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

December 31, 1976

The Hockey News December 31, 1976

<div class="byline">BY BUD GALLMEIER</div>TOLEDO&mdash;The South Division race in the International Hockey League is still a wide open affair but it's beginning to look as if the North Division is separating the men from the boys.&ldquo;Any team is just a weekend away from first place in our division.&rdquo; says To ledo manager-coach Ted Garvin. &ldquo;With the race as close as it is, I would think attendance throughout the league would start to rise. Every game seems to be a struggle. Those kind of games don't make it any easier on me, but it has to prove pretty exciting from a spectator stand-point.&rdquo;Garvin's Goaldiggers are even less than a weekend from first place as the 1976 protion of the IHL campaign approaches an end. Toledo is just one point behind front-skating Dayton. Columbus is a point back of Toledo&mdash;two away from Dayton. And Fort Wayne is just three points back of the Gems in last place.Kalamazoo, Flint and Saginaw appear determined to make the North Division a three-team race. All three are skating almost stride-for-stride. Muskegon and Port Huron have dropped back a little. But even the North race could change with a winning streak of even modest proportions from the &ldquo;tailender,'' Muskegon and Port Huron are only eight points behind Kalamazoo's first-place K-Wings.Port Huron and Muskegon can find hope in the recent surge of the Flint Generals. It was just a short time ago that Flint was locked in what appeared to be a death grip. The offense had lost its fire and the Generals couldn't win for losing. But the Generals have been the hottest club in the circuit of late, winning seven straight to equal the club's longest success string of record.Sparkplug of the Flint explosion has been Mike Clarke, who contributed a major portion of the firepower. During the streak, Clarke has raised his goal total to 15.Clarke was also one of the instigators of the &ldquo;Midnight Meeting&rdquo; on Nov. 20 which apparently generated the spark. &ldquo;We were in a period where players were coming and going. The guys didn't know if they'd be here tomorrow or not. We have pride, too, but it gets anyone down if he doesn't know whether or not he'll have a job. We got together and talked among ourselves. We decided to relax and play hockey the best we could and let things happen as they would,&rdquo; Clarke said about the famous meeting.And the Generals have been playing hockey every since.KALAMAZOO: The K-Wings continue to be consistent and capped the week with a 4-2 conquest of Saginaw at home to keep a grip on first place. Veteran Al Ge-novy featured the victory over Saginaw, played before 4.009 fans, with a pair of goals. The victory followed a three-game road trip during which the Wings picked up two points with ties at Saginaw and Port Huron. A loss to Flint launched the series.SAGINAW: The Gears' six-game undefeated string came to an end with the 4-2 loss at Kalamazoo but what concerns coach Don Perry more was the fifth link in the chain. The Gears played a 2-2 tie with Kalamazoo at home and Perry filed a protest after the game because the K-Wings dressed a full complement of 16 players. Perry insists the Wings should have put just 15 players on the ice.The hassle involves Jean-Marie Nicol, who has been in Saginaw most of the season where he manages an ice rink. It seems Kalamazoo claimed Nicol on waiver from Saginaw but put him right back on waivers without playing him in at least two games&mdash;which is an IHL rule according to Perry.&ldquo;I feel we have a good cause for a protest,&rdquo; said Perry. Kalamazoo coach Bob Lemieux insisted he had received permission from IHL commissioner Bill Beagn to place Nicol on waivers without having him play a game.MUSKEGON: Lack of a consistent offense has kept the Mohawks from improving their position. In three outings, Muskegon managed just seven goals&mdash;four of those coming in one game. And it was in a losing cause at that, a 6-4 loss at Columbus. The Mohawks suffered a 5-1 blitzing in Flint and managed just a 2-2 tie at home with Port Huron, their partner at the bottom of the heap in the North.PORT HURON: Coach Bobby McCammon made some lineup changes in an effort to pump some life into his hapless Flags but didn't quite get all he wanted. McCammon gave high-scoring Len Fontaine a couple of new wingers and the trio did produce one goal but the best the team could manage was a 3-3 tie with Kalamazoo. The stalemate raised the Flags' winless streak to eight games.Fontaine's new partners were Hank Lahvonen, normally a defenseman. and John White. &ldquo;I was looking for a combination,&rdquo; McCammon explained. &ldquo;White played wing in the playoffs last season.&rdquo; The trio combined for the goal on their first shift, Fontaine getting the goal.DAYTON: Bill Riley ended a brief scoring slump with a pair of goals and two assists as the Gems bombed Port Huron. 6-1, following a 2-2 tie at Toledo. The first-place Gems have won 11 of their last 13 games. And the success string has created somewhat of a problem for coach Larry Mickey.Sitting in the wings eager to get into the act is Brian Kinsella, who led the Gems with 43 goals and 88 points last season. Kinsella is sitting on the bench in Washington waiting for a recall to Dayton.&ldquo;How can I justify making changes now? &ldquo;, asks Mickey. &ldquo;Sure. Kinsella could be the best centerman on this team but we're winning. Who do I drop? I told the guys if they do the job they'd stay here. So far they are.&rdquo;COLUMBUS: Maybe the Owls have licked the home-ice jinx. While boasting the best road record in the IHL, the Owls nave struggled at home. And a 5-2 loss to Toledo added to the frustration, But coach Ron Ullyot apparently got a message to his players prior to the next home date with Fort Wayne, a team for whom his dad serves as general manager and is also part owner.&ldquo;I wasn't in there (pre-game meeting) for more than 15 seconds. But I guess they got the message. I told them I wanted 16 tough, aggressive hockey players out there or there was going to be some changes. I told them I wanted two points. &ldquo;The Owls responded with a convincing, 5-2 win. And after a 6-4 loss on the road to Fort Wayne, the Owls returned home to whip Muskegon, 6-4.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-01330/4170325-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="615" height="617"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE CLARKE &hellip; Sparks Flint</figcaption></div>TOLEDO: Ted Garvin is still looking for the right combination to push his Goaldiggers to the top. Toledo has been challenging Dayton in recent weeks but hasn't been able to sustain a winning streak which would get the job done. Hopeful for improvement, Garvin acquired the services&mdash;on loan&mdash;of center Jim Johnston from Flint. Garvin will have an option to purchase Johnston at the conclusion of the season.FORT WAYNE: Komet coach Ralph Keller welcomed the return of Brian Walker who has missed all league games because of a broken hand suffered during the exhibition season Walker, a sparkplug on the Komets' championship club four years ago, has scored two goals in the first three games he's played.Keller is also hopeful veteran defenseman Terry Pembroke will soon be back in action.<h2>IHL Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-03194/4170318-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="650" height="544"></div><h2>Where IHL Teams Play</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02265/4170311-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="645" height="858"></div> &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

North Division Battle Could Increase Gates

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-01860/4169431-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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NHL SCORING AND PENALTY STATISTICS

<div class="byline">BY PAT THOMPSON</div>TWIN CITIES-December never has been a month to prompt much joy and jolly for the Minnesota North Stars.Things were no different in 1976 as the North Stars reached their lowest point of the current season with the worst record in the NHL and the worst defensive statistics.No sooner did the Stars break one six-game winless spell that they started another spin of futility that had reached five (and counting) as of this writing.In an effort to turn the club around, the North Stars pointed to the success enjoyed by the Toronto Maple Leafs after they recalled rookie goalie Mike Palmateer.So general manager Jack Gordon and coach Ted Harris dialed up their New Haven Co-op (with the Rangers) in the AHL and summoned 21-year-old goalie Paul Harrison, 23-year-old center.Blake Dunlop and 20-year-old left winger Jim Roberts after the Stars were bombed. 11-4, by the Rangers.Harrison was put immediately to work against Pittsburgh and the following night against Atlanta. Net results? The Stars fell 6-2 in Pittsburgh and 5-0 to the Flames in the Minnesota.Harrison, the AHL's leading goalie with an 11-2-2 record, and Dunlop, who had one assist, were sent back to New Haven after the Atlanta game.&ldquo;I thought, maybe, that the recall of those players might perk up the team,&rdquo; said Harris. &ldquo;The opposite happened. It apparently had an unsettling influence and adversely affected our play.&rdquo;Dunlop, once a bright, young hope of the organization, was more bitter than he was remorseful, about the quick demotion.''Sure, I'd like to be traded,&rdquo; said the five-foot-11, 175-pound center who scored nine goals and 18 assists in his NHL rookie season of 1974-75. &ldquo;I can't understand why they signed me to the contract I have if they didn't plan to use me. I might see it if I was 33, but I'm 23.&rdquo;Dunlop already was starting to regrow his moustache before his departure for New Haven. The Stars have an edict on no facial trimmings.&ldquo;I shaved it off just to come here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I'm starting a new one.&rdquo;Dunlop, in a way, sounded almost happy to be returning to New Haven, which was contending for the AHL lead.&ldquo;What a difference there is playing in Minnesota and with the New Haven,&rdquo; Dunlop said.&ldquo;This team seems dead. In New Haven, there is that winning attitude and you can see it when everybody can't wait to climb over the boards and get into the game. How do you get this attitude? Winning is one way. A lot of it has to do with coaching, too.&rdquo;Dunlop, unfortunately, plays a position where the Stars have some semblance of depth. Also playing the position in training camp were Bill Hogaboam, Tim Young, Roland Eriksson and Glen Sharpley. Eriksson has been converted to wing, Hogaboam has played all three forward positions and Dunlop was sent to New Haven, where he was off to a tremendous scoring start with 27 points in 22 games.Roberts, who missed 12 games with a broken thumb, drew a recall by scoring seven goals and four assists in 10 games with the AHL team.That left him to contend with Richard Nantais, Ernie Hicke, Eriksson and Steve Jensen for two left wing slots.Harris was looking for the right forward combinations to rediscover the scoring punch which began sagging badly after Pierre Jarry suffered a knee injury and required surgery. It looks like another month or so before he will begin to work himself back into shape.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/c0004-01129/4170635-1-eng-US/c0004-012.jpg" title="C0004-01" width="563" height="1555"><figcaption class="caption-body">BLAKE DUNLOP &hellip; Wants A Trade</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Recalls Unsettle Floundering Stars

<div class="byline">BY TOM BURKE</div>BOSTON-The members of the press waited outside while the thunderous verbal chastisements reverberated off the McHugh Forum locker room walls.It was Bill Selman, coach of the St. Louis University Billikens, orating his coachly disapproval after his young team had let one get away against Boston College. After leading 2-0 in their third game in four nights, the Bills saw the Eagles draw within a goal late in the second period, and go on to post two more scores early in the third stanza for the win.It was the fifth win for BC in eight games dating back to 1970 between Eagles and Billikens, and like most contests in the series it had been tightly contested throughout.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-01328/4170180-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="599" height="647"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILL SELMAN &hellip; Need More Offense</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02249/4170173-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="601" height="626"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAN TSUBOUCHI &hellip; Hot Scorer</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I guess that's the way it's been for the first 10 games or so for us,&rdquo; grinned Selman later as he contemplated his crew's progress.'Either we pull our goaltender in the end or the other team pulls theirs. It always seems to be close this year. We've got to find a way to generate a few more goals.&rdquo;Three days earlier, Selman and his charges had journeyed to Burlington for two tussles with another familiar foe on their schedule, the University of Vermont. The Bills swept the set in noisy Gutterson Field House, 3-2 the first night and 4-3 the second. So just a goal separated the Bills from their first unbeaten swoop through major Eastern College ranks.The opener in Burlington saw St. Louis' goalie Lindsay Middlebrook make 34 saves to Tom McNamara's 31 in the Vermont nets. It took a breakaway goal by defenseman George Kryzer at 1:30 of the final period to provide the difference.The second evening was even closer, as UVM tied the game, 3-3, on Randy Koch's marker. But freshman Terry Kitching took a feed from sturdy Dan Tsubouchi in front of goalie Peter Reynolds and bagged the winner with a minute to play.After a day of travel and rest, it was Tsubouchi and Doug Lawrence scoring in the first and second frames, respectively, to put the Billikens up front against BC. Middlebrook turned back 17 shots in the first period alone, but a 15-5 advantage in third period shots spelled the difference for the Eagles in the end. Paul Barrett and Bill Army tallied within a two minute span to wrap it up.Still, some 10,000 Eastern College hockey fans had seen three nights of nailbiting hockey against a known but still novel opponent from outside the ECAC Division One sphere of influence. It was a welcome diversion, one which Brown University would have when St. Lou paid visit in early January.'I don't care. I'll play anyone, anywhere, &ldquo;said Selman when queried about his million-mile schedule.''Actually, I'm just paying return visits to some of these teams who've come to play us. Brown, BC, and Vermont have all been to The Arena. Providence is also on our schedule a lot.&rdquo;Since he began a hockey program from scratch at St. Louis in 1970-71, Selman has posted a 39-28-2 against a flock of Eastern upper bracket teams. Despite the lofty reputations of the Michigan Techs and Denvers of the West, St. Louis is one of the few clubs beyond Lake Cayuga that Eastern fans have been able to place a finger on. Selman's imaginative scheduling and enjoyable brand of play have made the St. Louis game an attraction despite its lack of effect on ECAC standings.The peregrinations of the St. Louis schedule have been in effect since an allfreshman sextet took to the ice six seasons ago.Originally an independent, St. Louis has been a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association since 1971-72, but only since the end of last year has a virtual guarantee been made that the CCHA champ will get a crack at the NCAA tournament via a playoff.If the NCAA selection committee decides that a &ldquo;worthy opponent&rdquo; as Selman puts it, exists outside the WCHA and ECAC Division One structur&eacute;s, it may decree a playoff between the worthy one and the second-place team distilled from the 10-team WCHA. The 17-team ECAC Division One will still send its winner and runner-up.Selman is naturally pleased. No longer does he need to defeat every major ECAC and WCHA foe in sight, hoping for recognition. A win in the CCHA should bring a playoff spot, although Bowling Green rates as the favorite in that loop. The Falcons didn't grow up quite as fast as the Bills, but they reportedly have the best goalie tandem in the country in Al Sarachman and Mike Liut. Reports seem accurate, judging by a recent sweep of 4-2 games over ECAC champs Boston University. Western Michigan, Ohio State, and Lake Superior State are the other returnees to the CCHA, and all are progressing well. Northern Michigan is a new entry.Despite geographical proximity, St. Louis has played only 34 games against WCHA foes over the years, compared with 69 against ECAC clubs. The strictures of the WCHA scheduling&mdash;32 league games of a maximum of 36&mdash;have shut the Bills out.&ldquo;There are some great natural rivalries we could build up between WCHA and CCHA teams,&rdquo; stated Selman. &ldquo;How many people do you think they'd draw in Kalamazoo for a Western Michigan-Michigan game? How about us and Notre Dame? But we can't get in, since they usually play BC and Harvard every year, plus two games with Bowling Green.&rdquo;&ldquo;I think we need a system like the East out here.&rdquo;<h2>HOW THEY STAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03194/4170166-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="687" height="2004"></div><h2>How NCAA RatesTeams</h2>Here are the results of the NCAA's first-ever hockey poll ranking the best American college teams in the country (team records shown in brackets):<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04151/4170159-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="625" height="455"></div>Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Boston College; Boston University; Cornell; Gustavus Aldophus; Harvard; Michigan Tech; New Hampshire; Notre Dame; and RPI. &#9632;

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SL Louis Impressive In Eastern Swing Before Losing Thriller To BC Eagles

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0002-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-011033/4168680-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Rangers' Rod Gilbert is doing all right for a guy who nearly had his career cut short by a serious back injury several years. Gilbert recently played in his 1,000th NHL game. For details see page 13. (Photo by Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div><h2>PAPPIN QUITS AGAIN</h2>CLEVELAND&mdash;Veteran NHLer Jim Pappin has retired for the second time and he says he's going to make it stick.The 37-year-old right winger of the Cleveland Barons, who has played 13 seasons in the NHL, told team GM Bill McCreary, that his retirement would be effective immediately. Pappin, the long-time Chicago Black Hawks' star, had been traded to California Seals but quit after injuries kept him sidelined much of the year, When the Seals were moved to Cleveland, close to his home, Pappin decided to give it another try. He quit after 24 games when a back injury gave him trouble. Pappin leaves the NHL with a career total of 278 goals.<h2>NHL, WHA JOIN HANDS</h2>TORONTO&mdash;Alan Eagleson, chairman of Canada's world tournament hockey program, said that Canada will send a suitable representative to the 1977 World championships in Vienna next April and says the 'Eagle'&mdash;"we just might win it.&rdquo;Eagleson said that players for the Vienna team will come from both the NHL and WHA and will be composed of players selected from teams that do not qualify for their respective league playoffs. Eagleson said a two-week training camp will be held and Canada will be ready. He added that just as the Russians played down the importance of the Canada Cup series, won by Team Canada, he will do likewise when Team Canada 77 goes to Europe. Eagleson said with the best players in both the NHL and WHA not available. Canadians must bring themselves to realize these kind of tournaments don't mean that much. &ldquo;You've got to send your best for them to count,&rdquo; was Eagleson's comment.<h2>CANUCKS TO CHANGE?</h2>VANCOUVER.&mdash;It is pretty certain the Vancouver Canucks will undergo a coaching change before the NHL week is out. GM-coach Phil Maloney said he would make a decision but it seemed that club directors were going to make it for him&mdash;move in Orland Kurtenbach as coach and leave the managerial load to Maloney.Maloney said he would fire himself as coach to make way for Kurtenbach to concentrate on putting a contending team on the ice. The Canucks are next to last in the Smythe Division after winning only four of their last 19 games. The move of Kurtenbach from the club's Tulsa farm club to the Vancouver coaching job, has been rumored for some time. Maloney is expected to complete the transition before the week's out.<h2>BOUCHA PLANS SUIT</h2>DENVER&mdash;Center Henry Boucha has been suspended by the Colorado Rockies because of visual problems. The NHL team said Boucha has not been effective and saw service in only nine games.Boucha was reported to be launching a personal damage suit against Boston's Dave Forbes as the result of his ouster by the Rockies. Boucha has double vision despite three operations to his right eye, which was injured during an altercation with Forbes back on Jan. 4, 1975. Forbes won a personal acquittal in a Minnesota law court of an assault charge brought by the state's district attorney. Now Boucha said he wants to sue Forbes for putting him out work with the hockey Rockies. &#9632;

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DEADLINE STOPPERS

<div class="byline">BY ALAN TRUEX</div>ATLANTA-Although it was due more to their losses at the box office than to their victories on ice, the Atlanta Flames have been attracting attention.With a record of 14-8-7 in mid-December, the Flames were by far Atlanta's winningest team, and they were also becoming its costliest.Ever since their inception into the National Hockey League, the Flames have been big on deficit spending, their five-year losses believed to total over $5 million.Their financial structure was so shaky by December that Georgia Gov. George Busbee and Mayor Maynard Jackson stepped in to lend their political hands. Busbee and Jackson talked with representatives of 40 of the state's largest businessfirms and received promises that the businessmen would each underwrite $25,000 worth of Flames tickets.A total of some $750,000 was raised to keep the team skating for the rest of the season. Earlier, club officials had said at least this much money was needed for the Flames to survive the 1976-77 season.Principal owner Tom Cousins said the team would be forced to consider moving if it could not function on a break-even basis in Atlanta. Cousins estimated that to break even, the club would have to average 13,000 fans a game. The average this year has been around 10,500.In trying to secure funding for the Flames, Gov. Busbee emphasized the importance of professional sports to the city and state's economy.Meanwhile, the Flames players did not let all the financial distractions interfere with their on-ice performance. At the time of Busbee's meeting with the businessmen, the Flames had lost just one of their last 13 games, were unbeaten in their last six and had sole possession of second place in the Patrick Division, just three points behind the New York Islanders.The club was benefitting from surprisingly stable play from rookies Bill Plett, Richard Mulhern and David Shand. Mulhern, a six-foot-one, 195-pound defenseman, leads the NHL's rookies in assists. Shand, just out of junior hockey, has been a flashy puck-carrying defenseman. Right winger Plett joined the team from Tulsa in December and proceeded to score eight goals and 16 points in his first 13 games in the league.The Flames moved to strengthen their lineup even more by acquiring hockey's most anonymous 30-goal scorer, right winger John Gould.Atlanta general manager Cliff Fletcher dealt defenseman Larry Carriere and Hilliard Graves to Vancouver for a second-round draft choice next summer and Gould, a 66-goal scorer the last two seasons.The 27-year-old Gould was expected to provide a much better right wing shot than Graves, and Gould is also considered a smarter positional defensive player than the roaming Graves.The Flames were not expected to miss Carriere, since Fred Creighton likes to play a five-man defense, and the personable &ldquo;Hawk'' was simply not one the team's top five defensemen.Gould was surprised by the trade, even though he knew the Canucks, with a 6-19-2 record at the time, were contemplating a housecleaning, even if it meant throwing out their best furniture.&ldquo;I'm not saying I thought I couldn't be traded,&rdquo; Gould said. &ldquo;But the names most frequently mentioned were Don Lever, Dennis Ververgaert. Bob Daily and Mike Walton. I thought maybe those guys were going first.&rdquo;Gould admitted, &ldquo;I wasn't playing as well as I could. Nobody was scoring, put it that way. Maybe the change of atmosphere is what I need.&rdquo;FLAME NOTES: Playing successive games against the Minnesota North Stars, Tom Lysiak had eight shots on goal and scored twice in Bloomington, and followed that performance with eight shots and one goal two days later in Atlanta.Phil Myre's third shutout of the season, in Minnesota Dec. 8, tied him with Ed Giacomin and Glenn Resch for the shutout lead. &#9632;

Atlanta Businessmen Shell Out To Rescue Struggling Flames

<div class="byline">BY GARY MCCARTHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011040/4168735-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Guy Lafleur of Canadiens makes moves that most players only dream of. (Photo by Robert Shaver)</figcaption></div>MONTREAL-Guy Lafleur more dangerous than at any other time during his National Hockey League career? Well, if you listen to his coach and teammates. Lafleur has become more dangerous than at any other time.&ldquo;This year, he seems to be able to get along by himself,&rdquo; says goalie Ken Dryden. &ldquo;The result is that he creates his own openings. His play on offense seems to be much more varied than it was a year ago.&ldquo;He appears to be able to get by more than one player more often than before and he has been able to maintain his habit of making fakes and moves at full speed.&rdquo;The speed is Lafleur's secret, says Scotty Bowman, coach of the defending Stanley Cup champions.&ldquo;Several times, he'll come back to the bench and won't even be breathing hard,&rdquo; says Bowman. &ldquo;He doesn't tire easily.&rdquo;Claude Ruel, one-time coach of the Canadiens who now is an assistant coach with the club, says Lafleur seems to dominate every game he plays.&ldquo;That's because he goes after the puck and he has the puck more often,&rdquo; says Ruel. &ldquo;Before this season, once he got his stick on the puck, he'd pass it off to his center or to a defenseman. Now, he leads the attack himself. And, when he wants to skate, everyone knows what he can do.&rdquo;Rejean Houle, who is back with the Canadiens this season after a three-year stint with Quebec in the World Hockey Association, says Lafleur has the ability to fake both to the right and the left.&ldquo;There aren't many players who can do that and that gives him a big advantage against defensemen because they never know which direction he's going to go,&rdquo; says Houle.&ldquo;Most of the other players have a weakness and after a couple of games, defensemen from the other teams catch on. But, they can't take that chance with Guy.&rdquo;Lafleur, who was the Canadiens' first-round draft choice in the 1971 amateur draft, has had 50-goal seasons the last two years and there is no doubt that he'll reach that figure once again this season.He won the National Hockey League scoring championship last season and if he continues his current pace, there's no doubt that he will walk off with the Art Ross Trophy once again.After 32 games this season, Lafleur was sitting at the top of the NHL's individual scoring race with 24 goals and 27 assists for a total of 51 points.He has always been a big goalscorer and in his final year of junior with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, he potted 130. Some players don't score that many in a career.Lafleur appears to have become the complete hockey player this year while operating on a line with Steve Shutt and either Pete Mahovlich or Jacques Lemaire at center.He has become just as defensive-minded as he has offensive-minded and back-checks as ferociously as he does when he skates at full speed on offense.&ldquo;I'll never accept losing,&rdquo; says the soft-spoken Lafleur. &ldquo;Never The law of averages is bound to catch up with us, but that's no excuse for a bad performance.&rdquo;Lafleur reflects the attitude of the Canadiens as a team. Since their conquest of the Philadelphia Flyers in four straight games in the Stanley Cup final last spring, they have accepted the fact that they shouldn't lose, that they are the best and that they know it.Guy Lafleur wants to be a leader on this Montreal team. He fills the role partly by his play on the ice.Lafleur has also been the target of complaints by opposition players around the NHL.&ldquo;Lafleur is dangerous with his stick,&rdquo; says Chicago veteran center Stan Mikita. &ldquo;He doesn't stop hooking or giving you little shots.&rdquo;Grant Mulvey, one of the Chicago giants, says in future he won't back down from giving Lafleur a taste of the same thing &ldquo;even if he is a big star and one of the best players in the league.&ldquo;He's always got his stick in the air and he's lucky he doesn't get more penalties.&rdquo;Lafleur was surprised to hear the remarks.&ldquo;I didn't know that I was getting a reputation like that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But, I don't feel bad because I get a few shots with the stick during a game. Especially around the nets.&rdquo;It just goes to show that no matter what the opposition tries to do to slow him down, he bounces back harder than before&mdash;adding to his versatility and making him one of the great players in the game today.HABS NOTES: Defenseman Larry Robinson made the trip to Colorado with the Canadiens but he was a doubtful starter. Robinson suffered a back injury against the New York Rangers when he got tangled up in Ken Hodge's stick. &#9632;

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LAFLEUR MORE DANGEROUS THAN BEFORE

MONTREAL&mdash;The name Lafleur has almost become synonymous with the Molson Cup in Montreal.The winner of the Molson Cup the past two seasons, Guy Lafleur was selected as one of the post-game three stars 10 times during Montreal's first 26 games of the 80-game schedule. The Canadiens' high-scoring right winger won the first segment of the voting over teammate Larry Robinson.In Toronto, Borje Salming managed to overcome a very slow start and take a commanding lead in the Maple Leaf race for the Molson Cup.Out in Vancouver, veteran goalkeeper Cesare Maniago took the first segment award and holds a comfortable lead in the overall race for the Molson Cup competition. Maniago managed to win the award despite missing several games with a pulled thigh muscle.Robinson, John Gould, then with Vancouver, and rookie goalie sensation Mike Palmateer of Toronto were the runners-up and each received a cheque for $500. The winners in each of the three cities receive a cheque for $1,000. &#9632;

Lafleur, Salming, Maniago Leading Molson Cup Poll

<div class="byline">Ken McKenzie's</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011091/4168811-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="474" height="482"></div>&bull; AFTER TEN years of NHL expansion play there are 52 players in the NHL this season who were playing in the old six-team league back in 1966-67&hellip;Ray Miron and his Colorado Rockies associates have assembled almost a brand new team. There are 14 members of the Rockies who weren't with Kansas City Scouts a year ago&hellip;The Rockies are one of the youngest clubs in pro hockey and many times coach Johnny Wilson starts five players who are 21 years of age. The club is playing exciting hockey and the fans are starting to attend the games in larger numbers&hellip; Islanders' Denis Potvin still has a stiff neck as a result of his collision with Toronto's Lanny McDonald. Potvin wears a cushioned collar around his neck when playing&hellip;No less than 30 different players suited up for at least one of the Washington Capitals first 27 games&hellip; There are only three charter members still with the Caps. They are Yvon Labre, Ron Low and Gordie Smith, who spent parts of the first two years in the minors. Smith has been acting captain during Labre's convalescence with a dislocated shoulder&hellip;Minnesota North Stars board of directors showed faith in the rebuilding program of the team despite this year's terrible record by refinancing at a reported reinvestment cost of $2 million. One estimate place losses for the last two years at $5 million.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021046/4168804-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="316" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body">Gord Smith</figcaption></div>&bull; WINNIPEG JETS 6-5 win over Czechoslovakia carried across Canada on the CTV network was one of the most exciting games played this season. The Jets started the third period behind 4-0 and then went out to score five straight goals. The Czechs tied it up before Winnipeg went ahead to stay. Every game in this exhibition series between the Czechs and WHA teams has been played to sellout crowds&hellip;Ron Schock of the Pittsburgh Penguins has failed to score on three penalty shot opportunities. He's one of the hardest working players in the NHL but he has no luck when it comes to taking a penalty shot&hellip;Some of hockey's best reading appears in the January issue of HOCKEY PICTORIAL-WORLD. The story by Earl McRae on Robin Sadler: &ldquo;The Kid Who Turned His Back on the Pros&rdquo; is one of the finest hockey pieces ever written. Also &ldquo;The Bobby Orr Story They Tried to Suppress&rdquo; is another great one. A subscription to the all-new HOCKEY PICTORIAL-WORLD is something every keen hockey follower can't be without. See subscription form on page 36 of this paper The World Hockey Association plans to cut their schedule next season Each team will play 10 less games&hellip; The WHA is also trying to arrange a Spring series each year with top European teams&hellip;Players on the Atlanta Flames address their 20-year-old rookie Guy Chouinard as &ldquo;Gramps 'He's the oldest-looking rookie in the NHL, they explain Cliff Fletcher is surprised at the fast development of some of the Atlanta Flames' younger players. &ldquo;I never thought we would have six rookies on our team at this time,&rdquo; he said, Vartan Kupelian. Detroit correspondent for THE HOCKEY NEWS, suffered a ruptured achilles tendon playing racquetball The leg will be in a cast for six weeks &hellip;For the first time since they entered the NHL the Buffalo Sabres have only two players among the league's top 25 scorers. Last year at this time the Sabres had four players in the league's top 25&hellip;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-03941/4168797-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="323" height="516"><figcaption class="caption-body">Guy Chouinard</figcaption></div>&bull; MINOR PENALTIES were down 10 percent this year for the first 100 games played in the NHL over the same period a year ago Major penalties were down four percent for the same number of games&hellip;Detroit Red Wings would like to trade the rights of Reed Larson, tough defenseman with the U of Minnesota, to the Minnesota North Stars. He could be a major factor in bolstering the North Stars weakest spot&hellip;Denis Dupere of the Colorado Rockies scored shorthanded goals in three straight games recently. The record for most shorthanded goals in a season is 10, set by Marcel Dionne two seasons ago&hellip;Gary Dornhoefer was given a standing ovation by the partisan Philadelphia fans when he garnered his 300th career assist the other night. The response actually was for his 10 years of dedicated work with the Flyers&hellip;The New York Rangers with five rookies in their lineup average two years less per player than the expanionst New York Islanders. Rangers average 24 years to 26 for the Islanders&hellip;Goal scoring has been about the same this year as last. After 240 games this season in the NHL the 18 teams had notched 1,584 goals compared with 1,590 for the same number of games a year ago&hellip;Canadiens' Doug Risebrough is wearing a new knee brace&hellip;Vic Hadfield of Pittsburgh played his 1,000 game recently. He's the 40th NHL player to reach this milestone&hellip;And speaking of milestones, A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to all of our readers.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-04839/4168790-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="318" height="508"><figcaption class="caption-body">Gary Dornhoefer</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0004-01

PASSING THE PUCK

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-05700/4168842-1-eng-US/f0004-052.jpg"></div><h2>Recommendation To Do Away With Divisions</h2>Mr. Pat Snyder of Georgetown, Pa., is right. The division set up in the National Hockey League is unfair.It is unfair especially to clubs that reach more points than others by not making the playoffs.Why not one division with the top eight teams qualifying for postseason play? It would reduce the dragging out of the hockey season, and the best eight clubs would be in the playoffs, deservedly.The hockey fans are getting tired of watching hockey in June. The increasing international contests will further lengthen the season. Why the overskill?K.H. FRICKE, Thompson, Man.<h2>Penguins Problem Their Own Making</h2>I am writing in reply to the letter from a Pittsburgh fan who complained about the division set up which found the Penguins in the same division as Montreal.Instead of complaining that Pittsburgh's chances are hampered by the set-up, he should worry if they went into another division.At the present time, if Pittsburgh was in the Patrick Division, they would solidly be in last place, six points behind the fourth-place Rangers.If they were in the Adams Division, they would be in fourth place (which is not good enough for a playoff spot) with the Cleveland Barons being in last place.It would seem to me that the problem is not the division that Pittsburgh is in, but the Pittsburgh Penguins team itself.PAT HERVEY,Brooklyn, N.Y.<h2>NHL Should Change A Few Teams Around</h2>The National Hockey League divisions are all pretty good, except for one. The Smythe Division is the weakest in the league and should have a few changes.Chicago and St. Louis both have under 25 points. Los Angeles. Pittsburgh. Toronto, Buffalo. Atlanta and Philadelphia all have more or very close to 25 points but still are not in first place.All the power is in the other divisions and a team from the Smythe Division will never win the Stanley Cup.Therefore, I would put Atlanta and Pittsburgh in the Smythe Division and take out two teams from the Smythe&mdash;two of the weaker teams.This may make the Smythe Division stronger and have more competition. Although I am a loyal Boston Bruins fan and know the Bruins are going to win the Cup, I had to make this point about changing a few teams around.ALLAN CAVA,Thunder Bay, Ont.<h2>Europeans Deserve More Exposure</h2>I find the contents of THE HOCKEY NEWS extremely interesting but am rather disappointed at the very little European coverage. I appreciate that this is not of interest to your North American readers, but just a few paragraphs each week would be something.You are probably aware that Detroit sent a team to London, playing at the Empire Pool. Wembley, and undertook an extensive European tour, with the promise of a European League for 1974-75.This was put off for one year due to difficulties in arranging fixtures and another year has passed and still no sign of developments. I have written to Bruce Norris requesting information but have not received a reply.I feel the British fans have been badly let down by this lack of action. Wembley seats 8,000 for hockey and the team was getting good support-even when playing three games in a week. With a league team playing one game at home a week, it would prove a success.National Hockey League and World Hockey Association teams are quite prepared to take the best of the European players but do not seem interested in putting anything back.W.A. WYLES,Crawley, Sussex, England.(EDITOR'S NOTE: THE HOCKEY NEWS covers the European Scene twice each month. For the latest developments in European hockey, see Page 15 of this issue.)<h2>Hawks' Star Orr Lacks Common Sense</h2>I became a Bobby Orr fan the year before he ever put on a Bruins' uniform.Every sports page in town said the Bruins worries would be over when the young rookie reported to training camp and they were right.I saw Bobby play against his old teammates the other night and it hurt me to watch him almost as much as it hurt him to play.He might have hockey sense, but he lacks common sense. I wish&rdquo; his doctors would get smart and make him hang up his skates.Someday, I would like to see &ldquo;the Boy Wonder&rdquo; walking behind, and not limping behind, a Bruins bench.BOB AHERN, Dorchester, Mass.<h2>Ranger Kids, Vets Are Looking Good</h2>I think the New York Rangers have been playing very well lately.Their rookies have been working extremely well and the veterans have never looked better. They really have been checking, skating and of course, killing off penalties.I think with a little more patience and confidence, we Ranger fans will have a winning team. Keep up the good work Rangers.KELLI LICATA,Pelham Manor, N.Y. &#9632;

f0004-05

FAN FORUM

<div class="byline">BY HARRY KLAFF</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-01943/4168897-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILLY MacMILLAN&hellip; Playing With Mixed Emotions (Photo by Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div>LONG ISLAND&mdash;Today's pro hockey player comes from diversified backgrounds, and the odds are you couldn't get them to agree on more than a handful of subjects. But one thing they'll all support is the notion that is is better to play than to sit. Much better.Every team has its reserves: the ones who sit on the bench waiting for the coach to send them out for the odd shift. For some it is even worse, they must sit in the press box as the odd-man-out, then travel downstairs after the game to either congratulate or console his &ldquo;teammates.''Islander winger Bill MacMillan knows that feeling very well. Although he's been a part of the NHL scene since 1970, Bill has been a 100 percent regular really once in his career&mdash;when he was a rookie with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The rest of the time he's been a spear-carrier for the Atlanta Flames and the Islanders.&ldquo;It's something you have to get used to,&rdquo; says MacMillan, who has scored 71 goals in six-and-a-half part-time seasons. &ldquo;You know you want to play, and deep down you tell yourself that you can do it. Then it's a matter of getting the breaks.&rdquo;After being used sparingly by coach Al Arbour over the first two months of the campaign. MacMillan finally got his chance to be a regular early in December. But it was with mixed emotions that he accepted his new role.&ldquo;There are two reasons that I'm playing regularly now, but they aren't the ones you like to see,&rdquo; said Bill candidly. &ldquo;First, Garry Howatt got hurt (injured knee), and it took him a while to get back in shape. And second, we starting losing. That's when Al started to shake the lines up.&rdquo;As the Islanders went on to lose five of six, Arbour juggled his lines to the point that even the most avid Islander-watcher might have had to resort to a program to see what was going on.The boldest move was to break up the Long Island Lightning Company Line of Bryan Trottier, Clark Gillies, and Billy Harris, which at times this year looked more like the Great Blackout. He moved Bob Bourne up to center on the unit, while dropping Trottier between MacMillan and Eddie Westfall. Bob Nystrom&mdash;the club s leading goal scorer, took Westfall s spot alongside Jude Drouin and J.P. Parise.MacMillan's line first took a regular shift against Buffalo on Dec. 4, as the Isles looked to snap a three-game losing streak. They were on the ice for only a few seconds when Mac gobbled up a loose puck at the red line, and slipped it to Bryan Trottier, who blasted a 35-footer off Gerry Desjardins' pad into the net.Trottier notched his second goal of the game later on, also on an assist from MacMillan, and the New Yorkers went on to shutout the Sabres 3-0 behind Chico Resch. Three nights later, MacMillan helped set up Westfall for the Islanders' first goal of the game against St, Louis, a 4-2 victory which produced a modest two-game winning streak out of what had previously been nothing but bad news.&ldquo;I think now I'm at the point where I had to play better.&rdquo; said MacMillan of his new line's success. &ldquo;The coach told me I wasn't doing anything, and I wouldn't be around this league much longer. Maybe he told the other guys the same thing.&ldquo;But I'm glad I got the chance. It was getting so hard to come down to the dressing room. The guys know you're a part of the team, but it's not the same. The hardest part was to keep ready mentally in case the chance came, which it did.'Depth has become an Islander strong point in recent years, notably because of the presence of MacMillan and penalty-killer Lome Henning. Nobody likes to see a teammate get hurt, but Arbour knows he can juggle the pieces to get by in almost any emergency.That's when everyone belongs to the team.ISLAND SOUNDS: Resch was the surprise starter in the Buffao game because Bill Smith had a history of success against the Sabres, and the latter had performed well in the previous loss to Pittsburgh. But the result was Resch's third shutout&hellip;Denis Potvin didn't miss any action after suffering a neck injury against Toronto on Nov. 30th. He was fitted with a special collar&hellip;The April 2 game against Boston has moved to the afternoon so as not to conflict with the Jewish holiday. The Islanders had received many complaints in October when two pre-season games fell on holy days. &#9632;

f0005-01

Isles' MacMillan Making Most Of New Opportunity

Following are the latest player movements in hockey:<h2>NATIONAL LEAGUE</h2>BOSTON &mdash; Darryl Edestrand, defenseman, assigned to Rochester of AHL, later recalled. Ray Maluta, defenseman, sent to Rochester as replacement. Earl Anderson, forward, recalled from Rochester.BUFFALO &mdash; Ken Breitenbach, defenseman. assigned to Hershey of AHL.CLEVELAND - Jim Pappin, forward, announced retirement from hockey. Frank Spring and Ken Kuzyk, forwards, and Brent Meeke, defenseman. recalled from Salt Lake of CHL with Barons putting Mike Christie, Len Frig, Gary Sabourin and Fred Ahern on disabled list.COLORADO - Doug Favell, goaler, returned to active roster from disabled list for first time in two months. Henry Boucha, forward, placed on suspended list because of visual problems. Phil Roberto, forward, released as free agent. Jim McElmury, defenseman, and Larry Skinner, forward, recalled from Rhode Island of AHL as replacements for Bryan Lefley, and Colin Campbell, defensemen, both of whom are on disabled list. Don Cairns, forward, assigned to Oklahoma City of CHL on loanDETROIT &mdash; Peter MeDuffe, goaler, recalled from Rhode Island to replace Ed Giacomin, goaler, who is on disabled list.NEW YORK - Peter Soetaert, goaler, and Greg Helst, forward, recalled from New Haven of AHL as replacements for John Davidson, goaler, and Pete Stemkowski, forward, both of whom are on disabled list for 10 days with sprained knees.PHILADELPHIA - Jim Watson, defenseman, placed on disabled list Steve Short, defenseman, recalled from Springfield of AHL and reassigned to Fort Worth of CHL.TORONTO &mdash; Gord McRae, goaler recalled from Dallas of CHL as replacement for Mike Palmateer, Goaler, who is on disabled list with eye injury. Randy Carlyle, defenseman, assigned to Dallas.LOS ANGELES - Bart Crashley, defenseman, recalled from Fort Worth and reassigned to Springfield of AHL. Don Moores, forward, and Mario Lessard, goaler, recalled from Fort Worth and reassigned to Saginaw of IHL.MONTREAL &mdash; Dave Elenbaas, goaler, recalled from Nova Scotia of AHL as replacement for Ken Dryden, goaler, who is on disabled list with broken toe.ST. LOUIS - Brian Ogilvie, forward, returned to Kansas City of CHL.VANCOUVER - John Grisdale, defenseman, assigned to Tulsa of CHL.<h2>WORLD HOCKEY ASSN</h2>EDMONTON &mdash; Bob Nevin, forward, returned to active roster from disabled list.CINCINNATI &mdash; Dale Smedsmo, forward, sold outright to New England.BIRMINGHAM - Jim Marsh, defenseman, recalled from Syracuse of NAHL on 10-game trial. Wayne Carleton, forward, joined team for 10-game trial. &#9632;

Hockey Players On The Move…

<div class="byline">BY JACK MCCARTHY</div>BOSTON-The Bruins were coming up on the Christmas season with very little to be jolly about unless they pulled an about-face abruptly out of a tailspin that found them going 1-6-1 and losing four games in six days in mid-December.As coach Don Cherry put it, &ldquo;Everybody has his stick in sawdust&hellip; We're definitely too tight&hellip;'' That they were, and taking two bench minors for sassing referees didn't help them much, either, as they were wounded both times.The first incident occurred in a game with the Flyers at Boston Garden, in which referee Bruce Hood, never a favorite in Boston, or of Boston, called a bench minor against the Bruins with the score 2-1 Philadelphia, with 3:57 left to play, and Boston pressing Philly very hard for the tying goal. There went the Bruins' momentum.The second came in a contest with Detroit at the Garden. With the score 2-2, Bobby Schmautz was called for a penalty and when the bench opened its collective yap again, referee Andy Van Hellmond gave Boston a bench minor at 11:37 of the second period. At 11:44 Dennis Hex-tall scored to give Detroit a 3-2 lead and the Wings went on to win.Hood has never been a favorite in Boston, and he was promptly blasted by both coach Don Cherry and former coach, now GM, Harry Sinden.Cherry was reported in Boston papers, which were to be read by Clarence Campbell, to have said, &ldquo;Don't ask me about the game. Just let me say this: if you're betting on a Boston game and Bruce Hood is the referee, bet on the other team.&ldquo;I know I'll be sorry I say this, but the Bruins don't have a chance with Hood. We played our best game of the season against Washington, and still were fortunate to win because Hood worked the game&hellip;&rdquo;In another paper, Cherry was quoted as saying, &ldquo;He's skating up and down in front of our bench all night and then he calls something like that in a close game with four minutes to go. Come on, now. I told the guys, 'bet against us. Hood's the referee'&hellip;&rdquo;Said Sinden, &ldquo;I wouldn't be as strong as Don, but I do know that a referee must be ready to take a little abuse at that stage of a close, very emotional game.&ldquo;But Bruce Hood was a weak official when he came into this league&mdash;and I told him so&mdash;and he'll be a weak official when he goes out.Campbell was scheduled to read the game reports and also said that he would read the game stories&mdash;both written by veteran big-league writers, Leo Monahan and Fran Rosa.Cherry was concerned about his team's slide, although he said it was, &ldquo;A valley", adding later, &ldquo;the goalkeeping has been OK. I'll stick with this club. I was with them when they were winning and I'll stick with them through this&hellip;But it's not a very happy time. We had our opportunities, but just didn't put them in.&rdquo;The Boston defense had not been playing well, a fact that was suspected in training camp, and in late December, there was a conspicuous lack of ability to move the puck out of Boston's own end. This was further complicated by nagging injuries to Brad Park, who can not only lug it out, but make the lead pass.There have rumors for a long, long time about a trade for some defensive help, and it became more obvious that Sinden would have to make some kind of a deal before long.BOSTON BEANS: The Bruins were winless in four straight at Boston Garden, where they had a 31-game unbeaten string until Buffalo broke it&hellip;Gilles Gilbert turned aside a penalty shot by Bill Lochead of Detroit&hellip;It was the third penalty shot against him in the NHL and he beat the shooter each time&hellip; La test penalty was called when Jean Ratelle smothered a puck in the crease.Records showed that it was the ninth penalty shot in the NHL this season, and the 14th involving Boston since the 1963-64 season, and the 199th in NHL history&hellip;The rule was adopted in the 1934-35 season, and Canadiens Armand Mondou had the first shot, at Toronto goaler George Hainsworth on Nov. 11, 1934&hellip;Hainsworth beat the shooter.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-011122/4168959-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="605" height="1541"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-02860/4168952-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="605" height="1534"><figcaption class="caption-body">Boston coach Don Cherry has sounded off on the NHL officiating in recent Bruin games but he had to be pleased when goaler Gil Gilbert, left, stopped penalty shot try by Detroit's Bill Lochead. (Photos by Steve Babineau)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0006-01

Cherry Up Tight Over Bruins' Slide As Referee Hood Draws Ire Of Coach

<div class="byline">BY TONY GALLAGHER</div>VANCOUVER&mdash;It's been upside down all season for the Vancouver Canucks.Instead of leading the division, they've been trailing the league. Phil Maloney has been rumored gone so many times the post office doesn't deliver his mail. Even when things go well, it's odd.Take for instance the unit which did all the scoring for the club on their most successful road trip of the season. Not Don Lever, Mike Walton and Rick Blight, but rather Hilliard Graves, Chris Oddleifson and Garry Monahan.Nobody in Vancouver can figure it. On the aforementioned road trip, the losses came to Colorado and Washington and the wins in Chicago and Toronto. No wonder Orland Kurtenbach, the heir apparent as coach if Maloney has to go, has one ear on the phone in Tulsa.When the Canucks make defensive errors, it's not the young guys like Harold Snepsts, but rather the veterans like Dennis Kearns. It's been crazy like that all year. No wonder Maloney is going around talking about 500-pound gorillas.That's precisely what happened after the Canucks beat Toronto 4-3 amid rumors that Maloney was coaching his last game, the rumors apparently eminating from president Bill Hughes.&ldquo;I don't know anything about that rumor,&rdquo; said Maloney when told of the tale. 'Where does a 500-pound gorilla sleep, and by that I mean that he can sleep anywhere. Bill Hughes is the president and he can do or say anything he pleases. But he is an intelligent man and I don't think he's going to sell the family mortgage unless he's got another genius to replace me.&rdquo;Clearly, nobody has quite hit the panic button yet, although it must have been awfully tempting during the nine-game losing streak. But the locals are hoping the worst is over, and it has coincided almost perfectly with the arrival of Graves and Larry Carriere from the Flames.Graves has been throwing his hip check at least twice a game and the unit of he, Monahan and Oddleifson has produced five goals in the team's last three games. Not that even Graves expects that production to continue, but it's giving some breathing room for the other lines to get their act together.&ldquo;Since Graves has been with us, I've noticed players on the other teams double-checking sweater numbers every time they come on for a shift,&rdquo; says Maloney. &ldquo;When Graves was with Atlanta, I reminded all my players to beware of him. I know if I was still playing, I'd want to know where he was at all times too.&rdquo;&ldquo;A lot of players don't like it, of course,&rdquo; says the 26-year-old Maritimer. &ldquo;But it's a clean check and it's entirely legal. I've never been penalized for doing it. I don't do it for the sake of trying to hurt anyone. I'm not proud of putting players out because of my checking. I don't want to injure anyone, but for a player my size, I've found the hip check is the most effective way to take a man out of the play and that's one of my most important jobs. Further, I've found that it gives me a chance to retaliate against some of the bigger guys who run at me in the corners.&rdquo;The Hilliard Graves doll does more than just wind up and throw hip checks though, as he's off to what looks like his best season.&ldquo;I was surprised to be traded to Vancouver because I had scored eight goals and two of them for winners,&rdquo; said Graves. &ldquo;Last season I had only 10 goals by January, but I'm glad to be here. It's not a good (financial) situation in Atlanta. Having been in Atlanta and Oakland, I've never played in an NHL city where the fans know what's going on. &ldquo;Whether the fans in Vancouver know what's going on is a mute point, but one thing is certain, they don't like it much. They're staying away in droves. When a game is televised locally the empty seats get into the 4,000 bracket, and that's a little high when you consider that many of those are going at $10 apiece.Still, with the club hoping to pick itself up off the mat of the Smythe Division and get back into it with St. Louis and Chicago, the situation may not be that grave.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011001/4168990-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="633" height="769"><figcaption class="caption-body">HILLIARD GRAVES &hellip; Best Start</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0007-01

Graves Admits Surprise Over Trade

<div class="byline">-BY BILL LIBBY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011113/4169028-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="438" height="507"></div><h2>Sharp As A Knife</h2>JOHN BOWIE FERGUSON. There, that's said. They use the full name, the Bowie, when they write about him, usually. It has a good sound to it. As in Bowie knife, I suppose. He's sharp and cap cut you down to size fast. They write about him a lot. He's good copy, this colorful character from Vancouver, British Columbia.As a stickboy for the Canucks he saw the team watch while its star, Phil Maloney, was zapped by Larry Zeidell. It stirred him. He said, &ldquo;I never again wanted to see any of my boys not back up a teammate in trouble. You stand up for each other or you fall together.&rdquo;As a player, he took care of Zeidell in the American League. He beat the best in the National League&mdash;Ted Green, Ferny Flaman, Kent Douglas. He broke Bobby Hull's jaw in a bout. He was suspended for punching a linesman one time. He shattered the plexiglass in the penalty box another time.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021002/4169021-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="877" height="1547"><figcaption class="caption-body">As a player, John Bowie Ferguson was an inspiration. Now, he's trying to convert the New York Rangers into a winner, which he was during his career with Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div>One night he shattered Ken Schinkel's collarbone. Trainer Frank Paice asked him how he did it. &ldquo;A kiss,&rdquo; Fergy said, puckering his lips, &ldquo;I just gave him a kiss.&rdquo;As a player, he was more than a fighter. He was an inspiration. As a young player he didn't look like he could make it to the majors. He was one of the few players to come out of the International League, land of the lost. He led Cleveland to the Calder Cup. He came up to the Canadiens at a time when their small, swift skaters were being pushed around. He was brought up to police the beat. He did that. And more.With him, Montreal ended the domination of the league by the Maple Leafs. Canadiens captured the Stanley Cup five times in his eight seasons. He was cheered at home and booed on the road. &ldquo;It goes with my game,&rdquo; he grinned, one night when I was with him. &ldquo;It goes with the territory. The worst thing ever thrown at me? A bottle. The worst thing ever said to me? Unprintable.&ldquo;They love me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Without me, they'd have no one to hate.&rdquo; He spoke of how every time in New York when he got to the Garden a little old lady was waiting for him with a gift for his children&mdash;a book or a toy. She wrote his family letters and sent cards at Christmas. &ldquo;Good old girl,&rdquo; he said softly, hunched over, nursing a drink.IF AN OPPONENT walked into a place, John left. He didn't believe in befriending the enemy. He was driven by dedication to winning and it took a lot out of him. After eight years of walking through winter weather in strange cities to ancient arenas to do battle, after the fifth cup, he called it a career. He was only 33, but he had other fish to fry.John wanted time with his wife and kids. And he wanted time to do business. He was into everything&mdash;good clothes, fast horses. He ran clothing concerns. He raced horses, also wrote about them as a handicapper for a Montreal newspaper. He even ran a lacrosse team. For five years, he worked at everything but hockey, turning down offers to coach clubs like Boston. Everyone thought he'd make a marvellous coach. A year ago in January Fergy suddenly accepted an offer from the Rangers.&ldquo;I got out quick and got back in quick. That's the way I make up my mind. That's my style,&rdquo; he said the other night. &ldquo;I made money in all my businesses. Even the horses. Even handicapping, I was a winner I know every horse in North America. I still have horses, but I don't have the business anymore.&ldquo;I'M NOT IN NEED, but my partners pulled out. Sold out for the big buck, so I did, too. Moved my family to Long Island. The offer to manage as well as coach made the difference. And I had hockey on my mind. I missed the game. Love it, even though I lay awake nights replaying defeats. The competition keeps your blood boiling. 'With the Rangers, he replaced Cat Francis. The Cat had brought the team back to respectability, but he was unable to take them to the top, and they had started to slip back toward the bottom. Ferguson found out it was worse than he'd expected: &ldquo;They had made so many moves in desperation that the team was disorganized.&ldquo;The players were used to disappointment and had no hope. They were losers, playing for themselves instead of the team. Well, they'll play my way or I'll get players who will. My way wins. We'll win,&rdquo; he vows.His old toughness had taken over. After a loss, he tore into the team with profanities that poured through a quivering dressing room door. Stalking the lobby later, he said, &ldquo;They know now what I want.&rdquo; He is beginning to get it, though he is at times letting his old teammate Jean-Guy Talbot run the team from behind the bench.John had been to the track that day and had won. Now in the lobby he was cornered by well-dressed, fast-talking guys. Well-dressed and fast-talking himself, he knows everyone, is into everything. He went off into the night with them, where the action was. Somehow you felt that no matter where he was from, he belonged on Broadway. &#9632;

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Hockey Ad Lib

<div class="byline">BY BILL LIBBY</div>LOS ANGELES&mdash;A sensitive soul who reads, writes poetry, likes music and communes with nature, Gene Carr confesses he likes playing hockey better than anything. &ldquo;If I didn't know that before I injured my back, I've known it ever since,&rdquo; he says.It was a year ago New Year's night that Carr felt something &ldquo;pop.&rdquo; It was passed off as a muscle pull, but he was put in traction for eight days. Skating again, he felt fine. Then, sitting down, a disc ruptured. Wife Kathy Bess got him to a hospital in pain, his legs numb.Dr. Fredric Edelman did a delicate operation with the understanding that if it didn't work, Carr might not walk again, much less skate. Today Carr is so grateful to the doctor that he says, &ldquo;If I'm ever going to recommend anybody for back surgery, it's him.&rdquo;Form a single line to the left, please.It wasn't funny to Gene, who figured his career might be ended while he lay abed and during his recuperative period at the end of last season. He'd always thought about what he wanted to do with his life when his career ended. Now he couldn't bear the thought that at 25 his career really might be over.His career has been a mixed bag. He was a great skater and good scorer who had 52 goals his last two seasons as an amateur. The summer, 1971, Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne went one-two, Carr was the fourth pick in the pro draft.However, in two-and-a-half seasons of part-time play in which he tallied just 21 goals, two teams, the Blues and Rangers, decided he didn't have it, and moved him on. And in two-and-a-half seasons with the Kings he had just 21 more goals.A buddy, NBC's super-sportscaster Bryant Gumbel, built him up as a defensive specialist, but you can't make it as a forward in the majors on less than 10 goals a season.His explosive skating opened up opportunities, but his shooting missed. The Kings shifted him from center to left wing without luck. However, he was on his way to a 20-goal season last season when he was sidelined.He has set 20 as a goal this season and needed only one with 10 games to go to get halfway there by the halfway mark of the campaign. Six goals in five games recently sent him soaring near his goal. He became the fourth King this campaign to tie the team mark of goals in five straight games. One was the first shorthanded goal Montreal has surrendered in two seasons.At season's start he seemed to have lost his drive. The desire was there, but not the daring. He swore he wasn't worried about his back, but he seemed to be holding back. It's only natural. I was not the only one who thought he might be through. Then came the breakthrough.Playing wing and center, lately on a line with centers Marcel Dionne and Vic Venasky, killing penalties, he has been going good.He has a long way to go yet, but at least now it looks like he might be on his way. A moody young man with a lot of blonde curls and a mustache, he thinks he has found his way: &ldquo;I don't dress for a game that I don't think how lucky I am that I'm still playing. I always tried, but I decided I had to try harder. I thought about it and decided I had to put more thought into my play.&ldquo;I've been watching Marcel Dionne, who can skate with anyone, and I see how he skates in complete control.&rdquo; &#9632;

Carr's Comeback Kings' Highlight

<div class="byline">BY FRANK ORR</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011074/4169083-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE PALMATEER &hellip; His Work Is Important (Photo by Robert Shaver)</figcaption></div>TORONTO&mdash;Red Kelly, the coach of Toronto Maple Leafs, is wearing a slightly contented look on his face this season, a far cry from the troubled visage he's presented to the world during much of his four seasons at the job.Kelly's smiles have a rather uncomplicated explanation&mdash;the solid work of his team through the first third of the 1976-77 National Hockey League schedule. Not that Red is running around shouting about happy days and Stanley Cups but a six-game unbeaten streak and an 11-4-2 won-lost-tied mark during a 17-game stretch indicates that the Leafs' reconstruction program is making progress.Also, Kelly's four-year contract expires at the conclusion of this season and a continuation of the Leafs' sound play won't exactly hurt the coach when he negotiates a new deal with owner Harold Ballard.The best indicator of how well things are going in Toronto is the fact that Ballard has levelled no verbal blasts at his team, not even during Grey Cup week, a time when Ballard in the past has pushed the Canadian football championship game off the front pages with some outrageous talk.Kelly is a realistic man, however, and the recent Leaf binge hasn't made him lightheaded. After all, Kelly served two terms in the Canadian government and is a man well versed in the art of the possible. He claims his ambitions for his team are established in plateaus.&ldquo;The first step we wanted to accomplish was to make the playoffs and go into them in the best possible condition,&rdquo; Kelly said. &ldquo;The next matter is to finish in as high a position as we possible can. We were seventh overall last season and that gave us the extra home game in the first playoff round.&ldquo;Now, if we can move up a little higher, we could get the advantage in the second series, which can be a very important matter.&ldquo;Then the third aim is to be first in our division. That's not out of the question, although it will demand a really interesting battle with the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres to pull if off.&rdquo;Kelly admits to some apprehension about the season back in October. He felt the loss of Rod Seiling, the veteran defenseman who couldn't reach contractual agreement with the Leafs and signed with St. Louis, would hurt.&ldquo;Then in the second week of the schedule, Errol Thompson, our top scorer last season with 43 goals, broke his wrist and won't play until January,&rdquo; Kelly added. &ldquo;I thought that would be a big blow to our attack because Thompson worked on our big line with Darryl Sittier and Lanny McDonald.&ldquo;But we've scored at a pace which would make us the highest-scoring Leaf team in history. Sittler and McDonald are producing strongly and the others are bagging their share of goals. Besides, think what a bonus it will be when Thompson returns.&rdquo;On defense, the splendid work of veteran Brian Glennie, who was considered expendable by the Leafs back in September, has taken up the slack of Seiling's departure. And Jim McKenny, another Leaf who appeared to be on the way out, has played solidly in tandem with Glennie.&ldquo;Of course, the absolutely great play of Borje Salming and Ian Turnbull on defense and the big job young Mike Palmateer has done in goal since we called him up from Dallas are important to us,&rdquo; Kelly said.Kelly's one regret is the lack of ice-time he's been able to grant rookie defenseman Randy Carlyle, the Leafs' top draft choice.&ldquo;We've been going with the two defense pairs and Carlyle hasn't worked much,&rdquo; the coach said. I plan to give him more ice time as the season goes along. We'll need him before the season is over and we want him to have enough experience to be ready.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Toronto's Reconstruction Making Coach Kelly Smile

<div class="byline">&#x2014;BY HUGH DELANO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011100/4169114-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="356" height="551"></div><h2>Ftorek Big Little Man</h2>THE BIG CZECHOSLOVAKIAN defenseman cradled the puck on the blade of his stick, pivoted and circled casually back behind his blue line. He assumed he had ample time to wait for his forwards to position themselves for the rush up ice. He was wrong.In a flash, a smallish figure in a white helmet and star-spangled Team USA uniform flew out of nowhere, jarred him with a dynamite bodycheck and separated Czech and puck. Fans in the Philadelphia Spectrum during the September Canada Cup game roared with delight.A few minutes later the skating buzzsaw was at it again. He broke up a Czech rush with tenacious backchecking near the Team USA blueline. Then he darted in front of the net, planted himself firmly in position, and knocked the puck into the net with assists from Mike Milbury and Dean Talafous.Team USA went on to tie heavily favored Czechoslovakia, 4-4, its finest hour in Canada Cup competition.Suddenly people were talking about Robbie Ftorek.&ldquo;It's nothing special,&rdquo; said the intense, competitive forward from the WHA Phoenix Roadrunners. &ldquo;That's how I've always tried to play hockey. You cheat yourself, your team and the fans if you don't play hard and aggressively every time you're on the ice.&rdquo;The wiry, 24-year-old former scholastic hockey star from Massachusetts' Needham High School was the most impressive player for Team USA during the Canada Cup. He skated and checked hard each shift. He held Phil Esposito to one shot with his coverage when Team USA gave Team Canada a scare before losing, 4-2.Ftorek's hustling style of two-way hockey has led him to be called the Pete Rose of hockey. Considering some of the lackadaisical play of some so-called NHL &ldquo;super stars,&rdquo; it makes you wonder why he never was considered good enough to make it in the NHL.&ldquo;I guess they decided I wasn't big enough,&rdquo; said Ftorek. &ldquo;I like to think I've proved my size hasn't hurt me. I have no regrets; I'm happy playing in the WHA. We've got some good teams and a lot of good players in our league. We could beat a lot of teams in the NHL.&rdquo;<h2>No Chance With Detroit</h2>A BRIGHT, FRIENDLY chap, Ftorek was a member of the U.S. Olympic team which won a silver medal in 1972 in Sapparo, Japan. He was signed by the Detroit Red Wings but never got much opportunity to play for them: three games during the 1972-73 season and 12 games in which he scored two goals and seven points in 1973-74.&ldquo;The situation in Detroit was kind of mixed up then,&rdquo; he said, alluding to the Ned Harkness turmoil. &ldquo;I guess I was better off being out of it.&rdquo;Robbie became a free agent and was signed by Phoenix. He has not regretted it. Nor has the WHA. Despite being one of the smallest players in major league hockey, he averaged more than a point a game in his first two seasons. He became the first NHL or WHA player to accumulate more than 100 points and 100 penalty minutes in one season, when he produced 41 goals, 72 assists, 113 points and 109 penalty minutes in 1975-76.A fierce checker and fast skater who seems to flit about all over the ice, the American-born Ftorek impressed Team USA coach Bob Pulford of the Los Angeles Kings.<h2>Scouting Reports Were Right</h2>&ldquo;I DIDN'T REALLY know that much about Robbie before they asked me to coach Team USA,&rdquo; Pulford told THE HOCKEY NEWS. &ldquo;I read the scouting reports on him. They were all good. And it turned out they were right.&ldquo;I was very impressed with his ability. He's a great little player. Very coachable. He has a good shot. He's a quick skater. He checks hard. He gives you 100 per cent effort all the way. He's definitely a very-strong defensive player. He was very valuable to us in the Canada Cup as a leader, on and off the ice.&rdquo;How would Ftorek do in the NHL?&ldquo;He'd definitely be an asset to any team he played for,&rdquo; said Pulford. &ldquo;He does everything well.&rdquo;Then Pulford paid Ftorek the ultimate compliment.&ldquo;I think the best comparison you can make is to say that Robbie Ftorek is a lot like Bobby Clarke.&rdquo;The WHA has to feel fortunate it has Ftorek. The NHL must wonder why the Red Wings let him slip away to the rival league. &#9632;

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HOCKEY BEAT

<div class="byline">BY BILL HEUFELDER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-02888/4169145-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BLAIR CHAPMAN&hellip; More Comfortable With Kids (Photo by Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div>PITTSBURGH&mdash;In what could be an agonizing hour of gloom for the Pittsburgh Penguins, they have staged a surprising burst that has carried them to within one point of second-place Los Angeles in the Norris Division.A plundering bunch which knocked home the second highest number of goals in the National Hockey League last season, the Penguins have been stripped of some of their most potent scorers.Vic Hadfield (30 goals) finally decided to undergo knee surgery to repair damaged ligaments, with the hope that he'll be fit before the season ends. And another veteran left winger, Lowell MacDonald (30 goals) has yet to make a regular-season appearance.Complicating the situation, Pierre Larouche (53 goals) was idled with a broken thumb.So what happens? Well, for one thing, Denis Herron made a dramatic return to the nets, stopping the New York Islanders, 4-2, and going to lift the Penguins to victory in two of the next three games, including a 2-1 triumph at Buffalo.Through the brief stretch, Herron, coming back from a broken arm sustained in the Penguins' opener, allowed an average of only two goals a game.Even more encouraging, the Penguins seemingly have broken the habit of involving themselves in shootouts with the opposition that often proved fatal.Continuing a trend that began with Dune Wilson's inspiring goaltending during Herron's absence, Pittsburgh tightened its ranks. For example, the Penguins mustered only 18 shots against Buffalo, but led throughout the game and did whatever was necessary to protect the lead.In addition to Herron's brilliant work in goal, the Penguins have been getting encouraging production from their kid line&mdash;center Greg Malone and wingers Wayne Bianchin and Blair Chapman.The club's No. 1 draft choice, Chapman started fast, playing well through the exhibition campaign and scoring a goal in each of his first two regular-season games. He hit a lengthy slump, but has shown signs of overcoming it in the past few games.He registered goals in back-to-back victories over Minnesota and Buffalo, delivering the winner in perhaps his finest moment against the Sabres.Rene Robert was breaking out of his own end when the 20-year-old right winger deftly stole the puck and sent a powerful wrist shot whizzing high into a corner of cage.More comfortable on a line with players his own age, Chapman said. &ldquo;We make mistakes, but when that happens when you're playing with the older guys you feel you let them down.&rdquo;Buffalo goalie Gerry Desjardins could detect a difference in the Penguins, who hadn't won in Memorial Auditorium since February, 1972. &ldquo;They seemed to be more conscious of their defensive game,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They didn't play their usual game&mdash;wide open.&rdquo;To further boost the Penguins, rookie defenseman Russ Anderson, eased back into the lineup after going through a brief, troubled stretch early in the season, performed well in going all the way against Buffalo as a replacement for injured Dennis Owchar.With an inviting January schedule that includes only four road games, the Penguins were gathering momentum that could carry them into the runnerup spot after two straight third-place finishes in the division. &#9632;

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Herron, Youth Line Give Pens Hope For Future

<div class="byline">BY DICK JOHNSTON</div>BUFFALO&mdash;Consistency, lack of.That's what bothers Punch Imlach and Floyd Smith, general manager and coach, respectively, of the Buffalo Sabres.Their team plays great hockey against the top teams but plays flat, lack-luster hockey against the lower clubs.How about this for inconsistency? The Sabres have won both the games they have played against the Boston Bruins, leader of their division, the Adams. They have won one of two against the Montreal Canadiens, leaders of the entire National Hockey League and of the Norris Division. In two meetings with the Philadelphia Flyers, whom they hadn't beaten in years in a regularseason game, they broke even.But they were shut out by Detroit lost and tied in two games against Pittsburgh, tied Minnesota, tied Vancouver.&ldquo;When we do win,&rdquo; said Imlach, &ldquo;the issue is in doubt until the end. It's hard on my stomach.&rdquo;On the eve of a trip to the West Coast, the morning after a particularly galling 2-1 home loss to the Penguins, coach Smith got his athletes out of bed in the early hours for an 8 a.m. showing of videotapes of the defeat.The team then practiced and left on an afternoon plane for Los Angeles.Smitty, who has been juggling his forwards all season, gave them a good shaking up before the West Coast trip. He broke up the French Connection again, this time placing each member on a different line. In previous break-ups, Gil Perreault and Rick Martin were on the same line and Rene Robert teamed with Don Luce and Craig Ramsay.This time, Robert again was with Luce and Ramsay, Perreault was centering for rookie Terry Martin and Danny Gare, and Rick Martin was at left wing with Andre Savard and Jim Lorentz. A fourth line had Fred Stanfield between Brian Spencer and Gary McAdam.Gare and Jim Schoenfeld gave the team a lift when they returned to action after a long absence, but in each case it was temporary.Schony returned to play against the Bruins in Boston and the Sabres won that one good, 6-2. But the next game they lost to the New York Islanders, 3-0.Two games later, Gare came back after missing 13 games because of back problems. He played a full shift with Luce and Ramsay against Cleveland and scored two goals in a 5-1 triumph over the host Barons. They were the first two goals of the season for the 50-goal scorer of 1975-76.&ldquo;It really felt good to play, again,&rdquo; said Danny, &ldquo;and to feel I was contributing to the club again. That was the first time in hockey that I ever was out of action for more than a game or two because of an injury.&rdquo;Smitty decided to sit Gare out the next night, because he was worried Danny's back might not take two games in two nights and the West Coast trip was coming up. The Sabres lost to the Penguins, 2-1, as the fans booed and jeered their play.That was the Sabres' first home loss after an undefeated streak that reached 10 games. And it was only their fourth loss in 19 games. But they had lost three of their last seven.What's more, that loss to the Penguins was the first for the Sabres against Pittsburgh on home ice since February 1972. Since that '72 game, which was the only previous one the Pens ever won in Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium, the Sabres won 10 and tied two at home against the Pittsburghers.ICE CHIPS: The Pittsburgh game was the 21st straight that Gerry Desjardins played in goal for the Sabres. That was just one short of the club record set by Roger Crozier in 1971-72.Rick Martin, who got off to a slow start this season, scored seven goals and assisted on three in eight games through the loss to Pittsburgh, when he got the Sabres' only score on a goalmouth pass from Perreault.Perreault, also off to a slow start, had a 15-game stretch going when he scored 10 goals and assisted on seven.Defensemen got three of five goals in a 5-3 win over Colorado. Jos Guevremont scored twice and Jerry Korab got what proved to be the winner late in the third period.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011052/4169176-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="624" height="654"><figcaption class="caption-body">DANNY GARE &hellip; Glad To Contribute</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0011-01

Sabres Hurt By Lack Of Consistency

<div class="byline">BY RON WEBER</div>WASHINGTON&mdash;In football, a team that breaks the rules is penalized by a territorial setback. In basketball, the opponent gets an uncontested shot or two. But in hockey, traditionally, a man is removed from the game for a prescribed period.The Washington Capitals must have been wishing that the ice game had gone basketball's or football's route. Anything but giving the Caps the extra man.Through the first third of the season Washington had 99 situations with the extra skater. While all other departments of the club had improved since last year the power play was an embarrassment. In those 99 advantages, including six with two extra men, the Caps had scored exactly eight times&mdash;a &ldquo;success&rdquo; ratio of eight percent.Moreover, the combined opposition had done better. This is not concerned with enemy power plays (though they were good, succeeding 26 percent of the time). During the Capitals power plays the opponents had come up with nine shorthanded goals, thereby outscoring the Caps 98.Coach Tom McVie is one who believes that practice makes perfect, or at least better. So they practiced the power play. Boy, did they ever.And it got worse.McVie even considered putting out five guys that hadn't played it before. Any five.Finally, on the 35th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a better kind of dawn came.The Capitals scored a power play goal&mdash;in each period. Buoyed by this feat they beat Vancouver 4-3. The game-winner came with the Canucks' Mike Robitaille in the penalty box for elbowing Rick Green. The Vancouver defender went into a &ldquo;praying&rdquo; stance, disbelieving the call.But it was the Capitals who were thankful they had found how to score while having numerical supremacy.Now if the Capitals can get rid of their other bugaboo&mdash;injuries.Dec. 7 wasn't to be the night in this case. In the first period, just after Green's power play score, Caps left winger Bob Sirois took a two-hander from the biggest Canuck defenseman, Bob Dailey. The crack across the left hand caused a fracture at the base of Sirois' thumb.The next day Bobby was fitted with a full cast (a thumb splint would not have provided protection down far enough). He'll spend a month in the stands with Mike Lampman, Blair Stewart and Yvon Labre.Actually, Labre is expected back from his shoulder dislocation before Sirois' month is up.Lampman went on the shelf just a couple of days prior to Sirois. With some help from another defenseman, the Flyers' Moose Dupont. Mike went down and into the boards head-first on the previous Friday. &#9632;

Anemic Power Play Caps' Big Problem

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011074/4169238-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"></div><h2>Young Man's Game</h2>JOHN FERGUSON, the general manager-coach of the improving i New York Rangers, was discussing his defense the other night.&ldquo;There are times after a game when I want to go into the dressing room and raise hell about the work of the guys on our blueline,&rdquo; Ferguson said.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-02911/4169231-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="512" height="532"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ron Greschner</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I always have to stop and think: 'They're just a pack of kids.' We have Carol Vadnais, who's a veteran, and four other kids (Ron Greschner, Dave Farrish, Dave Maloney and Mike McEwan) and the oldest of them is only 21.&ldquo;At that point, I tell myself to have patience. That's how the game has changed. Back in the 1950s and 60s, only the very talented defensemen made it in the NHL right out of junior hockey, just the guys like Carl Brewer or Bobby Orr. The others seldom hit the big league until they were 24 or 25 years old after they'd served an apprenticeship in the American League.&ldquo;But now, kids move directly into big league jobs and learn their trade.&rdquo;Although those four youngsters on defense supply Ferguson with a few long nights behind the bench, they also give his team a bright future. Two or three seasons from now, they'll be the backbone of an excellent rearguard.These days in the NHL, there are assorted categories into which teams can be divided&mdash;those with money and those who are broke, those with fans and those with empty seats, those with a good supply of youngsters and those who don't have that luxury.&ldquo;When I see all the really excellent young hockey players in our league, I know the game is in good shape on the ice, anyway,&rdquo; said NHL president Clarence Campbell.&ldquo;Back at training camp, I didn't feel we4could win&mdash;now or in the future&mdash;with the veterans we had on the rosters,&rdquo; Ferguson said. &ldquo;That's when I decided to go with the kids. I knew we'd suffer for a time while they learned the ropes but, eventually, they'd upgrade our potential considerably.&rdquo;<h2>The Youngest League?</h2>NO DEFINITIVE statistics are available but it's likely that the average age of NHL players is the lowest it's ever been. Assorted factors contributed to this phenomenon and made it a rough time for older players.Probably the most important motivation for the youth trend is the availability of much good young talent. The drafting of under-aged juniors three and four years ago added even more players to the already strong crop.Then the economic situation in hockey leaned towards the young. Teams were forced to grant long-term contracts to players and many didn't want to tie themselves to players who had passed their 30th birthday for several seasons.Teams which once had more than 50 players signed to pro contracts reduced that number, in some cases, to less than 35 workers. The edge again went to the youngsters. A team which could afford only 33 players wanted to be as young as possible.<h2>The Leaf Example</h2>THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS are a team which has had considerable success with a total swing to a young team.&ldquo;King Clancy (Leaf vice-president) and I were sitting at the 1974 All Star game in Montreal when it struck us that the kids had taken over the game,&rdquo; said Leaf owner Harold Ballard.&ldquo;Outside of three or four players, the top men on the ice were all 24 years of age and under. When we considered our own club and the large number of players we had over 30, we knew it was time to go with the kids, to round up as many youngsters as we could and stick with them until they developed into a good team.&ldquo;We did it and now we have a future. If we'd have tried making it with older players, we'd still be treading water.&rdquo; &#9632;

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FRANK ORR SAYS

<div class="byline">BY BOB VERDI</div>CHICAGO&mdash;He always was, he is, and he always will be a craftsman, but the question is whether he can play.The answer now is no, and it may remain that way. If so, it will be a shame, because Bill White deserves a few more days in the sunshine.His last game as veteran defenseman for the Black Hawks was in last April's playoffs against Montreal. It was a quick Stanley Cup quarterfinal for Chicago&mdash;the Canadiens swept in four&mdash;but it was even quicker for White.The erstwhile All Star took a loud tumble during the final game, after tangling with Bob Gainey and Doug Jarvis. Doctors say a man with lesser muscular development than an athlete might have suffered paralysis or worse, but the lean 36-year-old frame of White's incurred only nerve damage. Only, my eye.&ldquo;I'm still not mentally prepared for the possibility that I won't be able to play again,&rdquo; said White the other day during one of his all-too-frequent idle moments. &ldquo;But if it doesn't, it doesn't, and I'll have to think about doing something else.&ldquo;I really want to play again, but the way they explained it, it was massive cervical nerve damage. I still haven't got the strength back in my right arm. The feeling is there, but not the strength.&ldquo;They say the nerve will grow back from my shoulder down at the rate of one millimeter a month. I haven't really felt any improvement since the summer, but it takes time, I guess. I can feel the difference when I skate and try to shoot the puck.&ldquo;The strength just isn't there. And I can feel it in other ways than when I grab a stick. The right arm used to be my strongest. Now, when I lift weights as exercise, I can see how the right arm is weaker than the left.&rdquo;White continues to be a part of the Black Hawks scene. Or at least, he's around trying.He came to training camp with high hopes, realizing only that the medics were correct&mdash;it would take a year from the time of his injury before he had any idea whether a comeback was feasible. The prognosis was vague.White continued to skate, and for a time, he was coach Billy Reay's designated assistant. Nothing official, mind you. The Black Hawks never make announcements like that. But&mdash;and this was no secret&mdash;White was patrolling the bench with Reay during games, was helping out with practices, seemingly was making himself useful as an aide de camp.But as suddenly and quietly as the experiment began, it ended when White didn't appear for a Nov. 12 road game at Washington. Now he watches home games from the press box, doesn't travel, and just tries to attain a modicum of good physical health by skating during practice.&ldquo;Why isn't Bill behind the bench with me anymore?&rdquo; said Reay. &ldquo;I don't want to discuss it. It's a closed book.&rdquo;White won't touch the issue with a 60-foot slapshot, but friends say he felt like a third thumb, that he wasn't being given any responsibility, that it was difficult to assume a role of any sort since it was never assigned in the first place.Whatever has happened, and whatever will be. White maintains a stoic toehold that has characterized his existence here from day one.In one of the few good deals ever promulgated by the Black Hawk brains lately (in one of few deals they've made, period), White joined Chicago from the Los Angeles Kings in February, 1970, when there was a race to the wire for first place.Thanks muchly to White, the Hawks staged an unprecedented dash from bottom to top that year, and White since has been a steadying force on the blueline.He has reaped All Star honors, he played for Team Canada '72 with honor, he went one season with a remarkable plus-51 defensive record.But he didn't receive any more attention than when he showed up at Chicago Stadium one day not long ago, without his balding scalp. Bill White, a good head, was wearing a hairpiece.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-03670/4169269-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="620" height="1228"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILL WHITE &hellip; Press Box Spectator</figcaption></div>&ldquo;Takes a lot of time to get ready in the morning,&rdquo; said White in typically dry fashion. &ldquo;Don't know whether I can handle it.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Chicago Veteran White Waits Out Pain In Neck

<div class="byline">BY NORM MacLEAN</div>NEW YORK&mdash;Rod Gilbert still gives thanks to Dr. Kazuo Yanagisawa, the man who successfuly fused Gilbert's spine with special surgery back in 1965.&ldquo;It was my second bout with spinal fusion and I thought my career was over,&rdquo; recalled Gilbert, who played his 1,000th Ranger game against Montreal on Dec. 12. &ldquo;But he pulled me through. I wish he was here for my 1,000th game. I think he'll be here in spirit.&rdquo;&ldquo;Rodney, Rodney, Rodney,&rdquo; screamed the balcony in Gilbert's honor as the emotional 35-year-old New Yorker by choice, thanked the crowd, former teammate Camille Henry, Ranger captain Phil Esposito and his teammates.Then Gilbert turned around and played a fine game, gaining three assists as the Rangers showed they were for real by whipping the Canadiens 5-2. Gibert's work placed him second behind Guy Lafleur in the NHL point race. His consistency is shown by at least one point in 11 of the previous 12 games, in 20 of his last 23, and in 25 of the Rangers 31 games. He has 392 career goals, 11th on the NHL list, and one short of Boomer Geoffrion's total. And he is 11th on the NHL's all-time point list and 11th in lifetime assists.&ldquo;I was as excited tonight as before my first NHL game.&rdquo; said Gilbert, completely surrounded by media types after the Montreal game. &ldquo;The best feeling is the respect the team earned tonight by winning over the Canadiens. If we can keep on playing this way, aggressively, we can move up. Donnie Murdoch is a big addition to our team, and a real help on the power play.&rdquo;It should be noted that the Rangers lead the NHL in the power play department with 33 goals in 121 attempts, some of which is caused by Rod's fine touch from the point.The man who holds 20 Ranger club records, including most goals, assists and points began play with the Rangers on Nov. 27. 1960. He assisted Dean Prentice on the game tying goal in a 3-3 standoff with Chicago. The other assist went to Andy Bathgate, who told Gilbert in the back lobby of the old Madison Square Garden in February of 1964, the night Bathgate was traded to Toronto, to &ldquo;give it a whirl in New York, Rod.&rdquo;Gilbert did just that, and is now playing his 16th and perhaps sweetest season. He is the best player the Rangers have, whereas in past seasons most considered Jean Ratelie, Rod's lifetime buddy, the best.&ldquo;Gilbert is better today than he was five years ago,&rdquo; opined Emile Francis, the Rangers former general manager-coach. &ldquo;I was fortunate to have him on my side all those years. He has a special something which enables him to dig down and rally back when he hits a bad spell. He's more, consistent now than he was before, and I think a bit stronger in the corners.&rdquo;In the first few seasons after his second spinal fusion, Rod was understandably cautious. Now he checks with abandon, or with the abandon his five-foot-nine. 180 pound physique permits.&ldquo;Gilbert is a super athlete and person,&rdquo; said Ferguson. &ldquo;We have made plans to honor him on March 9, with a special night.&rdquo;It will be only the second night in a player's honor in the history of the Rangers. Harry Howell, the only Ranger to play more games for New York than &ldquo;Rocky", the player's name for Gilbert, played 1,160 games and was honored on Jan. 25, 1967. He won the Norris Trophy that season, the last defenseman to win that trophy before Bobby Orr took over in 1967-68, until Dennis Potvin's coronation last year. Gilbert did win the Masterton Award last May, but doesn't have his name on any other NHL silverware. With his present fine play, he is a Lady Byng candidate, at the very least.Gilbert has played under eight coaches, three general managers, going back to the days of Muzz Patrick, and seven captains. Only Gilbert, Red Sullivan, Don Raleigh and Frank Boucher have worn number seven on the Rangers.Gilbert still wants to play on that elusive Stanley Cup. He says, &ldquo;I have a couple of more good years in me. I love New York. My wife Judy is expecting our second child in January. My daughter Chantal is the apple of my eye. And we like living on the East Side. But I won't be completely happy until we win the cup.&rdquo;Gilbert's dream of placing a replica of the Stanley Cup on the mantle of his East Side townhouse may be a bit way, yet, but the Rangers are gaining respect throughout the NHL. When goalie John Davidson sprained a knee against Montreal, Gilles Gratton who hadn't played in 12 games stepped in, came up with a key save almost immediately and held the Montrealers scoreless for almost two periods. He won his game, and hyped the Rangers chances in the tough Patrick Division.When questioned about why New York hadn't beaten anyone with a winning record other than Montreal, Ferguson quipped. &ldquo;We tied Atlanta down there. It's not our fault the schedule makers haven't given us the chance to play the big teams recently. We ll beat them when we play them.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011032/4169300-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="618" height="814"><figcaption class="caption-body">ROD GILBERT &hellip; Credits Doctor</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Career Once Threatened By Back Injury, Gilbert Celebrates 1,000th NHL Game

<div class="byline">BY BILL FLEISCHMAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011055/4169331-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILL BARBER&hellip; Can't Figure Out Letdown (Photo by Bernie Moser)</figcaption></div>PHILADELPHIA&mdash;At first Bill Barber, the NHL's reigning All Star left winger, was casually puzzled. Later, he would become seriously worried.Reasons for Barber's concern were his anemic (for him) scoring figures and his overall play. Although the Flyers were shaking off a disappointing start with a lengthy unbeaten streak, Barber was still struggling.&ldquo;This is one of the worst times of my life,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Everything I touch turns bad. And the harder I work the worse it gets. I really feel bad because I know they expect more.&rdquo;The Flyers do expect a lot from the 24-year-old-Callander, Ont., native who compiled impressive 5062-112 statistics last season. Unlike many high-scoring wingers, Barber also contributes in other important areas, such as checking and penalty killing.That both Barber and linemate Reg Leach were straining was the most obvious reason for Philadelphia stumbling out of the NHL starting gate. Coach Fred Shero's patience was finally exhausted with Leach and he was scratched from the lineup for the Flyers' exciting 4-3 comeback victory over Boston at the Spectrum. It was the first game Leach had missed in his three seasons with the Flyers.Shero wasn't entirely pleased with Barber, either, but he remained in the lineup because, as the coach put it:&ldquo;He (Barber) is working. I can't complain. Ted Williams didn't hit for a couple weeks, but they didn't fire him.&rdquo;Zeroing in on Barber's troubles, Shero said:&ldquo;There were four times I counted that he missed the puck when he could have had it. No one was near him. He just has to concentrate more.&rdquo;Barber concentrated against the Bruins, scoring an early goal, then combining with Don Saleski for a two-on-one break that gave the Flyers the victory in the closing minutes.&ldquo;The puck was rolling and I almost missed it,&rdquo; said Barber. &ldquo;The way I'm going, I'm surprised I didn't miss it. What's bothered me was I felt I was working, but things kept getting worse. You lose your confidence carrying the puck. You start worrying about making mistakes.&rdquo;That a dark cloud could settle over Philadelphia's No. 1 draft choice of 1972 was astonishing. Direct from his most successful NHL season, Barber had accompanied Leach, Bobby Clarke and Jimmy Watson to the Canada Cup. While he didn't score the way people expected, Barber played effectively. When he reported to Flyers' camp, he was still revved up from Team Canada's conquest and appeared ready for a super season.&ldquo;The Canada Cup was a great experience,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We all sacrificed a lot. The only reason we won was hard work. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't work, you'll accomplish nothing.&rdquo;Barber still can't figure out what caused his letdown. Shero has one theory.&ldquo;We talked with Bobby (Clarke) and told him he wasn't using Billy enough. We asked: when you're out there killing penalties together, why is it you always see him? The reason is, Leach isn't there. When a center starts favoring one winger, the defense starts drifting over and the other winger starts wondering 'Why am I going up and down and not getting the puck? What am I, a dummy?"'Barber couldn't verify that knowing Leach was in the press box had a direct effect on his two-goal outing against Boston, a game which contained enough bruising bodychecks to last most teams a full season. But Barber did admit, &ldquo;Seeing someone like Reggie scratched sure throws a scare into you.&rdquo;In Barber's case, seeing Leach benched was better than having Shero, wearing a Halloween mask, sneak up behind the talented left winger and shout &ldquo;Boo.&rdquo;FLYERS FOLLOWERS: Wayne Stephenson's return stunned several Flyers, who confided the disgruntled goalie may have a tough time fitting in again after charges about preferential treatment and contract distress he made at his retirement. Others, like Ross Lonsberry, said, &ldquo;If he (Stephenson) has a good attitude, I don't think he'll have any problems. He can't do anything but help us.&rdquo; Adjustment of Stephenson's bonuses was the only concession the Flyers made in the goalie's contract. &#9632;

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Barber's Scoring Famine Related To Concentration

MONTREAL &mdash;As a result of the overwhelming success over the last three years of the study-tour course dealing with the Soviets' scientific approach to the game of hockey, arrangements have been made for a fourth group to journey to Moscow by Dr. Ed Enos of Concordia University in Montreal. This group will depart for the Soviet Union on May 29, 1977 for three weeks of intensified study.Fred Shero, one of the 1974 course participants, says the course &ldquo;certainly was one of the greatest learning experiences in my entire hockey career. The overall program was excellent and the course is a must for any serious student of the game of hockey. Their scientific approach to every sport is very impressive.&rdquo;On and off-the-ice sessions will deal with a complete analysis of the Soviets' science-based approach to hockey including their conditioning programs and teaching methods which have won world-wide recognition for excellence. The most outstanding hockey authorities in the USSR will be involved in the study including their entire National Team staff led by Boris Kulagin, Konstantin Loktev and Vladmir Jurzinov. A special demonstration of Soviet goaltending drills and techniques is to be given by Vladislav Tretiak. The man recognized as the father of the Soviet scientific approach to the game, Anatoly Tarasov, also is tentatively scheduled to lecture.The course has been organized on a non-profit educational basis with tuition (6 credit hours), complete meals, accommodations, air and land transportation as well as sightseeing, shows, cultural or major sporting events each evening for $1195. The arrangements in Moscow are being subsidized financially in part by the Sports Committee of the USSR. &#9632;

SOVIETS TO SHARE HOCKEY SECRETS

<div class="byline">BY GORAN STUBB</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011013/4169376-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="608" height="824"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARTTI JARKKO &hellip; Top Finn</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-02800/4169369-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="606" height="853"><figcaption class="caption-body">NORM BEAUDIN &hellip; Showing Swiss</figcaption></div>MOSCOW-Valeri Kharlamov, the 28-year-old star right winger of the Soviet Central Army team, is back in action once again. More than 12,000 fans gave him a long and warm welcome when he appeared on the ice in Moscow in his first game after a serious car accident last summer.Kharlamov scored his first goal after only four minutes of play in that first game and. along with Aleksandr Petrov and Boris Mikhailov, led the Army team to an easy 7-3 victory over the Soviet Wings.Petrov and Mikhailov played for the Soviet National team at Prague in November. The Czechs won the first game 5-3 but the Soviets came back to take the second 6-3.It is believed that Kharlamov may rejoin the Soviet National team in time for the Izvestia Cup tournament scheduled for late this month in Moscow.Boris Kulagin, generally regarded as the man who made the Soviets into a world powerhouse in the late '60s and early '70s, is back as head coach of the Soviet Nationals.His co-coaches are Konstantin Loktev and Vladimir Jursinov. Boris Mayorov, who handled the Soviets during their schedule in the Canada Cup series in September, has been put in charge of the Soviet national junior squad.Brynas is still going strong in Sweden, but a surprise loss to AIK in Stockholm gave Leksand a chance to catch up with the leaders in the standings.Leksand and Brynas have dominated the Swedish League for almost 15 years. Since Vastra Frolunda won the title in 1963, no team other than Leksand or Brynas has broken through to claim the crown.Oddly enough, it is a player from AIK who has the lead in the individual scoring race. Ken Nilsson, only 20, has 15 goals and 10 assists after only 15 games.Per-Olof Brasar of Leksand is a close second with 13 goals and 11 assists and Mats Ahlberg, another Leksand forward, is third with a whopping 23 goals and nine assists.Djurgarden, once regarded as the greatest hockey club in Sweden, will, along with AIK, Sodertalje and Dagens Nyheter, organize the best-known European club tournament, the Ahearne Cup, for the 25th time.Previous winners of the prestigious tournament include Wembley Lions, Harrington Racers, Spartak Moscow, Dynamos Moscow, Leksand, Djurgarden and IFK Helsinki.Only five teams are entered in this year's tournament. They are Djurgarden, AIK, Sodertalje, IFK Helsinki and Dynamo Moscow.The Spengler Cup is another well-known European hockey tournament, played in Davos Switzerland each year between Christmas and New Year. This year's tournament marks the 50th anniversary.Japan and Switzerland will compete in the tournament with their national teams. The Soviets, Czechoslovakia and Finland will send their B teams to play in the event.Hockey interest in Switzerland is extremely high. League games have attracted average attendances of 6.000.Fran Huck, former player in the National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association as well as being a member of Canada's national amateur hockey team, is a player-coach with Zurich this season.His club is in second place in the standings, just behind Arosa.Leading scorers are former Winnipeg Jet Norm Beaudin (Langnau) with 13 goals and eight assists and Wittwer of Bern, who shares the lead with nine goals and 21 assists. Gagnon of Sierre is alone in third place with nine goals and nine assists.Martti Jarkko of Tappara is the big name in Finnish hockey this fall. Jarkko, only 23, is scoring at a record rate and already it appears as though he will finally become a star, even in international hockey. Up to now, he has played only five games for the Nationals and has failed to pick up a point.There have been a lot of personnel changes on the Finnish team. These changes came following the Canada Cup tournament after Finland finished last.Coaches Lasse Heikkila and Alpo Suhonen have put together what they feel will be a highly competitive team for the Izvestia tournament in Moscow and the team will work out together until the tournament comes up.Hockey in West Germany may take a big step toward professional play next spring.Plans are under way to have all players in the Bundesliga sign contracts with their clubs next year.The Germans might lose their amateur status and it may not allow them to compete in the Olympic Games in Lake Placid, N.Y. in 1980.<h2>HOW THEY STAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03622/4169362-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="661" height="1677"></div> &#9632;

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Soviets Hail Kharlamov's Return; WHA Grads Spark Swiss Teams

PHILADELPHIA&mdash;The Philadelphia Flyers obviously have no intentions of letting anyone dethrone them as Campbell Bowl or Patrick Division champions without a tough battle.Flyers, Campbell Bowl winners in the last three seasons, are back in their customary number one position in the Patrick Division of the National Hockey League, mainly because of a 15-game undefeated streak&mdash;11 wins and four ties. They have 45 points, one more than New York Islanders, who had occupied the top spot for I most of the first six weeks of the 197677 season.Four weeks ago. Flyers trailed the Islanders by eight points and had a record of just over .500 (eight wins, seven losses, three ties). Today, Philadelphia has a 19-7-7 record.Flyers failed to win a game in their first eight road starts this season&mdash;five losses and three ties&mdash;but they now have a six-game undefeated road streak going. Including three wins. At home, they are much more powerful, having gone 16 games without a loss and 15 of those were wins. Going back to last Jan. 4, Flyers have lost only two of 39 regular-season games at home. Those two losses were 3-0 to the Islanders in the first game of the season and 7-1 to Montreal Canadiens in their third home game. New York Rangers tied Flyers 2-2 at Philadelphia, Nov. 24, The other 36 games at the Spectrum I since last Jan. 4 ended in Flyer victories.They key to Flyers' recent success appears to be a complete team effort No individual has actually dominated the scoring, although captain Bobby Clarke has moved into the top 16 with 14 goals and 37 points. In the 15-game undefeated streak&mdash;longest by any team this season&mdash;Clarke had eight goals and 19 points; not a big difference in his pace over the first 18 games of the season when he had 18 points, including six goals. Rick MacLeish is the first Flyer to reach the 20-goal mark but no other Flyer is threatening that milestone yet.Bernie Parent appears to be settling down to his customary steady goaltending performance and now leads the NHL in shutouts with four. His goals-against average has dipped to 2.65 from the 3.00 mark he had after the team's first 18 games. The Flyers have moved into fourth place in the overall goaltending race with a 2.70 average. Montreal Canadiens lead with 2.12, followed by Buffalo, at 2.35, and New York Islanders, 2.47.Meanwhile, Buffalo Sabres have closed the gap to one point behind Boston in the Adams Division and the Sabres have played two fewer games than Bruins. Leading Buffalo's charge in the last four weeks is Rick Martin with 14 goals in 13 games. He now has 21 goals and 38 points, tying him in 11th place in the scoring race. Guy Lafleur of Canadiens still leads with 53 points, including 25 goals. Los Angeles Kings' Marcel Dionne is second with 48 points, one more than Steve Shutt of Montreal and Rod Gilbert of Rangers. &#9632;

Surging Flyers Regain Top

<div class="byline">BY RICH PASSAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-01752/4169493-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">JACK EVANS&hellip; Can't Figure Out Slump (Photo by Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div>CLEVELAND&mdash;Enigma, n., a person (or persons) of puzzling or contradictory character.If ever there was a word in the English language to best describe the 1976-77 edition of the Cleveland Barons, the above would be it.To wit:Monday night Dec. 6, The Forum, Montreal. The Canadiens vs. the Barons, a team Montreal shelled, 8-1, just two weeks earlier.The final result, a 1-0 Montreal victory that earned the Barons plaudits from the very chauvinistic Montreal fans. Even National Hockey League president Clarence Campbell was moved to come to the Cleveland dressing room.He congratulated them on playing &ldquo;the best game at the Forum this year.&rdquo; High praise, indeed, when the man makes a special trip to tell you that, eh?What Campbell did not know was that the setback stretched the Barons' winless streak to 10 games. But it also gave them hope that better things were definitely around the corner.Wednesday night, Dec. 8, The Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio. The Barons vs. the Buffalo Sabres.The Barons were overdue for a victory at home. They were supposedly ready because that game in Montreal proved they could play the best and nearly beat them in their own backyard.The final score: Buffalo 5, Barons 2.Figure it out. Cleveland coach Jack Evans could not. His enigmatic Barons came out in the first period and &ldquo;pummelled'' Sabres' goaltender Gerry Desjardins with a puny four shots.They picked up in the final two periods, but it was too little, too late by then.The 11-game streak came to a merciful conclusion two nights after the Buffalo game with a 7-1 explosion at the Coliseum against the Washington Capitals. And isn't it too bad the Barons can't play Washington 80 games a season?The Caps are the only team over which the Barons own an edge in over-all play. Their last victory before the streak-ending pasting was against, you guessed it. Washington nearly four weeks earlier.The one thing that is murdering the Barons is goals, or lack of same. Until the Washington game, they had scored just 16 goals in the 11-game winless streak.And at home, where they are supposed to do well, the Clevelanders had managed just seven goals in their last five winless games. Then they get seven in one game.It's enough to make Evans and general manager Bill McCreary seriously think about hiring a shrink to find out what makes the team tick.BARONS' BITS: Attendance at the Barons' games is not anywhere near what the owners thought it would be when the club moved here from Oakland. Through the first 15 games, the Barons have drawn 82/627 patrons, an average of just 5,509 an outing&hellip;There is no panic among the club's owners, however. They feel certain the people will come out after the first of the year when the Barons fold up their tent&hellip;The largest crowd was the 11,774 who came to see the Montreal drubbing and the smallest gathering was the 3,157 who witnessed a loss to Los Angeles&hellip;Right winger Fred Ahern suffered a broken right arm in Montreal and will be lost until early February at best. Defenseman Len Frig sustained a charleyhorse and groin muscle pull in the same game&hellip;When center iceman Dave Gardner and Gary Sabourin recovered from knee injuries, a roster problem was created It was solved when centers Charlie Simmer and Rick Shinske, called up when Gardner was sidelined, were sent to Salt Lake City of the Central Hockey League.<h2>NHL Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-02638/4169486-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="656" height="1105"></div> &#9632;

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Barons' Drought Puzzling To Evans

<div class="byline">BY VARTAN KUPELIAN</div>DETROIT&mdash;Greg Joly had no reservations about coming to Detroit. He couldn't wait to get here.&ldquo;I wasn't going anywhere in Washington,&rdquo; Joly said. &ldquo;I wasn't going to play there and I didn't want to play there. The trade is a break for me.&ldquo;I was expecting something to happen but I didn't think it would happen this soon.&ldquo;I just want to prove that I belong in the National Hockey League. I want to play steady hockey and get through the season without getting hurt to show that I'm not injury prone.&rdquo;Just two years ago, defenseman Greg Joly was the Washington Capitals' franchise, hockey's next Bobby Orr. Today, Joly, 22, is a Detroit Red Wing.But before the Capitals could trade Joly, who was playing in Springfield this season they needed the approval of the NHL's board of governors. The permission came at the governors' meeting in Florida last month and that paved the way for Joly's trade to Detroit for veteran defenseman Bryan &ldquo;Bugsy&rdquo; Watson, 34, a veteran of 15 pro seasons.Joly, once hailed as the Capitals' messiah, the man who would deliver them from NHL evils, flopped with Washington and it's curious that the Capitals would ask no more than an aging player of limited ability for a player who was the No. 1 choice overall in the 1974 amateur draft.&ldquo;There was just so much undue pressure on Joly here,&rdquo; Washington general manager Max McNab said moments after the Nov. 30 trade was announced.&ldquo;Everybody expected him to be like Orr and carry the whole team, but we were an expansion club and it wasn't possible. He couldn't be himself here.&rdquo;The pressure on Joly worsened to the point where he no longer wanted to play in Washington.&ldquo;This is a good move for Joly,&rdquo; McNab said. &ldquo;The kid has great skills.&ldquo;But our criticial years in Washington are the next two. We need immediate help and Bugsy has always played tough against us. We need a veteran defenseman.&rdquo;Joly was sympathetic with the problems the Capitals have and said management was well-intentioned.&ldquo;But the people in Washington, they thought they would have a good team right from the start and that I would be the leader,&rdquo; Joly said. &ldquo;Well, it wasn't possible. They had no contender.&rdquo;And it didn't take long before Joly was the primary target of the boobirds.&ldquo;I didn't mind that so much when they got on me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But a lot of times they got on me when I didn't deserve it.&rdquo;Joly described himself as an offensive defenseman&mdash;"But I like to think I can play defense, too.&rdquo;The Capitals had just about given up on that idea, however. They tried him at center to take advantage of his offensive skills but the experiment was short-lived.&ldquo;I don't know what they were trying to do,&rdquo; Joly admitted. &ldquo;My first year, I played bad and then got hurt. The whole year was a waste. My second year, I started out real good but broke my ankle and that ruined the season.&rdquo;This season, he never did get started. Joly didn't make the Capitals&mdash;''that had nothing to do with who was good or bad, there were some players that were going to make the team no matter what happened,&rdquo; he said.Meanwhile, the Wings are happy with their acquisition. General manager Alex Delvecchio's first words of advice were: &ldquo;Be yourself, go out and play your game.&rdquo; The Red Wings wanted Joly for offensive talents. Detroit has enough muscle to enable Joly to concentrate on the game.&ldquo;He played well in the first few games,&rdquo; Delvecchio said. &ldquo;When he got the puck in his end, you knew he was going to get it out somehow, by skating it out or passing it out. He didn't give it away.&rdquo;MOTOR CITY SHORTS: Bill Lochead, right winger, is back from Kansas City and scored in his first game (against Los Angeles)&hellip;Terry Harper still is hobbling on a sore ankle which has bothered him most of the season&hellip; Defenseman Jean Hamel is expected back soon after a long absence&hellip;Dennis Polonich missed a penalty shot against LA's Rogie Vachon when he shot high and wide of the target. The penalty shot was called when Frank St. Marseille covered the puck in the crease.<h2>Looking At NHL Goalers</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-01769/4169531-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="578" height="602"><figcaption class="caption-body">GLENN RESCH</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-02620/4169524-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="643" height="2798"></div> &#9632;

f0018-01

Hailed As Hockey's Next Bobby Orr, Joly Elated With Trade To Detroit

After a somewhat slow start this season the Buffalo duo of Rick Martin and Gilbert Perreault are picking up steam.The two were hot last week in the running for the NHL's player of the week honors as they picked up a total of 19 scoring points between them. Perreault had five goals and five assists for 10 points but Martin put together a six-goal week, including a hat trick and another week-ending two-goal performance, and three assists to win the nod&mdash;but not by much.Martin's nine-point week gave him a season total of 38 points, one behind Perreault but his 21 goals are a high for the Sabres. The Sabres are back on the trail of the leading Bruins in the Adams Division and it's because of the play of Martin and Perreault, they've been terrific.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03460/4169562-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="574" height="755"><figcaption class="caption-body">RICK MARTIN &hellip; Buffalo Sabres</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0018-03

NHL'S… Player of the Week

<div class="byline">BY DONALD BERNS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-01737/4169600-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="614" height="1846"><figcaption class="caption-body">RICK SMITH &hellip; Demoted By Blues</figcaption></div>ST. LOUIS&mdash;Emile Francis made a few roster changes to shake up the St. Louis Blues, the most lethargic first-place team in the National Hockey League.The Blues' general manager and coach called right wing Brian Ogilvie and left wing Brian Sutter from the Kansas City farm club, then sent defenseman Rick Smith and left wing Dave Hrechkosy to Kansas City. Ogilvie returned to Kansas City after three games in a week with the parent team.The demotion of Smith is somewhat startling to those who have admired his fine play over the years with the Boston Bruins, the California Seals and the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association as well as the Blues the last quarter of last season. But the demotion is not surprising in consideration of Smith's role with the Blues this season. For whatever reasons Francis is not pleased with Smith's work, and the veteran defenseman has seen little action in a St. Louis uniform this season.The Blues were continuing their hold on first place in their division over the Chicago Black Hawks. But the Blues, who were playing better hockey earlier in the season, were slipping into mediocrity. Occasional injuries weren't helping the situation. Chuck Lefley and Ted Irvine were two who missed games because of injuries.After Michel Plasse stymied the Blues by stopping 41 of 44 St. Louis shots in a disappointing 5-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies, the Blues, who had one previous tie all season, skated through three tie games in nine days. They tied Cleveland, 2-2, lost to Atlanta, 10, lost to the Islanders, 4-2, tied the Rangers, 4-4, and tied Minnesota, 1-1.So, the Blues were winless in six games, and the problem was a lack of offense. While the Blues were scoring big and letting a few unnecessary goals slip past earlier in the season, they were winning. But when switching to a more stingy defense and a meeker offense, they had an unimpressive record. However, during the six-game winless streak they gained two points on their lead over the Black Hawks.The tie against the Rangers was Francis' first visit to Madison Square Garden since leaving the New York organization after an association of several decades. The tie was particularly embarrassing because Wayne Dillon scored the hat trick, and St. Louis players knocked in all three of Dillon's goals.In the opening period a pass by Dillon was knocked into the St. Louis net by Claude Larose. In the second period Dillon's pass from the side was deflected by Rod Seiling's stick for a goal, and Dillon, still trying to get his first shot on the net, tied the score at 3-3 when his errant 30-foot shot zipped into the net off Bruce Affleck's skate. Eddie Johnston, the goalie victimized by his teammates, said after the 4-4 tie, &ldquo;We scored seven goals tonight and didn't win.&rdquo;The injuries on the club gave some work to the farmhands and some additional duty to Floyd Thomson, who has been used sparingly. Except for injuries Francis has stayed with the same lines; Derek Sanderson centering Lefley and Larose, Garry Unger centering Bob MacMillan and Pierre Plante, and Red Berenson centering Irvine and Jerry Butler. Larry Patey is the fourth center.Seiling, Bob Gassoff, Gilles Marotte, Affleck and Bob Hess handle the defense with Bob Plager seeing limited action. Johnston has started to play more games in goal and is tending the nets nearly as much as Ed Staniowski.Francis said. &ldquo;We are going to be a first-place team because we are going to continue to work together and improve as the season goes along. Knowing which players are available around the league. I think the players we now have are the best available. I am not now and haven't been actively looking to make any trades.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-02594/4169593-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="596" height="776"><figcaption class="caption-body">WAYNE DILLON &hellip; Delighted Ranger</figcaption></div>The Blues have an imbalanced road-home schedule in December, January and February with four home games and nine road games in December, then 16 home games to 10 road games in January and February. &#9632;

f0019-01

Give Dillion Hat Trick Without Shot

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-01571/4169645-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02277/4169638-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="2049" height="3040"></div><h2>Looking At WHA Goalers</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02248/4169631-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="681" height="4041"></div> &#9632;

f0020-01

National League Summaries

<div class="byline">BY LARRY BORTSTEIN</div>DENVER&mdash;Although it would be nice, most players in the National Hockey League aren't super stars. In fact, the list is very short, despite the fact that many journeymen performers would have you think they're first-raters, or that they would be if only for this or that or the other.More realistic thinkers in the league realize they're not stars and never will be. But they also take pride in the fact that the particular skills they do have are of value to their team, and they hone those skills to the highest degree possible.This brings us to Denis Dupere, the veteran left winger of the Colorado Rockies, who admits in his seventh NHL campaign, &ldquo;I'm never gonna be an All Star. Maybe when you're younger, you think you might someday make it. But you know after a while there's a difference between the great players and the good players. I'm a good player, but not a great one.&rdquo;The six-foot-one, 205-pound Dupere has, of late, worked on a line with Nelson Pyatt and Simon Nolet, which has given the Rockies a solid second threesome behind the high-scoring Paul Gardner-Wilf Paiement-Barry Dean triumvirate.&ldquo;They understand I don't skate that good,&rdquo; Denis says, smiling below his thick black mustache. &ldquo;But I don't give the puck away. I control it. So they give the puck to me and they break. It's working out okay. We have a good combination. Nellie's a kid, Simon's an old guy, and I'm 28 years old, right in the middle.&rdquo;Dupere, who has played with Toronto, Washington, St. Louis and Kansas City in the NHL, came up to the Leafs during the 1970-71 campaign and had not been out of the league since&hellip;until the beginning of the current season. He failed to stick with the Rockies in training camp.&ldquo;It was disappointing to be sent down to the minors,&rdquo; Denis recalls. &ldquo;Johnny Wilson told me to go down to Rhode Island for a while. I figured it would only be for a little while myself. The club knew what I could do, and I think in training camp they wanted to give some other guys a longer look. I wasn't sure when the Rockies would bring me back, but I knew I'd be ready whenever they needed me.&rdquo;The Colorado coach says Dupere's ability on faceoffs was the immediate reason for the Rockies' recalling Denis shortly after the opening of the regular season. &ldquo;We were having some trouble winning faceoffs,&rdquo; syas Wilson, &ldquo;and Denis has always been excellent on faceoffs. Since we brought him back, we're winning a fair share of the faceoffs, whereas before we were winning only a very low percentage.&rdquo;Puck control&hellip;faceoffs&hellip;often overlooked aspects of NHL play, but things at which Dupere has been adept since his early NHL days in Toronto. It's likely, however, that Denis would have spent the entire season in Denver without creating too much clamor were it not for his recent unprecedented feat of scoring shorthanded goals in three consecutive games.At least, the feat seems unprecedented in NHL annals. Ron Andrews, from whom all wisdom on facts and figures throughout league history derives, has been unable to find anything in the archives to match Dupere's &ldquo;hat trick&rdquo; of shorthanded goals.Denis is hard put to explain how it all happened himself. &ldquo;I've been killing penalties for years,&rdquo; he says &ldquo;When I played with Toronto, George Armstrong helped me a lot in learning how to kill them right. But I don't remember ever scoring any shorthanded goals before. Then all of a sudden, to have three in a row&hellip;it was kind of strange.&rdquo;Denis' trio of shorthanded scores tied him at the time for the league lead with Bill Clement of Atlanta and Mike Murphy of Los Angeles.St. Louis' Chuck Lefley, brother of Colorado defenseman Bryan Lefley, led the NHL in shorthanded goals last season with eight. The record is 10, set by Marcel Dionne in 1974-75, when he was still with Detroit.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-01420/4169676-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="598" height="1080"><figcaption class="caption-body">DENIS DUPERE</figcaption></div>Dupere will never be one of the NHL's high-scoring stars like Lefley and Dionne, but it's nice to be in their class every once in a while. &#9632;

f0021-01

Rockies Value Dupere's Experience

<div class="byline">BY DOUG MCCONNELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-01456/4169728-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="595" height="762"><figcaption class="caption-body">NORM FERGUSON &hellip; Authentic Hat Trick</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02358/4169721-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="589" height="726"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEN LOCKETT &hellip; 29-Save Victory</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03293/4169714-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="612" height="668"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARK HOWE &hellip; Shoulder Separation</figcaption></div>SAN DIEGO&mdash;Either the operator, of the San Diego International Sports Arena goes or his hockey club does, says Ray Kroc, owner of the San Diego Mariners of the World Hockey Association.Kroc told city officials to either get rid of Peter Graham, who operates the arena under a lease from the city, or he'll move his team to Seattle.Kroc, the Big Mac of the McDonald's hamburger chain who also owns the San Diego Padres baseball team, said he cannot do business with Graham.&ldquo;If the city council or the mayor doesn't do something,'' Kroc said. &ldquo;I'll take the hockey team and leave. This is no threat or bluff. If I'm going to live here. I'm going to have pride in my product.&rdquo;Graham said he has been meeting almost daily with team manager Ballard Smith. Kroc's son-in-law, in what he calls &ldquo;harmonious&rdquo; talks and says he's at a loss to know why Kroc is upset.Kroc said he's taking legal action to prevent Graham from charging for preferred parking at the arena, because he said his contract calls for free parking.Kroc said there are other problems with the arena. He said the washrooms are &ldquo;despicable,&rdquo; the loudspeakers don't work, the scoreboard is inaccurate and some of the seats are ripped.&ldquo;It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous,&rdquo; he repeated.The building once housed a National Basketball Association team and an American Basketball Association team which couldn't afford the rent demanded by Grahame, and the hockey team is the major tenant.Graham said if he loses the Mariners, the Sports Arena would probably have to close.The 13,039-seat (for hockey) building was built in 1966 and sellouts were common when San Diego businessman Bob Breitbard operated both the building and the city's entry in the Western Hockey League.&ldquo;If the city can't do anything about him (Graham), I'll just take my $1-1 1/2 million loss and leave for Seattle,&rdquo; said Kroc. &ldquo;I can't dance without a partner. If the city doesn't want to tango, then the hell with them.&rdquo;Kroc stepped forward and acquired the team shortly before the current season began when it appeared there would be no WHA franchise in San Diego. Baltimore businessman Joseph Schwartz had forfeited the franchise in February and no one else was willing to take it on.The overall WHA attendance is up, with the average around 7,600, but San Diego is doing half that much business in spite of what is probably the most improved team in the league.When Norm Ferguson scored a pure hat trick, all three goals in one period, it led the Mariners to a surprising 6-1 rout of the Cincinnati Stingers in Cincinnati and lifted them alone into second place in the Western Division.The little veteran raised his goals total to 17 for the season, and Ken Lockett made 29 saves for the victory. Ernie Wakely remains the second best goaltender in the WHA, average-wise, with a 2.75 mark.The Houston Aeros seem more like an infirmary these days than a hockey club.The injury-besieged Aeros were snowed under, 5-1, at Hartford, Conn., but it had nothing to do with the weather. And New England Whalers' rookie George Lyle was wielding a snow shovel when he scored a hat trick.Mark Howe, with a shoulder separation, was the latest Aero casualty, sustaining the injury in a 72 whipping at Cincinnati. Already sidelined were rookie Morris Lukowich with a hairline fracture of the ankle, defense veteran John Schella with torn ligaments in his thumb and Andre Hinse with a strained knee.Gordie Howe, father of the Howe clan, has been playing with an extremely painful shoulder.The Aeros have slipped to third place in the Western Division, behind Winnipeg and San Diego.Aero coach Bill Dineen was hotly critical of referee Bob Kolari in the one-sided loss at Cincinnati.&ldquo;Those were awfully important goals,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A penalty should have been called on the first one. As our defenseman was in position to stop the play, someone pulled his feet out from under him and they don't call it. Everybody in the game knew the whistle had blown before the shot. The guys on their bench were laughing.&rdquo;<h2>WHA Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05185/4169707-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="659" height="1206"></div> &#9632;

f0022-01

Kroc Threatens To Shift Mariners Out Unless Stadium Manager Is Removed

While New England hockey fans have been dazzled by the brilliance of rookie George Lyle in the early WHA action, not too much attention has been paid to veteran Tom Webster, who suddenly has become the Whalers' leader.Webster, coming on strong the past few weeks after a dismal start, turned in a six-point week for the Whalers scoring five times to raise his season total to 19 and his overall point output to 40, best on the club.Ranked among the WHA's top 15 scorers, Webster scored four times in the Whalers' two weekend games in which they won 6-2 over Birmingham and lost 5-4 to Indianapolis. If coach Harry Neale can get some of the other Whaler regulars scoring like Lyle and Webster, the team will be right back in the thick of the Eastern Division race again.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04224/4169759-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="557" height="770"><figcaption class="caption-body">TOM WEBSTER &hellip; N.E. Whalers</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0022-04

WHA'S… Player of the Week

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01432/4169804-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="609" height="830"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILL FLETT &hellip;Two-Goal Game</figcaption></div>EDMONTON&mdash;The World Hockey Association surprised a lot of the hockey cynics when their teams emerged from the first four games of a six-game exhibition series against Czechoslovakia with three wins in four starts.The Czechs, with only a partial number of their World Cup team on the WHA tour, showed a definite lack of defense as they dropped three games to the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Fighting Saints and only narrowly edged past Calgary Cowboys in the other encounter.Playing Canada Cup series goaling hero Vladislav Dzurilla in goal in three of the four games, the Czechs scored 16 times but in the process yielded 19 goals to the eager WHA teams, who were assured of no better than a tie with two games remaining on the Czechs' six-game sojourn through the league.It was all downhill for the Czechoslovakian team after they lost the tour opener 6-5 to the Winnipeg Jets, blowing a 4-0 lead. Then it was on to Edmonton where an overflow crowd of 15,294 jammed into the new Coliseum to see the newest Oiler, Cowboy Bill Flett, score two goals to spark Edmonton's 6-2 romp over the Czechs.The Czechs finally put it all together in game three when super scorer Milan Novy fired the game-winning goal with only 34 seconds left to play to give the Czechs their only win of the series. The Cowboys had come from behind three times to deadlock the game but they didn't get another chance when Novy sank their hopes at 19:26 of the third period. Dzurilla outduelled Calgary's Smokey McLeod in this one although McLeod was the busier of the two handling 36 shots to 27 for the Czech netminder.The Minnesota Saints edged the Czechs before a small crowd of 4,016 in St. Paul as goalers Lou Levasseur and Mike Curran combined to stop 48 shots with former Minnesota college star Mike Antonovich the game hero when he scored the deciding goal after only 45 seconds of overtime play. Antonovich took passes from Dave Keon and John McKenzie off the opening faceoff and drifted the puck past Dzurilla to send the Saints' fans home in a happy frame of mind.The Czechs nearly had this one as they led 2-0 before Ray Adduono and Ron Ward scored in the final period to tie the score and force the game into overtime. Ward's goal was a dramatic effort that came at 19:33 on passes from Keon and Adduono on a Minnesota ganging play.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02327/4169797-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="1260" height="1269"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANDERS HEDBERG&hellip; Scoring Spark For Jets (Photo by Steve Babineau)</figcaption></div>While the WHA teams were skating successfully past the Czechs on the home front, the touring Winnipeg Jets were having their problems in Moscow.The Jets were beaten by Czechoslovakia 3-2 in the opening game of the Izvestia Cup tournament before they played the Swedes to a 44 tie. But the writing was on the wall in their third outing against the powerful Soviet Union with the Jets absorbing a 6-4 defeat. The Jets hardly threatened the Soviets and only a pair of last-period goals by Bobby Hull, just a minute apart, pulled the Jets close to the Russian skaters.Anders Hedberg, who is the WHA's leading goal scorer, continued to provide the offense for the Winnipeg team in the Moscow tourney. He scored one of the Jets' goals in the game opener against the Czechs, and counted twice to earn a tie with the Swedes.<h2>How WHA Teams Did</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03243/4169790-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="1360" height="3001"></div> &#9632;

f0023-01

WHA Teams Win Three Over Touring Czechs

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-01446/4169842-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="910" height="843"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02354/4169835-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="2633" height="3435"></div> &#9632;

f0024-01

WHA SCORING AND PENALTY STATISTICS

SAN DIEGO&mdash;Things are getting pretty congested at the top in the World Hockey Association's two division races.With the Winnipeg Jets off to Russia and the Izvestia Tournament, the other teams in the WHA's West Division have been making hay. The San Diego Mariners seized on the opportunity to grab off first place from the touring Jets as they racked up four consecutive victories the week of Dec. 14-19 to push into the lead with 42 points, five more than Winnipeg. The Jets, however, have three games in hand on the Mariners.Houston Aeros, with a 2-2 week, pulled into a three-point third-place lead over the Edmonton Oilers, who also came up with a 2-2 week.In the Eastern Division, the Quebec Nordiques clung to first place but had their lead whittled to one point by the surging Indianapolis Racers. The Nords, who took to the road last week, wished they had stayed home. They came up empty-handed in three starts losing at Quebec 3-1 before venturing to Calgary and San Diego, where they were thwarted both times.Meanwhile, the Racers were coming on like gangbusters. The Indy skaters took two out of three last week and stretched their winning record to 14 games in their last 17 starts.In the individual scoring race, Winnipeg's Anders Hedberg held firm to first place with 59 points primarily because Quebec's Real Cloutier was in a bit of a slump despite his 56 scoring points. Robbie Ftorek of Phoenix with 52 points and Quebec's Serge Bernier with 51 were coming on to challenge Hedberg and Cloutier.George Lyle, top scoring rookie in the WHA, who plays left wing for the New England Whalers, became the first rookie of the season to score a three-goal hat trick when he fired three past the top goaltender in the league, Wayne Rutledge of Houston. Lyle has 20 goals for the season.Also on the same night Norm Ferguson of San Diego, previously the only member of the 35-member WHA 100-goal club never to have scored a hat trick, finally scored three goals in the same game against Cincinnati. Ferguson has had 15 two-goal nights in 318 WHA games.Home teams continue to dominate WHA play with 11 of the 12 teams having winning home records, including undefeated home records by San Diego and Houston. &#9632;

WHA WEEK … In Review

<div class="byline">BY GEORGE BILYCH</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0025-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-01383/4169897-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">PETER SULLIVAN&hellip; His Goal Beat The Czechs (Photo By Steve Babineau)</figcaption></div>WINNIPEG&mdash;If the Winnipeg Jets needed a lift prior to embarking for Moscow and a date in the Izvestia tournament, they provided it themselves just a few hours prior to departure.The Jets were prepping for their invasion of Europe with an exhibition against a touring Czechoslovakian squad at the Winnipeg Arena. It was a sorrowful experience for two periods as the Czechs mounted a 4-0 lead, much to the disappointment of the sellout throng of 10,023.Then the real Jets arrived on the scene, pumping six pucks past Vladimir Dzurilla in the final 20 minutes to come away with a highly-exciting 6-5 victory on a game-winning goal by Peter Sullivan, who once had aspirations of playing regularly with the Montreal Canadiens.&ldquo;I never thought for one minute they were better than us,&rdquo; said Bobby Kromm later. &ldquo;My main worry was that the guys would not be able to prove what a good club they are after the way things went in the first two periods.&rdquo;No question, however, that Kromm was considerably relieved. The pressures had been mounting for a full two weeks prior to the club's departure for Moscow. Kromm and general manager Rudy Pilous made repeated requests to the league and individual clubs for player aid, but all the requests were landing on deaf ears. In the end, the Jets took off with but their regular complement in tow.&ldquo;I really can't blame some of these clubs for not coming up with any help for us,&rdquo; said Kromm after his Jets beat the Cowboys in Calgary. &ldquo;Take (Joe) Crozier here. He's trying to win some hockey games and get that club in the playoffs. To expect them to part with a couple of key players is quite a bit to ask.&rdquo;Kromm felt, however, that the league should have made some provisions for assisting the Jets, particularly after their line-up had been crippled by injuries.By the time the Jets were ready to jet across the Atlantic, however, only captain Lars-Erik Sjoberg was listed as a definite non-starter. The rest, including Dave Dunn who was wearing a protective headgear to protect a tender jaw, were back in business against the Czechs.Winnipeg was to play four games in Moscow against teams from Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Russia and Finland. Even Winnipeg observers felt that a .500 performance in that company would be totally acceptable.San Diego Mariners presented the only real threat to the Jets' Western Division lead, moving within three points of the Winnipeggers. The Mariners can put an end to the Jets' domination of first place as they play five games while the Jets are on tour.EDMONTON: The Oilers may yet become the big story of the Western Division. Written off as also-rans before the season got under way, coach Bep Guidolin has refused to accept defeat lightly and through a succession of player moves, saw his Oilers in fourth place a couple of weeks before the coming of Santa.Breaking even on a five-game road trip (the first time the club had been able to do that in a couple of years), capped by a 4-2 victory over the Nordiques right in Quebec City suddenly had their Western Division rivals taking notice. Norm Ullman scored the game-winner in Quebec, the fourth straight Edmonton victory in which he had achieved the feat.Two things happened when they finally came home. They beat the Birmingham Bulls to move past Phoenix into fourth place. The next night they defeated the touring Czechs 6-4.Probably more important than the win over the Eastern Europeans was the size of the crowd, a sellout at 15,294. The Oilers have been crying for credibility and they may have finally achieved it. It was their first sellout in more than two years.Guidolin's latest player move was the acquisition of winger Bill (Cowboy) Flett from the Atlanta Flames. The Cowboy wasted little time making his presence felt, scoring twice against the Czechs. Returning to the line-up at the same time was another National League veteran. Bob Nevin, who had mi-sed six weeks with a broken collarbone.CALGARY: The Cowboys continued to falter as they dropped into the Western Division basement. Their lone bright light in the past month has been the goaltending of Don (Smokey) McLeod.The Cowboys have won only two of their last 10 starts but both have been via the shutout route as McLeod blanked Phoenix 6-0 and Edmonton 3-0. Smokey has posted three shutouts in all and although the Cowboys are last in the West, McLeod has the fourth-best goals against mark with a record of 2.85.Inability to win on the road is the Cowboys' major nemesis. They've won only one of 15 starts on the road, tying another two.A lacklustre offense has contributed to their downfall. They are the lowest scoring club in the league, a fact that makes McLeod's contribution all that more important. &#9632;

f0025-01

Win Over Czechoslovakia Gives Jets Moscow Boost

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0026-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-01396/4169928-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0026-01

World Hockey Association Summaries

<div class="byline">BY GREG NOBLE</div>CINCINNATI&mdash;Picking the stars of the game during the Cincinnati Stingers' recent home stand was as tough as picking the trifecta in horse racing. The selectors were perplexed. How could you pick only three players, when it usually seemed all the Stingers deserved the honor?The Stingers got balanced scoring&mdash;and lots of it&mdash;steady defense and superb goaltending as they won four out of five games at Riverfront Coliseum. &ldquo;Everybody played well,&rdquo; coach Terry Slater repeated after each victory.Two rookies, Norm Lapointe and Greg Carroll, figured prominently in separate victories. Lapointe, who had become the Stingers' No. 1 goaltender, picked up his first major league shutout against Phoenix 8-0. The victory was his fourth in a row and lowered his GAA to 3.04. Carroll, a center, came off the bench to score one goal and two assists and spark a 6-2 victory over Houston.Two new lines flourished during the home stand. The line of Blaine Stoughton, Claude Larose and Dennis Sobchuk, accounted for 12 points against Phoenix. Richie Leduc's line, with Dennis Abgrall and Pierre Guite, starred against Houston.Defensemen John Hughes, Ron Plumb, Barry Legge and Dave Inkpen were also in top form. Hughes was plus-six against Phoenix.Incredibly, the Stingers have seven goal scorers in double figures by mid-December. Stoughton led the club with 20. Leduc was the top scorer with 42 points.Plumb, who was the leading defenseman scorer in the WHA, was voted the Stingers' &ldquo;player of the month&rdquo; for November by the local media. The Stingers sold Dale Smedsmo's contract to the New England Whalers. Smedsmo had been playing in the Southern League.BIRMINGHAM: The Bulls notched one of their biggest victories of the season, winning at Winnipeg 5-3. The Bulls were outshot, as usual, but goalie John Garrett held them in the game. Newcomer Tim Sheehy picked up three assists. He scored his first goal for the Bulls in the following game against his former club. Edmonton, but the Oilers won 5-3. The Bull's dropped seven points behind fifth-place New England.Injuries kept popping up on coach Pat Kelly's club. As soon as forward Dave Gorman recovered from a broken collarbone, defenseman Terry Ball needed surgery to repair damaged ligaments in his knee. Ball was expected to be sidelined at least eight weeks. Defenseman Jim Marsh was called up from Syracuse for a 10-game trial.The Bulls also acquired former Cleveland Crusaders center John C. Stewart from Syracuse. They dispatched Gilles &ldquo;Bad News&rdquo; Bilodeau to Charlotte and Pete Falco to Beauce Jaros.INDIANAPOLIS: Coach Jacques Demers said his club's goaltending was the best in the major leagues as the Racers compiled a six-game winning streak and won 12 out of 13 games. The streak finally ended at the hands of the Houston Aeros.&ldquo;In this league or any other you win with great goaltending. It's mandatory. And we've been getting it,&rdquo; Demers said during the streak. &ldquo;Jim Park and Michel Dion right now are the best tandem in the major leagues, and that includes the National League. Both of them have been coming up with the five and or six super saves you need in every game.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-01375/4169959-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="612" height="940"><figcaption class="caption-body">GREG CARROLL &hellip; Sparks Victory</figcaption></div>The Racers extended their winning streak to six by finally beating Ernie Wakely and the San Diego Mariners. The Racers hadn't beaten the Mariners in 13 games, and they had never defeated Wakely, who was 9-04 against them.The Aeros burst the Racers' bubble with a 3-1 victory. Gordie Howe scored the winning goal. Hugh Harris's overtime goal provided a 3-2 victory over Birmingham. &#9632;

f0027-01

Balance Key Factor In Cincinnati's Success

<div class="byline">JOHN ARNOLD'S</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0027-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02283/4169990-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg"></div><h2>ACROSS</h2>1. Pictured player.5. A Colorado defenseman answers to this.7. Number of assists registered by Lysiak last season. (Rom. Numb.)8. 15th and 5th letters of the alphabet.9. Initials of Caron.10. We.11. Hockey players like to look this way.13. A Leaf forward.17. Former member of Scooter Line, McDonald answers to this.19. Twin vowels.20. One of the Rangers, (init)21. A high scoring Leaf, (init)23. Usually required when a player injures his leg.24. Young boy.25. 20th and 14th letters of the alphabet.26. Pound, (abbr.)28.15th and 4th letters of the alphabet.29. One of the Capitals.31. Former Vezina Trophy winner.33. 20 across was born here, (abbr.)34. One of the Canadiens. (abbr.)35. Recently aquired by the Rangers. (init)<h2>DOWN</h2>1. &ldquo;Boom Boom&rdquo; used to coach this team.2. An Islander defenseman.3. Former NHL forward Andrea, (init)4. Nickname of former NHL team.6. Affirmative.12. An NHL coach, (init)14. Wears No. 22 for Detroit.15. A WHA center.16. A Red Wing defenseman.18. One of the Flyers.20. Former NHL defenseman.22. High scoring L.A. forward.24. A Pittsburgh farmhand.27. 22 down once won this trophy.29. A Red Wing forward, (init)30. 12th and 25th letters of the alphabet.32. Recently honored by Rangers, (init)SOLUTION IN JANUARY 7 ISSUELAST WEEK'S ANSWERS_______________<h2>Across</h2>1. MOHNS.4. ROLFE.6. DON.7. U.C.8. GREEN.12. M.A.13. REECE.15. GORD.16. LION.17. ROD.18. ARNDT.21. S.O.S.23. NEELY.24. OAK.25. HENRY.<h2>DOWN</h2>1. MARTIN.2. HOLD.3. SPENCER.5. FOUR.8. GARDNER.9. EEL.10. NEILSON.11. VENASKY.12. MOORE14. C.O.15. GRANT.19. D.L.20. T.Y.H.22. OAR. &#9632;

f0027-02

HOCKEY CROSSWORD

<div class="byline">BY JIM CAUCHON</div>MONTREAL&mdash;The Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union releases the top 10 teams each week from Ottawa, formulated from the country's 39 shinny-playing universities.Chosen representatives from the nation's five conferences cast their ballots, off their area past performances along with a type of blind rating on the other schools around the country, when compiling their own top 10 version.After that, the choices are entered at CIAW headquarters where they are tallied and released each Monday.This system falls somewhat short of its American counterpart which allows the coaches' to formulate NCAA and AP polls while the well informed press (UPI) makes up another.Canada unfortunately loses out when its representatives, with the rare exception, are only guided by a box score and numbers from other parts of the nation.Therefore, it stands to reason that the bigger cities' press clippings from centers such as Toronto, would be seen more often and of course by a major influence when votes from the west and Maritimes are being compiled.Although politcally inclined, and not viewed by too many coaches as being vitally important, the weekly chart does present a consistent point by making it a rule not to move teams in and around the chart by more than two or three positions, just because a school may run up a 15-1 win.So with some validity on its side, let's analyze the poll at the Christmas break. (League records in brackets).(1) York University-(5-0-l). The Toronto-based club has headed the list from the start of the season thanks to a win and a tie over cross-town rival U of Toronto.Brian Chambers' team has been receiving a major league job from veterans Ron Hawkshaw and Gary Gill and top notch goaltending out of Pete Kostek and Steve Bosco. A 7-2 thrashing last week over Western insured their number one ranking as the exhibition-laden Yeomen prepare for a hectic second half of the year.(2) University of Alberta (6-2-0). Not too often will two league loses allow a team the luxury of staying number two in the country. However, Clare Drake s Golden Bears rebounded nicely overpowering UBC two weeks ago 5-4 and 3-2 to bounce back into the lead.Jim Ofrim (4-10-14) and Kevin Primeau (6-6-12) head the Bears attack which has been devastating of late.(3) St. Francis Xavier (8-1-1) The Xi-Men have been pumping in goals at a 7.4 rate against opposing AUAA netminders. Their lead was challenged before the Xmas vacation by Universite de Moncton, through a 5-3 Blue Eagle win, but Wayne Synishin s club, and their unbeaten at home record, will remain heavily in the plot now being complicated by not only Moncton but also by unranked St. Mary s.(4) University of Toronto (5-1-1) Tom Watt's Blues have been successfully touring China the past week and rolling up big routs. They fell short in their two challenges to the Yeomen earlier but will still get two more shots at York. Jan.18 and Feb.16, to get back on top. With the East's leading scorer in Larry Hopkins (710-17), the defending national champions will be returning for a showdown with York, one of which will probably end up representing Ontario in the CIAU play-downs in Edmonton.(5) British Columbia (5-3-0) Being in with Alberta is no easy job for any team, but Bert Halliwell has kept his chin up to the holidays. Having the country's most solid defense and being armed with Tom Blaney, the league's best scorer, the T-Birds appear ready to make a real effort for the crown. It doesn't really matter if they win the conference because the second place squad gets in through the Alberta host bye.(6) Universit&eacute; de Moncton (8-1-1) An inspired performance has been evident in the play of Jean Perron's troops which culminated the first half of the year with a solid 5-3 triumph over the X-Men. Jules Boivin and Jean Beaulieu have supplied the scoring while Jean-Guy Cote has been stingy between the pipes.(7) Concordia University (6-1-1) Finally headed to Czechoslovakia, the Stingers were probably glad to get away for a while. Expected to again wipe out all QUAA resistors, the champions have had their first half hands full against UQTR. Glen Tomalty leads the QUAA in scoring with 10 goals and 24 assists and the appearance of Mike Griffin in the net after New Year's have to be two reassuring signs for coach Paul Arsenault.(8) Universit&eacute; Quebec (Trois-Rivieres) (4-1-2) Being in the same conference as Concordia could do the Patriotes in, But not before players like Daniel Vinet, third in league scoring at (11-11-22). Louis Chiasson and Pierre Gingras, tied with 18 points each, have their say. They should give the Stingers all they can handle as a 4-4 tie at Concordia would indicate.(9) University of Manitoba (8-2-0) Brock McGinnis sends word that the Bisons are settling in for an easy time of it again this year. Led by forwards Dave Lavallee and Cal Buchanan, the goaltending of Terry Edwards (league-leading 3.46 GAAO and the return of third all-time Bison scorer Al Hilton after X-mas, Manitoba has an attack that rates second to none in the G-PAC.(10) University of Waterloo (5-2-1) The Warriors currently top the challenging Ontario West with some fine play out of their veteran squad. Coach Bob McKillop's men are where they are because of clutch wins over Guelph 6-2 and over Laurier twice. A spotless road record has also been a Warrior asset this year. &#9632;

York Yeomen Leading Alberta In Rankings

<div class="byline">BY DOUG MCCONNELL</div>PHOENIX-When the Phoenix Roadrunners lost their team record sixth straight, a 5-4 setback at home to the Quebec Nordiques, it wasn't hard to figure out who was in Al Rollins' doghouse.But it was easier to count who wasn't.&ldquo;The score flattered us,&rdquo; said the Phoenix general manager and coach, noting the 36 shots on rookie goalie Clay Hebenton to 21 on Quebec's Richard Brodeur.&ldquo;I can't use lack of practice for an excuse, although we've only had maybe two in three weeks. And I can't blame the refereeing.&ldquo;There's one little guy out there, about five-foot-seven and 150 pounds, the smallest guy on the ice, and he had more hits than the other 14. That's our problem.&ldquo;Robbie Ftorek is the only guy doing any hitting and he's the one guy we don't want doing it.&ldquo;Michel Cormier came up with a good effort (two goals and almost a third, which would have tied the score with three seconds remaining) and the Finns (Seppo Repo, Juhani Tamminen and Lauri Mononen) skated well but none of the other forwards had two hands on their sticks all night.And as for the defense, he comparied it again to a wagon train circling the goal and being attacked by Indians.Hebenton was screened on the first two goals of the game by defensemen playing the puck.The Runners did succeed in holding Real (Buddy) Cloutier to three goals. He had scored five against them in one game earlier this season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-01361/4170052-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="557" height="900"><figcaption class="caption-body">MICHEL CORMIER</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02263/4170045-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="588" height="996"><figcaption class="caption-body">ROBBIE FTOREK</figcaption></div>Rollins planned to leave defenseman Serge Beaudoin and right Wing John Gray behind on the club's next road trip, a two-game sortie into Cincinnati and Houston.&ldquo;It's not for any reason except the rest will do them good.&rdquo;Beaudoin has knee and shoulder injuries and Gray a virus. Even though Beaudoin dressed and sat on the bench, Gray's late discovery of his virus left the Runners with just 16 in uniform, one below the WHA minimum.&ldquo;I'm bringing three kids up from Oklahoma City&mdash;Mike Hobin (forward), Duane Bray and Blair Davidson (defensemen).&rdquo; said Rollins. &ldquo;Hobin will stay with us and the other two are only up for two games, but if they want to hustle and do some hitting, they could earn themselves a spot on the club.&ldquo;I might just shock a few of these guys. Maybe it's what we need.&rdquo;Rollins added the trading irons are still in the fire, that chairman of the board Karl Eller had loosened the player budget purse strings a little, &ldquo;to allow me to get who I want and I'm not just trading to make a trade but for somebody good.&rdquo;He said three major trades would shake up the club, if he could complete them, and he hoped to have at least one completed in a few days. &#9632;

f0028-01

Rollins Critical Of Runners As Team Sets Apathy Record

<div class="byline">BY CHARLEY HALLMAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0029-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01315/4170083-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Whaler coach Harry Neale is impressed with the scoring talents of his outstanding young rookie, George Lyle.</figcaption></div>HARTFORD&mdash;When George Lyle graduated from Michigan Tech University last summer, his college coach, John MacInnes, predicted the big left wing &ldquo;would turn into a fine professional player.&rdquo;Said Maclnnes, who is beginning his 21st season as coach of the Huskies, &ldquo;George knows what to do when he has the puck. He was our captain, he was our co-leader in goals scored and he played on a championship team.&ldquo;What will make George a good pro is he likes to win,&rdquo; Maclnnes said.Indeed, playing at Michigan Tech is like that for any collegian. The Huskies have won seven league titles, gotten to the NCAA finals seven times and won three national championships.When Lyle was at Tech, the Huskies won one national title (in 1975) and finished runnerups last season.Therefore, it's not surprising that Lyle's current coach, New England Whaler coach Harry Neale, says, &ldquo;George Lyle is a winner. He has a knack you can't teach a kid to score on his good chances.&rdquo;And what Neale says about Lyle's scoring knack is one reason the big youngster from North Vancouver, B.C., is becoming a bonafide candidate for World Hockey Association &ldquo;rookie of the year.&rdquo;In fact, Lyle is currently running 1-2 with Tom Webster in the Whaler scoring statistics.Lyle, who just turned 23 in November, is six-foot-two and keeps his weight at just over 200 pounds. His last two seasons at Michigan Tech, George canned 84 goals in 81 games.&ldquo;Playing professionally is definitely a change from college hockey&mdash;in the length of the season, the travelling, the experience and strength of the players. In college, you saved all your energy up to play two games on the weekends. It was easy to get psyched up. You were in arenas that were generally full with the rah-rah college atmosphere.&ldquo;As a pro, things are much different. You might play three or four games in a week, make a 14 or 15-day road trip, you have to be ready to play on Mondays and Wednesdays as well as Fridays and Saturdays.&ldquo;It's really something you have to deal with mentally rather than physically. You have to be able to think your way through situations and into the system,&rdquo; Lyle says.Making the transition from 1976 All-American collegiate player to professional rookie &ldquo;has been made easy for me by my teammates,&rdquo; Lyle says. &ldquo;My linemates, Mike Rogers and Tom Webster, have made it easy for me. They've been particularly helpful when we get in crucial situations.&rdquo;Lyle could have joined the Detroit Red Wings rather than the Whalers. &ldquo;There was no NHL-WHA thing for me. I chose the Whalers because their organization has a modern outlook toward college players. They seemed to have a lot more faith in me than the Detroit organization did.&ldquo;I just wanted to get a chance to play as quickly as possible and things have worked out for me,&rdquo; Lyle says.Says Neale, &ldquo;George has a good attitude and that, more than anything, will make him a good pro. The team has had its ups and downs this season but George has been very consistent. In fact, he's kept us in a few games we shouldn't have been in.&rdquo;Lyle returns Neale's praise. &ldquo;I'm very impressed with Harry as a hockey coach. He has a tremendous knowledge of the game and it translates to the players&mdash;he has particular systems for particular situations.&rdquo;QUEBEC: The Nordiques have been having their ups and downs but are still maintaining their spot at the front of the WHA East.The main reason the Nordiques have been winning more than losing is the improved defensive play the team has been getting. Jim Dorey is playing better than he has for the past couple of seasons and J.C. Tremblay still has the magic touch with his stick that made him the favorite of the fans in the Montreal Forum for years.Getting Francois Lacombe back from Calgary has also been a big plus while Pierre Roy cemented the &ldquo;top four&rdquo; together when he came back from injury.Youngster Wally Weir continues to impress&mdash;the former Montreal Junior B player's development proves that if one stays with the game he can improve.MINNESOTA: Mike Antonovich is off to the best start of his career and his centerman, Dave Keon, knows the reason why.&ldquo;Anton is working harder than he ever has this year,&rdquo; says Keon, who plays between Antonovich and John McKenzie. &ldquo;Our line is off to a good start because everyone's working.&rdquo;Says Antonovich, &ldquo;I have something to prove this year because of the lack of success I had in my short trial with the North Stars last year. I didn't know whether it was me or them.&ldquo;But I wanted to find out. Playing with Davey and 'Pie' makes my job easy,&rdquo; said Antonovich. &ldquo;All I try to do is fit in.&rdquo;The Saints have been going well as of late and Antonovich and Craig Patrick are two of the reasons why. Patrick is another with something to prove. He has a bitter taste in his mouth after being offered a contract by the Colorado Rockies, then having the offer rescinded when he was ready to sign. &#9632;

f0029-01

New England's Lyle “A Winner”

SPRINGFIELD&mdash;With six teams at the starting gate the American Hockey League board of governors decided to go with a balanced schedule in one division for the 1976-77 season. Unfortunately they forgot to tell the teams the news. A quick glance at the standings after 10 weeks of competition would give anyone the idea that there are in fact two divisions operating.Defending champion Nova Scotia, New Haven and Rochester appear to be competing for first place while Hershey, Rhode Island and Springfield seem to be battling it out for their own &ldquo;first place.&rdquo;The Vees currently hold down first place, a position they have since the very beginning. Their position on top is anything but solid as the New Haven Nighthawks, having their best season ever, are a very close second, only two points off the Vees' pace. Rochester isn't giving either the Vees or Hawks any breathing room either as they are a mere two points behind the Hawks and four behind the leading Vees.At the same time the governors decided to go with one division they also announced that the first four teams would qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs. The final plans for the playoffs should be complete and be announced following the league's mid-winter meeting sometime in January.Whatever the final plans and pool are, it's going to be an exciting race for that fourth and final spot as the league's second division' is almost as close as the other.The Hershey Bears, who seem to take heart at the mere mention of Christmas, have moved into that fourth spot after playing musical chairs with the Springfield Indians for the league's cellar spot most of the season. Rhode Island is currently resting two points behind the Bears while the Indians, showing more promise as each game goes into the books, are only seven points out of fourth place.Nova Scotia, New Haven and Rochester have obviously proven themselves the best of the six at this stage of the season, but are not even halfway home yet and with the teams playing each other so many times, it is not entirely out of the question that the Indians could be battiling with the Reds for the overall title before they reach the end of March.NEW HAVEN: The Hawks had their eyes firmly planted on that first place spot when they rolled into Springfield on Dec. 11. On the previous night the Hawks had beaten the Indians in New Haven in a game that could have gone either way but ended up in the Hawks' books, 4-3. A victory in Springfield would have given the Hawks first place as the idle Vees would have had one less victory. But it was not to be for the rampaging Hawks as they ran into a very determined Indian tribe that came away with a 6-4 win thus spoiling New Haven's bid for first place, a spot that they have yet to reach since returning to the AHL.The Hawks were not to be stunned for long, however, as they bounced right back with a very convincing 8-3 decision over Hershey the next night in New Haven.Paul Harrison continues to lead the league with his excellent 2.35 goals-against average while half of the league's top 10 scorers are wearing New Haven uniforms. The top scorers are Blake Dunlop and Tom Colley with 33 points apiece while Jerry Byers with 30 and Larry Sacharuk and Eddie Johnstone also have 30 points apiece in the top 10 list. Three other Hawks, Dale Lewis, Jerry Holland and Dave Cressman are listed among the top 20 scorers.NOVA SCOTIA: The Vees had what amounted to a short, unscheduled easy week, when they were forced to cancel their game against the Reds on Friday, Dec. 10. That game was scheduled in Amherst, Nova Scotia, and the Vees cited very poor attendance in the previous games in Amherst and New Glasgow as the reason for cancelling the game.In their only other game that week, the Vees squeezed by the Reds in a game in Halifax, 4-2, with the fourth goal coming late in the game into an open net.Rod Schutt, a solid candidate for rookie of the year honors has gotten back on the scoring track as has another candidate from the Vees, Peter Lee. Both Lee and Schutt started fast and piled up the points early in October and November, before tapering off a bit. Lee scored two goals in the Vees win over the Reds and Schutt picked up a key assist.Pat Hughes has now scored at least one point in the last 10 games and that is the league mark in that category.ROCHESTER: Joe Zanussi heard the call from Boston and popular Ray Maluta heard the call from Rochester in player changes for the Amerks last week. Jim Pettie was injured in the Hershey game on Dec. 11 and it was not known how long he will be out of the lineup.Meantime back in the lamp lighting department, Doug Gibson and Gordie Clark keep rolling along but then so do Ron Garwasiuk, Ray Adduono, Rene Drolet and Earl Anderson.Gibson maintained his slim lead over his linemate Clark in the scoring race, while Garwasiuk and Anderson held their position among the top 10. Drolet, along with defenseman Doug Halward, can be found among the top 20 scorers.Gibson and Clark had personal streaks of nine games with a point or more stopped in Halifax early in the week. Drolet also had a streak going at seven games and Adduono lost his streak at seven also.RHODE ISLAND: Speaking of streaks, Dave Hynes a former member of the lamp lighting crew in Rochester with Gibson and Clark, now doing his thing with the Reds after a short spell with the New England Whalers, hiked bis scoring streak to six straight games with a goal or more. That is the league record for this season. Hynes is scoring at a goal-a-game pace having played in 10 games and scoring the same number of goals. Previously, three players, Paul Gardner, Earl Anderson and Pat Hughes had scored at least one goal in five straight gamesBruce Landon was very impressive in his first start for the Reds. Landon. Tommy Earl and Doug Roberts joined the Reds in time for their match with the Vees in Halifax last Sunday.HERSHEY: Joe Kowal rejoined Hershey last week and collected six points as the Bears, making their annual surge at Christmas, moved up into fourth place last week with wins over Springfield and Rochester. The Reds, who fell to fifth place, were rendered a bit helpless as their game with Nova Scotia was cancelled and had only one game on schedule.Meanwhile the Bears took advantage whenever possible and picked up enough points in two wins to edge by the Reds by two points. The Reds, however have two games in hand on the Bears.Derek Smith continues his hot scoring, picking up seven points over the week and moving into sixth place in the scoring derby. Mario Faubert was recalled by Pittsburgh, but his loss was a bit overshadowed by the return of Kowal, who scored four goals in the Bears' four games. Yves Bergeron also had a fine week with four points.SPRINGFIELD: The Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings, at the urging of Springfield, made a deal last week that saw Steve Short sent off to Fort Worth in return for Bart Crashley. Crashley, it is felt, will help the Indians on defense his experience. John Paddock, restored to the lineup in time for the New Haven series, collected three goals over the weekend and won a couple of fights to boot. Mike Marson, also restored to the Indians' lineup, had a productive week.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03210/4170128-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="621" height="880"><figcaption class="caption-body">ROD SCHUTT &hellip; Back On Track</figcaption></div>The Indians seem to be set in their lineup and are playing better hockey with each outing. Jean Lemieux has been a standout on defense while Steve Coates, Paddock, Alex Forsyth and Peter Laframboise have been clicking up front. The Indians will be tough to handle from here in.<h2>AHL Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02282/4170121-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="670" height="1302"></div><h2>Where AHL Teams Play</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-01355/4170114-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="639" height="1094"></div> &#9632;

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Race Tightens At Top Of Standings; Hawks' Harrison Still Goalie Leader

MADISON-Wisconsin moved into first place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association by completeing a weekend sweep of North Dakota with an 11-6 victory at the Dane County Coliseum.The Badgers outscored the Sioux 6-2 Friday night to move into a tie for the league lead as six different players scored for Wisconsin. Saturday night's game saw North Dakota jump out to an early 1-0 lead on a goal by Roger Lamoureux. Sophomore Mike Meeker tied the game and two minutes later scared the go ahead goal for the Badgers. Wisconsin scored eight consecutive goals in the first and second periods following Lamoureux's tally to put the game out of reach.The eight goal spree included a genuine hat trick&mdash;three consecutive goals&mdash;by junior Mike Eaves. Meeker also scored a hat trick, getting his third tally midway through the third period.Sophomore Julian Baretta opened the series in the nets for Wisconsin as he stopped 31 Sioux shots. Baretta continues to lead the WCHA in goaltending with a goals against average of 2.31. Junior Mike Dibble turned back 32 shots in Saturday night's contest as he started for the Badgers.In other WCHA action prior to the holiday break, Michigan State swept two from state rival Michigan 7-5 and 6-5 and Denver took two from Colorado College 6-3 and 5-4. Michigan State travelled outside the WCHA to sweep Lake Superior State College 7-2 and 6-3. &#9632;

Wisconsin Takes WCHA Lead With Sweep Of North Dakota

<div class="byline">BY BILL ADLER</div>OKLAHOMA CITY-No one will ever be able to accuse coach-general manager Murray Davison of avoiding tough situations. With his Blazers off to a slow start and having serious defensive difficulties, the 38-year-old defenseman returned to the ice after an absence of six years Davison explained that the player shortage was critical and that he decided that the best way to fight the player shortage was to become one. He added, &ldquo;I feel I can play as well as some of the players we have.''Almost instant results for the fiery, bearded giant. The Blazers responded with a win and a tie in three games, including a hard-fought 5-4 home ice victory over Tulsa on Dec. 11 which enabled the Blazers to snap an eight-game winless streak.Davison s first game was in Dallas on Dec. 9 saw the Blazers gain a 2-2 tie on a late final period power-play goal by Murray Hall Steve West had opened the scoring in the game. However, the highlight of this contest was a first period altercation between Davison and the Hawks' young forward Alain Belanger. The two players exchanged a few words at the Blazer blueline before the fight erupted. Davison was roughed up somewhat by the aggressive Hawk rookie but Davison captured the hearts of the fans who applauded his efforts most of the evening.&ldquo;Muzz&rdquo; had his home-ice debut spoiled by the Hawks the following evening as Dallas exploded for four goals in the first period to coast to an easy 8-2 win. Nick Harbaruk and Terry Smith accounted for the only Blazer scores.The victory over the Oilers was a pleasant one for Davison and the Blazers, especially in light of the fact that Davison vowed to allow Tulsa coach Orland Kurtenbach to shave off his beard if his Blazers were to lose this game.Hall, Mike Sleep and newcomer Brad Rhiness (San Diego, WHA) all scored in the first period that eventually ended in a 3-3 tie. Each team scored once in the middle period with Harbaruk tallying the Blazer goal. Another new face In the Blazer lineup, Don Larway (Houston, WHA) scored in the closing minutes of the contest to provide the margin of victory.With several new faces, including his own, and the return to the lineup of two key injured players, Mike Stevens and Jan Popiel, Davison and the Blazers could make things very interesting for the fans before the end of this season.KANSAS CITY: With only two losses in their last fifteen games (12 wins and one tie), the Kansas City Blues continue to impress all observers as the top team in minor league hockey. The Blues have proven very difficult to beat in Kemper Arena, having won nine and tied another in their first 11 home games.Rookie Bernie Federko helped to extend the current unbeaten streak to five games when he scored on a rebound shot with two minutes left in the game to earn the Blues a 4-4 tie in Dallas on Dec. 11. Trailing 3-0 after the first 20 minutes of action, the Blues rallied behind goals by Ken Richardson. Rick Bourbonnais and Mitch Babin before the final minute heroics by Federko gained the tie.Two home ice triumphs over Salt Lake City also featured the week's action for the Blues. Kansas City downed the Golden Eagles 6-1 on Dec. 8 as Brian McCutcheon, Doug Palazzari and Bourbonnais each scored twice in this game. The Blues defense, sparked by player-coach Barclay Plager, allowed the Golden Eagles only 13 shots on goalie Doug Grant.Federko continues his better-than-a-point-a-game scoring pace to lead all CHL scorers with 40 points. The rookie center has taken over the lead from the injured Jan Popiel, Oklahoma City in goals scored (17-15). Teammate Doug Palazzari has moved into second in the scoring race with 33 points; the diminutive centericeman leads Federko in the assist category (24-23). The goaltending tandem of Belanger and Doug Grant continues to rank 1-2 in the league with 2.77 and 3.09 goals-against averages respectively.SALT LAKE CITY: The situation looks to improve in Salt Lake City as the Golden Eagles look forward to eight of their next 11 games on friendly home ice. Salt Lake City has already captured seven of their first 10 home games this season while playing .500 hockey through their first 25 games.Fort Worth felt the sting of the Golden Eagles in the Salt Palace, dropping a 9-6 game to Salt Lake City on Dec. 11. The victory for the Golden Eagles came on the heels of four consecutive road losses.Forward Gary Holt, who earlier in the week sat out one game following his automatic suspension for receiving his third game misconduct penalty of the season, served notice that he prefers playing to watching. The aggressive left-winger registered his first &ldquo;hat trick&rdquo; of the season, doubling his entire goal total for the year. Wayne King and rookie Ken Kuzyk scored twice in this game while Rick Shinske and Charlie Simmer added the other goals.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-01335/4170249-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="614" height="795"><figcaption class="caption-body">MURRAY DAVISON &hellip; Back In Action</figcaption></div>DALLAS: Every time things start to look bright for rookie CHL coach Roger Neilson and his Dallas Black Hawks that proverbial dark cloud resurfaces. This time the cloud appeared in the form of an injury that has taken the services of rookie forward Alain Belanger for the balance of the season.Belanger, who missed six weeks of the season following an early season knee injury, had returned to the Hawk lineup for seven games during which time the Hawks lost only once. However, in the Hawks 4-4 tie in Dallas on Dec. II, the fiery, young forward failed to avoid a hip check from Kansas City Blues player-coach Barclay Plager and crashed hard into the boards. Belanger has returned to Toronto for surgery on the damaged knee. Ironically, it was the same Plager who sidelined another Hawk Randy Holt with a similar hip check. Holt, who had surgery following the injury on Nov. 12, is still several weeks away from returning to the lineup.Center Bruce Boudreau had supplied most of the offensive attack in his tie with the Blues scoring two first-period goals. Greg Vaydik also scored in this initial period to give the Hawks an early 3-0 lead that they couldn't hold.Earlier in the week the Hawks gained a win and a tie against the Oklahoma City Blazers. On Dec. 10 in Oklahoma City, the Hawks erupted for four first-period goals by Mike Pelyk, Greg Hubick, Belanger and Duane Wylie to coast to an easy 8-2 win behind goaltender Mike Veisor who made 32 saves.TULSA:Could that be a smile on the face of coach Orland Kurtenbach, perhaps? For the first time in over a month, Kurtenbach is getting close to fielding a full roster of players. At the present time he is only one below the limit (15 skaters and two goalies allowed by the CHL) as Vancouver has assigned veteran defenseman John Grisdale to Tulsa and rookie center Rob Flockhart has returned to the Oiler lineup following a shoulder separation four weeks ago.With this lineup, Tulsa defeated Fort Worth on home ice on Dec. 10, 5-1. Pat Ribble, who has been converted from defense to wing, scored two second period goals to break a 1-1 tie and lead the Oilers to the victory Glen Richardson had opened the scoring in this contest, while defenseman Bob Manno and Dan Gloor scored final period goals to seal the victory for goalie Michel Belhumeur.FORT WORTH: A computer might have been the order of the day to keep abreast of the roster changes in Fort Worth last week. Leaving the city was Bob Berry, returning to Los Angeles, rookie Don Moores and goaltender Mario Lessard who were both assigned to Saginaw (IHL) and in somewhat of a surprise move veteran defenseman Bart Crashley was reassigned by the Los Angeles Kings to Springfield.Moving into Fort Worth were defenseman Steve Short who joined the Texans from Springfield as part of the exchange for Crashley and forward Lome Stamler who returned from Los Angeles following a two-week stay with the big-league club. Also returning to the Texan lineup was defenseman Jim Witherspoon who had been sidelined for five weeks after suffering a broken wrist.<h2>CHL Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03177/4170242-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="662" height="945"></div><h2>Where CHL Teams Play</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02257/4170235-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="623" height="1130"></div> &#9632;

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Davison Suits Up To Bolster Blazers' Defense

<div class="byline">BY RALPH BRIDGLAND</div>ST. CATHARINES&mdash;The St. Catharines Fincups, defending Memorial Cup champions, flew into Czechoslovakia to carry Canada's hopes within the first official world junior hockey championships.The Fincups, who earned the right to represent Canada in the tournament by having the highest point-total in the Ontario Hockey Association Major Junior A after 10 regular-season games, are scheduled to play seven games in the roundrobin portion of the tournament.The championships are being held in Banska Bystrica and Zvolen, two communities that are about 15 miles apart.Following is the tournament schedule: Dec. 22: United States vs. Finland.Dec. 23: Czechoslovakia vs. Soviet Union; Poland vs. Canada; Sweden vs. Finland; United States vs. West Germany.Dec. 25: West Germany vs. Finland; United States vs. Sweden; Canada vs. Czechoslovakia; Soviet Union vs. Poland.Dec. 26: Czechoslovakia vs. West Germany; Poland vs. United States; Finland vs. Canada; Sweden vs. Soviet Union.Dec. 28: Canada vs. Sweden; Soviet Union vs. West Germany; Finland vs. Poland; United States vs. Czechoslovakia.Dec. 29: West Germany vs. Canada; Sweden vs. Poland.Dec. 30: Soviet Union vs. United States; Czechoslovakia vs. Finland.Jan. 1: Finland vs. Soviet Union; Po- and vs. Czechoslovakia; Canada vs. United States; West Germany vs. Finland.Jan. 2: Czechoslovakia vs. Sweden; Soviet Union vs. Canada; West Germany vs. Poland.The Fincups have added goaltender Bob Daly from Ottawa '67s for the championships because of the departure of Mark Locken.Meanwhile, in regular league play, the Fincups won three straight to take a three-point lead over London Knights atop the Emms Division.Steve Hazlett and Joe Contini scored three goals each in 11-4 win over Windsor in St. Catharines.Dale McCourt with four goals and Hazlett and Ric Seiling with two apiece led the Fincups to a 14-2 home ice win over Kitchener.The total of 14 goals was the most scored by a Fincup team since they replaced the old Hamilton Red Wings three seasons ago.LONDON: Knights fell three points back of Fincups after splitting two games&hellip; Jim Hamilton led Knights past Oshawa with three goals in 12-3 victory in London. Jim MacRae and Tom Trevail added two goals apiece&hellip; Loss was in Toronto by 4-1 count despite having 30 shots on Marlboros' goaltender Doug Cardy&hellip;Rob Ramage was the only Knight to beat Cardy.KITCHENER: Rangers remained four points in front of fourth-place Marlboros after winning two of three games&hellip;D wight Foster scored three goals and added three assists and Red Laurence had two goals and four assists as Rangers dumped Sault Ste. Marie 11-5 in Kitchener&hellip; Foster and Laurence scored two goals apiece as the Rangers edged Kingston 4-3 also on home ice. ..Foster's second goal of the game with 13 seconds left in the final period proved to be the winner&hellip;Loss was in St. Catharines by 14-2 count.TORONTO: Marlboros kept pace with Rangers by winning two games&hellip;Dan McCafferty, Brian McCafferty, Mark Murphy and John Anderson scored a goal apiece in 4-1 win over London at Maple Leaf Gardens&hellip;Gary Dillon scored three times to lead Marlies to 8-5 win over Niagara Falls in Brantford&hellip;Lynn Jorgenson helped out with a pair of goals. and lost once to remain four points ahead of last-place Niagara Falls&hellip;Terry Porter scored three times and Charlie Skjodt twice to lead Spitfires to 6-2 home ice win over Oshawa&hellip;Skjodt scored twice in 11-4 loss to Fincups in St. Catharines.NIAGARA FALLS: Flyers won once in three tries&hellip;Mike Dwyer scored two goals as the Flyers defeated the Wolves 43 in Sudbury&hellip;Flyer goaltender Bob Froese blocked 49 Sudbury shots en route to the victory&hellip;Mark Renaud and Mike Gartner scored first-period goals 13 seconds apart as the Flyers dropped a 5-2 decision to St. Catharines in Niagara Falls.KINGSTON: Kingston won two of four games to retain two-point lead atop Leyden Division standings&hellip;Ken Linesman scored twice to lead Canadians 3-2 over Petes in Peterborough&hellip;The next night, in Kingston, Mike Crombeen scored three times as Canadians again defeated the Petes, 7-1&hellip;Daryl Benjamin added two goals&hellip;Linesman and Tony McKegney scored in 4-2 loss in Ottawa&hellip; Benjamin, Rod Plumb and Mike Simurda scored in 4-3 loss in Kitchener&hellip;Canadians added Randy Pierce from Sudbury for upcoming international tournament in Alberta.SUDBURY: Wolves remained in second-place tie with Ottawa, two points behind Kingston, after winning two of three games&hellip;Mike Foligno and Dave Hunter scored two goals each in 8-7 win over '67s in Ottawa&hellip; Hunter scored three times and Ron Duguay twice as Wolves defeated Sault Ste. Marie 8-4 in Sudbury.OTTAWA: '67s kept pace with Sudbury winning two of three games &hellip; Tom McDonell scored twice in 4-2 home ice win over Kingston&hellip;Steve Payne scored two goals to lead '67s to 5-1 win over the Greyhounds in Sault Ste. Marie&hellip;Wayne MacDonell scored three goals in 24 seconds in the second period but the '67s lost their first home game in 12, 8-7 to Sudbury.PETERBOROUGH: Petes fell two points back of second-place Ottawa and Sudbury after winning one of three games&hellip;Ron Mason and Keith Crowder scored two goals apiece as the Petes defeated the Generals 8-5 in Oshawa&hellip;SAULT STE. MARIE: Greyhounds lost all three games and are destined to finish in fifth spot&hellip;They are 14 points behind Peterborough and 15 in front of last-place Oshawa&hellip;Brian Gustafson scored twice in 8-4 loss in Sudbury&hellip;Dave Mancuso scored the Hounds only goal in 5-1 home ice loss to Ottawa&hellip; Greyhounds were outshot 50-37 en route to 11-5 defeat in Kitchener.OSHAWA: Generals dropped three straight decisions to lower record to 2-28-1&hellip;Joe Campagnola and Stelio Zupancich scored in 6-2 loss in Windsor&hellip;Campagnola scored twice in 8-5 home ice loss to Peterborough&hellip;Other setback was by 12-3 count to Knights in London.<h2>HOW THEY STAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-01302/4170280-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="661" height="2706"></div> &#9632;

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Fincups Depart For Czechoslovakia; Knights Slip Three Points Off Pace

<div class="byline">BY BRUCE PENTON</div>CALGARY-When the big shooters like Don Murdoch, Blair Chapman, Bernie Federko, Fred Berry and Rich Gosselin graduated from the Western Canada Hockey League last year, it was felt in most circles that the present campaign would be a bluechipper for goaltenders.And how true that has turned out to be.Fourteen of the WCHL's top 15 point-getters from last season graduated, but only one team&mdash;Regina Pats&mdash;was left without an experienced goaltender.And with the season not even at its halfway point, 14 shutouts have been chalked up&mdash;compared with a total of 16 for all of last season.Brandon's Glen Hanlon is the leader in the whitewash category with four, equalling his total of last year. Hanlon, a 19-year-old native of Brandon compared by some to Ed Staniowski, the former Regina star, has the only 'road' shutout in the league this season, a 7-0 victory (48 stops over Kamloops Chiefs in early November.Next in line is Victoria's Murray Bannerman, a 19-year-old Winnipeg native, who has two blank jobs.With one each are Brian Henderson of Kamloops, Randy Ireland of Portland. Tim Steele of Winnipeg, Ralph Bradbury of Flin Flon, Bruce Friesen of Winnipeg, Steve Amiss of Victoria, Carey Walker of New Westminster and Peter Peeters of Medicine Hat.Not surprisingly, Hanlon leads the goaltenders' lodge in average, too, with a 2.80 mark after 33 games, the only goalie in the WCHL below the 3.00 plateau.Again coming as no surprise is the fact that the WCHL will be leaning heavily on Hanlon's puck-stopping talents in the international junior tournament in Alberta over the Christmas holiday.The double round-robin tourney, featuring an All Star team from the WCHL and entries from Ontario, Quebec and the Soviet Union, will be played in Lethbridge, Calgary, Edmonton and Medicine Hat.Hanlon, Bannerman and Lethbridge veteran Rollie Boutin have been named as the three goaltenders, while the roster is rounded out with the following players:Defense: Kevin McCarthy, Winnipeg; Dave Morrow, Calgary; Barry Beck. Brad Maxwell and Miles Zaharko, New West-minster; Wayne Ramsey and Brad McCrimmon, Brandon.Center: Ron Areshenkoff, Medicine Hat; Bill Derlago, Brandon; Steve Tam-bellini, Lethbridge; Ryan Walter, Kamloops; Tom Roulston, Winnipeg; Brent Peterson, Portland; Doug Lecuyer, Calgary.Right wing: Tony Currie and Wayne Babych, Portland; Guy Lash, Winnipeg; Mark Lofthouse, New Westminster; Brian Hill, Medicine Hat; Rocky Saganiuk, Lethbridge; Gregg Anderson, Victoria.Left wing: Curt Fraser, Victoria; Bruce Hamilton. Saskatoon; Reg Kerr, Kamloops; Paul Mulvey, Portland.At stake in the tourney is the Labatt Cup.WINNIPEG: The Monarchs did a victory chant at their goal following a 4-2 win over the Blades in Saskatoon &mdash; first win in this rink for a long time,&rdquo; said coach Gerry Brisson. The win was paced by Jim Malazdrewicz's two goals. Malazdrewicz did the same thing in a 6-6 tie in Flin Flon, but squeezed in between was a 5-2 home-ice loss to Medicine Hat, despite Dave Stekler's two goals.BRANDON: After a week off, the Wheat Kings were impressive on the road, beating Lethbridge 8-2 and Calgary 7-4. Bill Derlago opened a 17-point scoring race lead over Kamloops' Ryan Walter with three goals and four assists in the two games. The Derlago-Ray Allison-Brian Propp line is the highest-scoring unit in the league, with 177 points in 33 games. Brandon's 25-5-3 record is by far the WCHL's best.FLIN FLON: The Bombers played to a league record five straight ties in opening up a 10-point Eastern Division lead over last-place Regina. In a 6-6 deadlock at home vs. Winnipeg, the Bombers needed four third-period goals, including Mel Biluk's first of the season. Kim Davis moved into a third-place tie in the scoring race with six goals and three assists in the five ties, three of which were at home.REGINA: The Pats lost three and tied one to extend their winless streak to 25 games, one shy of the WCHL record set in 1972-73 by Vancouver Nat's. Included in those four games were back-to-back shutout defeats concluding a nine-game road trip (during which they were 0-9 and out-scored 81-12). Attempting to shake up the team, the Pats traded Ron Trafford, Keith Hertz and Rick Odegarde to Victoria for Greg Tebbutt, Lome Schmidt and Hugh Ellis.SASKATOON: The Blades, for a change, weren't overpowering at home, losing to Winnipeg 4-2 and tying with Flin Flon 3-3. But a cure for the mini-slump was to play the Regina Pats, and a 57-shot barrage resulted in a 5-1 win, as rookie Rob MacFarlane scored once and had three assists. Blaine Fennell, playing his first WCHL game, also scored against Regina.MEDICINE HAT: The Tigers were one of the league's hottest teams, going six games without a loss. Pete Peeters recorded his first shutout with a 23-stop performance and Ron Areshenkoff scored the goals (both in the third period) in a 2-0 win over Portland. Elsewhere, Tigers tied twice in Flin Flon, and beat Winnipeg 5-2 on the tailend of an unbeaten eastern road trip. Brian Hill's two goals in a 2-2 tie with the Bombers helped him boost his team-leading goal total, now standing at 26.CALGARY: General-manager Jack Tennant blamed the play of six 19-year-olds for the team's slump. Cents lost three straight during a week's span, including a 10-5 shellacking on home ice agains Portland. Defenseman Kevin McCloskey and center Roy Sommer, both American-born players, were granted permission to play for the U.S. in the world junior tournament in Czechoslovakia over Christmas.LETHBRIDGE: Broncos lost only their third home game, 8-2 at the hands of Brandon Wheat Kings, while winning their other two. 6-4 over Portland behind Rocky Saganiuk's three goals, and 6-4 over Calgary, as Steve Tambellini, Doug Morrison and Grant Eakin had three points each. The smallest crowd of the year, 2,617, watched the win over Portland.VICTORIA: Rookie Steve Amiss, getting an infrequent start, recorded his first WCHL shutout by making 29 saves in an 8-0 Cougar win over Regina. But elsewhere, the Cougars fell behind in the race for first place with New Westminster, tieing] 2-2 in Victoria and losing 6-0 in the Bruins' den. Unheralded Geordie Robertson and Bill Jobson each had five-point games against Regina.NEW WESTMINSTER: Bruins moved into a five-point lead over Victoria in the Western Division race, with an undefeated week&mdash;one win and one tie against both Kamloops and Victoria. Rookie Ray Creasy, a real find for coach Ernie McLean, set up one goal and scored the tying marker in a comeback 4-4 draw with the Chiefs. Carey Walker stopped 26 shots for his first shutout of the season. 60 over the Cougars, a game in which John Paul Kelly hit for the hat trick.PORTLAND: The Winter Hawks won their second road game in 12 starts in impressive fashion, blasting Calgary 10-5 as Dale Yakiwchuk had three goals and former Centennial Perry Turnbull a game-leading five points. But road losses Nos. 10 and 11 came shortly thereafter, 2-0 in Medicine Hat and 6-4 in Lethbridge.KAMLOOPS: Seattle is now being mentioned as a future home for the troubled Chiefs, badly in debt and unloved at home, as crowds of 1,200-or-so would seem to indicate. But the Chiefs had good success on the ice, blasting 67 shots at Regina goalie Dan Rogers in a 10-0 win, as Reg Kerr got his 20th goal and Allan Young tallied three times. As well, Kamloops got its first point of the season in New Westminster, scraping out a 4-4 tie despite being badly outshot. Back home, the Chiefs rallied in the third, but fell 3-2 to the Bruins. Rookie Steve Zannatta got his first WCHL goal in the lacing of Regina.<h2>HOW THEY STAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-01311/4170356-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="664" height="2181"></div> &#9632;

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Goalies Enjoying Blue-Chip Year; Monarchs Break Jinx In Saskatoon

<div class="byline">BY CHARLIE JAWORSKI</div>SYRACUSE&mdash;Fans around the North American Hockey League are going to have to do without two of the circuit's premier performers. And both the Syracuse Blazers and the Beauce Jaros&mdash;at opposite ends of the standings&mdash;hope it won't be for very longThe Blazers, only trailing the Binghamton Dusters for NAHL leadership because they'd played four fewer games, lost the services of high-scoring John Stewart to the WHA while the Jaros, mired in the league's cellar, lost colorful Joe Hardy to injury.Stewart s loss left Blazer coach Dan Belisle nearly speechless.Belisle had come to Binghamton to scout the Dusters for the two teams' crucial showdown the following Friday, Dec. 3, in SyracuseBelisle wasn't in Binghamton more than an hour before he got a phone call from Stewart, his five-foot-11, 175-pound center of the Kid Line. Stewart was elated to get a tryout with the Birmingham Bulls. Belisle wasn't so elated on the eve of his big game with the Dusters.So, Stewart went to Birmingham, scored a goal, then returned to Syracuse the next night to help the Blazers to a 5-2 win before the largest crowd of the season. 4.287 in the Onondaga County War Memorial.The Dusters rallied from a 3-0 deficit to 3-2, but Stewart scored a big goal at 15:11 of the third period to clinch it. Then, Stewart returned to Birmingham to finish his 10-game tryout, and Belisle began holding his breath.A Blazer spokesman said there was a good chance Stewart would remain with the WHA club if he plays up to his capabilities and thus would only leave Syracuse with 18 goals and 35 assists as a memory. He had been midway through a three-year contract with the Minnesota Fighting Saints, but the Syracuse spokesman said that contract was defaulted.Hardy has a broken bone on the top of his right hand that was put in a cast and is expected to be out two months according to team business manager Alain Caron. It wasn't much of a birthday present for Hardy who turned 33 Dec. 5. At the time of the injury, he had seven goals and 37 assists and was in the top five in scoring while playing much of the season with the injured hand which was finally put in a cast.The team was still in the basement, winning only once since Nov. 12. It is a marked contrast to last season when the 32-year-old WHA and minor league veteran rewrote pro hockey's record books with 60 goals and 148 assists for 208 points, the first time anyone has ever topped the 200-plateau in the pro ranks.It's a bitter blow to the Jaros who had only won five of their first 22 games. In that span, they'd lost 15, while all of last season, they'd lost but 18 during the regular season.Hardy joins defensemen Richie Hart and Jacques Blain and forward Rejean Giroux on the injured list.As for Syracuse, without its top scorer, the Blazers finally had their nine-game winning streak and perfect season at home halted by the Erie Blades, 3-2.Coach Nick Polano lauded the play of defenseman Greg Neeld&mdash;the top-scoring blueliner in the loop&mdash;who got the gamewinner against the Blazers before the two-minute mark of overtime.&ldquo;He's been our best hockey player the last couple of weeks.' said Polano of Neeld, the one-eyed defenseman who had nine goals and 21 assists in the first 21 games.That win was the Blades' third straight&mdash;their longest winning streak of the season&mdash;and Polano figures it could become a lot longer if some of Syracuse's hustle rubs off on his Blades.Syracuse is the hardest-working team in the league,&rdquo; says Polano, &ldquo;If my vets worked as hard as Syracuse. I think we'd be pretty tough.&rdquo;As for Erie being the best team on paper, as a few people around the NAHL have said, Polano retorted. &ldquo;I don't like that. What is paper? You play a team like Syracuse, and you lose to a team that isn't all that good on paper.&rdquo;It's noteworthy that Syracuse bossman Belisle last season won coach of the year honors, and if the Blazers continue to win, especially without Stewart, you won't be able to ignore him again this season.All the streaks didn't end against Erie, though. Winger Tom Milani failed to register a point in the win over the Dusters, ending his streak of 16 straight games in which he scored at least a point or more in building up 20-goal. 24-assist credentials through the first 19 games.That loss for the Dusters was the first of two in a row. What's so big about that? Well, it was the first time it happened to the league-leaders this season, the second loss the next night in Mohawk Valley, 9-7.That was a wild game with a shot count of 67-30. But, guess what? It was the Dusters who propelled those 67 shots in a losing effort, Clinton native Steve Eckerson playing a solid game in the Comets nets.The 67 shots was a Duster record, and two shy of the NAHL mark set against the Dusters last season by the Beauce Jaros. The next night in Binghamton, Dusters were on the net again, this time 59 shots in a 7-4 win over the Comets and goalie Dan Stergiou. Though the two-night shot battle was won by the Dusters, 126-70, they only won the goal battle 14-13.Duster left wing John Raynak, an All Star last season on the right wing in the Southern League, made his second goal of the game the winner, breaking a four-all tie in the third period against the Comets.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-01291/4170401-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="635" height="652"><figcaption class="caption-body">JOHN STEWART &hellip; May Not Be Back</figcaption></div>Mohawk Valley's goaltending has been in a state of shuffling all season&mdash;the only team in the league to have used five goalies in the first quarter of the campaign. Yet, another masked man reported to the Comets, 30-year-old Bob Whidden who in 1972-73 teamed with Gerry Cheevers to top the WHA in lowest goals-against with the old Cleveland Crusaders. According to the Comets, Whidden is still under contract to the Minnesota and will be trying to get into shape after his third back operation last May.The Comets celebrated &ldquo;Brian Conacher Night&rdquo; Dec. 1, with a 4-3 overtime win over the Blades, rookie center Mike Zuke getting the game-winner and 21st of the season at 2:06 of the OT.<h2>NAHL Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03166/4170394-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="650" height="846"></div><h2>Where NAHL Teams Play</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02224/4170387-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="653" height="971"></div> &#9632;

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Blazers Lose High-Scoring Stewart To Bulls

<div class="byline">BY GARY MCCARTHY</div>LAVAL-Denis DeJordy's career as a coach in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League came to an abrupt end last week He was fired by club owner Johnny Rougeau with the team sitting in last place in the Robert LeBel Division of the standings.DeJordy, one-time Vezina Trophy winner when he was with the Chicago Black Hawks, was said to have not been strict enough with his players on some occasions.Replacing DeJordy will be Jacques St. Jean. He put the team through their paces during a practice only a couple of hours after DeJordy got the axe.Meanwhile, the Quebec Remparts have enjoyed a lot of success in the QMJHL this season. They have been at or near the top of the Frank Dilio Division almost since the first face-off of the new campaign.One of the reasons was the outstanding play of goaltender Grant McNicholl, who had the fourth best goals-against average in the league this season.But, suddenly, McNicholl is not happy and it could mean a slip in the standings for the Remparts, currently second in the division, one point behind the Trois-Rivi&egrave;res Draveurs.McNicholl and Jean Chouinard suddenly bolted from the team last weekend and have been indefinitely suspended by coach Ron Racette.McNicholl jumped the team three times last season because he was warming the bench while Maurice Barrette was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League last June. He reported to the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the American Hockey League, only to quit the team and return home to his girlfriend.McNicholl headed for his parents home immediately and told reporters that he was literally burned out this season.&ldquo;As far as I'm concerned, I'm through with the Remparts as of today,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I may change my mind in the near future, but not right now anyway.&rdquo;McNicholl didn't show up for a practice session at the Quebec Coliseum last weekend and was not in the lineup when the Remparts travelled to Sherbrooke to play the Beavers.Chouinard, a talented 17-year-old left winger, was on hand for a team meeting prior to the club's departure for Sherbrooke. However, when it came time to leave, he wasn't to be found.McNicholl said one of his primary complaints was that he was being used too frequently by Racette.&ldquo;But the worst was that he kept telling me that I had a bad attitude,&rdquo; said the 19-year-old netminder. &ldquo;Even the radio people were saying that for a while and it started affecting me.&rdquo;Racette denied the remarks that he was overworking the goaltender.TROIS-RIVIERES: The Draveurs are holding onto a slim one-point lead over the Remparts in the Dilio Division. Yves Dandurand, a big defenseman, was sitting out an indefinite suspension while awaiting a decision on his future from league president Aime Constantin. Dandurand was handed the indefinite suspension following a brawl in Quebec City last week. Coach Michel Bergeron invited all his players to his home Dec. 13 for a Christmas party. Bergeron held the party early because he had to leave for Western Canada, where he is helping coach the Quebec entry in the junior invitational hockey tournament during the holiday period.QUEBEC: Despite the sudden departure of McNicholl and Chouinard, the Remparts beat the Cornwall Royals 4-3 to move within a single point of the Draveurs in the division standings. Racette has been using Paul Pageau in goal in McNicholl's absence, Pageau had been McNicholl's backup. Racette also called up Vincent Tremblay from the Beauport Beavers to fill in as the sub goalie. Jean Savard still has the lead in the individual scoring race with 48 goals and 43 assists for 91 points after 36 games.CHICOUTIMI: The Sagueneens have had a change at the top. Gaston Senechai stepped down as president of the team for personal reasons. His place is being taken by Andre Lajoie, who had been vice-president of the club. The Sagueneens are hanging in a close third place in the tight battle for the top spot. They are only four points behind the Draveurs.SHAWINIGAN: The Dynamos, despite being well out of the race in the division standings with only 21 points after 36 games, are being challenged by Sorel The Dynamos are trying hard to stay ahead of the Black Hawks and avoid finishing in the basement of the division.SOREL: The Black Hawks have undergone some big changes. Rodrigue Lemoyne has become the only owner of the team. Michel Belisle, a 24-year-old physical education instructor, has been named as coach. Daniel St. Laurent, who jumped the team two weeks ago, showed up at the news conference announcing the changes after meeting with the team bosses and he's expected back in action shortly. Following the coaching change, the Black Hawks went out and walloped the Montreal Juniors 8-5.SHERBROOKE: It has been a so-so week for the Beavers, leaders of the Robert LeBel Division by three points. After being drubbed 10-5 by Trois-Rivi&egrave;res, the Beavers outlasted Laval 8-6. The Beavers are still without Rick Vaive, sidelined with a shoulder injury. Ray Carter continues as the club's leading point getter. He has 71 points.CORNWALL: The Royals missed a great chance to stay within one point of the Beavers in the Division standings when they were beaten 4-3 by the Remparts. Danny Geoffrion, sidelined earlier this season with an ankle injury, was among the 25 players selected to compete in the junior invitational tournament.MONTREAL: Roger Bedard has the Juniors back in third place in the LeBel Division standings with 35 points. Normand Dupont is still the leading point getter on the team with 75.HULL: The Olympics slipped back into fourth place in the division standings with a record of 14 wins 14 losses and sixties However, coach Marcel Pronovost is sure it's only temporary because the team faced Shawiningan and Chicoutimi in home games this week.LAVAL: Goalie Richard Sirois said he wasn't upset at being passed over by the coaches when it came time to select the Quebec team for the junior invitational tournament in Western Canada. Sirois said in his own mind, he feels he's the best goalie in the entire league. &#9632;

DeJordy Bounced As Laval Coach; Remparts Suspend Unhappy Goaler

<div class="byline">BY MIKE LYNCH</div>KIMBERLEY-Kimberley, Spokane and Trail made significant roster changes and Cranbrook recorded a pair of impressive come-from-behind victories as Western International League clubs completed the early December schedule.Despite losing three of four Kimberley remained atop the five-team standings with a 16-6 record Cranbrook took over second alone with a 12-9 record while Spokane, breaking a three-game losing streak with its first win over Kimberley in six tries, dropped back to 10-13.Nelson knocked off Trail twice but lost a three-game win streak to Cranbrook to trail Spokane by just one point at 9-12-1. After a late November surge. Trail dropped three straight to slump to 7-14-1.Cranbrook, the defending league champion, appears ready to make its move The Royals built a five-game win string with the two remarkable victories most recent. Down 3-1 after two periods against Spokane the Royals rallied for a 7-3 win. Against Nelson the Royals trailed 6-2 in the second period but came back for a 9-7 triumph.Spokane made the drastic roster changes, aimed at returning to contention in the league race. Tom Hodges. Spokane general manager, stepped aside as coach in favor of defenseman Ted McAneeley, 26-year-old veteran of play in the National League (California) and the World Association (Edmonton).The Flyers released forward Rod Norrish and defenseman Kelvin Land. In addition center Murray Keogan, sidelined with the fracture of a small bone in his left ankle, was removed from the roster. This was made necessary because WIHL clubs can carry only two reinstated pros.It was hoped that all three players would remain in the league but only Land, who joined Trail, appeared to intend to stay. Trail also added six-foot-three, 220-pound winger Doug Buhr who spent the last seasons with Springfield in the American League.Keogan had considered joining Kimberley but reconsidered. The Dynamiters added further strength on the forward lines when John Migneault joined the club. He played the past two seasons with Phoenix in the World Association.League president Art O'Bryan announced a 20-player All Star team to oppose Spokane, British Columbia playoff champ, in the league All Star game. The squad, by team:Kimberley&mdash;goalie Wayne Bell, defenseman Murray Flegel forwards Dave Lee. Dennis Schick. Ken Ireland. Len Hicks and Glen Walton, Cranbrook&mdash;goalie Leo Karchie, defenseman Bernie Reed; forwards Hugh Christiaens. Chris Becker, Jim Miller. Nelson&mdash;defenseman Bob Mclvor, Hugh Hooker; forwards Tom Foxcroft, Mike Laughton. Trail&mdash;defenseman Ken Uzeloc, Gary Johnson; forwards Kevin Knibbs. Brian Debiasio. &#9632;

The WIHL Scene

<div class="byline">BY RICHARD POLLAK</div>CHARLOTTE&mdash;In Birmingham, the newest outpost of professional hockey in the South, Pat Kelly, the new coach of the Birmingham Bulls in the World Hockey Association, reflected on his past experience in the Southern Hockey LeagueAccording to the former general manager and coach of the Charlotte Checkers, he felt very optimistic that the SHL was headed for it's greatest season. And who should know better than the winningest coach the SHL has ever known. Kelly is the only hockey leader to head his troops to two consecutive SHL championships.Kelly stressed the need for teams, in leagues like the SHL, to keep their player budgets at a minimum. Referring to the fact that any owner can go out and buy himself a championship team since there is so much hockey talent available but the real challenge is who can win it all, spending the same amount of money.Kelly was extremely glad to report how successfully hockey had caught on in Birmingham. The fans of Birmingham are constantly behind the Bulls as if it were an Alabama-Auburn Football game (the biggest rivalry in the South).Part of the reason for the trip to Birmingham and then to Atlanta to see the Flames defeat the Boston Bruins 3-1, was the first nationally telecast live cable T V. hockey game between the Bulls and the Edmonton Oilers.The Federal Broadcasting Company, an independent cable T.V. company broadcasting sporting events nationwide, is now in the process of negotiating the possible broadcast of SHL games in the very near future.One of the most widely recognized means of promoting professional hockey in the South would be through television, something that the SHL has been unable to provide it's fans.The Hampton Gulls are the only SHL team who in the past has been able to televise their home games on a cable T.V. system on a delayed basis.Many fans in the South first experienced hockey through television.CHARLOTTE: Gar Laux was proud to announce how successfully the new Checkers have been drawing Crowds for weekend dates are averaging just under 3,000 per game and during the week crowds are doing very well. The Checkers are winning especially at home. Only twice has the club been defeated in the Charlotte Coliseum. Right wing Bob Smulders has already reported to last year's SHL champion squad. Smulders was the club's third leading scorer last season despite severe knee injuries Jack Surbey, who resides full time in Charlotte is tied for second in scoring in the SHL. Center Guy Burrowes, another full-time resident of Charlotte and newcomer Norm Cournoyer are running second and third in the individual scoring race for the Checkers.RICHMOND: One of the two new entries this season along with Baltimore has been taken over by their own players. After management failed to meet the players payroll, the players held a meeting to continue operating on their own until new ownership could be found. Richmond has gone undefeated since the player take over and has attracted their largest two crowds of the season (3.600 and 2.900 respectfully). Former Richmond Robin, Danny Schock, has joined the clubTIDEWATER: The ownership of the Sharks changed hands as majority stockholder. Dr. Jack Kasdin, sold his interests in the club to minor stockholders Dr. Wendell Pile and MacDonald Martin Cliff Spearman, a former minor league player for the Cleveland Barons, has been named general manager Richard Hollak, who ran the club in the absence of a general manager, has added the duties of director of operations as well as assistant general manager. Bill Blumling, a retired naval officier, will voluntarially assist the club in finances and Dallas Tohill will head promotions for the club. Steve Michael, the Sharks play-by-play announcer will double as director of media relations.HAMPTON: After losing the services of netminder Bob Johnson to retirement, the Gulls have added Cam Newton, who attended their training camp in Cincinnati for the Stingers but was not offered a contract. Newton will share the netminding chores with rookies Rick Szabo, who recorded his second shutout to lead the SHL in that department and Bob Mears. Left winger Dale Smedsmo has been sold by the Gulls parent club in Cincinnati to the New England Whalers in the WHA The Gulls are currently on a four-game winning streak.WINSTON-SALEM: The Polar-Twins had a three-game winning streak broken by Rick Szabo's 6-0 shutout. Defenseman Gary Wood has been acquired from Charlotte. Injuries to rookie Ron Inch and veteran Bill Young have hurt the club but both are expected to return shortly. Right winger Randy Andreachuk, who was leading the club in goals scored, has been lost for an indefinite time at least six to eight weeks after surgery for a knee injury.GREENSBORO: The Generals lost right winger Jeff Carlson for at least four games due to his commitment to the flim &ldquo;Slapshot". Goalie Ernie Miller has improved on his winning percentage now at .500 with a 9-9 record. GM-coach John Voss fined his players after losing to rival Charlotte. The next evening, the Generals' players responded with a convincing triumph over the same Checkers squadBALTIMORE: The Clippers have run into a tail spin, losing four of their last 13 games. While their home record is excellent they are having a difficult time on the road. Overall, the Clippers as a team are the third highest in the goal production department. Don Grierson remains high in the individual race with 16 goals and 14 assists. Bill Oleschuk has appeared in more games than any other SHL net-minder with a 3.26 average.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-01301/4170494-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="607" height="978"><figcaption class="caption-body">CAM NEWTON &hellip; Signs With Hampton</figcaption></div><h2>SHL Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03179/4170487-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="645" height="940"></div><h2>Where SHL Teams Play</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-04125/4170480-1-eng-US/f0038-042.jpg" title="f0038-04" width="621" height="997"></div> &#9632;

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Richmond Players Take Over Team; SHL Could Get Television Package

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0038-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02237/4170525-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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Minor League Scoreboard

CALGARY&mdash;All Star teams from the three major junior hockey leagues in Canada have converged on the western part of the country for the first International Major hockey tournament for the Labatt Cup.Teams from the Western Canada Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey Association Major Junior A loop, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, plus a team of junior Soviet All Stars will compete in a total of 12 games.The tournament got under way the day after Christmas and will wind up one week later, Jan. 2. Sites chosen for the tournament are four Alberta centers&mdash;Edmonton, Calgary, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.The Western Canada representatives are an All Star team selected from the best players in the league. Handling the coaching duties is Ernie McLean of the New Westminster Bruins.He and manager Del Wilson of the Regina Pats scouted the WCHL for two months to try and put together the best possible team for the tournament.The OHA is represented by the Kingston Canadians, who have picked up an additional six players from the teams within the league.The Canadians earned the right to represent the OHA by leading the league's Leyden Division after the first 10 games of the 1976-77 campaign.The goaltenders for the Canadians are Jim Lockhurst and Greg Millen. Ten defensemen made the OHA team. They are Brad Tamblyn, Gary Mauracher, Jay Wells, Brian Crombeen, Bob Parent. John McMillan. Moe Robinson. Lowell Loveday, Gaston Gingras of Kitchener and Behn Wilson of Ottawa.The forward positions will be filled by Tom McKegney. Glenn McClelland. Mike Crombeen. Matt Murray. Darryl Benjamin. Tom Bailey. Ken Linseman. Mike Gillis. Jim Boyington. Ron Plumb, Mike Simurda along with pickups Red Laurence of Kitchener. Mark Murphy of Toronto and Bob Smith of Ottawa.The QMJHL has gone along with an entire All Star cast, picking players from each of the 10 teams in the league. Tim Bernhardt of Cornwall, Jean Belisle and Jean-Pierre Savido of Trois-Rivieres were the three goaltenders selected.The defense has Floyd Lahache of Sherbrooke. Daniel Poulin of Chicoutimi, Robert Picard (Montreal). Graeme Nicholson (Cornwall). Glen Platt (Sorel), and Mario Roy (Quebec).The forwards include Danny Geoffrion (Cornwall), Richard Dalpe (Trois-Rivieres), Denis Turcotte (Quebec), Rich Patterson (Cornwall), Jean-Marc Grand-maitre (Hull), Jere Gillis (Sherbrooke), Normand Dupont (Montreal), Jean Savard (Quebec), Michel Bossy (Laval). Yves Richer (Trois-Rivieres), Eddie Godin (Quebec), Sylvain Locas (Chicoutimi), Benoit Gosselin (Sorel). Lucien Deblois (Sorel), and Richard David (Trois-Rivieres).The Soviets, as usual, have sent a big team and they got in some good workouts against OHA teams prior to the tournament. The Soviet team scored lop-sided victories over St. Catharines and Ottawa in exhibition play.Handling the coaching duties for the Soviet team is Boris Mayorov, a former Soviet National team star who coached the Moscow team that competed in the Canada Cup series in September.The International Major championship team will receive the Labatt Cup and in addition, each member of the winning team will receive gold medals.Members of the Alberta media will be asked to select an outstanding player from each team for each of the 12 games Every time a player is selected, he will receive 10 points.The players from each team who accumulate the most points throughout the tournament will receive the outstanding player award.The fans are the ones who are going to get the fullest value out of the outstanding competition. &#9632;

Soviets Sending Best For World Tournament

<div class="byline">- By Bill Hilts</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-01280/4170580-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="362" height="448"></div><h2>Ontario Provincial</h2>The Ontario Provincial Jr. A League coaching casualty list grows with every passing week as more and more coaches decide to call it quits when unable to move their clubs. The first to go was Brian Cuddy at Aurora, replaced by Gene Popeil who has lifted the Tigers from the cellar into sixth place&hellip;Brian McCarthy, who started with Markham, was replaced by manager Jack Watson, who will double in brass as manager-coach&hellip;Scott Jones got the chop at Weston after Dodgers skidded to a seven-game losing streak Team owner Bob Smith has taken over position temporarily while seeking a successor. Pat Grace resigned at Dixie with the Beehives having won only one and tied two of 17 games. Bill MacNicol, sidelined by illness, moves back in&hellip;MacNicol is a veteran with the Dixie organization having acted as GM and a sometimes coach Player moves have been frequent also. The prize catch was made by North York who signed Kevin Walton to play goal after release by Toronto Marlboros. As a last year junior, Walton did not figure in the Marlie plans who are in the midst of a youth program&hellip;Paul Skjodt moved from Toronto Nationals to North York Royals.<h2>Great Lakes League</h2>&ldquo;A&rdquo; Division: Wayne opened up a 6-1 lead when Paddock Pools Saints got hot in the third period to close the gap when they got four goals but Wayne held on for 6-5 victory. Rudy Varvari the Chiefs goalie turned back 39 shots. Tom Wylie led the Chiefs scoring with two goals and an assist. Mitch McCalmon also had a pair for Saints &hellip;Fraser Highlanders moved into first place all alone by virtue of knocking off Detroit Jr. Wings 8-4 Bob Voakes and Bob Daniels each netted two goals for Highlanders. Keith Zoldack had two goals and an assist to move into a tie for second place in league scoring race.<h2>New England League</h2>Coach Jean Guy Gagnon's Fitchburg Wallopers lead New England Jr. Hockey League by 11 points. The Wallopers avenged their only two defeats this season by nipping the Tyngsboro Huskies 5-4 and stopping the South Shore Braves 8-2, then downed Great Bay Vikings 7-3. Toni O'Neil and Steve Hakala each scored two goals against Tyngsboro. Bill McLaughlin and Chip Bettencourt each had a goal and two assists for the Huskies and Jim Browder came up with 32 saves. Fran Boucher tallied twice and Don Leger stopped 34 shots in Wallopers' South Shore win. Frank Silva notched 20th and 21st goals for Braves and Jim Stewart and Dave Raymond combined for 54 saves. Mickey Rego, the NEJHL's leading scorer (21-26-47) scored two goals, defenseman Craig Boutilier netted two more, as did Craig Baker as Wallopers beat Great Bay Mark Donovan had a goal and two assists for Vikings&hellip;<h2>N.Y.&mdash;Penn League</h2>The New York-Penn Jr. League has developed into a wide-open race and the top spot can be anyone's as of this writing. Syracuse Stars, who finished in the cellar last season, now hold the top rung with an 8-6-2 record and 18 points. Binghamton Barons, the newest entry in the seven team loop, are last but just seven points behind the league leaders, with 11 points on a 5-8-1 record. Southern Cougars and Rochester Monarchs tied for second with 17 points; Buffalo Blades, Niagara Falls Mangs Sharks and Amherst Knights tied for the next slot with 13 points each&hellip;Binghamton will host Chicago Jr. Blackhawks in exhibition game at the Chenango Valley Country Club ice rink over holidays&hellip; Barons have also scheduled exhibition games with Austin Marvericks of Midwest Jr. A League: Springfield Olympics of New England Jr. A League, Toronto Young Nationals and St. Catharines Falcons&hellip;<h2>Midwest League</h2>Austin Mavericks are ahead of last year's record of 9-3-0 at this point, with 10 wins and only two losses, both by Bloomington. The Mavs are allowing just 2.6 goals per game and like Bloomington, are scoring at a rate of 4.8 goals per game&hellip;Coach Lou Vairo may have steadiest goaltending in the Midwest Jr. League so far from Tom Hasenzahl of Suffolk, N.Y. and Scott Kolquist of Duluth Central&hellip;St. Paul Vulcans have reclaimed the MJHL penalty lead again&mdash;the team is averaging 26 1/2 minutes in penalties per game..<h2>Alberta League</h2>After a sluggish start Cec Papke's Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Jr. Hockey League have made a strong run at first place by rattling off 13 consecutive wins, which ties the league record. Papke's club has only seven returnees from last year's pennant winners, but he has received strong performances from his rookies such as Todd Scott, Murray Scalf, Brad Neufeld and ex-University of Calgary winger Robin Laycock and veteran rearguards Jeff Neufeld and Neil Wagner. The Canucks have 10 17-year-old players who appear to have made a successful adjustment to the AJHL. Sheldon Fergusson's veteran Red Deer Rustler squad still tied for top spot despite a rash of injuries to stalwarts Doug Pal-marchuk and Brian Stephanson. Taber Golden Suns received good news when veteran Darcy Virostek decided to play for Vic Stasiuk's club However. Suns appear to have lost Dave Snopek to Medicine Hat Tigers of WCHL&hellip;Two young players in the AJHL have performed well this season. 14-year-old Steven Tsujuira scored twice in Taber's 8-3 win over Spruce Grove, has 13 goals in 11 games, while Spruce Grove Mets' Mark Messier, 15 years old, had four points in Mets 7-4 loss to Calgary. Messier has 18 points in 19 games&hellip;<h2>Saskatchewan League</h2>Kevin Waugh sends word that Ed Young of Saskatoon, president of Saskatchewan Amateur Jr. Hockey League, suffered a heart attack and since has recovered, but league appointed Jules Swick of Saskatoon as Commissioner of SAJHL&hellip; Prince Albert is leading league's Northern Division with 40 points and Weyburn is leading Southern Division with 36 points. Moose Jaw Canucks, who finished out of playoffs last year in the No.Div., have switched to So. Div. this year&hellip;The Canucks have top three scorers in league and all three play on same line&mdash;Doug Smail (28-27-55), Cyril Andreas (18-23-41) and Tim Nickle (11-30-41) &hellip;New coaches are Brian Harding in Yorkton, Dave Bal&oacute;n in Humboldt. Bal&oacute;n is a former player in NHL and WHA.<h2>Pacific League</h2>Richmond and Surrey remain deadlocked for lead in Pacific Jr. A League, each with 14 wins and 28 points. Vancouver is close with 24 points. Coquitlam is fourth with 18, Kerrisdale-14. NorWes-12 and Chilli wack-8&hellip; Don Fraser of Coquitlam leads scorers with 22 goals and 27 assists for 49 points. Kerry Gladson and Rob Atkinson, both of Surrey are runnerups with 36 points. Darrell Goodwin holds down fourth spot with 34 points and leads league in goals scored with 23&hellip;Ron Paterson of Richmond is leading goalie with a fine 2.74 GA average.<h2>N.Y. Metro League</h2>The Suffolk Royals recovered quickly from first loss to regain first place in NY Metropolitan League. Behind the super goaltending of Frank DeMayo the Royals knocked off NY Americans, who had beaten Suffolk the previous night, the Westsiders and New Hyde Park Arrows. Center Mike Labianca, the anchor of Suffolks Jet Line, collected eight goals in three games, including two hat tricks. Following loss to Amerks at Suffolk, the Royals whipped NY at the Amerks Abe Stark Ice Rink at Coney Island. They were losing after two periods. Suffolk then took over in final stanza and skated to victory behind Labianca s hat trick. The talented center scored all three goals shorthanded. DeMayo completely stopped the Amerks in the last period&hellip;<h2>West Coast League</h2>The Northwest Americans took to the ice for the first time in their new Sno-King Ice Arena against a very strong fast skating New Westminster Royals club. The Royals jumped off to a quick 6-0 lead, and were leading as much as 7-1 midway through second period, when Amerks finally caught fire. Greg Morehouse scored at 14:13 to make score 7-2, then at 18:59 Doug Hill scored a pretty goal on Ron Maclsaac's glove side to cut the gap 7-3. The final period was all Amerks as they outscored the Royals 5-1 to tie the game 8-8. It took a little luck, as Doug Hill scored on a long shot that defected off Royals goalie into his own goal with just over two minutes remaining in game&hellip;No. Shore Canadians lead West Div. with 29 points, followed by Richmond Rebels with 21 points Jim Bissett and Skeet Flake of Amerks continue to lead scorers with 47 and 40 points respectively. &#9632;

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JUNIOR JOTTINGS

The schedule for the Labatt Cup international major junior hockey tournament between teams from the Quebec, Ontario and Western Canada Major Leagues as well as a select Russian junior hockey squad follows:Sun. Dec. 26Russia vs Quebec at Edmonton.WCHL vs Ontario at Medicine Hat.Mon. Dec. 27Russia vs Ontario at Calgary.WCHL vs Quebec at Lethbridge.Wed. Dec. 29WCHL vs Ontario at Calgary.Russia vs Quebec at Medicine Hat.Thu. Dec. 30WCHL vs Russia at Calgary.Ontario vs Quebec at Edmonton.Sat. Jan. 1WCHL vs Quebec at Edmonton.Russia vs Ontario at Lethbridge.Sun. Jan. 2Ontario vs Quebec at Calgary.WCHL vs Russia at Edmonton. &#9632;

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December 31, 1976

North Division Battle Could Increase Gates

NHL SCORING AND PENALTY STATISTICS

Recalls Unsettle Floundering Stars

SL Louis Impressive In Eastern Swing Before Losing Thriller To BC Eagles