield.</p><h2>DIONNE RATES NO. 2</h2><p>LOS ANGELES&mdash;</p><p>Little Marcel Dionne is the number two man in the NHL&rsquo;s contract league right behind super Bruin Bobby Orr. Dionne&rsquo;s new pact with the Los Angeles Kings stipulates that he will receive a $250,000 signing bonus and a five-year pact in the $275,000 per season range.</p><p>The authority for Dionne&rsquo;s financial status is none other than Alan Eagleson, the players&rsquo; legal beagle who happens to retain both the No. 1 and No. 2 men Orr and Dionne respectively. The NHL Bruins readjusted Orr&rsquo;s contract upwards two years ago when the WHA boosted its salaries and Orr&rsquo;s agreement with the Bruins runs out next spring indicating the Bruins will have to renegotiate it. Estimates on Orr&rsquo;s yearly salary run as high as $300,000.</p><h2>NHL EXPANSION OVER</h2><p>TORONTO&mdash;</p><p>Don&rsquo;t look for any further NHL expansion according to chief executive Clarence Campbell. The league governors want to concentrate on the present 18 teams and to stabilize the Pittsburgh and California franchises. Campbell said all possible future expansion plans have been exhausted.</p><p>Both Denver and Seattle appear to be write-offs as far as the NHL is concerned. Denver opted for the WHA and Seattle is attempting to assemble the finances to put a major league club on the ice. It isn&rsquo;t likely to be in the NHL but the WHA.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0002-01

Deadline Stoppers

<p>Toronto&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he world economic situation has dictated many things these days and hockey is no exception. Because of the existing economy the National Hockey League is unable to shorten its 1975-76 season.</p><p>NHL, president Clarence Campbell told the KTHL Players&rsquo; Association, which had requested a two-week cutback in the league schedule, that &ldquo;the owners would like to shorten things, too, but the inexorable economic situationis against it.&rdquo;</p><p>The players wanted the 80-game schedule played in a reduced time period in order that the Stanley Cup playoffs would end by mid-May instead of the end of the month as was the situation this past season.</p><p>And the NHL was just kidding when it suggested paring the team rosters to 17 skaters and two goalies, the number dressed for each game.</p><p>At least, that&rsquo;s the impression the NHL Players&rsquo; Association received when the status quo was retained&mdash;each team can carry as many players as it wishes.</p><p>Last month, word leaked out the general managers had recommended a player limit of 19 and the NHL was set to press the issue. NHLPA was prepared to fight hard for at least a 21-player roster, but the question was settled quickly during the summer ownerplayer council meeting here.</p><p>&ldquo;The owners we met with said the 19-man roster was merely a general managers&rsquo; suggestion that had leaked out to the press prematurely,&rdquo; said NHLPA president Pit Martin of Chicago Black Hawks.</p><p>&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t an issue of any kind, really, and the old roster status is retained. It supplies an example of the things the players want to change in our relationship with the owners.&rdquo;</p><p>The players&rsquo; group had two meetings to discuss the roster issue and their proposals to fight the 19-man limit. They wanted at least 21 players on each team because of the long schedule with heavy travelling, injuries and the fact it meant major league salaries for more players.</p><p>&ldquo;They didn&rsquo;t consult us on the matter and, as a result, we worked under the idea that they were going to push the number 19,&rdquo; Martin added. &ldquo;We wasted time preparing our case against something that didn&rsquo;t exist. Had communications been better, we could have worked on more important things.&rdquo;</p><p>As mentioned, the players lost out in their bid to have the 80-game schedule either shortened or condensed, at least for the 1975-76 season. Their proposal was to open training camps Sept. 15 and run the season from Oct. I to Mar. 31, then streamline the playoffs.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Shortened NHL Year Ruled Out

f0003-01

PLUS Players…

f0003-02

MINUS Players…

<div class="byline">BY CHARLIE HALPIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-03477/3356339-1-eng-US/f0003-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BOBBY CLARKE&hellip;Plays With 79 Plus Rating</b></figcaption></div><p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he National Hockey League has always been reluctant to disclose its plus and minus figures for fear of offending the individual players and clubs, some of which preferred that they be classed as &ldquo;restricted information&rdquo; and not be released to the media.</p><p>Now that the statistics are out in the open it seems they may not be as revealing as everyone had been led to believe over the years. If anything they have shown that the top teams have the best plus players and the worst teams have the most minus performers. This would appear to be the accepted result of any league race and one wonders why the individual NHL clubs were so hesitant in divulging the figures to the press.</p><p>The 1974-75 NHL plus-minus statistics indicate clearly that players like Bobby Orr, Bobby Clarke, Serge Savard, Larry Robinson, Don Luce, Reg Leach and Guy Lafleur comprise the leading seven plus players in that order and mostly because their respective teams were involved in the battle for first place.</p><p>On the other hand, the dubious honor of dominating the NHL&rsquo;s minus list belongs to the players on the Washington Capitals, Kansas City Scouts, Detroit Red Wings and California Seals and everyone knows what kind of a hockey year these clubs had.</p><p>Players like Bill Mikkelson with a lofty minus 82 rating. Tommy Williams and Jack Lynch of Washington with minus 69s, are three of the leaders in this unglorious category and they put themselves there because their teams were inferior and they spent most of their ice time running around trying to keep the Orrs, Clarkes, Leachs and Lafleurs from scoring.</p><p>Obviously, looking at their minus ratings, they didn&rsquo;t succeed.</p><p>The plus-minus system rates alongside the Vezina Trophy format in which the team with the best goals-against average gets the goaling award when it might have gone to a less successful team if it were worked out on a shots-against basis rather than a goals-against average, ft probably isn&rsquo;t a true assessment of a team or a player.</p><p>At any rate, this is the established NHL system and it has revealed that Bobby Orr of the Bruins was the top plus player with an 80 followed closely by Bobby Clarke of Philadelphia with a 79. Both players are among the NHL&rsquo;s hardest working individuals and spend more time than most players on the ice during the course of a game. Many NHL teams like Boston, Philadelphia, Montreal and Buffalo, had complete plus rosters.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b><i>FIRST PUBLICATION OF NHL&rsquo;s RESTRICTED PLUS and MINUS STATISTICS</i></b></blockquote><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b>ORR, CLARKE RANK HIGHEST AMONG NHL&rsquo;S PLUS PLAYERS</b></blockquote><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-04279/3356332-1-eng-US/f0003-042.jpg" title="f0003-04" width="1178" height="1513"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BOBBY ORR&hellip;Plus 80 Makes Him No. 1</b></figcaption></div><p>Possibly on the surprising side of the statistics is the fact new Los Angeles King Marcel Dionne spent much more time trying to score goals than keep them out. He ended up with a minus 15. Bill Goldsworthy of Minnesota was another player who zeroed in on offense and forgot about his defensive play. He had a minus 37. Danny Grant of Detroit was a minus 11 and the Sabres&rsquo; French Connection Line, which led the NHL in scoring as a unit, was barely above the plus level. Gil Perreault was a plus one. Richard Martin a plus five and Rene Robert a plus six. Darryl Sittler of the Leafs came off the &rsquo;74-75 season as the team scoring leader with 80 points but he also fashioned a minus 10 as a defensive player.</p><p>Hockey fans have been wondering about the game&rsquo;s plus and minus figures for a long time. After reading them for the first time in THE HOCHEY NEWS they may go on wondering for many more years.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0003-03

HOCKEY NEWS SPECIAL!

<div class="byline">Ken McKenzie&#x2019;s</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-01890/3356391-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="454" height="446"></div><p>&bull; <b>NEW YORK RANGERS</b> and Islanders will both train on Long Island this year. The Rangers will move from Kitchener, Ont. while the Islanders will shift from Peterborough, Ont. to Farmingdale. The moves are part of the economy measures all NHL teams are taking because of the poor financial climate. Training camps open September 16&hellip;Andre Beaulieu, the most successful high school and junior coach in Minnesota history, will be assistant to coach Ted Harris of the Minnesota North Stars this season. He coached the Junior Stars in the Midwest Junior League for the last two seasons. A native of Shawinigan, Que., he has one of the sharpest minds in hockey and will be the first coach in NHL history to hold a Masters Degree&hellip;Rangers are anxious to unload either Ed Giacomin or Gilles Villemure before the 1975-76 season starts. Toronto is anxious to give up Doug Favell&hellip;Ed Thilenius is the new public relations director of the Atlanta Flames. He was recently voted Atlanta&rsquo;s Sportscaster of the Year&hellip;Winnipeg Jets are hoping to land three more Swedish players before training camp opens&hellip;Bronco Horvath. ex-Boston Bruins&rsquo; scoring star, is the best golfer among the hockey fraternity&hellip;The annual convention of American Hockey League Booster Clubs will be held the weekend of September 5-7 at Fred Waring&rsquo;s Shawnee Inn on the Delaware River in Shawnee, Pa. Interested parties should contact the Convention Chairman, P.O. Box 322, Palmer, Mass&hellip;Bill Chadwick, former NHL refereeing great and currently color commentator on the New York Rangers telecasts, is the only person who is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame at Toronto, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame at Eveleth, Minn, and winner of the Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-02846/3356384-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="284" height="383"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Bill Chadwick</b></figcaption></div><p>&bull; <b>THE WAY</b> has been paved for Canada to participate in the new formula adopted by the International Ice Hockey Federation for hockey&rsquo;s version of soccer&rsquo;s World Cup. It will allow professionals to compete against amateurs in an open tournament among such countries as the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Finland and the United States. Canada has boycotted the world championships since 1969 on the grounds that its best players are not eligible to compete against the best from Europe&hellip;Philadelphia Flyers are still trying to place Bobby Taylor, their No. 2 goalkeeper, with another NHL squad. Everyone agrees Taylor is a standout goalie but so far general manager Keith Allen hasn&rsquo;t been able to induce anyone to make a worthwhile deal for him&hellip;St. Louis Blues pleased at signing Jamie Masters, their second draft pick. Masters was the top-scoring defenseman in the OHA last season playing with Ottawa 67s&hellip;Nice to see Wren Blair back in the NHL where he belongs. Wren will own 20 percent of the reorganized Pittsburgh Penguins and will act as president-general manager&hellip;Hockey people amazed at the way Ben Hatskin, chairman of the WHA board, gets things done&hellip;Fred Shero is anxious to obtain old film or action pictures when he played or coached in the minors. Anyone who can help on this should contact Joe Kadlec, the very able press relations director of the Philadelphia Flyers at The Spectrum, Pattison Place, Philadelphia, Pa. 19148.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-03741/3356377-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="256" height="403"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Ben Hatskin</b></figcaption></div><p>&bull; <b>BUDD LYNCH</b> is the new public relations director of the Detroit Red Wings. Budd has been the foremost hockey announcer in the Detroit area for the past 25 years&hellip;Detroit&rsquo;s second-round draft choice was Jerry Rollins of Winnipeg, son of Al Rollins, former NHL goalie and presently a key executive with Phoenix Roadrunners of the WHA&hellip;Terry Bucyk, who was drafted by Los Angeles, is a nephew of Johnny Bucyk. Boston&rsquo;s veteran captain&hellip;Detroit&rsquo;s Danny Grant scored two or more goals against every NHL team except the Rangers last season, and they held him to one goal&hellip;John Halligan, the very capable business manager and public relations director of the New York Rangers. informs us that the Rangers are making big plans for their 50th anniversary which takes place this season. John would like to hear from anyone who might have old Ranger sweaters (1926-1976) and a game program from the Rangers&rsquo; first game, Nov. 16, 1926. The items would be used in a display for the anniversary and would be returned unharmed. Halligan may be reached at Madison Square Garden. New York&hellip;Buck Houle, general manager of the Toronto Toros, was offered a job with the WHA&hellip;Rosaire Paiement of the disbanded Chicago Cougars will line up with New England Whalers of the WHA&hellip;Montreal&rsquo;s Guy Lafleur became a father for the first time&hellip;Joe Warwick is Toronto Toros&rsquo; new publicist&hellip;New York&rsquo;s Rod Gilbert signed his new contract. &ldquo;I was getting a little fed up. It was dragging on and on. It&rsquo;s my summer,&rdquo; he stated after signing&hellip;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-04639/3356370-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="278" height="456"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Rod Gilbert</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0004-01

PASSING THE PUCK

<p><b>Vol. 28 No. 32 AUGUST, 1975</b></p><p>Founded October 1st, 1947</p><p>Published weekly except monthly June through September by W.C.C. Publishing Ltd., 1434 St. Catherine Street West, Montreal, Canada H3G 1R7. U.S. c/o W.C.C. Publishing, 150 E. 58th Street, New York, N.Y. 10022.</p><p>Kenneth W. McKenzie President, Publisher and Advertising Director</p><p>Charlie Halpin Editorial Director</p><p>Hans Hoenig Administration Manager</p><p>Ralph Bridgland Asst. To Editor</p><p>United Stated Advertising Representatives: Boston Steve Ganak. Ad. Reps. 479 Statler Office Bldg, Boston, Mass 02116, telephone (617) 524-6913: Chicago: Hooper Jones & Associates. 3322 W. Peterson Ave., Chicago. Ill 60659 telephone (312) 478-5544. New York: Bill Hitzig, National Sports Publishing Corp.. 150 East 58th Street. New York. 10022. Telephone (212) 593-2100.</p><p>Southern States: Edward F. Mullen & Associates, 810 Ponce OeLeon Blvd., Belleaire, Fla 33516 telephone (813) 585-1763</p><p>YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $9.50 in Canada $10.50 in the U.S.A. and $14,00 in Foreign Countries. Second class postage paid at New York, N.Y., 10001 and at additional mailing offices SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO 1434 ST. CATHARINE STREET WEST, SUITE 217, MONTREAL, CANADA, H3G 1R7, Second Class mail Registration No 1327. All inquiries pertaining to subscriptions should be addressed to Subscription Dept., The Hockey News. 1434 St. Catherine St. W. Montreal, Canada H3G 1R7. Printed in Canada.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

The Hockey News OFFICIAL NATIONAL HOCKEY WEEKLY

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-05514/3356446-1-eng-US/f0004-052.jpg"></div><h2>Points Main Factor In Final Standings</h2><p>This letter is in rebuttal to a May 23 letter by Jerry Moyer.</p><p>He states that while Vancouver Canuck writers were acknowledging a good try&rdquo; by the Canucks, the writers of Boston, the Rangers and Los Angeles were contrastly bleating about their team&rsquo;s poor playoff showing.</p><p>Well speaking as an avid King fan, quite a bit more was expected of the L.A. squad than of the Canucks due to their strong regular season and the same is true of Boston and the Rangers, both powerful teams.</p><p>Though the Canucks won their division (the weak Smythe Division) they were by no means expected to succeed more than the Kings in post-season play. Thus the reason for the bleating is justified.</p><p>Also, to say as Moyer did, that the Kings did not deserve a bye into the first round instead of Vancouver is clearly wrong.</p><p>The Kings&rsquo; total of 105 points clearly puts them among the top four NHL teams including Philadelphia, Buffalo and Montreal. These are the teams that should get byes, not the four division winners because the titlists aren&rsquo;t necessarily all among the top teams in the league, as in Vancouver&rsquo;s case</p><p>The system needs reworking Points should be a much larger factor than order of finish due to divisional inequities.</p><p><b>RICHARD JOHNSTON, Downey, Cal.</b></p><h2>Kings&rsquo; Vachon Top NHL goaler</h2><p>I would like to comment on a situation which arose after the 1974-75 season which demonstrated once again that the system presently employed for voting of awards is one that cannot continue. The incredible blindness of the so-called experts&rdquo; with regard to the voting for the NHL All Star teams and Hart Trophy came as an unbelievable shock to me and put a stain on the entire season.</p><p>To vote someone like Bernie Parent ahead of the great Rogatien Vachon for All Star goaltender is sheer buffoonery. I could not believe it. After a season such as Vachon had this past season, playing for a team which without him could be called no better than mediocre, I had thought that never had an All Star choice been so clear-cut. Vachon stood head and shoulders over all other players in the game this season as he transformed a third-rate team into a league powerhouse. Granted, Parent had a lower average and won more games but if a goaler played as many games for Philadelphia as he did and this were not the case, there would be something amiss. Vachon&rsquo;s save percentage far eclipsed that of Parent or anyone else in the league. Vachon was easily the best goalkeeper.</p><p>The selection of the Hart Trophy winner was equally ludicrous. Bobby Clarke! It is painfully obvious that the voters don&rsquo;t have a clue as to the meaning of most valuable, player. How can they on one hand say that Clarke is the league&rsquo;s most valuable player to his team and yet on the other hand say that his team has the league&rsquo;s best goalie? Vachon had no players on his team except for the seldom-used Edwards who could come close to being considered stars. He was a one man team and if ever there was a definition for most valuable player, that&rsquo;s it.</p><p>I think the time is long overdue for the voting system to be changed so that who have that task no will not be allowed to honor undeserving over-publicized players instead of giving some recognition to a few unnoticed but genuine super stars.</p><p><b>STEVE HUESTON, Kemptville, Ont.</b></p><h2>Hull Not WHA&rsquo;s Most Valuable</h2><p>It&rsquo;s sad to say, but the people of the WHA and THE HOCKEY NEWS who do the voting for the most valuable player made an obvious mistake.,</p><p>Bobby Hull is not the WHA&rsquo;s 1974TS MVP as he was so so strongly elected San Diego&rsquo;s Andre Lacroix is. If you compare the value of each player to his respective team it will prove my point.</p><p>Let&rsquo;s say you have a Hull-less Winnipeg team. The Jets become a less than entertaining team and will fail to make the playoffs.</p><p>If you remove Lacroix from the Mariners you get the same result: a dull team.</p><p>Now, return Hull to Winnipeg. They are now an exciting team and they draw well on the road. But do they make the playoffs? No. Put Lacroix back in San Diego and the Mariners go to the semi-finals. Now you tell me which one is worth more to this team.</p><p><b>DAVID KUNTZE, San Diego, Cal.</b></p><h2>Flyers Get Glory Not Islanders</h2><p>In the June issue of THE HOCKEY NEWS this statement appeared: &ldquo;No matter who won the cup, the glory of the 19T5 Stanley Cup playoffs belongs to the Islanders&rdquo;.</p><p>Is this what glory is in professional sports? To see if a team can lose the first three games of a best-of-seven series and then come back to win the remaining four!</p><p>I believe that the real glory belongs to the Philadelphia Flyers for repeating as champs and quieting many disbelievers about their talents.</p><p><b>BRUCE LORD, Broumall, Pa.</b></p><h2>WHA Not To Be Taken Lightly</h2><p>Anyone who has the nerve to say that the World Hockey Association is playing in half-rate buildings with half-rate teams in half-rate cities has got to be out of their minds. If one would look at both leagues and compare, they would find that the WHA has an advantage in that it is much more balanced regionally, represents the Canadian cities much more, has the newest and most modern buildings and has a number of teams that could challenge the top NHL teams.</p><p>When one takes the NHL and looks at th&eacute; area between the three westcoast teams and Kansas City in the central U.S., you see nothing, whereas in this one and a half million square mile area the WHA has six teams (Phoenix, Denver, Houston, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg).</p><p><b>WALTER JAMES, Phoenix, Arizona</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0004-05

FAN FORUM

<p>TWIN CITIES&mdash;</p><p>Hockey people thought it could never happen but it did and the outcome was almost as stunning as the event itself.</p><p>It was the Dave Forbes&rsquo; assault case that set a United States professional sports precedent when it was hauled into the civic courts to render a decision on whether Forbes did or did not deliberately injure Henry Boucha of the Minnesota North Stars in a game on the Metropolitan Ice Centre ice Jan. 4 between the Boston Bruins and the North Stars.</p><p>The fact that a trial jury emerged deadlocked almost assured Forbes will have to face a second trial on a charge of aggravated assault in the near future.</p><p>The 26-year-old Boston winger, who had to go through the nine-day trial ordeal, was disappointed at the outcome and hung his head in frustration as he listened to the verdict with his lawyer in the courtroom.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been bewildered for two weeks and I&rsquo;m still bewildered&hellip;I can&rsquo;t figure out what&rsquo;s going on,&rdquo; Forbes was quoted as saying as he emerged from the trial room.</p><p>Forbes had been indicted after a Jan. 4 fight with Boucha and he was despondent after the jury deliberated 13 hours over a two-day period and was unable to reach an agreement. Jurors said the panel was deadlocked at 9-3 in favor of conviction on the lesser charge of simple assault. Conviction on a charge of aggravated assault carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Conviction on the lesser charge could be punishable by 90 days in jail and only a $300 fine.</p><p>Boucha, 24, was cut near the eye and suffered a fracture of a facial bone. The prosecution maintained Forbes had used the butt end of his hockey stick as a &lsquo;dangerous weapon&rsquo; in the attack on the Minnesota player. The prosecution also insisted this constituted a break in the unwritten rule of hockey that says sticks and gloves are to be dropped before fighting.</p><p>County attorney Gary Flakne, who was insistent in the first place that the case should go to a civic trial, left little doubt that a second trial will follow. He said the hung jury did not remove the charge against Forbes.</p><p>Flakne was adamant in his post-trial remarks. &ldquo;1 feel he&rsquo;s guilty and I&rsquo;m inclined at this point to say there will be another trial. I&rsquo;d like a new trial,&rdquo; Flakne stated.</p><p>The Forbes trial was the first ever in the United States but not the first time an NHL player had been summoned to court for actions commited on the ice. In 1970, defenseman Ted Green of the Boston Bruins was acquitted in Ottawa on a charge of common assault arising from an attack on the late Wayne Maki, then with the St. Louis Blues in an Ottawa exhibition game played Sept. 21, 1969.</p><p>Testimony in the Forbes&rsquo; trial ranged from witnesses declaring that they saw Boston players congratulate Forbes after his attack on Boucha while others said they saw Bruin coach Don Cherry put his arm around Forbes and pat him on the back. Others testified that Forbes went out of his way to &lsquo;get&rsquo; Boucha and still others claimed they heard him threaten Boucha that he would &lsquo;shove his hockey stick down his (Boucha&rsquo;s) throat.&rsquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-01815/3356477-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="556" height="650"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DAVE FORBES</b></figcaption></div><p>NHL president Clarence Campbell also appeared and testified on behalf of the league. There was no film shot on the actual incident in the game. NHL linesman John Brown testified that he didn&rsquo;t see Boucha get hit by Forbes.</p><p>Hockey people have been watching the trial outcome with considerable interest since the verdict could force the NHL and all of hockey to restructure its playing rules should Forbes ever be found guilty.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0005-01

Bruins’ Forbes Facing Second Trial After Hung Jury

<div class="byline">BY BILL HEUFELDER</div><p>PITTSBURGH&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>t was memorable day in court when Albert Savill, a Columbus, Ohio, mortgage banker, and two associates won approval of a Federal judge to take over the bankrupt Pittsburgh Penguins July 9.</p><p>In a two and a half hour session laced with light comedy, these scenes developed:</p><p>The attorney representing the Internal Revenue Service, which was owed in excess of $500,000 by the Penguins, at first refused to release the player contracts confiscated when the club&rsquo;s offices were seized.</p><p>The presiding U.S. judge, Hubert I. Teitelbaum, made it clear he was a Penguin fan and that he wanted the hockey team to remain in Pittsburgh. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s an emotional consideration,&rdquo; he offered, &ldquo;not a legal consideration.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-02693/3356515-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="559" height="750"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>AL SAVILL&hellip;Board Chairman</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03502/3356508-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="553" height="752"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>WREN BLAIR&hellip;Experienced Hockey Man</b></figcaption></div><p>Peter Block, one of the Penguin owners and the club&rsquo;s legal counselor, questioned his former general manager. Jack Button, who was on the witness stand as the court-appointed receiver for the franchise.</p><p>When Judge Teitelbaum discovered that possibly he had not blocked the automatic dissolution of the franchise by signing papers to abate that portion of the National Hockey League constitution. he announced. &ldquo;If that&rsquo;s the case, somebody was playing fast and loose with the court.&rdquo;</p><p>In the midst of the hearing, after a brief recess, a Pittsburgh attorney seated at one of the four lawyers&rsquo; tables revealed a new offer that exceeded the package of $3.8 million the Savill group had put before the court by $200,000.</p><p>However, the judge, after learning of prior, less than fruitful negoatiations with the prospective buyer, Paul Levine of Philadelphia, from court-appointed attorney Jerome Lieber, dismissed the offer.</p><p>Lieber, at the outset of the hearing, pointed out that Savill&rsquo;s bid, which included cash payment of $190,000 at an earlier hearing, was indeed the &ldquo;highest and best&rdquo; offer to be entertained by Button as the receiver.</p><p>Lieber mentioned that Button, in conjunction with the court&rsquo;s attorneys, had reviewed about 35 various offers to purchase the club.</p><p>Once Savill&rsquo;s offer was substantiated by Lieber, the first crisis arose when the IRS attorney refused to release the player contracts.</p><p>The attorney argued that a portion of the money owed the IRS should not be put in escrow until the total amount was fixed.</p><p>Judge Teitelbaum, who remarked on the issue of whether the IRS owned the franchise, &ldquo;It aint a ball and it aint a strike,&rdquo; was not amused by the gover-nment&rsquo;s position.</p><p>&ldquo;If I tell you to give those papers back, you better give them back.&rdquo; the judge sternly advised the IRS lawyer.</p><p>At one point in the discussions, Judge Teitelbaum cautioned the IRS attorney to take heed of the lightning that could be heard outside the Federal building. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know we had that kind of fight on our hands,&rdquo; the attorney said soberly.</p><p>The attorney, at the judge&rsquo;s suggestion, called the Justice Department in Washington and agreed to release the contracts.</p><p>An urgency in selling the franchise was made apparent by Lieber, who described the feverish work of the receiver to find a buyer because of the &ldquo;very perishable&rdquo; assets that the franchise represented.</p><p>Lieber also told the court of efforts on Button&rsquo;s part to sell $800,000 in receiver notes to cover outstanding player payments and administrative expenses.</p><p>&ldquo;We were unable to sell a major portion of the notes,&rdquo; Lieber said. It was believed the amount sold was less than $10,000.</p><p>While the IRS attorney was getting clearance to release the contracts, another problem developed when William Sutton, a prominent Pittsburgh corporation attorney representing one of the guarantors, took exception to a clause in a preliminary agreement of sale to the Savill group in which the league would accept $600,000 as its fee for a new franchise.</p><p>Judge Teitelbaum, startled that the NHL had terminated the franchise after he had signed papers to bar such a move, said the matter must be decided at a later date. The judge was adamant that the sole objective at the moment was to rule on the sale of the franchise.</p><p>The $600,000 fee would enable the NHL to recoup more than half of the $1 million it had poured into the Penguins in a futile attempt to stabilize the floun dering franchise.</p><p>However, Sutton, in agreement with the judge, pointed out that the issue was whether the league, in receiving the $600,000. would become a preferred creditor.</p><p>The hearing finally ended with approval of the Savill group. Within the week, in a less confusing setting, the NHL board of governors gave its stamp of approval.</p><p>With these decisions, the way was cleared for Savill and partners to accept ownership of the Penguins.</p><p>&ldquo;This is a day I have long dreamed about,&rdquo; Savill said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m thrilled to death. Pittsburgh is a great sports town, steeped in hockey tradition.</p><p>&ldquo;I see a lot of hard work ahead of us, but Pittsburgh has given the club tremendous support. Just recently 19,000 people signed a petition asking tor the club to remain in Pittsburgh. This, of course, it will do.&rdquo;</p><p>Savill will serve as chairman of the board. The day-to-day operation will fall to Wren Blair, former general manager of the Minnesota North Stars who joined the NHL with the Penguins in 1967. A third partner. Indianapolis banker Otto (Nick) Frenzel HI. will be secretary-treasurer.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0005-02

Troubled Penguins Under New Ownership

<div class="byline">BY NORM MacLEAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-01920/3356570-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>RON GRESCHNER&hellip;Excellent Rookie Season</b></figcaption></div><p>NEW YORK&mdash;</p><p>When the World Hockey Association first set up shop in Madison Square Garden, its team was known as the Raiders. That nickname caused shudders amongst some NHL general amanagers&mdash;and the original Raiders did quite well in procuring NHL talent. That is, until they ran out of money and had to let a few of their better picks escape. Amongst them were Brent Hughes. Mike Robitaille and Bill Flett, all of whom opted to stay in the senior league.</p><p>The recent success of general manager Emile Francis in signing center Wayne Dillon and winger Pat Hickey of the Toronto Toros makes one remember a remark passed by the first WHA president, Gary Davidson.</p><p>&ldquo;We have the best farm system in the world,&rdquo; said Davidson. &ldquo;The National Hockey League.&rdquo;</p><p>Events are now making it seem that the Rangers have the best farm system&mdash;the World Hockey Association. Not only were Dillon and Hickey signed out from under the Toros, even though they still owe Toronto a year on three-year pacts, but defenseman Ron Greschner, who excelled as a rookie last year, became a Ranger because of the threat of his signing with the WHA.</p><p>&ldquo;The other NHL teams thought he had signed with the Vancouver Blazers,&rdquo; remembered Denis Ball, then the Rangers&rsquo; farm system director and now the St. Louis Blues&rsquo; assistant to the president. &ldquo;Greschner will make a heck of a defenseman, although I think our Bob Hess will be a future super star.&rdquo;</p><p>Ball&rsquo;s new allegiance to the Blues was showing, but his warm relationship with Emile Francis resulted in the Rangers other big off-season gain&mdash;the acquisition of former Blues goalie, John Davidson, 22.</p><p>With the expected elevation of AHL scoring star Jerry Holland, 21, the Rangers will boast a complete new youth movement. Defenseman Dave Maloney, 19, also has a shot and is a future Ranger star. These players, plus sophomore right wing&mdash;Rick Middleton, 22, will give the Rangers an almost complete new look.</p><p>In goal, Davidson will share the spot with either Ed Giacomin, 36 or Gilles Villemure, 35. The betting here is that Villemure will go, perhaps in a trade with Detroit, which would bring hardrock Dan Maloney to New York.</p><p>The defense, presently has Brad Park, 27, Greschner 21, Maloney, 19, plus Gilles Marotte, just 30, and spot player and utility forward Ron Harris, 33. Not overlooked is Dale Rolfe, 35, coming off an injury filled season, which left him with a broken ankle. Almost certain to retain his hard earned spot is steady Nick Beverley, 28, the defenseman&rsquo;s defenseman.</p><p>The Rangers&rsquo; center situation shows Jean Ratelle, 35, Pete Stemkowski, 32, Derek Sanderson, 29, Walter Tkaczuk, 28 and Dillon, 20.</p><p>Also in the running is the very useful Bob MacMillan, who plays both wing and center and is darn good at winning faceoffs. MacMillan, another player who gained experience in the WHA, is only 23.</p><p>The left wing-posts list Holland, 21. All Star Steve Vickers, 24, Greg Polis, 25 and Hickey, 22. Polis disappointed last year and might be considered trade bait, but the swap of Ted Irvine and Bert Wilson to St. Louis in the Davidson move, had to help Polis.</p><p>On the right side, the competitors include Rod Gilbert, 34. if he finally signs. Middleton, 22. Bill Fairbairn, 28, Billy Collins, 32, and maybe Bobby Rousseau, 35. Collins, was part of the St. Louis trade and Rousseau is coming off back surgery.</p><p>One trade rumor had Villemure and Gilles Marotte going to Detroit for Dan Maloney, the hard rock enforcer the Wings acquired from the Kings in the Marcel Dionne exchange. The loss of Butler, Irvine and Wilson, all diggers and good cornermen needs to be offset. Maloney would do just that&mdash;and a bit more in the fistic department. He was rated as better than Dave Schultz with his dukes by most NHLers.</p><p>One thing is certain&mdash;there will be some trades made before the regular season bell rings. If not, look for Sanderson and Stemkowski both to play left wing.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0006-01

Rangers Switch To Youth Movement Completed In Two-Year Changeover

<p>Following are the latest offseason player movements in hockey:</p><h2>NATIONAL LEAGUE</h2><p>MONTREAL&mdash;Glen Sather, forward, sold to Minnesota for unspecified future amateur draft choice. GregHubick, defenseman, traded to Toronto in exchange for Doug Jarvis, forward, and Leafs&rsquo; second draft choice in 1975. Henri Richard, forward, placed on voluntary retired list. Jacques Laperriere, defenseman. placed on voluntary retired list to accept coachingjob with Montreal Juniors of Quebec Major League.</p><p>N.Y. ISLANDERS&mdash;Pat Price, defenseman. signed with NHL club after securing release from Vancouver Blazers (now the Calgary Cowboys) of the WHA.</p><p>DETROIT&mdash;Rick Lapointe, defenseman. from Victoria of WCHL and Wings&rsquo; first draft choice, signed to NHL contract.</p><p>ST. LOUIS&mdash;Gilles Gratton, goalkeeper, signed with NHL club after securing release from Toronto Toros of WHA. Jamie Masters, defenseman from Ottawa 67s of OHA Junior League and Blues&rsquo; second amateur draft choice, signed to NHL contract.</p><p>ATLANTA&mdash;Richard Bowness, forward, from Montreal Juniors and Flames&rsquo; second amateur draft choice, signed to NHL contract.</p><p>N.Y. RANGERS&mdash;Doug Soetaert, goalkeeper, from Edmonton of WCHL and Rangers&rsquo; second amateur draft choice, signed to NHL contract.</p><p>TORONTO&mdash;Don Ashby, forward, from Calgary of WCHL and Leafs&rsquo; first amateur draft choice, signed to NHL contract. Dave Keon, forward, handed outright release to make his own deal.</p><h2>WORLD HOCKEY ASSN.</h2><p>CLEVELAND&mdash;John Stewart, forward, jumped California Seals of NHL to sign with Crusaders.</p><p>PHOENIX&mdash;Ron Huston and Del Hall, forwards, jumped California Seals of NHL to sign with Roadrunners. Ron Serafini, defenseman, jumped St. Louis Blues of NHL to sign with Roadrunners. Lauri Mononen, forward, and Pekka Rautakallio, defenseman, from Finnish National Team signed to WHA contract. Blair Davidson, defenseman, and Roger Swanson, goalkeeper, from Flin Flon of WCHL, and Runners&rsquo; third and fourth round amateur draft choices, signed to WHA contracts.</p><p>MINNESOTA&mdash;Bruce Boudreau, forward, from Toronto Marlboros of Ontario Junior League, and Saints&rsquo; underage junior draft in 1974, signed to WHA contract. Danny O&rsquo;Shea, forward, placed on voluntary retired list. Kevin O&rsquo;Shea, forward, placed on voluntary retired list. Kevin O&rsquo;Shea, forward, released.</p><p>SAN DIEGO&mdash;Alex Tidey, forward, from Lethbridge of WCHL, and Mariners&rsquo; sixth round amateur draft choice, signed to WHA contract. Tom Martin, forward, secured from Toronto of WHA for rights to collegian Angelo Moretto, forward. Don Burgess, forward, secured from Calgary of WH A for future considerations. Joe Junkin, goalkeeper, traded to Cincinnati of WHA for Stingers&rsquo; third round draft pick in 1976.</p><p>CINCINNATI&mdash;Serge Aubry, goalkeeper, secured from Quebec Nordiques of WHA for undisclosed amount of cash. Pat Donnelly, and Lome Rombough, forwards, signed to WHA contracts from Hampton Gulls of SHL.</p><p>NEW ENGLAND&mdash;Rosaire Paiement, forward, secured from Denver of WHA in exchange for Whalers&rsquo; first round draft choice in 1976. Danny Arndt, forward, from Saskatoon of WCHL. and Whalers&rsquo; second amateur draft choice, signed to WHA contract.</p><p>WINNIPEG&mdash;Bill Lesuk, forward, jumped Washington of NHL. to sign with WHA club.</p><h2>INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE</h2><p>FLINT&mdash;Frank Beaton and Ken Tarnow, forwards, traded to Columbus of IHL in exchange for Marty Reynolds, forward. Pat Russell. forward, secured from Des Moines to complete earlier trade which sent Corky Agar, forward, to Caps.</p><h2>COACHING CHANGES</h2><p>DETROIT&mdash;Doug Barkley, named coach of Red Wings replacing Alex Delvecchio, who remains as general manager.</p><p>WINNIPEG&mdash;Bobby Kromm named coach of WHA Jets replacing Rudy Pilous, who remains as general manager.</p><p>HOUSTON&mdash;Jack Stanfield, forward, placed on voluntary retired list and named assistant coach to Bill Dineen.</p><p>FORT WORTH&mdash;Terry Gray named general-manager-coach of CHL Texans to replace Ed Chadwick, who moves up in Islanders&rsquo; organization.</p><p>SYRACUSE&mdash;Danny Belisle named coach of NAHL Blazers after Des Moines Caps of IHL folded operations.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Off-Season Movements

<div class="byline">BY RALPH BRIDGLAND</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-01856/3356601-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>HENRI RICHARD&hellip;Playoffs Were His Time To Shine</b></figcaption></div><p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>F</span>or the first time in 34 years the Montreal Canadiens will be without the famed Richard name on their roster when they open the 1975-76 this coming October.</p><p>At a press conference in mid-July, team captain Henri Richard announced his intention to hang up his skates after 20 years of competition.</p><p>The long-time veteran cited travelling, age and his business as the main factors in his decision to leave the playing ranks.</p><p>He began his NHL career in 1955 with the Canadiens and was a teammate of his older brother Maurice &lsquo;Rocket&rsquo; Richard as the latter&rsquo;s spectacular playing days came to a close.</p><p>It was from these early years that Henri picked up the nickname &lsquo;Pocket Rocket&rsquo;, in reference to the difference in stature between he and his fabled brother.</p><p>In the 1,256 regular season games he played through his 20 seasons with the Habs, the last four as their captain, Henri scored 358 goals and added 688 assists for 1,046 points. And for a little guy (5&rsquo;7&rdquo;, 160 pounds) he wasn&rsquo;t afraid to mix it up as indicated by his 928 minutes in penalties.</p><p>But Henri will be remembered most for his heroics come playoff time. His name is prominent amongst the pages of the Stanley Cup record book and it is here that this master of the game of hockey shows his true ability and value to the club down through the years.</p><p>He holds the NHL record for most times on a Stanley Cup champion (11), most playoff games (180), most assists in one period (3-tied with 17 others) and the most cup winning goals (2-shared with former Canadiens&rsquo; Toe Blake and Jean Beliveau and Boston&rsquo;s Bobby Orr).</p><p>His 18 seasons in the playoffs stands second behind the 19 accumulated by Gordie Howe and Red Kelly.</p><p>Perhaps the best example of Richard&rsquo;s tenacity and drive occured this past season.</p><p>After participating in the Habs&rsquo; opening 16 games of the regular season he suffered a broken ankle. Several times the &lsquo;Pocket&rsquo; attempted a return to the active lineup but each time his injured ankle acted up again.</p><p>But finally he tested the leg and found it stable. After nearly six months of forced inactivity Richard rejoined his teammates as the Canadiens entered their semi-final series against the Buffalo Sabres.</p><p>Montreal lost the seven-game set in six outings but not because number 16 let the team down. As always Richard gave his best and provided a ray of light to what was otherwise a dark situation, at least as far as Canadien supporters were concerned.</p><p>His one goal and two assists against the Sabres brought his career playoff total to 129 points, 49 goals and 80 assists.</p><p>As a gesture of their admiration and respect for Henri, the number 16 which he wore so proudly for 20 seasons will be retired during an official ceremony at the Forum early in the upcoming season.</p><p>Richard&rsquo;s departure brings the number of players leaving the Habs&rsquo; fold to four.</p><p>Utility winger Glen Sather was dealt to the Minnesota North Stars for cash and future considerations.</p><p>&lsquo;Slats&rsquo; counted six goals and 10 assists during the 1974-75 regular season and added a goal and an assist in playoff action but didn&rsquo;t fit in with general manager Sam Pollock&rsquo;s plans for next season.</p><p>Jacques Laperriere&rsquo;s playing days have definitely come to an end following unsuccessful surgery to repair knee damage.</p><p>The 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 190 pound defenseman missed the entire 1974-75 season and has accepted the coaching position with the Montreal Juniors of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.</p><p>Spare goaler Wayne Thomas was sent to Toronto earlier in the summer for the Maple Leafs&rsquo; first round amateur draft pick in 1976.</p><p>In another deal, again with the Leafs, the Habs sent left winger Greg Hubick, who played with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the American Hockey League last season, to Toronto for Doug Jarvis, the Leafs&rsquo; second round pick in this summer&rsquo;s amateur draft.</p><p>Hubick. a fourth round draft pick in the 1971 amateur draft out of the University of Minnesota at Duluth, tallied nine goals and 27 assists with the Voyageurs last season.</p><p>Jarvis toiled with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey Association in 1974-75 and with him being a center he may get a good shot at filling the vacancy created by Richard&rsquo;s retirement. That is if he comes to terms with the Habs.</p><p><b>HAB-BITS:</b> The Canadiens have announced the dates of their first three 1975 pre-season games. The first one will be in Springfield. Mass, on Sept. 19 against Boston. The next day. Sept. 20, the Habs will be at the Montreal Forum to meet the defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyersand Sept. 21 they will meet the Flyers at the Philadelphia Spectrum.</p><p>Alain Chantelois has been hired by the Canadiens as statistician and assistant to the publicity and information department. He took over the post on July 1.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0007-01

Richard’s Retirement Closes Out Hockey Era

<div class="byline">&#x2014;By BilI Libby</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-01909/3356639-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="303" height="369"></div><h2><b><i>Hard Holiday From Hockey&hellip;</i></b></h2><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HEN PITTSBURGH</b> did not come up with the sort of contract he wanted. Andy Brown jumped to Indianapolis last summer, where he wanted to be. One of the few goaltenders now who does not wear a mask, it is appropriate that he also is the only hockey player who drives race cars, and if Indianapolis is not yet a hotbed of hockey interest it certainly is the capital of car racing.</p><p>A happy-go-lucky guy. he refuses to boast of his bravery. &ldquo;If I felt fear. I wouldn&rsquo;t play goal, certainly not without a mask, and I sure wouldn&rsquo;t race cars.&rdquo; he smiles. &ldquo;You know you can get hurt doing either one. You can get killed driving race cars. But most drivers don&rsquo;t. I&rsquo;m doing what I like to do. I just do it and I don&rsquo;t think about it. Maybe I&rsquo;m a little nuts,&rdquo; he laughs. &ldquo;They say all goaltenders are a little crazy. I guess all race-drivers are. Maybe we get a kick out of doing what most people would be afraid to do. But I don&rsquo;t have any death-wish or any such garbage. I love life. I could get hurt, sure, but the way I look at it I&rsquo;m living life to the fullest. I have no wife or kids. I have a dog that answers my telephone for me, but I&rsquo;m on my own and I can go my own way.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-02810/3356632-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="325" height="623"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Andy Brown</b></figcaption></div><p>A beer-drinking bachelor, good-natured and energetic, he has found a farm outside of Indianapolis where he can prepare his cars in peace, yet be close to the garages of the greats in town and the tracks around the area where the races are run through the hot summer. &ldquo;Hey. the hockey war gave me a chance to pick my place and this is where I&rsquo;d rather be than anywhere else in the world.&rdquo; the Canadian comments. &ldquo;I can play hockey all winter and race cars all summer. I can talk to the greatest mechanics and the top drivers and learn all summer. I don&rsquo;t work as hard in the winter as I do in the summer,&rdquo; he notes. &ldquo;During the winter we may practice a couple of hours a day. Or we play a game which takes a couple of hours a night. But during the summer I&rsquo;m up at six in the morning and lucky to be in bed by midnight. Setting a car up is hard work. And I&rsquo;m mostly on my own.&rdquo;</p><p><b>AN UNUSUAL INDIVIDUAL,</b> Andy Brown was born in Hamilton a couple of years after his father, Adam, played, oddly enough, for the old Indianapolis Caps of the American League. Uncle Andy also played in the American League. Adam played nine years in the 1940&rsquo;sand 1950&rsquo;sin the National League with Detroit. Chicago and Boston, a forward who twice had 20-goal seasons and totalled 104 goals in the majors.</p><p>Andy says, &ldquo;My dad never pushed me into hockey. He sure never pushed me into racing. He and my uncle had a gas station once, but my dad didn&rsquo;t know how to change a tire and my uncle didn&rsquo;t know where the oil went in. I learned a lot on my own. playing hockey and hanging around gas stations and garages. My mon helped me in my racing even though it was unintentional, so did my older sister. Joan. I&rsquo;d say, &lsquo;Gee. loan me ten bucks and I&rsquo;ll pay you back next week.&rsquo; and they always would, though next week never came. If you had a hundred bucks in one of those jalopies I raced, that was a lot.&rdquo;</p><p>He was turned onto racing at the age of 15 by a neighbor in Hamilton. Jimmy Howard, who had been a Canadian driving champion and had a garage where race cars were readied. &ldquo;I went jalopy racing before I was old enough to have a driver&rsquo;s license, a friend had to tow my car to the track for me. My first race I went every way but straight. But I kept at it and started to win some heat races, if not features.&rdquo; Brown recalls.</p><p>&ldquo;Even as I&rsquo;ve advanced in hockey. I&rsquo;ve raced summers. I guess I raced every track there is in southern Ontario, first in jalopies, then in late model stock cars. I raced midget cars, then got into sprint cars when I started to race in the U.S. in the midwest. I&rsquo;ve driven just about every kind of race car there is except Indy champ cars and that&rsquo;s my goal in life. I&rsquo;ve seen the Indianpolis 500 several times and my dream is to race there some time. I swear I will. Some day I&rsquo;m gonna&rsquo; win that sucker.&rdquo; he sighs.</p><p><b>HE MAY BE MORE</b> optimistic than realistic. He won a lot of races back in Canada, but he has not won many in the U.S., and he has not won any on the high-powered USAC sprint-car circuit, which produces about half of the Indianapolis drivers, and at 31 his time to reach the top is running out on him. &ldquo;I just haven&rsquo;t had good enough equipment and you can&rsquo;t carry your cars home on your back,&rdquo; he sighs, which is true enough. He has come close a couple of times in fields that included the Foyts.</p><p>&ldquo;All of the drivers have been super-friendly to me. If they didn&rsquo;t think 1 could compete they wouldn&rsquo;t because they don&rsquo;t want a guy on the track with them who is a menace to them. It is a thrill to compete in top-notch racing with top-notch drivers, but it costs a bundle of bucks to go big-time racing these days. I don&rsquo;t have the kind of dough you needto gamble in racing and I haven&rsquo;t found a sponsor who believes in me enough to back me to the limit, so I scratch along on a shoestring.&rdquo; he says. The biggest purse he&rsquo;s won so far he won quite a few years back, $4,000, at Hamburg, New York, in one of Mario Andretti&rsquo;s old modified cars.</p><p>He has had some hard luck. He invested in a hot sprinter USAC officials told him was right for their circuit last summer, but when he showed up at a race he was advised the engine was too large. He ordered a smaller engine, but it took a long time to be delivered, then it took him a long time to fit it into the chassis, and by that time the season was almost over. He built a new car for this summer but it hasn&rsquo;t worked. When Jim McElreath flipped and was injured at Terra Haute. Brown got a shot at Grant King&rsquo;s good car but that didn&rsquo;t work for him either.</p><p>He has had only one serious accident racing. He crashed his car in 1969 and broke his right arm in six places. The cast was removed the week he had to report for preseason hockey camp and it slowed his progress that season. But he had a worse accident working as a welder on a pile-driving crew on a construction project in the summet of 1966. A piling mashed his right foot. His big toe had to be amputated and it was a struggle all season before he adjusted.</p><p><b>HE HAS HAD</b> his share of cuts and stitches from slashing sticks and speeding pucks that struck his face in the nets, but his worst accident in hockey came when he broke his left collabone in 1969. He says. &ldquo;If I had grown up wearing a mask I &lsquo;d be used to it, but I didn&rsquo;t and I just can&rsquo;t get used to it. I&rsquo;m more comfortable without one. so I play better without one.&rdquo; A tough competitor he set the penalty-minute records for goalies with 60 in the NHI season before last and 75 in the WHA last season.</p><p>No more than has his car racing career been studded with success, his hockey career has not been a smash hit but this has not diminished his desire. He has played with 14 teams in the last 12 years. He played amateur with the Guelph Royals, and Brampton Seven-Ups and played pro with the Long Island Ducks. Johnston Jets. Baltimore Cippers. Tidewater Wings and Fort Worth Wings in the minors before he made the majors with Detroit, passing on to Pittsburgh before landing in Indianapolis. His goals-against averages usually have been in the high-threes and he had a 4.15 last season, but he has been with bad teams, which did not help him.</p><p>Indianapolis had the worst team in the WHA last season, but Brown filled the nets 52 games without complaint and won 15 of the 18 games the club captured. The team averaged almost 8,000 fans a game in its new Market Square Arena, which under the circumstances was super, and Andy is hopeful about the future. It would seem he is making a life of losing, but he says. &ldquo;Whether it&rsquo;s a race track or a hockey rink you just go out and do your best and hope for the best. You don&rsquo;t let the worst get to you. Hey. the sun&rsquo;s gonna shine for me some day.&rdquo; he smiles.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-01

Hockey Ad Lib

<div class="byline">BY JULES FURTH</div><p>CHICAGO&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>O</span>n Monday the 7th of July, diminutive Don Murphy (Hawk PR man) wisecracked. &ldquo;Since the baseball season just ended here in Chicago, it&rsquo;s about time for some hockey news.&rdquo;</p><p>Although the h.istdv Called news conference was primarily to announce the 1975-76 Black Hawk television package, amicable William W. Wirtz spent most of the lunch hour sharing a few goodies with the assembled journa-lists before they took off for the ball game.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-03673/3356670-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="281" height="536"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Bill Wirtz</b></figcaption></div><p>Wirtz wears many head-dresses. As chairman of the NHL Board of Governors and as president of the Black Hawks, he is deeply involved in both league and club problems and always willing to share them with the guys on the hockey beat.</p><p>Wirtz had much good news for the Chicago fans. Starting where the folks feel it the most (their pocketbooks), Wirtz announced that. &ldquo;Season ticket prices would stay the same&rdquo;. Hawks&rsquo; prices are well within the league average of $6.50 per seat. Ranges are $10.50 for boxes to $4.00 for second balcony and standing room. The latter figure is geared to. &ldquo;About what a good movie would be here.&rdquo; Wirtz said.</p><p>The Black Hawks are going to make one more addition to the Hockey Hall of Fame this year, along with the appointments of Pierre Pilote and Glenn Hall, the hall is going to get a real gem. After about 42 years of meritorious service. the only remaining non-digital. non-time elapsed game clock in the National Hockey League is being retired. It will hang in the hallowed halls in Toronto as a monument to modern technology. Subject of much controversy, complaints and yes, even an official protest of a game, &ldquo;Old Faithful&rdquo; will be replaced on Aug. 18. Fans are cordially invited to attend the hanging.</p><p>With sponsors tightening budgets and NBC opting to pass national coverage of the NHL, the welcome announcement of a complete Black Hawk 40 away game plus playoffs package was revealed by station WFLD-TV (Channel 32). Chicago thus ended a fine 10year relationship with WGN-TV and switched from a VHF to a UHF station. &ldquo;U&rdquo; Channels are now in five cities including Boston. Philadelphia. Detroit and Kansas City. WFLD would do well to utilize the fabulous technical and production crew of Channel 9 as do many out of town sports networks. Announcers and color personnel will be named later. WMAQ radio (770) will again broadcast home games with probably the finest play-by-play man in hockey. Lloyd Pettit.</p><p>Meanwhile. Bobby Kromm finally decided to move up to the big time and accepted the opening with the Winnipeg Jets of the WHA. Bobby Hull thus welcomes a bench coach and Dallas now becomes a vital coaching selection for the Hawks. Wirtz said. &ldquo;We are going to be very deliberate in naming a successor to Kromm because, that man will eventually take over as the Black Hawks coach when Tommy Ivan (GM) moves up and Billy Reay replaces Tommy&rdquo;.</p><p>Ivan was out of the city as was coach Reay. Reay traveled to Medicine Hat. Alberta to convince No. I draft choice Greg Vaydik that there was a vacancy at center and he could fill it.</p><p>At the same time. Dan Arndt their No. 2 selection signed with the New England Whalers along with former Chicago Cougar Rosaire Paiment. &ldquo;We are proud of the clean hands policy we have with the other league and the retaining of Michel Dumas is a good example. Cincinnati and Chicago cooperated beautifully&rdquo;.</p><p>Another topic for conversation was the Marcel Dionne trade. Chicago was truly disappointed and couldn&rsquo;t believe that Detroit would take Dan Maloney and Terry Harper when they could have had a deal that was rumored to include Phil Russell and Darcy Rota. Maybe the draft pick and money that went with it settled the issue. Wirtz smiled and assured everyone that the roster was signed in entirety (the earliest complete signing in years) and that included coach Reay.</p><p>Wirtz revealed fhat the costs of operating a NHL franchise had zoomed from one million in 1967 to about $3.75O, (XX) this year. He continued. &ldquo;We cannot take out market conditions on our fans or the public so we are going to keep prices in line.&rdquo;</p><p><b>INDIAN HEADINGS:</b> Stan Mikita was prominently displayed to the press and he dispelled the rumor that he was going to retire to be the new color man for television. Stan had just finished conducting his famous Hockey School for the Deaf and looked most colorful in a powder blue sportcoat.</p><p>Mike O&rsquo;Connell (No. 3 draft choice) is Chicago born and is the son of former University of Illinois star quarterback Tpm O&rsquo;Connell. It is hoped Mike can pass as accurately as his dad.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-03

Black Hawks’ Roster Entirely Under Contract Including Coach Reay

<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><b>Mr. Paul Brand</b></p><p><b>Executive Director</b></p><p><b>Soaring Eagles Sports Camps</b></p><p><b>Elmira College</b></p><p><b>Elmira, NPW York 14901</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

HOCKEY CAMP

<div class="byline">&#x2014;BY BILL MAKI</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-02787/3356756-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>&ldquo;I See You&rsquo;re Leading Your Team In Points&hellip;But Then So is The Rest Of The League&hellip;&rdquo;</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0009-02

CARTOON CORNER

<p>WASHINGTON&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>H</span>opes are high the expansionist Washington Capitals will become reasonably competitive in year two of their National Hockey League existence.</p><p>The Caps feel the acquisition of center Bill Clement from Philadelphia and the retention of Stan Gilbertson, who had been pondering jumping to the rival WHA, will give new impetus to the Washington offense, which totalled only I8l goals the lowest in the NHL last year.</p><p>General manager-coach Milt Schmidt is returning behind the Caps&rsquo; bench and the team has been under-going a front-office realignment the club hopes will stimulate the Caps.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-03617/3356787-1-eng-US/f0009-032.jpg" title="f0009-03" width="282" height="460"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Lefty McFadden</b></figcaption></div><p>For starters, owner Abe Pollin named Peter F. O&rsquo;Malley as the team&rsquo;s new president recently to help take some of the administrative load off Pollin&rsquo;s shoulders. Now the Caps have elevated Edgar &lsquo;Lefty&rsquo; McFadden to the post of assistant to the president.</p><p>The 52-year-old McFadden joined the Capitals last April as assistant general manager. In that capacity, he worked primarily in the administrative areas.</p><p>&ldquo;Lefty will be a great help to me,&rdquo; said O&rsquo;Malley. &ldquo;His knowledge of hockey and the people in the game will ease my transition from legal practice to hockey greatly. I&rsquo;m looking for Lefty to be of particular assistance in the areas of contract negotiations, trades, finances, travel, and general administration.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;We all know how valuable Lefty is to our team,&rdquo; added Schmidt. &ldquo;In our reorganization, he will be playing an expanded role and we will be working even more closely to make the Capitals a winner.&rdquo;</p><p>Prior to joining the Capitals, McFadden served as vice-president and general manager of the Dayton Gems of the International League for 10 years. In I964, he organized the Gems franchise and led the team to six IHL championships. In 1970, he was selected as minor league Executive of the Year by THE HOCKEY NEWS.</p><p>Before organizing the Dayton team, McFadden was a sports columnist in Salt Lake City and Dayton, served as sports director of radio station WONE in Dayton, and owned an advertising agency for 12 years in the Ohio city.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-03

Capitals Expect Clement To Give Offensive Lift; McFaddenGetsNew Post

<div class="byline">BY JACK MCCARTHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-01884/3356725-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JOHN BUCYK&hellip;Bruins&rsquo; Elder Statesman</b></figcaption></div><p>BOSTON&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Bruins have signed Johnny Bucyk for another season, his 19th in a Boston uniform, which means that Boston still will have an anchor for their generally-fierce power play.</p><p>So once again Boston Garden will resound to &ldquo;Chief, Chief, Chief&rdquo;, as the big man from Creston, B.C. wields his 225 pounds in the left corner.</p><p>Managing director Harry Sinden made the announcement recently, saying. &ldquo;John got off to a great start last season before a hip injury limited his mobility. He is feeling much better now, and we both feel he can help our club next season-especially on the power play&hellip;&rdquo;</p><p>Sinden. by the way, also announced that the Bruins had broken off negotiations with goaltender Ron Grahame, who played last season for the Houston Aeros of the WHA. Said Sinden, &ldquo;We simply are unable to meet Grahame&rsquo;s current demands&hellip;&rdquo; The Houston Aeros did and Grahame resigned with them.</p><p>Back to Bucyk. big John is now 40 years old. the Bruins&rsquo; &ldquo;elder skatesman&rdquo;, as D. Leo Monahan would say. He has appeared in more games and has scored more points than any Bruin since coming over from the Detroit Red Wings in 1957-58.</p><p>The Chief&rsquo;s scoring accomplishments include more goals, 484; more assists, 7H, and more points, 1.195, than any Bruin in history, and the Boston club has had some pretty fair players over the long years.</p><p>He is near the top among the NHL&rsquo;s lifetime scorers, and last season he scored 81 points, with 29 goals and 52 assists, which is not bad for a guy who was hurt for quite a spell.</p><p>A healthy John is one of the solid bases on which the Bruins rest their power play. The other is Bobby Orr at the right point. Although passing back and forth from these two locations seems a rather risky business, these two can do it, much to the dismay of penalty-killers.</p><p>Bucyk&rsquo;s bulk is a major factor in his effectiveness. He is just too big and too solid for the average players to move around or even reach around to get the puck. He is as solid as you can get at 40 years of age, and he knows that left corner inside out. One expects to see him maneuvering in there some night while smoking one of his favorite cigars.</p><p>The Chief can take a turn still, make no mistake, and he probably will be close to a regular, along with some of the young sprouts that Sinden and Don Cherry will be throwing out there this season. One thing is an absolute certainty-there are several players in the NHL who will take runs at Bucyk and then forget it. until some night John catches them wjth their heads down and they run full force into that rump of his. This causes a severe shortness of breath, and they don&rsquo;t fool with The Chief any more.</p><p>When Bucyk came over from the Red Wings, the Bruins matched him up with Vic Stasiuk and Bronco Horvath, and the resulting line was tagged &ldquo;The Uke Line&rdquo;-as in Ukranian, not in ukelele.</p><p>With Stasiuk and Bucyk digging in the comers and Horvath cruising in front of the net, as Phil Esposito does now. the likes piled up a bunch of goals. The Chief learned his trade in the corners, and he is still a master in there after all these years-still good enough for a contender like the Bruins to sign him again, happily, for just that reason.</p><p>Vic and the Bronk are long gone as players, but the Chief rolls on and on. Quick-who did the Bruins trade to Detroit for Bucyk? Terry Sawchuk&hellip;</p><p>Boston fans have thousands of memories of Johnny Bucyk, but the one that will always stand out is the afternoon in Boston Garden in 1970 when Bobby Orr&rsquo;s goal beat Glenn Hall in overtime and the Bruins has beaten St. Louis and won the Stanley Cup for the first time in almost 30 years. Bucyk. Boston captain as always, skated the Cup around the Garden after receiving it from Clarence Campbell, and the old Garden literally rocked on its ancient foundations&hellip;</p><p>Chief was to do the same thing in 1972 in Madison Square Garden after an Orr goal had beaten the Rangers, but somehow the cheers were not quite so loud in New York.</p><p>The Chief is back. Long live The Chief.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-01

Bucyk Signs For 19th Season With Bruins

<div class="byline">BY DICK JOHNSTON</div><p>BUFFALO&mdash;</p><p>The goaltending situation in the Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; training camp should be an interesting one.</p><p>It would be interesting even without the addition of the club&rsquo;s first draft choice, Robert Sauve of the Laval Nationals. And this little guy seems to be thrust right into the middle of the battle for regular jobs.</p><p>That&rsquo;s the way Punch Imlach talked, anyway, when the Sabres&rsquo; general manager signed 5&rsquo; 8&rdquo;, 170-pound Sauve during the National Hockey League meetings in Montreal.</p><p>Asked if he thought Sauve was an immediate NHL prospect, Imlach answered, &ldquo;He has got to prove that he isn&rsquo;t good enough. That&rsquo;s a little different from proving he is good enough.&rdquo;</p><p>Punch was asked if that meant he thought the rookie might be able to beat out one of this three returning goaltenders.</p><p>&ldquo;He might beat them all out.&rdquo; retorted Imlach.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s right,&rdquo; put in the youngster, with a grin. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m out to beat them all out.&rdquo;</p><p>Imlach is high on the young goalie, who signed a Buffalo contract a few minutes before the end of his 20th birthday.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-01900/3356825-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="562" height="744"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ROBERT SAUVE&hellip;First Draft Choice</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;Sauve did not have a very good goals-against average,&rdquo; Punch mentioned (he sure didn&rsquo;t; it was 5.06) &ldquo;but he played for a club near the bottom of the Quebec Junior League and that&rsquo;s a wide-open league.</p><p>&ldquo;He had the same coach (Jacques St. Jean) that Bernie Parent had in junior and that coach says Sauve is farther along than Parent was at the same stage.&rdquo;</p><p>Sauve was asked how many shots he was used to facing in a game. &ldquo;They averaged 48 to 50 against me.&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;Sometimes it would go as high as 65. Most ever was 78, season before last, 38 in the final period.&rdquo;</p><p>Goaltender was the one position in which the Sabres weren&rsquo;t set last season. Rookie Gary Bromley carried the club through most of the campaign and came through with a very respectable won-lost-tied record of 26-11-11 and a goals-against mark of 3.10.</p><p>Then the Sabres acquired Gerry Desjardins when the former Los Angeles netminder jumped back from the World Hockey Association.</p><p>Bromley didn&rsquo;t play a game in the Stanley Cup playoffs.</p><p>Desjardins played all through the Chicago series but was hurt at the start of the semi-finals, against Montreal. Veteran Roger Crozier came in and did a good job until Desjardins was ready to go again.</p><p>Gerry won the last two games against Montreal but looked bad on some of the goals he let in during the finals against Philadelphia, Crozier played the final game, shutting out the Flyers for the first two periods but finally getting beat, 2-0, which was no disgrace.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-02761/3356818-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="566" height="800"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>GARY BROMLEY&hellip;Goaler Of Future</b></figcaption></div><p>Crozier, who spent most of the 1973-74 season in the hospital, battling recurrent attacks of pancreatitis, wasn&rsquo;t counted on by Imlach and Company for the 1974-75 campaign.</p><p>He was hospitalized shortly before training camp began and he seemed to be written off. But a few weeks into the season he returned to action and finished with 17 wins against two losses and a tie.</p><p>Asked about Crozier for the upcoming campaign, Imlach gave an evasive answer: &ldquo;We never know about Crozier. With him it&rsquo;s a day-to-day thing.&rdquo;</p><p>As to Bromley, Imlach and coach Floyd Smith repeatedly said during the season and again in the playoffs, &ldquo;Gary is our goaltender of the future.&rdquo;</p><p>Only two can dress for a game but the club probably will keep three. Who will the three be? And who will be the two who do most of the playing?<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0010-01

Sabres’ Rookie Sauve Bucking For Regular Job

<p>MONTREAL-</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>his is a milestone year in the life of the CANADIAN FOOTBALL NEWS as it steps forward to take its place alongside its sister publication-THE HOCKEY NEWS. Both have the distinction of being around for 25 years.</p><p>THE HOCKEY NEWS celebrated its 25th anniversary year two seasons ago but 1975 marks the 25th consecutive year of football publication for the CANADIAN FOOTBALL NEWS and the paper is marking the event with a spectacular first issue of preview football covering the Canadian, National and World football leagues.</p><p>The football world is charged up with anticipation of a big season on the gridiron and the CANADIAN FOOTBALL NEWS is poised to meet the challenge. The first issue for 1975 has already hit the streets and newsstands across Canada and the United States and it is provoking complimentary glances from all sides.</p><p>The Oakland Raiders didn&rsquo;t win the Super Bowl last year but the editors of the CANADIAN FOOTBALL NEWS think they have a good chance of pulling off the feat this year. That&rsquo;s why they selected them as the team to beat in the NFL in their annual pre-season poll.</p><p>And the World Football League is daringly starting out on year two amid much controversy but with a keen new plan for success dreamed up by a 35-year-old restauranteur and land developer name Christopher Hemmeter. Will the WFL sink or survive with the &ldquo;Hemmeter Plan&rdquo;?</p><p>It&rsquo;s all in the first issue of the CANADIAN FOOTBALL NEWS along with a comprehensive pre-season look at the Canadian Football League teams and theit exciting TV schedule for &rsquo;75.</p><p>It&rsquo;s a big year ahead for football on both sides of the border and the CANADIAN FOOTBALL NEWS is squarely in the middle.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Football News Joins With The Hockey News As 25-Year Publication

<div class="byline">BY PAT THOMPSON</div><p>TWIN CITIES&mdash;</p><p>Sales of season tickets will drop in 1975-76 for the Minnesota North Stars, because of their lowly fourth place showing in the Conn Smythe Division last year and the lack of effort often displayed at Metropolitan Sports Center.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-01881/3356887-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="280" height="454"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Murray Oliver</b></figcaption></div><p>Lack of effort. That was the big complaint lodged against the North Stars.</p><p>That is a big reason why general manager Jack Gordon took pleasure in announcing the summer acquisition of 31-year-old Glen Sather from the Montreal Canadiens for cash and future considerations. &ldquo;He is a team player and that is important these days,&rdquo; Gordon said. &ldquo;He is the type of player we are looking for, one who gives 110 percent on the ice. Every coach he&rsquo;s played under whom I&rsquo;ve talked to says that he gives his best all the time.&rdquo;</p><p>Gordon stressed that the future draft choice will not be a No. I, and that it will not be due for two or three years.</p><p>The Minnesota GM noted that another plus about Sather, although he is not noted as a scorer, is his ability to use his body.</p><p>&ldquo;Contact is Sather&rsquo;s game,&rdquo; added Gordon. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll give you much more body than most National Hockey League forwards and that makes him an exciting player to watch. What&rsquo;s more, he&rsquo;s one of the best defensive forwards around and a very solid penalty killer.&rdquo;</p><p>Sather, a 5&rsquo;11&rdquo;, 180-pound winger, scored six goals and 10 assists in 63 games the past season for the Canadiens. Before that, the High River. Alta, native saw service in the NHL with Boston. Pittsburgh. New York and St. Louis since 1966-67.</p><p>The addition gives the North Stars four experienced left wingers to start out their September training camp. The others are Ernie Hicke, Norm Gratton and John Flesch. Also, Richard Nantais and Alain Langlhis have seen action at the position.</p><p>It is possible that new coach Ted Harris will like Sather on a checking line with Craig Cameron at center and Lou Nanne at right wing.</p><p>Effectiveness of a such a unit could help the North Stars reduce their ghastly goals-against total of 341 last spring.</p><p>While Gordon has added some depth on the left side, he has lost center-right winger Henry Boucha to the WHA Minnesota Fighting Saints. And it appeared Murray Oliver, 37-year-old center-winger, was headed for the WHA champion Houston Aeros.</p><p>Oliver, who owns a home in Minnesota, was upset that the North Stars offered him only a one-year contract after he scored six goals and 12 assists in his 15th NHL. season. &ldquo;Houston was willing to give a two-year contract&rdquo; Oliver said.</p><p>&ldquo;It sort of irritates me that the North Stars don&rsquo;t think enough of me to give me a two-year package,&rdquo; Muzz complained. &ldquo;They are taking chances on a lot of kids. I&rsquo;m a proven player and they won&rsquo;t give me a two-year contract.&rdquo;</p><p>Oliver was one of three North Stars to appear in all 80 games.</p><p>The North Stars finished the season with only five players not signed for 1975-76. Boucha and Oliver are headed for the WHA. Defenseman Fred Barrett, named the outstanding blueliner on the team last spring, is the only one of the five to agree to terms.</p><p>But Gordon said he was close to reaching an agreement with defenseman Dennis O&rsquo;Brien. He said no talks were planned with goalie Fern Rivard.</p><p><b>STAR-GAZING:</b> As expected, the North Stars signed Quebec nativeAndre Beaulieu as an assistant coach under Harris&hellip;Beaulieu had been coach of the Midwest Junior Hockey League champion Junior Stars for two years after gaining prominence as a high school coach in St. Paul&hellip;Beaulieu likes to play the percentages&mdash;he has a master&rsquo;s in math&hellip;An agreement has been reached with Fort Wayne of the International League&hellip;Minnesota&rsquo;s principal farm will be a joint effort with another NHl.team at New Haven in the American League&hellip;Gordon concentrated his summer negotiations on trying to sign No. I draft choice Bryan Maxwell, the 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;. 210-pounder from Medicine Hat in the Western Canada Junior Hockey League.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-02796/3356880-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="563" height="1089"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>GLEN SATHER&hellip;Team Player</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0011-01

North Stars Add Muscle In Sather

<div class="byline">BY ALAN TRUEX</div><p>ATLANTA&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>here is nothing so unusual about Bill Flett except he is a bearded, beaded hockey player who shows up in a hotel lobby in a Mexican-style knit shirt, and whose favorite arena is the rodeo.</p><p>But this is enough to qualify him for the insurgent label in hockey, which is a world stressing conformity and straightness. It is an environment in which a dangling thread or a scuffed shoe can evoke ridicule from teammates.</p><p>Somehow. Flett has managed to fit into this world and yet be a puzzle piece that fits in a little differently from others.</p><p>The new right winger for the Atlanta Flames says he has &ldquo;never gotten static&rdquo; because of his full beard, which he has had for three years. However, the team he comes from, the Toronto Maple Leafs, offered him money to take up shaving. Leafs&rsquo; owner Harold Ballard reportedly offered him $ 1.000 to dip the wiskers.</p><p>Flett told them, &ldquo;No, thanks. I&rsquo;II keep the beard.&rdquo;</p><p>Flames coach Freddy Creighton says, &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t had a chance yet to discuss the beard. I don&rsquo;t think it will be a problem.&rdquo;</p><p>When Flett is told to change his ways, he is willing to do so. For five years he was a professional calf-roper and bulldogger. He rodeoed when he wasn&rsquo;t playing hockey for the Los Angeles Kings.</p><p>The Kings found out about it and fined him. They told him to get a safer hobby like collecting stamps or pitching horseshoes. So Flett now uses his off-season hunting, fishing and raising quarter horses.</p><p>But the rodeo is where his heart is. &ldquo;I loved rodeoing more than hockey.&rdquo; he admits. However, he quickly realized that cowboys don&rsquo;t get multi-year, nocut. six-figure contracts, as hockey players oridnarily do. So Flett pursued hockey as an occupation.</p><p>Aside from his few overt signs of individualism. Flett is basically representative of his profession. He is polite, thoughtful, talkative yet cautious, not one to rock the boat. He doesn&rsquo;t complain about how he&rsquo;s been treated or claim hockev dehumanizes him.</p><p>But he makes no secret that he&rsquo;s glad to be away from the Maple Leafs. &ldquo;Anytime you don&rsquo;t get to play.&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;you&rsquo;re glad to be leaving.</p><p>&ldquo;I played the first half of the year and was their second-leading scorer. Then the second half all I did was kill penalties. 1 don&rsquo;t want to comment on what was going on. I don&rsquo;t want to cut anybody up.&rdquo;</p><p>Flett was waived by the Leafs. &ldquo;If that doesn&rsquo;t give him a shot in the rear end,&rdquo; Creighton syas. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what would.&rdquo;</p><p>The Flames signed Flett as part of their program to increase the team&rsquo;s size and strength. Flett is 6&rsquo;1&rdquo; and a muscular although somewhat fleshy 195 pounds. He has been called by Philadelphia coach Fred Shero &ldquo;the strongest man in hockey.&rdquo;</p><p>Flames&rsquo; general manager Cliff Fletcher believes that Flett, at .12, can provide aggressive, goal-scoring play on the right wing, which wobbled so much last year it kept the team grounded in last place in the Patrick Division.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-03592/3356956-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="568" height="1104"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BILL FLETT&hellip;Loves Rodeoing</b></figcaption></div><p>Indeed. Flett has shown scoring tendencies. Three years ago, he played 69 games and scored 43 goals and 74 points for the Flyers.</p><p>Two years ago he played regular right wing for the Stanley Cup champions, scoring 44 points in 67 games, with his offensive production hampered by a weak knee. But Flett still made major contributions with his checking and penalty-killing.</p><p>After a disappointing season in Toronto. Flett says his knee &ldquo;feels as good as ever.&rdquo; He is confident of scoring 30 goals, and he even believes&mdash;perhaps dreams&mdash;the Flames can win the Stanley Cup.</p><p>He looks forward to being a teammate of center Tom Lysiak, who once took lessons at Flett&rsquo;s hockey school.</p><p>The Flames probably will play Flett, who was born in Vermilion, Alberta, on the same line as Lysiak and Calder Trophy winner Eric Vail.</p><p>Flett says. &ldquo;I think Tommy has the potential of Bobby Clarke.&rdquo;</p><p>If Flett can help Lysiak achieve that potential, you can be sure management will look the other way if Bill Flett wears a headdress and earrings.</p><p><b>FLAMES NOTES:</b> Vail stated succinctly why the Calder Trophy meant so much to him: &ldquo;You only get one shot at that one. I guess it means as much to me as any trophy could, although the Stanley Cup would rate right there.&rdquo; He said only one event in his life compares to winning the NHL rookie-of-the-year award, and that was the birth of his first child, Natasha Rae, in May.</p><p>Vail, who was surprised by his easy victory in the rookie voting, has bought a house in Atlanta. He and wife Sylvia and the baby girl will be living here year-round.</p><p>Flames&rsquo; second-round draft choice Rick Bowness played with the team&rsquo;s second-round pick of last year. Guy Chouinard, in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Bowness played against Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Pierre Larouche and claims Chouinard is &ldquo;a better player. Chouinard is definitely a better team player and better playmaker, and Larouche had better wingers.&rdquo;&hellip;The Flames have signed Bowness to a pro contract meaning they locked up their first and second amateur draft choices. Defenseman Richard Mulhern, who was No. 1. signed earlier.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-03

New Atlanta Right Winger Flett Won’t Part With Beard

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-01871/3356925-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"></div><h2><b>Players Now Strong Group</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE PARTICIPANTS FILED</b> out of the National Hockey League ownerplayer council meeting at the Inn-On-The-Park in Toronto last month, two groups of men at opposite ends of the spectrum.</p><p>The owners were garbed in their usual sincere grey and blue suits, collars and ties, and in several cases, vests. Some of them probably carried briefcases to kindergarten.</p><p>The players were clothed in assorted rainbow-hued leisure suits with open-collared sports shirts and white shoes. Several didn&rsquo;t wear jackets and appeared like lads searching for the first tee.</p><p>But inside that room, they had at it for two days of meetings to iron out problems. Some of the questions and answers indicate a little hardnosed. give-and-take bargaining, complete with a somewhat higher level of intelligence than has been indicated in the past by the master-slave, adversary set-up of hockey&rsquo;s employee-worker relationship.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-02755/3356918-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="478" height="656"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Pit Martin</b></figcaption></div><p>Pit Martin, the erudite little center of the Chicago Black Hawks who is NHL Players&rsquo; Association president, refused to use the word &ldquo;militant&rdquo; to describe the players&rsquo; approach to relations with management.</p><p>&ldquo;Militancy just isn&rsquo;t the word to describe our attitude.&rdquo; Martin said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just that the players feel they should have a word in what happens in the NHL. They want to have some say in matters which affect their lives.</p><p>&ldquo;The players are much more knowledgeable now about the league and team matters than perhaps they once were. The player representatives ask good, tough, informed questions about what&rsquo;s going on. If questions are good and show that players have done their homework, then answers are demanded. We re starting to get them, too.&rdquo;</p><p>A look over the roster of player reps indicate considerable brainpower. Martin. Pat Quinn of Atlanta. Minnesota&rsquo;s Lou Nanne. Bob Berry of Los Angeles and Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Syl Apps have college degrees. Guys like Bobby Clarke of Philadelphia are long on &ldquo;street-smarts.&rdquo;</p><p>Thus, when the owners sil down with the serfs, they&rsquo;re not facing any crew of lightweights. They&rsquo;re in against young men who are good professionals. chaps who care about what they&rsquo;re doing and want to find ways to improve it.</p><p>Leading the parade was Alan Eagleson, the NHLPA executive-director, who wore an owner-style suit with a vest. But he&rsquo;s squarely with the open-neck shirt crowd.</p><h2><b>Roster Question Irks Players</b></h2><p><b>THE TYPE OF CONFUSION</b> which the players&rsquo; association hopes to avoid in its dealings with the owners was inspired by a general managers&rsquo; proposal that NHL team rosters be limited to 17 skaters and two goalies for the 1975-76 season.</p><p>The players proceeded under the notion that the number 19 was something the owners planned to make into a rule. They were prepared for a battle because they felt that number was too low when injuries and the long season are considered.</p><p>&ldquo;The association had two meetings about that rule and there was some shouting and name calling,&rdquo; Martin said. &ldquo;We wanted to fight the 19-player roster and have it raised to 21.</p><p>&ldquo;When we sat down with the owners, they said that the number 19 was merely a suggestion by the managers which had leaked to the press prematurely. The result was that the roster rule remains unchanged and teams can carry as many players as they wish.</p><p>&ldquo;If our communications with the owners were better, we would have known that earlierand not wasted two meetings talking about it. We could have used that time to discuss more important issues.</p><p>&ldquo;In the past, the owners were a trifle reluctant to reveal important information to us, especially numbers which would tell us if demands were realistic or out-of-line. Look, we know there&rsquo;s a recession on in all businesses and hockey&rsquo;s no exception. We&rsquo;re not going to insist on things which the teams simply can&rsquo;t afford. But we want to be dealt with honestly in these matters.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>The Eagle Must Show Everyone</b></h2><p><b>THE PLAYERS AND OWNERS</b> share one concern. Both groups want Eagleson to show them how the world hockey tournament he proposes for Canada in 1976 involving Canada, the U.S., Finland, Sweden. Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union will be a financial benefit to them. When the Eagle does that, they&rsquo;ll likely back the project.</p><p>&ldquo;The players are asking what the. 1976 tournament will do for us?&rdquo; Martin added. &ldquo;It has to make economic sense before we can have much enthusiasm about it.</p><p>&ldquo;We live with pressure a great deal now with the long season and playoffs. A tournament would mean an August training camp to be ready for a September series. That would add to the pressure and the attitude could be: Who needs it?&rdquo;</p><p>Another matter which the formally dressed owners dumped on the sportily garbed players was. would you believe, standards of dress, hair and facial adornments during the hockey season.</p><p>&ldquo;The rules vary from team to team, depending, I suppose, on the attitude of the owner and general manager,&rdquo; Martin explained. &ldquo;Some clubs insist on a collar and tie; others have no rules at all. I suppose neatness can be legislated but I think the players must use their heads on the matter of hair length, beards and mustaches and the clothes they wear.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a big difference between long, scraggly hair and a neatly trimmed, mod-length cut. There&rsquo;s also a big difference between wearing sports clothes, which are very comfortable when you&rsquo;re spending time on a plane, and dressing like a bum.&rdquo;</p><p>The players, with agreement from the owners, did make a strong request with which everyone should concur. They want to end the silly bickering by players at officials. They&rsquo;ve asked that the position of alternate captain exist no more and the team captainscan talk with the officials only when invited to do so by the referee.</p><p>&ldquo;The rules to cut down on the silly delays while players argue with the officials over cut-and-dried decisions are in the books, but we&rsquo;d like to see them enforced to the letter.&rdquo; Martin said.</p><p>&ldquo;The NHL had a new rule last season which gave a minor team penalty when a penalized player didn&rsquo;t go directly to the box. In the first two months of the season, the rule was enforced well, then things lapsed back into the old arguing situation. We made a recommendation that the rule be called all the time to speed up the game.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

FRANK ORR SAYS:

<div class="byline">BY BILL LIBBY</div><p>LOS ANGELES&mdash;</p><p>A man who feels he can finish first by working harder than the next man, Jack Kent Cooke concluded a couple of the most trying months any sportsman has had with an incomparable coup in June. At consecutive press conferences at his suburban Forum, he announced the acquisition of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from Milwaukee in exchange for four members of his basketball Lakers one Monday, and then the acquisition of Marcel Dionne, a free agent, from Detroit in exchange for two members of his hockey Kings the following Monday.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-01850/3356994-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="572" height="1130"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BOB PULFORD&hellip;Defensive-Minded</b></figcaption></div><p>Seemingly recovered from his heart attack of a couple of. years back, the relentless sportsman pursued these exciting deals through delicate and tangled negotiations until they were accomplished, basked in the spotlight until swiftly that pleasure paled on him. and retired to this ranch to rest. By then he had committed millions of his money for years to come in an effort to bolster the sagging Lakers and prod the rising Kings. The Dionne agreement was worth $1.5 million to Marcel in the form of a $250,000 bonus and $250,000 yearly salary for five years. Jabbar&rsquo;s agreement was worth much more.</p><p>Jabbar is an all-time All Star in his sport, Dionne not yet an All Star in his, so the Dionne deal does not rank with the Jabbar one. but it is of surpassing significance to the hockey crowd. It is a deal that had to be made because Dionne is worth much more than the two players exchanged for him. Dan Maloney and Terry Harper, but it is not a trade that does not carry the threat of a backfire.</p><p>Roughing up forwards. Harper has been the guts of this club since he arrived three seasons back and the team started to rise. The best first-fighter in hockey. Maloney intimidated foes. With these two gone, rivals may return to pushing the Kings around. Also the success of this club was constructed on defense and Dionne does not play defense. Finally, both Harper and Maloney were positive influences on this team off the ice as well as on it and will be missed. The character of the club has been altered, which coach Bob Pulford did not want. Pulford did not attend the press conference welcoming Marcel.</p><p>At 24 Maloney was improving. When a steady, strong left winger scores 27 goals, as he did last season. he has become a solid performer. The Kings did not want to part with him and offered other suppose-dly superior players in his place, but when it had to be Dan, the deal had to be made. The fact is he is not a super player. And in his desire to become better known as a player. Dan did not play policeman last season, and in the final analysis this was the convincer that he be dealt. And while Harper would have made a fine fifth defenseman next season, he had slowed down so drastically late last season at the age of 35 that his days as a regular appeared done.</p><p>There is no way Cooke could afford to let any reasonable deal for Dionne go undeveloped. At 23, he may have been overshadowed at his position by such super stars as Phil Esposito. Bobby Clarke and Gil Perreault, but Dionne is one of the great skaters and score-makers and a candidate for immortality.</p><p>His three seasons of Junior A development were unsurpassed as he scored 154 goals, assisted on 221, and totalled 375 points in only 148 games. He has since had the best first four seaons in NHL history with 139 goals. 227 assists and .366 points in 309 games. He scored 40 goals in his second season and 47 last season. He set a rookie record with 77 points his first season and was third in the league with 121 last season.</p><p>A tempermental youhgster who walked out on the Wings a couple of times and was suspended a couple of times. Dionne nevertheless does not seem a troublemaker. The internal situation with the Wings has been so bad many players walked into hot water there. An appealing personality. Marcel has admitted, &ldquo;1 have spoken out of turn and acted hastily at times, but I think I&rsquo;m growing up.&rdquo; He seemed matured by being named captain of the Wings, continued to hustle even when there was no hope last season and accounted for almost half the team&rsquo;s scoring. Admittedly relieved to be out of that troubled Detroit atmosphere, he says, &ldquo;I expect to be very happy in Los Angeles.&rdquo;</p><p>He is too honest not to say, as he said, that he didn&rsquo;t suppose the Kings sought him in hopes he would stop stressing offense, but he did add he admired Pulford&rsquo;s disciplined style of play and hoped to become a better all-around player in this system. Converted to penaltykilling last season, he still stressed offense, setting an NHL record with 10 shorthanded goals. He and Butch Goring give the Kings two of the three or four best penalty-killing pivots in hockey. Although small, they have the stamina to bear that added burden. Both 5&rsquo;9&rdquo; and 170-pound Dionne and Goring give the Kings two of the smallest, but most exciting centers in the sport. Dionne won the Lady Byng Trophy last season. while Goring came close to it the last two seasons, so they won&rsquo;t rough up anyone, but bouncing onto the ice back-to-back with their lines they wil| exert terrific pressure on defenses.</p><p>The Kings also got 29-year-old Bart Crashley in exchange for a second-round 1976 draft choice and he joins Neil Komadoski and Dave Hutchison in the early running for the fourth regular defense slot although another trade remains likely, especially since prized backup goaler Gary Edwards and a couple of others who have been offered around surprisingly did not wind up in the Detroit deal. Detroit may deal Maloney elsewhere. He is the sort who would help a contender more than an also-ran. Hutchison and Komadoski will be tried in Maloney&rsquo;s forward role and they are rough enough, but may not play well enough. Crashley, who has jumped back from the WHA. once was considered a super prospect, but has not fulfilled his promise&hellip;The Kings lost a gamble when they failed to protect Dale Lewis, a forward drafted by the Rangers. He was one of the few Springfield prospects considered to have a future in L.A.</p><p>The two deals were almost strictly Cooke&rsquo;s and re-established him as one of the most daring and dynamic men in sports history. Not all agree they were wise, but most side with Jack that they were &ldquo;steals.&rdquo; Always an optimist, he also is an opportunist. He saw an opportunity. seized it and now holds it aloft, all aglow.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-02755/3356987-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="570" height="1128"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JACK COOKE&hellip;Grabs Two Stars</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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Cooke’s Latest Deals Raise Eyebrows In L.A.

<p>ATLANTA&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Atlanta Flames have announced their toughest-ever pre-season schedule. The slate of nine games will send the Flames intoactionagainst five NHL teams with the game sites ranging from Ottawa, Canada to Lakeland, Florida. There will be seven road games with two games set for home ice at The Omni.</p><p>Flames&rsquo; general manager Cliff Fletcher in announcing the schedule said. &ldquo;We wanted to give our team as much southern exposure as possible. We are proud to be taking NHL action into the states of Alabama and Florida for the first time in history. We are also excited about arranging two excellent pre-season games at The Omni against such colorful rivals as the N.Y. Islandersand the St. Louis Blues.&rdquo;</p><p>Atlanta Flames&rsquo; coach Fred Creighton has already made it clear that physical conditioning of his players will get top priority in pre-season workouts. The schedule underlines that importance.</p><p>&ldquo;We will play our first pre-season game on the 5th day of training camp, meeting Toronto in Ottawa,&rdquo; Creighton points out. &ldquo;Shortly after that we will play five straight road games in five days.&rdquo;</p><p>The toughest part of the schedule starts Sept. 25 when the Flames meet the Minnesota North Stars on three straight nights at Huntsville, Lakeland and in Minnesota. Then its on to Kalamazoo, Mich., the next night for agame with the Detroit Red Wings, followed immediately the next night with a game against the Islanders in New York.</p><p>Following a day&rsquo;s rest the Flames play their home opener against the Islanders at The Omni on Wednesday. Oct. I. This is a charity game with proceeds going to the Egleston Children&rsquo;s Hospital here in Atlanta.</p><p>On Friday, Oct. 3 Atlanta plays host to St. Louis then concludes the preseason schedule the following night against the Blues in St. Louis.</p><p>The Flames will open their training camp Sept. 15 in Ottawa.</p><p>Following is the Atlanta pre-season schedule:</p><p>Friday, Sept. 19 against Toronto at Ottawa.</p><p>Thursday, Sept. 25 against Minnesota at Huntsville. Alabama.</p><p>Friday, Sept. 26 against Minnesota at Lakeland, Florida.</p><p>Saturday, Sept. 27 against Minnesota at Minnesota.</p><p>Sunday. Sept. 28 against Detroit at Kalamazoo.</p><p>Monday, Sept. 29 against NY Islanders at New York.</p><p>Wednesday, Oct. I against NY Islanders at Atlanta.</p><p>Friday, Oct. 3 against St. Louis at Atlanta.</p><p>Saturday, Oct. 4 against St. Louis at St. Louis.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Physical Conditioning Top Priority In Flames’ Pre-Season Activities

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-01855/3357049-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PETER McNAB&hellip;Best Shooting Average In NHL</b></figcaption></div><p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Montreal Canadiens were the most accurate shooters in the National Hockey League during the 1974-75 season but the Buffalo Sabres shot the puck more than any other team and their young center Peter McNab had the distinction of showing up the Orrs, Espositos and Clarkes by registering the most accurate shooting average in the entire NHL.</p><p>McNab proved to be the most accurate marksmen among players with 15 or more goals posting a 24.4 average to beat out Jim Pappin of Chicago, who had a 22.8 mark. The Sabres clicked for the shooting honors by directing 2,957 pucks at opposing NHL netminders for a 12.0 team average, slightly below the Canadiens, who connected with more regularity to finish as the most accurate team shooters with a 14.6 mark.</p><p>The 23-year-old McNab, native of Vancouver who learned his minor hockey around San Diego as a kid, had the third-best percentage recorded during the 18 seasons in which the figures have been compiled. He had 90 shots on goal and scored on 22 of them for 24.4 percent. All-time leader is former New York Ranger. Camille Henry, who had 37 goals on 140 shots for 26.4 percent in 1962-63. The runner-up mark belongs to Jean Ratelie of Rangers. He had 46 goals. 183 shots and 25.1 percent in 1971-72.</p><p>Second to McNabduring 1974-75 was Pappin, traded recently by Chicago to Oakland, who scored 36 goals on 158 shots for 22.8 percent. Rookie Eric Vail of Atlanta was third (39 goals. 177 shots. 220 percent), followed by Steve Vicckers of Rangers (41 goals, 188 shots, 21.8 percent) and Chris Oddleifson of Vancouver Canucks (16 goals. 74 shots. 21.6 percent).</p><p>For the first time in five seasons, a player other than Phil Esposito of Boston had the most shots on goal. The leader was another Bruin, Bobby Orr, who won the scoring ehampionship with 135 points. Orr scored 46goals&mdash;a record for a defenseman&mdash;on 384 shots for 12.0 percent. Marcel Dionne of Detroit had the second-highest total shots on goal (378. 47 goals. 12.4 percent). Third was Garry Unger of St. Louis with 349 shots, 36 goals and 10.3 percent. Esposito was fourth. The league&rsquo;s leading goal scorer for a sixth straight season had 347 shots, 61 goals and 17.6 percent.</p><p>In other NHL season highlights. Uhger extended his consecutive-games streak to 563. third-highest total in NHL history. The record of 630 games is held by Andy Hebenton who played for New York Rangers and Boston Bruins between 1955-56 and 1963-64, Johnny Wilson of Detroit, Chicago and Toronto played 580 games between 1951-52 and 1959-60.</p><p>Also the strategy of removing the goaltender near the end of a game in an effort to score the tying goal worked more during 1974-75 than in any of the previous three seasons. A total 15 game-tying goals were scored with a sixth attacker on the ice. This compared to nine in 1973-74, four in 1972-73 and six in 1971-72. The move worked four times for Boston, three for Montreal and New York Islanders and once each for Vancouver, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Buffalo and Toronto.</p><p>During the 720-game schedule, the removal of the goaltender near the end of the game was implemented 246 times. There were 75 empty-net goals as a result. Philadelphia and Vancouver led in the latter category with seven empty-net goals each. Atlanta had eight empty-net goals against, the most against any team.</p><p>The most goals scored in a game by two teams totalled 16. Atlanta Flames defeated Vancouver Canucks 12-4, March 21. at Atlanta. Four teams scored 12 goals in a game. Besides Atlanta. Boston defeated Washington 12-1; Montreal defeated Chicago 12-3; and Pittsburgh won 12-1 over Washington.</p><p>Perhaps tne most encouraging statistic in the annual review as far as the NHL is concerned, was the record of the post-1967 teams against the pre-1967 clubs. Excluding Washington and Kansas City, both of which made their NHL debuts in 1974-75. the post-1967 teams won 50.4 percent of possible points against the old clubs. Buffalo led with 22 wins among the 31 games played against the pre-1967 teams and tied another four for 48 of 62 points. Sabres&rsquo; record was better than Canadiens&rsquo; leading mark against post-1967 teams. Montreal won 34 of 56 games against the newer teams and tied another 10 for 78 of a possible 112 points. Toronto and Detroit were both below .500 against the post-1967 teams.</p><p>The fact that the NHL was as close to parity as it has been since 1967-68 was certainly demonstrated in the semifinals of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Each of four &ldquo;eras&rdquo; was represented&mdash;Montreal from the six original pre-1967 days; Philadelphia from the 1967 expansion group; Buffalo from the 1970 expansion; and New York Islanders from the 1972 program. Philadelphia, of course, won the Stanley Cup. defeating Buffalo four games to two.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Canadiens Best Team Shooters; Orr Takes Title From Esposito

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How NHL’s Teams Rate

<h2>TOP 10 SHOOTERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1479/3357244-1-eng-US/f0014-142.jpg" title="f0014-14" width="535" height="459"></div><h2>MOST SHOTS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1570/3357237-1-eng-US/f0014-152.jpg" title="f0014-15" width="531" height="458"></div><h2><b>MONTREAL</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-03574/3357230-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="612" height="629"></div><h2><b>BUFFALO</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-04418/3357223-1-eng-US/f0014-042.jpg" title="f0014-04" width="613" height="555"></div><h2><b>BOSTON</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-05297/3357216-1-eng-US/f0014-052.jpg" title="f0014-05" width="605" height="624"></div><h2><b>PITTSBURGH</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-06247/3357209-1-eng-US/f0014-062.jpg" title="f0014-06" width="600" height="623"></div><h2><b>RANGERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-07201/3357202-1-eng-US/f0014-072.jpg" title="f0014-07" width="604" height="644"></div><h2><b>PHILADELPHIA</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-08172/3357195-1-eng-US/f0014-082.jpg" title="f0014-08" width="629" height="598"></div><h2><b>TORONTO</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-09157/3357188-1-eng-US/f0014-092.jpg" title="f0014-09" width="614" height="677"></div><h2><b>VANCOUVER</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-10141/3357181-1-eng-US/f0014-102.jpg" title="f0014-10" width="618" height="654"></div><h2><b>LOS ANGELES</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-11127/3357174-1-eng-US/f0014-112.jpg" title="f0014-11" width="610" height="556"></div><h2><b>CHICAGO</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-12116/3357167-1-eng-US/f0014-122.jpg" title="f0014-12" width="613" height="551"></div><h2><b>ISLANDERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-1398/3357160-1-eng-US/f0014-132.jpg" title="f0014-13" width="622" height="586"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03132/3357153-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="598" height="692"></div><h2>DETROIT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04102/3357146-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="600" height="708"></div><h2>ATLANTA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-0581/3357139-1-eng-US/f0024-052.jpg" title="f0024-05" width="629" height="645"></div><h2>MINNESOTA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-0668/3357132-1-eng-US/f0024-062.jpg" title="f0024-06" width="600" height="676"></div><h2>KANSAS CITY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-0755/3357125-1-eng-US/f0024-072.jpg" title="f0024-07" width="612" height="645"></div><h2>KANSAS CITY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-0850/3357118-1-eng-US/f0024-082.jpg" title="f0024-08" width="601" height="585"></div><h2>WASHINGTON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-0945/3357111-1-eng-US/f0024-092.jpg" title="f0024-09" width="608" height="757"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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NHL Shooting Statistics

<div class="byline">BY BILL FLEISCHMAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0015-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-01833/3357275-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>REG LEACH&hellip;Fitting Into Flyer System</b></figcaption></div><p>PHILADELPHIA&mdash;</p><p>When a man must skip a trip to Sweden, you know he&rsquo;s busy.</p><p>Fred Shero was scheduled for hockey school appearances in Sweden this month, but speaking engagements in the United States and Canada have forced him to postpone his visit to Borje Salming&rsquo;s country. The Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; coach has been showing up in places such as Prince Edward island and Belleville. Ont., from the mountains, to the prairips, to the oceans&hellip;</p><p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t handle all the requests,&rdquo; Shero said.</p><p>Don&rsquo;t get the idea he is complaining. There&rsquo;s nothing Shero would rather do than talk hockey, whether it&rsquo;s a bitter cold night in December or a steamy afternoon in August.</p><p>However, his hectic schedule has prevented him from thoroughly planning many new surprises for opponents as the Flyers attempt to win their third consecutive Stanley Cup.</p><p>&ldquo;One thing I think we&rsquo;ll do is open up the center zone more,&rdquo; Shero said. &ldquo;We did it a little last year, working more offensive patterns.&rdquo;</p><p>Shero was to assume his professor&rsquo;s role at a Belleville, Ont., hockey seminar, an assembly he described as the biggest of his career.</p><p>&ldquo;Russian and German coaches will be there where we&rsquo;ll pool our so-called knowledge.&rdquo; Shero said.</p><p>Having coaches share information is one of Shero&rsquo;s biggest crusades.</p><p>&ldquo;In my (playing) day the coaches acted as if they knew it all,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to realize we&rsquo;ve got to work together instead of fighting each other. For years coaches have been calling each other dummies. Maybe they&rsquo;re right, but if we talk to each other we can make it a better game.&rdquo;</p><p>Despite Philadelphia&rsquo;s clear influence on teams such as Los Angeles and New York Islanders. Shero isn&rsquo;t bruising his chest by pounding his fist and claiming, &ldquo;We know it all. follow us.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just the Flyers, it&rsquo;s the Russians, too.&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The Russians know what to do all the time. People still tell me Bob Kelly&rsquo;s goal (in 2-0 Stanley Cup clincher over Buffalo) was lucky. That&rsquo;s bullfeathers. We&rsquo;ve been practicing plays like that for years.</p><p>&ldquo;In the past teams didn&rsquo;t have definite systems for each zone. A man would have the puck in the corner and wouldn&rsquo;t even know where his other men were.&rdquo;</p><p>Shero is often accused of drifting through life in &ldquo;Freddie&rsquo;s Fog.&rdquo; oblivious to climate changes and other daily problems. But mention a hockey subject and he is rarely without an opinion.</p><p>Take the Marcel Dionne &ldquo;trade&rdquo; to Los Angeles. With his individual style. Dionne has never been one of Shero&rsquo;s favorite players. Add the fact that Shero has great respect for L.A. coach Bob Pulford and the ingredients are there for another blast at Dionne.</p><p>&ldquo;Maybe there will be a little clash,&rdquo; Shero said, not disappointing those drooling for a minicontroversy. &ldquo;Can he (Dionne) fit into Pulford&rsquo;s way of putting the team first? It&rsquo;s got nothing to do with scoring goals. Can he play the way the coach wants?</p><p>&ldquo;Look how long it took Reggie (Leach) to fit in with us. He did so many things wrong for so long. But now he&rsquo;s a better man for us.&rdquo;</p><p>Shero also questions the Kiilgs giving Terry Harper and Dan Maloney to Detroit for Dionne.</p><p>&ldquo;They may be hard to replace. One (Hatper) gave them courage, the other gave them toughness. It would be like us losing (Gary) Dornhoefer and (Ross) Lonsberry.&rdquo;</p><p>Stay tuned for another interesting season with Fearless Fred.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Shero’s Planning For 1975-76 To Include Open Center Zone

<p>PHILADELPHIA&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Flyers will tune up for another defense of the Stanley Cup by playing 10 pre-season games against most of the National Hockey League&rsquo;s premier teams.</p><p>Five of the pre-season games will be played at The Spectrum.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a tough schedule in one respect and not so tough in another.&rdquo; said general manager Keith Allen. &ldquo;There will be no extended travel, so we can work out most every day at home.&rdquo;</p><p>The longest trip involves a weekend visit to Toronto and Buffalo.</p><p>&ldquo;The 10 games will enable our veterans to get their timing and it will give us a chance to take a look at our youngsters under game conditions,&rdquo; Allen said. &ldquo;We plan to take a good, long look at people like Mel Bridgman, Bob Sirois, Steve Short, Jack McIlhargey and Robert Ritchie.&rdquo;</p><p>The Flyers will report to training camp on Sept. 14 and will play their first pre-season game on Saturday, Sept. 20. at the Spectrum. The Montreal Canadiens will provide the opposition.</p><p>On Saturday, Sept. 27, the Flyers will tangle with the Pittsburgh Penguins at The Spectrum. The following night, the New York Rangers will come to town.</p><p>On Friday, Oct. 3, the Buffalo Sabres. the team the Flyers defeated for the Stanley Cup. will visit The Spectrum.</p><p>The Flyers will close out the 10-game slate on Monday evening. Oct. 6. against the Boston Bruins at The Spectrum.</p><p>In addition to Toronto and Buffalo, the Flyers will also visit Montreal. Washington and New York (Rangers) for pre-season tests.</p><p>Following is the Flyers&rsquo; pre-season schedule:</p><p>Sat, Sept. 20at Montreal Canadiens.</p><p>Sun, Sept. 21 vs Montreal at the Spectrum.</p><p>Wed, Sept. 24 at Washington Capitals.</p><p>Sat, Sept 27 vs Pittsburgh at the Spectrum.</p><p>Sun, Sept. 28 vs NY Rangers at the Spectrum.</p><p>Mon, Sept. 29 at NY. Rangers.</p><p>Fri, Oct. 3 vs Buffalo at the Spectrum.</p><p>Sat, Oct. 4 at Toronto Maple Leafs. Sun, Oct. 5 at Buffalo Sabres.</p><p>Mon, Oct. 6 vs Boston at the Spectrum.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Champion Flyers Will Warm Up With 10-Game Pre-Season Slate

<div class="byline">BY FRANK ORR</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-03461/3357330-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DAVE KEON&hellip;Leafs&rsquo; Highest Scorer</b></figcaption></div><p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTD Arnold Street. Wallaceburg. On Sold in U.S. and Canada</p><p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTD Arnold Street. Wallaceburg. On Sold in U.S. and Canada</p><p>TORONTO&mdash;</p><p>This is a tale of two centers, one in the twilight of an extraordinary career, the other starting what could turn out to be a similar employment in the National Hockey League.</p><p>Dave Keon is 35. the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. During the past 15 years, he&rsquo;s been one of the NHL&rsquo;s most distinguished citizens, a player of abundant skill and achievement. Keon received so few penalties that when he was sentenced it was noteworthy. This summer. Keon attained free agent status. Maple Leafs don&rsquo;t appear to want him back.</p><p>Don Ashby is 20 years of age, the Leafs&rsquo; first choice in the June amateur draft. He&rsquo;s young, big and strong and has unlimited potential. At least six NHL teams had him rated as the No. I selection in the draft. He signed a multi-year contract with the Leafs and will be granfed every opportunity to be a Leaf starter in the 1975-76 season.</p><p>Leaf owner Harold Ballard is on a youth kick. Veterans Bill Flett, Norm Ullman and Eddie Shack have been cut adrift and the team was doing little that indicated they wanted Keon to return.</p><p>To&rdquo; Toronto hockey fans, the Keon matter is a little puzzling. He&rsquo;s been a superb player, the anchor of four Stanley Cup champions and the scorer of 365 NHL goals, the most of any Leaf player. He&rsquo;s been one-two with anyone as the NHL&rsquo;s best defensive forward.</p><p>&ldquo;I suppose it&rsquo;s a pure business deal: The Leafs don&rsquo;t think I can help them any more.&rdquo; Keon said. &ldquo;I think if I&rsquo;d scored 20 goals last season (he had 16 plus 43 assists) they might have looked at it a little differently.&rdquo;</p><p>As a free agent. Keon had two choices. He could make his own deal with another NHL team but that club would have to compensate the Leafs. Ballard claimed that his demands wouldn&rsquo;t be too high. Or he could jump to the World Hockey Association, which is a strong possibility.</p><p>Keon&rsquo;s WHA rights are owned by the Minnesota Fighting Saints, a team coached by a long-time Keon friend and former business partner. Harry Neale.</p><p>Always a private person, Keon refused to discuss the Leaf situation. He did say that he &ldquo;had talked to a couple of people&rdquo; about next season.</p><p>&ldquo;I think I can still play,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to stay in the NHL but there&rsquo;s always the possibility of the WHA. That&rsquo;s about all I want to say.&rdquo;</p><p>Calgary Cowboys of the WHA made a pitch for Ashby, who had a big following there as a star of the Centennials junior team. But the Leafs were in the driver&rsquo;s seat all the way.</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve followed the NHL for as long as I can remember,&rdquo; Ashby said. &ldquo;Calgary made a good offer but so did the Leafs. I really wanted to play in the NHL.&rdquo;</p><p>Leafs are set at two center spots with Darryl Sittier and George Ferguson. Ashby. Jack Valiquette, Pat Boutette and Stan Weir will bid for the other two spots.</p><p><b>LEAF NOTES:</b> Three young Leafs, I an Turnbull. George Ferguson and Lanny McDonald, have been married during the off-season&hellip;Winger Inge Hammarstrom made the trip from Sweden to Medecine Hat to be McDonald&rsquo;s best man&hellip;Leafs traded their second-round draft pick, center Doug Jarvis of Peterborough, to the Montreal Canadiens for winger Greg Hubick. Their third-round pick, center Bruce Boudreau. signed with Minnesota of the WHA.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-03

Leafs’ Captain Keen On Way Out, Rookie Ashby Ready To Take Over

<div class="byline">BY HARRY KLAFF</div><p>LONG ISLAND&mdash;</p><p>There were many adjectives that one could use to describe the Islanders&rsquo; initial NHL season back in 1972-73. And needless to say, none were particularly complementary. What could you promote about a team that won an average of two games a month?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-01661/3357368-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="294" height="449"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Billy Harris</b></figcaption></div><p>The Isles were a better team as sophomores. although it hardly showed up in the standings. Despite giving up fewer goals than half the league, the young New Yorkers were still light years behind the better clubs of the old Eastern Division.</p><p>Putting things into their proper perspective, the Islanders of &rsquo;73-&rsquo;74 were no longer getting massacred. They were simply getting beaten by closer scores. And to any coach in the league, a loss is a loss is a loss.</p><p>Perhaps it was merely groping for a new angle, but in the middle of that season, we invented a new &ldquo;statistic&rdquo; for the Islanders in THE HOCKEY NEWS. For those who don&rsquo;t particularly remember (or don&rsquo;t care to), we called it, &ldquo;Percentage of Games In.&rdquo; or the PGI for short.</p><p>In simplest terms, it&rsquo;s designed to show how competitive a team is over the course of the season. Statistically, it&rsquo;s the ratio of the number of games a team is competitive in. compared with the total number of games on the schedule.</p><p>By our definition, a team is &ldquo;in&rdquo; a game (or competitive if you will), if it wins, ties, or loses by two goals or less. Granted, the scored doesn&rsquo;t always tell the entire story (and a two-goal loss can become a three-goal loss by pulling the goalie), but things have a way of evening out over the course of an entire season.</p><p>The figures show that the Islanders were &ldquo;in&rdquo; 39 of their 78 games in 1972-73, and bombed out in the other 39. That yields a ratio of 39/78, or a PGI of 50.0. By 1973-74, the Isles&rsquo; PGI had swelled to 80.8, a figure that would certainly be rated as acceptable.</p><p>The main reason for the club&rsquo;s improvement in this department was new coach Al Arbour&rsquo;s emphasis on defense and positional play. Picking up a few things from the Philadelphia Flyers and his old St. Louis Blues. Arbour preached a conservative brand of hockey, and it made the Islanders respectable almost overnight.</p><p>Let&rsquo;s see how everyone made out this year according to our definitions.</p><p>Listed below are the final 1974-75 PGI figures for all 18 NHL clubs:</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-02574/3357361-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="559" height="754"></div><p>On top of the heap are the Canadiens. who lost by more than two goals only three times all season. The Habs finished in a tie for most points in the NHL with Philadelphia and Buffalo, but both the Flyers and Sabres were comparatively far down the list. This could indicate a tendency to &ldquo;quit&rdquo;&middot; when things start going wrong.</p><p>The Islanders finished second to the Canadiens in the PGI race with a 92.5 percentage, losing by more than two goals on only six occasions. The Bruins&mdash;who had been chided by many of their fans for most of the season&mdash;and the L.A. Kings, were tied for third at 90.0.</p><p>On the other end of the spectrum, the Washington Capitals discovered that they couldn&rsquo;t find sympathy in the PGI statistics. The Caps were woefully outclassed 53 times last season for a 33.8 percentage.</p><p>At training camp prior to last season. Islander GM Bill Torrey showed his players that if they scored one more goal in a number of key games, they would have made the playoffs in their second season, and it was enough to propel them into the playoffs, setting the stage for theireventuaHrip to the semi-finals.</p><p>Elsewhere on the Islander front, right wing Billy Harris ended the brief speculation that he might be heading elsewhere by signing a new three-year contract. The new pact called fora modest pay boost, reportedly &lsquo;pushing Harris over the $100,000 plateau.</p><p>News of Harris&rsquo; signing was released during the annual June meetings, but there were no indications at that time that the club was close to signing its other free agent, captain Eddie Westfall. Despite the absence of negotiations, Torrey was optimistic that a favorable agreement would be reached shortly.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-01

Islanders’ Improved PGI Result Of Emphasizing Defense, Positional Play

<div class="byline">BY HAL SIGURDSON</div><p>VANCOUVER&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>P</span>hil Maloney, the Vancouver Canucks&rsquo; coach and general manager, insists all the players his team selected in the amateur draft have a chance to play in the National Hockey League.</p><p>In the case of the Canucks&rsquo; first three choices he felt that chance was good. Now, however, the best Maloney can hope for is to sign two of his top three choices. His No. 3 selection, goaltender Normand Lapointe of Three Rivers, has lined up with Cincinnati of the rival World Hockey Association.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-01563/3357406-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="274" height="417"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Brad Gassoff</b></figcaption></div><p>Maloney and the Canucks are not too happy about it. They insist they made Lapointe an offer as good or better than Cincinnati&rsquo;s and feel they got the short end of the stick from Lapointe&rsquo;s agent.</p><p>However, when his contract with the WHA team expires, they could be making a fresh attempt to sign the 6&rsquo;. 180-pound puck stopper.</p><p>With Lapointe gone, that makes it imperative for the Canucks to sign their No. 1 and 2 choices, right winger Rick Blight of Brandon and left winger Brad Gassoff. of Kamloops. A Vancouver spokesman said the team isn&rsquo;t anticipating any great problem with either player, but admitted that at mid-July no significant progress had been made.</p><p>Otherwise, the only news the club has made has been negative as far as the fans are concerned. Ticket prices will be jumping from $8 to $10 tops.</p><p>Although Maloney says he would like to make a trade or two before the start of the 1975-76 season, there has been no trade talk&hellip;not even a decent rumor.</p><p>It seems likely the Canucks will join Atlanta and St. Louis in operating a Central Hockey League development team in Tulsa, but there has been no word on whether Orland Kurtenbach, their one-time captain, will be the coach.</p><p>Apparently Kurt is not anxious to move to Tulsa on only a one-year basis&mdash;he has one year left on a two-year contract&mdash;and has expressed no desire to move into the scouting end of the game. Seattle, where Kurtenbach coached Vancouver&rsquo;s farm hands last season, will be out of organized hockey this season and that city&rsquo;s chances of obtaining an NHL franchise now appear remote.</p><p>However, with Maloney now back at work after a three-week Hawaii vacation. the Canucks can be expected to start making some positive news shortly.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-02496/3357399-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="1805" height="1582"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>The National Hockey League Players&rsquo; Association took advantage of their summer meeting in Bermuda to present an award to Joseph P. Grant, president of the Licensing Corporation of America, for attaining $1 million worth of licensing revenue for the NHLPA. Here&rsquo;s Grant, second right, receiving award during ceremonies aboard the SS. Statendam from, left to right, Pit Martin of the Black Hawks, president of the players&rsquo; association, Alan Eagleson, executive director of the NHLPA, and Bob Haggert, president of Sports Representatives Ltd.</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0017-01

Canucks Going All Out To Sign Draft Choices After Losing No. 1 Pick

<h2><b>ALL-TIME SCORERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03347/3357458-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="632" height="618"></div><h2><b>ACTIVE NHL SCORERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04266/3357451-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg" title="f0018-04" width="624" height="348"></div><h2><b>ALL-TIME POINT LEADERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-05203/3357444-1-eng-US/f0018-052.jpg" title="f0018-05" width="612" height="604"></div><h2><b>ACTIVE NHL LEADERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-06165/3357437-1-eng-US/f0018-062.jpg" title="f0018-06" width="610" height="270"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0018-03

Hockey’s Top Scoring Stars

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-02464/3357489-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PHIL ESPOSITO&hellip;Could End Career As No. 1</b></figcaption></div><p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>J</span>udging by his present goal-scoring pace, Boston&rsquo;s Phil Esposito stands a good chance of displacing Gordie Howe on the all-time professional scoring list but whether he succeeds in bettering the ultimate record of Bobby Hull remains for time alone to provide the answer.</p><p>Espo&rsquo;s meteoric rise on hockey&rsquo;s all-time scoring ladder has been nothing short of spectacular. He has scored more goals in less years than it has taken some of the greats of pro hockey to reach their career highs. It has been figured that the 33-year-old Boston center would have to continue playing six more years and maintain his present 60-70 scoring average to replace the indefatigable Howe, who has wound up his 27-year pro run with 851 goals while playing both in the NHL and WHA.</p><p>Hull appears to be a certainty to take over the No. 1 spot from Howe as early as the 1975-76 season. He needs only 67 goals next year to replace Howe. Hull is 36 past and admits his active playing days are numbered. However, he could retire as the all-time scoring champion with as many as 925 goals. Hull has accumulated 785 goals in his 18 years performing with Chicago in the NHL and Winnipeg in the WHA.</p><p>Esposito apparently will probably give Hull a helping hand towards attaining the leading all-time scoring title. Espo has declared he doesn&rsquo;t expect to be around hockey long enough to overcome either Howe or Hull in the all-time race. Hull, like Esposito has said he will probably retire after two more active seasons. Should both players stick to their decision to quit after the 1976-77 campaign. Hull could end up with 925 goals and Espo 667. well short of the top.</p><p>Dispensing with combined NHL-WHA scoring lists, Esposito presently stands as the No. 1 active goal scorer with 527 goals, a feat he has achieved in only 12 years of NHL play. Boston teammate John Bucyk is No. 2 with 495 goals but he took 20 years to doit. Norm Ullman of the Leafs has scored 490 in 20 years and Stan Mikita of the Hawks has 467 in 16 years.</p><p>Esposito has made monumental advances in the all-time NHL scoring list. Two years ago he ranked 11th and four years ago wasn&rsquo;t even in the top 15. Currently Phil holds fifth place behind Howe, Hull, Maurice Richard, and Frank Mahovlich. Another 60-plus year will catapult Espo past the No. 4 man. Mahovlich, who is presently playing with Toronto in the WHA, and the No. 3 scorer, Maurice Richard, who retired with 544 goals.</p><p>Esposito could ultimately end up as the leading NHL goal scorer of all time but he would have to play four more years and average 66 goals per season to dislodge Howe, who left the NHL after the 1970-71 season with a leading 786 career goals. Many feel Espo would like to hang around the NHL long enough to erase Howe&rsquo;s mark even if means playing until 37 years of age.</p><p>Howe remains the undisputed point-scoring leader and isn&rsquo;t likely to be overtaken by anyone with a career-ending 2,008 points. His closest pursuer is Hull, who has only 1,493 points. Of the active NHL players, Mikita is No. I in points with 1,240 while Esposito stands fourth with 1,170.</p><p>The coming NHL season will produce at least one more 500-goal scorer and possibly three overall. Bucyk will begin the 1975-76 year with 495 goals needing only five to attain his latest scoring milestone. Ullman, who has been turned loose by the youth building Toronto Leafs, has 490 but could miss the scoring plateau entirely if hejumps to the WHA. Mikita with 467 goals needs 33 next season to make it with the Black Hawks.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-02

Esposito Making Biggest Strides Among Hockey’s All-Time Scorers

<p>DETROIT&mdash;</p><p>Doug Barkley will never forget the first time he coached the Detroit Red Wings. His failures have been imprinted in his mind ever since.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-01551/3357527-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="518" height="677"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ALEX DELVECCHIO&hellip;Stays On As GM</b></figcaption></div><p>Coming back to coach the Detroit Red Wings next season, the 38-year-old former Red Wing defenseman would like to forget 1970-71 when he took over the club Jan. 10, 1971 and resigned Oct. 31, 1971 when the Wings virtually staggered out of the starting gate. The Wings finished seventh and out of the playoffs.</p><p>Barkley, who succeeds Alex Delvecchio as coach with Delvecchio choosing to devote full time to his job as general manager, believes he is better prepared for the challenge of coaching an NHL team and particularly the Red Wings, this time around.</p><p>He admits he rushed into the 1971 job lacking experience but looks back now and would probably admit he had no choice. Owner Bruce Norris summoned him from the minors in an emergency and told him the job was his. He was coming on the scene after the Detroit players threatened to boycott a game in Buffalo if Ned Harkness wasn&rsquo;t removed. To head off an unpleasant situation, the Wings hustled Harkness upstairs as GM and brought Barkley in from Virginia.</p><p>Barkley says he is now older at 38 but wiser and thinks he understands what&rsquo;s required to be a successful NHLcoach. And furthermore, he intends to be tough.</p><p>&ldquo;My system will be hard work, hustle and the coach runs the team,&rdquo; Barkley said. &ldquo;If players don&rsquo;t want to play the system, they won&rsquo;t play.</p><p>&ldquo;On the ice I&rsquo;m extremely tough,&rdquo; said Barkley. &ldquo;I demand consistency and conditioning combined with a little leniency.&rdquo;</p><p>The Red Wings have changed coaches eight times in the past eight years.</p><p>&ldquo;My first stay wasn&rsquo;t a happy stay,&rdquo; Barkley said. &ldquo;I was inexperienced. The reason I took the job is that it was a fine opportunity for my career. Anyone would take a top job if he had the opportunity.&rdquo;</p><p>Barkley broke into the NHL with the Red Wings 13 years ago, in June, 1962, when he was traded by Chicago for Len Lunde and John McKenzie.</p><p>He lost the rookie-of-the-year honor by the narrowest margin in history&mdash;two-tenths of a percent&mdash;to Kent Douglas of Toronto Maple Leafs.</p><p>On Jan. 30. 1966, his playing career came to an end when he was struck in the right eye by the stick of Chicago&rsquo;s Doug Mohns. Barkley received a detached retina, and doctors in Detroit and Boston were unable to save sight in the eye.</p><p>He became coach of Detroit&rsquo;s Fort Worth farm club of the Central Hockey League in the 1969-70 season and stayed there until Jan. 10, 1971, when he became Red Wings coach, succeeding Ned Harkness, who became general manager. He resigned Oct. 31 of the same year.</p><p>Barkley served in a variety of roles since then, including that of general managerand coach of Detroit&rsquo;s Virginia farm club of the American Hockey League and also of London Lions, a pioneer venture into pro hockey in Europe.</p><p>Delvecchio said his decision to give up the coaching job he had had since Nov. 7, 1973, was his own. He said he approached Wings president and owner Bruce Norris about the move at the end of last season.</p><p>Delvecchio said both Billy Dea and Denis DeJordy, who were assistant coaches under him last season, will be retained to work with Barkley.</p><p>Detroit finished out of the playoffs last year for the eighth time in the past nine years.</p><p>&ldquo;The every increasing demands of general manager has forced me to miss part of the fulfillment of coaching,&rdquo; said Delvecchio, who took over as general manager on May 21, 1974, after Harkness resigned.</p><p>&ldquo;Barkley is a young, aggressive type coach who has worked in the minors successfully. We want to build a young, aggressive club so he fits right in with our plans.&rdquo;</p><p>In his opinion, Barkley &ldquo;didn&rsquo;t have the experience&rdquo; to be a successful coach in his first tour behind the Detroit bench.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-02467/3357520-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="1192" height="1092"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DOUG BARKLEY&hellip;Older And Much Wiser</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0019-01

Barkley Feels He’s Ready This Time To Coach Wings

<p>DETROIT&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Detroit Red Wings will open their 1975 training camp at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo. Mich., on Sept. 15. It&rsquo;s the home arena of the International Hockey League team affiliated with the Red Wings.</p><p>General manager Alex Delvecchio also released the details of the Red Wings pre-season schedule of five games.</p><p>The Red Wings and the Minnesota North Stars will be in Bloomington, Minn, on Saturday, Sept. 20&hellip;then face each other at Kalamazoo on Sunday, Sept. 21. Detroit will play the Washington Capitals at Kalamazoo on Friday, Sept. 26, before meeting Washington again at Dayton, Ohio, on Saturday, Sept. 27. Then on Sunday, Sept. 28, the Wings will entertain the Atlanta Flames in Kalamazoo.</p><p>Starting his 25th Red Wings training camp, Delvecchio commented: &ldquo;Coach Doug Barkley and assistant coaches Billy Dea and Denis DeJordy have been in contact with all personnel invited to the training camp in mid-September, and everyone is looking forward to the start of the Detroit Red Wings 49th season in the National Hockey League&rdquo;.</p><p>The regular season will open at Olympia Stadium against St. Louis on Oct. 8.</p><p>The Wings Stadium at Kalamazoo is easily accessible via the 1-94 Freeway, and is approximately half-way between Detroit and Chicago.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Wings Set Camp Start For Sept. 15

<div class="byline">BY DOUG MCCONNELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-01396/3357596-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Colorful Howie Young is free again after receiving his unconditional release from the Winnipeg Jets. The WHA club offered to pay the once-fiery Young the $45,000 he received last season but Young demanded a $1,000-a-game contract covering the new 80-game schedule. The Jets thought that was too rich for their blood and promptly dumped Young.</b></figcaption></div><p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY, LTD. Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario Sold in U.S. and Canada</p><p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY, LTD. Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario Sold in U.S. and Canada</p><p>ST. PAUL&mdash;</p><p>&ldquo;We couldn&rsquo;t be more serious,&rdquo; said Glen Sonmor, &ldquo;and what&rsquo;s more, we think we&rsquo;ve got a pretty good chance of getting him.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;Him.&rdquo; is Bobby Orr. the great defense star of the Boston Bruins to whom the Minnesota Fighting Saints have made a multi-million dollar offer.</p><p>Bill Watters, an associate of Alan Eagleson (Orr&rsquo;s agent) calls the offer &ldquo;ob viously for three or four times more than Bobby Hull got for jumping to the Winnipeg Jets three years ago.&rdquo;</p><p>The signing bonus is SI million.</p><p>Orr has one year remaining on his contract with the Bruins, which calls for about $250.000 a year.</p><p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no way the Bruins can match the offer.&rdquo; said Watters.</p><p>&ldquo;Can you imagine what that would do in this town,&rdquo; said Sonmor, general manager of the Saints.</p><p>&ldquo;Wayne Belisle (club president) has been talking to Eagleson for some time about Orr.&rdquo; added Sonmor. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve probably got more of Eagleson&rsquo;s clients than any team in hockey, including the National League. That should help in the negotiations, the fact that there is a mutual trust there from past dealings, and the fact that Orr and Mike Walton (Saints&rsquo; star center) are partners in a hockey school can&rsquo;t hurt.&rdquo;</p><p>The Saints also have hopes of landing former Toronto Maple Leaf star center Dave Keon and have already improved at center with the addition of Henry Boucha. moving over from the Minnesota North Stars.</p><p>&ldquo;We think we have a 50-50 chance of eetiine Keon&rdquo; said Sonmor.</p><p>Boucha, who missed part of the season with an eye injury in that game which landed Dave Forbes in court answering an assault charge, scored 15 goals and 14 assists in 51 games for the North Stars last season.</p><p>The Saints have high hopes for the latest draft choice they&rsquo;ve signed. He&rsquo;s Bruce Boudreau, a selection in the under-age draft a year ago but who chose to remain with the Toronto Marlboros and completed a record-breaking year in the Ontario Junior A League.</p><p>Boudreau scored 68 goals and 97 assists for 165 points, breaking the league scoring record set by Brian Cullen 22 years ago.</p><p>&ldquo;Our coach (Harry Neale) went to watch him play in one Memorial Cup game,&rdquo; said Sonmor. &ldquo;and he scored five goals.&rdquo;</p><p>The Saints obtained well-travelled veteran defenseman Gerry Odrowski from Phoenix in the intra-league draft and defenseman Jerry Zrymiak from Baltimore in the dispersal draft. They lost defensemen Mike McMahon, to San Diego, and Terry Ball, to Cleveland. in the intra-league draft.</p><p>Gord Gallant, who was suspended permently for punching coach Harry Neale in a bed check incident, was sold to the Quebec Nordiques.</p><p>Danny O&rsquo;Shea, who, says Sonmor &ldquo;was our best player, every night for the first 20 games of the season.&rdquo; but who tailed off, has retired and is reported going to play in Europe. His brother Kevin has been dropped by the Saints.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02300/3357589-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="558" height="797"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>WAYNE BELISLE&hellip;Talks With Eagleson</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03252/3357582-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="563" height="797"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BRUCE BOUDREAU&hellip;Set Scoring Mark</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0020-01

Fighting Saints Make Fabulous Offer In Bid To Lure Orr Away From Bruins

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04181/3357651-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg"></div><h2><b>WITHIN 10 DAYS I SHOT 74!</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>M</span>y 10-day scores were 116-99-97-93-87-88-92-79-78-74! A total ol 42 strokes oil1 My name is Allan Sadler. I&rsquo;m 55 years old bad dozens of lessons own 64 books on the golf swing and bought four different sets of clubs in five years And bn thousands of balls on the range The result&rsquo; 116&rsquo;1 hated golf Bui who can quit?</p><p>One morning I awakened at 4 o&rsquo;clock thinking of the swing Obviously. I thought if all the books and pros are right wed all be playing good golf But we aren&rsquo;t Therefore we&rsquo;re stupid But this couldn&rsquo;t be true either A vital something had to be missing from this huge mass of instruction</p><p>I&rsquo;d studied the books and the actual swing of the top professionals&mdash;in person, in movies on video tape What was it the pros had in common9 As you know, many of the greatest inventions are born in a flash of intuition of understanding Andi a 116 golfer had that Hash one dark morning I got up tested it in front of a mirror&mdash;and waited for dawn I knew <i>I had it&rsquo; That something never mentioned by pros because they aren&rsquo;t aware of it&rsquo;.</i></p><p><i>For 10 days I tested this discovery&mdash;from driver to nutter It worked with each and every club in the &lsquo;bag Drives were long and straight&rsquo; Putts sank like crazy&rsquo;And utterly simple1</i> No thought of hip shift knee action etc etc ad nauseum My friends call it a magic move and a magic move it is&rsquo; Because every friends handicap has plummeted&rsquo; <i>It has to be simple to go from 116 to 74 in 10 days&rsquo; It is simple&rsquo;</i> So simple you II wonder why you or some pro didn&rsquo;t think ol it Only one single thing to think of And so very easy to do! The magic move of every top star of golf The magic move you can make your very first time out&rsquo; To cut your score drastically!</p><p>My book describes the magic move in detail And importantly it tells you the feel the sensation of this phenomenal move <i>But the flight of your drives, the sinking of your putts will prove how right I am You have to agree for a fellow to go from 116 to 74 that some miracle has happened&rsquo;</i> Remember, this is written by an ex-duffer who knows exactly how you feel Not by a pro who devotes his life to golf!</p><p><i>Now you can make your own miracle Your own magic move Your own consistently lower scores For only S8 (plus provincial sales tax where applicable! In a hurry to slash your score? Send for your golf book immediately</i> How confident am I of this magic move 9 I fully guarantee your absolute satisfaction&mdash;or your money back&rsquo; Its now so simple to play good golf&mdash;and costs about halt a lesson&rsquo; Send your order today Remember. 10 times out and you II clobber your handicap with the Magic Move (Tear this out as a reminder!) &copy;1974<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0020-04

I WAS A 116 GOLFER!

<p>HOUSTON&mdash;</p><p>Ron Grahame discarded one of his childhood dreams when he signed a multi-year contract with the Houston Aeros.</p><p>&ldquo;Ever since I was a youngster, I wanted to go to Boston,&rdquo; Grahame said after Aeros&rsquo; new president Gordie Howe announced the signing. &ldquo;I really kind of regret not being able to play with Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito, but I&rsquo;m happy to be here in Houston.&rdquo;</p><p>Grahame&rsquo;s 3.30 goals-against average led all WHA goaltenders last season and he compiled a 12-1 record with a 2.00 goals-against average in the playoffs as the Aeros won their second straight Avco World Trophy. Grahame won the Gordie Howe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.</p><p>The 24-year-old former Denver University star said the recent change in the Aeros&rsquo; ownership had a part in his decision. &ldquo;The changes that were made were for the better. I like all the people here.&rdquo;</p><p>Irvin Kaplan sold out his 52 percent stock in the club to Walter W. Fonderen III, a Houston oilman and investor, to George Bolin, who increased his holdings, and to other minority stockholders.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-04100/3357727-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="556" height="656"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>RON GRAHAME</b></figcaption></div><p>The purchase price was approximately $4.2 million, which included the assumption of some.$3.1 million in debts.</p><p>Howe, the 47-year-old wonder who retired again last season, took the president&rsquo;s chair.</p><p>Bill Dineen, the coach, is now also the vice-president in charge of hockey operations and the general manager.</p><p>Jack Stanfield, who is a former Aero and who returned to the organization last January as an administrative assistant after a short stint in Switzerland as a player-coach, has been named assistant general manager and assistant coach.</p><p>Stanfield had been considering a post at Colgate University as golf coach and assistant hockey coach.</p><p>Bob Keltie is the vice-president in charge of administration and finance and Rich Burk left the Houston Post after nine years as a sportswriter to become the director of media relations in a near total front office changeover. Bill McGowin left an advertising agency in Houston to become group sales director.</p><p>Kemper Kaiser, the ticket sales coordinator and Mike Mullis, in ticket sales. remain from the old office staff.</p><p>The defending champion Aeros open their new building. The Summit, but not until Nov. 5, after eight road games. The Aeros played five pre-season and five regular season games on the road before their home opener last season, Oct. 26.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0021-04

Grahame Discards Dream Signs Again With Houston

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0021-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02177/3357696-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg"></div><p>INDIANAPOLIS&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>L</span>eif &ldquo;Honken&rdquo; Holmquist, goalie for Sweden&rsquo;s National Team and one of the finest ever developed in European competition, signed a multi-year contract with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03128/3357689-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="1743" height="1163"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Here&rsquo;s Holmquist in action on the ice (left) and off (above)</b></figcaption></div><p>The announcement of Holmquist&rsquo;s signing was made by Jim Browitt, Racers&rsquo; president-general manager from Stockholm. Sweden. Browitt, the Racers &ldquo;man in motion,&rdquo; was on a two-week swing through Sweden and Finland searching for and discussing the availability of playing talent that will add to the Racers &ldquo;new look&rdquo; and make them a more competitive hockey club.</p><p>Holmquist has played 202 games for Tre Kronor, Sweden&rsquo;s National Team. 25 of them this past season With Leif in goal, the Nationals finished second to the Russians in world competition on three occasions. 1967, 1969 and 1970. He is also a member of the AIK team in Stockholm and turned in 28 league appearances for them last year. AIK is one of the oldest and most established clubs in the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation&rsquo;s Division I&mdash;the country&rsquo;s major hockey loop.</p><p>Among European hockey powers, the Swedes are best known for the development of fine goaltenders and Holmquist is no exception. In Tact, he has been named Sweden&rsquo;s best goalie on numerous occasions. Holmquist ranks at the top of Sweden&rsquo;s all-time great goaltenders&rsquo; list.</p><p>His awards are many and include a medal received this year from King Gustav of Sweden acclaiming him the nation&rsquo;s outstanding athlete for the period 1970-1975.</p><p>Other national honors won by Holmquist are; the Gold Puck Award in 1967-68 and 1969-70 as Sweden&rsquo;s outstanding hockey player; voted the most valuable player award in 1969-70; named to Sweden&rsquo;s first All Star team in 1969-70 by unanimous vote and again in 1970-71 when he outdistanced Christer Abrahamsson (now with the New England Whalers) by a 25-6 vote count; and tabbed as the best junior hockey player in I961-62, the first year the award was made.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-01244/3357682-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="509" height="737"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LEIF HOLMQUIST</b></figcaption></div><p>Holmquist spent the 1973-74 season with the London Lions, a Detroit Red Wings&rsquo; farm team based in London, England. The Lions played a full schedule against European competition and participated in various hockey tournaments held in Europe. He returned to Sweden the following year to rejoin his AIK teammates.</p><p>According to Ulf Nilsson&mdash;former Swedish Hockey League star and currently a member of the Winnipeg Jets of the WHA, Holmquist is excellent at covering the angles, he doesn&rsquo;t fight the puck as many other goaltenders do.</p><p>Holmquist&rsquo;s style is described as &ldquo;traditional stand-up.&rdquo;</p><p>Bill Prentice, one of the two new players acquired by the Indianapolis Racers in the recent World Hockey Association intra-league draft, officially signed on as a member of the club when he agreed to terms for the 1975-76 season. Details of the pact were not disclosed.</p><p>The solidly built (6&rsquo;-190 pounds) defensive specialist, picked by Indy off the roster of the WHA Champion Houston Aeros, is an exponent of the hard-checking style of play at the blueline.</p><p>In addition to being rugged, the 24-year-old ex-collegian is described as a good, fast skater capable of keeping up with the swifter forwards in the league. He has had some experience as a left winger, though not at the major league level.</p><p>Last season Prentice spent most of his time with the Tulsa Oilers, the Aeros&rsquo; farm club in the Central Hockey League, but managed to record 17 appearances with Houston during the early stages of the campaign and four more in the Avco World Cup playoffs last spring.</p><p>&ldquo;Bill Prentice is one of several talented youngsters we have high hopes for in the coming season.&rdquo; stated Jacques Demers, Racers&rsquo; director of player personnel. &ldquo;We want to add some younger players and Bill has the determination and potential to make our club&hellip;his mobility and strength could help us a lot on defense.</p><p>Demers is the newest addition to the Racers&rsquo; front office staff.</p><p>&ldquo;Jock&rdquo;, a personable, young Frenchman. started making his presence felt the moment he signed on with the Chicago Cougars three years ago&mdash;first as chief scout, then as director of player personnel and player-coach Pat Stapleton&rsquo;s &ldquo;man-behind-the-bench.&rdquo;</p><p>A former center for the Notre Dame de Gras team of the Montreal Junior League, Demers&rsquo; playing ambitions were frustrated by a leg injury during his junior days. Later he turned to coaching and spent six seasons behind the bench in the Canadian junior ranks winning two titles with his Chauteaugay (Que.) club, and twice was named &ldquo;Coach of the Year&rdquo;.</p><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re very pleased to have a man of Jacques&rsquo; calibre and experience join our organization,&rdquo; stated Browitt at the time of Demers&rsquo; appointment. &ldquo;He brings a new dimension to the Racers and will play an important role in designing the &ldquo;new look&rdquo; we are building into our hockey team.&rdquo;</p><p>According to Browitt, Demers will be in charge of all administrative operations involving the players and report directly to him. &ldquo;He will assist me in signing players, appraising talent, both amateur and professional, and evaluating all player transactions offered to us or by us.&rdquo;</p><p>Regarding his new positions. Demers said he was extremely happy to be associated with the Racers.</p><p>&ldquo;I see in this hockey club a bright future. Last year when I was with the Cougars and working behind the bench for coach Stapleton, I noticed the great enthusiasm of the Indianapolis fans. Even though the team was an expansion team that was still building and winning little, the people came out in large numbers to watch them and cheer their players on the ice.</p><p>&ldquo;I am young and aggressive and know I can help the Racers a contender. I believe firmly that the way to build a strong hockey team is with desire, discipline, youth and experience. We achieved success on the ice in Chicago with this approach and we will duplicate that success here in Indianapolis.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;Win! Win! Win! that is what we want and that&rsquo;s what the players must want if they expect to play here!&rdquo; stated Browitt emphatically. &ldquo;No player&rsquo;s job is secure, there is plenty of competition at each position now. All of them will have to report to camp in shape and be ready to battle for a regular spot on the team.&rdquo;</p><p>Three players&mdash;Pat Stapleton, Michel Dubois and Reg Thomas&mdash;were selected by the Racers in the WHA special draft of unattached contract players held in Toronto.</p><p>Players included in this draft session were those remaining on the rosters of the Chicago Cougars and Baltimore Blades&mdash;both of which are suspending operations.</p><p>Selecting in the second slot behind the Denver Spurs, the Racers picked Pat Stapleton off the Cougars&rsquo; list in the first round.</p><p>Stapleton, 35, is the former playercoach of the Cougars and NHL super star with the Chicago Black Hawks where he played eight of his 15 pro seasons. .</p><p>The 5&rsquo;8&rdquo;, 185-pound native of Sarnia, Ontario turned pro in 1960. In addition to his eight seasons with the Hawks, he spent two years with the Boston Bruins, early in his pro career, and the past two with the Chicago Cougars in the WHA. The remaining three seasons were logged in the minors and sandwiched between his tours with Boston and Chicago in the NHL.</p><p>Stapleton was a member of the WHA All Star team in 1973-74 and was voted the league&rsquo;s outstanding defenseman that year. He was also named to the NHL&rsquo;s 2nd All Star squad twice&mdash;1970-71 and 1971-72.</p><p>Stapleton, who was in Toronto for the draft meetings offered these comments on the Racers&rsquo; action. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m delighted that the Racers made me their first choice in the special draft. The confidence displayed in me and my ability as a player on the part of the Racers&rsquo; management, indicates that they feel strongly I can help the club on the ice.</p><p>&ldquo;I have close ties in the Chicago area and I value them highly. The fact that Indianapolis and Chicago are practically sister cities is a big plus for them with me.</p><p>&ldquo;You have the makings of a great franchise in Indianapolis&mdash;the crowd&rsquo;s vocal support always amazed me when we played there last season. That kind of enthusiastic backing during a game is worth a lot to the players and more than a few points in the standings.&rdquo;</p><p>Michel Dubois, the Racers&rsquo; second-round choice, is also a defenseman, and also off the Cougars&rsquo; list. Dubois, 20, is 5&rsquo;11&rdquo;, weighs 181 pounds and hails from Montreal. He played his amateur hockey with Chicoutimi in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before turning pro with the Cougars in 1974 after being selected by them in the WHA amateur draft.</p><p>Last season with the Long Island Cougars in the North American Hockey League he appeared in 67 games, scored eight goals, assisted on 18 others and was charged with 96 minutes in penalties.</p><p>Reg Thomas, a 5&rsquo;10&rdquo;, 180-pound center, comes to the Racers from the Blades.</p><p>Thomas, 22, was born in London, Ontario where played his amateur hockey with the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey Association Major &ldquo;A&rdquo; Division. In three seasons with the Knights he had 136 goals&mdash;52 of which came in his last season as an amateur&mdash;he was also named to the OHA first All Star team that year.</p><p>He was the Los Angeles Sharks&rsquo; first round pick in the 1973 WHA amateur draft and turned pro with the Sharks that fall.</p><p>Thomas played in 72 games in his rookie season in the pros and had 35 points on 14 goals and 21 assists. Last year with Michigan-Baltimore he played in 50 games scoring eight goals and assisting 13 times.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0021-02

Swedish All Star Goaler Holmquist Inks Multi-Year Pact With Racers

<div class="byline">BY DOUG MCCONNELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-01266/3357758-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="558" height="777"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>RON INGRAM&hellip;Deserved Chance</b></figcaption></div><p>SAN DIEGO&mdash;</p><p>The San Diego Mariners were picked by many to finish last in the Western Division of the World Hockey Association and surprised everyone by taking second spot but owner Joe Schwartz gave little of the credit to player-coach Harry Howell.</p><p>Howell was released as a coach by Schwartz and Ron Ingram, who was the general manager and aided Howell last season with the bench coaching, was named to coach the club.</p><p>&ldquo;It was my first hockey decision.&rdquo; said Schwartz, &ldquo;and it w&aacute;s a very difficult one. But, in the end, I had to remember that it was Ronnie&rsquo;s system that won for us last year and his five years of coaching experience. I felt he did an outstanding job and deserved the chance.&rdquo;</p><p>Ingram joined the team last season, first as director of player personnel, after three championships in three years at Syracuse in the North American Hockey League.</p><p>Howell, long tim&eacute; star of the New York Rangers, joined the Mariners (then the New York Blades) as a player two years agb. He succeeded Camille Henry as coach 30 days into the season when the club shifted to Cherry Hill, N.J.</p><p>Howell&rsquo;s 42 years and a series of injuries convinced him that his playing days are over.</p><p>&ldquo;It was one of the hardest decisions I&rsquo;ve ever had to make,&rdquo; said Schwartz. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t sleep much thinking about it. I have no complaints with Harry at all. He&rsquo;s the fine man and a good coach. But I just had to do what I thought was best under the circumstances. I just don&rsquo;t know if two men behind the bench would have worked, know that what we did last year did work, so I had to go with that.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m disappointed, naturally,&rdquo; said Howell, but it&rsquo;s his club and his money. He has to do what he thinks is best.&rdquo;</p><p>Howell was recently considered for the New York Rangers&rsquo; coaching job but i went to Ron Stewart and Howell is looking for another coaching job.</p><p>Meanwhile. Ingram was busy signing his team. Only two players, wingers Wayne Rivers and Rick Sentes, remain unsigned at this writing.</p><p>Defenseman Bob Falkenberg and center-winger Brian Morenz signed three-year contracts. Bob Wall a multi-year contract and captain Norm Ferguson a contract of undisclosed terms.</p><p>Alex Tidey, the club&rsquo;s sixth round choice in the amateur draft, agreed to a contract. The 6&rsquo;, 182-pound right wing scored 42 goals and 54 assists for Calgar in the Western Canada Junior Hockey League last season.</p><p>The Mariners also obtained right wing Tom Martin from the Toronto Toros where he scored 58 goals and 90 assists in three seasons, for the rights to collegial Angelo Moretto, and left wing Don Burgess from the Calgary Cowboys for future considerations. Burgess had 61 goals and 76 assists in three WHA seasons.</p><p>Defenseman Mike McMahon. 33, was obtained from Minnesota in the intra league draft in which center Mike Laughton was lost. In the dispersal draft, the Mariners picked up wingers John Raynak and Alton White from Baltimore and Dave Walter from Chicago.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0022-01

Mariners’ Owner Preferred Ingram’s System

<h2>CLEVELAND</h2><p>JOHN STEWART</p><p>California Seals</p><p>LYLE MOFFAT</p><p>Toronto Leafs</p><h2>PHOENIX</h2><p>RON HUSTON</p><p>California Seals</p><p>DEL HALL</p><p>California Seals</p><p>RON SERAFINI</p><p>St. Louis Blues</p><p>LAURI MONONEN</p><p>Finn Nationals</p><p>PEKKA RAUTAKALLIO</p><p>Finn Nationals</p><p>BLAIR DAVIDSON</p><p>Flin Flon</p><p>ROGER SWANSON</p><p>Flin Flon</p><h2>MINNESOTA</h2><p>BRUCE BOUDREAU</p><p>Tor. Marlboros</p><p>HENRY BOUCHA</p><p>Minnesota Stars</p><h2>SAN DIEGO</h2><p>ALEX TIDEY</p><p>Calgary Brones</p><h2>NEW ENGLAND</h2><p>DANNY ARNDT</p><p>Saskatoon</p><h2>CINCINNATI</h2><p>PAT DO NN ELY</p><p>Hampton Gulls</p><p>LORNE ROMBOUGH</p><p>Hampton Gulls&mdash;</p><p>BERNIE MacNEIL</p><p>Boston Bruins</p><p>DALE SMEDSMO</p><p>Toronto Leafs</p><p>CLAUDE LAROSE</p><p>Sherbrooke</p><p>NORMAND LAPOINTE</p><p>Three Rivers</p><h2>WINNIPEG</h2><p>BILL LESUK</p><p>Washington Caps</p><h2>EDMONTON</h2><p>TED McANEELEY</p><p>California Seals</p><p>BOB McANEELEY</p><p>California Seals</p><p>KERRY KETTER</p><p>Atlanta Flames<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

New WHA Signings

<div class="byline">BY RICH PASSAN</div><p>CINCINNATI&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>erry Slater, the articulate coach of the new Cincinnati Stingers, shudders when he peruses the rosters of the New England Whalers and Cleveland Crusaders.</p><p>These two clubs you see, have improved them selves over the summer and will make it difficult for the Stingers to do the same thing the Phoenix Road-runners did last season. Namely, make the playoffs in their inaugural campaign. Then again. Slater has put together quite a club for Cincinnati&rsquo;s first year in the World Hockey Association. In fact, it&rsquo;s downright formidable. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re trying to build a young club and. at the same time, get a fine blend of youth and experience.&rdquo; said Slater, who previously coached the ill-fated Los Angeles Sharks in the WHA.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02197/3357820-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="284" height="468"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Serge Aubry</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t look at this as an expansion team.&rdquo; he continued. &ldquo;I look for this team to win right off the bat. After all. I&rsquo;ve got to go home and sleep at night.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s something he didn&rsquo;t do much of in Los Angeles.</p><p>The Stingers have not received any help from the WHA in forming their club. They did not participate in any drafts except the amateur pickings.</p><p>When they gained entrance to the league two years ago. it was with the understanding they would strike out on their own and build from the ground up.</p><p>Slater was hired a little over a year ago, has done quite a job and has spent comparatively little of the club&rsquo;s money in doing so.</p><p>&ldquo;Our payroll will not exceed $1.1 million this year.&rdquo; Slater declared.</p><p>This seems hard to believe when you consider the million dollar contracts of defenseman Mike Pelyk. centers Dennis Sobchuk and Jacques Locas and left winger Pierre Guite.</p><p>However. Slater explained the money in these contracts is spread over a number of years, thus keeping the yearly budget down. &ldquo;Mr. DeWitt (club general manager Bill DeWitt Jr.) is a smart businessman,&rdquo; Slater said. &ldquo;He knows what he&rsquo;s doing when negotiating contracts.&rdquo;</p><p>Slater said his Stingers will not be the same type of club the Sharks were. The Sharks were the goons of the WHA in their first year after being involved in several brawls early in the season.</p><p>&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t have any polish in Los Angeles and played accordingly.&rdquo; Slater related. &ldquo;Here, we&rsquo;ve got some polish with guys like Sobchuk, Locas and (defenseman) John Hughes. But we&rsquo;re still going to be tough.</p><p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re not going to push around guys like Guite and Rick Dudley.&rdquo; Slater went on. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re not going to push around guys like Pelyk and Bernie MacNeil and Dale Smedsmo.&rdquo;</p><p>Slater believes his club&rsquo;s strong point will be its skating ability. &ldquo;We ll be good in that area,&rdquo; he confidently predicted. &ldquo;You can overcome mistakes with skating.&rdquo;</p><p>Conversely, the Stingers are woefully shy of right-handed shooters. The only two who pull the trigger from that side are defenseman Ronnie Plumb and right winger Steve Andrascik.</p><p>Slater&rsquo;s three top right wingers&mdash;Dudley. Gary Veneruzzo and John Gould&mdash;are all southpaws.</p><p>Goaltending should not be a problem. Slater has five netminders from whom to choose, including Norm Lapointe, the Quebec Junior League&rsquo;s best last season. Lapointe will battle veterans Serge Aubry, Rich Coutu and Joe Junkin and rookie John Kiley for the No. 1 job between the pipes.</p><p>Junkin was secured from the San Diego Mariners for a third-round choice in next year&rsquo;s amateur draft.</p><p>Slater intends to take 27 men to camp here in mid-September and out of that camp is expected to come one of the best expansion&mdash;pardon the expression, Terry&mdash;teams since major league hockey decided to expand back in 1967.</p><p><b>NEW ENGLAND:</b> Whalers&rsquo; coach and general manager Jack Kelley has finally landed right winger Rosie Paiement after trying for two years to pry him loose from the Chicago Cougars.</p><p>The Cougars finally went the way of all bankrupt teams and Paiement wound up on the roster of the new Denver franchise. The only trouble was Paiement didn&rsquo;t want to play in the Colorado city.</p><p>Kelley persuaded the new franchise to part with Paiement for a first-round draft choice in next year&rsquo;s draft. &ldquo;All of a sudden.&rdquo; said Kelley, &ldquo;for a first-round draft choice, whom I haven&rsquo;t signed yet. I could get a player of his (Paiement&rsquo;s) stature.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03171/3357813-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="1197" height="1536"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>RICK LEY&hellip;New Ice Leader Of Whalers</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been actively chasing Rosie for the last couple of years. Every, year, he comes up with his points and is a good two-way hockey player.&rdquo; In 234 WHA games in three seasons. Paiement has sniped for 89 goals and 216 points.</p><p>The Whalers also announced the signing of left winger Danny Arndt, their second-round draft choice. In 57 games with Saskatoon of the Western Canada Junior League last season, Arndt scored 44 goals and had 129 in his three-year career with the Blades&hellip;Defenseman Rick Ley has been named club captain, succeeding Ted Green, traded to Winnipeg&hellip;The Whalers&rsquo; season ticket sale is at 4,500 currently, nearly half the capacity of the Civic Center.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0022-02

Stingers’ Slater Has Formidable Lineup

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01246/3357851-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="534" height="644"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BOBBY HULL&hellip;Led 3 Departments</b></figcaption></div><p>WINNIPEG&mdash;</p><p>Looking at the final 1974-75 World Hockey Association statistics, one might wonder how the Winnipeg Jets ever finished out of the playoffs.</p><p>Bobby Hull. Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson ranked high in the final regular season statistics, especially Hull who broke the existing pro record for goals in one season by tallying 77 in only 78 games.</p><p>The Golden Jet topped the list under the categories most goals, most power-play markers, 27, and the most &lsquo;clutch&rsquo; points, 110, while Hedberg topped all WHA rookies in goals scored with 53. Nilsson got into the act by finishing runnerup in assists with 94 and third in &lsquo;clutch&rsquo; points with 93.</p><p>The reason the Jets finished out of the post-season classic was that these three stars were all on the same line and unfortunately for the Winnipegers the rest of the club couldn&rsquo;t supply enough firepower while the big line was taking their turn on the bench.</p><p>San Diego Mariners&rsquo; All Star center Andre Lacroix collected the most assists, 106. which combined with his 41 goals gave him the WHA scoring title.</p><p>Tom Simspon of Toronto led all Toros&rsquo; marksmen during the regular schedule with 52 goals and led the entire league in winning tallies with 11.</p><p>Minnesota&rsquo;s Mike Walton, Houston&rsquo;s Mark Howe and Chris Bordeleau of the Quebec Nordiques shared top honors in the shorthanded goals category with four apiece.</p><p>In the goaltending department Houston&rsquo;s Ron Grahame and Gerry Cheevers of the Cleveland Crusaders recorded the most WHA shutouts with four each.</p><p>Vancouver Blazers&rsquo; puckstopper Don McLeod was by far the most active goaltender in the league as he saw 4,124 minutes of action in the season&rsquo;s regular slate. Al Smith of the New England Whalers and Minnesota&rsquo;s John Garrett finished behind McLeod with 3,494 and 3,294 minutes respectively.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0023-01

Jets’ Trio Dominated WHA Year

<p>PHOENIX&mdash;</p><p>The Roadrunners anticipate at least a half dozen changes in their lineup this season and two of those will be European stars.</p><p>Lauri Mononen, a right wing who signed along with Finnish National teammate Pekka Rautakallio. a defenseman, is rated by Roadrunner director of player personnel Al Rollins &ldquo;as good as any European playing in pro hockey today.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02193/3357896-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="281" height="456"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>Ron Serafini</b></figcaption></div><p>The Roadrunners also signed center Ron Huston, who played for the California Seals last season, left wing Del Hall, who played for the Seals&rsquo; farm club at Salt Lake City, and defenseman Ron Serafini. who played for the Denver Spurs in the Central League last season.</p><p>The Runners also expect defensemen Gary Lariviere and Serge Beaudoin to move up from their CHL farm club to the World Hockey Association roster next season. Forwards Dennis Olmstead, Dave Gorman and Mike Hobin are also prospects for promotion from the farm.</p><p>Defenseman Blair Davidson and goaltender Roger Swanson from Flin Flon of the Western Canada Junior Hockey League, were the Runners&rsquo; third and fourth draft choices and signed multi-year contracts. The Runners also hoped to land their first and second choices, center Greg Vaydik and winger Neil Lyseng and both are prospects to make the jump to the major leagues.</p><p>Mononen, 25, 6&rsquo; 185, has played 145 games in international competition and compiled 51-37&mdash;88 totals. In six years of world tournaments, he has 22-18&mdash;40 in 50 games.</p><p>Rautakallio, although just 22, has played first division hockey for six years. The 5&rsquo;11&rdquo;. 180-pound rearguard was rated the best junior defenseman in Europe in 1971.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03147/3357889-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="575" height="800"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>RON HUSTON&hellip;WHL Rookie Of Year</b></figcaption></div><p>&ldquo;We think that Mononen and Rautakallio will be able to fill the void left by Dennis Sobchuk and John Hughes.&rdquo; said Roadrunner president Bill Mac-Farland. Sobchuk and Hughes played on loan last season from the Cincinnati Stingers, who begin WHA play this season.</p><p>&ldquo;Mononen is certainly a goal scorer and Rautakallio compares favorably to Lars-Erik Sjoberg (of the Winnipeg Jets). He moves the puck very well.&rdquo;</p><p>Huston. Hall and Serafini all played for Rollins at Salt Kake City in the Western League. Huston was rookie-of-the-year three years ago. scoring 42 goals and 84 points.</p><p>A rib injury limited Huston, 30, to 56 games with the Seals last season, but Rollins points out that his 33 points (12 goals) were only 12 fewer than Larry Patey and Stan Weir, the Seals&rsquo;coleaders.</p><p>Hall. 26. scored 64 points (32 goals) for Salt Lake last season in the CHL. The 5&rsquo;10 &ldquo;. 175-pound speedster scored 79 points (38 goals) for Salt Lake in the WHL the previous season.</p><p>Serafini, 5&rsquo; 11&rdquo;. 195 and Detroit-born not quite 22 years ago, can step right into the Raodrunner lineup and his aggressiveness will be welcomed with an already rough defense. He totalled 202 penalty minutes while scoring eight goals and 31 assists in 74 games for Salt Lake two years ago although he only had 83 penalty minutes with seven goals and 21 assists for Denver last season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-04116/3357882-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="568" height="798"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DEL HALL&hellip;Hustling Speedster</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0023-02

Phoenix Active Signing Europeans; Pick Off Trio Of NHL Farmhands

<h2>MOST GOALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0596/3357990-1-eng-US/f0023-052.jpg" title="f0023-05" width="610" height="428"></div><h2>MOST ASSISTS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0683/3357983-1-eng-US/f0023-062.jpg" title="f0023-06" width="614" height="418"></div><h2>POWER-PLAY GOALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0772/3357976-1-eng-US/f0023-072.jpg" title="f0023-07" width="612" height="464"></div><h2>WINNING GOALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0860/3357969-1-eng-US/f0023-082.jpg" title="f0023-08" width="612" height="300"></div><h2>SHORTHANDED GOALS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0950/3357962-1-eng-US/f0023-092.jpg" title="f0023-09" width="610" height="294"></div><h2>CLUTCH POINTS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-1040/3357955-1-eng-US/f0023-102.jpg" title="f0023-10" width="647" height="443"></div><h2>GOALS BY ROOKIES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-1131/3357948-1-eng-US/f0023-112.jpg" title="f0023-11" width="614" height="380"></div><h2>MOST SHUTOUTS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-1226/3357941-1-eng-US/f0023-122.jpg" title="f0023-12" width="612" height="458"></div><h2>MINUTES PLAYED</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-1321/3357934-1-eng-US/f0023-132.jpg" title="f0023-13" width="616" height="374"></div><h2>PENALTY LEADERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-1420/3357927-1-eng-US/f0023-142.jpg" title="f0023-14" width="614" height="418"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0023-05

WHA Season Leaders

<div class="byline">BY HANS TANNER</div><p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HULERICH & BRADSBY. LTD Arnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S. and Canada</p><p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HULERICH & BRADSBY. LTD Arnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S. and Canada</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><i>&ldquo;The best laid schemes o&rsquo; mice an&rsquo; men Gang aft a gley&rdquo;</i></blockquote><p>HILTON HEAD&mdash;</p><p>Robbie Bums&rsquo; famed words certainly are applicable to the American Hockey League.</p><p>When the AHL held its annual meeting in Hilton Head, S.C., in late June, the govenors decided on a realignment of the divisions to take care of a possible upcoming problem. And they decided not to release any information on it until a later date.</p><p>Syracuse, which did not have a representative at the annual meeting and reportedly still is in some financial turmoil. was the city the league was worried about.</p><p>So to be safe, the governors decided to shift New Haven from the Northern Division to the Southern Division with Richmond, Hershey and Virginia. Syracuse was a Southern Division team last season, but this way the AHL would be sure of two four-team divisions even if the Eagles did not operate.</p><p>If they did, they would go in with Rochester. Nova Scotia. Springfield and Providence in the Northern Division.</p><p>Sound thinking by the gentlemen. They had everything covered.</p><p>They thought.</p><p>One of the final pieces of business at the annual meeting was to approve a change in the franchise ownership of the Virginia Wings, based in Norfolk. The club had been owned by Detroit of the National Hockey League but a Norfolk group had made arrangements to purchase the franchise and operate the team.</p><p>But less than a week later. Burns&rsquo; lines were brought home to the AHL as their scheme definitely had gone off the planned line.</p><p>A team folded all right. But it wasn&rsquo;t Syracuse. It was Virginia&mdash;leaving the AHL with the unhappy prospect of having to scrap its divisional setup altogether if Syracuse does not play.</p><p>Eagle officials keep insisting they&rsquo;ll be all right buy they reportedly still owe a lot of money from last season and can&rsquo;t be considered any more than a 50-50 chance at this point.</p><p>Should the Eagles recover and operate, either Syracuse or Rochester will have to move to the South, with Syracuse the likely choice.</p><p>Should Syracuse not play, the league will be down to seven teams&mdash;maybe and a return to a single division will be the answer.</p><p>The maybe is Baltimore.</p><p>You remember Baltimore. They were in the AHI. until January last season, then they went belly up. Terry Readon, the general manager ot the defunct Clippers, has been trying to line up a group to bring American League hockey back to Baltimore. But time is against him and unless he&rsquo;s got it all put together and nailed down by the time this is being read, the AHL. will operate with eight&hellip;or seven&hellip;teams in 1975-76.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote"><b><i>Reardon Attempting To Put Baltimore Back In The AHL</i></b></blockquote><p>The news of Virginia&rsquo;s demise stunned AHL. officials.</p><p>&ldquo;This comes as a big surprise and disappointment to us.&rdquo; league vicepresident Gordon Anziano said. &ldquo;We felt the Norfolk group should have more money than it had. but we felt we were willing to gamble with them if they were willing to gamble with us. We felt the advent of local ownership would mean a successful franchise.&rdquo;</p><p>While the American League obviously is hurt by the loss of Norfolk, the addition of that city may have saved the Southern League. It had had only five teams and two had threatened to drop out unless another team was added.</p><p>Moments after the announcement of the Wings&rsquo; departure came word that Norfolk would have a team in the Southern League for 1975-76.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02188/3358021-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="566" height="848"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TERRY REARDON&hellip;Time A Factor</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0024-02

AHL Stunned By Virginia Withdrawal, May Return To One Division Operation

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-01250/3358052-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="497" height="649"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BOB POFFENROTH&hellip;Dumped By Kings</b></figcaption></div><p>WEST SPRINGFIELD&mdash;</p><p>The action was just about nil at the National Hockey League draft meeting.</p><p>The intra-league draft was cancelled and so was the reverse draft.</p><p>That left the inter-league draft. and only two players went&mdash;both of whom played in the American, Hockey League last season.</p><p>The New York Rangers took winger Dale Lewis from Los Angeles. Lewis scored 28 goals and added 43 assists for the Springfield Kings/lndians during the regular season. then hand nine goals and a dozen assists in 17 playoff games as the Indians won the post-season competitions.</p><p>When they took Lewis, the Rangers dropped Hartland Monahan from their roster. Monahan, who was voted to the AHL&rsquo;s second All Star team after scoring 28 goals and 142 assists in 70 games for Providence was taken immediately by the &lsquo;Washington Capitals.</p><p>In a post-draft deal. Greg Hubick who had played defense and wing for the Nova Scotia Voyageurs for three seasons, was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs by the Montreal Canadiens for a Maple Leaf amateur draft pick. Doug Jarvis.</p><p>The economic pinch in hockey is making a number of players say ouch.</p><p>They&rsquo;re the ones who suddenly are finding themselves without a job. Unless they&rsquo;re able to catch on elsewhere, and for most it just won&rsquo;t happen, their pro hockey careers are coming to an untimely end.</p><p>National Hockey League teams cutting back on the number of players naturally top off farmhands they feel never will make it in the NHL., so the American Hockey League is feeling the effect.</p><p>Among the AHLers released early was Bob Poffenroth. who after scoring a total of 23 goals in his first three seasons as a pro suddenly erupted with 28 last season for the Calder Cup champion Springfield Kings.</p><p>Also cut was Mike Jakubo. who netted 31 goals in only 52 games for Virginia. Others include Norm Dennis of Providence. Bob Cook. Rod Norrish. Ron Wilson and Tom Miller of New Haven. Joe Lundrigan of Hershey and Randy Wyrozub of Richmond.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0024-01

AHL Feels Cutbacks’ In Players

<p>PROVIDENCE&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award was established by the American Hockey League in 1968 to honor the memory of the late Louis A.R. Pieri, a long-time contributor to the AHL as owner of the Providence Reds.</p><p>The award goes to the outstanding coach in the league as voted by the board of governors.</p><p>Seven men had been honored with the award before this summer, but not one of them had come from Providence.</p><p>John Muckier, coach of the Northern Division champion Reds, ended that wait this June when he was voted the award. It was reported that only two other coaches were in the running&mdash;Ron Stewart of Springfield and Dick Mattiussi of Rochester.</p><p>Despite a series of crippling injuries to both his team and to the parent New York Rangers which required recalls. Muckier guided the Reds to a record of 43-21-12.</p><p>The 98 points in the standings was four more than any previous Providence team&mdash;the old mark being 94 by the 1948-49 Reds.</p><p>Previous winners of the Pieri Memorial Award were Vic Stasiuk of Quebec, Frank Mathers of Hershey, Fred Shero of Buffalo, Terry Reardon of Baltimore, Al MacNeil of Nova Scotia, Floyd Smith of Cincinnati and Don Cherry of Rochester.</p><p>In other Reds&rsquo; news Muckier announced that the club will once again broadcast a minimum of 67 regular season games on W1CE radio 1290 for the 75-76 campaign. At the same time Muckier added that John MacGillivray would return as the &ldquo;Voice of the Reds.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;We are pleased to have WICE on our side, and especially excited about retaining a &ldquo;play-by-play&rdquo; man the calibre of John MacGillivray back for another year. The club has received many calls and letters all very complimentary about the broadcasts and much of the praise belongs to John MacGillivray as he has done an outstanding job calling the action and promoting the team,&rdquo; commented Muckier.</p><p>In making the agreement for WICE radio, owner and president Bob Crohan said he believes that the ratings speak for themselves and the Reds popularity on the air was a major plus for his station. A long time follower of the R.l. sports scene, Crohan also exclaimed that the Reds have found a home on his station, WICE. and have added to the continued progress that station is making on the market today.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-01200/3358083-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="570" height="800"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>JOHN MUCKLER&hellip;Had His Problems</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0025-01

Governors Vote Pieri Award To Reds’ Muckier

<div class="byline">BY TOM LOBAUGH</div><p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTD Arnold Street. Wallaceburg. On Sold in U.S. and Canada</p><p>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTD Arnold Street. Wallaceburg. On Sold in U.S. and Canada</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-01207/3358128-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="558" height="630"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ORLAND KURTENBACH</b></figcaption></div><p>DALLAS&mdash;</p><p>The dean of Central League coaches, Bobby Kromm, moved from the Dallas Black Hawks to the World Hockey Association&rsquo;s Winnipeg Jets. Departure of the colorful Kromm highlighted a who lesale shuffle of CHL mentors which left Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Ray Miron as the new &ldquo;dean&rdquo;&mdash;and Ray has coached in the league only two seasons.</p><p>Of course Miron had nine seasons as general managerat Tulsa before he took on the added responsibilities behind the bench, in 1973-74 for Tulsa and last year at Oke City.</p><p>Kromm was the only coach Dallas has known in eight seasons of CHL membership, and he had the Chicago farm club a year in St. Louis before the franchise was moved to Big D. His Dallas clubs missed the playoffs only once in eight years, collared the Adams Cup playoff title three times and the regular season championship twice. Last season the Hawks took the Southern Division title, but bowed to Salt Lake in a thrilling seven-game playoff final series.</p><p>With a hair-trigger temper (possibly the lowest boiling point in two countries). Kromm was continually engaged in controversies, notably with opposing fans, but also with officials, other coaches. and players, both his own and the &ldquo;enemy&rdquo;.</p><p>Meanwhile CHL president Max McNab had a schedule drawn for the six-team league, awaiting final approval from the board of governors. It called for each club to play 76 games, 38 at home.</p><p>Natural rivals&mdash;Dallas and Fort Worth. Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Salt Lake and Tucson would meet 20 times, while other series will be 14 games each.</p><p>Dallas is tentatively set to open the season at Tucson. Oct. 8. As usual, the Texas State Fair will force the Hawks to play on the road for almost three weeks, with the first game scheduled at State Fair Coliseum Oct. 25.</p><p><b>TUCSON:</b> Three suspense-filled weeks ended July 7 when the Tucson city council formally approved use of the 7.014-seat Community Center for the Central League&rsquo;s newest team, the &lsquo;Mavericks&rsquo;.</p><p>The issue had appeared settled June 22, when the Community Center Commission gave 8-3 approval to the CHL proposal, the council agreed unanimously, 7-0, and a letter of agreement was signed. A week later, however, the commission reversed itself on a 7-4 vote. Ralph Englestad, Las Vegas hotel owner, was threatening a lawsuit, claiming he had been promised the Southwest Amateur Hockey League, which he heads, could put a team in Tucson. Other cities in the proposed amateur league are Reno and Las Vegas, Nev., Amarillo. Tex., and Albuquerque, N.M.</p><p>When the subject was again referred to the city council, the matter was tabled for a week. At the July 7 meeting when the final decision was reached, the CHL was strongly represented by president McNab, Salt Lake owner Art Teece, and Bill MacFarland, president of the World Hockey Association&rsquo;s Phoenix Roadrunners.</p><p>MacFarland. whose club will be the principal backer of the Mavericks, revealed Adam Keller would coach the new club. Keller made his coaching debut with Tulsa a year ago. Vancouver (now Calgary) of the WHA joined with Phoenix in stocking last year&rsquo;s Oilers. This season, the Runners will join with the WHA champion Houston Aeros in supplying Tucson players. Roy Jackson, president of the Pacific Coast Baseball League, will head the local operation. Merle Miller, former general manager of the Tucson baseball Toros, will be the Mavericks&rsquo; GM. A home game with Salt Lake on 17, will open the Tucson slate.</p><p><b>TULSA:</b> While negotiations continued in Tucson, the Tulsa Oilers and local owner Bobby Gilbert couldn&rsquo;t be sure where they stood. But with Tuc-son&rsquo;s acceptance of a WHA-backed farm club, the Oilers returned to National League sponsorship.</p><p>The Atlanta Flames and Vancouver Canucks will share the operation. Along with rookies from the two systems the Oiler fans were looking forward to seeing some of the experienced players from last season&rsquo;s teams at Omaha (backed by Atlanta) and Seattle (backed by Vancouver).</p><p>Flames&rsquo; general manager Cliff Fletcher had been expected at a July 8 press conference in Tulsa to formally announce the new working agreement, and had been expected to announce the new Oiler coach&mdash;reportedly Orland Kurtenbach, who made his coaching debut at Seattle last year.</p><p>The ticklish situation in Tucson forced cancellation of that press conference, but it turned out to be only a postponement. With new sponsors assured. the Oilers were getting ready for the new season, scheduled to open in Fort Worth Oct. 9. with the Dallas Hawks coming into the Assembly Center for Tulsa&rsquo;s home opener Oct. 10.</p><p><b>SALT LAKE:</b> No word was leaking out as to who the new coach of the defending champion Goulun Eagles might be. Officials of the parent California Seals were too wrapped up in details of selling the franchise. But word was given the new Salt Lake mentor would be someone from outside the Seals&rsquo; system. Jack Evans, who coached the Seals to regular-season and playoff titles their first year in the CHL, was promoted to the California coachingjob early this summer.</p><p>Owner Art Teece had a tentative multi-year working agreement ready for signing by the Seals&rsquo; new owners. And Salt Lake fans anticipated the new season by buying nearly 1,500 season tickets, far more than the franchise&rsquo;s previous record.</p><p>Whetting fan interest was the prospect of opening the season at the Salt Palace, Oct. 10. against the Tucson Mavericks.</p><p><b>OKLAHOMA CITY:</b> Blazer general manager-coach Ray Miron and the Oklahoma City Hockey Hounds (a group of volunteer hockey supersalesmen) enjoyed an outing in Mazatlan, Mexico, while waiting for the CHL to firm up its membership.</p><p>The Blazers, backed for the third year by the Toronto Maple Leafs, will open the 1975-76 campaign at home, with a game against Dallas Oct 11.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02155/3358121-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="564" height="764"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BOBBY KROMM&hellip;Moves To WHA</b></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03123/3358114-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="564" height="692"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ADAM KELLER&hellip;To Guide Mavericks</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0026-01

Dean Of CHL Coaches Kromm Moves On; New Tucson Entry Christened ‘Mavericks’

<p>DALLAS&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he parent Chicago Hawks have indicated they are considering five men as Bobby Kromm&rsquo;s replacement, and none of them have any previous coaching experience. All are believed to be in the current Chicago system.</p><p>There have been no official announcements as to the identity of the five candidates. But reports are circulating in Dallas that in the group are veterans Bill Orban and Moe L&rsquo;Abbe, both of them Dallas players the past season, and Chico Maki, who played 12 seasons with the NHL Hawks before hanging up his skates.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Five In Running For Dallas Job

<p>ATLANTA&mdash;</p><p>The Atlanta Flames have announced a realignment of their minor League farm system.</p><p>General manager Cliff Fletcher, says new working agreements have been made with Tulsa in the Central Hockey League and with Nova Scotia in the American Hockey League.</p><p>&ldquo;We are transferring our Omaha franchise to Tulsa.&rdquo; Fletcher said, &ldquo;where we will work with Vancouver and other NHL teams in supplying players.&rdquo;</p><p>Fletcher said that Vancouver is expected to supply most of the players for the Tulsa franchise which will be operated by local owners. Fletcher&rsquo;s administrative assistant. David Poile. will be Tulsa&rsquo;s new director of personnel.</p><p>Fletcher also announced that the Flames have worked out an agreement with the Montreal Canadians to participate in the American Hockey League. &ldquo;We will send five players to Nova Scotia,&rdquo; Fletcher said.</p><p>For the past three years the Flames have concentrated their minor league efforts in Omaha. However, the team announced recently it would not continue that agreement and would instead switch over to a more diversified farm system.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

NHL Teams Will Stock Tulsa Club

<p>DALLAS&mdash;</p><p>The Dallas Biack Hawks have announced their training camp will open Sunday, Sept. 21 at Guelph. Ont.</p><p>Players will report on that date with physical examinations and first-day workout scheduled for Monday. Sept. 22. The team will break camp and depart for Dallas Oct 2.</p><p>Headquarters for the Hawks&rsquo; contingent will again be the College Inn Motor Hotel while Guelph Memorial Gardens Arena will be the scene of two-a-day workouts and where home games will be played in the exhibition schedule.</p><p>Jack Davison, director of player personnel for the Chicago Black Hawks, will again supervise Dallas&rsquo; camp activities.</p><p>Chicago&rsquo;s training camp opens Sunday. Sept. 15 at Chicago Stadium.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Dallas To Start Training Sept. 21

<p>FORT WORTH&mdash;</p><p>Ed Chadwick will not be returning as Fort Worth coach this coming season as he has found a niche in the Islanders&rsquo; organization in New York.</p><p>Popular veteran Terry Gray, who had been scouting for the Isles, will take over the Texans&rsquo; coaching reins as well as the general manager&rsquo;s responsibilities.</p><p>The Texans were getting ready for the new season looking at the possibility of a three-way partnership arrangement with local businessman Jack Williams working with the Islanders and the Los Angeles Kings.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Gray Replaces Chadwick As Texans’ Bench Boss

<div class="byline">BY RICK SORCI</div><p>CHICAGO&mdash;</p><p>The 1975-76 tournament season is fast approaching. The WORLD TABLE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION has announced plans for four major tournaments.</p><p>The WTHA Board of Directors (Robert Stampleman-New York, Mike Wheeker-Detroit, Bob Delaney-Montreal and myself-Chicago) is pleased to announce the following tournament dates: Canadian Open (Montreal) Oct. 25-26, 1975; Maestro Cup (Detroit) Jan. 9-10, 1976; WTHA Open (New York) Feb. 14-15, 1976; and, the U.S. Open (Chicago) March 27-28, 1976.</p><p>Total prize money to be awarded this season is estimated to be around $7,500.</p><p>All but the Canadian Open will feature both singles and doubles competition. In Montreal it will be a two-day singles tournament.</p><p>Kudos to Maestro Cup champion (singles and doubles) Sidney Stutz of Detroit for his great performance last season. Sid, who joined the Peace Corps last November, is expected to miss most of the tournaments this next season. But he assures us that he&rsquo;ll be returning from Afghanistan in time for the U.S. Open in March &rsquo;76.</p><p>Congratulations to Bob Delaney and WTHA-Montreal for their great success in promoting the fundraising table hockey exhibition, &ldquo;Challenge-A-Champ&rdquo;, held last June 13-14 at Alexis Nihon Shopping Center in Montreal. Proceeds went to the Canadian Paraplegic Association.</p><p>Be sure to read THE HOCKEY NEWS for all table hockey related news. This column will forthwith be your avenue to all future table hockey news, information and tournament results.</p><p>Address any questions that you may have to: Rick Sorci, 1154 E. Paddock Drive, Palatine, Illinois 60067.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

World Table Hockey Plans Four Tourneys

<div class="byline">BY BUD GALLMEIER</div><p><b>For the finest In Hockey Maga mes subscribe today to the Hockey Twins: HOCKEY WORLD & HOCKEY PICTORIAL</b></p><p><b>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</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-01179/3358369-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="510" height="994"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>FRANK GALLAGHER&hellip;Top IHL Executive</b></figcaption></div><p>DES MOINES&mdash;</p><p>The International Hockey League adopted some new rules and lost an old friend during its June meeting in Montreal. Meeting in conjunction with the National Hockey League, the board of governors voted to eliminate overtime games from regular season play. The vote was unanimous.</p><p>It was also announced at the meeting Des Moines was dropping from membership after 12 years in the fold. The franchise was fruitful on the ice but fought a losing battle at the box office. The loss of Des Moines leaves the league with nine members for the I975-76 campaign, the league&rsquo;s 3lst consecutive season.</p><p>While the departure of Des Moines will have favorable economic effect on the nine survivors, losing a franchise is never a positive factor for any league&mdash;major or minor. Des Moines&rsquo; main liability was its location&mdash;490 miles from its closest competition (Kalamazoo) and 673 miles from the farthest point of entry&mdash;Port Huron. With the tight economy pinching all budgets, the travel money saved with Des Moines&rsquo; demise will help balance any negative effect from the franchise loss.</p><p>The withdrawal of Des Moines is the second for the league in less than a year. Lansing, transferred from Toledo last season, was forced to suspend operations last January. However, that was the first franchise foldup for the league since Columbus dropped out following the 1969-70season. Columbus returned to the fold a year later.</p><p>Des Moines joined the league for the I963-64 season along with Windsor and Chatham which gave the league a true international flavor. The three replaced Minneapolis, Omaha and St. Paul.</p><p>During its membership. Des Moines developed some outstanding hockey players and was a factor in many pennant races. The city had its best season just two years ago, winning both the league and playoff titles. Des Moines also was a playoff finalist in 1965, its second full season. Des Moines upset league champion Port Huron in the semi-finals and then lost to Fort Wayne in the finals. In 1971. the team advanced to the final again, this time losing to Port Huron.</p><p>Players on the Des Moines roster will be subject to a draft when the league meets again in August. Coach Danny Belisle has already accepted a coaching position with Syracuse in the North American League. General manager Ken Wilson reportedly will take employment outside of hockey&mdash;at least temporarily.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02119/3358362-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="570" height="872"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MARTY REYNOLDS&hellip;Joins Flint</b></figcaption></div><p>While the league has not taken official action, speculation forsees a two-division league with the five Michigan teams&mdash;Port Huron. Flint. Saginaw. Kalamazoo and Michigan forming the North Division and Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Fort Wayne comprising the South. Playoffs would include all four Southern teams with one of the five being eliminated from the North.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0386/3358355-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="568" height="876"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>KEN TARNOW&hellip;Traded By Gens</b></figcaption></div><p>The vote to eliminate overtime was unanimous. Commented one director. &ldquo;Our league is confined almost exclusively to weekend play because of building commitments and overtime games were proving too much for the players. Also, it is the board&rsquo;s opinion that if a team plays hard enough for a tie on the road&mdash;it deserves a point. Also, if a team comes from behind to tie. it deserves a point.&rdquo;</p><p><b>KALAMAZOO:</b> Optimism is the mood both on and off the ice. On the ice, high-scoring Mike Wanchuk has been skating regularly and shows no ill effects from the broken leg he suffered last season. One of the most popular of the popular K-Wings, Wanchuk led the team in scoring with 45 goals and provided a storybook finish to the All Star game in Kalamazoo by scoring the winning goal. Off the ice. season ticket sales have passed the 1,000 mark.</p><p><b>FLINT:</b> General manager Frank Gallagher was voted the winner of the Andy Mulligan Trophy as the IHL&rsquo;s executive of the year. Also, Frank Beaton and Ken Tarnow were traded to the Columbus Owls for Marty Reynolds. Completing a deal two years ago which sent Corky Agar to Des Moines, the Generals have obtained at Russell.</p><p><b>COLUMBUS:</b> Big news here is that owner Al Savill is now also the owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. Savill, whose background in sports includes ownership of a pro football franchise in both Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, is the key man in a group which purchased the franchise for a reported $3.8 million.</p><p><b>FORT WAYNE:</b> The Komets, whose working agreement with Pittsburgh could be in jeopardy because of the sale to Savill, have announced two new agreements&mdash;with Vancouver and Minnesota.</p><p><b>MUSKEGON:</b> General managercoach Moose Lallo has announced that Mike Fornes is the club&rsquo;s new director of communications. Fornes will be the Mohawks&rsquo; play-by-play broadcaster and will take over the front-office responsibilities previously handled by Eric Nadel. who resigned to accept another position in pro hockey. Muskegon also was awarded the 1976 IHL All Star game.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-01

IHL To Start Play With Nine Teams As Finances Force Des Moines Out

<p>KALAMAZOO&mdash;</p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he Kalamazoo Wings will tune up for their sophomore season in the International Hockey League by playing 4 pre-season games against IHL teams. Two of the pre-season games will be played at Wings Stadium.</p><p>&ldquo;In one respect, we&rsquo;re playing all tough teams, yet this gives us excellent preparation for the regular season. This will also prepare our fans for what should be a very interesting season.&rdquo; said general manager-coach. Bob Lemieux. &ldquo;The 4 games will give us a chance to take a look at our draft choices as well as the players Detroit will be sending us.&rdquo; Lemieux said.</p><p>The K-Wings will report to training camp on Monday, Oct. 6. and will play their first pre-season game Friday, Oct. 10. in Columbus against the Owls. Kalamazoo will then take on Muskegon Mohawks at Wings Stadium Sunday, Oct. 12. On Tuesday, Oct. 14. Fort Wayne will come to town and provide the opposition. Then the K-Wings travel to Ft. Wayne Wednesday, Oct. 15 and tangle with the Komets.</p><p>Prior to the Kalamazoo Wings training camp and pre-season games, the Detroit Red Wings will base their training camp and home pre-season schedule at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo. This will be a first for Southwestern Michigan sports fans, for a major pro-fessional athletic team has never trained or played in the area.</p><p>The Red Wings will open training camp Monday, Sept. 15, and in addition will play 3 pre-season games against NHL teams and two red and white inter-squad games. On Sunday. Sept. 21. Minnesota North Stars will come to Kalamazoo and take on the Red Wings. The Washington Capitals will provide the opposition for Detroit, Friday, Sept. 26. And finally, to round out the Red Wing home pre-season schedule, the Atlanta Flames will come to town Sunday, Sept. 28.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Kalamazoo Plans Four IHL ‘Preps’

<p>MONTREAL&mdash;</p><p>The International Hockey League has voted in some rule changes for next season.</p><p>There will be an automatic two-game suspension for the first player leaving the bench during an altercation; the offside pass rule was altered so that a player may now pick up a pass coming from his defensive zone on the offensive side of the red line if the puck precedes that player; if a coach is ejected, his team will skate short for five minutes.</p><p>The thinking behind the change in the offside rule is it will help open up the game&mdash;give the offense a boost. The previous penalty for the first player leaving the bench during an altercation was a match penalty. A team penalty was not automatic before in the event a coach was ejected.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

Ejected Coach To Get Penalty In New Rule Changes By IHL

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0029-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01148/3358448-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg"></div><p>NEW YORK&mdash;</p><p>The amazing New York Westsiders having won the Art Keegan Cup for the eighth time in nine seasons of New York Metropolitan Junior League play, will have to work harder next season if they are to repeat. Coach Tommy Horvath&rsquo;s team lost their inspirational leader Joe Mullen, who scored 110 goals last year. Mullen has enrolled at Boston College&mdash;and his play there will go far to indicate the progress of New York hockey as an incubator for junior and college talent.</p><p>The 10-team MJHA has reduced its membership to nine teams for 1975-76 with the merger of two New Jersey based squads, the Bergen Maulers and Jersey Crusaders, the merger of the Brooklyn Stars and Bronx Shamrocks into the New York Americans and the reactivation of the Essex Comets. Set for the upcoming season are the New York Westsiders, New York Americans, Essex Comets. Jersey Crusaders, Westchester Wings, Suffolk Royals, Oyster Bay Indians, New Hyde Park Arrows, and Long Island AC Flyers.</p><p>The MJHA has announced a comprehensive plan to associate with and co-ordinate its activities with the Long island Hockey League, the premier minor program in the area. The LIHL operates leagues in the squirt, pee wee, bantam and midget age categories&mdash;successfully feeding teams in the MJHA. Recently the LIHL took in Westchester and New Jersey associations and actually is the premier minor association in the Greater New York area. Charlie Millner is the LIHL president. Norman MacLean is the MJHA president.</p><p>The MJHA pointed with pride to the drafting of forward Richie Hansen from Sudbury of the OHA by the New York Islanders. The Bronx native learned his early hockey at the Riverdale Rink, graduated to the Met Loop and thence to the OHA.</p><p>The Suffolk Royals, under Norm Ryder, former Long Island Duck of EHL fame, extended the Westsiders to an eight-game final series, with New York winning 3-2-2. In the LIHL, the Greater N.Y. Ice Hockey League won the pee wee, bantam and midget playoffs with Suffolk winning the squirt title. Greater N.Y. also has the New York Americans as its junior team in the MJHA.</p><h2>N.Y. Met Champs&mdash;New York Westsiders</h2><p><b>Winning the New York Metropolitan Junior Hockey League title is old hat for the New York Westsiders. They did it again this past season for the eighth time in nine years to continue their mastery over rival New York junior competition. Here they are posing for their eighth championship picture. Front row, from the left, JOHN GRASSO, general manager, RAY HENRY, FRANK KEHOE, PAUL POKUN, JOHN GRASSO Jr., JOSE GARCIA, JULIO QUINONES AND HECTOR CRUZ. Back row, JIM McHALE, PAUL COSCIA, JOE MULLEN, JIM WHALEN, KEVIN HENRY, MIKE FORMANEK, TOM MATTHEWS, JOE PAPROTA, KEVIN FLYNN, TOM HORVATH, coach, and BOB AMORE.</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0029-01

New York Met Loop Realigned With Nine Starters

<h2><b>FINALS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02119/3358493-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="601" height="125"></div><h2><b>SEMI-FINALS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0379/3358486-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="603" height="273"></div><h2><b>QUARTER-FINALS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0460/3358479-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="607" height="488"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0029-02

Looking At MJHA Playoffs

<h2><b>FINAL STANDINGS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0554/3358615-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg" title="f0029-05" width="606" height="322"></div><h3>LEADING SCORERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0641/3358608-1-eng-US/f0029-062.jpg" title="f0029-06" width="604" height="816"></div><h2><b>SCORING BY TEAMS BERGEN</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0732/3358601-1-eng-US/f0029-072.jpg" title="f0029-07" width="637" height="904"></div><h2><b>BRONX</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0828/3358594-1-eng-US/f0029-082.jpg" title="f0029-08" width="613" height="594"></div><h2><b>BROOKLYN</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0924/3358587-1-eng-US/f0029-092.jpg" title="f0029-09" width="604" height="741"></div><h2><b>LONG ISLAND</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1020/3358580-1-eng-US/f0029-102.jpg" title="f0029-10" width="610" height="630"></div><h2><b>JERSEY</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1117/3358573-1-eng-US/f0029-112.jpg" title="f0029-11" width="603" height="588"></div><h2><b>NEW HYDE PARK</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-1213/3358566-1-eng-US/f0029-122.jpg" title="f0029-12" width="636" height="790"></div><h2><b>NEW YORK</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-138/3358559-1-eng-US/f0029-132.jpg" title="f0029-13" width="608" height="821"></div><h2><b>SUFFOLK</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-147/3358552-1-eng-US/f0029-142.jpg" title="f0029-14" width="619" height="685"></div><h2><b>OYSTER BAY</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02100/3358545-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="599" height="665"></div><h2><b>WESCHESTER</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0372/3358538-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="603" height="615"></div><h2><b>GOALING RECORDS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0457/3358531-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="634" height="1367"></div><h3>LEADING PLAYOFF SCORERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0549/3358524-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="607" height="351"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0029-05

Final New York Met League Statistics

<h2><b>ATLANTA</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-01173/3358765-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="758" height="686"></div><h2><b>BOSTON</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02122/3358758-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="758" height="624"></div><h2><b>BUFFALO</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0390/3358751-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="754" height="588"></div><h2><b>CALIFORNIA</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0471/3358744-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="756" height="686"></div><h2><b>CHICAGO</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0558/3358737-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="756" height="594"></div><h2><b>DETROIT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0645/3358730-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="750" height="814"></div><h2><b>KANSAS CITY</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0736/3358723-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="752" height="738"></div><h2><b>LOS ANGELES</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0830/3358716-1-eng-US/f0030-082.jpg" title="f0030-08" width="748" height="570"></div><h2><b>MINNESOTA</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0925/3358709-1-eng-US/f0030-092.jpg" title="f0030-09" width="748" height="706"></div><h2><b>MONTREAL</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1020/3358702-1-eng-US/f0030-102.jpg" title="f0030-10" width="754" height="608"></div><h2><b>ISLANDERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1117/3358695-1-eng-US/f0030-112.jpg" title="f0030-11" width="756" height="690"></div><h2><b>RANGERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1216/3358688-1-eng-US/f0030-122.jpg" title="f0030-12" width="758" height="686"></div><h2><b>PHILADELPHIA</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1314/3358681-1-eng-US/f0030-132.jpg" title="f0030-13" width="756" height="626"></div><h2><b>PITTSBURGH</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1413/3358674-1-eng-US/f0030-142.jpg" title="f0030-14" width="756" height="710"></div><h2><b>ST. LOUIS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1513/3358667-1-eng-US/f0030-152.jpg" title="f0030-15" width="760" height="744"></div><h2><b>TORONTO</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1610/3358660-1-eng-US/f0030-162.jpg" title="f0030-16" width="754" height="722"></div><h2><b>VANCOUVER</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1710/3358653-1-eng-US/f0030-172.jpg" title="f0030-17" width="760" height="690"></div><h2><b>WASHINGTON</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-188/3358646-1-eng-US/f0030-182.jpg" title="f0030-18" width="758" height="854"></div><h2>Key To Statistics</h2><p>TGF&mdash;Total goals for.</p><p>PGF&mdash;Power goals for.</p><p>NET&mdash;Net Total.</p><p>TGA&mdash;Total goals against</p><p>PGA&mdash;Power goals against.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0030-01

NHL’s Plus-Minus Statistics For 1974-75

<h2><b>FINAL STANDINGS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02118/3358890-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="615" height="231"></div><h2><b>LEADING SCORERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0399/3358883-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="615" height="671"></div><h2><b>SCORING BY TEAMS AMHERST</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0479/3358876-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="608" height="582"></div><h2><b>BUFFALO</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0567/3358869-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="639" height="615"></div><h2><b>CLINTON</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0647/3358862-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="613" height="768"></div><h2><b>NIAGARA FALLS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0736/3358855-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="645" height="610"></div><h2><b>ROCHESTER</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0830/3358848-1-eng-US/f0031-082.jpg" title="f0031-08" width="611" height="587"></div><h2><b>SYRACUSE</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0920/3358841-1-eng-US/f0031-092.jpg" title="f0031-09" width="647" height="799"></div><h2><b>WEST SENECA</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1014/3358834-1-eng-US/f0031-102.jpg" title="f0031-10" width="604" height="673"></div><h2><b>GOALING RECORDS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1111/3358827-1-eng-US/f0031-112.jpg" title="f0031-11" width="611" height="755"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0031-02

Final N.Y. Penn. Junior League Statistics

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0031-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-01154/3358796-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg"></div><p>SYRACUSE&mdash;</p><p>The Syracuse Blazers have acquired Danny Belisle as their new managercoach for the 1975-76 North American Hockey League season.</p><p>Belisle, who has been at the helm of the Des Moines Caps of the International League for the past few years, became available to the Blazers when the Des Moines club folded its operation in the IHL.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Mohawk Valley Comets have signed a new working agreement with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association which will provide the Comets with 12 players from the WHA team. General manager Brian Conacher announced the deal. The Racers have been keenly impressed with Conacher&rsquo;s handling of its young players during the past season.</p><p>The new Erie Blades announced their 1975-76 schedule of 74 regular season games. The season begins on Friday night, Oct. 17, when the Blades travel to Johnstown to tackle the Lockhart Cup champion Johnstown Jets. The following evening, Saturday, Oct. 18, marks the Blades&rsquo; home opener at the Erie County Field House with the new Buffalo Norsemen providing the opposition.</p><p>The Blades&rsquo; 37-game home schedule is broken down so that the majority of the games fall on Wednesday. Saturday, and Sunday.</p><p>The Blades play 13 Wednesday night games, 11 Saturday night games, and 10 Sunday contests. In addition, there are two Monday night games and one Friday night game.</p><p>The North American Hockey League is broken up this season into two divisions. The Erie Blades will play in the Western Division along with Johns-down. Philadelphia Firebirds, Binghamton Dusters and Buffalo. The Blades play five home and five away games with Johnstown, Philadelphia, and Binghamton, and seven home and seven away games with their nearest geographic rival, the Buffalo Norsemen. The Eastern Division teams of the NAHL, the Syracuse Blazers, Mohawk Valley, Cape Codders, Maine Nordiques, and yet the unnamed Beauce, Quebec club will play three home games with the Blades and three away.</p><h2>N.Y.-Penn Champs&mdash;Rochester Monarchs</h2><p><b>After finishing the regular New York-Pennsylvania Junior Hockey League schedule in second place, the Rochester Monarchs came on strong in the playoffs to beat out the pennant-winning Buffalo Blades for the 1974-75 league championship and they did it convincingly&mdash;by sweeping the Blades. Here are the Monarchs from the left, front row, MIKE PARKER, DAVE HARGATHER, ED PATTERSON, DOUGLAS VELEPEC, president, ANDY LAING, general manager and coach, DAVE BAGLEY, KRAIG WALL and OWEN MclNTEE. Back row, BOB SULLIVAN, trainer, TIM HERVEY, GARY MOSS, MARK BURGHOLZER, JERRY SHOR-THOUSE, TIM HEAD, WILF DAVID, BOB WEICKGENANNT, JIM O&rsquo;SHEA, SCOTT EMPEY, BUCKY MONTROIS, GEORGE HARRINGTON, TOM FARRELL and STEVE PERCY. Missing from photo is Wayne Ritzel.</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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August 1, 1975

Crusaders Grab Stewart From Seals

U.S. Hall Of Fame To Enshrine Five Hockey Greats

Final Major Statistics

Seals Aim To Increase Offense By 50 Goals