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.

October 17, 1975

The Hockey News October 17, 1975

<div class="byline">BY BART KUPELIAN</div>DETROIT&mdash;The Detroit Red Wings will know by mid-November what kind of hockey team they are.The Wings, trying to make the National Hockey League playoffs for the first time in five seasons, are faced with a murderous early-season schedule that could make or break them.&ldquo;If we play, 500 hockey during that opening stretch, we&rsquo;ll make the playoffs,&rdquo; promised new coach Doug Barkley.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s so important for us to open the season in top shape. We have to be ready to give it everything right from the start. And besides, if we&rsquo;re in shape, we might be able to sneak up on a few teams right off the bat.&rdquo;Of the Wings&rsquo; first 15 games, all but two (Detroit plays California twice in October) are against teams which made the playoffs last season. In the first two months of the season, the Wings must play Buffalo and Boston three times each and Montreal and Philadelphia twice. So, in their first 21 games, Detroit faces four top teams 10 times.Detroit finished its short five-game exhibition season with a 2-12 record. Barkley said he was satisfied with the team&rsquo;s performance in training camp.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like too many exhibition games, &ldquo;he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d rather have the time to spend with the players in practice. You get more done.&ldquo;We accomplished more than I hoped to. We still have plenty of hard work ahead of us, but I&rsquo;m pleased with the effort the players have given. Everything we accomplish this year will come from hard work.&rdquo;The Wings died on defense last year and Barkley admits that&rsquo;s still the sore spot.&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t start the season with the group we have now,&rdquo; Barkley said at the end of exhibition games. &ldquo;We need some help and we re looking for it. There are a couple of ways to go.&rdquo;The Wings thought they had a large share of the problem solved when the acquired veteran Terry Harper from Los Angeles, along with Dan Maloney, in the Marcel Dionne deal. However, Harper refused to report to Detroit and the matter ended up in the courts.Barkley said veteran Bryan Watson, Jean Hamel and rookie Rick Lapointe, the No. 1 amateur draft choice, were the only NHL calibre defensemen on the team. A couple of youngsters have shown promise but are inexperienced and cannot be expected to contribute this season, although Barkley said he might be forced to use them and let them learn under fire.Lapointe appears to be a real gem, The 20-year-old from Victoria, B; C. has all the makings of a star. He was used to kill penalties, on the power play and a regular shift in exhibitions.&ldquo;Rick has been outstanding,&rdquo; Barkley said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s done everything we&rsquo;ve asked. And he will only improve.&rdquo;The loss of Dionne was underplayed in camp. His individual brilliance did little to save the team from a disastrous season. The addition of Maloney eased the pain, too.Maloney was a revelation in camp. Detroit management ex-pectedquite a bit from the rugged left winger but even the brass was amazed at the impact Maloney had on the team. He&rsquo;s been a leader and his enthusiasm, desire and positive attitude proved to be contagious.&ldquo;Everybody sees Maloney giving it all he&rsquo;s got and they feel they must, too,&rdquo; Barkley said.Maloney said he was happy to be with the Wings and looked forward to playing in Detroit 1 &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great hockey town,&rdquo; he said. &#9632;

IN THIS ISSUE

Early Games May Tell Story For Revamped Wings

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0033-07" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0733/3319233-1-eng-US/f0033-072.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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AHL STARTING TIMES

<div class="byline">BY DOUG McCONNELL</div>PHOENIX&mdash;The Roadrunners signed the player they considered the best available in the last over-age Junior draft.They got Barry Dean&rsquo;s name on a four-year contract with two option years. No further details were disclosed.&ldquo;Dean&rsquo;s the guy we went into the draft wanting and knew we wouldn&rsquo;t get,&rdquo; said director of player personnel Al Rollins,&rdquo; and now we&rsquo;ve got him. &ldquo;Dean, a 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;, 195-pound left wing was drafted by Edmonton in the first round and by Kansas City in the National League draft (second overall) and his WHA rights were obtained by Phoenix from Edmonton for a first and third round selection next season.Dean had refused to play in Edmonton, declaring he wanted to play in a warmer climate.The native of Maple Creek, Sask., was seventh in the WCHL scoring last season with 115 points (40 goals, 75 assists) with 159 penalty minutes.Roadrunner president Bill MacFarland said he had no doubt the 20-year-old would step into a regular spot with the Roadrunners.&ldquo;Every year,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;There are two or three juniors who you figure have enough natural ability, like Dennis Sobchuk, to play in the league right away. Dean is one of these, although he&rsquo;s a different type from Sobchuk, more of an all-round player.&rdquo;Meanwhile, the Roadrunners tore up and extended the contracts of four of the 12 returnees from last year&rsquo;s team.Center Robbie Ftorek, right wing John Gray and defenseman Al McLeod all signed new three-year contracts, plus a one-year option. Boyd signed a new contract with a one-year option.DENVER: The Denver Spurs announced they had signed defenseman Larry Bignell from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League.Bignell, 25, 51 and 175, played 20 games for the Bears&rsquo; parent team, the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National League, two years ago and in 74 games for Hershey last season, he had eight goals and 26 assists.His acquisition brought to 30 the number of players reporting to the Spurs&rsquo; initial World Hockey Association training camp in the spanking new McNichols Sports Arena with 22 under contract. &#9632;

Roadrunners Outbid NHL Scouts To Land Dean

<div class="byline">BY BOB VERDI</div>CHICAGO&mdash;There were times last season when critics surmised that the Chicago Black Hawks were more satiated than they were hungry, that their wallets were bigger than their hearts, that if the team ever decided to take a trolley to the rink, it would not be called A Streetcar Named Desire.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-02756/3317372-1-eng-US/f0002-022.jpg" title="f0002-02" width="268" height="421"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dick Redmond</figcaption></div>When suchallegations appeared in print or were heard on the air waves, the ample forehead of coach William T. Reay usually became reddish in hue.But that was last season.&ldquo;Yes, and this is this season,&rdquo; said Reay the other day while preparing his troupe for its 50th season in the National Hockey League.&ldquo;You&rsquo;ll never get me to admit during a season that we&rsquo;re having problems or that things are not going quite right,&rdquo; he allowed. &ldquo;The year we finished sixth, I knew all along it was because of questionable goalkeeping, but I didn&rsquo;t say anything about it until after it was all over.&ldquo;What good does it to do get on your players during the season in public? In fact what good does it do to get on them at all in public? What I say to my players in private is quite another thing, though.&ldquo;As I look back at last season, I think there were times when we didn&rsquo;t work hard enough, when we didn&rsquo;t give the effort we had to. In some games I was disappointed with our desire. Definitely. You can always push yourself harder. What are players getting paid for? At the most, 38 minutes a night.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had contending teams for years here, and I think maybe there was a tendency for us to keep thinking that &lsquo;we&rsquo;ll get them tomorrow.&rsquo; And pretty soon we ran out of tomorrows. We didn&rsquo;t finish first, but finished third. Maybe we weren&rsquo;t as good as we thought we were and couldn&rsquo;t just turn it on like a facuet.&ldquo;Still we were just four points out of first place despite a lot of injuries, and beating Boston in the playoffs was one of my biggest coaching thrills because we were completely written off. I think this year, we have the best talent in the division if everybody will play up to his potential. With a change here and a change there, I hope we&rsquo;ll be all right.&rdquo;Those changes might be:1) Pit Martin, an erstwhile center, has become a right wing and, hope the Hawks, will soon become the next Kenny Wharram. One NHL mogul has his doubts: &ldquo;Martin is shifty, but because of his size, is vulnerable to contact. Well, playing right wing will make him more vulnerable than at center.&rdquo;2) Six defensemen may be used as a regular diet. Any one of three new faces&mdash;Ian McKegney, Randy Holt, Bob Murray&mdash;could join a rearguard that was far too generous last year. &ldquo;We were too loose all over,&rdquo; said Reay. &ldquo;We lacked concentration. McKegney, a slightly-built 27-year-old rookie) was the best player on Dallas last year and maybe the best in the Central Hockey League.&rdquo;Reay indicated that the imminent influx of new faces might mean less activity for familiar faces such as Keith Magnuson and Doug Jarrett.3) Dick Redmond, normally a defenseman, may open the season at left wing. And&hellip;4) Bobby Sheehan, whose NHL rights the Black Hawks obtained from the California Seals along with Redmond, might open the season with a job at center ice. He played with Edmonton of the WHA last year but said it was too cold up there.PARTING SHOTS: The new scoreboard clock in Chicago Stadium was initiated rudely. In the Hawks&rsquo; first home exhibition of the season, they and the Boston Bruins amassed 214 penalty minutes with a bench-clearing brawl. &ldquo;Must be a full moon tonight,&rdquo; said Bruin managing director Harry Sinden. &ldquo;These teams should play a man short until December after this.&rdquo;&hellip;Pat Sheridan, a former sports talk show host in Chicago, will do color commentary for Lloyd Petitt during Hawk home radio broadcasts on WMAQ&hellip; &#9632;

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This Year Will Be Different Predicts Chicago Coach Reay

<div class="image-hero"><img title="Cover-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/cover-01573/3319768-1-eng-US/cover-012.jpg"></div>&mdash;Pages 12-13PLAYERS MUZZLED BY NEW NHL RULE&mdash;Page 3PAT QUINNOne Of 7 New NHL CaptainsRANGERS PIN HOPES ON YOUTH&mdash;Page 7BRUINS FACING BIG TEST WITHOUT BOBBY ORR&mdash;Page 10WAYNE DILLONRangers Like His ice MovesINSIDE SCHEDULES OF ALL PRO LEAGUESTOROS JETS IMPRESS ON EUROPEAN TOUR&mdash;Page 26 &#9632;

Cover-01

FLYERS. CANADIENS FAVORITES AGAIN

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0002-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-01821/3317403-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">NHL rookie of the year Eric Vail probably never thought the sophomore jinx would hit so soon. He broke his collarbone in training camp and is shelved for eight weeks. For details see page 21.</figcaption></div><h2>ELLIS QUITS ON LEAFS</h2>TORONTO&mdash;Toronto Leafs&rsquo; GM Jim Gregory was dumb-founded by the disclosure from Ron Ellis that he was retiring from hockey. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t understand it. I don&rsquo;t think anybody is expected to understand it,&rdquo; he lamented.Ellis rocked the Leafs by declaring that he had been thinking about retiring all summer. Going to training camp only convinced the fastskating 30-year-old right winger that it was time to hang up the skates and spend more time with his family. He said it was a personal decision and nothing to do with the Leafs spurning him for Darry I Sittler as the new Leaf captain.<h2>SWIG HAS THE SWAG</h2>MONTREAL&mdash;The California Seals have the green light from the NHL to start the 1975-76 season. New owner Mel Swig received the go ahead after the club satisfied league governors that they would come up with the final $300,000 to complete the sale of the Seals from the NHL to Swig and his business partners. Swig said he would keep the club in Oakland for the next two seasons until construction of a larger arena in San Francisco is completed.Swig said that reports were completely unfounded that he would be unable to meet his financial commitments to the NHL. He also said that the NHL had set no deadline for the final sale and he steamed over reports that his group was $1.5 million dollars short as reported in some parts of the country.<h2>WHA, NHL EYE MIAMI</h2>TORONTO&mdash;The race is on in hockey franchise circles between the NHL and WHA to see which league gets to Miami first. At least that&rsquo;s the conclusion drawn from reports emanating out of both Toronto and Miami to the effect both are interested in getting the Florida fun spot into their respective leagues.The WHA, through Ben Hatskin, said that expansion plans call for the league to add four more teams by the 1976-77 season. Hatskin said the WHA is attemptping to put teams in New York, Seattle, Hamilton and Miami. On the other hand, land developer Owen Goldman said from Miami that he expects the NHL to award Miami a franchise &ldquo;by January or maybe before.&rdquo; The city has authorized a new 17,000-seat coliseum.<h2>PLAYERS, OWNERS PACT</h2>NEW YORK&mdash;A sweeping five-year collective bargaining agreement of historical significance in pro sports was announced jointly by the National Hockey League Players Association and the owners of the NHL&rsquo;s 18 member clubs.The five-year agreement is highlighted by the players&rsquo; recogition that &ldquo;the owers have the right to equalization or compensation&rdquo; from another NHL team which acquires the services of a player who has played out his option.It is the first time in pro sports history that equalization has been recognized by players and achieved through collective bargaining.Part of the agreement states that in the event of a merger between the NHL and the World Hockey Association the players will be entitled to terminate their agreement with respect to certain provisions of the standard player contract and that players will be allowed to re-open negotiations in regard to equalization and free agent status. &#9632;

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Deadline Stoppers

Atlanta&mdash;PAT QUINN*Boston&mdash;JOHN BUCYKBuffalo&mdash;JIM SCHOENFELDCalifornia&mdash;NONE NAMED.Chicago&mdash;NONE NAMED.Detroit&mdash;DANNY GRANT*Kansas City&mdash;SIMON NOLETLos Angeles&mdash;MIKE MURPHY*Minnesota&mdash;BILL GOLDSWORTHYMontreal&mdash;YVAN COURNOYER*N.Y. Islanders&mdash;ED WESTFALLN.Y. Rangers&mdash;BRAD PARKPhiladelphia&mdash;BOBBY CLARKEPittsburgh&mdash;RON SCHOCKSt. Louis&mdash;BARCLAY PLAGERToronto&mdash;DARRYL SITTLER*Vancouver&mdash;ANDRE BOUDRIAS*Washington&mdash;BILL CLEMENT*(*&mdash;Named this year.) &#9632;

Looking At NHL Captains

<div class="byline">BY RALPH BRIDGLAND</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-01826/3317462-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Scenes likes this will disappear from the NHL this year with new rules allowing referee full control of the game with tough consequences for disputing his calls.</figcaption></div>MONTREAL&mdash;Remember how referees and linesmen were the most abused things on the ice other than the puck.Harassment of officials by irate players is now a thing of the past in the National Hockey League. To be more blunt, the NHL has muzzled its players in an all-out effort to put an end to needless bickering on the ice by doing away with alternate captains and limiting the liberties of team captains.Presently only the captain can discuss a ruling with the officials and even then only if he is invited to do so by the referee.Any player who violates this rule, and that includes the man with the &lsquo;C&rsquo; on his jersey, is subject to a penalty. The first instance of disputing calls for a minor penalty. If the discussion is continued a 10-minute misconduct will be assessed and if the deabte persists past that point, a game misconduct will be dealt out.&ldquo;The ball is now in our hands,&rdquo; said NHL referee-in-chief Scotty Morrison. &ldquo;There&rsquo;ll be no more surrounding the referee by team captains, alternates and everybody else. It was completely accepted by the players and endorsed by the general managers.&rdquo;&ldquo;It ties in with the owners&rsquo;, and really the whole league&rsquo;s request to eliminate unnecessary talking in games,&rdquo; explained Brian O&rsquo;Neill executive director of the NHL.&ldquo;Those with an &lsquo;A&rsquo; on their sweaters felt they had the license to discuss every call with the officials.&rdquo;The American and Central Hockey Leagues will also put the new rule into operation since the NHL supplies the officials for both these leagues.In the case of a team captain being unable to play or serving a penalty, the club is allowed to designate an alternate.NHL officials have visited each club&rsquo;s training camp and gone over the new rule with the players so that they are aware of what to expect.Are the duties of the team captian made more difficult by the new rule?&ldquo;I have to be more alert,&rdquo; said Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; newly elected captain Yvan Cournoyer. &ldquo;I have to know the rules better and will have to help the coach a lot more.&rdquo;While the on-ice liberties enjoyed by captains have been curtailed to some extent it appears that some of the &lsquo;C&rsquo; men have made up for the loss by expanding their duties off the playing surface.First was the Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; captain Bobby Clarke who has spoken up in defense of the players not worrying about whose toes he happens to be stepping on.It has gotten to the point where Flyer management and Clarke have reached an under-standing that benefits everyone in the organization.The latest instance of an outspoken team leader was in Toronto where new Maple Leaf captain Darryl Sittler openly criticized the team&rsquo;s management.Less than a half hour after his appointment was announced Sittler set the tone for the kind of administration he is going to run.&ldquo;I thought the (Dave) Keon and (Norm) Ullman situations were handled very badly,&rdquo; stated the new team leader in reference to how Maple Leaf owner Harold Ballard had handled the dismissal of the two players from the Toronto roster.&ldquo;I know Mr. Ballard is noted for being outspoken but in this case I thought it was dead wrong. I didn&rsquo;t think it was necessary to come out and say publicly that the Leafs had no further use for Dave Keon and Norm Ullman and were getting rid of them because they were washed up. These are guys who had done a lot for the Toronto club and I thought they deserved more consideration. &ldquo;What does Sittler hope to accomplish during his term as Leaf captain?&ldquo;There are a number of things a captain can do. If a player has a beef, he can talk it over with him or even take the problem to the coach or management.&ldquo;If a player is having communication problems with the coach, then the captain can open the channels between them.&ldquo;But mostly a captain can lead by example, by having a totaally professional approach to the game. If, as captain, I&rsquo;m not doing things the proper way on and off the ice, then the other players might not do them correctly.&rdquo;The situation in Montreal is as different to that in Toronto as filet mignon is to hamburger.Players and management have never had major disagreements and thus the role of team captain in the French Canadian city is going to be different than that in the Southern Ontario metropolis.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll just play the best I can,&rdquo; says Cournoyer, who has replaced veteran Henri Richard as the man with the &lsquo;C&rsquo; on his sweater.&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t be better than before just because I&rsquo;m now the captain,&rdquo; added Cournoyer.&ldquo;I represent the players,&rdquo; Cournoyer continued. &ldquo;My job is to relay their complaints to the management.&rdquo;However, the newly appointed captain is pretty sure, if history repeats itself, that little relaying is going to have to be done.&ldquo;Winning is the main thing. First place and the Stanley Cup are my goals as captain,&rdquo; explained Cournoyer.Six new faces will be brandishing a &lsquo;C&rsquo; on their sweaters as the 1975-76 season gets underway. Pat Quinn (Atlanta), Bill Clement (Washington), Mike Murphy (Los Angeles), Andre Boudrias (Vancouver), Danny Grant (Detroit), Sittler and Cournoyer have assumed the responsibilities of team spokesman. Chicago and California had not announced their selection for team captain as of this writing.So, in these days of high-salaried athletes, it appears that where dissention with management exists the team captain will play the role of arbitrator and not necessarily behind closed doors.After all, the verbal energy that is now conserved on the playing surface has to be expended in some way and it will more than likely fall on the doorstep of club directors.If not, wives, children and family pets may find the 197576 season one of the most drawn-out campaigns in some time.<h2>New NHL Captains&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-02699/3317455-1-eng-US/f0003-022.jpg" title="f0003-02" width="447" height="866"><figcaption class="caption-body">YVAN COURNOYER&hellip;Montreal</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-03474/3317448-1-eng-US/f0003-032.jpg" title="f0003-03" width="424" height="868"><figcaption class="caption-body">DARRYL SUTLER&hellip;Toronto</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-04277/3317441-1-eng-US/f0003-042.jpg" title="f0003-04" width="450" height="873"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANDRE BOUDRIAS&hellip;Vancouver</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-05158/3317434-1-eng-US/f0003-052.jpg" title="f0003-05" width="445" height="870"><figcaption class="caption-body">PAT QUINN&hellip;Atlanta</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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NHL LEGISLATION MUZZLES PLAYERS

<div class="byline">Ken McKenzie&#x2019;s</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-01879/3317538-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="460" height="463"></div>&bull; BOBBY ORR&rsquo;S recent surgery probably cost him millions of dollars. It was the third knee operation incurred by the Boston super star and came at a time when he was negotiating a long-term multi-million dollar contract with the new owners of the Boston Bruins. The three Jacobs brothers of Buffalo, who recently purchased the Bruins. are shrewd competent businessmen and not likely to enter into a lengthy contract with a player with bad knees&hellip;Paul Mooney of Ridgeway, Ont. was appointed president of the Boston Bruins by the Jacobs brothers. It marked the first time in the 51-year history of the team that a member of the Adams family had not headed the organization, founded by the late Charles F. Adams back in 1924&hellip;Andre Boudrias, one of the smallest players in the NHL, is the new captain of the Vancouver Canucks. The tiny center is a native of Montreal and is the Canucks&rsquo; career leader in games (387), goals (114), assists (236) and points (350). Boudrias says his idea of a perfect captain is Bobby Clarke of the Philadelphia Fivers, and he would like to emulate him in leading the Canucks to a pennant this season&hellip;San Diego Mariners outdrew every team in the World Hockey Association during last Spring&rsquo;s playoffs and look forward to being a WHA power this season&hellip;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-02835/3317531-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="297" height="592"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dole Rolfe</figcaption></div>&bull; YVAN COURNOYER was a popular choice as captain of the Montreal Canadiens. Yvan is the 12th captain of the Canadiens. He wears No. 12 and this is his 12th season with the team&hellip;Ed Thilenius, new public relations director of the Atlanta Flames, is pleased with the recent trade that brought Larry Carriere from Buffalo to the Flames in exchange for forward Jacques Richard. Buffalo has also given the Flames their first amateur draft choice next Spring&hellip;Jack Dennett, a regular on both radio and television national broadcasts since 1952, died of cancer at the age of 59. He was highly regarded by everyone and will be missed along the beat&hellip;The Blueliners of St. Louis will hold their 8th annual Faceoff Banquet on Nov. 24 advises Sharon Johnson, an active member of this well-organized fan club. Toronto&rsquo;s King Clancy will be one of the speakers and all proceeds go towards amateur hockey in the St. Louis area. NHL fans can&rsquo;t wait for the two Russian teams to visit Canada and the United States later this year where they will play a number of games against the top National League clubs&hellip;Jean-Guy Gendron signed a new two-year contract to coach Quebec Nordiques&hellip;Chicago Black Hawks just signed their No. 2 draft choice, Mike O&rsquo;Connell, aged 19. His dad was the former NFL quarterhack Tommy O&rsquo;Connell&hellip;Bob Gassoff was honored as the most improved player on the St. Louis Blues by the Goaltenders, another St. Louis fan club. Other awards went to Garry Unger as most valuable, Barclay Plager as best defenseman. Bob Hess as best rookie and Floyd Thomson as the player who gives 110 percent on the ice&hellip;Phil Esposito had another one of his great training camps and the Boston center starred throughout the preschedule exhibition games&hellip;Washington Caps made a smart move in appointing 24-year-old Bill Clement as captain<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-03730/3317524-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="289" height="566"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ed Thilenius</figcaption></div>&bull; BOBBY BAUN believes his Toronto Toros are in the best shape of any team he&rsquo;s ever been connected with and he credits training in Sweden as the major factor. &ldquo;We were going 8 to 10 hours a day, playing hockey, tennis and soccer,&rdquo; related the veteran NHL defenseman making his coaching debut in the WHA. The Toros spent 26 days training and playing exhibition games in Sweden and Finland&hellip;&ldquo;Love&rdquo; is the title of the latest book brought out by the Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers. Fans may obtain it by sending $2 plus 50c for mailing to Flyers&rsquo; Novelty Dept., The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pa. 19148&hellip;Sherbrooke Beavers of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will represent Canada at the world junior hockey tournament in Finland during the Christmas holidays&hellip;Fans sorry to learn where Dale Rolfe, 35-year-old New York Ranger defenseman, had to retire from hockey. The ankle he severly broke last March failed to heal properly. Rolfe hated to take this forced retirement as hockey was his whole life&hellip;Bryan Trottier was the youngest player attending the N.Y. Islanders&rsquo; camp. The 19-year-old center who scored 48 goals and 66 assists with the Lethbridge Bronco Jrs. last season is regarded highly by the Isles. He is of Indian Irish descent (his father is part Cree, part Chippewa)&hellip;The Flyers donated $50,000 to the Philadelphia Hero Scholarship Fund that benefits children of police and firemen killed in line of duty. The money was revenue from a 1971 ticket price increase that was later reversed during the Federal price freeze.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-04628/3317517-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="297" height="498"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bob Boun</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0004-01

PASSING THE PUCK

Founded October 1st, 1947Vol. 29 No. 1 OCTOBER 17, 1975Published 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.Kenneth W. McKenzie President, Publisher and Advertising DirectorDon Wall Associate PublisherCharlie Halpin Editorial DirectorHans Hoenig Administration ManagerPat Beale Advertising Co-OrdinatorRalph Bridgland Asst. To EditorUnited States Advertising RepresentativesNEW YORK: Bill Hitzig, National Sports Publishing Corp., 150 East 58th Street, New York, N.Y. 10022. Telephone (212) 593-2100.CHICAGO: Hooper Jones &Associates, 3322 W. Peterson Ave., Chicago, III 60659. Telephone (312) 478-5544.ATLANTIC STATES (Including New York, Boston, Buffalo &Philadelphia: Bob Bassinette, Bassi nette/White, 50 East 42nd St., New York. N.Y. 10017. Telephone (212) 986-6210.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. &#9632;

The Hockey News OFFICIAL NATIONAL HOCKEY WEEKLY

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-05503/3317593-1-eng-US/f0004-052.jpg"></div><h2>Caps Made Mistake Trading For Clement</h2>I would like to disagree with Jerry Hynes&rsquo; letter in the September issue.He stated that the Washington Capitals were correct in trading their number one pick in the amateur draft for Bill Clement.Well, the California Seals for years traded away their number one picks for marginal players and look where it got them.On the other side of the coin, the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders refused to trade away their first round picks and ended up with players like Gil Perrault, Rick Martin, Billy Harris and Denis Potvin. Both clubs are teams to be reckoned with because of their draft picks.Mr. Hynes can back his Bill Clement and I&rsquo;ll stay with Billy Har ris, Denis Potvin&hellip;and Mel Bridgman.ALAN R. BERKOWITZ, Philadelphia, Pa.<h2>&lsquo;Hockey News&rsquo; Must For New Fans</h2>I would like to recommend The Hockey News to any new hockey fans as myself.I was introduced to The Hockey News by a very good friend who came to Kansas City from Toronto. I am at present reading past issues that my friend left for me.The stories and statistical data on all levels of hockey are very detailed and complete. I don&rsquo;t see how a true hockey fan can do without The Hockey News.BARNEY BOYER,&nbsp; Kansas City, Mo.<h2>Flyers&rsquo; Captain Clarke Super Super Star</h2>Being a true Flyers fan I really enjoyed reading Debbie Weaver&rsquo;s letter in your September issue.I agree with her completely. Bobby Clarke is a real hockey player and just when you get discouraged about only money counting to the players and super stars laying back on their bankrolls, you watch Clarke play and forget all that.If a super star means one who plays his heart out, a team player and one who possesses great skill, then Clarke is a super super star.He is unselfish and works harder than any other player in the NHL. If the league had more players like Clarke, maybe you wouldn&rsquo;t hear hockey being put down like it is.Clarke is the best and a Canadian. We should be proud.BECKY DIKA,&nbsp; Woking, Alb.<h2>Pens&rsquo; Front Office Better Smarten Up</h2>I am writing this letter in reference to a letter received from the new owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins. In this letter they stated that they were eliminating one of the most convient things in all of hockey, the partial season ticket plan.This plan was formed for the people who didn&rsquo;t have either the time or money to buy a full season ticket. We have had partial season tickets for the last three years and had planned to renew our tickets this year, but when my father read the letter they sent us, he immediately changed his mind. We were told we had to buy the full season tickets or none at all. The Penguins have done some pretty dumb things in their time but this takes the cake. They are going to lose a lot of fans because people who could afford partial season tickets cannot afford full season tickets and therefore will not go at all. They seem to be saying we don&rsquo;t want your business anymore. Wise up Pens or you will be in worse shape than before.BILL VALENTA Jr.&nbsp; Pittsburgh, Pa.<h2>Larouche, Vail Young NHL Stars</h2>I strongly think that one of the main reasons Eric Vail was chosen the winner of the Calder Trophy, was because of the heated battle between Tom Lysiak and Denis Potvin in 1974 that caused a lot of hard feelings between the two and from the fans. Please don&rsquo;t get me wrong, because I think that Vail is a great goal getter with a good shot, and he definitely is a great asset to the Flames. I think that if it weren&rsquo;t for Potvin beating out Lysiak, Pierre Larouche would&rsquo;ve captured the honors of rookie of the year. Don&rsquo;t forget, prior to 74-75, Vail had previously played 23 games and was sidelined with an injury, whereas Larouche came right into the NHL and was the top point-getter among rookies. It&rsquo;s very rare that player can be so successful in just his freshman year.Larouche will probably develop into a super star in the near future, and he will lead his explosive club to the Stanley Cup finals this year. This is only the second year the Pens will be playing with a solid unit, and it won&rsquo;t be the last.DAVID SANDERSON,&nbsp; Bristol, R.I.<h2>MLG Will Miss Veteran Shack</h2>Because of his age and the increasing lack of jobs in the NHL, among other things, Toronto fans and hockey fans everywhere won&rsquo;t have the benefit of watching Eddie Shack perform on ice again.Eddie wasn&rsquo;t offered a contract this season and subsequently retired. No longer will the rafters of MLG ring with the cry &lsquo;We want Shack&rsquo;. No longer will we behold the on-ice antics of &lsquo;Eddie the Entertainer&rsquo;.I feel the Maple Leaf hockey club should retire Eddie&rsquo;s sweater because he was a tremendously popular player and played 17 seasons of pro hockey.Good luck to Eddie, he will surely be missed.PETER STEPHENS,&nbsp; Limehouse, Ont. &#9632;

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FAN FORUM

<div class="byline">BY BILL FLEISCHMAN</div>PHILADELPHIA&mdash;Surely the most asked question around the NHL concerning the two-time Stanley Cup champion Flyers is:Will they still be hungry for success?<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-01911/3317655-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="266" height="445"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bernie Parent</figcaption></div>Requests for personal appearances have poured in at a record rate. Bobby Clarke appears in halfpage newspaper ads modeling clothes. Bernie Parent is associated with a successful bank advertising campaign. Both have lifetime financial security guaranteed by the Flyers.Ah, men, what about hockey? Remember Gil Perreault and Rick Martin? Chico Resch and the Islanders? Yvan Cournoyer and the Canadiens?&ldquo;We want to win now more than ever,&rdquo; said Clarke. &ldquo;Once you&rsquo;ve won as we have, it&rsquo;s hard to accept losing. We&rsquo;re the best team in hockey. Whoever wants to take the Cup will still have to beat us.&rdquo;Sounds as if the Flyers haven&rsquo;t learned what complacency means, doesn&rsquo;t it?Anyone who knows Clarke will tell you the Hart Trophy winner will never slip into a fatcat role. But, as Derek Sanderson or somebody once said, talk is cheap. What counts is what a team does on the ice, not what it says in the newspapers.Proof that the Flyers are still the determined clan that inspires love in Philadelphia and hate everywhere else in the NHL is found in two items:&mdash;After the third day of training camp, Bernie Parent shook his head and said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never seen a (fast) pace like this so early. Everybody is in great shape.&rdquo;&mdash;The bruising weekend exhibition series with Montreal. The second game, at the Spectrum, was called by referee Bruce Hood with 1:45 to play after a wild bench-clearing brawl that resulted in 252 penalty minutes alone. The game total was 334, sending NHL president Clarence Campbell to his adding machine for $4,850 in automatic fines for both teams.Clarke, who helped trigger the melee by accepting Doug Risebrough&rsquo;s verbal challenge, wound up with an award-winning black eye from an unidentified Montreal player.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we started out to play that way,&rdquo; the Flyers&rsquo; captain said. &ldquo;But they were skating like heck. We couldn&rsquo;t keep up, got tired and started taking penalties.&rdquo;It should be added that the Canadiens, perhaps responding to coach Scotty Bowman reportedly calling them &ldquo;pussycats&rdquo; after the first game, were handing out as many hits as the Flyers.Montreal&rsquo;s aggressive performance is a preview of what the Flyers will see as other teams adopt the &ldquo;Mad Squad&rsquo;s&rdquo; style. As Flyers&rsquo; center Rick MacLeish said, &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got the team to win the Cup again, but other teams are going to get better.&rdquo;Gary Dornhoefer, MacLeish&rsquo;s linemate agrees, but issues a few words of caution.&ldquo;After winning two Stanley Cups, it gets harder to keep winning because the teams that finish below you get all those good draft choices. But the teams that bring in only the tough guys are making a mistake. You can fight all you want, but you still need guys who can put the puck in the net and guys who can stop the other teams from scoring. We&rsquo;ve got the right blend.&rdquo;FLYER FACTS: Bobby Clarke isn&rsquo;t thinking of another Cup ful until the Flyers win their division. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re in the toughest division in the league. The Islanders should be strong. The Rangers have made so many changes it is really hard to say if they&rsquo;ll be better or worse. And Atlanta is getting better every year.&rdquo;&hellip;GM Keith Allen was puzzled, but delighted that California released center Larry Wright and defenseman Terry Murray. Allen quickly signed both for the Flyers&rsquo; Richmond farm club. They provide excellent insurance in case of injury to the Flyers. Wright was the champions&rsquo; No.l draft pick in 1971, but has been hampered by injuries. He was part of the deal that brought Reg Leach to Philadelphia.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-02734/3317648-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="1170" height="1044"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOBBY CLARKE&hellip;Hard To Accept Losing</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Loved In PhilIy, Hated Elsewhere Flyers Hungry For Another Title

<h2>NATIONAL LEAGUE</h2>ATLANTA&mdash;Jacques Richard, forward, traded to Buffalo in exchange for Larry Carriere, defenseman. and Sabres&rsquo; first round draft choice in 1976. Eric Vail, forward, placed on disabled list with broken collarbone for six to eight weeks. Jerry Byers, forward. traded to N.Y. Rangers in return for Curt Ridley, goalkeeper. Ridley, Bob Bilodeau, Glen Surbey and Ken Huston, defensemen, Bill Plett, Dale Ross and Cam Botting, forwards, assigned to Tulsa of CHL. Claude St. Sauveur, forward, secured from Calgary of WHA in return for Vic Mercredi, forward. Jerry Badiuk, defenseman, sent to Baltimore of AHL. Frank DeMarco, Rick Bowness and Guy Chouinard forwards, assigned to Nova Scotia of AHL. Noel Price, defensman, sent to Nova Scotia to become playing-coach of Voyageurs.ST. LOUIS&mdash;Larry Sacharuk, defenseman, traded back to N.Y. Rangers in exchange for Bob MacMillan, forward, and future considerations. Gordon Buynak, defenseman. Brian Ogilvie, Ken Richardson and Lynn Powis, forwards, sent to Providence of AHL. Don Whelden and George Tower, defensmen, Mike Thompson, Jim McCrimmon and John Wensink, forwards, assigned to Springfield of AHL.MINNESOTA&mdash;Murray Oliver, forward, placed on voluntary retired list. Brian Holderness and Gilles Cloutier, goalkeepers, Fran&ccedil;ois Robert, Jeff Hymanson, Chris Ahrens, Lowell Ostlund and Kim MacDougall, defensemen, Tom Colley, Joe Nathe, Rick Chinnick, Scott MacPhail, Dave Norris, Richard Nantais and Alain Langlais, forwards, sent to New Haven of AHL. Dave Heitz, goalkeeper, Earl Sargent, defenseman, and Terry Ryan, forward, sent home to await reassignment. Brad Shelstad, goalkeeper, David Lee and Terry Angel, forwards, sent to Fort Wayne of IHL. Dennis Giannini, forward, sent to Baltimore of AHL on loan.MONTREAL&mdash;Dave Elenbaas and Ed Walsh, goalkeepers, Brian Engblom, Chuck Luksa, Gilles Lupien, defensemen, and Sean Shanahan, Pierre Mondou, Ron Andruff, Gordon McTavish Mike Busniuk, Kelly Greenbank Don Howse, Mike McKegney, forwards. sent to Nova Scotia of AHL. Yves Archambault, goalkeeper, sent to Beauce of NAHL. Denis Patry, forward, returned to delphia of NAHL. Wayne Zuk, forward, returned to Flint of IHL. Bruce O&rsquo;Grady, forward, returned to Sault Ste. Marie Juniors of OHA. Robin Sadler, defenseman. left club announcing his retirement from hockey.N.Y. RANGERS&mdash;Dale Rolfe, defenseman, and Bobby Rousseau, forward, placed on voluntary retired list. Dunc Wilson, goalkeeper, assigned to Baltimore of AHL on loan. Doug Soetaert and Bill Cheropita, goalkeepers. Dave Maloney, Joe Zanussi, Brian Molvik, defensemen. Jerry Byers, Ken Gassoff, Gerry Teeple, Eddie Johnstone and Greg Hickey, forwards, assigned to Providence of AHL.WASHINGTON&mdash;Jim Peters and Tom Cassidy, forwards, returned to Los Angeles after tryouts with Caps. Rob Walton, forward, picked up as free agent on trial and later released. Gordie Brooks, forward, assigned to Philadelphia of NAHL. Bernie Wolfe, goalkeeper, Andre Peloffy, Alex Forsyth, Rick Bragnalo, John Paddock, Larry Fullan, Jim Hrycuik, forwards, assigned to Richmond of AHL. Ron Anderson, forward, placed on disabled list after undergoing knee surgery. Garth Malarchuk, goalkeeper, returned to Dayton of IHL. Blair Mackasey, defenseman, Grant Cole sent to Baltimore of AHL on trial.PITTSBURGH&mdash;Gordon Laxton, Ricky Menard, and Ron Atchison, goalkeepers. Bob Stumpf, defenseman, Yves Bergeron, Nels Debenedet, Pete Laframboise, Terry Ewasiuk, forwards, sent to Hershey of AHL.TORONTO&mdash;Ron Ellis, forward, placed on voluntary retired list at own request. Pierre Hamel and Mike Palmateer, goalkeepers, Scott Garland, Bob Warner and Ron Wilson, defensemen, Jack Valiquette Denis Desrosiers, Paul Daigle, Per Arne Alexandersson, Lee Burgess, Alf Handrahan, Billy Hassard, and Bob Sykes, forwards, assigned to Oklahoma City of CHL. Ted Long, defenseman returned to Hamilton of OHA Major League.CHICAGO&mdash;Bobby Sheehan, forward, signed as free agent after release by Edmonton of WHA. Mike Dumas and Bob Volpe, goalkeepers, Dave Logan, Bob Murray, Mike O&rsquo;Connell, defensemen, Dan Hinton, Rob Palmer, forwards, assigned to Dallas of CHL.KANSAS CITY&mdash;Claude Houde and Roger Lemelin, defensemen, assigned to Springfield of AHL and later recalled. Jim McElmury and Dennis Patterson, defensemen, sent to Springfield as replacements. Rocky Farr, goalkeeper, purchased outright from Buffalo.LOS ANGELES&mdash;Tom Cassidy, forward, sold outright to Toronto. Cassidy later assigned to Oklahoma City of CHL. Rick Charron, goalkeeper, Gary Sargent, defenseman, Lome Stamler and Jim Peters forwards, assigned to Fort Worth of CHL.N.Y. ISLANDERS&mdash;Bill Hughes, goalkeeper, Neil Nicholson and Ken McPhail, defensemen, Walt Ledingham Mike Kennedy, Brad Anderson and Glen Johnson, forwards, assigned to Fart Worth of CHL.WORLD HOCKEY ASSN.CALGARY&mdash;John McKenzie, forward, traded to Minnesota in exchange for George Morrison and Don Tannahill, forwards, and negotiation rights to minor leaguers Wally Olds and Joe Micheletti.CLEVELAND&mdash;Wayne Hillman, defenseman. sent to Baltimore of AHL on loan. Skip Krake, forward, traded to Edmonton for Ray McKay, defenseman.PHOENIX&mdash;Roger Swanson and Clay Hebenton, goalkeepers, assigned to Tulsa of CHL.SAN DIEGO&mdash;Harry Howell, defenseman, placed on voluntary retired list.EDMONTON&mdash;Norm Ullman, forward, signed to WHA contract after release by Toronto of NHL. Barry Dean, forward, and Oilers&rsquo; first draft pick, traded to Phoenix for future considerations.NEW ENGLAND&mdash;Al Smith, goalkeeper, released. Doug Roberts, forward, signed after release by Detroit of NHL.WINNIPEG&mdash;Wayne Chernecki, forward, signed to WHA contract after release by N.Y. Rangers of NHL. Danny Spring, forward, released. Pete Sullivan, forward, dropped from roster pending contract settlement with Montreal of NHL. &#9632;

Movements of Players

<div class="byline">BY NORM MacLEAN</div>NEW YORK&mdash;When it was announced that the New York Rangers had reacquired defenseman Lawrence Sacharuk from the St. Louis Blues, Brad Park, the Blueshirts captain and main blue craftsman, mused, &ldquo;That makes nine defensmen we have in camp. What are we going to do with them all?&rdquo;Park was referring to John Bednarski, Nick Beverley, Ron Greschner, Ron Harris, Dave Maloney, Gilles Marotte, Dale Rolfe, Sacharuk and himself.With four goalies with NHL experience, and five centers, the telephone in general manager Emile Francis&rsquo; office must ring. Most likely, the Rangers will reach out for a hard hitting forward and perhaps a defensive rearguard. Most of the operatives named above like to rush the puck&mdash;ala Bobby Orr.The Rangers won their first pre-season contest, against Boston 4-3, then lost the next night to the Bruins 8-3. Coach Ron Stewart used four lines, six defensemen and two goalers, in each game.&ldquo;You get into shape in camp and then get out of condition playing games every night,&rdquo; said Stewie who ran a tough, hard ship during pre-season.The most interesting player in camp was center Wayne Dillon, who jumped from the Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association. Dillon has been working with Greg Polis and Rick Middleton.Johnny Gagnon, a Ranger scout operating out of Providence, and the left wing on the Canadiens famed line with Howie Morenz and Auriel Joliat, said, &ldquo;I like Dillon very much. He has moves and then some more moves.&rdquo;Stewart noted, &ldquo;I saw Dillon in three games with Toronto last year. He handles the puck very well and doesn&rsquo;t give it away.&rdquo;Wayne is smart, unselfish with the puck, and graceful, somewhat like Jean Ratelie. At 20 his future is ahead of him. His similarity to Ratelle can be noted by similar weights, both men at 180, and Dillon&rsquo;s even six foot height, compared to Ratelle&rsquo;s 6-1.&ldquo;I hope to prove my worth. Every day I&rsquo;m more excited about New York. Playing in the Big Apple is the place for an athlete to be,&rdquo; said Wayne.In early camp games Dillon was placed with another former Toro, left wing Pat Hickey and Billy Collins, a retread, but hard working NHLer.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s early, but he times his passes very well,&rdquo; said Billy. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s promising to say the least.&rdquo;With Derek Sanderson out of action in the early pre-season games because of a bad knee, Stewart used the following lines; Ratelle with his usual wings, Rod Gilbert and Steve Vickers; Walt Tkaczuk with Bill Fairbain and Jerry Holland; Dillon with Polis and Middleton and Pete Stemkowski centering for Dale Lewis and Collins.At left wing, the hard shooting Holland, a goal man with Providence of the AHL, may have earned a job. Last season was his first pro season&mdash;and he finished as rookie of the year in the AHL. If he hadn&rsquo;t broken his cheekbone and missed 10 games, his total would have been higher.The newcomers most likely to stick with the Rangers are Dillon, Hickey, Holland, goalie John Davidson and Collins, who is a hard nosed checker. Billy got 29 goals one season as the Minnesota North Stars penalty killer.The Rangers have changed the team to a youth oriented group in a short time. The under 30 cadre has Park, Greschner, Tkaczuk, Sarderson, Dillon, Middleton, Hickey, Holland, Vickers and Davidson. Maloney, 19, rushing rearguard should also be listed as future star. &#9632;

But Rangers Deep In Young Hockey Talent

<div class="byline">By Bill Libby</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-01899/3317717-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="308" height="350"></div><h2>The Hot Spotlight&hellip;</h2>THE CENTRAL PERSONALITY of the most controversial trade of the off-season, Marcel Dionne is a small, smouldering stick of dynamite. He looks like a high school football player, but at 24 he has been aged by five years of tumult in the big time.Dionne is dark. He has dark eyes, which gleam like glowing coals. He has a boyish, but hard face. He has a small, but hard body He is quick on his skates and handles a stick skillfully. The Lady Byng Trophy holder, he is not a hitter, hut also is hard to hit. He is elusive and animated.Marcel has marvellous moves and bobs in and out of opposition defenses on offense. The puck always seems to wind up on his stick and when he gets it, he can make a perfect pass with it, or snap off a quick, hard, accurate shot with it.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-02800/3317710-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="302" height="507"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bob Pulford</figcaption></div>Beyond doubt, Dionne is one of the most accomplished and exciting players in hockey today. But for the fact that he is a center and such varied and super centers as Phil Esposito, Bobby Clarke and Gil Perreault have been playing for better teams and been better publicized. Dionne would be better known.An unsurpassed scorer as an amateur, he set a record for most total scoring points by a rookie as a first-year professional breaking in at the top. He has totalled more points in his first four years in the majors than Bobby Hull, Phil Esposito, Gordie Howe or any other player ever did.At the same time, he could not carry his club to the top. He was expected to produce victories, but his Detroit team continued to suffer defeats and remained buried at the bottom of the standings. He was blamed for this and he bent a bit under the pressure.Dionne walked out on the Wings and was suspended by them a couple of times. Described as a malcontent, he attacked a writer. Announcing his determination to depart, he played out his option, became a free agent and was dealt by Detroit to Los Angeles, agreeing to report to the Kings instead of jumping to the World Hockey Association.The spotlight has turned on him, hot and bright.THE KINGS TRADED Dan Maloney and Terry Harper for him and a throw-in, Bart Crashley. Detroit coach Alex Delvecchio naturally reported he was pleased with the deal. &ldquo;We got two team players for a soloist,&rdquo; he commented. He did not note that, he had to make a deal for Dionne or give him up for nothing.Others have supported the Detroit stand, whether or not it is any of their business. Philadelphia&rsquo;s outspoken coach Fred Shero has suggested there might be a conflict between Dionne&rsquo;s individualistic offensive style and coach Bob Pulford&rsquo;s unselfish defensive style in Los Angeles. A national magazine hints team play will disappear.Denying a report by this writer that he. himself, did not support the trade, Pulford says, &ldquo;We have gained more on offense than we have lost on defense. I think we can replace the players we lost, but there are not many players around comparable to Dionne:&ldquo;I do not go by what others say or write. I will judge Dionne by what he shows me. He seems like a decent young man and has expressed a desire to do whatever we want him to do. And he can do a lot of things. I feel he will fit in and improve our team tre-mendously.&rdquo;Manager Jake Milford adds, &ldquo;He can do things others can&rsquo;t do. And he can do more than he&rsquo;s done so far. He&rsquo;ll be under a lot of pressure. But he has the ability to respond to it positively.&rdquo;When sportscaster Stu Nahan called the deal &ldquo;a coup.&rdquo; owner Jack Kent Cooke reprimanded him happily: &ldquo;A coup? Why Stuart, it was much more than that, it was a steal.&rdquo; Contends Cooke. &ldquo;Marcel is one of the greatest players in this sport today. This move moves the Kings up to the ranks of Stanley Cup contenders.&rdquo;Neglecting his health, Cooke worked long and hard to put this trade together. He considers it the most difficult deal he has swung in sports and is proud of it. Not a man who tolerates losing, he has endured difficult seasons with his prized possession. Now that it and its fan support are on the rise, he sees no negative aspects to his blockbuster transaction. Of course, if a Mongol horde descended on the Forum, Cooke would consider it positively, seeing them as potential customers.The fact is, it is a deal which if it could be made, had to be made, despite any dangers it represented Dionne simply is worth more than the Kings surrendered for him. And there is more to this young man than appears on the surface.AT THE HEIGHT of his unha ppiness in Det roit. Dionne was candid enough to tell this writer, &ldquo;I have behaved like a little boy at times. I&rsquo;ve spoken out of turn and acted hastily at times. But I think I&rsquo;m growingup.&ldquo;You lose and you lose and you grow discouraged. It&rsquo;s hard when you bust your butt and get blamed when the team goes bad. Some writers get on your back and won&rsquo;t get off. After a while, you just want to get out.&ldquo;But in time you come to see that no matter what, as long as you&rsquo;re with a team, you have to give it your best.&rdquo; Appointed captain of the Detroit team last season, Marcel responded positively. He didn&rsquo;t throw anything away on his way out.Sitting in the dressing room in Los Angeles after a workout with his new team, Marcel said, &ldquo;I feel like I&rsquo;m getting a fresh start. It was difficult in Detroit. The situation was unstable. The owner put a lot of pressure on everyone. Managers, coaches and players were always coming and going. The attitude was depressed with defeat. Here, we have a solid coach who has produced a disciplined team. It has started to win and everyone is enthusiastic. The owner has an enthusiasm that is contagious.&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t help having read some of the things that have been written, but I don&rsquo;t believe they tell the whole story. I am determined to become a disciplined player and a part of the team effort. I think I can play defense as well as offense. I think I can adjust my game without losing the ability to create goals. I have a big job to do, but here I will have help. The pressure doesn&rsquo;t scare me. I can only do my best.&rdquo;His best may awe fans at the Forum.A FRENCH-CANADIAN who has learned to speak English well, he is soft-spoken, but assertive. He always has seemed an agreeable lad to this writer He has been made to seem otherwise be others, but at close up a different picture comes into focus. He is yet young and impetuous, but his impact is softened by an impish sense of humor. He sees his own weaknesses, which many others do not.Son of a foreman at a steel mill, who farmed and labored to support eight children, the eldest child. Marcel, had a hard road. His small size stood against him. Great gifts of physical skill, however, have taken him a long way. Married 18 months to the former Carol Gaudet, he and his wife had a daughter, Lisa Lee, born in August. He is husband and fat her now, as well as super star. He is no longer a child prodigy, but a hardened veteran, who seems unlikely to be scorched by the spot light.Cooke and Pulford can handle the heat. So can the Kings and their remarkable recruit.To land Dionne. Cooke gave him a fat, five-year contract, reportedly worth $1.5 million. Dionne&rsquo;s agent. Alan Eagleson, says Marcel now is the second highest-paid player in hockey. Some suggest that this salary is another way the trade could create unrest on this team.However, such as Rogie Vachon shows no envy as the arrival of a second super star: &ldquo;I worry only about my own money and I am happy with what I make. The way Marcel can play he can put money in all our pockets. He&rsquo;s a great player. And a good guy.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Hockey Ad Lib

<div class="byline">BY ROY CRAIGIE</div>OAKLAND&mdash;Just when everything appeared to be rosey once again for the California Seals, they ran into the Jim Pappin blues. The starry right winger, who performed so well for so many years with the Chicago Black Hawks, has refused to report to his new team&mdash;citing travel and the long distance from his home in Sudbury, Ontario, as the major reason.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-03664/3317748-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="300" height="494"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jim Pappin</figcaption></div>With his talents often overshadowed in the past by such teammates as Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, Pappin was expected to finally achieve, in a Seals&rsquo; uniform, the recognition and acclaim that had eluded him at Chicago.But Pappin said he thought that West Coast teams have much too heavy a travel load and that he didn&rsquo;t like the idea of logging so much air time. Reportedly, he&rsquo;d be happy to play for a club about one hour&rsquo;s flying time from Sudbury.Traded to the Seals last June for Joey Johnston, Pappin said he had nothing against the California management or players, but was angry with Chicago for not informing him of the trade before it took place.There are three years remaining on the five-year Pappin contract the Seals acquired from Chicago, and the highscoring winger, who notched 36 goals last year to tie Mikita for the Hawks&rsquo; scoring leadership, is prohibited from negotiating with any other team, NHL or WHA, under current hockey agreements.Seals&rsquo; general manager Bill McCreary remains hopeful that Pappin will still report to the club and not carry out his threat to retire at age 36.&ldquo;The Seals will be deeply disappointed it it&rsquo;s Jim&rsquo;s wish to retire,&rdquo; says McCreary. &ldquo;He has been a major star in the NHL and we feel he would be a tremendous asset to our club, especially to the younger players.&rdquo;Meanwhile, back at training camp in Portland, Oregon, new Seals&rsquo; coach Jack Evans greeted a frisky group of players who reported to him in excellent shape.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m extremely pleased with the great condition in which the players reported to camp,&rdquo; said Evans. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s obvious the most of them have not been idle during the summer. They&rsquo;ve been staying in shape.&rdquo;This year&rsquo;s version of the Seals looms as one of the biggest in the league and also one of the youngest.&ldquo;We figure that our average age will be right around 23,&rdquo; informs Evans,&rsquo;&rsquo;and it will be a big squad, physically.&rdquo; On the matter of weights, Evans broke into his biggest smile. &ldquo;Not one player showed with excessive poundage,&rdquo; beamed the coach, &ldquo;and all were within a few pounds of their playing weight.&rdquo;To make certain the players get into even better condition, the Seals have brought in Captain Tom Walton, a physical education instructor with the Canadian Navy. Walton, stationed in Ottawa, Ontario, made the 3,000-mile journey to conduct the Seals&rsquo; daily &ldquo;dryland&rdquo; exercises.Evans had a special note of praise for his two highly-prized rookie centers, Ralph Klassen and Dennis Maruk. &ldquo;Both of them have looked very good in the practices,&rdquo; he commented about the Seals&rsquo; two top draft choices. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re skaing right along with the bigger guys and they seem to have all the moves.&rdquo;Klassen, the Seals&rsquo; first pick and third overall in the amateur draft, is from the Saska-toon Blades and Maruk was a 66-goal scorer with the London Knights.SEALS OF APPROVAL: With new faces on the ice, in the front office and boasting a local owner, the Seals are enjoying a steadily-growing popularity in the Bay Area&hellip;Season tickets are heading for an all-time record, having swept past last year&rsquo;s 959 and moving in on the top mark of 1,300 set in 1967-68&mdash;the team&rsquo;s first year in the NHL&hellip;The club expects sales to go over 2,000.. &#9632;

f0008-03

Pappin Rejects seals But Evans Enthused By Club’s Condition

<div class="byline">BY RON WEBER</div>WASHINGTON&mdash;Overstocked? The Washington Capitals?Well, not as a team, certainly. But in a couple of positions the term is almost appro-priate. At center and in goal, general manager-coach Milt Schmidt has, if not an embarassment of riches, at least a blush.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-01873/3317803-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="293" height="448"><figcaption class="caption-body">Stan Gilbertson</figcaption></div>The Capitals had quantity at center from the outset. In the original gathering of 46 on Sept. 15, 13 were listed as centermen. While no Espo&rsquo;s or Clarke&rsquo;s were in that bunch, quality was there, too. Even after weeding out the likes of Jim Peters, Tom Cassidy and Rob Walton and the expected farming out of Andre Peloffy, Richmond&rsquo;s leading scorer, Rick Bragnalo, International League point champion and number one draftee Alex Forsyth, six bona fide pivotmen remained.Bill Clement is assured one spot between the wings. Ron Lalonde, the team&rsquo;s best faceoff man and perhaps steadiest performer after being obtained from Pittsburgh last December, should shake off some nagging camp injuries and grab another. Speedy Nelson Pyatt deserves another.But where does that leave the hustling Blair Stewart, like Pyatt, an impressive newcomer late last season; Jim Hrycuik, making progress from a serious knee injury of last Christmas; and the veteran American, Tommy Williams? Schmidt feels those three are much more effective at center than wing, and that he sould look elsewhere in shoring up the weak flanks.Alas, the problems at wing and defense remain, especially on the right side. In fact, if the near suspensions of Jack Egers and Stan Gilbertson had come about, big inexperienced John Paddock would have been handed a right wing spot by default. He and Hartland Monahan are the only natural starboard-siders on the squad. Egers, Gilbertson, Tony White, Bob Gryp and the injured Ron Anderson are left wingers by training, while Stewart and Williams, also tried on the right, are centers.Left wing was a spot Schmidt could hope for big improvement in the forms of pro sophomores Mike Marson and Paul Nicholson. Both can skate hard and shoot harder, but Nicholson needs to keep digging through every shift and Marson, while scoring three of the teams first 11 exhibition goals, still spends some of his defensive time &ldquo;in a fog&rdquo;.Then, too, Ace Bailey&rsquo;s left wrist problem returned as soon as he picked up a hockey stick. Ace bent it over double in one of his first games as a Cap last mid-season, but had no pain at all this summer. Partially offsetting this has been the fine play of rookie White, who is up fromDayton.Joining White and the young goalies as camp surprises were rookie defensemen Pete Scamurra and Blair Mackasey, the amateur picks right after Forsyth. &#9632;

f0009-01

Caps Solid Down Center, Weak At Wings, Defense

<div class="byline">BY BILL LIBBY</div>LOS ANGELES&mdash;Coach Bob Pulford&rsquo;s most prominent problems as his Los Angles Kings opened pre-season campat their suburban Forum was settling on players to replace left-winger Dan Maloney and right defenseman Terry Harper, traded to Detroit in the deal for Marcel Dionne and Bart Crashley.Harper had slowed and might have had to fight to remain a regular this season, but both he and Maloney were regulars last season and they were the team&rsquo;s two toughest regulars. Pulford does not want the team to turn timid and he does not want foes to start pushing the Kings around, especially on the road where the Kings did so well last season.Dave Hutchison was the top contender in both cases, but the young, strong defenseman was getting a trial run at the job up front. Like Maloney, he is a powerful fist-fighter and hard hitter. Whether he can skate with a winger and score hisshare is the bigquestion.&ldquo;I think he can do it. I won&rsquo;t try anyone else unless I become convinced he can&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Pully comments.If he can&rsquo;t then another young, strong defenseman, Neil Komadoski, may get a shot at it with Hutchison moving into Harper&rsquo;s berth on the back line, though Dave is a left-sider normally so some adjustment may have to be made. Komadoski is counted as the No.2 contender in both spots.Rookies Gary Sargent and Tom Witherspoon and veteran Bart Crashley also are aiming at the defense spot. Like Komadoski, Sargent normally is a left-sider, but Witherspoon and Crashley are right-siders.The most interesting is Sargent. The Indian from Minnesota has a lot of talent, but he didn&rsquo;t get the experience he was supposed to get as a first-year pro in the minors last season when he broke a leg.The team returns three regular defensemen&mdash;Bob Murdoch, Shelly Kannegiesser and Larry Brown, and will keep five or six.It also has three regular leftwingers&mdash;Bob Berry, Tom Williams and Gene Carr. The latter was converted from center last season, Juha Widing, plus veteran swing-man Frank St. Marseille and promising Vic Venasky.Carr can play left wing. He is an explosive skater who frees his linemates and makes things happen. But he can&rsquo;t shoot, he doesn&rsquo;t hit and would bring a different type of play to Maloney&rsquo;s slot. Barring a trade, he is in danger of becoming a swing man.Rookies Mike Usitalo and Lorne Stamler are long-shots at left wing.A complication is the fact that Hutchison will miss the season&rsquo;s first five games and Carr the first two as a penalty for a playoff explosion last season. And the Kings open on a road trip as usual.KINGS THINGS: General manager Jake Milford again signed another one-year contract just before camp opened&hellip;Young Mike Murphy, starting only his second full season as a King, was named to succeed Harper as club captain&hellip;Goring and Sargent reported complete recoveries from their respective eye and knee injuries of last season, but goaler Rogie Vachon reported weak from a month-long siege with typhoid fever&hellip;Vachon, Dionne and right-winger Dennis Abgrall starred in the formal instra-squad game with drew 4,073 fans at $2 each. Sargent and Venasky starred in the opening exhibition game, a 2-1 loss to visiting Vancouver, which drew a surprising 8,860 at top prices.Lisa Lee Dionne and Jon Markku Widing arrived as additions to &ldquo;The Forum family&rdquo; in August&hellip;Publicist Dick White is wrapping up his long stint at the Forum and is joining the soccer Aztecs, but Mike Hope remains as hockey publicist with added duties at this time&hellip;Goaler Gary Edwards and defenseman Larry Brown were expected to be out only briefly with a fractured finger and slashed face, respectively&hellip;Right-winger Mike Corrigan may be the hardest pressed veteran in camp. &#9632;

Replacing Harper, Maloney Kings’ Top Priority

<div class="byline">&#x2014;McCARTHY</div>BOSTON&mdash;The Boston Bruins and Boston Garden were sold again on Aug. 28 to Sport Systems Corp, of Buffalo N.Y. for an estimated $10,000,000 by the Storer Broadcasting Co.Three brothers from Eggertsville, N.Y., Jeremy, Max and Lawrence Jacobs are associated with Sportsystems, with Jeremy the principal officer and chief spokesman.Storer had purchased the building and the club two years ago from the New Boston Garden Corp., of which Weston Adams, Jr. was president and governor, a position he had retained under Storer. That purchase price was estimated to be $16,000,000 in a complicated stock deal, with the real value at approximately $7.2 million.Storer, which also owns Channel 38, WSBK-TV will continue to telecast the Bruins&rsquo; games under a long-term contract.The announcement of the sale was made on the morning of Aug. 28, and by nightfall, the NHL Board of Governors, in meeting in Toronto at the Hall of Fame proceedings, approved the sale.As this is written, the approval of the boards of directors of both Storer and Sportsystems had not officially announced approval of the sale, although it has been reported the Storer directors had approved the deal.One of the ironies of the proceedings was that Sportsystems, which had grown from a company running concessions in arenas and ball parks, had been working on a contract agreement with the Bruins&rsquo; biggest asset, Bobby Orr, only to have Orr injure his knee and undergo surgery again.Orr, through his attorney Alan Eagleson, had been negotiating with Boston in the face of an offer from the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA. Said Jeremy Jacobs at the time of the sale announcement, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a lot of confidence in the Bruins and Orr is part of them. I think and hope we&rsquo;ll come to terms with the situation. We are vigorously pursuing those talks&hellip;.&rdquo;Orr has one year left to go on his present contract with the Bruins.Sportsystems describes itself as an international (Canada, England, U.S.) firm employing more than 40,000 people in diversified services and products, including the processing of metals such as cold finished steel.As a concessionaire, it operates in seven major-league baseball stadiums in the U.S. and Canada, including Montreal, Baltimore, St. Louis, Detroit, Cincinnati, Chicago and Milwaukee. It also owns Cincinnati Gardens, as well as operating various theaters, bowling alleys and real estate enterprises.Sportsystems has already been looking at Boston Garden and it is supposed the Jacobses have some ideas about re-modeling the ancient building and its concessions.At the time of the sale, Jeremy Jacobs said there were &ldquo;No immediate plans&rdquo; to change the present management of the Garden and the Bruins.Orr, meanwhile, was recuperating from surgery on his oftscarred left knee, and was not expected to be ready to play until mid-November, by which time the Bruins would have played approximately 16 or 17 games. &#9632;

Jacobs Shell Out $1O Million To Buy Boston Franchise

<div class="byline">BY JACK McCARTHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-01889/3317834-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bruins&rsquo; coach Don Cherry and Boston super star Bobby Orr were jubilant at the outset of training camp until Orr came up with an injured knee that required surgery and put the Bruin ace on the shelf for the first eight weeks of the new season.</figcaption></div>BOSTON&mdash;The Bruins, wiped out in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last year by Chicago, after finishing 19 big points behind Buffalo in their division, were counting on tough defense to revitalize them this year. Then Bobby Orr got hurt, underwent surgery again on his left knee. Now the Bruins must play twice as much defense until Bobby returns in mid-November.Boston would have had to play some pretty good hockey to think of beating Buffalo out in the Adams Division, even with Orr. As coach Don Cherry said, &ldquo;I feel that we and Canadiens are the strongest teams in the league. But, we&rsquo;ll have to show it.&rdquo;Then, on Thursday, Sept. 18, Orr reported to veteran Bruins&rsquo; trainer Dan Canney that there was some swelling and pain in his left knee. Canney advised a check-up with famed surgeon Dr. Carter Rowe at Massachusetts General Hospital. It resulted in the decision to operate (fourth time) on the knee. The operation was performed Saturday, Sept. 20.Dr. Rowe reported, &ldquo;Bony formations, which were impinging upon his knee joint, were removed successfully. The estimate of Bobby&rsquo;s return following the operation remains eight weeks&hellip;&rdquo;There had been two operations by other doctors on the knee in 1968. After Orr had played practically on one leg in the Stanley Cup victory or 1972, Dr. Rowe removed cartilage from the knee in June. Orr has had to modify his style somewhat since the operations, but he still was the most feared player in the NHL, still able to control the puck and keep the game under control when he was on the ice. His ice time, counting power-plays and penaltykilling, was enormous. Now, the Bruins, faced with problems of re grouping after last season, must start without the game&rsquo;s greatest player.Said Don Cherry, in his second year of coaching in the NHL, &ldquo;Now that the intial shock has worn off, we realize even more what we face. It&rsquo;s not a matter of replacement. This is one man who is irreplaceable. If we were planning on more attention to defensive hockey before, you can imagine how much more we&rsquo;ll be em-phasizing it now. We&rsquo;ll have to have other people take up the slack in supplying leadership.&rdquo;The mantle most likely falls on the great Phil Esposito, the dynamic center who scored 61 goals last season and finished second to Orr in the scoring battle. Recovered from knee cartilage surgery himself in April of 1973, Esposito came into camp lighter than usual, ready to go.In the exhibition games, Esposito threw in five goals in the first three games, after being re united with his old line-mates Wayne Cashman and Ken Hodge. This is still potentially the top scoring line in the league. Cashman is coming off a season in which he required back surgery, and Hodge did not have a good year for him at all, scoring only 23 goals.If this unit clicks again, it will be a big plus for the Bruins. Big in size, and big in goals.Before we get into the other lines, the big spot which will be watched closely this season is that of goalkeeper. Right now it appears that Gilles Gilbert, snake-bit last season, will open as No. 1, with Dave Reece, up from Rochester in the AHL, as the back-up.Gilbert was beset with all sorts of woes last season, and took the old bazoo from the Boston Garden fans. He finished with a 3.13 goals-against average in 53 games. Along the way, he injured a finger, had lower back spasms, and a siege of the flu, not to mention problems with a knee and an ankle. He says, &ldquo;I was mad at myself most of the season. I was depressed with all the injuries. It seemed I never got over one, before I had another&hellip;&rdquo;The Bruins can put out four good lines. Esposito&rsquo;s, followed by Gregg Sheppard&rsquo;s and Andre Savard&rsquo;s. A fourth line would be centered by Doug Gibson, AHL MVP at Rochester, and minor league player of the year.Sheppard will play with Johnny Bucyk and Bobby Schmautz; Savard will have Terry O&rsquo;Reilly and Don Marcotte as wings, while Gibson will play with Hank Nowak and Earl Anderson, both acquired from Detroit last season.On defense, it appears that rookie Doug Halward, the Bruins No. 1 draft pick, will make it, and pair with Carol Vandais. With Orr out, Darryl Edestrand will play with Al Sims, and Dalls Smith will go with Gary Doak. &#9632;

f0010-01

Others Will Have To Take Up Slack-Cherry

STRONG POINTS: Start with Bernie Parent in goal. There is none better. Move out to Bobby Clarke, the Hart Trophy winner. The NHL&rsquo;s All Star center is hockey&rsquo;s hardest worker. Clarke is ably supported by Rick MacLeish, one of the hockey&rsquo;s most ignored talents. Flanking them are experienced wingers such as Bill Barber, Reg Leach, Ross Lonsberry and Gary Dornhoefer. Flyers&rsquo; defense contains no big names, but Ed Van Impe, Joe Watson, Andre Dupont and Jimmy Watson form a solid foursome. Valuable people on bench include Terry Crisp and Bob Kelly.WEAK POINTS: Hard to spot any. Third line of Orest Kindrachuk, Dave Schultz and Don Saleski doesn&rsquo;t score many goals, but scoring isn&rsquo;t their job. Checking is their main task, and they do it well. Major problem would be an injury to Parent. Wayne Stephenson is capable, but he&rsquo;s rusty.NEW FACES: Jack McIlhargey, Bob Sirois and Mel Bridgman were seeking few vacancies as camp progressed. McIlhargey is a tough, Van Impe-type defenseman. Sirois was impressive at Richmond (26 goals) until sidelined by a back ailment. Bridgman, No. 1 pick in amateur draft, had good camp, but may start season in Richmond if he isn&rsquo;t assigned regular duty with Flyers.OUTLOOK: Flyers know winning a third straight Stanley Cup won&rsquo;t be easy, but the club is stronger than ever. Spirit is good, too. Flyers will win Patrick Division and should be at least a Stanley Cup finalist.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-10142/3318046-1-eng-US/f0012-102.jpg" title="f0012-10" width="238" height="162"></div> &#9632;

f0012-10

Flyers Look Tough Again

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-01860/3318015-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="462" height="601"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-01843/3318008-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="1008" height="594"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-02753/3318001-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="1010" height="590"></div><h2>BOSTON BRUINS</h2>STRONG POINTS: Strength down the middle at center anchors what is now a veteran team. Three set lines and a fourth line that could cause some trouble to the opposition. Phil Esposito returning at center between Ken Hodge and Wayne Cashman. The latter hopes to rebound after a year in which he played injured and finally had back surgery. Veteran centers are Esposito, Gregg Sheppard, Andre Savard.NEW FACES: Newcomer is Doug Gibson, minor league player of the year last year.WEAK POINTS: Loss of Bobby Orr until the second week of November after knee surgery once more. Team must hang tough until he gets back. The goaltending will be watched closely. Gilles Gilbert must rebound from so-so season, due partly to injuries.OUTLOOK: A long season&rsquo;s battle for Boston, with much depending on how the Bruins can do while waiting for Orr. What was billed as a general tightening up on defensive play has now become an absolute necessity. Goaltending must be strong all the way through.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-02746/3317994-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="210" height="204"></div><h2>ATLANTA FLAMES</h2>STRONG POINTS: Possibly the best goaltending pair in hockey, Phil Myre and Dan Bouchard. And they haven&rsquo;t peaked yet. Two of the league&rsquo;s best young forwards in Calder winner Eric Vail and two-way center Tom Lysiak. Irrepressible Curt Bennett comes off a strong season at left wing. A muscled-up Randy Manery finally seems willing to assert himself as a first-rate defenseman. Barry Gibbs also good on defense. Compared to predecessor Boom Boom Geoffrion, coach Freddy Creighton is lifeless. But Creighton&rsquo;s stern, smart coaching is a big plus.WEAK POINTS: Right wing, defense, penalty-killing and faceoffs were all problems last year. Flames ranked 14th in scoring and will have to improve.OUTLOOK: Atlanta should continue to improve, though standings may not show it. Creighton will get the most of what&rsquo;s there. If the Rangers or Isles falter, Flames will be rising from the floor.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-03586/3317987-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="218" height="193"></div><h2>BUFFALO SABRES</h2>STRONG POINTS: Firepower, speed and depth. The Sabres have the highest-scoring forward line in the NHL in the French Connection-Gil Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert (131 goals). They have two more 30-plus goal scorers in Don Luce and Danny Gare and have four 20-plus men. Nearly all the Buffalo forwards are fast and good playmakers. The defense is big, deep and young with six returnees over 6-feet and 200-pounds and 27 or younger.WEAK POINTS: The goaltending still is suspect, although in much better shape than a year ago. Veterans Gary Bromley, Roger Crozier and Gerry Desjardins are vying with No. 1 draft choice Bob Sauve for regular jobs.OUTLOOK: Unless the Sabres fall victim to complacency, as they did when they first made the playoffs two years ago, they should win their division and be Stanley Cup contenders again.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-04412/3317980-1-eng-US/f0012-042.jpg" title="f0012-04" width="222" height="218"></div><h2>CALIFORNIA SEALS</h2>STRONG POINTS: Goaltending. In Gilles Meloche and Gary Simmons, the Seals have two of the best in the NHL. New coach Jack Evans, a defenseman for 12 seasons with Rangers and Chicago, is expected to tighten up his blueline corps, led by veterans Jim Neilson and Bob Stewart, so that the goaling averages are a truer reflection of the netminding talent. The Seals could be steadier on defense with Sophomore Rick Hampton and rugged Len Erig, George Pesut, and Mike Christie all back for their second seasons with the club.WEAK POINTS: Youth and inexperience up front could hamper the Seals! attack, although there is some depth on both wings with Dave Hrechkosy, &lsquo;Gary Holt, Al MacAdam and possibly Charlie Simmer on the portside and Gary Sabourin, Frank Spring, Butch Williams and Wayne King on right wing. Larry Patey and Dave Gardner are the only experienced centers.OUTLOOK: The Seals hope to cut their goals-against by about 50 and increase their scoring by the same amount. If they succeed, they should challenge for a playoff berth in the Adams Division.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-05303/3317973-1-eng-US/f0012-052.jpg" title="f0012-05" width="326" height="142"></div><h2>CHICAGO HAWKS</h2>STRONG POINTS: A cadre of quality players unmatched in the division. Tony Esposito, Bill White, Dick Redmond, Keith Magnuson, Cliff Koroll, Phil Russell, Ivan Boldirev, Darcy Rota, John Marks, Dennis Hull, Pit Martin and Joey Johnston represent names which should be good enough to win the division, but&hellip;WEAK POINTS:&hellip;last year, surprisingly, the Hawks finished third. The same cast, with the exception of Johnston, was present, yet the Conn Smythe favorites lost almost as many games as they won. The Hawks need more muscle, more aggressive ways, a proven backup goalkeeper, and the right wing situation is unsettled behind Koroll. Veteran cast might be showing signs of age.OUTLOOK: In 1974-75, it appeared that the Hawks merely had to show up to win their division. They did show up, but they also finished third. Chicago needs a good season from Dale Tallon, Martin and Hull, all of whom ailed last year. If the team shows some spark, there are enough strengths to win the division. But there are also enough question marks to avoid first.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-06248/3317966-1-eng-US/f0012-062.jpg" title="f0012-06" width="246" height="226"></div><h2>DETROIT RED WINGS</h2>STRENGTHS: Offense is adequate, with 50-goal men Mickey Redmond and Danny Grant providing the spark. Team has good balance among its three foward lines, something that was missing last year. Jimmy Rutherford is steady, often spectacular, in goal. Newcomer Maloney provides a new dimension, genuine aggressiveness, and it&rsquo;s rubbing off.WEAKNESSES: Defense, defense, defense. Coach Doug Barkley must get the forwards working especially bard to make up for defensive shortcomings. Somehow, GM Alex Delvecchio must find a veteran NHL defenseman to fill the gap. Rutherford is solid as No. 1 goalie but his backup presents a problem.OUTLOOK: One thing is certain&mdash;this Red Wing club will be more interesting to watch. It&rsquo;s bigger, tougher and more aggressive, but will it be better in the won-lost columns? It could be but only if the defense is repaired quick enough.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-07214/3317959-1-eng-US/f0012-072.jpg" title="f0012-07" width="348" height="177"></div><h2>KANSAS CITY SCOUTS</h2>STRONG POINTS: Surprising stability both in goal and up front for a second-year club. Denis Herron gave the Scouts respectable goaltending in Year One and looks like a candidate for stardom. Bill McKenzie, obtained from the Detroit organization in the off-season, appeared strong in camp and should ease Herron&rsquo;s burden. Denis Dupere, acquired from St. Louis over the summer, gives the team another proven scorer to go with Simon Nolet, Guy Charron and Wilf Paiement.WEAK POINTS: The defense corps&mdash;until proven otherwise. Jean-Guy Lagace is a hitter who can also move the puck. Gary Bergman, about to turn 37 after arriving from Detroit last month, has lost a few strides but still knows how the game should be played.OUTLOOK: A good chance to climb out of the cellar in the Smythe Division. Kansas City made a brief run at fourth-place Minnesota a year ago and could take the rebuilding North Stars this time. But third place and a playoff spot appear to be at least a year away.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-08186/3317952-1-eng-US/f0012-082.jpg" title="f0012-08" width="200" height="196"></div><h2>LOS ANGELES KINGS</h2>STRONG POINTS: Unselfish team-play system which produced second-best defensive record and third-best road record in entire NHL and helped team to 105 points, fourth best in the league last season. Rogie Vachon, No. 2 goaler and No. 2 MVP in the league, has been joined by a second super star, Marcel Dionne, who should improve offense. Young forwards such as Butch Goring and Mike Murphy and young defensemen such as Bob Murdoch and Shelly Kannegiesser are developing into standouts.WEAK POINTS: Terry Harper appeared slowed down but Dan Maloney was just approaching peak and tough pair must be replaced at regular right defense and left wing, respectively. Offense in general and powerplay in particular must be upgraded.OUTLOOK: If coach Bob Pulford can fit Dionne in without weakening his conservative system and young Dave Hutchison can play well enough to replace departed muscle, club can improve.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-09155/3317945-1-eng-US/f0012-092.jpg" title="f0012-09" width="219" height="264"></div><h2>MINNESOTA STARS</h2>STRONG POINTS: Stars have the biggest club they&rsquo;ve ever had. averaging out at 6-foot-l, 188 pounds, and no doubt will be throwing their weight around under direction of new coach Ted Harris. Bill Goldsworthy, who missed nine games with a severed tendon in his finger last year, appears ready to make another bid for his first 50-goal season while high-scoring, feisty center Dennis Hextall seems happy once again. Goalies Cesare Maniago, also healthy again after kpee problems, and Pete LoPresti, a 21-year-old veteran now after a busy rookie campaign, could form strong net combo. Missing playoffs two straight years should make the Stars hustle more.WEAK POINTS: Team remains ewfully green, averaging out at 26 years. The power play. Stars were most unsuccessful club in that department and showed little sign of recovery in early exhibitions. Injuries, the North Stars have hoped to overcome this with new exercise program but there is little depth below.OUTLOOK: A playoff spot seems out of the question. North Star supporters will have to find delight in the little things and try to put up with the rebuilding program.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-03677/3317938-1-eng-US/f0013-032.jpg" title="f0013-03" width="261" height="232"></div><h2>NEW YORK ISLANDERS</h2>STRONG POINTS: The defense&mdash;led by first team All Star Denis Potvin, Bert Marshall, and Gerry Hart&mdash;is one of the best in the league, and will carry the club to whatever success it enjoys this season. Potvin, of course, is the big man the team looks to come up with the key play as he continues his development to superstardom. Effective checking by forwards such as Ed Westfall, J.P. Parise, and Bob Nystrom is also a big plus, as is solid goaltending by Bill Smith and Glenn Resch.WEAK POINTS: The Islanders are still looking for a high-scoring forward to put the puck in the net. Nystrom and Bill Harris should be the Isles&rsquo; top scoring threats, but will have to top the 30-goal mark if the club is to have a run at the flag.OUTLOOK: Oozing confidence after their brilliant playoff performance last season, the Islanders feel they are a true contender for the Patrick Division crown. They&rsquo;re stronger this year, but so is the rest of the division.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-04607/3317931-1-eng-US/f0013-042.jpg" title="f0013-04" width="210" height="199"></div><h2>NEW YORK RANGERS</h2>STRONG POINTS: Overall squad depth with three goalies with NHL experience, plus five centers. Proven ability to score, with tremendous competition for spots on the forward line. Youth movement taking hold with under 30 cadre of Brad Park. Ron Greschner. Walter Tkaczuk. Derek Sanderson, Wayne Dillon, Steve Vickers, Pat Hickey. Rick Middleton and John Davidson.WEAK POINTS: Lack of solid defensive defensemen. such as have won for Flyers and Islanders. Questions include Davidson in goal, and protection for skilled, but not too robust group of forwards. Team needs a hitting forward. Retirement of Dale Rolfe blow to team&rsquo;s defense.OUTLOOK: Trades are going to happen. Emile Francis, the GM, is waiting for the phone to ring. Extra centers and goalers could go for hitters.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-05499/3317924-1-eng-US/f0013-052.jpg" title="f0013-05" width="191" height="198"></div><h2>PITTSBURGH PENGUINS</h2>STRONG POINTS: With nine 20-goal scorers and one of the league&rsquo;s most talented lines in Syl Apps, Lowell MacDonald and Jean Pronovost, the offense again will be explosive. Vic Hadfield proved himself a vital force that brought stability to the club and Pierre Larouche made a serious bid for the rookie of the year award. In goal, the Penguins should avoid shaky start of last season with Michel Plasse and Gary Inness both available. Dave Burrows needs an improved performance to anchor veteran detenseWEAK POINTS: Bettering third-place finish in Norris Division will be impossible unless club&rsquo;s defensive work improves. If Steve Durbano is unable to make complete comeback from shattered wrist, a lack of toughness may beevident.OUTLOOK: Penguins may not be able to climb past Montreal or Los Angeles, but should improve on last year&rsquo;s record which was best in club&rsquo;s history.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-06423/3317917-1-eng-US/f0013-062.jpg" title="f0013-06" width="227" height="225"></div><h2>TORONTO LEAFS</h2>STRONG POINTS: A nucleus of good, young players with at least two seasons of NHL experience Fowards Darryl Sittler, George Ferguson. Errol Thompson. Inge Hammarstrom and Blaine Stoughton, defensemen Borje Salming, Ian Turnbull, BrianGlennie, Jim McKenny and Dave Dunn.WEAK POINTS: Goaltending is a question mark. Wayne Thomas didn&rsquo;t play a single game last season with the Canadiens, Gord McRae has played only 30 NHL games plus the &lsquo;75 playoffs and Doug Favell had a bad season in &lsquo;74-75. The Leafs have up-graded their muscle considerably but need a strong left winger. Retirement of Ron Ellis problem at right coing.NEW FACES: Center Stan Weir (acquired in a trade with California) and goalie Thomas are new veterans. Rookie forwards Don Ashby, Pat Boutette and Greg Hubick will get a good look. Center Ashby had a strong pre-season.OUTLOOK: Leafs chopped off several dissidents who didn&rsquo;t agree with coach Red Kelly&rsquo;s approach which should improve the team&rsquo;s spirit. Leafs are younger and stronger and will be much improved, especially if the goaltending is first rate.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-07390/3317910-1-eng-US/f0013-072.jpg" title="f0013-07" width="200" height="201"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS BLUES</h2>STRONG POINTS: The Blues have a number of young players already accustomed to playing with one another, such as three young defensemen, Bob Hess, Bob Gassoff and Rick Wilson. The Blues are deep in centers with Garry Unger, Wayne Merrick, Chuck Lefley and Red Berenson. The players, captained by Barclay Plager, have the advantage of a positive team attitude and a good relationship with coach Garry Young.WEAK POINTS: The power play is a disaster, and Young must pull the right strings to improve it. The team could use some more scoring potential on left wing.OUTLOOK: The Blues have a good chance of winning their division by beating out Vancouver and Chicago.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-08366/3317903-1-eng-US/f0013-082.jpg" title="f0013-08" width="159" height="131"></div><h2>VANCOUVER CANUCKS</h2>STRONG POINTS: Confidence acquired from last season&rsquo;s first place finish in Smythe Division. Goaltending of veteran Gary Smith, backed by improving overall team defense.WEAK POINTS: Reliable backup goaltender. Ken Lockett may be answer, but not yet solidly established. Size and hitting ability improved over last season, but could still be problemNEW FACES: Rookie right winger Rick Blight from Brandon has size and appears to have good scoring touch. Lockett, defenseman Harold Snepsts and left winger Ron Sedlbauer, all rookies who saw limited action last season, should play more prominent roles.OUTLOOK: Smythe Division should be tight three-way race with St. Louis and Chicago, just like last season when only four points separated first from third. If they stay free from injuries, Canucks should be good enough to finish on top again.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-09347/3317896-1-eng-US/f0013-092.jpg" title="f0013-09" width="269" height="180"></div><h2>WASHINGTON CAPS</h2>STRONG POINTS: Center and goaltending. Bill Clement, unless injured, could lead NHL forwards in ice time. He will run a line, penalty kill and play point on the power play. Other strong pivots include speedy Nelson Pyatt and steady Ron Lalonde. The netminding starts and ends with Ron Low and Mike Belhumeur. Two good new wingers are Hartland Monahan and Tony White.WEAK POINTS: They abound on a second-year team, of course. This group is especially thin at the wings and on defense. Left winger Mike Marson needs to improve his passing and defense. If Ace Bailey&rsquo;s wrist doesn&rsquo;t get well soon the port side&rsquo;s as bad off as right wing, where Stan Gilbertson&rsquo;s still adjusting to the backhand pickup. Defense got most of the blame for the record 446 goals allowed in the first season, but the backecking was&mdash;and still is&mdash;substandard.OUTLOOK: To double last year&rsquo;s win total would be 16. To push Detroit into division cellar would be nice. To make the playoffs would be stunning. To play 500 hockey would be dreaming.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-10326/3317889-1-eng-US/f0013-102.jpg" title="f0013-10" width="266" height="148"></div> &#9632;

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HOCKEY NEWS PREVIEW 75

STRONG POINTS: The Canadiens head into the 1975-76 season with the most talented club in the NHL, at least on paper. The Habs have proven performers at every position with the exception of a couple of newcomers who should make the starting lineup.The friction which existed around the use of taxi squads&rsquo; appears to be gone and the enthusiasm displayed at training camp augurs well for the upcoming campaign.WEAK POINTS: It is a well-known fact that if the Canadiens are to capture the Stanley Cup they are going to have to tighten up defen-sively. Montreal rearguards were among the top blueline point-producers last season but whether the adjustment can be made to a defensive approach remains to be seen.NEW FACES: Defenseman Rick Chartraw appears to have the inside track on filling the only opening on defense. Chartraw, 6&rsquo;2&rdquo; and 210 pounds, prides himself on his aggressive defensive approach to the game, and will be a welcome addition on the defense corps. He was a first team American League All Star with Nova Scotia last year in his first pro season. Rookie center Doug Jarvis, who per-formed for the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey Association Major Junior A loop in 1974-75, appears to be the choice for the opening on the forward wall. The 5&rsquo;9&rdquo;, 165 pounder has impressed the Canadiens&rsquo; brass and should find himself working on a fourth line.OUTLOOK: The Cana diens have all the makings of a Stanley Cup champion but they did last year, too. Mental attitude and the ability to overcome the inevitable injury problems will decide how far the club progress along they playoff road.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-11298/3318077-1-eng-US/f0013-112.jpg" title="f0013-11" width="213" height="173"></div> &#9632;

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Habs Rank With Best

<h2>NORRIS DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-05296/3318202-1-eng-US/f0014-052.jpg" title="f0014-05" width="544" height="236"></div><h2>ADAMS DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-06246/3318195-1-eng-US/f0014-062.jpg" title="f0014-06" width="540" height="192"></div><h2>PATRICK DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-07200/3318188-1-eng-US/f0014-072.jpg" title="f0014-07" width="540" height="204"></div><h2>SMYTHE DIVISION</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-08171/3318181-1-eng-US/f0014-082.jpg" title="f0014-08" width="538" height="298"></div>(Philadelphia won Stanley Cup) &#9632;

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HOW THEY FINISHED LAST YEAR

<h2>OCTOBER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-01845/3318150-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="614" height="2283"></div><h2>NOVEMBER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-02730/3318143-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="594" height="3110"></div><h2>DECEMBER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-03571/3318136-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="595" height="2901"></div><h2>JANUARY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-04415/3318129-1-eng-US/f0014-042.jpg" title="f0014-04" width="575" height="3081"></div><h2>FEBRUARY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-01822/3318122-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="596" height="3046"></div><h2>MARCH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-02726/3318115-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="607" height="3105"></div><h2>APRIL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03589/3318108-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="602" height="588"></div> &#9632;

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NHL 1975-76 SCHEDULE

MONTREAL&mdash;Less travel overall and a complete slate of games on the final night of the season highlight the National Hockey League&rsquo;s 59th regular-season schedule.The teams, collectively, will log 833,015 air miles before the season ends, Sunday, April 4, when, for the first time since the NHL expanded to 12 teams in 1967-68, all teams play on the last night of the season.In 1974-75, the 18 clubs travelled 850,678 air miles; therefore, there is a reduction of 17,663 miles this season. Because of their geographical location, Vancouver Canucks will travel the most miles&mdash;72,783&mdash;but the other two West Coast teams will be close behind. Los Angeles Kings travel 65,502 miles and California Seals 61,070. Washington travels the least, 35,075 miles.The average distance travelled by the 18 teams in 1975-76 will be 46,283, compared to an average last season of 47,259 miles.The season encompasses 171 calendar days, of which only 17 will not have at least one game and 15 of those dates are Mondays. The other two are Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There are 32 dates on which there are five games; 28 with three games; 25 with six; 21 with two; 17 with four, 15 with seven; 13 with one, 10 with eight; and, besides April 4, one other with all 18 teams playing&mdash;Wed., Dec. 17.As in past seasons, weekends are the busiest with 175 games being played on Saturdays and 148 on Sundays. Busiest weeknight is Wednesday with 141 games. &#9632;

NHL Launches 59th Campaign With Less Travelling Miles

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0015-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-04457/3318257-1-eng-US/f0015-042.jpg"></div>NHL ALL STAR GAME at Philadelphia Jan. 20 &#9632;

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NHL STARTING TIMES

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-01650/3318295-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"></div><h2>Players&rsquo; Party Is Over</h2>IT WAS THE GREATEST PARTY hockey players have had since 197&rsquo;2 when the World Hockey Association was born to rival the National Hockey League. Anybody who didn&rsquo;t skate on his ankles had a fancy major-league contract, careers were extended by several seasons, and agents pulled in fat percentages.Things are still mighty good for many hockey players, although wages often bear no relation to the talent they buy. But, in many ways, the party is over. At least, it&rsquo;s ended for approximately 150 hockey players in the past year. That&rsquo;s the estimate of how many pro players have been released by NHL and WHA teams and their affiliates in the past year.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-02564/3318288-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="531" height="403"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bob Woolf</figcaption></div>In short, hockey&rsquo;s unemployment figures match those of other fields. Agents claim they have clients but can&rsquo;t find work for them. NHL and WHA general managers report many calls from players, almost begging for tryouts.NHL president Clarence Campbell says that the players have no one to blame but themselves for the situation.&ldquo;The attrition is something they brought on themselves, Campbell said. &ldquo;They simply priced themselves right out of jobs. They shoved the cost of operating minor pro teams so high that private enterprise couldn&rsquo;t carry it and NHL teams won&rsquo;t be able to much longer.&ldquo;NHL teams now share sponsorship of minor clubs and only players of big league potential are placed on them. The cost of the minors must be lowered drastically or they&rsquo;ll simply cease to exist.&rdquo;Of course, a few cynics could claim that Campbell is merely mouthing the owners&rsquo; line. But back in the late 1960s, 25 percent of an NHL team&rsquo;s budget went to pay major league salaries. Last season, that percentage had climbed to 42 and something had to give. The players on the NHL club got the bread; the others got the boot.The teams simply lopped off their veterans with high salaries and the minor leaguers of limited potential. The minor pro career is gone forever. No longer can a player earn a good living for a dozen years in the American League.<h2>The Stars Are Okay</h2>TEAMS IN THE NHL AND WHA will continue to pay large salaries to the stars and try to out-bid each other for the cream of the crop. But the days of one big league club controlling 50 or more players is ancient history. Thirty players are all they canafford.One agent claimed that for every extra $30,000 Bobby Orr pulls out of the Boston Bruins in dealings for his new contract, a minor league player is sent to the unemployed list. Now, perhaps that makes Orr sound like a villain in the affair but it&rsquo;s a fact of the times.There are assorted reasons for the sudden over-supply of talent on the market.The growth of Canadian junior hockey from 21 Junior A teams a decade ago to 34 Major Junior clubs and more than 40 Tier Two teams now.The demise of the minor leagues. The Western League is extinct, the AHL has eight teams and the Central League has six. In the late&rsquo;60s, these leagues totalled 23 teams.The increase in American players. Five years ago, maybe a dozen U.S. players were claimed in the amateur draft. In 1915, the number was 61 from U.S. college and amateur hockey.The signing of underage juniors. In the past three years, the NHL and WHA took 28 players before they had completed their juniorcareers. Most of them took big salaries&mdash;and jobs.European immigration. At least 15 players from Sweden, Czechoslovakia and Finland are in the two leagues this season.Several NHL and WHA general managers say that they encountered little trouble in signing players to reduced contracts or no-raise deals.&ldquo;I had clients who were offered new deals caling tor up to 50 percent salary reductions and it was a &lsquo;take it or leave it arrangement,&rsquo;&rsquo;said Bob Woolf, the Boston lawyer agent.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been screaming for three years that the players demands were unrealistic and. sooner or later would cause hardship for the teams and. eventually the players. Eell, things changed very fast. When the WHA came along in &lsquo;72, players who were making $20.000 in May were making $90,000 in September. It just couldn&rsquo;tin its early seasons, the WHA needed warm bodies to fill out rosters. But now they&rsquo;re bagging a share of the player market and the stop-gap veterans aren&rsquo;t needed any longer.&ldquo;Teams are unloading guys they were never really wild about in the first place but needed.&rdquo; said Ron Roberts execdir of WHA Players&rsquo; Association. &ldquo;Those with contracts over $40,000 are especially vulnerable.&rdquo; &#9632;

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FRANK ORR SAYS:

<div class="byline">BYHALSIGURDSON</div>VANCOUVER&mdash;It was a freak accident, caused originally because Garry Monahan got a hole punched in the toe of his new skates.That&rsquo;s why the Vancouver Canucks&rsquo; left winger was wearing an old pair Sept. 23 in an exhibition game aginst the Montreal Canadiens.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-03452/3318326-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="285" height="447"><figcaption class="caption-body">Gary Monahan</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t have good balance in them,&rdquo; he was to explain later, &ldquo;but they&rsquo;re the only other pair I had.&rdquo;That problem in balance was to prove extremely expensive before the game was over. Just 39 seconds into the second period Monahan lost his balance during hectic action in the Vancouver zone and went sliding into the net.Somehow the deflector that goes around the bottom of the net was raised about three inches above ice level. Monahan slid into it where it forms a point in the center of the cage. It was like being impaled on an immovable spear.The point on the deflector tore through Monahan&rsquo;s stocking and carved a wide, deep six-inch gash into the upper part of his left thigh, slashing right down to the hamstring muscle.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the worst cut I&rsquo;ve ever seen,&rdquo; said Pat Dunn, the Canucks&rsquo; veteran trainer.Monahan was rushed to hospital and immediate surgery. Maybe he was lucky. The damage wasn&rsquo;t as bad as it might have been. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old veteran who was the most impressive player in the early stages of Vancouver&rsquo;s National Hockey League training camp, will be out of action for approximately six weeks.It was a rough break for Monahan, who has never missed an NHL game through injury. A rough break, too, for the Canucks who rely heavily on the former Toronto player&rsquo;s defensive and penalty-killing skills.General manager-coach Phil Maloney figures his team needs another fast start to repeat as pennant winners in the NHL&rsquo;s Smythe Division. Starting the season without Monahan has to make that a tougher goal to achieve.Meanwhile, the Canucks have named veteran center Andre Boudrias as their new captain, only the second man to wear the &lsquo;C&rsquo; in their six-year NHL history. For the first four years the &lsquo;C&rsquo; belonged to Orland Kurtenbach, now coaching Vancouver&rsquo;s Central League farmhands in Tulsa. Last year no one got the captain&rsquo;s role as Maloney elected to go with four alternates instead.This season, however, a new NHL rule makes it mandatory for all teams to name a captain.Maloney deliberated all through training camp, then handed the job to Boudrias on the eve on the Canucks&rsquo; first exhibition game&mdash;a 2-1 victory over the Kings in Los Angeles. &#9632;

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Canucks Get Lumps Early As Injury Idles Monahan

<div class="byline">BY BILLHEUFELDER</div>PITTSBURGH&mdash;If you slept the summer away, you&rsquo;d never know the Pittsburgh Penguins had nearly expired.Their ownership problems solved, the Penguins appear in the National Hockey League scene looking very much like the club that last season produced the best record in its history.Marc Boileau, although he wasn&rsquo;t officially rehired until the change of ownership had been effected in mid-summer, returns to coach Pittsburgh, which enjoyed a smashing regular season (37-28-15), although it was jolted in the playoff quarter-finals by the New York Islanders in seven games.His players are all familiar names, among them nine 20-goal scorers, but Boileau wants at least one change from a year ago. More defense.Boileau notes that Gary Inness, forced to shoulder the brunt of the goaltending when no adequate backup man surfaced, received unjustified criticism in some areas for the club&rsquo;s staggering start.&ldquo;The team, as a unit, was not playing the way it should,&rdquo; the coach emphasized. &ldquo;Gary had a heckuva year.&rdquo;Who can argue? Inness, 24 and two years removed from from college hockey, finished the regular season with a 3.09 average. He also finished as the only reliable goaltender after Michel Plasse sustained a late-season ankle injury.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04347/3318357-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="556" height="601"><figcaption class="caption-body">GARY INNESS&hellip;Did The Job</figcaption></div>Despite the pressures placed upon him, Inness held together until Plasse arrived near midseason from Kansas City to give him much-needed relief.Speaking of the development of last season, Boileau observed, &ldquo;His glove was kind of questionable at the start and he didn&rsquo;t use his stick as well as he could, but he&rsquo;s one of those kids who really learns quickly from his mistakes.&ldquo;The biggest thing is that the more he played, the more confidence he got. He didn&rsquo;t worry any longer about which team he was playing against.&rdquo;With Inness and Plasse starting the season together, Boileau says confidently, &ldquo;Right off the bat, we should improve our goals against.&rdquo;The Penguins surrendered 289 goals, second highest among the 12 playoff clubs.&ldquo;Our forwards can be a lot tougher defensively,&rdquo; Boileau said. &ldquo;If we really have to play a tough, defensive hockey game, we&rsquo;ve got to win. I know we can do it. We just have to bemore consistent.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0016-04

Inness’ Play In Net Plus For Penguins

<div class="byline">BY PAT THOMPSON</div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTD Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTD Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaTWIN CITIES&mdash;The reaction about Ted Harris making an impression as coach of the Minnesota North Stars was not long in coming.Harris called his team together before the training camp&rsquo;s first workout at Metropoitan Sports Center, and gave his players a few words of welcome.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-01560/3318388-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="276" height="396"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bill Goldsworthy</figcaption></div>These were the North Stars who finished a distant fourth in the Conn Smythe Division last spring, ahead of only expansion Kansas City. The same North Stars who often seemed to be performing in a lackadaisical state in 1974-75.Right wing-team captain Bill Goldsworthy and goalie Cesare Maniago, the last two members of the 1967-68 North Star expansion team, were as impressed as the large crop of youngsters preparing for their first workout.&ldquo;Ted had the respect of all the players when he was our captain and I was sure he would get it as coach,&rdquo; said Maniago. &ldquo;It is important to have this respect to hold a team together if things are not going well.&rdquo;Goldsworthy was impressed with the initial talk to the team by Harris for one major reason.&ldquo;He told us to forget about what has happened to us in the past&mdash;that we are getting a fresh start,&rdquo; Goldy said. &ldquo;It means a lot to the players if management takes this attitude and doesn&rsquo;t keep bringing up the past&hellip;hanging it over your head.&rdquo;Harris also told the North Stars he wanted hard work, a competitive camp and assured the team there were openings on the roster for those who showed those traits.The 39-year-old Harris is stepping into his first coaching assignment off the playing ranks of the Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers at the end of a sparkling career as a National League defenseman since 1963 with Montreal, Minnesota, St. Louis, Detroit and the Flyers. He performed for a total of five Stanley Cup champions, and brings some definite ideas about coaching into this job after learning under such successful men as Fred Shero, Toe Blake and Eddie Shore.&ldquo;Hockey&rsquo;s a working man&rsquo;s game,&rdquo; Harris philosophizes. &ldquo;By that I mean that the team that works is the team that wins. Philadelphia proved that two years in a row. The personnel is here to make the playoffs. There is a strong nucleus to build a winner. It&rsquo;s a matter of regrouping more than anything else.&rdquo;The North Stars are making a very serious bid to regroup. They lost their No. 1 draft choice, defenseman Bryan Maxwell to Cleveland of the WHA.But Jack Gordon, the general manager, turned around and signed center Tim Young, who was the No. 1 pick of the Los Angeles Kings. Gordon heard Young was available when the Kings signed Marcel Dionne away from the Red Wings and made the pitch for him with a future draft choice.Young, 19, who scored 56 goals and 107 assists for Ottawa in the Ontario Hockey Association last winter, was not disappointed to be dealt to the North Stars. In fact, he had asked the Kings to trade him after Dionne arrived on the scene.The North Stars signed only one other draft choice, goalie Paul Harrison of the Oshawa Juniors, and invited the rest to try out at training camp.A total of 47 players turned out for their first workouts under Harris, and most were very enthusiastic about the new coach&rsquo;s approach to training camp drudgery with a series of lively drills. Pucks were dropped the first day.&ldquo;I decided to put in a new drill every day of training camp to keep up the interest,&rdquo; said Harris. &ldquo;The main thing is skating in the early going, but there is no reason why you can&rsquo;t do something interesting while you&rsquo;re at it.&rdquo;The players agreed.NORTH STAR NOTES: The Stars dropped their exhibition opener to Detroit 4-0 when goalie Pete McDuffe made 36 saves against them, but the 8,000-plus fans who turned out were impressed with the game-long hustle and the persistent checking&hellip;Fred Barrett, veteran defenseman who leads the team in career broken bones, suffered the first training camp injury, of course&mdash;a puck struck Barrett in the eye but he did not let the shiner keep him from practice&hellip;Parker MacDonald, former North Star coach and scout, has been named general manager of Minnesota&rsquo;s farm team at New Haven with Dean Prentice again serving as coach&hellip;The North Stars will also have a working agreement with Fort Wayne in the International League this year. &#9632;

f0018-01

Stars’ Initial Response To Coach Harris Favorable

TWIN CITIES&mdash;Murray Oliver, whose professional hockey career spanned 17 seasons including 16 in the National League, has announced his retirement to join the staff of stick manufacturer Northland Group, Inc.The 37-year-old center who scored 274 career goals and 454 assists had indicated earlier this summer he might sign with the Houston Aeros of the WHA because the Minnesota North Stars had not offered him more than a one-year contract.Oliver failed to reach a satisfactory agreement with either team, and decided to pursue business interests in Minnesota.&ldquo;I suppose I could have played a few more years, but this opportunity was too good to pass up,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The best part of it is that I will remain here in Minnesota, an area my family and I have grown to love a great deal over the past five years.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-02457/3318419-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="518" height="590"><figcaption class="caption-body">MURRAY OLIVER&hellip;Joins Stick Company</figcaption></div>Oliver played 1,128 NHL games for four teams&mdash;Detroit, Boston, Toronto and the North Stars. In five years with Minnesota, Murray&rsquo;s best season was in 1971-72 when he scored 27 goals and 29 assists and was named by teammates as the club&rsquo;s most valuable player. &#9632;

f0018-02

16-Year NHL Veteran, Oliver Calls It Quits

<div class="byline">BY DONALD BERNS</div>ST. LOUIS&mdash;The St. Louis Blues are bursting with optimism and great expectations for the 1975-76 season.Their losses of players from last season have been calculated to have minimum impact, their gains have been ballyhooed, and the attitude of the organization from executives tofringe players is bright and hopeful.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-01541/3318457-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="278" height="366"><figcaption class="caption-body">Barclay Plager</figcaption></div>The Blues are conveniently placed in the one NHL division that does not have a resident giant. The title team last season was the Vancouver Canucks, two points better than the Blues, who were two points better than the stumbling Chicago Black Hawks. A St. Louis title this year, then, is a very real possibility. Vancouver and Chicago must improve to keep pace; Minnesota and Kansas City will still be trailing the other three teams.The Blues are fairly solid at every position with particular strengths at center and on defense. Some of the new or untried wingers must prove themselves. Goaltending is uncertain at the beginning of the season because of the realignment of goalers after the trading away of John Davidson, now a New York Ranger.Eddie Johnston is in good shape at age 38 and eager to play a portion of the schedule. He will be the experienced backup. The bulk of the workload will fall to Gilles Gratton and or Yves Belanger, two goalkeepers recycled from the World Hocky Association. Belanger burst upon the NHL scene with the Blues mid-way through last season and was impressive. Gratton comes with endorsements from the Toronto Toros, and coach Garry Young says he has much confidence in him. The Blues also took the precaution of taking goalie Ed Staniowski as their top draft pick.The defensive corps is young with the exception of the Plager brothers, Barclay and Bob, whose value to the team is enhanced by their experience. Young says, &ldquo;We need their experience on the team; the Plagers give every ounce that&rsquo;s in them.&rdquo;With the Plagers occupying two of the defensive slots the next three are quickly filled by Bob Gassoff and sophomores Bob Hess and Rick Wilson. Bruce Affleck and second draft choice Jamie Masters follow the top five. Young likes the way Affleck handles the puck and is happy to have the former Denver University player available.The one St. Louis line that remains intact from last year is Wayne Merrick at center with Floyd Thomson on his left and Pierre Plante on his right, although Thomson got a late start because of toe surgery at the beginning of training camp.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to break that up,&rdquo; says Young. &ldquo;Merrick is going to come into his own. He has all the tools plus a great attitude.&rdquo;Plante had 66 points last season, and Merrick 65. The three played splendidly toge-ther with Merrick the fancy stickhandler, Plante the trigger-quick shooter and Thomson the pesky retriever and be-ligerent board-worker.Garry Unger is the Blues&rsquo; top scorer. He had 36 goals and 44 assists last season and should be entering the prime of his career. Unger may work on a line this season with a couple of clever veterans, right wing Claude Larose, who played with Unger a portion of last season after being acquired from Montreal, and left wing Ted Irvine, one of three forwards acquired in the Davidson deal with the Rangers.Another St. Louis line takes shape with the decision to install Chuck Lefley at center &ldquo;to make use of his great breakaway speed and his good forechecking,&rdquo; according to Young. With Lefley at center Red Berenson, normally a center, could be the line&rsquo;s left wing with Jerry Butler, also acquired in the Davidson deal, on the right side.One of Young&rsquo;s goals this season is to improve the power play, and the assignments are wide open.&ldquo;I was disappointed with our power play last season,&rdquo; said Young, &ldquo;and I blame myself for not working with it enough.&rdquo;The Blues lost a good penalty-killer in Bill Collins, who went to New York with Davidson but they gained another good one in the same trade when they got Butler. Butler, Berenson and Lefley will be used to kill penalties along with the Plagers, although Young may try to ease the penalty-killing load on the two brothers of the defensive corps.Young says the Blues have their best talent in some years and he gives much of the credit to Sid Salomon III, president of the team, who is active in dayto-day management of the club&rsquo;s affairs.&ldquo;No one knows what he&rsquo;s done to build this hockey club,&rdquo; said Young. &ldquo;He works night and day.&rdquo;The Blues are brimming with confidence for the new season and hope to prove their self-confidence is justified.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-02461/3318450-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="562" height="714"><figcaption class="caption-body">WAYNE MERRICK&hellip;Great Attitude</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0019-01

Confident Of Success This Season Blues Fairly Solid At Every Position

<div class="byline">BY DICK JOHNSTON</div>BUFFALO&mdash;Floyd Smith, in his second year as coach of the Buffalo Sabres, finds himself with a set team of veterans who last season, the club&rsquo;s fifth in the National Hockey League, went to the Stanley Cup finals.Smitty&rsquo;s principal problem, as opening day looms up, is deciding who will do his goaltending. He has three veterans&mdash;Roger Crozier, Gerry Desjardins and Gary Bromley&mdash;plus the club&rsquo;s No. 1 draft choice, Bob Sauve.All looked competent in early exhibition games. Crozier, in and out of the hospital over the last two seasons because of recurring pancreatitis, had his best training camp ever since he became one of the original Sabres in 1970.Bromley, who did the major share of the netminding during the season, then was benched when Smitty went with experience in the playoffs, is determined to prove he can be No. 1 all the way this time. An NHL rookie, Bromley was bypassed by Smith when Desjardins was acquired in the final weeks of the regular season when Gerry&rsquo;s World Hockey Association contract was breached.Desjardins goaled the Sabres past Chicago and Montreal in the playoffs, then faltered in the finals and Crozier was called on for the last game.Sauve did not have an impressive goals-against average in junior but his team, the Laval Nationals, was in the Quebec League&rsquo;s lower depths. He has had a good training camp.Only Rick Dudley, a 31-goal scorer who left for the WHA, is missing from the skaters who carried the Sabres to the Adams Division and Prince of Wales Conference titles last season.Smitty appears to have two set lines, both high-scoring, with four veteran NHLers vying for starting jobs on the third line.Back together are the three speedy members of the French Connection&mdash;Gil Perreault, 52-goal scorer Rick Martin and Rene Robert&mdash;who totaled 131 goals in 1974-75, even though Perreault missed 12 games because of a knee injury and Martin was bothered by an injured right-hand thumb nearly all season. Martin&rsquo;s thumb was operated on during the summer.The checking line of Don Luce, Craig Ramsay and Danny Gare is back again, too. Besides taking on the opposition&rsquo;s best scoring line, this combination managed to score 90 goals.It&rsquo;s possible that Smith may break up this trio to give his forwards more balance. Luce and Ramsay, who have played together for four years and who make up one of the league&rsquo;s best penalty-killing duos, worked together through most of the exhibition games but second-year pro Gare was moved around.Smitty has three forwards who can play center for his other line, along with ram-bunctious Brian Spencer, a left winger. Peter McNab, who scored 22 goals in 53 games as an NHL rookie last year, probably will do the centering with 31-year-old Fred Stanfield and 28-year-old Jim Lorentz working as wingmen or utility players.Ken Breitenbach, No. 2 draft choice from Sr. Catharines of the OHA, and Pa McIntosh, up from Hershe were the new backliners bei looked over in the exhibiti schedule but they faced tough assignment, breaki into the young but experienc Buffalo defense.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-01386/3318488-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="528" height="595"><figcaption class="caption-body">GARY BROMLEY&hellip;Determined To Be No.</figcaption></div>Jim Schoenfeld, 23-year-old team captain; Jerry Korab, 2 Josh Guevremont, 24 and B Hajt, 23, all played regularly one time or another and Lee F golin, the sixth member of la year&rsquo;s blueline corps, is maki a serious bid for more ice tin and is only 20. &#9632;

f0020-01

Sabres Open With Set Team Of Veterans

<div class="byline">BY RALPH BRIDGLAND</div>MONTREAL&mdash;Whether or not the Montreal Canadiens will enjoy more success in 1975-76 than they did last season is unknown but if training camp is any indication the Habs could be on the road to a banner year.&ldquo;Everyone has a good positive attitude and is working hard,&rdquo; explained Montreal coach Scotty Bowman. &ldquo;Everyone is thinking of the same things and we&rsquo;ve had generally good performances.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re working on defense and penalty killing. If we keep pushing, it&rsquo;ll pay off,&rdquo; the coach concluded.One notable change in the Canadiens this season is going to their aggressive approach to the game, that is if the trend set in pre-season encounters continues.After a late-September exhibition contest at the Forum against the Philadelphia Flyers, Bowman insinuated that his players were a bunch of &ldquo;pussycats.&rdquo; He said he thought his charges physical abuse would be better spent on players the calibre of Bobby Clarke rather than those the likes of Dave Schultz.Well, the message must have gotten across for the next night at the Philadelphia Spectrum the Montrealers manhandled the Flyers on the scoreboard (62) and in the fistic department.In fact the rough stuff got so bad that referee Bruce Hood had to stop the game with only 18:15 gone in the final period. A total of 332 minutes in penalties were assessed and $4,850 in fines.The hardest part of the whole pre-season activity is making the final cut to get down to the required roster.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s always tough,&rdquo; explains Bowman. &ldquo;Time takes care of a lot of things. We just hope we&rsquo;re making the right moves.&rdquo;The single opening on defense is boiling down to a battle between three men; Bill Nyrop, Rick Chartraw and John van Boxmeer.Up front Glenn Goldup and rookie Doug Jarvis are competing for a position on the forward wall.One strong point of the Canadiens you won&rsquo;t be able to see at any of their regular season contests is their farm system. It is second to none and should the need arise for emergency replacements the reserves are ready and, most importantly, able.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got some good prospects,&rdquo; emphasizes Bowman.The prospects for the upcoming campaign are pretty good, too. &#9632;

Training Camp Augurs Well For Canadiens

<div class="byline">BY ALAN TRUEX</div>ATLANTA&mdash;Of all the things the Atlanta Flames didn&rsquo;t need, few could be much worse than a broken collarbone suffered by leading goal-scorer Eric Vail.Even before the exhibition season started, the Calder Trophy winner was knocked out of action and was expected to miss at least two weeks of the regular season.And these are critical weeks for Vail. He reported to camp eight pounds overweight, at 218, and he&rsquo;s a notoriously slow starter.Although he&rsquo;s recovered quickly from past injuries, it may be difficult for Vail to come back from this one and work himself into shape before much of the season is gone.If the Flames are to reach the playoffs&mdash;and most people doubt they will&mdash;they must have Vail playing up to his 39-goal form of last year. He and center Tom Lysiak are the Atlanta offense.Coach Fred Creighton hopes to get scoring help from other areas this year. The Flames ranked 14th in the NHL in scoring last season, and Creighton says, &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to score more goals without sacrificing our defense.&rdquo;Curt Bennett worked his way to 31 goals and 64 points last year. The strong left winger was the only Flame other than Vail to exceed 25 goals. Lysiak had 25, and nobody else had even 18.With Vail out, handyman Tim Ecclestone and new arrival Dave Kryskow will have to fill in the left side, with Bennett solid.Bill Flett, acquired on waivers from Toronto, and Buster Harvey, the leading scorer at right wing last year with 17 goals, 44 points, came to camp overweight. The Flames have to get a good season from one of them. &#9632;

Flames Hit With Vail Sidelined

<div class="byline">BY FRANK ORR</div>TORONTO&mdash;The man with the biggest smile around Maple Leaf Gardens during the pre-season period of the Toronto Maple Leafs was coach Red Kelly. The much criticized Kelly could hardly contain his enthusiasm about his young team for the 1975-76 National Hockey League season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-01257/3318574-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="288" height="417"><figcaption class="caption-body">Rod Seiling</figcaption></div>&ldquo;The signs have all been positive,&rdquo; Kelly said. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t have a player who reported to training camp over-weight and most had been involved in some conditioning program during the summer.&ldquo;Right from our first drill, the players showed great enthusiasm, a good feeling for the job. Because they were in condition, we were able to accomplish a considerable amount in the first few days of camp. Usually, it takes a few days before the players show any zip.&rdquo;The Leaf team which produced this hearty endorsement from the coach is probably the youngest in the history of the blue-and-white. Defenseman Rod Seiling, who will be 31 in November is the oldest player and the likely Leaf roster to open the schedule will include 10 players who are 23 and under.The Leafs chopped five veterans off their roster during the off-season and some of them weren&rsquo;t big Kelly boosters. The Leaf coach feels he has a gang of kids who are on his wavelength and he&rsquo;s made a big effort to improve communication with his players. In the past, many of them considered him to be an aloof, dictatorial coach.&ldquo;Perhaps in my first two years with the Leafs, there have been some communication problems,&rdquo; Kelly said. &ldquo;I think there was lots of talk but maybe the flaw was that there wasn&rsquo;t enough listening.&ldquo;Well, I guarantee that there will be plenty of dialogue this season and I&rsquo;ve told the players that I want to hear from them about anything that&rsquo;s bugging them.&rdquo;The appointment of Darryl Sittler as the Leaf captain, succeeding Dave Keon, who jumped to the World Hockey Association, is a big step in the new Leaf atmosphere.No one can downgrade Keon&rsquo;s contribution to the Leafs with his splendid play but he was a private sort of person off the ice, a man who minded his own business. Sittler is more out-going and his first act following the announcement of his captaincy was to rap Leaf owner Harold Ballard for bad-mouthing Keon and Norm Ullman, two of the departed veterans.&ldquo;Red told me that he wants to hear any complaints and I feel a big part of my job is to keep the communications channels open between the players and the coach and management,&rdquo; Sittler said.Another feature of the new Leafs which pleased Kelly was the increased aggressiveness they displayed in their first two pre-season games, a 1-1 tie with Atlanta Flames and a 3-1 defeat of Buffalo Sabres.&ldquo;We got that tie and win because of a good team effort in which we had more takeouts than we&rsquo;ve had in a long time,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going to be a yahoo team by any means but I don&rsquo;t think anyone will push us this season without getting pushed back.&rdquo;LEAF NOTES: Doug Favell&rsquo;s days as a Leaf appear numbered. The veteran goalie came to camp with a hardwork attitude in his bid to hold the No. 1 job but Gord McRae appeared to have a lock on the first two jobs&hellip;. Winger Tiger Williams, who added considerable zip to the Leafs when they promoted him mid-way through &ldquo;74-75, continued his aggressive play. He had seven fights in the first 10 days of camp and two pre-season games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02188/3318567-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="568" height="943"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAVE WILLIAMS&hellip;Still Aggressive</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0022-01

Leafs’ Communications Gap Bridged; “Positive Signs” Encourage Kelly

<div class="byline">BY KEN RUDNICK</div>KANSAS CITYThere must have been times during the first 10 days of the Kansas City Scouts&rsquo; training camp when Gary Bergman&rsquo;s 36-year-old flesh seemed less than willing, when the temptation must have been strong for him to climb into his car and make the two-hour drive from Port Huron, Mich., to his home in suburban Detroit.&ldquo;Training camp has really been tough.&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been tearing up my rear. I can go for 30 seconds, then boom, that&rsquo;s it.&ldquo;But Bep (Guidolin, the Scouts&rsquo; coach) has been very kind to me. He&rsquo;s been through it himself. He just tells me to get ready for the season at my pace. Heck, there&rsquo;s no use me trying to keep up with the young legs now and killing myself.&rdquo;The young legs need steadying, which is why the Scouts wanted Bergman in the first place. The question never was how much Kansas City wanted Bergman or another defenseman like him, but whether Bergman would be willing to play another season of hockey, this one in a strange town.The Scouts dealt goalie Peter McDuffe and forward Glen Burdon to the Detroit Red Wings last month for Bergman and goalie Bill McKenzie. Then they awaited the answer.&ldquo;To be frank about it, I thought very seriously about retiring when I heard about the trade,&rdquo; said Bergman, who had been with the Wings for all except one of his 11 NHL seasons. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m still thinking about it, but my state of mind right now is excellent and I&rsquo;d say that&rsquo;s only because of the people I&rsquo;ve met in the Kansas City organization&mdash;the players and management.For the Scouts&rsquo; part, they are under no illusion Bergman is physically the same player he was when he broke into the NHL with the Wings in 196465 or even the same one who was good enough to play for Team Canada against the Russians three years ago. They value him now for what is going on under the scalp that was going bald long before he became an elder statesman.&ldquo;I like everything he&rsquo;s doing now,&rdquo; Bep said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s settling us down in our own end and we hope what he&rsquo;s doing will rub off on the kids.LOOSE PUCKS: The Scouts opened their six-game exhibition schedule with back-to-back victories over Washington, beating the Caps, 4-1, in London, Ont., and 4-2 in Port Huron. They flew back to Kansas City Sept. 25 to complete their training camp&hellip;Biggest surprise of the Port Huron phase of camp was defenseman Terry McDonald, the club&rsquo;s No. 5 draft choice and a junior product of Kamloops (B.C.) in the Western Canada Hockey League. He survived a cut to 22 players and came to Kansas City along with left wing Don Cairns, the team&rsquo;s No. 2 choice, who played with Victoria (B.C.) in the WCHL. The Scouts&rsquo; top pick, left wing Barry Dean of Medicine Hat (Alta.) in the WCHL, was lost when he came to terms with Phoenix of the World Hockey Association.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01236/3318605-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="584" height="690"><figcaption class="caption-body">GARY BERGMAN&hellip;Considered Retiring</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0023-01

Veteran Bergman Steadying Scouts’ Young Legs

<h2>GAMES COMPLETED</h2>Fri. Sapt. 19Toronto 1, Atlanta 1Montreal 2, Boston 2Kansas City 4, Washington 1Sat. Sapt. 20Detroit 4, Minnesota 0Philadelphia 5, Montreal 4Pittsburgh 1, St. Louis 1Kansas City 4, Washington 2Chicago 9, Dallas (CHI) 6California 5, Salt Lake (CHL) 5Sun Segt. 21Chicago 6. Boston 2Buffalo 4, Washington 1Minnesota 3, Detroit 3Montreal 6, Philadelphia 2Vancouver 2, Los Angeles 1Mon. Sept 22Toronto 5, Oklahoma City (CHL) 2Tue Sept. 23Washington 3, Buffalo 1Montreal 5, Vancouver 2Pittsburgh 5, Islanders 1Wed Sept. 24Vancouver 6, Montreal 3Rangers 4, Boston 3Toronto 3, Buffalo 1Washington 4, Philadelphia 3Thu. Sept. 25Los Angeles6, Islanders 2Minnesota 3, Atlanta3Boston 8, Rangers 3Buffalo 6, Pittsburah 4Fri. Sept. 26Atlanta 3, Minnesota 2Washington 8, Detroit 4Kansas City 4, St. Louis 2Sat. Sept. 27Islanders 3, Los Angeles 2Philadelphia 9, Pittsburgh 0Atlanta 5, Minnesota 3Boston 5, Montreal 4Washington 8, Detroit 4Kansas City 3, St. Louis 3California4, Salt Lake (CHL) 1Sun. Sept. 28Vancouver 3, Californio 1Philadelphia 2, Rangers 1Detroit 4, Atlanta3Pittsburgh 4, Buffalo 3Montreal 5, Chicaao 1Mon. Sept. 29Los Angeles 5, California 3Rangers 5, Philadelphia 3Islanders 5, AtlantaVWashington 4, Toronto 1Tue. Sept. 30Boston 5, Chicago 1Rangers 9, New Haven (AHL) 4Wed. Oct. 1Islanders 1, Atlanta 1Rangers 4, Boston 0Toronto6. Buffalo 0Montreal 6, Chicago 3Louis4, Pittsburgh 4Thu. Oct. 2Los Angeles 6, Vancouver 5Buffalo 6, Rangers 4Chicago 3, Toronto 1Islanders 3, Pittsburgh 2St. Louis 6, Washington 3Fri Oct. 3Vancouver 6, Los Angeles 3Philadelphia 4, Buffalo 1Atlanta7, St. Louis 2Boston 4, Montreal 2California 5, Salt Lake (CHL) 1Rangers 7, Providence (AHL) 3Sat. Oct. 4California 5, Los Angeles 4Philadelphia 1, Toronto 1Atlanta4, St. Louis 3Montreal 6, Boston 3Minnesota 2, Kansas City 2Rangers 3, Pittsburgh 3Sun. Oct. 5Philadelphia 6, Buffalo 3Chicago 3, Toronto 1Minnesota 3, Kansas City 2Rangers 2, Islanders 1Pittsburgh 7, Hershey (AHL) 3<h2>(Standings on Mon. Oct. 6)</h2><h3>NORRIS DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-01239/3318657-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="598" height="150"></div><h3>ADAMSDIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02178/3318650-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="596" height="128"></div><h3>PATRICK DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03126/3318643-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="585" height="127"></div><h3>SMYTHE DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-0497/3318636-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="590" height="178"></div> &#9632;

f0024-01

Exhibition Scoreboard

<h2>Fri. Sept. 19 BOSTON 2, MONTREAL 2</h2>Boston: 1&mdash;Esposito. 2&mdash;Cashman.Montreal: 1&mdash;Lafleur 2&mdash;Shutt.Attendance; 7,400.Where played: Springfield, Mass.<h2>TORONTO 1, ATLANTA 1</h2>Toronto: 1&mdash;Hubick. Atlanta: 1&mdash;Graves.Shots on goal: Toronto 30, Atlanta26.Attendance: 3,134.Where played: Ottawa, Ont.<h2>Sat. Sept. 20 PHILADELPHIA 5, MONTREAL 4</h2>Philadelphia: 1&mdash;Dornhoefer. 2&mdash;Dornhoefer2&mdash;Sirois. 4&mdash;Leach. 5&mdash;Schultz.Montreal: 1&mdash;Mahovlich. 2&mdash;Cournoyer 3&mdash;Mondou4&mdash;Cournoyer. Shots on goal: Montreal 32, Philadelphia 29.Attendance: 16.784Where ployed: Montreal.<h2>PITTSBURGH 1, ST. LOUIS 1</h2>Pittsburgh: 1&mdash;Bergeron. St. Louis: 1&mdash;Bourbonnais.Where played: St. Louis.<h2>Sun. Sept. 21 MONTREAL 6, PHILADELPHIA 2</h2>Montreal: 1&mdash;Cournoyer. 2&mdash;Von Boxmeer. 3&mdash;Smith.4&mdash;Mahovlich. 5&mdash;Lafleur. 6&mdash;ShuttPhiladelphia: I&mdash;Barber 2&mdash;ClarkeWhere played: Philadelphia.<h2>VANCOUVER 2, LOS ANGELES 1</h2>Vancouver: 1&mdash;O&rsquo;Floherty. 2&mdash;Pratt.Los Angeles: 1&mdash;Venasky.Where played: Los Angeles.<h2>Tue. Sept. 23 MONTREAL 5, VANCOUVER 2</h2>Montreal: 1&mdash;Goldup 2&mdash;Roberts 3&mdash;Risebrough.4&mdash;Wilson. 5&mdash;LafleurVancouver: 1&mdash;O&rsquo;Flaherty. 2&mdash;Ververgeart.Attendance: 15,570.Shots on goal: Montreal 35, Vancouve 23.Where played: Vancouver.<h2>PITTSBURGH 5, ISLANDERS 1</h2>Pittsburgh: 1&mdash;MacDonald. 2&mdash;Macdonald (penaltyshot). 3&mdash;Larouche. 4&mdash;Pronovost. 5&mdash;Burrows.Islanders: 1&mdash;Howatt.Where played: Uniondale, N.Y.<h2>WASHINGTON 3, BUFFALO 1</h2>Washington: 1&mdash;Marson. 2&mdash;Kinsella. 3&mdash;Gryp.Buffalo: 1&mdash;Smith.Where played: London, Ont.<h2>Wed. Sept. 24 VANCOUVER 6, MONTREAL 3</h2>Vancouver: 1&mdash;Ververgaert. 2&mdash;Lalonde. 3&mdash;Gould.4&mdash;Wiley. 5&mdash;Blight. 6&mdash;Richardson.Montreal. 1&mdash;Mahovlich. 2&mdash;Roberts. 3&mdash;Shutt.Shots on goal: Vancouver 32, Montreal 25.Attendance: 15,570.Where played: Vancouver.<h2>WASHINGTON 4, PHILADELPHIA 3</h2>Washington: 1&mdash;White. 2&mdash;White. 3&mdash;Joly. 4&mdash;Marson.Philadelphia: 1&mdash;Saleski. 2&mdash;MacLeish 3&mdash;Kindrachuk.Where played: Washington.<h2>TORONTO 3, BUFFALO 1</h2>Toronto: 1&mdash;Williams. 2&mdash;Stoughton. 3&mdash;ThompsonBuffalo: 1&mdash;Martin.Attendance: 16,485.Where played: Toronto<h2>RANGERS4, BOSTON 3</h2>Rangers: 1&mdash;Greschner. 2&mdash;Lewis. 3&mdash;RatMe. 4&mdash;Tkaczuk.Boston: 1&mdash;Esposito. 2&mdash;Esposito. 3&mdash;Nowak.Where played: Providence, R.l.<h2>Thu. Sept. 25 BOSTON 8, RANGERS 3</h2>Boston: 1&mdash;Esposito. 2&mdash;Hodge 3&mdash;Esposito. 4&mdash;Esposito.5&mdash;Forbes. 6&mdash;Esposito. 7&mdash;Forbes. 8&mdash;Smith.Rangers: 1&mdash;Middleton.2&mdash;Middleton. 3&mdash;Lewis.Attendance: 5,904.Where ployed: Boston.<h2>BUFFALO 6, PITTSBURGH 4</h2>Buffalo: 1&mdash;Stanfield. 2&mdash;Gare. 3&mdash;Stanfield. 4&mdash;Perreault.5&mdash;Gare. 6&mdash;SpencerPittsburgh: 1&mdash;Kehoe. 2-Larouche. 3 Pronovost 4&mdash;Kelly.Where played: Pittsburgh.<h2>Sat. Sept. 27 BOSTON 5, MONTREAL 4</h2>Boston: 1&mdash;Cashman. 2&mdash;Vadnais. 3&mdash;Hodge.&mdash;Cashman. 5&mdash;Bucyk.Montreal. 1&mdash;Shutt. 2&mdash;Shutt 3&mdash;Cournoyer4&mdash;Risebrough.Attendance: 8,704.Where played: Boston.<h2>Sun. Sept. 28 MONTREAL 5, CHICAGO 1</h2>Montreal: 1 Gainey 2&mdash;Lapointe 3 Lapointe4&mdash;Mahovlich. 5&mdash;Lapointe.Chicago: 1&mdash;Mikita.Shots on goal, Montreal 35, Chicago 28Attendance; 12,000Where played: Chicago<h2>PHILADELPHIA 2, RANGERS 1</h2>Philadelphia: 1&mdash;Kelly. 2&mdash;LeachRangers: 1&mdash;MiddletonWhere played: Philadelphia<h2>PITTSBURGH 4, BUFFALO 3</h2>Pittsburgh: 1&mdash;Bennett. 2&mdash;Hadfield. 3&mdash;Larouche4&mdash;Pronovost.Buffalo: 1&mdash;Gore. 2&mdash;Perreault. 3&mdash;Perreault.Where played: Buffalo.<h2>VANCOUVER 3, CALIFORNIA 1</h2>Vancouver: 1&mdash;Boudrias. 2&mdash;Boddy. 3&mdash;Grisdale.California: 1&mdash;Greig.Where played: Victoria, B.C.<h2>Mon. Sept. 29 WASHINGTON 4, TORONTO 1</h2>Washington: 1&mdash;Monahan. 2&mdash;Gryp 3&mdash;Monahan.4&mdash;Clement.Toronto: 1&mdash;Dunn.Shots on goals: Toronto 57, Washington 25.Attendance: 5,921.Where played: London, Ont.<h2>ISLANDERS 5, ATLANTA 1</h2>Islanders: 1&mdash;Nystrom. 2&mdash;Stewart. 3&mdash;Price. 4&mdash;Giles.5&mdash;Harris.Atlanta: 1&mdash;Gibbs.Where played: Long Island. N.Y.<h2>RANGERS 5, PHILADELPHIA 3</h2>Rangers: 1&mdash;Greschner. 2&mdash;Holland. 3&mdash;Greschner4&mdash;Vickers. 5&mdash;Hickey.Philadelphia: 1&mdash;Crisp. 2&mdash;Clarke. 3&mdash;Lonsberry.Where played: New York.<h2>LOS ANGELES 5, CALIFORNIA 3</h2>Los Angeles: 1&mdash;Murphy. 2&mdash;Venasky 3&mdash;Williams.4&mdash;Murphy. 5&mdash;Goring.California: 1&mdash;Sabourin. 2&mdash;MacAdam. 3&mdash;Ahern.Where played. Salt Lake City, Utah.<h2>Wed. Oct. 1 ST. LOUIS 4, PITTSBURGH 4</h2>St. Louis: 1&mdash;Unger. 2&mdash;Merrick. 3&mdash;Thomson. 4&mdash;Wilson.Pittsburgh: 1&mdash;Stackhouse. 2&mdash;Kehoe. 3&mdash;Cossette.4&mdash;Pronovost.Where played: Pittsburgh.<h2>MONTREAL6, CHICAGO 3</h2>Montreal: 1&mdash;Mahovlich. 2&mdash;Lapointe. 3&mdash;Lemaire.4&mdash;Lambert. 5&mdash;Roberts. 6&mdash;Risebrough.Chicago: 1&mdash;Magnuson. 2&mdash;Martin. 3&mdash;Hull.Where played: Ottawa, Ont. &#9632;

NHL Teams Roll In Exhibition Play

MONTREAL&mdash;National Hockey League president Clarence Campbell came down hard on brawlers during the current exhibition game period levieing fines totaling $9,050 on players of four separate NHL clubs involved in bench-clearing training camp games at both Philadelphia and Chicago.In Philadelphia, referee Bruce Hood assessed 332 minutes in penalties, including 15 game misconducts before calling the game at 18:15 of the third period.The game misconducts carry an automatic $100 fne and 31 players from each team also were assessed $100 fines for leaving their respective benches to join the melee. Netminders Michel Larocque of Montreal and Wayne Stephenson of the Flyers were slapped with $100 fines for leaving their goal creases and there also was a $50 fine assessed for a misconduct.In Chicago, referee Andy van Hellemond called 216 minutes in penalties in a game between the Black Hawks and Bruins. Van Hellemond cleared the ice late in the second period after a 20-minute bench-clearing brawl.Van Hellemond assessed nine game misconducts, each carrying automatic $100 fines. In addition, 31 players left the benches to join the fight and were slapped with $ 100 fines and goaltenders Gilles Gilbert of Boston and Chicago&rsquo;s Tony Esposito were assessed $100 fines for leaving their creases. &#9632;

NHL Levels $9,050 In Fines For Exhibition Brawling

<div class="byline">BY HARRY KLAFF</div>LONG ISLAND&mdash;Unlike many of his brethren who occupy an NHL general manager&rsquo;s chair, Islander executive Bill Torrey enjoyed a very quiet summer, thank you. In the past, Torrey invariably spent his vacation time in search of some deals to bring some veteran talent to his young squad.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-01191/3318743-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="271" height="410"><figcaption class="caption-body">Billy Harris</figcaption></div>Torrey&rsquo;s team is still young, but no longer can they be considered neophytes. With three campaigns now under their collective belts, the Islanders have been seasoned to the point that they look at themselves as legitimate contenders who still hold room for considerable growth.If the Isles are to take that giant step toward the top rung of the ladder, immediate im-provement must appear in the offensive column. The addition of J.P. Parise and Jude Drouin at mid-season gave the club the scoring boost they needed to get into playoffs in&rsquo;75, but some other cannons will have to be fired up for the club&rsquo;s improvement to follow the same course this year.The fact that Torrey was reluctant to enter the annual off-season market is an indication of his confidence in those he now has on hand. A firm believer of holding onto one&rsquo;s draft picks, Bill has watched his youngsters develop slowly and often painfully.The big man the Islanders are counting on most this term is right wing Billy Harris, who after three successive 20-goal seasons, is looking to crack the 30 and even 40-goal plateaus.&ldquo;Last year I thought I was having a great year, when I suddenly went into a slump and couldn&rsquo;t buy a goal for something like a month,&rdquo; says Harris. &ldquo;This year I think I&rsquo;m ready to shake loose. I feel I have to produce a little more, but I&rsquo;m confident I can be a 40-goal scorer.&rdquo;Although coach Al Arbour hasn&rsquo;t indicated his lines for opening night, it looks like Harris will be playing with sophomore Clark Gillies on the opposite wing. Gillies registered a highly satisfactory 25 goals as a rookie, many coming on Harris rebounds.One man who could surprise for the Islanders this year is center Ralph Stewart, who at age 27 is one of the club&rsquo;s senior citizens in terms of professional experience. Two years ago he looked like he was on the verge of stardom when a broken collar-bone ruined his season.Right wing Bob Nystrom is another Islander hoping to hit the big fioures this year. Touted originally as a hardnosed, physical type, Nystrom scored 21 goals as a rookie two years ago, and led the club with 27 last season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02132/3318736-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="569" height="553"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOB NYSTROM</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Isles Look To Young Vets For Punch

<div class="byline">BY JIM KERNAGHAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0026-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-01198/3318798-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Members of the Toronto Toros flew overseas on their European tour by Scandinavian Airlines jet. Here&rsquo;s Toros&rsquo; star and captain Frank Mahovlich, left, checking out tickets with a former teammate Carl Brewer and John Spalding of Global TV Network on the right. Brewer accompanied the Toros to Europe as a television commentator.</figcaption></div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY LTD Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY LTD Arnold Street, Wallaceburg, Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaTORONTO&mdash;It remains to be seen just how much effect, if any, the respective European tours by the Toronto Toros and Winnipeg Jets will have on their seasons.Most hockey men scoffed when the clubs announced plans to train and play an exhibition schedule in northern Europe, Toros playing nine games in Sweden and Finland and Jets turning in a like number in Sweden and Czechoslovakia.The only immediate benefits accruing from the tours are financial; both clubs not only saved training camp costs estimated at $50,000 but made money through their exhibition games.&ldquo;We expect we&rsquo;ll make $50,000,&rdquo; said Jets&rsquo; president Bob Graham.Esthetically, the Jets fared much better and actually became Goodwill Ambassadors for Canada, hard to believe as that is. They won all their games in Sweden.Not only did the Toros take a 6-0 pasting by the lowly ranked Modo team in the town they were training in, several of their matches featured brawls in which the referee was attacked.Lou Nistico went after Finnish and Swedish officials and Jeff Jacques dropped the referee with a punch during Toros&rsquo; 12-0 win over Umea.The key game of both teams&rsquo; exhibition series was Jets&rsquo; 6-2 victory over the Swedish National Team. Not only did it mark a milestone for Canadian hockey over one of the world&rsquo;s finest national selections, it won Canadian hockey some fans.The Swedish press was receptive to the more rugged brand of Canadian hockey and blasted the Swedish team.&ldquo;You can see why they (the Canadians) are pros,&rdquo; commented morning paper Dagens Nyheter. &ldquo;They hit better.&rdquo;The paper rapped one Swede, Peter Gudmundsson, labelling him &ldquo;a chicken&rdquo; for skating away after Winnipeg defenseman Thommie Bergman, himself a Swede, threw him to the ice with Winnipeg leading, 3-2, at the time.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s why Sweden lost the game&mdash;because he stepped aside and looked bad in the eyes of the team,&rdquo; the article said.The paper acknowledged that &ldquo;It&rsquo;s good for all Swedes to continue playing against Canadians because it&rsquo;s the only way a more professional style of hockey will start to develop here.&rdquo;The national team&rsquo;s loss, taken very seriously by all those interested in Swedish hockey, called for a number of editorials.Said Aftonbladet sports editor Nic Aslund: &ldquo;This game was a good lesson. It showed us that our exports have learned a lot tougher style of play over there.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Jets’, Toros’ Style Of Play Wins Over Critics

EDMONTON&mdash;Norm Ullman, in signing with the Edmonton Oilers, returns to the city in which his professional career started 21 years ago. Ullman, released by the NHL Leafs, signed a one-year contract with the Oilers.&ldquo;I guess it&rsquo;s in the back of your mind all the time that maybe you can&rsquo;t do it anymore but there are several players my age still doing a good job,&rdquo; said Ullman, who&rsquo;ll be 40 on Dec. 26.College super-coach Clare Drake, now leading the Oilers, was impressed after early workouts.&ldquo;Normie has been skating well but maybe more important, his presence has a tremendous effect on the team.&rdquo; said Drake.Oilers, of course, have added goalie Dave Dryden, who saw the Chicago Cougars franchise fold around him and he claims, after having spent some time as an owner of the Cougars, along with Pat Stapleton and Ralph Backstrom, to have gained new insights into hockey.Oilers also added Bob Russell from Sudbury and Peter Morris from Victoria on three-year contracts. Along with Mike Rogers, Oilers&rsquo; leading scorer last season, the club has three outstanding youngsters.It&rsquo;s notable that when Edmonton defenseman Al Hamilton ran into a goalpost last Dec. 23 the Oilers&rsquo; fortunes suddenly turned sour. Hamilton&rsquo;s leg injury still isn&rsquo;t right and he was not slated to start the season.Quebec Nordiques clearly were aiming for a little toughness, adding Jim Watson, formerly of the Chicago Cougars, Allan Globensky of Maine in the North American league and Gordie Gallant of Minnesota Fighting Saints, the latter dropped when he scuffled with Saints&rsquo; coach Harry Neale. Tom Serviss, formerly of Baltimore Blades, also was brought in. &#9632;

Ullman Inks 1-Year Pact With Oilers

<div class="byline">BY RICH PASSAN</div>HARTFORD&mdash;The granting of free agent status to goaltender Al Smith by the New England Whalers came as a surprise to many, but don&rsquo;t count out the Harpoonists just yet.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-01181/3318860-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="262" height="416"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ray McKay</figcaption></div>True, Smith was the Whalets&rsquo; best goalie for the last three years and won many big games for them. But coach and general manager Jack Kelley is not starving.He has a young man named Christer Abrahamsson and if you haven&rsquo;t heard too much about him until now, that all will change because Kelley figures on using the Swedish netminder in at least 40 games.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not worried about Christer,&rdquo; said Kelley. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had a ton of pressure thrown his way in world tournaments. He&rsquo;s ready and his knee (which was injured last year) is sound.&rdquo; Backing up Abrahamsson, whose twin brother Thommy will be a cornerstone for the New England corps of defensemen, will be Paul Hoganson and Bruce Landon. Hoganson was picked up in the dispersal draft of the phased-out Michigan-Baltimore franchise. Landon came out of a brief retirement to back up Smith last year.Kelley said the release of Smith was by mutual agreement. &ldquo;We felt we had a bright young goalkeeper in Christer,&rdquo; the Whalers&rsquo; boss said. &ldquo;If you have a goaltender of Smith&rsquo;s ability, you&rsquo;re going to play him more than the others. That would hamper the development of Christer.&rdquo;Kelley said he tried to trade Smith, &ldquo;but there were no takers. I guess it was because of the salary demands.&rdquo;Kelley is pleased with the over-all conditioning of his club, now in training in Glas-tonbury, Con. &ldquo;What we&rsquo;ll be looking for is getting off to a good start,&rdquo; he said.CINCINNATI: If nothing else, the Stingers will lead the WHA in youth. The age of the Cincinnati skaters will average out to around 22 by the time the first puck is dropped for real.nothing else, the Stingers will lead the WHA in youth. The age of the Cincinnati skaters will average out to around 22 by the time the first puck is dropped for real.The oldest men on the club are center Bryan Campbell and goalie Serge Aubry at 30. Most of the youngsters, however, have been around for a few years and have a modicum of experience and should be more helpful than not.Veteran right winger John Gould, who had originally signed with the Stingers, has been released from the contract to remain with the National Hockey League Vancouver Canucks.The Stingers, according to coach Terry Slater, will receive compensation in the form of money. &ldquo;It was to the mutual satisfaction of both parties,&rdquo; Slater said.CLEVELAND: The Crusaders are working with a 33-man training camp roster. The best competition will be at left wing, where eight candidates are fighting for four spots and on defense where 12 men are battling for six spots.One new face in camp belongs to Ray McKay, the slender defenseman who was obtained from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for right winger Skip Krake. McKay, the target of heckling by fans in Edmonton, is happy to get away from his hometown and the pressure.INDIANAPOLIS: Racers&rsquo; coach Gerry Moore, who wants his team to be more aggressive this season, is getting plenty of aggression in training camp. Rookies Kim Clackson and Michel Dubois, both defensemen, traded blows on the fourth day of camp and tempers flared in other areas during a scrimmage.Clackson, the Racers&rsquo; second-round pick in the junior draft, has been joined by his Victoria Cougar teammate, 6&rsquo;5&rdquo; left winger Eric Sanderson, the club&rsquo;s sixth-round selection.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02141/3318853-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="561" height="595"><figcaption class="caption-body">CHRISTER ABRAHAMSSON&hellip;He&rsquo;s No. 1 Now</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Whalers Pin Net Hopes On Swede; New Stingers Looking To Youth

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0028-06" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0643/3318964-1-eng-US/f0028-062.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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WHA Starting Times

<h2>OCTOBER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-01171/3318933-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="582" height="1409"></div><h2>NOVEMBER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02112/3318926-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="590" height="2376"></div><h2>DECEMBER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0380/3318919-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="645" height="2411"></div><h2>JANUARY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0464/3318912-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="564" height="2402"></div><h2>FEBRUARY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0552/3318905-1-eng-US/f0028-052.jpg" title="f0028-05" width="542" height="2370"></div><h2>MARCH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01139/3318898-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="698" height="2439"></div><h2>APRIL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02111/3318891-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="638" height="528"></div> &#9632;

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WHA 1975-76 SCHEDULE

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0373/3318995-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="822" height="556"></div> &#9632;

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How Divisions Look

ST.PAUL&mdash;&ldquo;The first thing that comes to mind when you mention Johnny McKenzie is &lsquo;winner.&rsquo;&rdquo;Thus general manager Glen Sonmor announced the trade which brought the 37-year-old veteran right wing to the Minnesota Fighting Saints.&ldquo;The Saints received an unspecified amount of cash, along with McKenzie, for left wingers George Morrison and Don Tannahill and the negotiating rights to defensemen Wally Olds, Warroad, Minn., and Joe Micheletti, Hibbing, Minn., both former University of Minnesota Stars.McKenzie had 23 goals and 37 assists last season for the Vancouver club which moved to Calgary. He is a veteran of 691 National League games, mostly for the Boston Bruins, scoring 206 goals and 268 assists.The little competitor was named player-coach of the Philadelphia Blazers (who moved to Vancouver and now to Calgary) in 1972. While in the WHA, he has scored 65 goals and 125 assists in 179 games.Morrison, one of the original Fighting Saints, had 31 goals and 29 assists last year while Tannahill scored 23 goals and 30 assists.SAN DIEGO: The San Diego Mariners traded their second highest goal scorer, Rick Sentes, to the Calgary Cowboys for forward-defenseman Joe Noris.Sentes, 28, enjoying the best season of his career, scored 44 goals last season as Andre Lacroix&rsquo;s left wing. He was the fourth highest scoring left wing in the World Hockey Association and could not get together over a new contract with general manager-coach Ron Ingram.Meanwhile, Wayne Rivers agreed to a new contract, reportedly a three-year deal for $70,000 per year.Harry Howell made his retirement official and Ron Plumb, on a one-year loan, is with the new Cincinnati entry, but the Mariners are strong on the blueline with Brent Hughes, assistant captain of the Kansas City Scouts of the National League last season, and Mike McMahon from the Minnesota Fighting Saints to replace them.The Mariners also added left wing Bill Goldthorpe from Baltimore and Don Burgess from Vancouver (now Calgary) of the WHA. &#9632;

Minnesota Hopes McKenzie Brings Out ‘Winning’ Spirit

<div class="byline">BY DOUG McCONNELL</div>HOUSTON&mdash;Gordie Howe change his mind, as many close to him thought he would, to become the first playing president in major professional sport.Howe, now 47, retired after leading the Houston Aeros to the World Hockey Association title last season and over the summer months was named president of the club, under new ownership.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-01164/3319050-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="260" height="392"><figcaption class="caption-body">Gordie Howe</figcaption></div>He had planned to play the first game of the season in the Summit but has now decided to play one more season. At least he says it&rsquo;s one more season.It will be his 28th&mdash;25 were in the National Hockey League with Detroit&mdash;and the third alongside his two sons, Mark and Marty.Howe quickly showed he still has the touch, scoring the first goal of the pre-season in a 4-3 loss at Seattle to Western Division rival, Phoenix.Coach Bill Dineen was beaming at the press conference to announce Howe&rsquo;s second unretiring.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the greatest job security in the world knowing this guy&rsquo;s back,&rdquo; said Dineen.Despite his age, Howe played in 75 Aero games last season, one fewer than his high with Detroit. He averaged 31.5 goals and 72 points per season for the Red Wings.He finished eighth in WHA scoring last season and was selected to the first All Star team. He had 34 goals and 65 assists for 99 points.In the playoffs, he finished third with 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) behind son Mark (10-12-22) and Quebec&rsquo;s MarcTardif (10-11-21).WHA board chairman Ben Hatskin was in Houston for the announcement and admitted he had asked Howe to play for the sake of the entire league.&ldquo;I guess I should start this off since I&rsquo;m the one who&rsquo;s been trying to talk Gordie out of retirement,&rdquo; said Hatskin. &ldquo;We felt at our last board meeting that it was important for the WHA and this city for Gordie to play a full year and not just one game.&rdquo;Howe agreed that by playing another season, he could possibly help franchises in other cities.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to sound conceited but we had to think about the new franchises,&rdquo; he said.Howe said he had the backing of his family in reaching his decision.&ldquo;Little Murray (Howe&rsquo;s youngest son) said I was nuts if I didn&rsquo;t play,&rdquo; Howe said. &ldquo;My daughter said, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m against it but you have my permission to play.&rsquo; My wife told me I&rsquo;d have to make the decision so why not go ahead and make it.&rdquo;He added: &ldquo;I think time had something to do with it. We put on the sweats a couple of days ago and the old fires started burning again. It&rsquo;s a pretty nice feeling at the age of 47 to be wanted and to be asked to come back and play.&rdquo;Howe was asked why he didn&rsquo;t quit while on top.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s pretty hard to say what is top,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;To me, being on top is doing what you like and I like what I&rsquo;m doing. Very few people get that chance. &ldquo;Howe was presented with an Aeros&rsquo; jersey with the word &ldquo;President&rdquo; above his famous No. 9 where the name is normally affixed.Dineen confided that he had worried about Howe&rsquo;s health.&ldquo;We&rsquo;d like to give him some rest, like maybe on the penalty plays even though he&rsquo;s better at it than probably anybody in the league.&rdquo;Howe provided the solution.&ldquo;As president of the Aeros,&rdquo; he said with a big grin, &ldquo;I want to play the penalties.&rdquo;Otherwise, the WHA approved the signing by the Aeros of 18-year-old center John Tonelli to a three-year contract for a reported $280,000.Hatskin said Tonelli must pay the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association $40,000 for his release from his contract with the Toronto Marlboros. The Marlboros and the CAHA are reported asking $100,000.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s getting ridiculous, asking that kind of money,&rdquo; said Dineen. &ldquo;The money the Marlies want comes right out of Tonelli&rsquo;s contract.&rdquo;And the Aeros signed their top scoring line to long term contracts. Frank Hughes and Larry Lund signed four-year contracts at undisclosed amounts and Andre Hinse&rsquo;s contract was renegotiated.&ldquo;I feel better every day,&rdquo; said Dineen, &ldquo;first finding out that Gordie will return for another year and then signing these three guys up for a few more years. Larry, Frank and Andy were the best line in the WHA last year. &#9632;

f0030-01

Howe Set To Become First Playing President

<div class="byline">BY AL FISCHER</div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY, LTD Arnold Street. Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY, LTD Arnold Street. Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaBALTIMORE&mdash;The American Hockey League opens its 43rd season of competition with an eight-team contingent, an unsettled playoff format and unbridled enthusiasm.Just five years ago the league was composed of 12 teams, but economic difficulty, NHL expansion and the evolution of the WHA drastically eliminated Cleveland, Buffalo, Baltimore, Virginia, and Syracuse.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-01149/3319105-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="283" height="408"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kent Douglas</figcaption></div>An abortive WHA bid failed in Baltimore, and the Clippers are once again back at the old stand. Virginia decided, for economy reasons, to move operations to the Southern League, and Syracuse fans could not support two clubs.Thus, the current AHL alignment lists a Southern Division grouping of Baltimore, Hershey, New Haven, and Richmond, New Haven being switched from the North to create balanced divisions. The veteran teams make up the North; Rochester, Springfield, Providence and Nova Scotia.Two new coaches will usher in the American League season, although one, Springfield&rsquo;s Jimmy Anderson, had a tour of duty with the club as coach in 1969-70. Kent Douglas takes over at Baltimore.Anderson takes over as successor to Ron Stewart at Springfield, where fans are expecting big things from a club that finished third in the division, but came on to win the Calder Cup from New Haven in the finals. Dean Prentice is back at the helm of the Night Hawks.Douglas has the job of catching the fan interest in Baltimore, whose hockey enthusiasm has been somewhat whetted by general manager Terry Reardon&rsquo;s description of a &ldquo;Hungry hockey club.&rdquo;The other five clubs all retained their coaches, with Chuck Hamilton back to guide Hershey and Larry Wilson returning to Richmond in the South, while coach of the year John Muckier will again guide Providence&rsquo;s destinies, Dick Mattiussi hopes to win it all in Rochester, and Al McNeil brings along the Montreal prospects in Nova Scotia.In the North, Providence gets the nod to repeat as division champs, with Rochester again a close runnerup. Nova Scotia will finish third, and Springfield&rsquo;s defending Cup champs are not expected to make the playoffs.In the South it&rsquo;s not as easy. We&rsquo;ll go along with Hershey to win the division, give Baltimore second place, rate New Haven third and relegate Richmond to the basement.BALTIMORE: The Clippers return following an abortive bid by the WHA to make a go in the Monumental City, and the general consensus is a likely playoff berth for first-year coach Kent Douglas and his charges.Strictly on a name basis, Douglas will have some talent to work with as Reardon has plied his exhortations hard enough to pry loose veteran American Leaguers from almost everywhere.Douglas himself heads an imposing defensive alignment that also lists Bill Mikkelson, Ralph MacSweyn, and a tough newcomer, Brian Coughlin.The goaltending should be in capable hands with Lynn Zimmerman, Ron Marlow and Dave Hainsworth seeking the No. 1 berth.Up front, the Clippers received a jolt, when veteran Howie Menard announced possible coaching plans in a senior amateur league. The hustling center-right winger was not in camp the first few days, but Reardon and Douglas were still hopeful of having Menard on hand for the Oct. 10 opener against arch-rival Hershey.Douglas must find some scoring power if the Clippers are to fulfill playoff predictions. There are proven scorers on the roster, Danny Schock, Dick Sarrazin, Morris Stefaniw, and Dennis Giannini. All plus second-year man Terry Ewasiuk, a surprise addition from Hershey, on loan from his parent Pittsburgh club.The strength is the defense, the weakness, possible lack of a leader on the ice.HERSHEY: Coach Chuck Hamilton is determined his Bears will not finish 11 games under the. 500 mark, as was the case last year when Hershey finished in third place, winning just 27 games.The Bears must shore up both on defense and offense. Their 303 goals allowed was second only to last-place Syracuse, while a total of 259 scored was seventh lowest in the league, only five more than Virginia and Syracuse.Hershey&rsquo;s NHL co-workers Pittsburgh and Buffalo should be able to provide the Bears with adequate help. The Penguins, in fact have sent down seven players, in-cluding Yves Bergeron, a 31-goal performer last year, Pete Laframboise, a former 37-goal scorer for Baltimore, and Nelson Debenedet, a hard-nosed winger with 2030 goal potential.The goaltending is thin, with only Bob Johnson back. Help will probably come from Buffalo, which had five goaltenders in camp.Probable new look on both offense and defense. Much will depend on aid from NHL parent clubs. Defense and goaltending a question mark for the present.NEW HAVEN: Prentice is only sure of one thing right now, New Haven will be in the league this year, although their allocation of a spot in the Southern Division, was somewhat upsetting.The switch may prove to be in New Haven&rsquo;s favor, since the Nighthawks won&rsquo;t have to play as many games against Nova Scotia and Providence, with whom the Hawks managed a combined 6-173 record.Defensively, the Hawks should be tough, once again depending on what aid is received from the Islanders and North Stars.Brian Holderness held forth as the No. 1 goaltender last year and he is expected to return, making that one of New Haven&rsquo;s strengths. Holderness was brilliant in the playoffs, posting two shutouts and a sparkling 2.83 goals-allowed average in a losing cause.The return of Rick Kessell, Scott MacPhail, Rick Chinnick and Rich Nantais, all 20-plus goal scorers, would also help Prentice sleep a little sounder.New Haven&rsquo;s record was better than any team in the Southern Division last year, with the exception of division champion Virginia. The Hawks would like to prove even more this year as a member of the South.RICHMOND: The Robins may not be equal to last year&rsquo;s second place finish, and like Hershey, much of their success, will depend on help received from NHL partners, Washington and Philadelphia.On defense, the Robins have lost both Bill Mikkelson and Ralph MacSweyn to Baltimore, and Washington has already shipped veteran Gord Smith and rookie Pete Scamurra elsewhere. Nevertheless, the Capitals still have ten rearguards remaining in camp, while Philadelphia must pare their backline from a list of 14 candidates.Up front, coach Larry Wilson must replace Steve Atkinson, Randy Wyrozub and Art Stratton, all valuable veterans. Andre Peloffy, last year&rsquo;s top Robin scorer, returns, as will in all likelihood, Larry Fullan, Serge Lajeunesse and Bob Sirois, giving Richmond some hope for offensive output.Strength may well be the enthusiasm and spirit of Richmond fans, plus the guidance of coach Wilson. Weakness lies in several areas, and like most AHL clubs, the Robins look to their NHL partners for aid. &#9632;

f0032-01

Providence, Hershey Early Favorites As AHL Opens With Baltimore Entry

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0298/3319136-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="507" height="600"><figcaption class="caption-body">DUNC WILSON&hellip;New Clipper</figcaption></div>NEW YORK&mdash;Dune Wilson, the muchtravelled National League goaler, proved to be the odd man out in the New York Rangers&rsquo; netminding struggle.Wilson, a 27-year-old controversial figure in his brief NHL career, was assigned to the Baltimore Clippers of the American Hockey League on loan by the Rangers, who started the season with no less than five men contesting goa ling jobs.Wilson played only three games with the Rangers last year after being sold to New York by Toronto, where he encountered disciplinary problems. &#9632;

f0032-02

N.Y. Rangers Send Wilson To Baltimore

<h2>OCTOBER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-01130/3319202-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="576" height="800"></div><h2>NOVEMBER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0296/3319195-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="634" height="1443"></div><h2>DECEMBER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0370/3319188-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="578" height="1305"></div><h2>JANUARY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0455/3319181-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="625" height="1415"></div><h2>FEBRUARY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0547/3319174-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="599" height="1348"></div><h2>MARCH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0637/3319167-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="655" height="1454"></div> &#9632;

f0033-01

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE 1975-76 SCHEDULE

<div class="byline">BY TOM LOBAUGH</div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY LTD Arnold Street Wallaceburg Onrano Sold in U. S. and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY LTD Arnold Street Wallaceburg Onrano Sold in U. S. and CanadaDALLAS&mdash;Gordon Fashoway, 49-year-old scout for the Chicago Black Hawks and former coach of the Western League&rsquo;s Portland Buckaroos, was named coach of the Dallas Black Hawks after the squad had reported for training camp in Chicago.The last of six Central League coaches to be named for the 1975-76 campaign, Fash-oway replaces the dean of CHL mentors, Bobby Kromm, who resigned in July to accept the coaching job with the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-01142/3319271-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="274" height="435"><figcaption class="caption-body">Gordon Fashoway</figcaption></div>Kromm had been the only coach Dallas had known since entering the CHL in 1967-68. He had coached the Chicago farmhands in St. Louis a year before the move to Dallas, giving him eight seasons in the league.Fashoway, a native of Portage La Prairie, Man., said after his appointment by the parent Chicago Hawks, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m thrilled with the job. I only hope I can do as well as Bobby Kromm did in Dallas.&rdquo; Under Bobby the Hawks won two regular season championships, three Adams Cup playoff titles, and finished out of the playoffs only once in eight seasons.Gordie is no stranger to CHL fans. His Portland club played an interlocking series in 1972-73 which meant visits to Dallas, Fort Worth and Tulsa, and, of course, his Bucks had more than casual, acquaintance with Salt Lake, then a Western League rival.FORT WORTH: Terry Gray, making his debut as coach for the Texans, was looking toward to getting some top talent from his two parent clubs, the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Kings.Forming the nucleus of the Texans will be those who played on the American League championship club at Springfield last season (Los Angeles players) and those who narrowly missed the CHL playoffs at Fort Worth (Islander players).Among the early assignments to the Fort Worth club were goalie Rick Charron, defenseman Gary Sargent and wingers Lorne Stamler and Jim Peters from that Springfield club. The Islanders assigned forwards Walt Ledingham, Mike Kennedy, Brad Anderson and Glen Johnson; defensemen Neil Nicholson and Ken McPhail, and goalie Bill Hughes.Fort Worth fans were looking for improved goaltending, sparked by the 33-year-old Charron, who posted three shutouts in 17 AHL playoff games for Springfield last spring.OKLAHOMA CITY: Veteran manager-coach Ray Miron was counting on superior goaltending, improved defense for his Blazers, but cbuldn&rsquo;t be sure of his offense, since it was uncertain how many of last year&rsquo;s Oklahoma City players would stick with the parent Toronto Maple Leafs.Pierre Hamel and Mike Palmateer, both standouts as rookies last season, solved the netminding problems. Each should be better with a year of experience.As the Blazers worked out with the parent club at Maple Leaf Gardens, one of the first forwards assigned to the farm club was center Tom Cassidy, acquired by the Leafs from Los Angeles, who made Tom the first-round draft choice three years ago. Cassidy, with 32 goals and 59 assists, was top scorer for Springfield&rsquo;s American League champs last season.Others assigned to OC by the Leafs included defenseman Dennis Desrosiers and center-left wing Paul Daigle, up from Saginaw in the International League, and center Jack Valiquette, right wing Alf Handrahan, and left wings Bob Sykes and Bill Hassard from last season&rsquo;s Blazers.SALT LAKE: As new coach Marv Edwards and his Golden Eagles worked out with the parent California Golden Seals at Jantzen Beach, Ore, there was constant shuffling between the big club and the farm squad. It was hard to predict which candidates would be in the Salt Palace when the CHL season opened, but every indication was the defending champion Eagles would have another strong club.Ray Martyniuk and Ernie Miller, last year&rsquo;s Eagle goalies, were expected to return, but they were getting stiff competition from a pair of Seal draftees&mdash;Larry Hendrick from Calgary in the Western Canada League and Jim Weaver from Kingston in the On-tario Hockey Association. However, Weaver broke a bone in his stick hand, and it was unsure how quickly he would be back in action. Another candidate for net duty was Pierre Chagnon, who was at Toledo in the International League last season.TUCSON: With players promised from four World Hockey Association clubs, coach Adam Keller of the new Tucson Mavericks figured things &ldquo;have to be better&rdquo; than they were for him at Tulsa a year ago.The Mavericks will get 11 players from their parent Phoenix Roadrunners, five from the WHA champion Houston Aeros, four from the expansion Denver Spurs, and two from the San Diego Mariners.For the goaltending position to be filled from the Phoenix camp there was hot competition between draftee Roger Swanson from Flin Flon and Clay Hebenton, who played in Europe last winter.The nucleus for the Mavericks would be players who performed for Keller at Tulsa last season.TULSA: CoachOrland Kurtenbach could look for experience on his Oilers squad, both from his CHL team at Seattle last winter (a Vancouver Canucks farm) and from the Omaha club (an Atlanta Flames farm).Even before training camp began in Ottawa, the Flames moved to assure capable goaltending at Tulsa. They acquired goalie Curt Ridley (at Providence in the American League last season) in a trade with the New York Rangers that sent left wing Jerry Byers to New York.For the other Tulsa goalie, the Canucks will choose between Dan Brady and Bruce Bullock, who tended the nets at Seattle.From Atlanta it appeared the Oilers would get, besides Ridley, defensemen Bob Bilodeau and Glen Surbey from last year&rsquo;s Omaha club, along with Ken Houston, a defenseman converted to right wing by Omaha coach Fred Creighton, who is now the Atlanta mentor. Right wing draftees Rick Bowness (Montreal Junior Canadiens) and Bill Plett (St. Catharines Black Hawks), were Oiler possibilities, as was left wing Dale Ross (Ottawa).<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0294/3319264-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="562" height="595"><figcaption class="caption-body">JACK VALIQUETTE&hellip;Blazer Again</figcaption></div>The Vancouver half of the Oiler squad could include defensemen Larry McIntyre and Dennis McCord; centers Dan Seguin, Danny Gloor and Jim Wiley, and left wings Andy Spruce and Barry Wilcox all with Seattle last season. &#9632;

f0034-01

CHL Clubs Stocked With Top NHL ‘Cuts’

<h2>OCTOBER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-01130/3319344-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="537" height="732"></div><h2>NOVEMBER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02104/3319337-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="591" height="916"></div><h2>DECEMBER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0376/3319330-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="545" height="829"></div><h2>JANUARY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0465/3319323-1-eng-US/f0035-042.jpg" title="f0035-04" width="592" height="1095"></div><h2>FEBRUARY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0554/3319316-1-eng-US/f0035-052.jpg" title="f0035-05" width="623" height="910"></div><h2>MARCH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0642/3319309-1-eng-US/f0035-062.jpg" title="f0035-06" width="659" height="1058"></div><h2>APRIL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0737/3319302-1-eng-US/f0035-072.jpg" title="f0035-07" width="679" height="235"></div> &#9632;

f0035-01

CENTRAL HOCKEY LEAGUE 1975-76 SCHEDULE

<div class="byline">BY BUDGALLMEIER</div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY LTD Arnold Street. Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY LTD Arnold Street. Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaTOLEDO&mdash;When Ted Garvin greets his Toledo Goaldiggers&rsquo; squad on the opening day of training camp he&rsquo;ll find a nucleus of seven players who helped the Diggers become one of the most exciting teams in Toledo history&mdash;if not the whole International Hockey League last season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-01114/3319382-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="288" height="436"><figcaption class="caption-body">Paul Tantardini</figcaption></div>Garvin, who made a habit of making season also-rans playoff champions at Port Huron, continued the same act in Toledo. The Diggers struggled in the lower echelons of the South Division most of last season and finished a distant third behind division winner Dayton. But the Diggers were just warming up. They waltzed through the playoffs capping Toledo&rsquo;s finest season ever in hockey by winning the Turner Cup.Garvin, who had an early look at the Toledo talent in the California Golden Seals training camp in Portland, Ore., announces that holdovers expected among at least 10 players the Seals will send to Toledo include goalie Pierre Chagnon, defenseman David Bates and forwards Willie Trognitz, Doug Mahood, Tom Sundberg, Jim McCabe and Paul Tantardini. Newcomers will include goalie Larry Hendrick, defenseman Doug Schoenfeld and right wing Greg Agar.Two Diggers from last year appear to have a good chance to stick with the Seals&rsquo; No. 1 farm club&mdash;Salt Lake. They are left winger John Martin and Moe Brunel, the latter the top goal scorer for the Diggers with 40.In addition, Toledo picked up Ken Wright, a defenseman, in the recent draft by league members of players on the defunct Des Moines franchise.Disposition of the draft-eligible players on the Des Moines roster was one of the chief functions during the IHL&rsquo;s meeting in Montreal recently. A total of 11 players were picked off with all but Muskegon, Saginaw and Columbus making selections. Kalamazoo, which had the first pick because of a lastplace finish, drafted three players. The K-Wings got high-scoring center Emile Demoissac, winger Pete Slater and defenseman Len Ircandia.DAYTON: The Gems selected defenseman Brian Anderson and goalie. Jerome Mrazek, from Des Moines. Coach and general manager Tom McVie also announced his first signing for the 1975-76 season&mdash;trainer Keith Parker, who will be starting his fourth season with the Gems&hellip;FLINT: The Generals&rsquo; picks from the Caps included defensemen Duane Bray and Dave Inkpen. The Flags also have signed IHL goal-scoring champion Doug Manchak to a two-year contract. Manchak sniped 61 goals for the Generals last season, who also have given Ken Carpenter a new contract as coach for the coming season with an option the following season.FORT WAYNE: The Komets drafted Terry McDougal, a center and a position the Komets were found wanting in last year. The Komets have also learned winger Jeff Ablett and center Brian Walker, members of the Komets&rsquo; championship club of two years ago, wi11 not be returning. The two have made a connection with a Swedish team in a European Senior League.PORT HURON: The Flags drafted Len Chalmers, a winger with considerable offensive potential and versatile Steve Stone, who can play either center or left wing. The Flags also have announced a working agreement with the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League and announced the signing of veteran Len Fontain. Fontaine joined the Flags late last season from the defunct Michigan Stags of the World Hockey League and scored 20 goals.SAGINAUW: While the Gears didn&rsquo;t become involved in the draft of Des Moines players, there has been some action involving personnel. Reggie Malinoski was traded to Toledo for a future consideration and former National Hockey League performer Reggie Fleming has announced he would not return &ldquo;due to business interests in Chicago.&rdquo;MUSKEGON: Muskegon coach and general manager Moose Lallo has announced a new radio policy for the Mohawks which includes full coverage of all Muskegon games&mdash;at home and on the road. In the past, only the third period of home games were carried on radio. Station WTRU will air the games with Mike Fornes, Muskegon&rsquo;s director of communications, doing the play-by-play.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-0275/3319375-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="566" height="587"><figcaption class="caption-body">DOUG MANCHAK&hellip;New Contract</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0036-01

Garvin To Ice Another Strong Toledo Team

MONTREAL&mdash;It&rsquo;s possible some International Hockey League teams will carry as many as six pros on their rosters before the 1975-76 season is over&mdash;and the post-season playoffs might include all five teams from the North Division and just three from the South.These possibilities evolved from the league&rsquo;s meeting in Montreal recently, held in conjunction with the National Hockey League gathering. Last season IHL clubs were permitted but four pros. The expansion to six would happen under these conditions: Once all teams have the last-season quota of four pros, a team may add a fifth. Should all nine teams add a fifth&mdash;or at least be awarded that opportunity&mdash;a sixth pro could be added. Six is the maximum, however.As to the playoff picture, the format calls for the top four teams in each division to compete. However, the South Division has only four members since Des Moines has dropped out&mdash;Fort Wayne, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo. The five teams in the North are Muskegon, Port Huron, Flint, Saginaw and Kalamazoo. The fifth-place finisher in the North will qualify if the team finishes with more points than the fourth place club. &#9632;

IHL Pondering Use Of 6 Pros Per Club

PORTHURON&mdash;After 11 seasons as one of the International Hockey League&rsquo;s most consistent scorers, center Ray Germain has announced his retirement. The 31-year-old veteran is leaving hockey to become manager of a sporting goods business in his native Samia, Ont.Last season was Germain&rsquo;s best in goal output. His 30 goals combined with 39 assists gave him the Port Huron scoring championship for the second season in a row. Germain leaves the IHL as one of the top 20 all-time skaters in games played, assists and total points. He crossed the 200-goal plateau last Jan. 11 in a game at McMorran Palace against the Fort Wayne Komets. &#9632;

Germain Ends IHL Career

<div class="byline">BY JACK GATECLIFF</div>TORONTO&mdash;The other 11 teams aren&rsquo;t about to concede but it would seem that only a minor miracle will prevent Toronto Marlboros from winning their third Ontario Hockey Association Major Junior A championship in the last four years.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-01105/3319461-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="298" height="403"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jerry Toppazzini</figcaption></div>To be sure the Marlies lost under-age juniors Mark Napier and John Tonelli to the World Hockey Association but even with the former in a Toronto Toro uniform and the latter playing with Houston, their prospects haven&rsquo;t dimmed appreciably.Last season the Marlies won more games (48), accumulated more points (105) and scored more goals (469) than any team in Ontario Junior A history.It is unlikely they will reach those lofty heights again but unless Hamilton Fincups jolt their crown loose, a championship seems almost inevitable.So rich are they in talent that coach George Armstrong released three members of their 1974-75 national champions, including regularTom Wells.With most teams Wells would have been a first stringer and he&rsquo;ll doubtless wind up with another club before the season opens.The Marlies have lost three players through the age limit in addition to Napier and Tonelli, a surprisingly low number for a championship club.Included among the returnees is goaltender Steve Bosco, an 18-year-old Oshawa native who will be starting his third campaign with the Dukes.Others such as Mike McEwen, Jim Kirkpatrick, John Anderson and Lynn Jorgenson give them plenty of experience.As if the Marlies didn&rsquo;t have enough going for them they also secured the services of Cary Farelli, the brilliant Sault Ste. Marie forward who has been with the club since it was founded and scored 140 goals and 185 assists the last three years.Farelli claimed he wanted to further his education in Toronto&mdash;he&rsquo;s in Grade 13&mdash;and after practicing with the Dukes a trade was finally made.The Greyhounds obtained Mike Kaszycki, a third-line forward with the Marlies last year, a second round draft pick and a player tobe named later.The junior A league this year has one more team (Windsor Spitfires) and for the first time since 1944 has split into two divisions.In the Hap Emms Division are the Marlboros, Hamilton Fincups, St. Catharines Black Hawks, Kitchener Rangers, London Knightsand Windsor.The Matt Leyden Division includes Oshawa Generals, Peterborough Petes, Kingston Canadians, Ottawa 67s, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury Wolves.HAMILTON: The Fincups made a dramatic climb from the poor cousins of the OHA two years ago to one of the richer relatives last season.Much of the credit has to go to coach Templeton who formed a tough, hard-hitting team which left their perennial position in the basement to vault into third place, then progressed through two rounds before losing to the Marlboros in a seven-game final.LONDON: The Knights were the most disappointing team in Ontario Junior A last season.Touted as one of the clubs to beat with 13 veterans on their roster, the Knights never really got untracked and tied with Sault Ste. Marie for ninth position, both missing the playoffs.Coach-manager Long is convinced things will be better.OSHAWA: Unflappable coachmanager Bodnar, who was rookie of the year in the National League away back in 1944 while with Toronto Maple Leafs, should have another pretty fair team although the Generals don&rsquo;t really look as if they are a threat for the title.Bob Gladney, Brian Dillon, Brian Drumm, Peter Vandemark, Paul Gardner and Glen Kirkham are among those back for another junior season and Doug Tingey has been impressive among the rookie crop.The Generals should make the playoffs&mdash;but it will be a close fit.ST. CATHARINES: After winning the Ontario championship in 1973-74, the Hawks tumbled to sixth and were eliminated four straight last April by Hamilton Fincups.Sophomore center Doug Caines should be in for a good year as well as defenseman Andy Edur but it won&rsquo;t be a vintage season in St. Catharines.PETERBOROUGH: The Petes made a peculiar trade when they sent Red Laurence to Kitchener in exchange for Bob Schnurr.Laurence was a 40-goal man in 1974-75, Schnurr scored only a dozen times but coach Neilson indicated there had been some sort of discipline problem.Greg Milne, who showed great promise in the nets a year ago, should give the club ballast there and Tony Cassola to gives every indication of developing into a fine all-round player.The Petes, though, will have to depend mainly on rookies and even Neilson, who has more tricks up his sleeve than the late Harry Houdini, will have to be a magician to match the legendary figure if the Petes are to do as well as their second place finish of a year ago.SAULT: The Greyhounds are entering their third year in OHA Major Junior A and have yet to come up with a playoff position.Manager Angie Bumbacco. who has been in hockey in the Sault longer than most people remember. hopes that their new coach Muzz McPherson from Winnipeg will provide the right attitude among the players to boost them into at least fourth place in the Leyden Division.OTTAWA: Kilrea is back for his second full season in Ottawa and after a fourth place finish, then elimination to Sudbury in the quarter finals. hopes to improve on a record which wasn&rsquo;t all that bad.Some in Ottawa feel the 67s have the best team since they entered the OHA Major Junior A eight years ago and from goaltenders Bob Daly and Jim Fraser out through the defense and forward lines are. on paper at least, well-balanced.WINDSOR: How the Spitfires will do on the ice in their return to major junior A is anyone&rsquo;s guess.But they are almost certain to do well at the box office.Exhibition games have attracted an average of more than 1.500. season tickets are going well and they&rsquo;re sure to draw fans from both their own city and Detroit.At last count they had won five and tied one of their pre-season games which indicates they may be not unlike Kingston Canadians who were strong in first year of topflight junior hockey.They&rsquo;ll be picked for the cellar but could provide some genuine surprises.KINGSTON: The Canadians attracted record crowds last season and are starting off the same wav this year.Barry Scully, injured in an offseason auto accident, was unable to participate in the early practices but is now back in good physical condition and will be one of the team leaders.The Canadians just squeezed intothe playoffs last spring with a dramatic late-season sprint. They should make it easier this time around.KITCHENER: The Rangers had their worst-ever record last year with only 17 wins and 40 points&mdash;19 points behind London and Sault Ste. Marie, who shared ninth.As the saying goes, when you&rsquo;re last there&rsquo;s no way to go but up&hellip;and the Rangers hope the rise moves them at least four or five notches higher.SUDBURY: The Wolves won their first-ever playoff series-last spring (over Ottawa) and Toppazzini will be happy with nothing less than an improvement over that feat.OHA MAJOR HOCKEY LEAGUE &#9632;

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Marlirs Still Everybody’s Favorites; OHA Returns To Two-Division Format

<div class="byline">BY GARY CLARK</div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTD Arnold Street. Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTD Arnold Street. Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaSYRACUSE&mdash;If the most recent signings announced by North American Hockey League teams are any indication 1975-76 should find the third year league growing ever stronger. Guy Trottier, Bobby Leduc, Jacques Caron, Steve Atkinson, Vic Teal, Rod Bloomfield and John Cunniff are just a few of the &ldquo;big&rdquo; names recently affixedto NAHL contracts.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-01127/3319499-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="270" height="411"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jacques Caron</figcaption></div>The ten-team Circuit completed its lineup of coaches for the coming season with the signing of Trottier by the Buffalo Norsemen and Leduc by the Maine Nordiques. Each will play as well as coach.The signing of Trottier was a major coup for the Norsemen since he formerly was a fan favorite in Buffalo when he starred for the AHL Bisons. Norsemen general manager Willie Marshall, himself an all-time AHL super star, enthused, &ldquo;I am sure we will have a popular coach as well as a standout hockey player. Guy should score between 40 an 50 goals a season for us.&rdquo;Commissioner Jack Timmins was thrilled by the signings of Trottier and Leduc. Said Timmins, &ldquo;Our goal is to be the premier league in all of minor professional hockey; having players and coaches like Bobby and Guy is exactly the reason that we will realize our goal.&rdquo;Despite the excitement caused by the Trottier and Leduc announcements, they are two of several top flight players who have recently inked NAHL pacts.The Syracuse Blazers created a stir in Syracuse when they announced that they had come to terms with goal tender Jacques Caron. Caron last year played for the Syracuse Eagles, and his signing represented a symbolic victory for the Blazers over the now dead Eagles. Syracuse papers ran first page pictures of Caron on the day after the signing.The Buffalo Norsemen assured themselves of having not just one but two superior right wings when they acquired the services of Steve Atkinson. Atkinson is a five-year NHL veteran who has had a long relationship with Buffalo area hockey. The Toronto native spent four seasons in Nigara Falls, Ont. with the Junior &ldquo;A&rdquo; Flyers. He spent four full years with the Sabres before moving on to the Washington Caps in 1974-75. 1970-71 was a 20-goal season for Atkinson in the NHL. Atkinson came to the Norsemen by way of the Sabres training camp where he had reported after gaining his release from the Caps.The Erie Blades made big news recently when they signed Vic &ldquo;Skeeter&rdquo; Teal to an NAHL contract. Teal, a center, was a one-time draft choice of the St. Louis Blues. He drifted out of professional hockey before returning with the New York Islanders organization three years ago. For the last two seasons he has been a leading scorer with the Islanders&rsquo; CHL affiliate in Fort Worth. He was a second team All Star there in 1973-74.NAHL Most Valuable Player Rod Bloomfield will be returning for his third season with the Binghamton Dusters. Bloomfield, the all-time NAHL scoring leader, signed a two-year contract with the Dusters. Bloomfield has been the heart of his team in its first two campaigns, skating regular shifts, power plays, and penalty killing; he regularly is on the ice for over 30 minutes per game.John Cunniff, fifth leading scorer in the NAHL in 1974-75 and winner of the Lenny Gagnon Memorial Trophy as the loop&rsquo;s most gentlemanly player, signed his second straight one-year pact with the Cape Codders. Cunniff is a Massachusetts native who will be entering the ninth year of his professional career.BEAUCE: The expansion Jaros have appointed Pierre Elair to the general manager&rsquo;s post. The Quebec team had earlier announced that Marc Picard would be their coach. Picard is the brother of former National Hockey League defenseman Noel Picard.The first player signed was defenseman Ron Fogal. Fogal played briefly with the Cape Cod Cubs during the NAHL&rsquo;s first season.BINGHAMTON: The extremely popular Dale &ldquo;Capt&rsquo;n Crunch&rdquo; McBain announce his retirement to return to his native Western Canada. Another blueliner, Paul Brown, has retired to the Dusters&rsquo; front office where he will handle the business and public relations duties of the team. The Dusters will not name a general manager to replace Ron Orr, who resigned over the summer. Brown and coach Wayne Clairmont will divide the duties formerly performed by Orr.BUFFALO: Buffalo opened training camp on September 22, earlier than any other NAHL team. The Norsemen welcomed over 30 players to the initial phase of their camp. Among the Sabres reporting were Larry Gould, brother of former Sabre John Gould. Larry played for the Seattle Totems in 1973-74 and 1974-75. Also on hand was goalie Peter Crosbie. Crosbie is a former high draft choice of the Bruins who has had NAHL experience with both Cape Cod and Binghamton.General manager Willie Marshall and coach Guy Trottier will wait to make most of their roster decisions until after the final cutdowns of the Sabres and Toros.CAPE COD: General managercoach Larry Kish has been attending the New England Whalers preseason camp in Hartford, Connecticut. Kish expects most of squad will be Whaler assignees, including defenseman Marty Gateman and goaltenders Cap Raeder and Bruce Landon. Expected to return from last year&rsquo;s Codders are defensemen Mike DeMarco and Mike Penasse. Already under contract to the Codders are left wing John Cunniff and right wing Ron Snell, who performed spectacularly in a late season stint last year.ERIE: The first Erie Blade to sign a 1975-76 contract was All Star defenseman Jim Pritchard. A second former Cougar to agree to terms was winger Paul Sheard. Possibilities to report to training camp include Meehan Bonnar, Dennis Andersen, Bob Craig, Gerry Andreatta, and local product Tim McQuistan.Robin Roberts Jr., who last year was with the Philadelphia Firebirds, has joined the Blades as director of operations. Jerry Hagerty is the director of sales and public relations for the Pennsylvania club.Coach Nick Polano will attend the training camps of both the Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders. Jake Milford and Bill Torrey, general managers of the Kings and Islanders, both expressed great satisfaction to have agreements with the NAHLJOHNSTOWN: The Jets will defend their Lockhart Cup with player help form the Minnesota Fighting Saints, with whom they had a working agreement last year, as well as the NHL Kansas City Scouts and WHA Calgary Cowboys. Jets executive director John Mitchell has had a long association with Scout GM Sid Abel dating back to their days together with the Detroit Red Wings.MAINE: The Maine Nordiques were busy in the off-season trade market, completing three separate deals. They traded high scoring winger Denis Patry, an original Nordique, to Philadelphia in exchange for Howie Colborne and Jim Jones. They also acquired goaler Roger Kosar from Binghamton in exchange for the NAHL rights to defenseman Don Craig. In a third deal they bought winger Ned Dowd from the Johnstown Jets.The Nordiques have 13 players already signed. Returning from last year&rsquo;s squad will be Paul LaRose, Jacques Blain, Claude Dupuis, Tom Pinder, Reynald Tremblay, Bob Murphy, Richard Guay and Denis Carufel. Others signed include Kosar, Dale Cook, Dowd and George Hulme.General manager Maurice Ducharme reports over 900 season tickets already sold, a sharp increase over last year&rsquo;s total. Norm Guay has been appointed to the newly created position of public relations director.MOHAWK VALLEY: Brian Conacher and Ted McCaskill in Indianapolis to assist with the Racers camp. The Comets have already been assigned frowards Ross Smith and Brian McDonald. Both will probably be unavailable until November. Smith has a broken ankle and McDonald is recovering form knee surgery Defenseman Billy Orr, long an EHL star and more recently a Toronto Toro and Syracuse Eagle, is in the Racers camp and has been invited to the Comets camp, which opened in Clinton on October 5.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-0282/3319492-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="524" height="599"><figcaption class="caption-body">GUY TROTTIER&hellip;Norseman Pilot</figcaption></div>PHILADELPHIA: General manager-coach Gregg Pilling has already come to terms with Mark Bousquet, Rychard Campeau, Pierre Henry, Dale MacLeish, Michel Plante Larry Mavety and John Barber, although some of them are in major league camps and have not signed yet. The Firebirds announced that they had been assigned Gordie Brooks by the Washington Caps. Brooks has played with the Caps and the St. Louis Blues for the last two years. Jamie Kennedy who starred for four years for the Jersey Devils in suburban Charry Hill, will join the Firebirds training contingent. Kennedy last year played in the Southern League. Most of the players assigned to the Birds by the Flyers last year will probably return for another season.SYRACUSE: General Manager-coach Dan Belisle has signed goaler Caron and former Clarkson standout Mike Conroy, who has two years of pro experience with the Omaha Knights. Not many of last year&rsquo;s Blazers are expected back since San Diego, the Blazers former parent team, is now working with Binghamton. &#9632;

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Major Signings Abound As NAHL Readies For Opening

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-0356/3319530-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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NAHL Affiliations

<div class="byline">BY RALPH BRIDGLAND</div>MONTREAL&mdash;Pre-season predictions are always a risky venture but the situation reaches the critical point when attempting to evaluate the probable finish of clubs in a league which is a total toss-up.Such is the case in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this coming season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-01110/3319561-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="276" height="428"><figcaption class="caption-body">Orval Tessier</figcaption></div>Last season the Sherbrooke Beavers rolled to the league title.The Beavers may again represent La Belle Province in the national junior championships but one thing is for sure; they won&rsquo;t get there as easily as they did in 197475.SHERBROOKE: The Beavers should skate away with another West Division pennant despite losing eight regulars from last year&rsquo;s club including three of their top four point producers.Captain Michel Brisebois, Sidney Veysey, Richard Mulhern and Claude Larose have all graduated to pro ranks leaving Jere Gillis (3857-95), Robert Simpson (38-47-85) and Peter Marsh (36-34-70) to carry the offensive load.Two things make the Beavers the favorites again and they are an excellent farm system and the coaching of Ghislain Delage.CORNWALL: The Royals should finish closer to the top spot than to third and could even push the Beavers to the limit.With Orval Tessier behind the bench you can always count on a winning season but this year a championship may not be out of the question.LAVAL: One player is keeping the Nationals from an excellent season, Robert Sauve.Sauve was the main reason the Nationals made it to the finals last season and now that he&rsquo;s gone coach Jacques St. Jean will have tosettle for a third place finish.Offensively the Nats are pretty well set with the likes of Michel Bossy, who tied for the league lead in the goal-scoring department a year ago with Normand Dupont of Montreal at 84.HULL: The Festivals appear to have lost too much offensive power to be a threat to the division leaders.Denis Pomerleau, rookie of the year in 1974-75, returns after netting 119 points including 52 goals.MONTREAL: New Juniors coach Jacques Laperriere faces a tough task in trying to keep his club above water in the Western Division.Overall the Juniors lack the depth needed to challenge and may just sneak into a playoff spot if the East teams are as weak as last season.QUEBEC: The Remparts finished in second place in the East Division last season, one-point behind Trois-Rivieres, but should reverse the tables this season.TROIS-RIVIERES: The loss of top point-getter Mario Rouillard (52-66&mdash;118) and second team All Star goaler Normand Lapointe will dislodge the Draveurs from top spot in the division.The club still has some scoring power left but not enough to lift them over the Remparts.SOREL: With five of their top seven scorers of 1974-75 returning this season, the Black Hawks appear certain to improve upon their 20-43-9 record of last year and a fourth place finish.If there is to be a surprise team in the East it could very well be the Black Hawks who, if things go their way, may challenge for the runnerup spot.CHICOUTIMI: The Sagueneens appear headed for another non-playoff season after just sneaking into post-season play last Spring.Look for the Sagueneens to battle Shawinigan for fourth place and the remote possibility of a playoff berth.SHAWINIGAN: The Dynamos finished with the worst record in the league in 1974-75 and while some improvement can be expected this season the club has too far to go to become a bona fide contender.Quebec Major Hockey League &#9632;

f0039-01

Beavers, Remparts Pennant Favorites

<div class="byline">BY STEVE WAID</div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY LTD Arnold Street Wallaceburg Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGER HOCKEY STICKS Made in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY LTD Arnold Street Wallaceburg Ontario Sold in U. S. and CanadaROANOKE&mdash;Although the Southern Hockey League is two years old, the 197576 hockey season could well be termed a new beginning for the league.Hanging on for its very life at the conclusion of last season, the SHL has taken upon itself to rectify more than a few problems and has done so admirably.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01108/3319606-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="278" height="419"><figcaption class="caption-body">John Brophy</figcaption></div>Now, the new season ahead for the league promises to be the one in which the league acquires some badly-needed stability and identity.One of the first steps the league took to righting its wrongs was to hire a commissioner, something the league had survived without for two years.Jack Riley, a former general manager for the Pittsburgh Peng-, uins of the NHL and a man well-versed in hockey administration, was given the job. Riley recognized immediately the problems and potential of the league and vowed to be a tough but fair commissioner.Then, the league added a badly-needed sixth team. When the 1974-75 season ended, the league was teetering on the brink of disaster, with Roanoke Valley, Greensboro and Winston-Salem wallowing in financial swamps.Roanoke Valley was reorganized through the efforts of a new group, Hockey, Inc., led by Roanoke radio executive Barry Hausman. Greensboro Sports, Inc., a group similiar in structure to the Roanoke operation, slavaged the Greensboro franchise and Winston-Salem righted itself with no transfer of organizations.Finally, when the efforts of a Norfolk group to keep the now-departed Virginia Red Wings of the AHL operable failed, Tidewater Sports, Inc., stepped in and founded the Tidewater Sharks.The Sharks became the SHL&rsquo;s sorely-needed sixth team. The Hampton Gulls and the Charlotte Checkers round out the SHL&rsquo;s sextet.The acquisitions of Riley and Tidewater seemed to bolster the league&rsquo;s hopes and those hopes rubbed off on SHL fans. Every franchise in the SHL reports increased season ticket sales, with some cities doubling last season&rsquo;s tally.The franchises said they learned from last year&rsquo;s mistakes and intend to see that the increased number of fans get their money&rsquo;s worth.So, with Riley holding forth the new SHL offices in Pittsburgh, one new team added to the fold and the other teams getting solid response from fans, the SHL&rsquo;s third and perhaps most critical season is get&mdash;ting off on solid ground.ROANOKE VALLEY:&mdash;Re bels have a new coach in Jack Chipchase, a former defenseman in Roanoke and Philadelphia of the NAHL last season. Also joining Roanoke fold is new general manager Bob Paine, formerly an assistant GM for Syracuse Blazers of NAHL.Reb fans want a winner like the championship of team of 1973-74, and Paine and Chipchase seek to oblige by signing veteran players.Joe Junkin, veteran goalie who played last season with San Diego of the WHA, heads list of veterans signed by Rebs. Also on that list is center Ted Hodgson, who played last season with Philadelphia of NAHL, Mike Morton, formerly of Greensboro, center Herman Karp, winger Howie Colborne, and Rebel veterans of last year Claude Piche, Ray Woit, Bobby Guindon, and Jerry Butler. Wayne Mosdell, five-year veteran defenseman and perennial All Star, has also joined the Rebel fold.Rebs have doubled season ticket sales from last season, and will play games in 10,000 seat Roanoke Civic Center and 4,500 seat Salem Civic Center.HAMPTON: Gulls are flying high under coach John Brophy and will likely be a power team, much like the team that finished second in 1974-75, first in league for Hampton.Gulls have solid working agreement with Cincinnati of WHA, even going to Stingers&rsquo; camp. It&rsquo;s this agreement that will probably help Gulls fill the bulk of their roster. Hampton gets first pick of Stingers&rsquo; available players.Association with Stingers may produce varied types of players. Murray Myers, young player with Vancouver (now Calgary) of WHA was traded to Stingers and could be Gulls&rsquo; property. Topping that, Gulls may land Art Stratton, ageless veteran who was once MVP of the AHL. Stratton is in Stingers camp and has said that if doesn&rsquo;t stick, he&rsquo;d be happy to play in Hampton.Gulls are shooting for 1,000&mdash;plus season tickets and will play games in 10,500 seat Hampton Roads Coliseum.TIDEWATER: Newest SHL entry hired veteran John Hanna (former coach of Cleveland Crusaders of WHA) as coach. Hanna promptly took Sharks to Crusaders&rsquo; camp in Kent, Ohio.Hanna sought out veteran players for his new team and signed Dick Sarrazin, a winger who has vast AHL experience. Mike Jakubo, leader of defunct Red Wings, also signed and is a prolific scorer. Hanna has also negotiated with goalies John Voss and Andre Gill, who played in Hampton last year.GREENSBORO:&mdash;Generals retained coach Garry MacMillan from last year but have moved into smaller Piedmont Sports Arena. Generals are counting on agreements with Washington Caps and Detroit Red Wings of NHL to produce players.Caps have responded by sending Craig Crawford, winger from New Brunswick. Mike Korney, Red Wings&rsquo; property, is also set to join Generals along with college products Lyle Carter and Kevin Neville, both goalies.Defensemen Virgil Gates and Chris Leach, and forwards Alvin White, Cam Colborne and Rick Loe set to return from last year&rsquo;s last-place team.CHARLOTTE: Checkers again have solid relationship with Buffalo Sabres of NHL under coach Pat Kelly.Buffalo expected to provide meat of Checkers&rsquo; roster, but veterans from last year also expected to help push Checkers to second-straight SHL title.Checkers announced that goalie Gaye Cooley, forwards Jack Wells and Gary Wood, and defenseman Guy Burrowes have rejoined team. Charlotte expected to top last year&rsquo;s season-ticket mark and will play again in 10,000 seat Charlotte Coliseum.WINSTON-SALEM: St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers of NHL will help PolarTwins fill up roster. Forbes Kennedy goes into third year as coach of P-Twins and team has yet to fail to make playoffs.Angus Beck is the only veteran player P-Twins have signed, but biggest help expected from Rangers-Blues hookup.P-Twins have doubled last year&rsquo;s season ticket output and will return to 6,000 seat Winston-Salem Coliseum.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-0267/3319599-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="566" height="704"><figcaption class="caption-body">JOE JUNKIN&hellip;Joins Rebels</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-0345/3319592-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="556" height="718"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE JAKUBO&hellip;Landed By Sharks</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0040-01

New Commissioner, Addition Of Tidewater Breathes Life Into Southern Ice Circuit

<div class="byline">BY BRUCE PENTON</div>CALGARY&mdash;The mood surrounding the opening week of the 1975-76 Western Canada Hockey League schedule was sombre due to the passing of one of the league&rsquo;s pioneers&mdash;Roderick N. (Scotty) Munro.Less than two weeks before the start of the 432-game schedule, Munro succumbed in a Calgary hospital to cancer at age 57. bringing to an end one of the most successful junior hockey stories in Canadian history.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01107/3319644-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="293" height="473"><figcaption class="caption-body">Clay Pachal</figcaption></div>He is survived by his wife. Rose, a daughter Dawn, and a son. James, currently general manager of the junior Calgary Centennials.Expressions of sympathy poured in from the four corners of the hockey globe. In Saskatoon. WCHL president Ed Chynoweth said: &ldquo;Not only our league, but hockey in Western Canada has suffered a severe loss.&rdquo; He said that had it not been for Munro&rsquo;s tireless efforts, &ldquo;many a young man playing professional hockey today might not be there.&rdquo;&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know of anyone more dedicated to boys and hockey in general than Scotty Munro,&rdquo; said Emile Francis, general manager of the National Hockey League&rsquo;s New York Rangers. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve lost a truly great friend.&rdquo;Perhaps Munro&rsquo;s closest friend in Western Canadian hockey circles was Ernie McLean, coach of New Westminster Bruins, defending league champion.For 11 years, Munro and McLean ran the Estevan Bruins junior hockey franchise. In 196667. when the original WCHL was formed. Munro, McLean and the Bruins were charter members.Then, in 1968, Scotty pulled up stakes, moved to Calgary to take over the Centennials and became a rival, instead of a comrade, of his long-time buddy. But their original comradeship remained intact in one respect: they continued to work for the betterment of junior hockey in Western Canada.&ldquo;When you are as close to Scotty and Rose as I was.&rdquo; said McLean, &ldquo;you don&rsquo;t break off ties just because there&rsquo;s a mountain between us. We&rsquo;ve had our differences, but we&rsquo;ve always thrashed them out. We&rsquo;ve always helped each other. Scotty, ever since I&rsquo;ve known him. enjoyed life to the fullest. God knows I&rsquo;ll miss him possibly more than anyone else connected with hockey.&rdquo;When Munro took over the Cents, they were the WCHL&rsquo;s most inept club&mdash;winners of just 13 of their first 116 games over two seasons. But under Munro&rsquo;s guidance. the Centennials finished a close second in the West Division with a 31-28-1 mark the first year.The late Bob Brownridge, then owner of the Cents, explained why he decided to induce Munro to take over his team. &ldquo;I wanted the smartest hockey man in Canada to pull the Centennials out of the doldrums.&rdquo; Brownridge said.Munro was born in 1917 in Swift Current, Sask., and started his coaching career in Yorkton at the age of 18. He later moved to Moose Jaw Canucks, where he coached such future hockey greats as Bert Olmstead and Emile Francis.Munro&rsquo;s hockey career then took him to Gravelbourg, Sask., and Lethbridge. He lived in Crows Nest Pass. B.C. and Humboldt. Sask., before settling down for those 11 fruitful seasons in Estevan.Prior to discovery of his illness this summer. Munro was appointed vice-president in charge of finances of the Calgary Cowboys when the World Hockey Association&rsquo;s Vancouver Blazers moved to Cowtown.But his first love&mdash;and what would have remained his first love&mdash;was the junior game. He will be remembered.Chynoweth said he intends to recommend to the WCHL governors that a committee be set up to see how the league might commemorate a lasting memory to Scotty Munro.Meanwhile, the league had its earliest start in history, with Winnipeg Clubs playing host to Flin Finn Bombers in the curtain riser Sept 30.WEST DIVISION: New West-minster Bruins. Ernie McLean, coach; Last year&rsquo;s placing third.The Bruins matured plenty during their romp to the WCHL playoff championship last year and a strong nucleus remains. The two biggest losses are center Barry Smith and goalie Gord Laxton. Up front, there&rsquo;s no lack of scoring, with veterans Fred Berry. Harold Phillipoff, Kevin Scha mehorn. Clay Pachal. Steve Clippingdale and Mark Lofthouse. The defense is led by 240-pound Barry Beck and sophomore Brad Maxwell, an All Star selection in last year&rsquo;s Memorial Cup playoffs.Edmonton Oil Kings. Doug Messier, coach, last year&rsquo;s placing&mdash;fifth.The Oil Kings flopped last year and some of the criticism was heaped upon the shoulders of Terry McDonald and Rocky Maze. The two veterans combined for 80 goals as 17-year-olds but counted just 44 last season. This year, reports are the duo are up for trade. Besides those potential stars, the Oil Kings are loaded with talent.EAST DIVISION: Saskatoon Blades. Jackie McLeod, coach; Last year&rsquo;s placing first.Defense is the only position that might cause McLeod even the slightest of headaches, but with the close-checking style Blades always play, that deficiency won&rsquo;t present much of a problem. Four of the top five scorers from 1974-75 are returning, including center Bernie Federko, top point man with 107Winnipeg Clubs. George Dorman. coach; Last year&rsquo;s placing&mdash;fifth.The Clubs have benefited from the over-age rule, adding three 20-year-olds with no previous WCHL experience. All three are forwards&mdash;high-scoring Jim Cruise and Marlin Vanrobaeys from Tier II ranks and hard-rock winger John Nelson, late of the University of Manitoba Bisons. The Clubs are solid in goal with veteran Lorne Molleken, have the best defenseman in the league (Kevin McCarthy), plus a good crew of returning forwards<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-0271/3319637-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="511" height="537"><figcaption class="caption-body">SCOTTY MUNRO&hellip;Dedicated Hockey Man</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0042-01

Sombre Mood Surrounds WCHL Opening With Death Of League Pioneer Munro

<div class="byline">BY JOHN ARNOLD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01102/3319675-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="931" height="1220"></div><h2>Solution in October 24 Issue</h2><h3>Across</h3>1. Pictured player.6. One of the Penguins answers to this.8. 1960-61 Stanley Cup, Champs.10. Nickname of baseball&rsquo;s Leo Durocher.11. Period of time.13. Man&rsquo;sname.15. 19th, 5th and 4th letters of the alphabet.16. Affirmative.17. Scoreless game.18. 15th, 4th and 12th letters of the alphabet.19. Number worn by Pierre Larouche.21. A St. Louis defenseman.25. WHA defenseman.27. A goal post is sometimes referred to as this.28. Former NHL forward.29. A St. Louis goaltender answers to this.<h3>Down</h3>1. An NHL forward.2. Last season&rsquo;s Stanley Cup champs.3. Boldirev used to be one.4. Pictured player usually wins one each season.5. Denotes scoreless tie.7. An NHL veteran defenseman.9. Initials of an NHL general manager.12. One of the North Stars.14. 1st and 5th letters of the alphabet.19. Temperature, (abbr.)20. Times in hockey history.22. Mouthing off to referee.23. An NHL coach answers to this.24. One of the Canadiens. (init.)26. One of the Toros. (Short for last name)27. One of the Bruins, (init.)<h2>LAST MONTH&rsquo;S ANSWERS</h2><h3>Across</h3>1. LAPOINTE7. VOCAL.8. IVAN.10. TALON.12. ALE.14. ERA16. RED.17. M.S.19. MEL.20. TEN.22. PETERS.24. RAH.25. ROTA.27. IRVIN.29. HEAD.30. C.G.<h3>Down</h3>1. LEITER.2. PHILADELPHIA3. IVAN.4. NON.5. T.C.6. EAGLES.9. V.O.11. ARE.12. ARMSTRONG.13. ED.18. R.N.19. MARSH.21. EST.23. ERIC.26. A.H.L.28. R.D. &#9632;

f0043-01

HOCKEY CROSSWORD

<div class="byline">BY BILL HILTS</div><h2>Michigan League</h2>The newly formed Great Lakes Junior Hockey League has unanimously elected Emil Radke as Commissioner of the &ldquo;A&rdquo; Division and William Gill as Com missioner of their &ldquo;B&rdquo; Division.The &ldquo;B&rdquo; Division of the GLJHL is composed of the Berkley Bruins, Dearborn Dolomites, Waterford Lakers and Flint Icelanders, according to League Secretary Gale Cronk. We noted earlier in this column that the &ldquo;A&rdquo; Division was composed of the Detroit Junior Wings, St. Clair Shore Saints, Southfield Chiefs and Allen Park Little Caesars.<h2>New England League</h2>Husky Poirier sends word that the merger of the Northeast and New England Junior Leagues has finally been completed and they will go with a seven team setup. Members will include the Berlin, N.H. Maroons; Fitchburg. Mass. Wallopers; Portsmouth, N.H. Great Bay Vikings; Tyngsboro, Mass. Huskies; Springfield, Mass. Olympics; Rockland, Mass. South Shore Braves; and Millis, Mass, Tri-Valley Squire.Jerry Pass of Hyannis, Mass, was re-appointed as NEJHL Commissioner for the &lsquo;75-76 season. Ronald Bettencourt of Tyngsboro was re-appointed treasurer.The Great Bay Vikings of Portsmouth, N.H. are planning a two week overseas tour. They have a tenative eight-game schedule against top junior teams in Sweden. The Maroons of Berlin, N.H. are planning an exhibition game tour that will take them into upstate New York, the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec.Poirier also sends along a sad note, telling of the Maroons former captain Roger Roy, who met an untimely death this past August, when his motorcycle crashed in Atlanta, Georgia. Captain Roy led the Berlin team to the New England title in the 1973-74 season.<h2>Mid-Atlantic League</h2>Richard Gutwillig, publicist for the Mid Atlantic Junior Hockey League sends word that ten teams are ready to take to the ice for that league&rsquo;s fourth season of operation. They will have two divisions. Northern and Southern. The Northern group will include: Philadelphia Junior Flyers, Shore Points Sharks, North Jersey Astros, Roc-Ice Juniors and Sport-O-Rama Saints.The Southern Division includes the Philadelphia Quakers, Hershey Junior lcers, Red Lion Hockey Club, Junior Firebirds and Northeast Dodge. The league is also considering granting Baltimore a provisional franchise in the league on a non-league basis this year and then move into the league on a formal basis in 1976-<h2>Midwest League</h2>Gigi Pilhofer, PR Director for the MJHL tells us that Nils Sundquist and Jerry Norman, owners of the Hennepin Nordiques, have named Mike Menard as coach of the new MJHL entry. A newcomer to Junior &ldquo;A&rdquo; coaching ranks, Menard is a 1970 graduate of Osseo High School in the suburban Twin Cities. Players from the now defunct St. Cloud Blues have been assigned to the new franchise and they will be at home in the New Hope Ice Arena.Gordy Lee, veteran amateur, prep and international hockey referee, will serve as referee-in-chief for the 1975-76 season.It&rsquo;s most interesting to note that the MJHL has produced 22 NHL and 17 WHA draftees in two seasons of operation. Another 42 &ldquo;graduates&rdquo; have received college scholarships, or bids to play as college varsity regulars. Four players have moved to the new Southwest Hockey League.President Jim Weber of the Austin Mavericks announced last week that Lou Vairo of Brooklyn, N.Y. has been named as the team&rsquo;s coach for the upcoming season. Vairo, who last year led the Bronx Shamrocks of the Metropolitain Hockey Association and has scouted for the St. Catharines Black Hawks and Sudbury Wolves of the OHA. He succeeds Leon Abbott, who has accepted a coaching position with the University of Alberta.Doug Larson, who has been active in amateur hockey as a player and coach for more than 20 years, has been named coach of the Bloomington Stars. Larson has been assistant hockey coach at both Minneapolis Edison and Bloomington Lincoln high schools, head coach at Minneapolis North and Richfield junior high, and has coached BAA and Lincoln pee wee and bantam teams. In 1974 he led the Faribault Butter Kernels of the Metro Hockey League.<h2>New York&mdash;Penn League</h2>Head coach Chet Kaifas of the Mang Sharks, the Niagara Falls, N.Y. entry in the NY-Penn League led his young icers against the Northeast Dodge Juniors of the Mid-Atlantic Junior League, in a pre-game contest to the Philadelphia Flyers vs. Buffalo Sabres NHL exhibition game. The game was played Oct. 3 in the Philadelphia Spectrum.The former Syracuse Junior Blazers have been re-organized and President Paul Cotton tells us that the team has been renamed the Syracuse Stars Hockey Club. John &ldquo;Jake&rdquo; Lovier, a successful high school coach, habeen named coach and general manager of the Stars. The team will continue to be associated with the Mid-State Youth Hockey Association. &#9632;

JUNIOR JOTTINGS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="C0004-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0004-01103/3319737-1-eng-US/c0004-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Hockey Night In Canada chief &lsquo;Ted&rsquo; Hough sees hockey telecasts returning to normalcy this season. He also expects an upshoot in viewer desirability.</figcaption></div>TORONTO&mdash;As anyone who follows hockey&rsquo;s heroics on television in Canada must know by now, the 1975-76 National Hockey League season will offer the Canadian viewing public substantial changes in the coverage patterns which have been the norm for the past decade.With the CTV network opting for a mid-week network movie package, rather than hockey (movies produce greater revenue for the network and affiliates) Hockey Night in Canada has signed an exclusive network package with CBC and Radio-Canada which will provide 26 Saturday telecasts, the All Star Game from Philadelphia on Jan 20 and a Stanley Cup playoff package that HNIC estimates will fall somewhere between 18 and 22 total games.The CBC package is essentially the same as it has been for many seasons; the network exclusivity is the one big difference.Mid-week hockey is still very much alive in the home markets of the Canadian NHL teams. Toronto and Montreal schedules have been confirmed and if coverage can be arranged, the Canucks will be on view, mid-week, in Vancouver.Canadian Sports Network Limited, which produces and packages Hockey Night in Canada and its French counterpart, La Soiree du Hockey, has successfully negotiated local telecasts of Leaf games with CFTO in Toronto on some 12 to 14 Wednesdays, a 10 to 12 game Wednesday package on CFCF Montreal and RadioCanada, plus an extension of the CFCF English language feed to the ATV Maritime network.&ldquo;Coverage of hockey in general, and on television in Canada in particular, has in-creased at a rather startling pace,&rdquo; said CSN president HE. &ldquo;Ted&rdquo; Hough, &ldquo;through the NHL&rsquo;s own expansion policy, the birth of the WHA, International series like the &lsquo;72 and &lsquo;74 Soviet-Team Canada matches. It has almost been what you could describe as an uncontrolled, runaway situation, with the various leagues, networks, individual teams and indeed the viewers themselves not knowing where to look next. The 1975-76 season should therefore represent somewhat of a return to normalcy.&rdquo;Although it was left unsaid, the departure from two network nights a week to one, the Saturday CBC telecast, might well have the effect of dramatically increasing viewer response to NHL hockey. Recent audience studies show that Hockey Night in Canada is maintaining its lofty position as the country&rsquo;s top male audience deliverer, but that the total audience, while growing each year, isn&rsquo;t keeping pace with the population growth in Canada. Less network hockey should make what is available that much more desirable, from both a viewer and advertiser point of view.CSN is able to confirm the latter, with both the English and French regular season Saturday telecasts sold out, and format changes to accomodate additional advertisers are being considered. Some time remains open for the playoffs, &ldquo;a not unusual situation at this time of year,&rdquo; CSN reports.The local mid-week packages will differ greatly from past seasons, when exclusive sponsorship was the rule. The regular sponsors will remain, but a high proportion of commercial time is being made available on a selective spot basis, the first ever departure from the sponsorship sales approach adopted by Hockey Night in Canada when the show was first televised back in 1953.Hough says there are two reasons why CSN has gone the spot route on mid-week games. &ldquo;One is the cost factor. We face the same soaring costs reflected in today&rsquo;s economy as everyone else does. The second, and equally as valid in our eyes, is the fact that there are a great many advertisers who have been unable to participate in NHL television because of the high dollar commitment levels demanded by network spon-sorship. The local spot availabilities and network format changes will provide the opportunity and the vehicle for many of these smaller budget advertisers to make a solid impact on a very large and loyal audience.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0004-0277/3319730-1-eng-US/c0004-022.jpg" title="C0004-02" width="562" height="1517"><figcaption class="caption-body">Teams like Toronto Leafs will again be seen on Canadian TV screens this year.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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October 17, 1975

Early Games May Tell Story For Revamped Wings

AHL STARTING TIMES

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This Year Will Be Different Predicts Chicago Coach Reay