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.

January 21, 1977

The Hockey News January 21, 1977

<div class="byline">&#x2014; BY BOB VERDI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011095/4153474-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="369" height="529"></div>THE PINK SLIP shoved under William T. Reay's apartment door was short and sour. You are finished. Clean out your desk by 3 p.m. tomorrow. Return credit cards and key. Signed William W. Wirtz.That's a pretty tough way to handle an employee of 17 years. Now if Wirtz will get that tough with the rest of his organization, what once was a proud hockey club may again be proud. But until then, the Chicago Black Hawks threaten to represent a decaying franchise which, on any given night, can be a fiscal and artistic calamity.We are told that Reay's dismissal was Exhibit A in operation push to eliminate confusion and inefficiency. Time will tell. If he made mistakes as coach&mdash;and he did&mdash;he was not alone. He paid for a few sins not of his own commission.Thomas N. Ivan, general manager pro tern, has said so often that he had absolutely nothing to do with Reay's firing, that doubting Thomases are left with but one conclusion&mdash;that Thomas N. Ivan had very much indeed to do with Reay's firing.Of course, whether Ivan pulled the trigger is a moot point. It's not merely his privilege to fire a coach who is falling, it's his job. But Ivan, too, must answer some questions. After building a nothing franchise into a power house during the 1960s, he has become mysteriously inert the last few years, a man either gunshy or restricted from making deals.He says he has the horses, and maybe he's right. Maybe it was Reay's fault that the Hawks have become just a little bit worse every season. Certainly, the club appears to lead the league in underachievement from available resources.IN IVAN'S DEFENSE, it's said that several of his proposed deals were vetoed by Reay, and some poorer Hawk swaps (Ralph Backstrom, who jumped, for Dan Maloney, who didn't) were choregraphed by Reay. Most all Chicago deals, however, seem to be consummated with losing clubs (which ostensibly possess players inured to losing) or with the urging of Alan Eagleson, a man of action who is afraid of nothing.Whatever, one continually returns to the Ivan-Reay rift which festered the last few seasons. They got along like King Kong and Fay Wray. Accept no denials as to its existence; only wonder along with the rest of us how such an unhealthy situation was permitted to persist. It's over now. Overdue, but over.One is tempted to think that there remains a missing piece to the puzzle in L'affaire Reay. Why would one of the most loyal organizations in sports dismiss an employee of 17 seasons three days before Christmas and one month after he was &ldquo;promoted&rdquo; to general manager?In addition to ongoing problems&mdash;poor record, poor attendance, poor morale&mdash;there were some current events to digest. Reay twice resisted Wirtz on accepting an assistant coach&mdash;first Bill White, then Bobby Orr. Then Reay expressed displeasure at the prospect of Ivan remaining as a vice-president next season.And last but certainly not least, Reay shouted it out with Wirtz in the Hawk locker room one month ago. Wirtz entered complaining about how the club looked; reportedly, he left infuriated at Reay's rebuff.Given that situation, plus all others, maybe it wasn't all that surprising. Either through suggestion or by what he deluded himself, Wirtz apparently was convinced that Reay's handling or judgement of talent as coach would not wear well as general manager, after all. And certainly Wirtz is concerned about his franchise; so concerned that he has hinted, if things don't get better, the family would sell.THE IMMEDIATE outlook for the Black Hawks is clouded. The team does not have enough talent to allow it status among the league's elite. But the personnel is there to court respectability. Much of that personnel claims Reay didn't teach enough, didn't motivate enough, didn't care enough. They also realize that Reay was a victim of a bad situation&mdash;for years he was &ldquo;headed&rdquo; for a GM chair he dearly wanted but, ironically, never got.Now there is a new regime featuring two Hawk veterans&mdash;White and Stan Mikita&mdash;plus Orr, a super star obtained from another organization. If Orr's knee were only as strong as his heart&mdash;and if certain Hawk players' hearts were as strong as their knees&mdash;No. Four could lead by example, and lead as no other player can lead.The onus, though, is not on the White-Mikita-Orr troika, but clearly on the players. They must shed all crutches and perspire. After all, jobs are at stake and there is money to be made , even in the Conn Smythe Division.Now that changes are in vogue at Chicago Stadium, the biggest one must come not upstairs, downstairs or in back alleys. It must come on the ice, and it must come in the Black Hawk attitude. The team loves to win, but it does not hate to lose.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-02884/4153467-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="1207" height="1140"><figcaption class="caption-body">Chicago GM Tommy Ivan, left, and dismissed Hawks' coach Billy Reay in earlier days when they were in- g separable and called the shots as the Hawks became a g power in the NHL.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

Ivan-Reay Rift Raised Question, “Who Really Fired Hawks' Coach?”

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011069/4153560-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="323" height="505"></div><h2>Looking Into The Future</h2>WILL THE INFORMATION provided in this space never stop amazing readers of THE HOCKEY NEWS?Our latest service is a peek into the future, where we offer an opinion on how prominent contemporary hockey people will be spending their time 20 years from now. Turn the dial. Dr. Strangelove. It's now 1997 and we find&hellip;Alan Eagleson: ruler of the world and agent for top players in the Global Hockey League.Fred Shero: a bearded guru with headquarters on a senic mountaintop in British Columbia. Shero is the only guru to use fil-lums as a visual aid. .William W. Wirtz: conducting a course in employee relations from his yacht. Odd, but the Wirtz course isn't too well attended.Billy Reay: a popular lecturer. Subject: the dangers of loyalty to your employer.Bobby Clarke: he just finished coaching the Philadelphia Flyers to their eighth Stanley Cup; plans to retire and either run for NHL president or Canadian prime minister.Ken Dryden: a successful attorney, author, television talk-show host, he is considering opposing Clarke for prime minister.Scotty Bowman: as general manager has guided Canadiens to 10 Stanley Cups. &ldquo;The only problem with this job.&rdquo; says Bowman, &ldquo;is keeping track of all these first-round draft choices Sam left me.&rdquo;Bernie Parent: owns a fleet of fishing boats; lives in a seaside mansion on a Caribbean island; has a nervous habit of crouching and blocking the path of anyone who tries to walk past him.Bobby Orr: plays two games a month for the Brazil Black Hawks; on the final year of a 10-year contract.Phil Esposito: operates a school for referees.Rick MacLeish: a harness racing tycoon; also president of an alarm-clock manufacturer.Curt Bennett: interpreter for NHL teams that regularly visit Moscow; originator of booming mail-order business; &ldquo;How to Improve Your Mind by Reading a Dictonary a Day.&rdquo;Dave (Tiger) Williams: star of a wild west show and author of a physical fitness series: &ldquo;How to Improve Your Body by Wrestling a Building a Day.&rdquo;Marcel Dionne: at 45 still playing and searching for a championship team before retiring.<h2>Discard Measure Rule</h2>IT IS HOPED that 20 years from now the NHL will have disposed of its absurd rule allowing stick measurements during game. Latest time-consuming example of this delaying tactic occurred during Philadelphia's 2-0 victory in Los Angeles.Earlier in the game the Flyers had questioned the legality of Dionne's stick. Measurements revealed the blade curve was illegal and Dionne served a minor penalty. In the game's closing minutes. Andre Dupont of Philadelphia was assessed a minor penalty for holding. Seizing the stick rule as an opportunity to obtain a two-man power-play advantage. Kings' coach Bob Pulford asked referee John McCauley to measure the stick of goaltender Wayne Stephenson.What followed was a page from &ldquo;How to Turn a Major League Attraction into a Minor League Farce.&rdquo; It took nearly 15 minutes to measure Stephenson's stick&mdash;twice. After checking Stephenson's stick with the device at the penalty box. linesman Malcolm Ashford was dispatched to somewhere (the Forum's carpentry shop?) to find a tape measure. Stephenson's stick blade was finally declared too wide, giving the Kings the two-man edge which they promptly bungled. Of course, superb penalty killing by Bobby Clarke, Joe Watson and Tom Bladon contributed immensely to the Kings' ineffectiveness.There are at least two solutions to the stick-measuring problem. First, if the request fails, slap a minor penalty on the accusing team. The current $200 fine means nothing to a desperate team. Secondly, have all sticks to be used in a game checked and stamped by officials prior to the game. Then if a player is caught using an illegal stick, his team skates shorthanded for five minutes.Any other solutions are welcome. Anything is better than the present rule. &#9632;

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HOCKEY WORLD

<div class="byline">BY BOB VERDI</div>CHICAGO-Merry Christmas. You're fired.In so many words, Billy Reay was dismissed Dec. 22 as coach of the Chicago Black Hawks, a struggling hockey team with sick players, sick attendance and a sick record.For those problems&mdash;many of which were beyond his control&mdash;Reay paid with the job he had held here for 131/2 seasons, during which he increased his record to 542 career victories, more than any coach in National Hockey League history except Dick Irvin.In a 10-paragraph release which not once mentioned Reay's name, team president Bill Wirtz revealed that Bill White, an erstwhile All Star defenseman who may never play again because of a nerve injury, was to become interim head coach.White, 37, acquired two assistants. Bobby Orr and Stan Mikita. in a move Wirtz hoped would get his team &ldquo;back on the right track.&rdquo; presumably, in the meanwhile, the Hawks will continue to search for a fulltime, experienced coach who can start work next September. Candidates would seem to include: Bob Fulford, coach of the Los Angeles Kings: Jack Evans, coach of the Cleveland Barons, and Al MacNeil, who pilots the Nova Scotia Voyageurs farm club for the Montreal Canadiens.Only a month ago Wirtz termed Reay &ldquo;the best coach in the business&rdquo; and confirmed that next season he would succeed Tommy Ivan as general manager of the team.But the shocking news of Dec. 22 rendered all that conversation meaningless. At 9 am.. the 58-year-old Reay was cleaning out his desk in the bowels of Chicago Stadium, and walls once covered by memorabilia now bore only naked picture hooks.&ldquo;I guess I've got to go look for a job&hellip;and I'd love to get a job in hockey.&rdquo; said Reay. managing a smile, not to mention a stiff upper lip.&ldquo;I read somewhere that you're hired to be fired, and you have to take things like a man. I sort of had a feeling that, the way things were, there might be a change. But I don't really want to comment too much on what's happened.&ldquo;I'll never have any bad words to say about Billy Wirtz. Never. Did the players let me down? Oh. I could never say that. I don't think that. I only wish the guys in that locker room the best of luck.&rdquo;Reay's three successors&mdash;White, Mikita and Orr&mdash;all expressed some shock at the departure and even Wirtz seemed drained.&ldquo;I haven't slept for three nights because this is one of the most traumatic experiences I've ever had. &ldquo;said Wirtz. &ldquo;I had a tremendous personal relationship and feeling for Billy Reay, but I had to separate if from business at this time.&ldquo;I'm not prepared to write off this season, and nobody else in our organization is. We went through a 12-game winless streak and we're in a terrible position, but there's still a lot of hockey left this season.&ldquo;I don't want to comment on where I've felt Billy may have failed. There are certain things I'm not at liberty to say. But I don't believe in falling back on all our injuries as an excuse for our record.&ldquo;I did say recently that Billy was a great coach, and that he was in line to be our next general manager But we had to make a change and we had to make it now. It's against everything we stand for- firing people in the middle of the season, during the holidays.&ldquo;But it had to be done. I don't think it would have worked to keep Billy Reay as general manager or assistant general manager, while Bill White had volunteered to come on as coach. It would have created too much pressure or everyone, and we don't need that now.&ldquo;At the end of the year, we'll sit down and evaluate everything. The plans are still for Tommy Ivan to retire as general manager. We may have to hire one man or two men to fill his spot and the coaching position. We don't necessarily preclude Bill White as a candidate for the coaching job.&ldquo;All I can say this whole thing really hurt. But the club must go on. no matter what. It's like the service, you've got to think of all the men. This was my decision. Tommy Ivan had nothing to do with it.&rdquo;Most insiders would debate that statement, because many insiders feel Ivan loaded the gun at Reay's cranium. The two co-existed cooly&mdash;when Ivan suggested that Hawk players weren't in shape. Reay just scoffed at the suggestion.&ldquo;But don't go putting words into my mouth.&rdquo; said Ivan. &ldquo;I had nothing to do with what happened to Billy Reay. I do what my people tell me to do.&rdquo;Reay treated his players like men. eschewing motivational histrionics. There were times, frequently of late, when his athletes didn't reward him with an honest day's work for an honest day's pay.But neither was there much doubt that Reay was ripe for a change. Players three years ago wouldn't have dared second- guess his coaching. But lately there were whispers that a change would bo good for all.&ldquo;This team needed some sort of a shakeup.&rdquo; said Pit Martin. &ldquo;And I guess they decided this.&rdquo; &#9632;

Hawk Players Shocked By Coaching Change, Admit It Had To Come

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WHA SCORING AND PENALTY STATISTICS

<div class="byline">BY JACK MCCARTHY</div>BOSTON-The New Year should see some changes in the Bruins, if not in personnel, surely in execution. The Bostonians were lagging behind Buffalo in the Adams Division, but general manager Harry Sinden had hopes for the second part of the season.&ldquo;I think this team has as much a chance as anybody for the Stanley Cup,&rdquo; said Sinden at the New Year. &ldquo;I think it will be a dogfight for first place in out- division. Buffalo has been very convincing lately.The Sabres have been getting the good goalkeeping, and Jim Schoenfeld has been healthy. And they have always had the firepower, the ability to score goals, much like our big line of Esposito, Hodge and Cashman of a few years back.&rdquo;To beat out Buffalo for the division championship, and to beat either the Sabres, Philadelphia or Montreal for the Cup. the Bruins are going to have to do it with what they have now. Sinden does not see much possibility of trading.&ldquo;Since it appears we will get no com pensation for Bobby Orr this year from Chicago.&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;and with the unlikelihood of more trades, we'll have to mould what we have, which I think is very substantial.&rdquo;The Bruins have been somewhat &ldquo;unsettled &ldquo; in their combinations up front, but the GM feels this is over now and that the lines are set and that this should be a big plus.Another thing he Wants to see is more stability on defense, and hopes that Rickey Smith, acquired for Joe Zanussi in a trade with St. Louis Blues, should help.&ldquo;I feel an awful lot better about our defense going into the second half of the season than I have felt,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;We just did not have stability on defense, and I mean both winning and losing.Harry points out that injuries can be a factor, not only to the Bruins, but to the other clubs in contention as well But, he says, &ldquo;With players such as Earl Anderson, Matti Hagman, Dave Forbes and Stan Johnathan, our bench strength is better than it has been in the past few years.&rdquo;One thing that concerns Sinden is the Boston power play, once a most efficient weapon, but now tailed off to very ordinary. He says, &ldquo;You can't win in the NHL without penalty-killing and the power play.&ldquo;We have been doing all right killing the penalties, but for at least the last 25 games, we have not been a first-place team so far as the power play goes.&ldquo;The alignment will have to get settled. Johnny Bucyk has been playing super for us, but we have really not been controlling the puck in the corners. And we may move Peter McNab into the middle, in the slot in front in place of Jean Ratelie. I don't know. But we will have to get that settled down soon.&ldquo;Overall, we are really not that bad up front now, but we have to show more consistency on defense, and we have to get more high-level goaltending consistency from Gilles Gilbert.&ldquo;There is a question mark as to what level Gilbert will play. Some nights he is at a high level, others not so high. We are going to need that high level consistently.&rdquo;Harry adds, &ldquo;Don Cherry is aware of all this, and is working on it constantly. He is a very, very conscientious coach.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-02932/4153029-1-eng-US/f0002-022.jpg" title="f0002-02" width="642" height="880"><figcaption class="caption-body">EARL ANDERSON &hellip; Adds Bench Strength</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Bruins Eyeing Second Half With Set Forward Lines

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0002-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-011028/4153060-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Veteran Derek Sanderson is on the move again. The St. Louis Blues have placed the controversial center on waivers without recall but Sanderson said he is confident he'll bounce back with some club in the NHL. (Photo by Steve Babineau)</figcaption></div><h2>BLUES DUMP SANDERSON</h2>ST. LOUIS&mdash;The honeymoon is over between Derek Sanderson and the St. Louis Blues but the pesky center is confident he'll be back in the NHL with some other club. Sanderson's lawyer, Bob Woolf, says five NHL teams are interested in acquiring his services following his release by the Blues.St. Louis manager-coach Emile Francis said he had gone as far as he wanted with Sanderson and said if he wasn't claimed he would be sent to Kansas City of the CHL. But Sanderson has been given permission by Francis to make his own deal and said he had contacted Buffalo. Vancouver. Boston. Rangers and the L.A. Kings. Sanderson has been with four NHL teams in his 10-year career. He said he left the Blues with no hard feelings. Sanderson said the Blues were in financial trouble and couldn't afford his contract. Francis made no comment.<h2>WATSON GETS 'MASK'</h2>PHILADELPHIA&mdash;Flyers' star defenseman Jim Watson received the dreaded news from his doctors. His injured eye has suffered some vision damage and he'll be compelled to wear a special face protector similar to the one teammate Paul Holmgren is wearing now.Watson was accidently struck in the eye by the stick of Jerry Butler of St. Louis during an NHL game a few weeks ago and team doctors had hoped there would be no damage to the eye. However Watson has been fitted for a special shield and he'll probably have to wear it for the rest of his career.<h2>NHL, SOVIETS TALKING</h2>MONTREAL&mdash;The NHL and Soviet Union are going to hook up in a new hockey series with a tournament format that will bring together the best team in Russia and the Stanley Cup champions, likely a pre-season affair.NHL president Clarence Campbell and Alan Eagleson, president of the NHL Players' Association, have talked with officials of the Soviet Union about the idea. There is a strong possibility of a series of exhibition games between top Soviet teams and the NHL for the holiday period of 1977-78. The WHA is also conversing with Soviet people on sending their league champions, reinforced by players from other clubs, to again play in the Izvestia Tournament in Moscow next December.<h2>NHL HUNTING PRESIDENT</h2>MONTREAL&mdash;The NHL will have a new president by June to replace Clarence Campbell. The search for Campbell's successor is on again and the NHL Governors expect to have their man by mid-May to take office June 1.Campbell, who has been NHL president for the last 31 years, is stepping down at age 73. The NHL selection committee looking for a new president, is headed by Jacques Courtois of the Montreal Canadiens. There are several possible candidates for the job including James Cullen of St. Louis, Brian O'Neill, who is Campbell's present executive assistant, and Toronto lawyer Robert Sedgewick. Minnesota governor Gordon Ritz said the NHL is looking for a man who will stand up to the owners as Pete Rozelle does in the NFL. &#9632;

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DEADLINE STOPPERS

MONTREAL-For the first time since 1966-67 and only the second time in history, one team has swept the half-season statistical award money in the National Hockey League.Montreal Canadiens' Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt and goaltenders Ken Dryden and Michel Larocque won the $1.000 which go to the leaders in the Art Ross and Vezina Trophy races at the midway point of the season.Lafleur was the first-half scoring leader with 31 goals and 64 points in 40 games. He receives $500. Shutt, the goal-scoring leader with 32 goals after 40 games, receives $250 as runner-up to his linemate, even though Shutt was tied with Marcel Dionne of Los Angeles Kings for second place, each with 55 points after 40 games. Shutt is the official runner-up because he scored more goals than Dionne, who had 21The Canadiens' goaltending duo of Dryden and Larocque led all teams in fewest goals against and win $250 for that accomplishment Canadiens had 90 goals against in 40 games, nine fewer than New York Islanders have against them i Islanders' 40th game is tonight against Philadelphia in the NHL's TV game-of- the-week) and 12 fewer than Buffalo Sabres had against after 40 games.The only other time one team took all three mid-season awards since the NHL began the practice in 1962-63, was in the second half of 1966-67 when Chicago led in the Vezina Trophy race and Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita of the Hawks were one-two in the scoring for the last half. Last season. Bobby Clarke of Philadelphia led the scoring in the first half. Lafleur was second and Montreal led in the goaltending race.After clinching the award money. Lafleur pulled into a nine and 11-point lead over Shutt and Dionne, respectively, but the Los Angeles right winger exploded for five points at New York in a 5-4 victory over Rangers to move ahead of Shutt and cut Lafleur's lead to seven points, the same as a week ago. Lafleur has 68 points, including a league-leading 33 goals &mdash; one more than Shutt and three more than Ranger rookie Don Murdoch &mdash; while Dionne has 61 points, two more than Shutt Tied for fourth place are Darryl Sittier of Toronto and Rod Gilbert of Rangers, each with 54 points, four more than Peter McNab of Boston and Richard Martin of Buffalo.A highlight of the week was Phil Esposito's first three-goal game as a Ranger and his first since Feb. 8. 1975, when he scored four goals against Detroit. He recorded his 27th three-or- more-goal game against Los Angeles, moving him into second place in the all-time list, only one behind the record holder. Bobby Hull, who had 28 such feats with Chicago. &#9632;

Hot Shot Canadiens Register Sweep Of Awards

<div class="byline">BY DONALD BERNS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011035/4153129-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">GARRY UNGER&hellip; Most Consistent NHL Performer (Photo by Steve Babineau)</figcaption></div>ST. LOUIS&mdash;Somewhere during the St. Louis Blues' 10-game winless streak Garry Unger scored his 300th goal in the National Hockey League.Unger's scoring always has been predictably consistent, nearly as consistent as his answering the bell for each game. His streak of consectuve games is nearing 700 with the 700th on the schedule being Feb. 14 in Philadelphia.&ldquo;This is my 10th year in the league, so my goal-scoring average is about 33 a year,&rdquo; Unger said. &ldquo;Most guys who score 300 goals had been in the league 15 or 16 years.&rdquo;The NHL statistics verify Unger's claim. He is the 24th player in the history of the league to score 300 and is far ahead of the pace set by most of them.Unger is 29, and only four of the other 23 scored the 300th goal before age 30. Only Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Phil Esposito and Stan Mikita scored 300 before their 30th birthdays.&ldquo;It's 300 on the way to 400,&rdquo; said Unger. &ldquo;It would mean more if I were going to retire at 300 goals, but since I'm so young, it's only a plateau.&rdquo;Because Unger's scoring over the years has been so consistent, projecting his future production can be done with more accuracy than for otherplayers. At his present pace he will outscore all but a handful of top scorers in NHL history.If Unger maintains his current pace until he is 36, only the top three, Howe. Hull and Esposito, will be ahead of him in goals. Of course, there are other challengers, and two current players, Yvan Cournoyer and Richard Martin, are likely to surpass Unger on the basis of their respective goal-scoring paces.Such projections, of course, are speculative. But, as mentioned, Unger's remarkable consistency over the years plus his obvious durability take some of the speculation out of projecting his eventual accomplishments.Unger is playing this season on a line with Bob MacMillan and Pierre Plante, and the group has survived some recent line changes by coach Emile Francis.During that 10-game winless streak and the unbeaten string that followed it Francis shuffled some players between St. Louis and Kansas City and experimented with some different combinations.In addition to the Unger line the line of Red Berenson, Ted Irvine and Jerry Butler remained a unit.However, the Blues' most effective line became Larry Patey at center with Floyd Thomson on left wing and Claude Larose on right wing. That group led the way out of the losing streak.Larose had been playing on what had been expected to be the top St. Louis scoring line with Chuck Lefley on the other wing and Derek Sanderson at center.Lefley and Sanderson both had been slowed by injuries but even after full recovery they were not getting as much ice time as expected.Francis was playing Lefley and Sanderson on shifts with a right wing taken from any of the other lines.Those combinations total four lines, and Francis also was using six defensemen. Newcomer Joe Zanussi, acquired from the Boston Bruins' organization in exchange for Rick Smith, was playing well with Bob Plager. who had been getting a lot of bench duty but was playing better while on the ice regularly. Rod Seiling teams with Bob Gassoff, and Bruce Affleck with Gilles Marotte.After the 10-game winless streak was broken by a 6-4 win over the Chicago Black Hawks with Plante getting the winning goal, the Blues went west and beat Colorado. 2-1, and Vancouver, 4-2.Back at the St. Louis Arena the Blues led the New York Islanders, 4-0 but had to settle for a 4-4 tie. The unbeaten string reached five with a 3-1 win over the Minnesota North Stars.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-02890/4153122-1-eng-US/f0003-022.jpg" title="f0003-02" width="654" height="1145"><figcaption class="caption-body">PHIL ESPOSITO &hellip; He Turned Trick</figcaption></div><h2>NHL's Elite 300 Scorers</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-03602/4153115-1-eng-US/f0003-032.jpg" title="f0003-03" width="721" height="1512"></div> &#9632;

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GARRY UNGER JOINS A SELECT FEW IN SCORING 300TH GOAL BEFORE 30

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011086/4153181-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="493" height="502"></div>THERE ARE SOME rumors circulating that Gerald Regan, Premier of Nova Scotia, is being considered as a possible replacement for National Hockey League president Clarence Campbell. Regan is, naturally, denying the stories&hellip;Keith Magnuson, the new captain of the Chicago Black Hawks, has to be the most unfortunate player in the NHL. Magnuson, appointed captain during the recent Chicago overhaul, was struck in the face by a shot from the stick of Buffalo's Richard Martin. Magnuson is just getting back into shape after missing a few games because of a broken jaw&hellip;It looks as though Jean Ratelle had to get out of New York to be appreciated. The veteran center, always a smooth skater and slick playmaker, has scored 19 goals for the Bruins this season &hellip;Prince Andrew, second in line for the thrown, has registered at the Lakefield College School in Lakefield, Ont., and he immediately became involved in hockey. The prince scored two goals for his team in an exhibition game, his first appearance on the ice for the school&hellip;The Soviet Union Ice Hockey Federation is being harshly criticized in Canadian circles for sending a second- rate junior hockey club to compete in the major international junior tournament that was recently held in Alberta.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021041/4153174-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="338" height="558"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jean Ratelle</figcaption></div>THERE IS NO DOUBT that the Montreal Canadiens should dominate the All Star selections for the annual classic in Vancouver Jan. 25. The Canadians are loaded with talent this season. Two names who immediately come to mind are Guy Lafleur and Larry Robinson. And don't overlook Steve Shutt either&hellip;The February issue of HOCKEY PICTORIALWORLD, featuring New York Rangers' scoring whiz Don Murdoch on the cover, is now on sale at newstands. Among the features in the issue are Guy Lafleur, admitting that Jean Beliveau is a tough act to follow There are many other interesting stories on such players as Steve Jensen of the Minnesota North Stars, Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders, Garry Unger of the St. Louis Blues and Darcy Rota of the Chicago Black Hawks. There is also a story on the San Diego Mariners of the World Hockey Association. Get a copy today or use the order form on page 37 of this issue to subscribe to the magazine&hellip;Fans in Montreal are getting down on big center Pete Mahovlich, who is finding himself in the midst of a puzzling slump. Coach Scotty Bowman is trying to come up with a solution to the problem.. . Bernie Parent had more work than he knew what to do with when the Philadelphia Flyers played the Canadiens on the first Game of the Week hockey telecast Jan. 3. Parent faced a total of 55 shots, losing 6-4&hellip;The Buffalo Sabres have demonstrated a lot of balance recently in overhauling Boston for first place in the Adams Division of the NHL standings. Many feel that the Sabres are one of the fastest skating teams in the league.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-03936/4153167-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="335" height="547"><figcaption class="caption-body">Pete Mahovlich</figcaption></div>WHEN CLEVELAND'S Al MacAdam beat Denis Herron in a 5-4 win for Pittsburgh, it marked the first time that a penalty shot had been successful in nine attempts at the Civic Arena&hellip;Terry Crisp played remarkably well in this season's debut during Philadelphia's 5-1 victory in Vancouver. Crisp has been part of the Flyers' broadcasting crew (and doing an outstanding job) while practising daily with the club. Crisp played when Rick MacLeish was summoned home to Cannington, Ont., for his father's funeral&hellip;In Quebec's 12-3 romp over the Winnipeg Jets the day after Christmas. Ron Asseltine made his first appearance in a refereeing capacity since the much-publicized incident in Houston a year ago when he was pushed around by Gordie Howe. Ron Ego was supposed to work the game but came bp with the 'flu just before game time. Asseltine has been working regularly as a linesman&hellip;Winnipeg's Joe Daley, was voted the outstanding goaltender at the Izvestia tournament in Moscow&hellip;Most improved members of the New York Islanders are Pat Price and Garry Howatt. Price has been the club's best defenseman in recent games and Howatt has been on a scoring tear since returning to the club in December following a knee injury&hellip;Better concentration. That's Avhat Buffalo goalie Gerry Desjardins credits for his fine showing in the first half of the NHL schedule. Desjardins is having the best year of his 12-year pro career.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-04834/4153160-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="343" height="437"><figcaption class="caption-body">Garry Howatt</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0004-01

PASSING THE PUCK

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-05695/4153212-1-eng-US/f0004-052.jpg"></div><h2>Charron For Pyatt Steal For Capitals</h2>I am a member of the Washington Capitals fan club and I have been following them ever since their inception in the National Hockey League three years ago.The Caps have made several good trades. Two years ago, they got Ace Bailey and Stan Gilbertson for Denis Dupere. Last year, they received Gerry Meehan and Jean Lemieux for Bill Clement.This past summer, the Caps unloaded their 1975-76 scoring leader. Nelson Pyatt, for Guy Charron, who last year led the team now known as the Colorado Rockies in goals and points. He had 27 goals and if he keeps up his pace this season, he could get 40-plus goals. Anything over 26 would be a team record.Pyatt is having a good season, but not half as good as Guy Charron. The Capitals also have received Bugsy Watson and veteran Bill Collins, so hats off to the Washington Caps.MIKE COHEN, Montreal<h2>This Time Eagleson Has Gone Too Far</h2>Having read everything Alan Eagleson has said in the last few years about the World Hockey Association, one point stands out as the most stupid statement of all.All across Canada on Dec. 20. the newspapers printed some of his latest comments. Eagleson said that the Winnipeg Jets were a second rate team and they were a joke at the Izvestia tournament.There are some good points to prove this wrong. First of all. the Jets were hurting badly before they left for Moscow.Lars-Erik Sjoberg. the team's best defenseman, was out with knee problems. Bobby Hull's hand is only 50 per cent and three or four others are just working themselves back into the lineup after being injured.Secondly, also before leaving, the Jets had just finished playing five games in six days, including a game against Czechoslovakia, which was touring the WHA.When the Jets started their play in the tournament, they faced the team from Czechoslovakia. They played a very strong game but came away with a loss. In the next game, they came back but only had time for a tie. Had there been another five minutes in the game, they would have won.After both of the games, Bobby Kromm said that his team should have won both of them and that they were still getting used to the larger rink and strange atmosphere.The most notable game which shows that the Jets are indeed not a second-rate team is when they played the Russians. The Soviets were the best team put up by that country since they started playing. The Jets were, of course, overpowered, but they still lost by only two goals.In my opinion, there are no more than three good National Hockey League teams which could have played as well. Among those three, Pittsburgh and St. Louis cannot be counted so they must be second-rate teams themselves.Earlier this season, the Jets beat Pittsburgh and St Louis handily. I don't remember Eagleson calling them second- rate teams after those two games.Maybe Eagleson said all this because the WHA- is getting a little more international action. Could it be because of his hate for Bobby Hull?Maybe the Canadian people saw the Jets make that comeback win over the touring Czechs on national television. By the way Alan, did you see the game? I bet you haven't even seen the Jets play this season.Next time you say something about the World Hockey Association, would you please make sense or else just think before saying anything.ARNOLD JONES, Winnipeg, Man.<h2>NHL Teams Should Stop Trading Off Draft Picks</h2>If the National Hockey League wishes to re-kindle the interest it has lost over the years, the trading of draft choices must be stopped.Teams like the Minnesota North Stars see themselves playing terrible hockey and the attendance dwindle because they exchanged their draft choices for a veteran with one or two years left.The .Montreal Canadiens seem to be the club with the most draft choices every summer, only to send the youngsters to the minors for two or four years when they could be playing on the varsity for any other team in both major leagues.It's another example of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.The teams that have kept their draft choices are playoff and Stanley Cup contenders. The clubs that haven't are losing hockey games and money.It's time Clarence Campbell and the board of governors did something other than fining players for fighting.DANNY FRAJMAN, Montreal<h2>Rangers Are Loaded With All Star Talent</h2>I am sick and tired of everyone cutting down the New York Rangers I have been a Ranger fan my whole life and they have been a great team.Individually, the Rangers have the best team with players like Phil Esposito. Bill Goldsworthy, Carol Vadnais, Ken Hodge and Rod Gilbert.These guys are All Stars and they are just great.What I think John Ferguson should do is trade for a steady defenseman like Dallas Smith or Jerry Korab.When the Rangers win the Stanley Cup. I'm going to laugh in everyone's face.BEN DIXON, Brooklyn, N.Y.<h2>Harris Not Just Average Player</h2>Author Bill Fleischman's article in THE HOCKEY NEWS Dec. 17 where he compares Harvey Bennett with &ldquo;willing but average players&rdquo; Ted Harris. Terry Murray and Jack McIlhargey is a joke.I maintain that Teddy Harris was not an average player. The big guy was a winner, a member of many Stanley Cup teams.Ted could hit and Knew the game. However, when he came to Philadelphia, time had eroded his skill.As for Terry Murray as average, just a blank. As for Jack McIlhargey, he is below average. He is willing alright, but it's usually willing to go to the penalty box.If there was ever a &ldquo;goon", it's this guy. If he's average, the National Hockey League is in more trouble than anyone ever thought.DANIEL PARRETT, Swansea, Ill. &#9632;

f0004-05

FAN FORUM

<div class="byline">BY RON WEBER</div>WASHINGTON-It happened once before in the short history of the Washington Capitals that two black players were on the ice at the same time for the National Hockey League club.That was back on Dec. 26 in 1974 when Mike Marson and Bill Riley both suited up against the Philadelphia Flyers.For Riley it was a one-night stand. For Marson it was the continuation of his rookie NHL year. Time and circumstances have separated the players. Marson drifted to the high minors and Riley was merely returned after one game to the club from where he came&mdash;the Dayton Gems of the International League.Today, the two are back together again &mdash;only this time the circumstances are quite different. Both are playing regularly and that makes the situation unique for the NHL Capitals.It is the first time two black players have performed together on the same team on a regular basis in the NHL and Marson and Riley are happy to be part of the precedent-setting spotlight They hope it will last.Marson has tasted the big time before, spending the better part of two seasons up top with the Caps before being shuffled down to Springfield of the AHL. But for Riley it is a brand new experience and for the five-foot-11, 195-pound right wing from Canada's eastern seaboard, it's a chance to make good. Riley responded with his first big league goal in his third NHL game of the season against Detroit.Both players are rugged individuals. Riley is taller but Marson packs more muscle. However, the Caps are pleased with the call-up of both players from the minor leagues and they'd like nothing better if the pair stayed around for the rest of the year.The Caps brought Riley up from Dayton and they always like to look back on the City of Dayton as a good omen. It brought them Tommy McVie on the night of Dec. 30. 1975. and while Tommy is practically a &ldquo;bicentennial baby&rdquo; as as NHL coaching goes, he has been good for Washington.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-01939/4153250-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg" title="f0005-01" width="645" height="690"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE MARSON&hellip; Back In Big Time</figcaption></div>Asked if he was overjoyed, satisfied or disappointed after a year on the job McVie replied. &ldquo;You could say all of those things. I'm really positive but there have been some dog days.&rdquo;Assuming the reins of an expansion team meant frequent defeats he knows, but says McVie. &ldquo;At first I thought I could square this thing around and begin winning&mdash;but I was wrong. I knew the NHL was different from the International League where I was successful, but I still thought my theories and system would work (better).&rdquo;For the record Tommy's coaching in 1976 (plus the New Year's Eve before it) produced 18 wins and nine ties in exactly 80 games. In the season ending last April his log was 8-31-5 ; for this schedule 10-224. That's a long way from a winning pace and several cuts below what's needed even to make the NHL's watered-down playoffs.&ldquo;I know now,&rdquo; says McVie. &ldquo;that (general manager) Max McNab knew we couldn't turn this thing around and win consistently soon. And, after touring around the league, I began to realize that the system and lots of conditioning wouldn't be enough.&ldquo;Don Perry in Saginaw said to me: &ldquo;Know how to be the best coach? Get the best players. But I don't think Fred Shero had the best players when he won those two years in Philadelphia&mdash;but he had the best team. Don Cherry at Boston and Al Arbour with the Islanders are present examples (of winning more than their share).&rdquo;When Tom quoted his old buddy John Ferguson saying, &ldquo;Individualism doesn't win,&rdquo; we had to jump in and ask if Fergy's Rangers were substantially improved. &ldquo;By all means. They are playing much, much better for no other reason than their young defenseman are playing near-perfect hockey in getting the puck out of their own end.&rdquo;Remembering that McVie has said how you play and come out of your own end is the difference in winning and losing we queried if this was still the main thing the Caps had to work on.Here Simon was very emphatic and to the point. &ldquo;My greatest concern now is two things. One, playing the man in every zone, especially in theirs. To this date the Capitals have not done it consistently.Two, eliminate the giveaway pass. Take the check, even lose the puck, but don't get rid of it (until you can find a teammate).&rdquo;&ldquo;With the two things we can win Not all the time of course, but the numbers in the lost column would be cut in half. Without them we don't have a chance.&rdquo;McVie laments, &ldquo;There are days when I think we're making tremendous headway. Then a good team gives us a lesson.&rdquo;Then there are days like the late- December loss to the Rangers when all the hard work and concentration by Tommy and his troops seem to have been wasted. On a night they weren't playing particularly well New York outshot the Caps 45-16 and won going away.But over-all the Caps are better. Right. Tommy?&ldquo;Definitely. We've been blown out much less often. Every time we go on the ice we have a chance of winning.&rdquo;The former Western League All Star admits 1976 was his toughest year since he took up the sport. &ldquo;I've given it my heart and soul With Max and me it's become an obsession. There have been some lows but I'm not discouraged.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-02741/4153243-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="1319" height="1140"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILLY RILEY &hellip; First NHL Goal</figcaption></div>One can just hear Jimmy Carter, after a year in office in Washington, echoing that last statement.ICE CAPS: The Capitals ended 1976 on a &ldquo;low", losing four straight, equaling their longest reversal string for year three. The first three of those were all by 5-2. a record of sorts. But the games were dissimilar. They acquitted themselves reasonably well in Philadelphia, had a bad period in Buffalo, then a terrible second half of the game with the Rangers that produced the Broadway boys&rdquo; first- win ever at Capital Center &hellip; After their first defeat in three games with the Rockies. McNab farmed out Paul Nicholson (who had played nine games and Tom, Rowe, who lasted 11, and brought Riley from Dayton and Marson from Springfield&hellip;The January schedule is tough with four instances of playing on the road on Saturday night then rushing home for a Sunday afternoon game&hellip;Yvon Labre returned to the club defense after a 14-game layoff with a dislocated shoulder. If it pops out again corrective surgery is indica ted&hellip;Captain Labre was needed as the defensive corps would have dropped to four with Jack Lynch missing due to a bruised tailbone&hellip;Guy Charron, the Caps' All Star candidate, went three games without a point and four without a goal, his longest drought. &#9632;

f0005-01

Marson, Riley First Blacks To Play As Regulars In NHL

<div class="byline">BY HARRY KLAFF</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-011117/4153281-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILLY SMITH&hellip; Fans Cheer His Return (Photo by Bruce Bennet)</figcaption></div>LONG ISLAND&mdash;It was towards the end of November that Islander goaltender Bill Smith began to wonder if he was drawing an NHL salary just to stop pucks at team practice sessions. Obviously the answer is negative, but that didn't stop Smith from wondering as he suffered through a stretch during which he started two and completed one game out of 12.&ldquo;Don't worry about that,&rdquo; said coach Al Arbour at the time. Tm going with Chico (Resch) now, but you better believe that when Smitty gets back in there he'll be there for a while. By the end of the season they'll play about 40 games each.&rdquo;And if there's one thing that the Islanders have learned about Arbour since he took over in 1973 is that his word is as good as gold. By New Year's, it was Smitty doing yeoman service and Resch shouting the encouragement from the bench.Arbour brought the 26-year-old &ldquo;veteran&rdquo; back on December 12 at Chicago, and in the club's next road game at Atlanta on the 17th. Resch, meanwhile, appeared to be the Isles' &ldquo;home&rdquo; goaltender, starting against Rangers and Buffalo.Smitty was tabbed to start against the Bruins on December 21 at the Coliseum, a domain which hasn't been particularly friendly towards him of late. Home town fans are fickle, as Smitty knows well. A strong performance against the Bruins could win them back, but a bad goal early in the contest would spell disaster.Smith answered the challenge with his first shutout of the season as the Islanders were in command all the way to win. 3-0. It was the first time the Isles had beaten the B's since Resch topped them on March 15. 1975.Perhaps the biggest difference this evening was that the crowd belonged to him For the first time this year, cries of &ldquo;Bill-ee! Bill-ee!&rdquo; rang throughout the rink.&ldquo;Aw, that doesn't matter to me,&rdquo; said the happy netminder following the game. &ldquo;As long as we won nothing else matters. And every game is a big game. The shutout was nice, but a lot of guys make a big deal out of it. I don't.&rdquo;Smith followed up his whitewash with another start on Dec 26 at Madison Square Garden, where the Islanders met the Rangers for another &ldquo;big game&rdquo; This one belonged to goaltenders as both Bill and the Rangers' Gilles Gratton were brilliant. But Smitty was just a little bit better, as Garry Howatts third period tally earned a 2-1 victory.But once again Smith was the big story. He stopped 43 shots to Gratton's 33, and was especially brilliant in the closing moments when the Blueshirts went all out to knot the score. His biggest save was when he stopped Steve Vickers on a 2-1. knocking the airborne rebound away from Rod Gilbert as he was falling from the momentum of Vickers' drive.&ldquo;That was a big play, but it's all part of the breaks.&rdquo; said Smith. &ldquo;If I wasn't able to get my stick on it, who knows?&rdquo;Smith started number three in a row at St. Louis two nights later as the Isles came from behind with three third period goals to gain a 4-4 tie. Although Smith could not be faulted for the score at the end of two periods, it was a situation that could have become ugly only a few short weeks ago at the Coliseum.But the Isles fought back, as Bob Nystrom, Garry Howatt, and Billy Harris, the last two in the final couple of minutes, earned the point for the New Yorkers. Yet despite the comeback by the entire team, it was Smith who had to supply the last ounce of greatness as he stopped Garry Unger in the closing seconds cold turkey.Bill Smith has been guarding the Islander cage since the early days of 1972. But it took a shutout over the Bruins to gain him some recognition.ISLAND SOUNDS: Nystrom continued his scoring binge during Christmas week with a goal against Rangers and two at St. Louis, giving him 18 by the first of the year&hellip; Pat Price has improved tremendously in a short time, and there have been games where he's been the club's best defenseman on the ice&hellip;Garry Howatt had only two goals when he returned Dec. 11 following a knee injury. He then notched five in two weeks, mostly playing on a new line with Bryan Trottier. &#9632;

f0006-01

Isles' Coach Arbour Keeps Word As Smith Shines In Return To Net

Following are the latest player movements in hockey:<h2>NATIONAL LEAGUE</h2>ST. LOUIS &mdash; Derek Senderson, forward, placed on waivers without recall. Rick Bourbonnais and Bernie Federko, forwards, returned to Kansas City of CHL Doug Grant, goaler. recalled from Kansas City Ed Staniowski, goaler. sent to Kansas City as replacement Doug Palazzari, forward, recalled from Kansas City.BOSTON &mdash; Darryl Edestrand, defenseman. Hank Nowak and Stan Jonathan, forwards, assigned to Rochester of AHL.BUFFALO &mdash; Danny Gare, forward, placed on disabled list with recurring back problem. Jacques Richard, forward, recalled from Hershey of AHL as replacement.COLORADO &mdash; Steve Durbano, defenseman, assigned to Rhode Island of AHL.CLEVELAND &mdash; Ken Kuzyk, forward, returned to Salt Lake of CHL.DETROIT &mdash; Rick Lapointe, defenseman, sent to Kansas City of CHL. Danny Grant, forward, returned to active roster from injury list Dwight Schoelield, forward, recalled from Kalamazoo of IHLN.Y. RANGERS &mdash; Dan Newman, forward, recalled from New Haven of AHL. Doug Jarrett, defenseman. recalled from New Haven and later returned.TORONTO &mdash; Kurt Walker, forward, sent to Dallas of CHL.PITTSBURGH &mdash; Russ Anderson, defenseman. assigned to Hershey of AHL.LOS ANGELES &mdash; Ab DeMarco, defenseman. and Glen Goldup, forward, assigned to Fort Worth of CHL.<h2>WORLD HOCKEY ASSN.</h2>BIRMINGHAM &mdash; Jean-Luc Phaneuf, forward, assigned to Charlotte of SHL Gilles Bilodeau, forward, recalled from Charlotte as replacement Rich Hart, defenseman. recalled from Beauce of NAHL on 10- game pro trial.CINCINNATI &mdash; Bryan Maxwell, defenseman. and Pierre Guite, forward, placed on waivers without recall. Jamie Hislop, forward, recalled from Hampton of SHL. Barry Melrose, defenseman. recalled from Springfield of AHL. Ted Long, defenseman. recalled from Hampton and later returned Francois Ouimet, defenseman. assigned to Hampton.QUEBEC &mdash; Ed Humphreys, goaler. and Normand Dube, forward, recalled from Beauce of NAHL as emergency replacements for injured playersNEW ENGLAND &mdash; Tom Earl, forward, recalled from Rhode Island of AHL.<h2>AMERICAN LEAGUE</h2>NOVA SCOTIA &mdash; Peter Lee, forward, removed from active roster. Paul Woods, forward, added as replacement.RHODE ISLAND &mdash; Peter McDuffe, goaler. returned to active rosterROCHESTER &mdash; Duane Rupp, player-coach, removed from active roster. Doug Halward, defenseman. Jim Pettie, goaler. and Steve Langdon, forward, returned to active. &#9632;

Hockey Players On The Move…

<div class="byline">BY GARY MCCARTHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-01996/4153336-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">LARRY ROBINSON&hellip; Winning Would Be An Honor (Photo By Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div>MONTREAL&mdash;Mention the name Larry Robinson in this city and hockey fans immediately start talking about All Star teams and Norris Trophy Some even will tell you that the rockhard defenseman is probably the best rearguard in the National Hockey League today.At the midway point of the 1976-77 NHL schedule. Robinson is being touted as the most likely choice for the Norris Trophy, which hasn't been won by a member of the Montreal Canadiens since Jacques Laperriere did the trick back in the 1960s.There is a lot of evidence that favors the six-foot-two. 200-pound native of Marvelville. Ont. He has stood out on a team that is perhaps the best in hockey today.He has an incredible plus-62 record and after 40 games this season, he had fired 10 goals and picked up 32 assists. The fact is that if members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association were polled today instead of at the end of the season. Robinson would probably win the award hands down.Certainly, Robinson will have some competition for the award. There is Denis Potvin of the New York Islanders, winner of the Norris Trophy last season. There also is Toronto's Borje Salming. And, there is competition from among the Canadiens&mdash;who also have Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe playing outstanding hockey this year.It's more than likely that when the annual NHL All Star game unfolds in Vancouver Jan. 25, Robinson will be among the elite skaters. And. he won't be there as a throw-in either.Robinson, nicknamed Big Bird after the Sesame Street character, says it wouldn't matter to him one way or the other if he didn't win the Norris award.&ldquo;It would be an honor, but it's not as if I'm going into every game telling myself I've got to be good or else I won't.&rdquo; he said a couple of days after the Canadiens had come from behind four times and finally beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-4 at the Forum in the most exciting game in Montreal this year.&ldquo;I just don't think like that because if you do, you can end up getting selfish and hurting the team. For me. a team victory is much more satisfying. So winning the Norris would be secondary to, say, our team winning our division, the Stanley Cup and the Vezina Trophy.&rdquo;Robinson is among those players who feel that many are judged on their offensive statistics. &ldquo;It can be misleading because some players who have a lot of points might have gotten them in streaks. The trouble with that is you could be off your game when the team needs you most. It's a lot better to be consistent.&rdquo;The 6-4 victory against the Flyers in a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup final series in which the Canadiens ousted Philadelphia in four straight, generated a lot of excitement in Montreal and it was also the initial Monday Night Game of the Week televised back to the. United States.&ldquo;The good thing about the game being on television is that now a lot of people who have only heard about how good a team we are have finally seen us,&rdquo; said Robinson. &ldquo;Now they know how outstanding players like Guy Lapointe and Guy Lafleur are.&rdquo;Lapointe, another stalwart on the Montreal defense, feels that Robinson is playing as well this year as he did in helping the Canadiens capture the Stanley Cup last season.&ldquo;He's just getting more points this year,&rdquo; said Lapointe. &ldquo;He's always been smart with the puck and he's always had good moves. Larry's playing so well now you could put him with a rookie and he'd still be in good shape.&rdquo;But the fans in Montreal feel that if Robinson doesn't win the Norris Trophy this year, they'll have a good case in crying foul. Anything less than the award would be considered robbery.HABS NOTES: The Canadiens bombarded Philadelphia goalie Bernie Parent with 55 shots in the 6-4 televised victory. Nineteen of those shots came in the first period, which wound up scoreless&hellip;Jimmy Roberts has resumed practising with the Habs and reports that his stomach muscle injury is coming along slowly&hellip;Jac- que Lemaire won the second segment of the Molson Cup voting, beating out Guy Lafleur by 10 points. Lemaire was selected first and third star twice and second star three times in December. Lafleur still leads in the over-all point standings ..The Flames defeated Atlanta 7-0 in a Sunday afternoon game at the Forum before taking on the Flyers, whose 20-game undefeated streak came to an end with the loss to the Habs&hellip;The Canadiens played five games in eight days. They posted a 4-2 win over Cleveland, tied Pittsburgh 3-3. tied Minnesota 5-5. beat the Flames and then downed the Flyers&hellip; Steve Sbutt. who had scored only once in 10 games, broke out of his slump with two against Atlanta and one against Philly to give him 32 goals in 40 games this season. &#9632;

f0007-01

Habs' Robinson Gets Nod As Top Norris Candidate

<div class="byline">-BY BILL LIBBY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011108/4153374-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="462" height="516"></div>Moment Of MadnessGARY SIMMONS IS NOT the greatest goaltender in the game, but one game early this season he was as great as a goalie can be. It was not against a great team, but a team that was great on this night. Gary gave the greatest single performance I saw in the first half of the current campaign and it must be marked down to be remembered.It was in Los Angeles against the Kings. It was a scoreless tie. but the Kings' goaler, Rogie Vachon, was not tested as Simmons was. The Cleveland club did not support Simmons strongly He was attacked in an awesome manner for 60 minutes, but this tall, husky character in the red. white and black uniform and Cobra mask dove this way and that to stop everything shot at him.The best I ever saw was Terry Sawchuk. At his best he could not be beaten because his foes could not get the puck past him. This was Simmons this night It was a game a guy should be able to put in a frame to preserve and be able to see forever.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-02997/4153367-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="908" height="1284"><figcaption class="caption-body">Gary Simmons got a late start on his National Hockey League career. But, at 32, he says when he is at his best, there is no better goalie around.</figcaption></div>&ldquo;I've had games like that before, but not many,&rdquo; Gary grins. &ldquo;A few years ago in the Western League I had a run of games, almost 200 consecutive shutout minutes, that were as good for Phoenix when we won the playoffs.&ldquo;You get off to a good start in games like that and you get confidence. You see that it's going to be your night and you just know that everything you do is going to be right. You want the shots because you know you can handle them.&ldquo;You sort of go crazy,&rdquo; confessed Simmons, speaking of his moments of madness.&ldquo;I'm that kind of goaltender. When I'm at my best, no one is better. Unfortunately, when I'm bad no one is worse. Consistency is what you want, but I seem to run hot and cold.&rdquo;Gary and the other goaltender in Cleveland. Gilles Meloche, are similar as performers. Accordingly, they went to coach Jack Evans and suggested that instead of alternating them, he go with the one who got hot.AS IT HAS WORKED OUT, Meloche played most of the first half of last season, Simmons most of the second half, Meloche most of this season so far. &ldquo;When he cools off. I'll come in,&rdquo; says Simmons. &ldquo;I don't like sitting, but I think it's a smart system.&rdquo;The Barons have been disappointing because of lack of offense, not defense. Simmons says, &ldquo;It's tough to know that giving up a goal may be giving the other team the game, but there's more pressure playing for contending clubs that are expected to win every game.&ldquo;I don't blame my teammates when I give up a goal because no matter who was at fault I had to be at fault, too. I'm paid well to play well. I give the game everything I've got , then I go away from the arena and look for other things in life.&rdquo;He has a lot in his life. At 32, he has a wife, Margaret, and a daughter, Monica. Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, he was reared in Lethbridge, Alberta, later settled in Calgary.When the team moved from Oakland to Cleveland, he sold his California house, but is buying another in Pleasant Hill. He has one Round Table Pizza Restaurant franchise in Concord and is opening another in Pleasant Hill. &ldquo;Len Shapiro, my partner, protects me. He takes a buck-ten out of every dollar,&rdquo; laughs Simmons.He has 10 tattoos. He began when he wanted to get a headstart on being a sailor, but he didn't bother to join the Navy. He stopped the totattoos a few years ago and says he's finished now.He says, &ldquo;I have birds, a panther, a cobra. A player called me a cobra for my quickness, so I had one put on me and another painted on my mask. I have my wife's name in a heart, but when she first saw my tattoos she didn't put them high on her list of things she likes.&ldquo;HOWEVER, SHE DOESN'T even see them these days. Neither do I. Four can be seen by people when I'm in civvies, but if I wasn't asked about them. I wouldn't think about them any more.&rdquo;He smiles and says, &ldquo;I don't regret having them done. I do different things. I like to be different. I like to go to bars, but I don't drink. I love guns, but I hate killing. I go out and shoot trees and tin cans wherever there's wasteland. Like all around the arena in Cleveland. And inside too, when we're playing.&rdquo;He wears cowboy clothes, which were accepted better in California, but he doesn't care.&ldquo;Although I'm from Canada, I hate snow and ice and the cold climate of Cleveland. My wife got cold in Phoenix, so you can imagine how she's taking to Cleveland. My daughter had never seen snow so she didn't know what it was. She ran out and returned to report that it was cold.&rdquo;He sighs and says, &ldquo;Well, you go where the work is.&rdquo; A late-starter who was not supposed to be good enough to make the majors, he did not even get to pro ranks until he was 26, sat out a season, and didn't get to the top until he was 30. This is only his third season in the NHL.&ldquo;I don't have a lot of time left, but I'll make the most of it, then move on,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I've done a bit of bull-riding in rodeos and like horses even though I'm allergic to them. My wife and daughter love riding so I've bought 20 acres of an existing ranch around Angel's Camp and I'll stock it with horses. In fact, I'm going out to get a saddle now,&rdquo; he said.&ldquo;But you don't have a horse yet.&rdquo;&ldquo;That's true, but this way I'll be ready when I get one,&rdquo; the eccentric Simmons observed. &#9632;

f0008-01

Hockey Ad Lib

<div class="byline">BY LARRY BORTSTEIN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-03845/4153405-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">GARY CROTEAU &hellip; Scored Crucial Goal (Photo by Rich Pilling)</figcaption></div>DENVER-It was only a late December game between two last-place teams. But when the Washington Capitals and Colorado Rockies get together this year, the players on both squads treat each encounter as something of importance.&ldquo;That's right.&rdquo; said Johnny Wilson after the Rockies beat the Caps with two goals in the last three minutes, 3-1, here Wednesday night, Dec. 29. &ldquo;It's like the Stanley Cup playoffs out there when these teams play. They both want to prove something.&rdquo;Everyone recalls that the Caps and Rockies were born at the same time, the Colorado club relocating to the Mile High City after two years as the Kansas City Scouts. In their first two seasons, the Scouts held a 5-2-1 edge in games played between the teams. But since the two clubs made history by playing a postseason series of four games in Japan last spring, the denizens of the nation's capital have held the upper hand.The Caps won the first three games in Japan and captured the series, three games to one. In their first two scrapes this regular season, the Caps won 2-1 at McNichols Sports Arena and 3-1 at the Capital Center.So when Gary Croteau scored off a faceoff to the left of the Caps' goal at 17:00 of the third period, and Simon Nolet whistled home a slap shot one minute and 44 seconds later to clinch the Rockies' victory. Colorado's exuberance could be excused. Of more than passing significance to the club, too, was the fact that the victory was the first for the Rockies since a 3-2 triumph over Vancouver on home ice on Dec. 3. and braked a nine-game winless string which included six straight defeats.&ldquo;New Year's Eve came a couple days early for us,&rdquo; grinned club president Munson Campbell after the Rockies won what was a rather loose, but nonetheless closely-played game.The key to the game-deciding goal was the faceoff won by Dave Hudson which delivered the puck to Croteau. Dave, who marked his 27th birthday just the day before, had changed uniforms between the second and third periods. A cut he had received over the eye at the end of the second session had dripped blood on his regular jersey number 11, and the cold water in which the jersey was tossed to remove the bloodstains had made it too heavy to wear. So Dave donned number 16.On the critical faceoff, he out- maneuvered Washington's top faceoff specialist, Ron Lalonde, shoveled the disk to Croteau, and Gary knocked it past Bernie Wolfe's lower left corner.&ldquo;These teams don't score much against each other when they play,&rdquo; says Rockies' bench boss Wilson, &ldquo;because they both lack the high-powered offense and try to play a physical game. I think each victory means more to these teams because they don't win regularly.&rdquo;Wilson recalls that scoring off the faceoff has become a favorite play of the Rockies this season. &ldquo;Wilf Paiement has done it a couple times, and Chuck Arnason and a couple other guys,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It goes to show how important those faceoffs are. When you win them, you don't have to fight to recover the puck. A lot of it has to do with skill, but there's also a big element of luck involved.&rdquo;This time it was on the side of the Rockies. They haven't been quite as fortunate in their dealings with Guy Charron, the veteran center who spent two seasons with Kansas City before exchanging uniforms with Nelson Pyatt in a combination transaction involving two free agents over the summer.The veteran center, who is flying toward the best season of his National Hockey League career, has scored a goal in each of the Caps' first three games against Colorado. His 22nd goal of the season was Washington's only score in the Rockies' Dec. 29 victory.Charron seemed a bit wistful about having left the Rockies. &ldquo;I might be with this club,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;if they had showed a little more interest in me over the summer. I came out here to look for a place to live and spent a week, figuring that I'd be with the club. But no one ever sat down with me to talk about a contract or anything. So. finally, when Washington contacted my lawyer, Alan Eagleson, I went with them.&ldquo;I still have some good friends, like Gary Croteau, on the Rockies.&rdquo; Charron continued, &ldquo;and I wish them all the best&mdash;except against us.&rdquo; He smiled a soft smile. This is a rivalry, this thing between the Caps and Rockies. Not on a par with the feelings that exist between, say. the Flyers and Bruins, or between the Rangers and Islanders. But a rivalry nonetheless. &#9632;

f0008-03

Rockies, Capitals Now Fierce Rivals

<div class="byline">BY BILL HEUFELDER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011069/4153436-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">RON SCHOCK&hellip; Working A Lot Harder. (Photo by Rich Pilling)</figcaption></div>PITTSBURGH&mdash;The loss of veteran left wingers Vic Hadfield and Lowell MacDonald has caused the Pittsburgh Penguins numerous problems this season, but another veteran has emerged as a surprising choice to strengthen the left side.His name is Ron Schock, the same 33-year-old center noted throughout the National Hockey League for his checking and tireless drive.Now Schock has to be thinking offense as he lines up with Syl Apps and Jean Pronovost as a replacement for MacDonald, whose absence due to a knee injury could last the remainder of the campaign.After trying perhaps a half-dozen players on Apps' left wing, coach Ken Schinkel turned to Schock in mid-December and got satisfying results.&ldquo;I'm just trying to keep up with Prony.&rdquo; mused Schock, whose longevity in the NHL can be traced primarily to hard work&ldquo;It's different for me.&rdquo; he mentioned. &ldquo;Instead of the continuous motion you have as a centerman, it's more stop and go.&ldquo;I'm trying to be a little too defensive. but Syl and Prony have been scoring. so it can't be that bad.&rdquo;Schock contributed the tying goal in a 3-3 game against powerful Montreal on civic Arena ice without swinging his stick. As he tumbled into the crease, he swept goaltender Bunny Larocque, and eventually the puck, to pull even with the Canadiens in one of the most exciting games the Penguins have ever staged at home.The goal enabled the Penguins to continue their spurt that kept Los Angeles from regaining second place from them in the Norris Division More important, it brought substance to an improved way of thinking among the unpredictable Penguins.Outscored 19-2 in a pair of routs against the Canadiens earlier this season. Pittsburgh showed a determined attitude this time around.&ldquo;Instead of going out there with the idea of 'let's keep it close,&rdquo; Schock noted, &ldquo;we really felt we could win the game.&ldquo;In the end, we were taking the game to them. Other times, we'd be hanging on.&rdquo;Schock rode a treadmill early in the year, delivering a goal in the opener, then suffering through a 26-game scoreless streak before connecting twice within 37 seconds against Minnesota.With the surprisingly consistent work of No. Two draft choice Greg Malone at center. Schock was further sidetracked in finding himself.&ldquo;I felt good,&rdquo; Schock maintained. &ldquo;I just wasn't producing like I should. I think I needed to work harder.&rdquo;Having proven his capacity for work a long time ago, Schock has continued to register points, especially with his highly productive mates, Apps and Pronovost.Schock lifted the Penguins into a 11 tie against Buffalo, which followed Montreal into the Arena, then watched Apps and Pronovost unload for a goal apiece in a four-goal flurry in less than four minutes.Malone, showing steady improvement at the core of a Kid Line with Wayne Bianchin and Blair Chapman, added two goals and the Penguins won in a walk, 6-3.Schock, who prefers to play center, but admits, &ldquo;I just want to play,&rdquo; believes there remain a lot more miles in him.&ldquo;I didn't feel I slowed down at all,&rdquo; he said of his performance earlier in the year. &ldquo;In the skating drills during practice, I was going at the same pace.&ldquo;The game is still fun. It's not a chore to go to the rink. As long as you're happy at your job, you can continue doing it.&rdquo;PENGUIN NOTES: The victory over Buffalo gave the Penguins a perfect start for New Year and should be incentive for remainder of month's schedule which includes nine home games.Pierre Larouche knocked home six goals in as many games, coming within one of club record which he shares with Pronovost&hellip;Three of the goals were game-winners.Penguins broke Buffalo's nine- game winning streak, longest in the league since 1972-73&hellip;Apps has contributed 14 assists in 10 games. &#9632;

f0009-01

Penguins Turn To Schock For Left Wing Strength

<div class="byline">BY FRANK ORR</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0011-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011048/4153529-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BORJE SALMING&hellip; Statistics Say It All (Photo by Steve Babineau)</figcaption></div>TORONTO&mdash;As the 1976-77 National Hockey League season moved towards the halfway mark for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team was struggling to (a) stay above the .500 mark, and (b) remain in the chase for the pennant in the Adams Division with the surging Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins.It has been a season of inconsistencies , for the Leafs. They staggered out of the starting gate, winning only one of their first nine games, then mounting a streak when rookie goalie Mike Palmateer was summoned from the minors and the sinuses of defenseman B.J. Salming cleared up.Injuries claimed winger Errol Thompson in the third game of the season, when he broke his wrist, and useful forward George Ferguson (knee) in early November. They're expected back early in 1977.In a pre-Christmas grind of six games in nine days, the Leafs' lack of depth was exposed. Much of the time, they've been one and often, two players below the NHL maximum of two goalies and 17 skaters which can be dressed for a game.In many contests, the Leafs used a basic two defense pairs, three forward lines arrangement, occasionally installing an extra forward into the rotation. In a schedule with some gaps in it. the Leafs could survive but when the matches piled up. they were an exhausted club.The return of Thompson and Ferguson will bring the Leafs back to strength but, like many NHL teams these days, injuries take a large toll.Here's a look at the Leafs heading into the second half of the season.Goal: Wayne Thomas' inconsistency has been the biggest surprise of the Leaf season. In '75-76, he plugged the team's largest hole with an excellent season; this time. Thomas has been unable to retain that edge over a long stretch of games, although he did play well in a December stretch when Palmateer was out with an eye injury. Palmateer had 12 wins, five losses and three ties in his first 20 NHL games. He's not stylish but he's done the job.Defense: Salming's mathematics after 36 games say it all&mdash;five goals and 36 assists to lead all defensemen in points and the NHL in assists, and a plus of 36. His partner Ian Turnbull has eight goals, 25 assists and a plus of 39. It's difficult to name a better defense pair this season.Behind those two worthies, however, the Leaf backline is a trifle thin. Brian Glennie is having a good season but he needs a strong puck-control partner, Jim McKenny has played well in spots but he's prone to mistakes. Claire Alexander has played only in spots and rookie Randy Carlyle has worked very little although coach Red Kelly wants to use him more. The Leafs sorely need another experienced backliner.Forwards: Although Thompson, the team's top gunner last season with 43 scores, has been missing, the Leaf attack has produced more goals than any team except the Montreal Canadiens. Lanny McDonald is one of the NHL's premier wingers now (26 goals in 36 games) and center Darryl Sittier is a candidate for the All Star center spot. Inge Hammarstrom recovered fully from knee and ankle injuries, has played well in Thompson's spot on a line with Sittier and McDonald.The young line of Jack Valiquette-Pat Boutette-Dave Williams line has been a solid, two-way unit. The Leafs' third line, Don Ashby between Scott Garland and Bob Neely has shown flashes of potential but has had troubles defensively. Stan Weir is a useful utility man who plays all three forward positions. &#9632;

f0011-01

Leafs Need Some Experience Along Blueline

<div class="byline">BY TONY GALLAGHER</div>VANCOUVER&mdash;Just when Vancouver fans feel that the Canucks have straightened out their problems and are ready to start playing .500 hockey like they are expected to, things get worse.After Orland Kurtenbach took over as coach from Phil Maloney, a win in Los Angeles seemed to improve the outlook, but then came three straight losses at home, all of them embarrasing.The worst came at the hands of the Boston Bruins, who waltzed into town on the start of a six-game road trip and clobbered the Canucks 8-1, a game which was also shown on televsion in Western Canada.Instead of hustling and trying to help the new coach in his position, the Canucks seem to be taking things easier than they did when Maloney was at the helm. Trades will be made. Heads will roll. But the most bizarre situation about the fact that Vancouver has won only five of 19 home games this year is that they are still in third place, or a potential playoff position. If that isn't reason enough for realignment, heaven knows what is. and it is certain to be on the agenda, if unofficially, at the league All Star game here in Vancouver at the end of January.At the end of the Boston debacle, there must have been about 8,000 fans left in the building from a full house, with the smart ones staying to avoid the rush. Hockey is in trouble in this town, even though all the seats are sold and the Canucks have money rumbling in from their television contract with the Canadian television network local in B.C.What is wrong with the Canucks? Nobody seems to know although they all seem to have advice.Philadelphia Flyers assistant coach Mike Nykoluk said they didn't seem to have any leadership.&ldquo;They don't seem to have that one guy who can help them get through the rough spots,&rdquo; said Nykoluk.Fred Shero said one thing he noticed was that they weren't talking to each other on the ice.Bruins coach Don Cherry said that he felt the Canucks would pull themselves together on an upcoming six-game road trip.Ex-Canuck Bobby Schmautz had nothing but sympathy.&ldquo;I feel sorry for those guys (Canuck players). You know how the fans are here. You hear the catcalls even better when you play on the other team. I know what they're going through. You have to feel sorry for a guy like Kurtenbach. It's not really a fair test for him.&rdquo;Schmautz could have issued the understatement of the year with that last line. Kurtenbach has had three practices with the club so far, and it has him a little bit confused. After a 5-1 loss at home to Philadelphia, he felt it was just a couple of mental mistakes which led to the defeat, but after the loss to Boston, it was like watching a man charged with eight counts of robbery with no lawyers. He was lost for words when he faced the press. He could only say he would &ldquo;play the players I think should be playing, then make up my mind what should be done.&rdquo;The one theory that is raised as partial explanation for the flop at home is that they are pressing too hard in front of the home fans and that they are not getting enough encouragement from the locals. Instead, they claim, they are getting nothing but catcalls and boos, something that no hockey player needs if they hope to become successful.Lending some credence to that explanation is the fact that the club is .500 on the road over their last eight away games. But with a six-game trip coming up in some inhospitable cities, that road record will likely be looking a little more blemished in the near future.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-02907/4153591-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="595" height="806"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANDY SPRUCE &hellip; Most Productive</figcaption></div>The player's theory of why the club is going so badly is probably best explained by Mike Walton, who has been the man most victimized by the understandable unrest of the Vancouver fans.&ldquo;When the fans get down on us,&rdquo; Walton explains, &ldquo;the other clubs sense that you're down and they love it. It's great for them because they get inspired and figure it's a great chance for them. But the fans and the media have to to realize that they're making it worse for us by talking like we're beat before we start and by saying how bad we are.&ldquo;If you listen to the disc jockeys in town, they come on and say well, the Canucks played last night, and needless to say they lost.' That type of attitude doesn't help us a bit. The town has go to realize that this is the only pro hockey club they'll ever have here, and they've got to get behind it. I don't think hockey will ever die here like it has in some cities, but you may not be having your sellouts like it has been the case here over the past few years.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0012-02

Canucks Bomb Out At Home Distressing For New Coach

<div class="byline">BY DICK JOHNSTON</div>BUFFALO&mdash;For the Buffalo Sabres, things at the start of 1977 were a definite contrast to the situation a year before.At the end of 1976. the Sabres were in .the midst of a slump. They had dropped out of the lead in the National Hockey League's Adams Division. Whatever they tried didn't seem to work. Expectations of the fans, so high at the beginning of the season, were falling rapidly.With the coming of 1977, Buffalo hockey followers were on a high. Their team concluded the old year by setting a club record of nine straight wins with a 63 victory over the Atlanta Flames. The game was on the road, and it also set a club mark of six straight away triumphs.The Sabres had overhauled the Boston Bruins and were leading the Adams Division.Ever since coach Floyd Smith reset his forward lines on a West Coast trip in early December the Sabres had won.The realigned forwards produced much more balanced scoring.In the nine straight victories, the Andre Savard-Rick Martin-Jim Lorentz line turned out to be the most prolific combination with 16 goals and 38 points, although Gil Perreault was the top individual scorer with six goals and 10 assists.Gil's Une, with Terry Martin and Danny Gare on the wings, produced 12 goals and a total of 30 points. The Dan Luce-Craig Ramsay-Rene Robert Une, which had trouble scoring at first, did well in the final three games of 1976 and had seven goals and 18 points.And a fourth line, the Black Aces&mdash;Fred Stanfield. Brian Spencer and Gary McAdam&mdash;produced six goals and 15 points in its brief appearances on the ice.Smitty used the Stanfield line to stir things up when the Sabres needed stirring up or when penalties upset the rotation of his regular lines. Stanfield, the 32- year-old veteran of a dozen NHL campaigns, was especially effective. He scored four goals and assisted on two in the nine games.The scoring of Savard was especially pleasing to the club and to Andy, himself.When Pete McNab got off to such a high-scoring start with the Boston Bruins, to whom he was traded for Savard, Buffalo fans couldn't help but draw comparisons.Savard was playing a fine two-way game, working hard, checking, digging out the-puck&mdash;doing the things he was acquired to do and helping the team&mdash;but he wasn't scoring anything like McNab.On the nine-game winning streak, however, the one-time Quebec Remparts junior scoring ace came through with six goals and seven assists. He helped his winger, Rick Martin score eight goals.Gerry Desjardins, who kept the Sabres in the running during the early season when they were floundering at times, kept up the good work and was the winningest goaltender in the league as 1976 turned into 1977.His goals-against average was best in the NHL except for Montreal's Michel Larocque, who played far fewer games.To keep the Sabres' goals-against total competing with that of Montreal and the New York Islanders for Vezina Trophy honors, the defense was doing much improved work.The defensemen were moving the puck up the ice in a hurry and with the forwards backchecking better, were keeping the shots against Desjardins down. Besides, they were putting a lot of shots on goal from the point, to score themselves and help the forwards get rebounds.Not only Jerry Korab and Jocelyn Guevremont, who always were good shooters, but Jim Schoenfeld, Bill Hajt and Lee Fogolin, too. Fogolin, rotating with the others regularly, was beginning to fullfill the promise he had when the Sabres drafted him first in 1974 as an underage junior.ICE CHIPS: Savard, with 15 goals at the end of 1976, was only four behind his best total with the Bruins. He was the Sabres' third-ranking scorer, behind Perreault and Rick Martin.Perreault scored at least one point in 11 consecutive games before being shut out in the Atlanta contest.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011027/4153622-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="635" height="1046"><figcaption class="caption-body">FRED STANFIELD &hellip; Helped Maintain Streak</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0013-01

Buffalo's Streak Puts Followers On A 'High'

<div class="byline">BY RICH PASSAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011050/4153653-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">JIM NEILSON&hellip; Has To Show The Way (Photo by Stove Babineau)</figcaption></div>CLEVELAND-Who said things couldn't go from bad to worse for the Cleveland Barons? Whoever said it should have kept his big mouth shut.Just when the Barons began to get their act straightened out with five victories in seven games, the roof caved in on them.In a seven-day span, they had to play in Boston, Montreal and Detroit and play host to Toronto and Philadelphia. A masochist's delight, eh?The beleaguered Clevelanders, for all the trials and tribulations they have encountered this season, did not need a schedule like this. But they played it anyway.They wished they hadn't In the five games, none of which wound up in the win column, the Barons managed to score 11 goals. That was 16 less than they allowed.That sight you see slowly sinking on the Adams Division horizon is the Barons. 13 points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs with half the season remaining.Cleveland's biggest problem has been putting all the facets of its game together for an extended period of time. If it isn't the offense scoring enough goals, it's the defense permitting too many.If the offense shuts down, the defense rises to the occasion. If the offense starts to score, the defense takes a vacation.Coach Jack Evans and general manager Bill McCreary are perplexed. But they are also patient, a virtue that might pay off in the end run. But for now. their extreme patience is, undergoing a severe test.Evans knows the kind of a club he'd like to have&hellip;tough and mean. He also, knows it is not the nature of the Barons to be this way.In a 7-2 loss to Philadelphia, the Flyers pushed the Barons all over their home rink. &ldquo;Our guys get slammed by the opposition and then skate away. &ldquo; Evans said&ldquo;The Philadelphia guys shove you and push you after a check. They let you know they don't like it. That's their kind of game. You can't play a pitty-patty game and expect to win.&rdquo;McCreary believes his club lacks leadership. &ldquo;Guys like Dennis Maruk and Wayne Merrick have to lead the way.&rdquo; said McCreay, who pointed a similar finger at defensemen Bob Stewart and Jim Neilson.The Barons are playing like individuals. each trying to get the job done. They don't realize there are other members of the team and work as a unit.The talent, for the most part, is there. It isn't overabundant and that is what separates the Barons from cracking the middle section of the National Hockey League.When the Barons win. it must be with a 100 per cent effort by everyone. Without that, they are in trouble. Leadership on and off the ice could be the answer.If a Bobby Clarke or a Larry Robinson skated with Cleveland instead of Philadelphia or Monteal, respectively. The Barons would be a better team.Dream on. Barons' fans, dream on.BARONS' BITS: The Barons played seven games with Adams Division opponents in the first half of the season and won just one. a 6-4 victory over the Boston Bruins. They were 1-5-2 with the Patrick Division and 5-9-3 against teams of the Norris Division. They fared the best against the Smythe Division&mdash;and who hasn't this season?&mdash;with a 4-2-2 mark&hellip;At home, the Cleveland icers were 8-9-3 and their road logging showed three victories and four ties in 20 games&hellip;When they scored the first goal of a game, they were 11-7-2. But when the opposition scored first, the Barons managed just four ties in 19 contests&hellip;Oh. yes. Attendance continued to hover around the 5.500 mark. That means an average of 13.100 empty seats every home game. &#9632;

f0014-01

Barons Have The Talent But Lacking Leadership

<div class="byline">BY ALAN TRUEX</div>ATLANTA&mdash;Willi Plett started out so well in the National Hockey League that he raised doubts immediately that he was for real.In his first 19 games in the NHL this season, he scored 11 goals and 21 points. The six-foot-three. 210 pound right winger also beat up several opponents including the renowned boxer Dan Maloney of the Detroit Red Wings.Plett was linked with Tom Lysiak and Eric Vail to form the biggest and one of the most effective lines in the league.But then, after an 18-game stretch, coach Fred Creighton broke up the line. &ldquo;I was shocked.&rdquo; Plett said when he was separated from Lysiak and Vail. &ldquo;I didn't know what to think.&rdquo;Creighton did not explain the move to Plett, and the coach didn't offer much of an explanation to newspaper reporters.&ldquo;We were getting good production from that line,&rdquo; Creighton siad. &ldquo;But not much out of the others. I wanted to get more balance.&rdquo;Although he wasn't saying it, the main reason for the switch was to try to perk up John Gould, who has been almost valueless after his trade from Vancouver. At press time, Gould had played 14 games for the Flames and hadn't scored a goal. He had only two assists.Even playing with Lysiak and Vail, Gould appeared jittery and indecisive. He was not skating well, and he soon wore out his welcome with Flames fans, who started booing the right winger who has scored 66 goals in his last two seasons.Not only was Gould pulling down the performance of Lysiak and Vail, but Plett was accomplishing little without Lysiak to feed him the puck in the slot or Vail to give him rebounds.After leaving Lysiak and Vail, Plett scored just once in his next five games He had one assist to go with the one goal and in two of the games he had no shots on net.While some observers were questioning Creightons strategy, the coach attributed Plett's decline to the rookie's playing down to his proper level.&ldquo;Do you really think Willi Plett can be a big scorer in the National Hockey League?&rdquo; Creighton asked, making it clear that he did not think so.Actually, Plett's scoring record is not all that suspicious. His first year as a pro. he scored 30 goals last season in Tulsa. He began this year in Tulsa with 10 goals in 14 games. And until Creighton removed him from the Flames' top line, he was scoring at almost that pace in the NHL.Scouts rate Plett's shot, which he snaps off very quickly, as one of the best in the organization. Furthermore, since Plett is so strong, he can stand in the slot indefinitely, and he rarely has to shoot from long range.But perhaps Plett is appreciated more for his intimidating manner of play than he is for his scoring potential.Even Creighton was ecstatic over the way the rookie knocked down Dennis Hextall and Maloney in the same game.Plett brought on the hostilities by forechecking Hextall against the boards. When the veteran center came up swinging, Plett quickly put him on the ice with a barrage of close-quarter punches.Moments later, Maloney came out to even the score, jumping the rookie from behind. He hit Plett several times, but the Atlanta player said, &ldquo;It didn't hurt. He was punching aimlessly .&rdquo;Plett then took aim and nailed Maloney with a right that sent him sinking to his knees.&ldquo;I don't go looking for fights,&rdquo; says Plett, a mere fifth-round draft choice in 1975. &ldquo;I suppose a fight is good for me. It gets me going. But really. I don't enjoy fighting all that much.&ldquo;Someone has to keep the other team honest. We can't let them come into our rink and push us around.&rdquo;Creighton is plenty satisfied with Plett's aggressiveness. &ldquo;Wasn't that some punch he threw at Maloney?&rdquo; he glowed after the game.But apparently he regards Plett as more of a fighter than a scorer, regardless of the statistics.FLAME NOTES: Rookie right winger Rick Bowness has gone 26 games without a goal&hellip; Those rumors that the Flames were trying to sell Tom Lysiak to Vancouver are totally erroneous. The Canucks jokingly made an offer to Cliff Fletcher, and the Flames' GM scoffed. &ldquo;Sure, what will you give us. a quarter-million dollars?&rdquo; Canucks official confirmed there was no serious discussion of such a transaction.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011008/4153684-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="628" height="798"><figcaption class="caption-body">WILLI PLETT &hellip; Shocked At Change</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Flames Need Plett's Aggressiveness

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-01855/4153715-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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NHL SCORING AND PENALTY STATISTICS

<div class="byline">BY VARTAN KUPELIAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-01747/4153760-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAN MALONEY&hellip; Likely Out For Year</figcaption></div>DETROIT-The Detroit Red Wings will discover just how valuable Dan Maloney is&mdash;now that he won't be around for a while, quite a while.Not that there has ever been any doubt, really. In his first year as a Red Wing last season, Maloney was voted the club's most valuable player by the Detroit chapter of the Professional Hockey Writer's Association.And as far as his teammates are concerned, well it's not necessary to go into that. It's commonly agreed that Maloney is the man.The Red Wings' prospects took a sudden turn for the worst on Dec. 23 when Maloney suffered a broken shoulder in a 5-2 victory over Pittsburgh. It wa a big game for the Red Wings, who were hoping to launch a serious bid for the playoffs with that victory. Detroit completely dominated the game.Maloney was injured late in the game, breaking his shoulder in two places. While the injury didn't require surgery, as first feared it might. Maloney still will be in a tight sling for six weeks and counting time for getting back into shape, he's just about through this season.And with him. most likely, went the Red Wings' playoff hopes.The injury was a cruel blow to the Red Wings. It knocked them for a loss. Maloney is a leader, on and off the ice. in practice, before and after games.Detroit's next game was against Los Angeles, another pivotal Norris Division battle. The Wings went in trailing the Kings for third place by just four points. A Detroit victory would have thrown the race into a free-for-all.But the Red Wings, disorganized and obviously still thinking about Maloney, were bombed. 7-4.The next game, a 6-3 loss in Chicago, was no better.&ldquo;With Maloney out, we'll all have to play that much harder and work harder,&rdquo; said veteran center Dennis Hextall. &ldquo;It's tough any time you lose a competitor like him and everybody on the team will have to help make up for it.&rdquo;Maloney and Hextall were united for the first tinte on Dec. 11. with Bill Lochead on right wing and the line functioned well. Hextall's goal production almost tripled in the next seven games and Lochead found his scoring touch. Maloney, meanwhile, continued to play his steady brand of hockey.MOTOR CITY SHORTS: Captain Danny Grant was expected back by the first of the year after missing most of the first half of the season .Grant most likely will step into Maloney's spot on the Hex- tall line with Lochead going back to right wing. Lochead played the left side for a few games as a replacement for Maloney.. Nick Libett moved into the eighth spot on the Wings' all-time scoring list&hellip;Walt McKechnie scored his 300th NHL point.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03497/4153753-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="635" height="824"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILL LOCHEAD &hellip; Finds Scoring Touch</figcaption></div><h2>NHL Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-02633/4153746-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="648" height="1153"></div> &#9632;

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Maloney Injury Dims Wings Hopes

<div class="byline">BY BILL FLEISCHMAN</div>PHILADELPHIA&mdash;Maybe a few opinions from the defense are deserved as the Flyers narrowed what once not long ago seemed like an in- surmountable Montreal lead in the NHL's overall point standings.It is the Philadelphia defense which absorbs most abuse when the Flyers are playing below the high standards they've set. Thus, when the club had gone 20 games without a defeat, an NHL season high, the defensemen are entitled to their view of what exactly carried the Flyers from what's-wrong status to a challenge of Montreal's supremacy.&ldquo;A lot of us were nervous because we weren't scoring.&rdquo; began Andre (Moose) Dupont. &ldquo;The defense was giving too many goals away and the goaltender was giving up bad goals. Then, the goaltender started playing better, the defense got better, and we started scoring goals. It was like a chain. Even when one of us had a bad game, it didn't mean as much because we were winning.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-01764/4153812-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="643" height="1102"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANDRE DUPONT &hellip; Fired Game Clincher</figcaption></div>As much as any Philadelphia defenseman. Dupont was entitled to a few minutes atop the dressing-room soap box. Although Flyers' coaches and other front-office staffers believe Dupont is All Star material, there are times when management personnel leave the Spectrum with sore foreheads, the penalty for slapping themselves as Dupont strays from his position or commits needless infractions.Most of the time, however, the Flyers are more than pleased with the Moose. As the new year began, he was the club's highest &ldquo;plus&rdquo; player&mdash;in the high 20s. He saved his second goal for the game-clincher in a 2-0 victory in Los Angeles. Carrying the puck in from the left point, Dupont skated unmolested to a spot 15 feet in front of goalie Rogie Vachon.&ldquo;Everybody (the Kings) took off&mdash;nobody came at me.&rdquo; explained Dupont later in the noisy Flyers' dressing room. &ldquo;The puck even got away from me. but the goalie had to come out and was off balance.&rdquo;The only time Jim Watson was off balance late in the 20-game unbeaten streak was when he tried to see clearly. The Flyers' leading Norris Trophy candidate was inadvertently poked in the left eye by the stick of St. Louis' Jerry Butler before Christmas. As the new years began, Watson was still confined to spectator duty.From his living room couch, Watson also appreciated the Flyers' off-the- canvas success.&ldquo;Everybody's just working hard and doing their jobs.&rdquo; said the Team Canada defenseman. &ldquo;The mark of our teams has always been playing as a team&mdash;that's what we're doing now. Before, everybody thought they were working, but they weren't playing the way they should.&ldquo;You can see it now&mdash;guys are breaking for the open holes to get passes, the forwards are coming back to help out the defensemen. It's great to watch.&rdquo;Reasons for the Flyers' streak were just as Watson and Dupont mentioned. But there were other important contributions&mdash;Bobby Clarke's team-high 25 points in 20 games. Bill Barber's slump-curing 23 points, 11 goals apiece by linemates Rick MacLeish and Gary Domhoefer, Mel Bridgman's 21 points.The goaltending was first-class, too. Playing 16 games, Bernie Parent compiled a 12-0-4 record and 2.19 goals against average and challenged shooters the way he did during two memorable Conn Smythe Trophy, All Star seasons. Wayne Stephenson practiced a few weeks following his unretirement, then won three consecutive starts, including a shutout over Los Angeles.The Flyers may not overtake Montreal in the overall point race, but it's safe to predict the Flyers haven't resigned from hockey's elite.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04323/4153805-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg" title="f0018-04" width="634" height="776"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILL BARBER</figcaption></div><h2>Looking At NHL Goalers</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-02615/4153798-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="683" height="2464"></div><h2>Team Penalties</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03456/4153791-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="649" height="953"></div> &#9632;

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Flyer Defense Gets Share Of Credit For Club's Record 20-Game Streak

When Andre Savard was traded off by the Boston Bruins during the last off season there was speculation the Buffalo Sabres may have given away more than they received in swapping Savard for Peter McNab.Now after the halfway mark in the NHL season, the trade has turned out to be a solid deal for both sides. McNab is starring for the Bruins and now Savard comes into scoring prominence.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-05237/4153843-1-eng-US/f0018-052.jpg" title="f0018-05" width="586" height="649"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANDRE SAVARD &hellip; Buffalo Sabres</figcaption></div>The hard-working Buffalo center has fitted in nicely with the Sabres' offense. In fact he's the hottest scoring member of the club in the last 15 games. Savard scored a genuine hat trick&mdash;three straight goals in one period&mdash;as the Sabres lowered the boom on Cleveland 7-4 to raise his season total to 20 goals. But Savard has been sizzling of late and has a total of 11 goals and nine assists in his last 15 games. &#9632;

f0018-05

NHL'S… Player of the Week

<div class="byline">BY NORM MacLEAN</div>NEW YORK&mdash;The time for the report card on John Bowie Ferguson had come. It was one year to the day when Montreal's former number 22 had taken over the Rangers sinking ship, for better or worse.&ldquo;Frankly. I could hardly believe the condition the team was in a year ago,&rdquo; said Fergy. &ldquo;It wasn't in good enough shape to play three periods of hockey. It couldn't put together back to back hockey games.&rdquo;A year ago the Rangers were 15 points from the playoffs, and the injury list was lengthy, as usual. This season, except for the injury to goalie John Davidson, no one has gotten hurt.&ldquo;When you are out of shape, you get hit and checked and get hurt. When you are in shape, you hit and do the checking and don't get hurt.&rdquo; said Ferguson. &ldquo;We're in good shape, we've created team harmony, and we're a team with a future.&rdquo; said Ferguson &ldquo;On any given night, we're capable of beating any team in the NHL. We've beaten the Stanley Cup champions. Montreal, and outskated them in the process, and we've twice tied the finalist, the Flyers.&rdquo;&ldquo;I'm totally impressed with our young people. Murdoch is the rookie of the year Dave Maloney has really matured as a defenseman. He'll be an all star in a couple of years. He comes emotional high for almost every game. Maybe I'm crude, but I don't give much sympathy when a guy says he's hurt,&rdquo; continued the Ranger leader.The injury to Davidson, a knee, must be rated as one of those things, although J.D.'s history, size (6-4 and 205) and awkward flopping may make it appear that he is injury prone. He broke a bone in his leg last year when he did a split. Currently he is out eight to ten weeks, but it could be longer, and Ferguson is forced to go with Gilles Gratton as his only tested netminder.&ldquo;Gratton has been great,&rdquo; insists Fergy. &ldquo;We checked him out with people we knew and gave him a conditional contract, after his problems with Toronto and St. Louis. He hasn't given us one bit of trouble.&rdquo;Gratton has now played in ten straight games, and lowered his goals against from 4 42 to 3.93 in that stretch.&ldquo;Goals against is the area we have to work on for continued improvement in the second half of the season.&rdquo; said Ferguson. &ldquo;Last year, we allowed 333 goals against. It's down to a rate of about 260, but we need to do better.&rdquo;The Rangers are getting the puck out of their own end, with considerably more skill than in the past. Jean-Guy Talbot, the assistant coach, and former Montreal defense great, has worked with films and devised four different ways to bust out.&ldquo;We bring the center further back than in the past, and things are starting to fall in place naturally,&rdquo; said Talbot.The Rangers are still in a death struggle with both the Islanders and Atlanta Flames for the third and final playoff spot in the Patrick Division.Cliff Fletcher. Flames GM. meeting with Ferguson before the game between the rivals December 31. quipped, &ldquo;We both have youth movement going Maybe two years from now we'll be playing for first place.&rdquo;The Rangers have the youngest defense in the NHL, with rookies Dave Farrish and Mike McEwen working alongside veteran Carol Vadnais, sophomore Maloney and three year man Ron Greschner.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-01732/4153874-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="630" height="748"><figcaption class="caption-body">RONGRESCHNER</figcaption></div>&ldquo;Our veteran players of last year were adequate. They were journeymen,&rdquo; explains Ferguson. &ldquo;But they lacked a certain quality. That's the difference between winning and just missing.&rdquo;Ferguson wants to copy Sam Pollack's approach to building up a winner,. by stock piling his New Haven affiliate with bodies such as Larry Sacharuk and Jerry Holl and in the hope that lesser endowed clubs will come running, with draft choices in hand.&ldquo;That's how Montreal does it, with draft choices, and that's how I hope to do it,&rdquo; said Ferguson.The Rangers want the playoffs very much. They can almost taste it, somewhat like the Islanders in 1974-75. the first year of Islander madness in the Springtime.&ldquo;If we get in. we can surprise,&rdquo; insists Ferguson. &ldquo;This club has bound together. The younger guys will only get better. If we get a shot, we may be the surprise team of the year &mdash; and wait until next year after we get those two first round draft picks we have.&rdquo;BLUE CHIPS: All 12 of Wayne Dillon's goals have been scored in MSG&hellip; &#9632;

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Rangers' Future Promising Under Ferguson

<div class="byline">BY BILL LIBBY</div>LOS ANGELES&mdash;In Bob Pulford's fifth season as coach of the Los Angeles Kings, the team he was building seems to be crumblingIs this his last season here?Maybe. His contract expires this, season Team owner Jack Kent Cooke, now in residence in Las Vegas, has not yet offered to renew it. but that is not his style.Usually, Cooke waits until well after a season has ended to settle on contracts that are up for renewal. So far this has not been a good season, so Cooke may or may not want Bob back.However, he has always spoken well of Bob.Before this season even started, rumors began that the coach was committed to another team for next season. Chicago has been most mentioned, but Bob's representative, Alan Eagleson, supposedly has spoken to several teams.Despite Pully's denials that he has sought a position elsewhere or has accepted an offer, the rumors persist and he has the look of a lame-duck leader. Not everyone knows it. but recently Pully called a private meeting of his players to clarify his position.Pully told his players, &ldquo;I like it here. I would not like to leave. I am not at all sure I am leaving. I want to assure you nothing has been settled.&rdquo;Instead of clearing the air, this served to cloud the issue further. Before, others didn't know what might happen. Now they were given to believe that Bob, himself, did not know.If the current campaign continues in a decline for Bob's boys it is possible that anyone who was interested in him before might lose interest. It has happened before in similar situations.Franchises that are trying to rekindle fan interest do not like to bring in a loser.In L.A., Pully turned a long-time loser into a consistent winner, but the team seems to be sliding backwards now.He established himself as one of the new breed of coaches who succeed with conservative tactics: Defense comes before offense. Everybody checks at both ends of the ice.However, he has been deprived of his kind of players, such as Danny Maloney. Terry Harper and Bob Nevin, and given instead an offensive genius such as Marcel Dionne, a brawler like Dave Schultz.Pully seems to have more skaters than checkers now. There are those, including some of his players , who feel he should go to a more wide-open style.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-02592/4153905-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="639" height="777"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOB PULFORD &hellip; Contract Ending</figcaption></div>Should he adjust his system to the players or the players to his system?In any event, he has not, as of now. almost midway in the season, settled on a combination which will work wellOnly 40. he has just started to find his way as a coach.Fair, but firm, soft-spoken but persuasive. Pulford has until recently enjoyed remarkable respect from his players.Lately, however, some have started to complain about him. This is what happens when a team starts to lose: Players start to complain&hellip;about the other players, about the coach, about everyone but themselves. Few blame themselves for their failures.Others close to the club have started to doubt the coach, too.Pully has confided to friends he has doubts about himself. He did surprisingly well with Team USA in the Canada Cup and has said he suffered a letdown from that emotional high.Manager Jack Milford says, &ldquo;That may have been true, but now he seems to be working harder than ever before to pull his team together again.&rdquo;However, the club's confidence is not what it was and it will not be easy to rebuild it.Recently Schultz passed out a mimeographed list of Fred Shero's commandments for good hockey. It appeared the former Flyer was taking a backhander at his new coach.Which is about all Dave has done for Bob since being given to him as a surprise present.I am being asked about Bob often these days. While not personally friendly with him as with other coaches, I respect him as a person and as a coach.I cannot believe anything in the past, present or future could cause him to lose interest in winning now where he is with what he has.I do not agree with all his strategies, but believe Bob knows something more about this sport than I do.I criticized him for sending rookie Steve Clippingdale down, but discovered the kid did not know the mechanics of checking.I criticized him for not making Gary Sargent a regular sooner but discovered the talented lad really did have a lot to learn.The talent on this team is not as good as it appeared to be, but it is better than it's been lately. &#9632;

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Kings' Pulford Rates As Excellent Coach

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-01566/4153943-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-01415/4153936-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="2070" height="3279"></div> &#9632;

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National League Summaries

<div class="byline">BY PAT THOMPSON</div>TWIN CITIES&mdash;Contrary to what the Minnesota North Stars lead some opponents to believe, they are not an easy touch for two points.For a good part of their 1975 portion of the '75-76 schedule that was the case.But when the North Stars, gaining valuable experience for their seven rookies, combine their skating ability with a little physical by-play they can pull a few surprises.They put one of those hard-checking efforts in a recent 3-3 tie with Philadelphia when Tim Young scored in the final 19 seconds, and they followed up with some good skating shows in breaking an l&iacute;game winless streak by overpowering Los Angeles 8-3 and then fighting the Canadiens to a 5-5 standoff in Montreal.The latter game closed out the old year for this young team and left coach Ted Harris with an optimistic feeling that his boys may come around in time to sneak into the playoffs in the cozy Smythe Division.&ldquo;It was a nice way to finish up the old year and start out the new one,&rdquo; the coach said. &ldquo;Maybe we've come back together We've been skating very well and that's the major part of the game, isn't it? We have the legs, it's a shame if we don't use them.&rdquo;The most pleasing aspect, as far as Harris was concerned, was that more than one line did this legwork. Take the Montreal tie. Roland Eriksson and Tim Young had three assists, Ernie Hicke and Steve Jensen two goals each. Hicke's second of the night earned the tie with 56 seconds left to play.Against Los Angeles, Bill Fairbairn and Glen Sharpley each had a goal and two assists, Hicke and Young a goal and an assist. and Eriksson two assists. Also, Fairbairn and Tom Younghans collected shorthanded tallies.&ldquo;Consistency&hellip;that's something we've tried to build all season,&rdquo; said Harris.The offensive output took a turn for the better when Harris juggled his forward lines. He put Eriksson, the rookie from Sweden, at center between Jensen and Dean Talafous, and that line instantly clicked.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02274/4153974-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="639" height="1326"><figcaption class="caption-body">ERNIE HICKE &hellip; Breaks Slump</figcaption></div>Young and Hicke came out of a slump when Fairbairn returned from an injury. And Sharpley became untracked at right wing with Bill Hogaboam at center.The 13-goal output for the LA and Montreal games came after the North Stars had averaged only 2.33 goals for in a six- game span in which goalie Pete LoPresti played strongly with a 2.83 clip. Gary Smith returned to goal against Los Angeles after an eight-game layoff to post the slump-ending victory and he came back with 39 saves in the Montreal tie.Smith had been pulled midway through an 11-4 loss to the Rangers after allowing seven of the goals, and Harris ordered him to lose some weight before he would play him again. His return came at the opportune moment for the Stars.The two contests could have other far- reaching effects for the second half of the season. The North Stars had the continual problem of playing well for one or two periods, then disintegrating completely in the third period.In both games, the Stars overcame lapses. LA rallied from a 4-1 deficit at one point to move within 4-3 before the North Stars finished off with four straight goals. Montreal was down 3-1 before going ahead by scores of 4-3 and then 5-4 before Hicke had the final say.It could continue, as Harris said, if they can blend skating and checking.STAR DUST: The North Stars still remain the worst road team in the league with only one victory, that one coming way back in October in Toronto Jim Roberts, rookie called up in early December, scored his first goal gainst LA&hellip; Fred Barrett added his first of the season in the same game&hellip;Pierre Jarry. recovering from knee surgery, was the only Star on the injured list&hellip;Stars have four short handed goals, twice as many as last season, and rookie Younghans has two of them&hellip;Defenseman Tom Reid returned from treatment for his mysterious skin rash with plenty of ointments but still uncertain of its cause. &#9632;

f0021-02

Stars' Harris Optimistic Of Slipping Into Playoffs

<div class="byline">BY GREG NOBLE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0022-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-01451/4154012-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">RICH LEDUC&hellip; Sharp Against Soviets</figcaption></div>CINCINNATI&mdash;The moves, as dramatic as they were, ready came as no surprise.With the team floundering, the management of the Cincinnati Stingers had promised to shake tip the roster. And they did.Pierre Guite, a talented veteran but often injured, and second-year defenseman Bryan Maxwell were dropped from the club.As the Stingers' losing streak reached seven games, Guite and Maxwell were, in effect, suspended, and the club instructed their agents to try to place them with another team.The Stingers had tried to trade the two players, but curiously found no takers. No World Hockey Assn, team claimed them when they were placed on waivers, so they likely would be placed with teams in the National Hockey League.Guite would not comment immediately. I've been advised by my agent not to say anything.&rdquo; he said. However, his teammates said he was shaken by the move.Maxwell too was disappointed. &ldquo;I figure I haven't played well but I've been hurt. 1 don't think they gave me a fair shake.&rdquo; he said. I'll be sorry to leave. It'll be tough finding the kind of club they have here.&rdquo;By dropping Guite and Maxwell, management apparently hoped to jar the team out of their two-week-long slump while unloading two hefty contracts. &ldquo;We're in a bit of a slump By making a couple of moves maybe we'll pull out of it,&rdquo; said executive vice-president Bill DeWitt Jr.The club recalled rookie defenseman Barry Melrose from the American League and was also expected to call up rookie forward Jamie Hislop from the Southern League. Gene Sobchuk, almost completely recovered from a fractured arm he suffered in pre-season, would be ready to play by mid-January.Guite, a rugged left winger who scored 20 goals in 52 games last season, has been hampered by injuries the last three years. He fractured two vertebrae in his back crashing into the goalpost last February and missed the last seven weeks of the season. He scored seven goals in the first six games this year, but then pulled ligaments in his knee. He missed eight games and never seemed to fully recover. He missed a great part of the 1974-75 season with a similar injury.Maxwell, a bruising defenseman. has also been bothered by injuries this year. He missed the first two months of action after breaking his collarbone in an exhibition game. Later he injured his ankle. He only played in 12 of 35 games.The losing streak dropped the Stingers all the way to fifth place in the Eastern Division. &ldquo;Except for the Russian game, we haven't had a combination of goaltending. forwards and defense working together as a unit.&rdquo; coach Terry Slater complained after a 6-4 home ice loss to New England.&ldquo;We've been having our problems.&rdquo; John Hughes said about the defense. &ldquo;When you get behind early in a game it's pretty much the fault of the defense.&rdquo; As a matter of practice, the Stingers would fall behind quickly, and their late comeback would come up short.However, the Stingers did play an exceptional game against the Russians, losing 7-5 after Vladimir Petrov snapped a 55 tie with only six minutes left. &ldquo;We gave it our all. From my point of view, we might have outplayed them.&rdquo; said Richie Leduc, who was the Stingers' hero with two goals and two assists. Hughes. Rick Dudley and Dennis Sobchuk were added to the Eastern Division All Star team, joining Leduc and Ron Plumb.INDIANAPOLIS: The Racers drew high praise from the touring Soviet All Star team. After his team broke open a close 3-2 contest with two third-period goals, the Soviet coach commended the Racers' defense and goaltender Michel Dion. The Russians, who by then had lost to New England and beaten Cincinnati and Houston, called the Racers the best team they had played on the tour. Coach Jacques Demers also praised his team's performance.After the Russians took a 2-0 lead. Hugh Harris and Ken Block stood the cheering crowd of 12.051 on their feet with goals less than one minute apart. But the Russians constantly pressured the Racers. They outshot Indy 40-27. and afterward Dion marvelled at the Russians' shooting accuracy. He said all of the 35 shots he stopped were potential goals.Meanwhile, in league play, the Racers maintained a firm hold on second place in the Eastern Division. They split two games with Phoenix, losing 4-3 and winning 4-1. and stayed five games over 500.Demers would have his top scoring line at his disposal for the All Star game. He added Blair McDonald and Michel Parizeau to the squad, to go along with linemate Hugh Harris, who was selected by the media.Brian McDonald, sidelined since Oct. 19 with a knee injury, seemed ready to come back after New Year's. But defenseman Bryon Baltimore, suffering from a shoulder injury, was not expected to play as the club began a four-game western swing.BIRMINGHAM: &ldquo;We need to put together a long winning streak, something like six or eight games. Then we'll be right up there.&rdquo; coach Pat Kelly said after the Bulls had won three straight. But Minnesota ended the streak with a 4-2 victory at Birmingham, then defeated the Bulls again two nights later at St. Paul 3-1.Nevertheless, Kelly, resplendent behind the bench in his Kelly green sports coat, is keeping the Bulls within reach of a playoff berth. Kelly applauded the team's balanced scoring. improved defense and steady goaltending.Mark Napier scored the first penalty shot goal in the WHA this year against Houston's Ron Grahame. &ldquo;It makes you a little nervous.&rdquo; he said about the penalty shot. &ldquo;I went over to talk to Woody (goaltender Wayne Wood ) before the shot, asking him what I could expect. He told me. if you see a corner, shoot it.&rdquo; Napier deked right, then shot it under Grahame for his 30th mal of the season.<h2>WHA Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02353/4154005-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="647" height="1097"></div> &#9632;

f0022-01

Stingers Make Changes To Halt Losing Streak

You can't help but marvel at the scoring offense the Quebec Nordiques have assembled this season. They are the WHA's most productive hockey club and little wonder when they have snipers like Real Cloutier, Serge Bernier, Marc Tardif and Christian Bordeleau around.It was Tardif's turn to take the individual scoring spotlight away from his prolific teammates this past week and he did a tremendous job of it. In three league games, Tardif rang up 12 scoring points including three goals to move into fifth place in the league scoring race with SR points.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03288/4154043-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="574" height="654"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARC TARDIF &hellip;Quebec Nordiques</figcaption></div>Tardif averaged four points a game in his three league outings and to climax his big week he also scored once to help overwhelm the Soviet Union 6-1. &#9632;

f0022-03

WHA'S… Player of the Week

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01427/4154088-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="628" height="658"><figcaption class="caption-body">MICHEL DION &hellip; Impressed Soviets</figcaption></div>Special To The Hockey NewsINDIANAPOLIS&mdash;It was a rumor that had been persistent for some time. But it remained for Harold Ducote of Indianapolis, president of Hockey Management. Inc. to bring the situation into focus.The World Hockey Association, indeed, is a step removed from being an inter- national entity in fact as well as in name.Ducote, following the Racers' 5-2 defeat to the Soviet Union New Year's night, confirmed that the WHA is negotiating with European countries to play games on foreign ice next season that would count in the regular season league standings.&ldquo;We have not been a party to the negotiations,'' said Ducote, spokesman or the Racers' 26-member ownership. 'Ben Hatskin (WHA chairman of the board) is convinced that a form of interplay would have a lot to offer our league, not only in prestige but in money.&ldquo;For our part, we have received an informal invitation from the Czechoslovakians to play in Prague, and we are going to do all we can to make it a formal invitation. We'd be crazy not to.&rdquo;It is reported the Racers have already firmed up that formal invite, although there are a number of loose ends still to be tied.Ducote told Dick Denny of the Indianapolis News:&ldquo;If the Racers do go to Europe for training and official competition, the club would receive a financial guarantee and expense monies.&ldquo;We could play games in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and maybe Czechoslovakia,&rdquo; said Ducote.Asked if the Soviet Union might be involved in the circuit, Ducote replied: &ldquo;I don't know. We would include them if we could.&rdquo;Brian Conacher, recently appointed Racer general manager, offered the view that December games in Europe would solve attendance problems during that period of the season for many clubs.&ldquo;When we are in the doldrums in early December, we could go to Europe and play in tournaments,&rdquo; said Conacher, who has played in several international games as a member of Canadian National teams. &ldquo;The games would count in our league standings and would be financially beneficial to us.&rdquo;Soviet Union assistant coach Konstatin Loktev told Indianapolis writers: &ldquo;We have the feeling we underestimated the WHA.&rdquo; Loktev also revealed that the Racers were the best team the Soviets had faced to that point on their eight-game tour of WHA cities.&ldquo;We like very much the defense of the Racers and their goaltender (Michel Dion),&rdquo; said Lotkev. &ldquo;We had to play our best to win.&rdquo;The Racers, leading the WHA in attendance, attracted 12,051 for the Soviets despite television's bowl games.There were upwards of 7,000 walk-ins, a remarkable total considering that the WHA didn't schedule the Soviet team's arrival into Indianapolis until late New Year's eve.&ldquo;The Soviet Union National Team is probably the greatest collection of players on the ice today,&rdquo; said Racer coach Jacques Demers. &ldquo;Losing to them was no disgrace. Half of that team beat most of the National League teams a year ago.&rdquo;Meanwhile, on the ice the touring Soviets were proving too hard to handle for the WHA. They started the second half of their eight-city tour by beating San Diego 6-3, Edmonton 3-2, Winnipeg 3-2 and then came to grief against the spirited Quebec Nordiques, who laced the visitors from Moscow 6-1 in Quebec City to wind up the exhibition series against the WHA teams. The Soviets finished with a 6-2 record and outscored the WHA 37-26.The defeat by the Nordiques was totally unexpected by everyone particularly when the Quebecers came up with major injuries to their two regular goalers. Ed Humphreys, who had spent the season in the minor leagues with Beauce Jaros of the North American Hockey League, was summoned to fill the breach after the Beauce team went out of business. Many felt the Nordiques were merely going to make a token effort with neither Richard Brodeur nor Serge Aubry, their two net- minders, available for the game.But the Soviets didn't expect the Nordiques to come out the way they did. It took them the whole game to realize what was happening to them. Humphreys was sensational turning back 30 Soviet shots missing only on a goal by Boris Mikhailov in the first period. The Soviets even started their goaling ace, Vladislav Tretiak, against the Nordiques. He was replaced with 10 minutes to play in the game and the Nordiques cruising along with a 6-1 edge.Curt Brackenbury, who has never been kniwn as a goal scorer, counted two of the Quebec markers in a surprise performance. But then that's the way it went against the Soviets. They seemed to be taken back by the fast-skating Nordiques, who kept up a relentless checking and skating game that seemed to wear the Europeans down.Serge Bernier, Marc Tardif, Chris Bordeleau and Dube were the other Quebec scorers.Quebec coach Marc Boileau praised his team highly after the game. &ldquo;We did a real good job on them. The Russians have a great machine and to be able to contain them like we did, we must have a pretty fair hockey club,&rdquo; he commented.<h2>How WHA Teams Did</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02324/4154081-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="653" height="1755"></div><h2>WHA-Soviet Summaries</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03241/4154074-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="1332" height="1647"></div> &#9632;

f0023-01

WHA Moving Closer To Playing In European Cities Next Season

<div class="byline">BY DOUG MCCONNELL</div>PHOENIX-With only one game in the past nine days, and that one at home, the Phoenix Roadrunners have had a chance to get their act back together.It isn't, however, just as coach Al Rollins had planned, as his club left for Indianapolis to open a four-game road trip.Left wing Andre Hinse reinjured his shoulder and knee to join defenseman Jerry Rollins on the injured list. Hinse was left at home and expected to join the team in mid-trip. Rollins, who has torn ligaments in the same right thumb upon which he had surgery last summer, was expected to miss the first couple of games.The opportunity for consecutive practices has restored, says Rollins, &ldquo;some semblance of organization again.&rdquo;With only one full-scale workout in some six weeks because of a travel-play- travel schedule, the Roadrunners lost 11 of 12, and had dropped seven of 10 at home.Rollins thought his club had straightened out in a 4-3 victory over the Indianapolis Racers in Phoenix. It was only the 15th loss in the last 19 games for the Racers.&ldquo;With a lack of practice.&rdquo; Rollins said, &ldquo;guys start picking up bad habits. Defensemen were playing like fourth and fifth forwards and getting trapped up the ice.&rdquo;&ldquo;It's pretty hard to correct when all you can do is tell them about it, but in practice you can show them.&rdquo;Kurt's almost flawless performance against Indianapolis in only his third start in 23 games has regained the veteran net- minder a spot in the goaltending rotation with rookie Clay Hebenton &ldquo;as long as we get good games out of them.&rdquo; said Rollins.The Roadrunners got the best game he has played in the WHA out of Lauri Mononen against the Racers.The reluctant right wing has been showing signs of turning into the Flying Finn the Roadrunners have been expecting for two seasons.Every team in the WHA has tried its best intimidation tactics on lanternjawed Lauri, perhaps accounting for his disappointing 15-goal total last season.Lauri has finally started hitting back.&ldquo;I told him all he had to do was take a run at a few guys, even if he picked the guys he hit,&rdquo; said Rollins. &ldquo;He's certainly big enough.&ldquo;Jean Beliveau had the same problem when he first came up with Montreal,&rdquo; recalled Rollins. &ldquo;He was too nice a guy and everybody was taking a piece of him. but when he started hitting back, they started leaving him alone.&rdquo;Mononen. a six-foot, 190-pound import, scored two goals, assisted on another and drew three of the four penalty calls against Indianapolis and delivered more body checks than he had all last season.Mononen played a double shift all night as Rollins employed his two extra forwards to form a fourth line.&ldquo;He was getting tired at the end,&rdquo; said Rollins, &ldquo;but he can do a lot of things.&rdquo;It was ironic that defenseman Duane Bray got his chance as a regular when Jerry Rollins was injured.It was Jerry who talked his father. Al. then the club's director of player personnel. into giving Bray a tryout. They had played together in Flin Flon, Man., in the Western Canada Junior League. &#9632;

Ice Time Relieves Runners' Plight

<div class="byline">BY GEORGE BILYCH</div>WINNIPEG&mdash;Bobby Kromm is not one to mince words. Especially when his Winnipeg Jets are on a four-game losing streak.Kromm could have won the title of Mr. Personality last season as his Jets ran roughshod over all WHA opposition in claiming the Avco Cup. THE HOCKEY NEWS was so impressed it voted him the coach of the year.But with the Jets not having things all their own way in the opening half of this season, possibly due to the hardships inflicted by a succession of injuries to key personnel, fans have had an opportunity to view the other side of Bobby Kromm.&ldquo;Some people think I'm here to win friends and influence people.&rdquo; suggested Kromm as he saw the Jets slide into third place in the Western Division. &ldquo;Far from it&mdash;I'm here just to win. I'm finished fooling around. We've got to discipline ourselves&mdash;cut down our goals against&mdash;and get rolling.&rdquo;The Jets finally ended their skid by halting the Houston Aeros 5-2 in Winnipeg. It was a timely victory, moving them back within a point of the second-place Aeros.But Kromm wasn't in the box to enjoy this triumph. Instead, he handed the coaching reins over to injured captain Lars- Erik Sjdberg while he viewed the Jets' performance from the press box.The rumor mills had a field day, fabricating all sorts of theories that Kromm was at odds with the Jets and with management. suggesting he was displeased that the Jets' heirarchy was dragging its feet in negotiating certain trades and that he personally was dissatisfied with his own contract dealings with the Jets. The rumors kept growing in intensity as Bobby apparently was unavailable for comment himself.But Kromm put them to rest the following morning when he showed up on schedule to handle the Jets' regular workout. All of Manitoba heaved a sigh of relief.Kromm's decision to stay away, it was explained, was a move designed to embarrass the team out of its losing streak. If so, it worked to perfection as the Jets outshot Houston 32-11 in the first two periods and then proceeded to make it stand up.&ldquo;He told us before the game that he would be making assessments and said &ldquo;it's up to you guys to show your own pride,&rdquo; said Sjoberg. &ldquo;With the exception of the fourth line that we put together ourselves, the lineup was Kromm's.&rdquo;The Jets made one significant change in their lineup, breaking up the big line of Anders Hedberg, Ulf Nilsson and Bobby Hull. Peter Sullivan was moved into center for Nilsson and he set up both of his new wingmates for goals.&ldquo;When things are going bad any change is usually for the good,&rdquo; added Sjoberg. &ldquo;And he shook us up good.&rdquo;CALGARY: The Cowboys, in the midst of a lengthy home stand, continued their climb up the Western Division ladder. In beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 New Year's Day. they moved within a point of the fourth-place Oilers while still holding four games in hand.But what pleased coach Joe Crozier most was the manner in which his club scuttled the Oilers. They got involved in a couple of fights in coming up with what was their most physical display of the season.&ldquo;We looked like the old hockey club again,&rdquo; suggested Crozier, obviously tickled. &ldquo;We were backing each other up in every instance. What we saw was the club that played most of last season.&rdquo;Earlier in the week Crozier had lifted the captaincy from veteran Danny Lawson. saying the added pressure was proving too much of a burden. Following the victory over Edmonton he paid Lawson a compliment by saying he &ldquo;showed the leadership capacity which he gave us most of last season.&rdquo;Crozier admitted he had cooled considerably on trade talks which for the previous three weeks he'd insisted would have to bear fruit if the Cowboys were to become a contender.&ldquo;I get the distinct impression nobody really wants to trade in this league.&rdquo; said Crozier. &ldquo;They talk, but the deals they offer are ridiculous. They'd all like to pick your bones. I suppose that's the way it is when you're losing. Some guys think they can rob you blind just because you feel you have to make some changes. That's not going to happen here.&rdquo;While Crozier wasn't discounting trade possibilities, he suggested his priority at this point was to hone the talent currently at his disposal.&ldquo;Maybe if we can put a few wins together we then could start dealing from strength. Then we might have some serious discussions.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-01378/4154181-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="641" height="903"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOBBY KROMM &hellip; Wants Changes</figcaption></div>It would appear Crozier is in the market for blueline help. For the past three weeks he has dressed but four rearguards&mdash;Paul Terbenche, Mike Ford. Chris Evans and John Miszuk&mdash;while leaving Paul Hurley in civies. But he admits he can't hope to carry on that way indefinitely.EDMONTON: The Oilers continue to add experience to their roster, the latest claims being forwards Wayne Connelly and Claude St. Sauveur from Calgary via waivers.The lowest-scoring club in the WHA, this move is designed to bolster the Oilers' offense. Strangely enough, the Cowboys had placed them on waivers because they had been a disappointment to coach Crozier in just that area.Connelly, who joined Calgary in the opening week of the season, had scored only five goals while St. Sauveur had been totally blanked in the sniping parade. St. Sauveur had missed the opening month due to an off-season shoulder injury and had been sent down to the Cowboys' Tidewater (Southern League) farm when the Oilers claimed him.&ldquo;Their history is that they can score.&rdquo; said Edmonton head scout Bob Freeman, &ldquo;and that's what Bep's (Guidolini looking for. St. Sauveur had 24 goals with Atlanta last year and 38 a couple of years earlier with Vancouver (Blazers). He's only 24 so his future should be ahead of him.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0025-01

Unhappy Kromm Lets Jets Know It; Cowboys Gallop Back Into Contention

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0026-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-01391/4154212-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0026-01

World Hockey Association Summaries

<div class="byline">BY DOUG MCCONNELL</div>SAN DIEGO&mdash;The most improved team in the World Hockey Association?The San Diego Mariners are staking a claim to that title by making a strong run for the WHA championship.They lead the Western Division by eight points, over Houston, and are the winningest team in either division.The Mariners have a 23-13-2 record for 48 points in 38 games or a .631 percentage.The Quebec Nordiques, leaders in the Eastern Division, have played the same number of games for a 22-15-1 record. 45 points and a .592 percentage.One of the biggest wins of the season came before one of the biggest crowds. 10,146, and was a 4-3 victory over defending Avco World Trophy champion Winnipeg Jets, currently third in the standings.The Mariners outshot the Jets 42-15 for the one-goal victory, in which Don Burgess shot two goals but was credited with an assist instead of one. It went off teammate Norm Ferguson's skate for the winning goal.The Mariners have won eight of their last nine games and have the best home record in the WHA. 13-1-2.The Mariners have shown an ability to win the close ones, by whatever method.They were outshot by almost as great a margin by the Indianapolis Racers as they outshot the Jets but thanks to some superb netminding by Ken Lockett, posted a 2-1 victory.It was the first loss for the Racers in nine one-goal games and broke a six- game Indianapolis road victory streak.Defenseman Paul Shmyr scored a breakaway goal with six minutes left for the winning margin and Lockett turned away 32 shots as the Racers managed just 18 on Jim Par.Ironically, it was former Mariner Gene Peacosh who gave Indianapolis an early 1-0 lead, and it came off an interception of a clearing pass&mdash;probably a Mariner who thought Peacosh was still a teammate.Meanwhile, the Houston Aeros suffered two momentary letdowns in three games.One letdown cost them two points, in a 6-2 loss at Birmingham.The other cost them a lot of prestige, a 10-1 whipping by the touring Soviet Union All Stars before a crowd of 15,302 &mdash;the largest they're ever drawn to the Summit, and only their third over 15.000.The Soviets rang up seven goals during an 8:07 span of the second period to break open what had been a 2-1 game, 1-1, after one period.Wayne Rutledge replaced Ron Grahame at the midway point of the second period. 10:33. when the deluge began.The Soviets held an advantage in shots on goals. 36-28 over the Aeros. who repeatedly lost the puck in their own end.Rich Preston scored the lone Houston goal on a pass from Gordie Howe.At Birmingham, the letdown lasted 4:55 and cost four first-period goals, two of them four seconds apart by Paul Henderson and John Stewart. Don Larway scored both Houston goals.Rutledge gave up the first penalty shot goal of the season in the four awarded, thus far. in the WHA Mark Napier scored it. the first such shot awarded Birmingham.In between, the Aeros, paced by John Tonelli's two goals, took a 6-3 victory from Winnipeg to increase their hold on second place in the WHA West to three points over the Jets.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02279/4154257-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="631" height="996"><figcaption class="caption-body">DON BURGESS &hellip; Lifted Mariners</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03193/4154250-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="625" height="907"><figcaption class="caption-body">JOHN TONELLI &hellip; Beat The Jets</figcaption></div><h2>Looking At WHA Goalers</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-01370/4154243-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="650" height="1559"></div> &#9632;

f0027-02

San Diego Streaking At Hot Pace

Special To The Hockey NewsHARTFORD&mdash;Jacques Demers, at 32 major league hockey's youngest coach, doesn't view the World Hockey Association All-Star game in Hartford Jan. 18 as an exercise in motion.Demers, coach of the Eastern Division squad, says the fans in New England deserve nothing less than a complete effort by both teams &mdash; and for his part, he wants badly to win.To that end, the second year coach of the Indianapolis Racers chose eight additions to the East Team he feels will be the most beneficial. And the add-ons didn't include Racer goaltender Michel Dion, who at the time of the voting by WHA news media had won seven games in a row and owned the best won-loss percentage in the league.&ldquo;It was an injustice that Dion wasn't voted on.&rdquo; said Demers, whose Racers are currently lodged in second place in the WHA East behind Quebec. &ldquo;But my adding a third goaltender would not enhance the team's strength. The fans deserve our best effort and I added the players I feel will do us the most good.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-01357/4154295-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="630" height="684"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARK HOWE</figcaption></div>Among Demers add-ons were two Racers, center Michel Parizeau and right wing Blair MacDonald, who. doubtless, will be paired with Hugh Harris who was voted to the team. Other additions included John Hughes. Rick Dudley and Dennis Sobchuk of Cincinnati. George Lyle and Gordie Roberts of New England and Dave Keon of Minnesota.The game will be televised nationally on the Public Broadcasting Service, courtesy of Connecticut General Life Insurance, and will be aired on radio in New England and Indiana.&ldquo;It's a great honor to be the All Starcoach,&rdquo; said Demers. &ldquo;The only reasor I'm here is because of my players They're the ones that made it possible.&rdquo;The original Eastern All Stars named were Lou Levasseur of Minnesota and John Garrett of Birmingham, goalers Ron Plumb of Cincinnati, Indy's Pat Stapleton, Rick Ley of New England and J.C. Tremblay of Quebec, were chosen as defensemen; Serge Bernier, Marc Tardif and Real Cloutier were picked as a line from the Quebec Nordiques while Cincinnati's Rich Leduc, Harris and Mark Napier of Birmingham was chosen as the other line.Bobby Kromm, who will coach the Western Division All Stars in the game has added left wingers Bobby Hull of the Jets and Cam Connor of Houston, centers Andre Lacroix and Joe Noris, both of Sar Diego, and right wingers Gordie Howe of Houston, Calgary's Danny Lawson and Norm Ferguson of San Diego to his Western originals.On defense Paul Terbenche of Calgary and Barry Willins of Edmonton are defense add-ons but Kromm stuck with his two goaling nominees Joe Daley of the Jets and Wayne Rutledge of Houston.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03199/4154288-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="633" height="974"><figcaption class="caption-body">JACQUES DEMERS &hellip; Fans Deserve Best</figcaption></div>Other Western originals include Lars Erik Sjoberg of Winnipeg, Paul Shmyr and Kevin Morrison, both of San Diego, and Poul Popiel of Houston on defense; centers Ulf Nilsson of Winnipeg and Robbie Ftorek of Phoenix; right wings Anders Hedberg and Willy Lindstrom, also both of Winnipeg; and left wings Mark Howe of Houston and Del Hall of Phoenix Roadrunners.<h2>WHA All Star Teams</h2><h3>EASTERN DIVISION</h3>Goaltenders: Lou Levasseur, Minnesota. John Garrett, Birmingham.Defensemen: Ron Plumb, Cincinnati. Pat Stapleton, Indianapolis. Rick Ley, New England J.C. Tremblay, Quebec. Gordie Roberts, New England. John Hughes. Cincinnati.Left Wings: Marc Tardif, Quebec. Hugh Harris, Indianapolis. George Lyle, New England. Rick Dudley, Cincinnati.Centers: Serge Bernier, Quebec. Richie Leduc, Cincinnati. Michel Parizeau, Indianapolis. Dave Keon, Minnesota.Right Wings: Real Cloutier, Quebec. Mark Napier, Birmingham Dennis Sobchuck, Cincinnati. Blair MacDonald, Indianapolis.Coach-Jacques Demers, Indianapolis.<h3>WESTERN DIVISION</h3>Goaltenders: Wayne Rutledge, Houston. Joe Daley, Winnipeg.Defensemen: Lars-Erik Sjoberg, Winnipeg. Paul Shmyr, San Diego. Poul Popiel, Houston Kevin Morrison, San Diego Thommie Bergman, Winnipeg Paul Terbenche, Calgary. Barry Wilkins, Edmonton.Left Wings: Mark Howe, Houston. Del Hall, Phoenix. Bobby Hull, Winnipeg Cam Connor, Houston.Centers: Ulf Nilsson, Winnipeg Robbie Ftorek, Phoenix. Andre Lacroix, San Diego. Joe Noris, San Diego.Right Wings: Anders Hedberg, Winnipeg. Willy Lindstrom, Winnipeg. Gordie Howe, Houston Danny Lawson, Calgary. Norm Ferguson, San Diego.Coach-Bobby Kromm, Winnipeg. &#9632;

f0028-01

Eastern Coach Demers Wants Badly To Win WHA's All Star Classic

Special To The Hockey NewsSPRINGFIELD&mdash;As the American Hockey League rapidly approaches the halfway mark in the 1976-77 season (at this writing 112 of the total 240 games had been played) the attendance shows an increase while the minutes in penalties show a definite decrease.Three of the league's six member-teams showed an increase at the gate during the month of December. This is especially significant and encouraging to the owners as the month of December is traditionally a poor month at the gate what with Christmas and New Year's taking a heavy toll in the pocketbook of most fans.New Haven shows the largest increase at the gate. The Hawks, who have been making life tough on the leading Nova Scotia Vees since the start of the season, averaged 4.352 fans per game in December and this is an increase of 141 fans over their 4.211 mark in November. The Hawks drew a season record of 7,585 on Dec. 3 for a game against the Vees. Three other crowds were well over the 4.-000 mark in the eight games played in December. The Hawks' season high last season was 5,885 and their record crowd of all time is 8,765 set in 1974 in a game against the now defunct Virginia Red Wings.Hershey, the perennial leader in the box office scramble, fell off a bit in December as did the Springfield Indians who earlier in the season had shown a marked increase at the gate. The Indians are still far ahead of last season's pace and expect a turnaround on the ice as well as the box office with the naming of Gary Dineen as coach. In Dineen's first home game the Indians drew 3,500 on an off night (Wednesday).The Bears, still the box office favorite, fell to just over the 4.000 average in December. That is a decrease of just over 500 per game. The Bears, however, have been playing some tough hockey of late, so there is no panic in Chocolate Town.Nova Scotia and Rochester also sport figures that show an increase during the holiday month. The Vees. who have been struggling at the gate for several years, showed an average of over 2.000 in December which is an average increase of almost 300 fans per game.The Vees' attendance was bolstered by two games with New Haven in December in which the average attendance was near the 3,000 mark. Rochester, which has finished second to Hershey over the past few years, showed signs of a comeback, as they averaged almost 4,000.Rhode Island's attendance dipped to a little over 3,500 per game, but the Reds, like the Bears, have been showing signs of being a strong contender and the crowds are expected to pick up this monthSpeaking about the attendance figures, league president Jack Butterfield said: &ldquo;I am very encouraged over the latest figures. Maybe our fans are beginning to realize that our product is vastly improved and with the race so tight I expect an even greater increase in January and through the end of the regular season in March.&rdquo;Butterfield, who concerns himself with all the statistics of his league, also made note of the fact that while attendance is on the rise the penalty minutes seem to be decreasing or at least remaining at a lower level.&ldquo;Just what this means I'm not sure at the moment, but it could very well point out that our fans are interested in good solid hockey without the nonsense we have been living with for the past two or three seasons.&rdquo; Butterfield said. He also added, &ldquo;the decrease in penalty minutes, is also a solid indication that our players are playing better hockey.&rdquo;Statistically the overall figures show that in the same number of games, 212 to be exact, as played last season there is a decrease of 350 minutes in penalties. These figures, released by the league office. were compiled by comparing each of the active member-teams' penalty statistics for this season to be like number of games of last season.The six teams, as of this writing, had compiled a total of 3.501 minutes in penalties as compared with 3.851 last seasonThis figure of 3.501 is derived from a total of 1.108 minor penalties. 141 major penalties. 20 10-minute misconducts. 36 game misconducts and two match penalties.The largest decrease is in the assessment of minor penalties. 190 less. There have been eight less major penalties and three less 10-minute misconducts. The increase comes in the assessment of game misconduct penalties, nine, and match penalties, one.The increase in g:,me misconduct penalties can largely be attributed to the rule change instituted this season calling for a game misconduct penalty to any player who is guilty of deliberately trying to intimidate or start a fight with an opposing player. Although this rule has been somewhat modified and the figures should level off before too long, the increase at this time is largely due to the number of game misconducts called during the first month of the season.Individually the Springfield Indians are the leading team in the penalty minute statistics. The Indians, who have lead in almost all catagories of penalties from the start of the season, showed an increase in penalty minutes of 378 in 38 games The Indians actually show an increase in all but six of the catagories. They are up 64 minors. 12 majors, four misconducts and 15 game misconducts. Of late the Indians have toned-down their penalties and the increase is largely due to a rash of game-misconducts under the new rule which they incurred in October.Nova Scotia is the only other club to show an increase. The Vees have the largest number of major penalties and the individual leader. Gilles Lupien. in PIM. Overall the Vees show an increase of 77 minutes over last season in 36 games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02246/4154333-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="627" height="1000"><figcaption class="caption-body">GILLES LUPIEN &hellip; AHL's 'Bad Man'</figcaption></div>All the other clubs show a decrease as follows: Hershey down 319. New Haven down 138. Rhode Island down 301 and Rochester down by 47 minutes.Hershey and Rhode Island are the only teams to show a decrease in all six categories.As mentioned. Lupien holds the lead in penalty minutes. His 116 minutes in penalties has earned him the league's &ldquo;bad boy&rdquo; title once again. Lupien's 316 minutes in penalties led the AHL in 1974-75 Last season he finished 10th (Steve Short was first with 302). His lead is being challenged by Springfield's Paul McIntosh (82). teammate Pat Hughes (87). Rhode Island's Dave Kelly (59).Total penalty minutes do not always indicate the tough-guy' player. In many in- stances players manage to collect a lot of minutes in penalties through verbal abuse of the officials as opposed to the more violent kind of penalty, such as a major penalty.Both Lupien and Kelly each have six major penalties. The other leaders in major penalties include Larry Bignell and McIntosh of Hershey with four each Engele, Chris Ahrens and Eddie Johnstone also have four each with New Haven, but the heavyweight honors there belongs to Dan Newman with five majors.Lupien's teammate Pat Hughes has five majors as does Mike Busiuk. Rochester has three players with five majors apiece including Wensink, rookie Clayton Pachal and scrappy Ron Garwasiuk.The Indians' fighters include Dave Hynek with four. Coates with three and Mike Marson. All Hill and Alex Forsyth with two each.Statistics don't necessarily tell the whole story but when you're looking for the teams that have the players that will &ldquo;go with anybody&rdquo; your best bet is to check the major penalty stats and Nova Scotia and Springfield are the leaders there.On the other side of the stats sheet Doug Gibson reached the 50-point mark before the halfway point in the season. His 20 goals and 30 assists leads the league. Teammate Gordie Clark has scored 24 goals to lead the league while Blake Dunlop leads in assists with 31.<h2>AHL Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01313/4154326-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="649" height="2154"></div> &#9632;

f0029-02

AHL Figures Impress Butterfield As Attendance Up, Penalties Down

<div class="byline">BY TOM BURKE</div>BOSTON-Victories by a first-time participant and the oldest holiday host highlighted the two exclusively ECAC Division One tournaments in the week after Christmas.Boston College took the title at the seventh Syracuse invitational tournament, besting co-host Cornell 6-4 in the championship game. It was the Eagles' first visit to the Salt City event.In Troy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute won its own tournament for the fourth time in the 26-year history of the round robin, sweeping the three nights with wins over Penn, Yale, and heavily favored Clarkson.In intersectional action, pre-season ECAC favorite Brown dropped the opening game of the Great Lakes invitational tourney in Detroit to WCHA stalwart Michigan by a 7-2 score. Boston University split a set at Minnesota-Duluth, and Harvard showed well in a one-win, two- loss western jaunt to Minnesota and Wisconsin.These holiday clashes put the &ldquo;standings&rdquo; of ECAC Division One teams versus WCHA teams at 7-7-1 as the New Year dawned. Since January marks the beginning of the down-to-business jockeying for playoff positions in these two conferences, no more East-West games are in the offing until the NCAA's in March. Chauvinists for the respective leagues must yield all bragging rights until that time&mdash;a time at which, of course, CCHA teams could well interlope.Getting back to the Eastern race, Boston College played perhaps its best game of the season in slipping by Cornell. The Eagles peppered Big Red goalie Steve Napier with 30 shots in the first two periods to just eight for Cornell. Napier fended off brilliantly and kept his mates at just a one-goal deficit.The Cornellians took the lead halfway through the third period on tallies by defensemen Jeff Roche and Bruce Marrett, the latter a shorthanded effort at 10:16. But BC rallied with a pair of goals by Joe Mullen and Brian Burns in a span of 30 seconds as the clock ticked into the final five minutes to take a 5-4 edge. An empty-net score by captain Bob Ferriter&mdash;his fifth of the tournament-provided last-minute insurance.&ldquo;We knew we'd still have them,&rdquo; said Ferriter afterwards. He was voted most valuable player of the tourney, edging Napier and his 36-save performance.Before the title game, Cornell coach Dick Bertrand was still unsure of what to expect from his team for the season. &ldquo;It's still too early to tell,&rdquo; he said, noting that Cornell had played just eight games.&ldquo;My young forwards and young defensemen have to jell a bit more,&rdquo; he added. But off Napier's play, Bertrand's early experiments with his three available goaltenders need not be repeated.In the first round, both finalists had to scramble. Seemingly safely in front 6-3 with 11 minutes to go against Princeton, Cornell saw the Tigers' Cliff Lowrick and Kris Kollevol tighten the string to 6-5 before a couple of late goals put it away 8-5. BC led Colgate 7-3 through two, but Mike Dosdall, Bill Davis and Dave MacKenzie narrowed the count to 7-6 before Ferriter scored twice more. In the consolation, goalie Fred Cherne stopped 49 Colgate shots in lifting Princeton to a 3-2 win over the Red Raiders.&ldquo;I'm not going to concede anything to Clarkson,&rdquo; said wily coach Jim Salfi before his RPI crew took on the 10-1 Knights. Sporting a 6-0 league record. Clarkson was an easy choice over the 3-61 Engineers. Maybe it was Clarkson's three-week exam break. Maybe it was the 30-save effort by newly eligible goalie Ian Harrison. But when the ice chips had cleared, the score read RPI 5, Clarkson 2. The Knights slipped to a first-place tie with New Hampshire for an evening while RPI strung together two more wins and vaulted back to the middle of the pack from 15th place.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03208/4154378-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="634" height="902"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOB FERRITER &hellip; Tournament MVP</figcaption></div>Rick Smith opened and closed the scoring for RPI, tallying at 8:05 of the first frame and with 4:24 to go in the game after Bill Blackwood's score had closed the margin to 4-2. Pat Hahn, Dave Jack and Steve Stoyanovich were the other RPI scorers.Clarkson bounced back to retake the league lead and run their mark to 8-1 with easy wins over Penn 12-3 and Yale 8-3. RPI had to sweat a bit more, but topped Yale 9-7 and Penn 5-4 to take the crown.Brown fell behind Michigan 4-0 in the first period and never recovered in the GLI lid lifter. Dave DeBol scored a hat trick and Rick Palmer made 36 stops for the Wolverines. Bob McIntosh tallied three minutes into the consolation game's overtime period the next evening, lifting the Bruins to a 3-2 win over CCHA representative Bowling Green.Harvard absorbed a 4-3 overtime defeat at Minnesota, then shocked WCHA leader Hughes complemented a 41-save game by at Dane County Coliseum. Two third- period power play scores by George Hughes complemented a 41 save game by goalie Brian Petrovek for the Johns. The next night it was Harvard's turn to outshoot the foe. with 42 shots on Julian Baretta to Wisconsin's 28. But this time the Badgers took a 7-5 decision as Mike Capouch and Mike Meeker scored late in the third period to break a 5-5 deadlock.Boston University celebrated the new eligibility of Olympic defenseman Dick Lamby, a transfer from Division Two's Salem State College, with a 7-3 victory at Minnesota-Duluth. A 50-save show by UMD goalie Bill Moen the next night enabled the Bulldogs to reverse the decision to the tune of 6-4.In a single game, Northeastern and Providence both returned from exams and continued recent trends. The Huskies won 4-3 in overtime thanks to freshman defenseman John Guion's crazily bouncing shot from the point which somehow found its way past goalie Ray Moffitt in the PC cage.The win boosted the Huskies, an inexperienced, lightly regarded outfit, to 4-2 in league play. NU fans began to think playoffs, and if Fernie Flaman can guide his team to wins in the four upcoming games against lower bracket teams, NU may just have the cushion to make a serious and totally unexpected playoff bid.For Providence, it was the fourth consecutive league loss after a 4-0 start. The Friars broke out to a 3-1 lead but couldn't hold on as Wayne Turner tied the score tor NU with 1:37 to go in regulation time. Lou Lamoriello. the Providence coach, requested that Turner's banana- bladed stick be measured before the extra period. The stick was found to be illegally curved and Turner received a misconduct, but he'd done all the damage NU would need.In Division Two tournament action. Lowell University came from behind to edge Boston State 6-5 and take the title in the Codfish Bowl tourney The hoped-for showdown between the pupil, coach Billy Riley Jr. of Lowell, and master, coach Jack Kelly of Colby, failed to materialize in the Codfish. Boston State goalie Paul McBrine turned aside 37 Colby shots in the first round to lead the Warriors to a 42 win over the White Mules. Lowell upended Salem State 6-3 in the other first round game.At Williams, Oswego State won the Williams invitational by beating host Williams College 5-3 in the title game, sparked by goalie Steve Paluseo's 39 saves.<h2>HOW THEY STAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-01350/4154371-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="649" height="806"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02277/4154364-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="1318" height="780"></div> &#9632;

f0030-03

Boston College, RPI Register Wins In Major Holiday Hockey Tourneys

<div class="byline">BY BILL ADLER</div>DALLAS-Conditioning is certainly important to any athlete and Dallas coach Roger Neilson is a firm believer in this policy which he has maintained throughout the entire season but unfortunately for the rookie coach, the Black Hawks have not been winning. However, things have changed in Dallas and very quickly the Hawks look like the team that has made the playoffs in all but one of their ten years in the Central Hockey League.With the return of Duane Wylie and Dave Logan from Chicago following brief appearances with the major league club, the Hawks captured three of four games to move within striking distance of that coveted playoff berth.Adding to the brightness of the picture is the fact that 23 of the Hawks' first 36 games have been played on the road which translates to the fact that 25 of their remaining 40 games will be played on friendly home ice.Center Bruce Boudreau continues his prolific scoring pace that has seen him score 22 goals in his last 22 games. Boudreau tallied two goals and assisted on three others as the Hawks defeated the Tulsa Oilers 6-2 in Dallas on Dec. 27. The win marked the first victory of the season for the Hawks over the Oilers in six meetings between the two clubs.Boudreau added two more goals as the Hawks easily downed Oklahoma City 7-1 on Jan. 2. Defenseman Mike O'Connell, Greg Hubick, Wylie, Greg Vaydik and Boudreau all scored in the first 15 minutes of the game as the Hawks jumped to a quick 5-0 lead.Perhaps the biggest win of the season for the Hawks took place New Year's night in Kansas City when the Hawks ended the league-leader's eight-game home ice win streak with a 5-3 triumph. Once again it was that first-period power that sparked the win. Wylie, O'Connell. Mike Pelyk and Dan Hinton staked goalie Gordie McRae to a 4-0 lead in the first 20 minutes of play. After the Blues rallied to within one goal, Wylie iced the victory with a late third-period tally. McRae was very sharp for the Hawks as the Blues outshot the Hawks 24-10 in the final two periods but could not get the equalizer.Boudreau ranks as the third-leading scorer in the league with 40 points, only four off the pace set by Steve West. Oklahoma City. Teammate Paul Evans is eighth in the scoring race with 35 points and the tough little forward has moved into second spot in the penalty minute race with 103 penalty minutes. 15 behind league-leader Gary Holt of Salt Lake City.SALT LAKE CITY: As it has been said, records are made to be broken and such was the case on New Year's night in Salt Lake City. The Golden Eagles exploded for a 13-6 win over the Oklahoma City Blazers on this occasion with the two teams combining for 19 goals, one better than the previous CHL record of goals by both teams in a single game.The old mark had been originally set during the 1969-70 season when the Blazers defeated Kansas City 10-8 while this same standard was achieved again on Dec. 4, 1974 as the Golden Eagles and the Denver Spurs battled to a wild 9-9 tie.In their high-scoring victory four different Golden Eagles tallied twice. Bjorn Johansson. Ken Kuzyk. Charlie Simmer and Tom Sundberg each recorded a pair of goals while Vern Stenlund, Angie Moretto, Rick Shinske, Denis Meloche and Wayne King all contributed goals to the record-setting evening. The Golden Eagles tallied four times in each of the first two periods before finishing off their work with five goals in the final 20 minutes.Earlier in the week, the Golden Eagles had split a pair of 5-2 games with the Fort Worth Texans in the Salt Palace. In the Salt Lake victory King, Johansson and Moretto all scored in the first period to give the Eagles a quick 3-0 lead. Simmer and Bob Geoffrion added the other goals.FORTH WORTH: Talk about your bad breaks. Fort Worth Texan coach John Choyce received one prior to the beginning of the New Year. Star defenseman Neil Nicholson was hit on the foot by a puck during the Texans' 6-2 win over Dallas on Dec. 30 and the veteran defenseman will now be sidelined for at least four weeks with a broken bone in his foot.To help fill the void the Texans have received the services of two veteran skaters from Los Angeles. Defenseman Ab DeMarco and forward Glenn Goldup have joined the team while Lorne Stamler and Dave Miglia, both sidelined with injuries for the past month, are set to return to the lineup.On the ice the Texans are continuing to play strong hockey, losing only two times in their last ten games (seven wins and one tie). The tie came in their recent contest with the league-leading Kansas City club Dave Salvian provided the team with the single point for the evening with a goal midway in the final period while goaltender Bill Hughes continues his strong effort in goal with 36 saves. Hughes seems completely recovered from an early season broken hand that had sidelined him for almost two months.The Texans' top three rookie prospects continue to lead the offensive show for the club with Mike Kaszycki the team leader with 36 points (sixth overall) followed closely by Richie Hansen with 34 points (eighth overall) and Steve Clippingdale with 33 points (ninth overall). Clippingdale has now tallied 21 goals for the season and the rookie forward ranks as the second&mdash;leading goal &mdash;scorer in the league.TULSA: Ten days after the departure of coach Orland Kurtenbach to a similar position with the Vancouver Canucks, the Tulsa Oilers still find themselves without a permanent man behind the bench. Director of player personnel for the Oilers and Atlanta Flames assistant general manager David Poile has continued to handle the operation of the team but an announcement from the Flames office is expected very shortly.The Oilers continue to play their solid brand of hockey despite the absence of a coach, having recorded a win. a loss and a tie in their three games since Kurtenbach left. In their only action last week, the Oilers dropped a 6-2 decision to Dallas, the loss was the first of the year against the Black Hawks in six meetings for the Oilers, as the Oilers continue their mastery over the team that they defeated for the Adams Cup four games to one in last year's finals. In this contest Syd Veysey and Cam Botting were credited with the two Oiler goals.Veysey (39 points) and Larry Romanchych (37 points) rank as the fourth and fifth leading scorers in the CHL while defenseman Pat Ribble has slipped to third in the penalty-minute chase, maintaining his 99 penalty minutes for the season.KANSAS CITY: There might be some cause for concern in Kansas City as well as for coach Barclay Plager. The Blues have now matched their longest winless streak of the season, three games. One of those defeats was extremely bitter for the Blues as they saw their eight-game home ice winning streak snapped before more than 4.600 fans on New Year's night when the Dallas Black Hawks defeated them 53.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03174/4154423-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="641" height="992"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRUCE BOUDREAU &hellip; Sparks Dallas Surge</figcaption></div>In this contest, the Blues rallied from a 4-0 first period deficit on goals by Brian Ogilvie, Mitch Babin and Larry Giroux but could not come up with the equalizer before a late third-period Hawk goal put the game out of reach. The Blues applied the pressure, outshooting the Hawks 2410 in the final forty minutes but that early deficit was too much to overcome.The following evening the Blues traveled to Fort Worth where they had begun this losing streak one week earlier, falling victims to a 2-0 shutout at the hands of Texan goalie Bill Hughes. Once again the Blues had trouble with the veteran Hughes who turned aside 36 shots in a 1-1 tie. Doug Palazzari ended two periods of scoreless hockey when he tallied in the opening minute of the final period but the Texans managed the game-tying goal eight minutes later. Goaltender Doug Grant turned in another strong performance with 26 saves, leading to some speculation that the veteran netminder may be ticketed for St. \Louis very shortly.OKLAHOMA CITY: All is not bad for the Blazers despite recording only one victory in their last 15 games (12 losses and two ties). The Blazers were the &ldquo;other&rdquo; combatant in the record-setting game on New Year's night in Salt Lake City as they dropped a 13-6 decision to the Golden Eagles but in the process the two teams set a new mark for most goals by two teams in a single game.In this contest, veteran Murray Hall put the new page in the record book when he tallied the 19th and final goal of the game with only 15 seconds showing on the clock. Scoring earlier for the Blazers were Don Cairns. Nick Harbaruk. Mike Sleep. Gary Donaldson (shorthanded goal) and Steve West. Goaltender Pierre Hamel was rocked for eight goals in the first two periods before giving way to rookie Bob Blanchet who was the victim of the final five Golden Eagle markers in his first professional appearance.The next evening the Blazer defense confined to show its holes as they were defeated by the Dallas Black Hawks 7-1. The Blazers have allowed 188 goals in their first 33 games, an average of almost six goals a game.<h2>Where CHL Teams Play</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-01330/4154416-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="633" height="845"></div><h2>CHL Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02252/4154409-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="649" height="1070"></div> &#9632;

f0032-03

Hawks' Conditioning Pays Dividends; Eagles, Blazers Establish Goal Mark

<div class="byline">BY RALPH BRIDGLAND</div>LONDON&mdash;St. Catharines Fincups are generally regarded as the top team in the Ontario Hockey Association Major Junior &ldquo;A&rdquo; series, if not the best junior club in all of Canada.But what status does that give London Knights?The Knights began their holiday break in second place in the Emms Division, just one point back of the highly-touted Fincups.And yet, whenever the discussion turns to who will be the OHA's representative in next spring's Memorial Cup, the Knights are continally overlooked in favor of the defending champion Fincups.&ldquo;As a team I think this is probably the best team we have had.&rdquo; Knights' coach Bill Long said of this season's club.That may appear to be a pretty heady statement considering some of the squads the Knights have had in past years but the key word in Long's statement is &ldquo;team.&rdquo;The Knights' coach readily admits that his team lacks individual stars but overall this season's team has the depth which clubs of the past have lacked.&ldquo;It's the way they (the players) have all pitched in and worked together,&rdquo; Long said in explaining the Knights' success.&ldquo;Usually somebody kind of carries you club.&rdquo;Long cited St. Catharines captain Dale McCourt as an example. He said, and rightly so, that if the Fincups should lose McCourt it would greatly affect the performance of the team.&ldquo;With us I don't know if it (losing a top player) would make that much difference. One night one line will do it and the next night another line will,&rdquo; Long said.&ldquo;They (the players) seem to have worked well together and get along well together. With this gang everybody's hoping the other guy is playing well all the time.&rdquo;While Long doesn't have any big scoring guns to boast of, his defense and goaltenders have compiled the top goals- against average in the league.&ldquo;I don't think anybody can throw out any better goaltenders than ours,&rdquo; Long said.Pat Riggin and backup Barry Heard rank one-two among the league's goaltenders, Riggin with a 2.85 goals- against average and Heard at 3.24.Until the Chirstmas break the Knights had compiled a 27-8-0 won-lost-tied record while the Fincups had a 27-5-1 mark and held two games in hand on the Knights.&ldquo;We've played a lot of home games (21 out of their 35 games), that's the only thing that worries me a little bit,&rdquo; Long said.&ldquo;But we've got the points and that's the important thing.&rdquo;When asked if he was surprised by his club, which finished second last season but 23 points behind the Fincups, Long replied :&ldquo;You really don't know what to expect (at the outset of the season). You think it's going to take time to make up for the guys you've lost. You sit and you think how are you going to replace these guys.&rdquo;The Knights lost their two top scorers. Vern Stenlund and Tom Rowe who accumulated 119 and 94 points respectively, and defenseman Rick Green was the No. One selection in last year's National Hockey League draft.This season Jim MacRae (26-28&mdash;54), Steve Stockman (27-22&mdash;49), Dan Eastman (13-33&mdash;46) and Jim Hamilton (21-23&mdash;44) have led the Knights in scoring.&ldquo;It's amazing over the summer how guys come back and be so much different than they were in the spring,&rdquo; Long said.The major task facing the Knights as they begin the New Year is to overtake the Fincups.The Knights got an idea of how they stack up against the Fincups in the final week of the 1976 portion of the schedule. The Knights beat St. Catharines 7-1 in London but went down to defeat two nights later in St. Catharines by a 6-1 score.&ldquo;I don't think it (home-and-home series with the Fincups) affected them (the Knights) too much one way or the other.&rdquo; Long said.&ldquo;We had chances.&rdquo; the Knights' coach said of the 6-1 setback in St. Catharines. &ldquo;We figured we had five or six good scoring opportunities that we didn't cash in on You have to capitalize when you get the chance.&rdquo;Asked if he felt the Knights were capable of moving past the Fincups in the Emms Division standings. Long said: &ldquo;I think we can.&ldquo;Our big job is that we must win in St. Catharines and win here. We can't lose any more games against them.&ldquo;We don't want to end up playing in St. Catharines and having to win a game there in the playoffs. We want the extra game here.&rdquo;It appeared as though the Fincups might walk away with the league championship but thanks to the Knights the final half of the season will be very interesting.<h2>HOW THEY STAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-01297/4154461-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="644" height="1420"></div><h2>HOW THEY STAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02222/4154454-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="649" height="1740"></div> &#9632;

f0033-01

London Coach Long Touts Knights As Threat To Champion Fincups

<div class="byline">BY BUD GALLMEIER</div>TOLEDO-Fiery Ted Garvin, who already is wearing two hats as coach and general manager of the Toledo Goaldiggers, may soon be fitted for a third. The Toledo Blade has revealed in a story by John Gugger that the controversial Garvin may soon be the major stockholder in the Toledo franchise.According to the Blade. Garvin has signed an agreement to purchase the controlling interest in the club. There are 28 shareholders who have a total of 1.300 shares. Garvin wants to buy 51 per cent to obtain controlling interest. According to the Blade, informed sources indicate there is little doubt Garvin will be able to accomplish his mission.Earlier this year. Garvin offered $175 per share for controlling interest. When the old Toledo Hornets moved to Lansing. Mich., in the spring of 1974 only to fold, stock in the organization of the Diggers sold for $100 per share.The estimated price for Garvin to take command is $115,000. Under the agreement, he will make an initial payment of $50,000 and pay off the remainder over three years.Commenting on the proposal, Garvin was quoted in the Blade, &ldquo;I just want to run my own show and have some security besides. This means I'll finish my career in Toledo. This is my last stop. There'll be no other job in hockey for me but this one.&ldquo;It's been a long, drawn-out affair. I hope it's over soon. This is what I've always wanted. I like Toledo and I think the majority of the fans will be glad that I'll be staying. Now nobody can fire me.&rdquo;Apparently the price per share will he what Garvin offered earlier&mdash;$175. &ldquo;The shareholders are being real nice guys.&rdquo; Phil Williams, president of the team said. &ldquo;But I think this will be a smoother operation with Ted running it,&rdquo; he added.Garvin agreed with Williams. And commented. &ldquo;I think they are selling because they realize I built it and deserve it. But I appreciate what they are doing. They're giving me a good break.&ldquo;They say if you own something you'll work a lot harder. But I don't know how I could work any harder than I have worked the last three season.&rdquo;WINDSOR: Commissioner Bill Beagan has a wider smile than usual these days between puffs on the ever-present cigar. The International Hockey League season is approaching the halfway mark and it's still anybody's horse race. With attendance normally up for the last half of the campaign. Beagan envisions an even greater rush at the box office because of the balance in the nine-team league.As 1976 prepared to make way for the new year, the point spread in the North Division of the league was just three points. The spread in the South was just six.Kalamazoo has held the lease on first place in the North Division most of the season but has had no time to relax. Flint, which just a few weeks ago was in the North Division cellar, has become the No. One challenger&mdash;for the moment. Flint is just one point out. And two points behind the Generals are the other three contenders&mdash;Muskegon. Port Huron and Saginaw.Dayton and Toledo have been taking turns running ahead of the South Division And a good deal of the time the Gems and Diggers have been skating stride for stride. The two spent the holidays sharing the lead. Columbus is just a point away and Fort Wayne, showing signs of developing into a strong contender. is just six points off the pace with a three-game home stand in the immediate future.A city-by-city look at the IHL:TOLEDO: Coach and manager Ted Garvin was having more luck off the ice than on. As his negotiations to purchase controlling interest in the Goaldiggers appeared only a matter of time, the Diggers were losing time on the ice. The Diggers saw a six-game home rink winning streak snapped by the road-happy Columbus Owls. 5-3. Garvin summed up the reversal simply: &ldquo;I think the law of averages caught up with us. Not that they outplayed us. But I just felt all through the game it wouldn't be our night.The Diggers had more than the law of averages working against them on a subsequent road trip to Dayton. The Gems filled the Digger net in an 8-2 romp.DAYTON: Coach Larry Mickey will take the Gems on a rugged road schedule minus some key personnel. With three of the next four games on the road. Mickey is concerned. And for good reason.Unavailable for at least six weeks with a broken hand is the Gems' leading goal scorer. Brian Stapleton. Stapleton has 12 goals and 29 assists. Also, the Gems lost defenseman Les Auge for the balance of the season with torn ligaments in his left knee. Filling the void are wingers Ray Krupi and Murray Fleck, the latter a member of the Turner Cup champions last season.The Gems bombed Toledo without Stapleton or Auge but lost a 3-1 decision at Fort Wayne.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02260/4154506-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="632" height="700"><figcaption class="caption-body">TED GARVIN &hellip; Last Stop</figcaption></div>COLUMBUS: If Ron Ullyot can solve the home ice problem, the Owls just might turn the South Division race into a runaway The Owls are the most dangerous club on the road in the league They posted two more road triumphs&mdash;and at tough places to perform such deeds. Columbus dumped Toledo. 5-3. and Saginaw. 3-1. while dropping a 6-3 verdict at Flint during a three-game road swing The Owls have won seven, lost seven and tied two in 16 road trips But at home they are 7-8- 4&mdash;the poorest in the league.Tom Cassidy continues to be the top gunner. He now has 20 goals and is tied for second in the league point race with 49.FORT WAYNE: The Komets have shown signs of snapping out of a monthlong illness. The Komets went 10 games without a victory before whipping Dayton at home. 3-1. The victory was followed by a key, 4-2 triumph at Kalamazoo&mdash;only the second road success of the season for Ralph Keller's lads.Veteran goalie Robbie Irons has been credited by both Keller and general manager Ken Ullyot with the Komets' reversal of form. &ldquo;Irons has played extremely well recently&mdash;he allowed just six goals in his last three starts &mdash; and we haven't been getting that kind of goaltending earlier this season.&rdquo; said Keller.The komets also added apparent offensive strength in the person of Doug Horbul who scored two goals in his first three games.Veteran defenseman Terry Thomson, a member of the Komets' 1972 Turner Cup champions, announced his retirement during the week. Thomson, in his seventh season with the K's, has been plagued with injuries most of his career. He broke his wrist during training camp this season and did not appear in a league game.KALAMAZOO: The K-Wings are still on top in the North&mdash;but struggling. They dropped a 5-3 decision at Muskegon and then suffered a 4-2 loss at home to Fort Wayne&mdash;a team which had gone 10 games without a road win.Additional problem for coach Bob Lemieux is that his &ldquo;policeman", Len Ircandia. will be slapped with a suspension for his actions in the game at Muskegon&mdash;if not at home with FortFLINT: Poor road performance continues to be the Generals' major concern The Generals were blanked at Muskegon 6-0. their first shutout since last March In posting a 3-13-1 mark on the road Flint has averaged just over two goals pe game.The Generals rebounded at home however, whipping Columbus. 6-3. to stay within one point of first place.MUSKEGON: The Mohawks took advantage of a two-game home stand to pull over the 500 mark. Tight goaltending by Ted Tucker and the explosive Mohawk offense burried Flint. 6-0. and this was followed by a 5-3 conquest of North Division leader Kalamazoo.Garth MacGuigan and Yvon Vautour continue to set the Mohawk scoring pace. MacGuigan leads the Hawks with 27 goals and Vautour has 22.PORT HURON: The Flags saw their unbeaten string snapped at six in a 4-3 loss at Saginaw. Two Saginaw power goals spelled the difference. It was the first loss for the Flags since Dec. 8 and they had won five in a row.The Flags started a new string against Saginaw in a return match at home. 3-1.SAGINAW: The Gears lost a little ground by dropping two of three games two of which were at home. The lone victory was a home-ice verdict over Port Huron with Dennis Desrosiers leading the attack with a pair of goals in a 4-3 squeaker.The Gears dropped a 3-1 decision at home to Columbus and also lost a road encounter at Port Huron by the same score. Gordon Malinoski. who has beer out with an injury, coached the club in the 3-1 loss to Columbus as coach Don Perry chose to watch the action from upstairs at the Civic Center.<h2>IHL Team Scroring</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-01325/4154499-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="1349" height="2529"></div><h2>Where IHL Teams Play</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-03190/4154492-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="629" height="982"></div> &#9632;

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Garvin To Purchase Control Of Goaldiggers

<div class="byline">BY BRUCE PENTON</div>CALGARY-What made the International Major Junior Hockey tournament international' in the first place is a solitary team from a region other than Canada&mdash;a second-rate unit from the Soviet Union.In hindsight, Western Canada Hockey League president Ed Chynoweth is wishing he'd made sure the Soviets sent a quality team to Alberta for the double round-robin tournament involving three teams from Canada&mdash;WCHL All Stars. Quebec Major Junior Hockey League All Stars and the bolstered Kingston Canadians of the Ontario Hockey Association Junior A series, and the youthful Russian squad.They weren't much better than a good junior B team,&rdquo; said WCHL All Star coach Ernie McLean after the WCHLers had bombed the Russians 9-0 in their first meeting on their way to winning the first Labatt Cup tournament with a perfect 6-0 record.What has irked tourney officials is that the draw was seeded so that the host WCHL team would play the Soviets in the tourney's final game, in the 15.000-seat Edmonton Coliseum.It's no secret there were visions of a near-sellout for that game (and close to $100,000 in gate receipts), but instead, the vision was just that&hellip;a vision.After four games, the WCHL was 4-0. with Quebec at 3-1. Kingston followed at 1-3 and the Russians were winless, having scored eight goals and allowed 31 in the four games.&ldquo;Our league should get together with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and fire off a letter to the Russians saying how disgusting it is that they send a team like this one to play our best.&rdquo; said McLean. &ldquo;It's a joke.&rdquo;The poor calibre of the Russian team seriously affected the tournament's once-glowing financial picture. Crowds averaged about 3,500 through the first eight games, about 1.500 below what was thought would be the minimum.Still, at $6 a pop. gate receipts approached the $250,000 level, and there won't be a deficit.&ldquo;Right now. We'll be happy to break even,&rdquo; said Chynoweth at the tourney's two-thirds point. &ldquo;We're right on budget. The crowds haven't startled the mind, but we've still got four games to go.&rdquo;Chynoweth admitted a few mistakes, such as the $6-per-game ticket price, the package deal (which saved purchasers a couple of bucks), underestimating a shortage of cash in fans' pockets during the Christmas season, and not having a fulltime employee doing advance work in Edmonton, where there are four tournament games despite the city not having a WCHL franchise.&ldquo;It has been quite an experience, though,&rdquo; said Chynoweth. &ldquo;We've learned a lot.&rdquo;As an example, he listed off some hindsight' proposals.&ldquo;We should have kicked off the tournament with the WCHL playing the Russians in Edmonton.&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We expected a strong team from Russia, so we scheduled that final game&mdash;us against them&mdash;in Edmonton's big building, hoping for a showdown in that game. And I now realize there should have been a playoff, involving the top two teams. This tournament could be all over before the final two games are played.&rdquo;Chynoweth said &ldquo;a lack of communication&rdquo; is the reason the Soviets didn't send a top-calibre team to Canada for the tournament.&ldquo;They obviously underestimated the quality of our tournament.&rdquo; he said, and gave them the benefit of the doubt by adding. &ldquo;they. probably thought our country's best juniors would be playing in Czechoslovakia (at the world junior. which coincided with the WCHL's event).&rdquo;St. Catharines Fincups of the OHA represented Canada in the world tournament.&ldquo;But it boggles my mind.&rdquo; Chynoweth said, &ldquo;that Russia hasn't got 50 top-quality players, enough to supply two teams.&ldquo;It has hurt us, no doubt. But we won't know how much until after the tournament is over.&rdquo;While the tournament was in progress, WCHL governors got together to discuss the unsettled situation in Kamloops, where the Chiefs are having a rocky financial ride through the 1976-77 season.&ldquo;The ball is in their court,&rdquo; Chynoweth said. &ldquo;They're aware that the league is concerned and they're working desperately to put together a financial package that will carry them at least through this season.&ldquo;What we've told Mr. Remple (owner Ernie Remple) is that we (governors) want answers. Will they be able to raise the cash to become solvent? It won't do the league any good for the Chiefs to move, or to fold. That's the last thing we want. But as a last resort, that's what they'll have to do&mdash;move or fold. I'd say now it's a 50-50 proposition.&ldquo;It's very serious.&rdquo;WCHL NOTES: The league-leading Brandon Wheat Kings placed eight players on the Eastern Division All Star team for the annual East-West clash Jan. 19 at Brandon's Keystone Center. Heading the list are last year's unanimous All Star goalie, Glen Hanlon. and center Bill Derlago. the WCHL's leading scorer with 43 goals in 38 games. Other Wheat Kings are defensemen Wayne Ramsey and Terry Hochstetter. left wingers Brian Propp (a rookie 17- year-old) and Murray Thomson, and right wingers Ray Allison (a sophomore 17- year-old) and Gord Kaluzniak&hellip;Others named were goalies Dave Parro of Saskatoon and Rollie Boutin of Lethbridge, defenseman Kevin McCarthy of Winnipeg, Bryan Baron of Saskatoon, Gord Wappel of Regina and Mike Panteluk of Lethbridge; centers Kim Davis of Flin Flon, Tom Roulston of Winnipeg and Steve Tambellini of Lethbridge; and right wingers Rocky Saganiuk of Lethbridge and Guy Lash of Winnipeg&hellip;Coach of the team is Brandon's Dune McCallum, while Lethbridge Bronco's Mike Sauter is the assistant-coach. Brandon's Jack Stouffer is the Eastern Division trainer&hellip;This year, over-age players are ineligible for the All Star game.Victoria Cougars acquired left winger Paul Enquist and defenseman Glen Cochrane from Calgary Centennials for rookies Mike Toal and Alvin Szott&hellip;Cougars are also rumored to be reacquiring the services of sensational Danny Lucas. 18, who scored 57 goals as a 16-year-old. &#9632;

Soviet Union's Second-Rate Squad Disappoints Tournament Organizers

<div class="byline">BY MIKE LYNCH</div>KIMBERLEY&mdash;About to enter the new year, the western International Hockey League boasted two tight races with none of the five clubs out of contention for the post-league playoffs for the British Columbia championship.Kimberley, still atop the standings but floundering for a month after its 13-game winning streak was ended, held only a two-point advantage over charging Cranbrook.Cranbrook, the defending league champion. is unbeaten at this writing since Nov. 13. The Royals put together a string of 10 wins and one tie in 11 games and the Kimberley edge is debatable&mdash;Kimberley has played one more game.After winning six of seven and given a chance to move away from slumping Spokane. Nelson dropped two games just before Christmas, both on the road to remain just three points ahead of Spokane with a game in hand.Meanwhile, Spokane appears to have changed directions after slugging for most of the first half of the season. Ted McAneeley. the new playing coach from Edmonton, has the club playing well although fighting a slump.The Flyers lost two games to extend a streak to four but won in Trail on Boxing Day in impressive fashion as Ernie Gare scored three goals, that kept the Flyers five points up on frail.After snapping a seven-game losing streak in a stunning 3-1 win in Spokane&mdash;the Smokies were outshot 18-2 in the first period, for example&mdash;Trail won a pair only to lose that pivotal game to Spokane on Dec. 26. Coach John Van Horlick had visions of moving to within one point of Spokane.Overall. Kimberley has 37 points on in 18-9-1 mark and Cranbrook is pressing at 17-9-1 for 35. Nelson is under 500 at 13-14-1 for 27 and Spokane lags at 12-17-0 for 24. That leaves Trail at 9-20-1 for 19.Kimberley has won some important games, but the Dynamiters have dropped some crucial ones recently. The December record, for example, was 3-4 before the Christmas break but that included two key losses to Cranbrook.The Dynamiters were shut out 3-0 by goalie Leo Karchie and then bombed 6-2 as Danny Spring scored his third hat trick since joining Cranbrook at mid-season. However. Kimberley coach Murray Flegel is not about to panic.And neither is team manager Gerry Bond &ldquo;I feel we have the best coach in the league and that our club is sound in fundamentals.&rdquo; Bond said recently. &ldquo;We'll be okay because the club plays position hockey and Murray has the players together.&rdquo; &#9632;

The WIHL Scene

<div class="byline">BY CHARLIE JAWORSKI</div>BEAUCE-With the folding of the Beauce Jaros, the North American Hockey League has rid itself of a headache and at the same time fallen back to the same number of teams as when the league began play for 1973-74, its inaugural season.For the second straight season during Christmastime, the NAHL has absorbed the blow of a team bowing out of the picture in midstream with the Jaros' decision to forego further league play.Three days prior to Christmas, Jaros' owner Andre Veilleux announced his team was folding because of dwindling attendance.&ldquo;Last year we win too much, this year year we win too little,&rdquo; said Veilleux of the riches-to-rags demise of one of the most controversial and short-lived franchises in hockey history.While the Cape Codders were folding last season, the Jaros were experiencing one of the finest seasons a team could, second only to the Montreal Canadiens as the winningest team in professional hockey. They did it with unparalleled marksmanship, Joe Hardy. Luc Simard. Richard Grenier and Alain Caron totaling 288 goals as the league's top four scorers. And they did it with more violent tactics than the league has ever seen as evidenced by Gilles Bilodeau's record 451 penalty minutes. They had the NAHL up in arms, and are responsible for many of this season's non-violence rules.But this season, Beauce was hampered by league strife and early-season injuries, and attendance and the team's play rapidly declined.Veilleux said attendances were between 400 and 600 for the last three home games, well below the 972 season ticketholders he said the club had.The Jaros were fined heavily for failing to show up for games at Mohawk Valley and Johnstown. But the last straw came on Dec. 22 when the Jaros didn't show up for their own home game against Mohawk Valley which claimed a 1-0 forfeit win.&ldquo;We hate to lose a franchise,&rdquo; said NAHL commissioner Jack Timmins, &ldquo;but the continued trouble of the Beauce entry makes it a little easier to take. They initiated the action. There was no alternative.&rdquo;Besides the exceptionally violent tactics employed last season and thisseason's no-show problems, the village of St. George, Que., was highly inaccessible for other teams. The trip, the final leg of which had to be made on two-lane roads, was the worst for all except designated rival Maine.More than dwindling attendance was the reason for Beauce's dropping out, as can be evidenced by Veilleux's statement: &ldquo;I will play in hell, or heaven, before I play another game in St. George.&rdquo;That was the day before the Jaros folded, at the time Veilleux was considering moves to many cities. The team was all set to relocate in Commack, L.I., home of the old Long Island Cougars, but player-coach Hardy reported that new operational fees plus a guaranteed fee for the remaining home games in the Palais des Sports would have been too great a burden for Veilleux to handle.As in any mid-season folding, the greatest hassle is rescheduling and distribution of players.A dispersal draft was held on Christmas Eve in which 19 players were selected. The draft:FIRST ROUND: 1-Norm Dube (forward), Johnstown; 2-Maine, Rene Villemure (forward); 3-Mohawk Valley. Claude Houde (defense); 4-Erie, Jim Troy (forward); 5-Broome, Joe Hardy (forward); 6-Philadelphia. Ed Humphreys (goalie); 7-Syracuse, Craig Crawford (forward).SECOND ROUND: 1-Johnstown, Bernie Germain (goalie); 2-Maine. Rich Hart (defense); 3-Mohawk Valley, Ron Pronchuk (defense); 4-Erie, Gilles Quintal(forward); 5-Broome, passed; 6- Philadelphia. Paul Daigle (forward); 7- Syracuse, Yves Preston (forward).THIRD ROUND: 1-Johnstown, Jacques Blain (defense); 2-Maine. Rejean Giroux (forward); 3-Mohawk Valley, Michel Lepage (forward); 4-Erie, Pierre Quintal (defense); 5-Broome, passed; 6-, Philadelphia, passed; 7-Syracuse, passed.FOURTH ROUND: 1-Johnstown, Kevin Troy (forward) 2-Maine, passed; 3- Mohawk Valley, passed; 4-Erie, passed; 5-Broome, passed; 6-Philadelphia, Michel Deguise (goalie).No sooner had Johnstown picked off Norm Dube, Beauce's leading scorer,&rdquo; than the Jets dealt the former AHLer to Erie. Johnstown reacquired the NAHL rights to defenseman Dave Hanson and forward Steve Carlson in the deal.Another trade resulting out of the draft was Maine acquiring the rights to Philadelphia's second-round pick, forward Paul Daigle. In exchange, the Firebirds picked up defenseman Jerry Zrymiak who's with Minnesota of the WHA.One of the more eye-opening picks was Joe Hardy going No. Five to the Broome Dusters. Hardy was thought to be sidelined with a broken hand, but he said when his cast was changed around Christmas, no break was found but severe ligament damage. It at first was thought he would not be able to play until late February, but Hardy now says he'll be playing by Jan. 25 the latest.The bad hand is one reason Hardy went so low, and another is that he said he'd only play for three teams, Philadelphia, Maine or Broome.Only Maine general manager Maurice Ducharme had a shot at the 31-year-old veteran before the Dusters, but because of the anticipated length of the recuperation period from the hand injury, he decided Rene Villemure would provide quicker dividends.No decision has been made concerning the playoffs, if a change is going to be made. The old format called for the top seven of eight teams making the playoffs.When the league was at seven teams for its inaugural season, the top five made the playoffs and engaged in a round robin, each team playing seven games. One team was eliminated, leaving four teams for the best-of-seven semifinals and the winners met for the Lockhart Cup (won by Syracuse).Elsewhere around the league:Syracuse goalie Norm Tesluck had an easy time of recording his second shutout of the season, stopping only 13 shots in a 5-zipping of Erie. The Blazers got all of their goals in the last period. The Blazers have been bolstered by the return of defenseman Reg Krezanski to the lineup, and he celebrated his second game by getting two important third-period goals against Johnstown, the tying goal and the game-winner.Defenseman Wayne Spooner received a tryout with Johnstown.Besides the accomplishments of the NHL Line for the Philadelphia Firebirds forward George Swarbrick is having a good season. Just prior to New Year's the veteran right winger had 17 goals and 15 assists. If he were to continue on his present pace, he'd wind up with more than 34 goals and that would top his 31- goal performance of 1974-75 with the old Long Island Cougars, his best pro season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02219/4154592-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="647" height="870"><figcaption class="caption-body">NORM DUBE &hellip; First Choice</figcaption></div>Goalie Lorne Molleken was roughed up in Binghamton upon re-assignment from Tulsa. The Firebirds lost, 10-3, but Molleken was only in for the first six goals. Colorful coach Gregg Pilling pulled his netminder with 3:40 to go in the second period, and the Dusters pumped in four empty net goals. Molleken returned, and played excellent for the final period. When asked why he pulled his goalie, Pilling replied. &ldquo;To try and win the game.&rdquo;As for Mohawk Valley's forfeit win at Beauce, it proved costly to the Comets. According to Bruce Manning, MV public relations director, the team's equipment was confiscated while in St. George. A check for $1,700. Manning siad, had to be delivered in order that the equipment be freed.<h2>Where NAHL Teams Play</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-01286/4154585-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="647" height="907"></div> &#9632;

f0036-02

Beauce Players Used As Trade Bait; Blazers' Tesluck Gets Second Zero

<div class="byline">BY GARY MCCARTHY</div>MONTREAL-<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-01249/4154630-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="641" height="721"><figcaption class="caption-body">MICHEL BOSSY &hellip; Cheered By Fans</figcaption></div>The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is ready to resume its normal schedule after finishing a creditable second to the Western Canada Hockey League all Stars in the inaugural International Major Hockey tournament that wound up shortly after New Year in Alberta.But, before getting back to the regular- season action, the Quebec All Stars who were beaten by the WCHL squad on the second-to-last day of the tournament for the Labatt Cup. played a friendly exhibition game against a team from the Soviet Union.The fans who filed into the Forum for the exhibition game couldn't believe what they saw. They couldn't figure out how the Quebec team had managed to overwhelm the pitiful Soviet team 8-0 and 7-4 in the Labatt tournament. Because, what they witnessed in the exhibition game was a lot different. The Soviets won the game 5-2.&ldquo;The players were tired and a little fed up,&rdquo; explained Quebec coach Orval Tessier after the game. However, it sounded like a lame-duck excuse when you consider the way Quebec mauled the Soviets. The Soviets failed to win a single game during the four-team tournament.&ldquo;We were just overconfident,&rdquo; explained Normand Dupont. &ldquo;And, because of that, we didn't touch the puck all night.''Still, several fans among the crowd of 3,500 at the Montreal Forum didn't know what to make of it. The fans had visions of a one-sided game in favor of the Quebecers. Instead, they went away with the memory of a loss etched in their minds.But. with the exhibition game and the tournament out of the way. the players selected from the 10 teams in the QMJHL returned to their respective clubs and prepared for a tough second-half.No team has a clear-cut edge in the division standings. Trois-Rivieres Draveurs are still on top of the Frank Dilio Division with 50 points, but that's only one ahead of Chicoutimi and three more than the Quebec Remparts. Shawinigan and Sorel appear to be out of the running for this season.The Sherbrooke Beavers own a mere two-point lead over the Cornwall Royals in the Robert LeBel Division, 47 to 45. The Montreal Juniors are a distant third with 37 points but the Hull Olympics are close to third spot, just one point back of Montreal.Jean Savard of the Quebec Remparts, rated as one of the top centers in junior hockey across Canada, leads the individual scoring race with 96 points on 51 goals and 45 assists.However, he can't afford to let up because Chicoutimi's Sylvain Locas is only four points behind in second place. Locas has 34 goals and a league-leading 58 assists.NOTES: Michel Bossy of the Laval Nationals drew the loudest and longest ovation from the Forum fans when he was introduced prior to the exhibition game against the Soviet Union&hellip;The entire Chicoutimi team was on hand at the Forum for the game, and urged teammates Jean Belisle, Sylvain Locas and Daniel Poulin in the game&hellip;Michel Bergeron, the man who guides the Trois- Rivieres Draveurs, had a close call while en route to St. Jerome for an exhibition game. His car hit an ice patch in the road and spun around a few times. No one was hurt&hellip;Roger Bedard, coach of the Montreal Juniors, says that Normand Dupont. Robert Picard and Mark Hardy are among the players considered untouchable on his team. There have been rumors going around that Picard and Dupont, easily the two best Montreal players, may be up for trade. Bedard insists they will finish their junior careers in Montreal&hellip;The Quebec Remparts played a few exhibition games during the holiday lull while the All Star team was in Western Canada. In one game, they walloped Charlesbourg 12-0.. Many feel that Tim Bernhardt, the Cornwall Royals' goalie, ranks among the best junior netminders in Canada. He's only 18 but was extremely impressive in the tournament out west.<h2>HOW THEY STAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02181/4154623-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="657" height="3068"></div> &#9632;

f0037-01

Soviets Surprise Quebec With Win; Dupont, Picard Among Untouchables

<div class="byline">BY RICHARD POLLAK</div>TIDEWATER-The Southern Hockey League was hit with its worst financial blow as four of its member franchises all indicated to league president Jack Riley that they could no longer continue to operate.The Richmond Wildcats, playing their first season in the SHL, was the first club to make it official to the rest of the league that it could no longer operate under its current situation.Richmond players announced before their final home game, a 6-3 victory over the league-leading Tidewater Sharks, that unless three weeks back pay was met, the players would have to look elsewhere for employment.The Richmond franchise, which earlier announced that it had found a group of 10 local businessmen to invest enough capital to complete the season, all failed to materialize.Only three individuals actually came up with money, all in smaller quantities than first pledged.Once it was official that Richmond had indeed dropped out of the SHL. the Greensboro Generals were next to follow. Greensboro, who had been battling a difficult uphill struggle all season to return professional hockey to the city after last year's club barely completed the season without an owner, made it official.With the loss of both the Richmond and Greensboro teams, thus reducing the number of SHL franchises to five in one day. Winston-Salem owner Jim Crockett, a wrestling and minor-league baseball promoter, contacted all remaining clubs that the Polar Twins would also discontinue to operate.Crockett had indicated prior to the start of the 1976-77 season, that he was not interested in operating in a league unless there were six or more teams.Despite many hours of effort by league president Riley who proposed to the remaining owners, a split season, in which the first two finishers of the first half of the season, namely Tidewater and Hampton, would automatically receive playoff positions and to start a second half or fall season where every club would begin evenly and any club, other than Tidewater or Hampton, which finished in the first two spots, would also be included in a playoff series.Winston-Salem had almost decided to continue to operate and even met with Greensboro boosters who are roughly 30 miles away from Winston-Salem to see if in fact the Greensboro fans would support the Polar Twins if they continued to operate.All the P-T owners had asked for was 800 to 1,000 Greensboro fans attending each home game.The most surprising loss to the SHL was the first-place Tidewater Sharks. The Sharks, who have led the SHL by as many as 15 points early in the season, could not meet their bi-weekly payroll after it was learned just prior to the Richmond and Greensboro announcements that new owner Dr. Wendell Pile had backed out of his commitment to finance the club for the remainder of this season and also next season.Pile's withdrawal was unknown to anyone except for general manager Cliff Spearman, who had looked to new investors. But. the new money failed to materialize after two of the SHL clubs folded.Pile lost $50,000 in just two weeks, mostly on paying back bills, league committments and one bi-weekly payroll. Sharks' players voted not to play in Baltimore on that last payday unless the money was met.The Sharks were reduced to only 11 players as three juniors on five-game trials had to return to their junior teams because of Canadian Amateur Hockey Association rulings and the parent club in Calgary recalled four players.HAMPTON: The Gulls were the only SHL franchise that was meeting its 3,000- plus-break-even at the gate. After hearing of the loss of four other franchises, the Gulls completed a home-and-away. back- to-back series with Charlotte, defeating the Checkers 8-0 and 6-4. thus boosting their point total to 55. one more than the defunct Tidewater Sharks. Owner Charles Wornom was making every attempt to save the SHL and even offered to pay the Tidewater payroll so that a showdown of the two top clubs could materialize.But, before anything could be done, the Sharks players had left town. Wornom is investigating the possibility of interleague play with the North American Hockey League and continue with a three-team league until a schedule could be made. Hampton selected wingers Jeff Carlson and Alan Young from the dispersal of Richmond and Greensboro players.BALTIMORE: The Clippers played an exhibition game with the Spartak club from the Soviet Union. Spartak had originally been scheduled to play an afternoon game with Hershey but since it- competed with the Super Bowl, the Bears of the American Hockey League cancelled and the Clippers accepted the match prior to the Soviet's departure from Washington back to Moscow.Baltimore, competing in its first season in the SHL. has committed to continue operations. Officials of the Clippers have been very pleased with the change to the SHL prior to the loss of four opponents. Because of the lower operating budgets and younger-aged players. Baltimore felt it' was supplying a more exciting brand of hockey than the AHL has been in Baltimore for the past few years. The Clippers, who have needed defensive help all year, despite outstanding play from goalie Bill Oleschuk and defenseman Norm Barnes, have added Willy Brossart and Keith Kokola. Both selected from Richmond in the dispersal draft. Because of the geographic locale of Baltimore and Hampton, both clubs could join a new realignment for next season with the NAHL and AHL cities.CHARLOTTE: The Checkers have added a lot of new faces since the loss of their SHL opponents. Defenseman Mike Hayworth was purchased just prior to the Greensboro franchise failures. Greensboro GM John Voss had been peddling his players to the highest bidders a week prior to its folding. Checkers new GM- coach Barry Burnett, selected Lorne Rombough and Greg Hickey, both leftwingers from Richmond in the dispersal draft. Charlotte had added defenseman Ken Southwick and goalie Dan Brady earlier in the week. Southwick has played with Hampton and was released from Winston-Salem after the Polar Twins acquired Gary Wood from Charlotte. Dan Brady comes- from the Vancouver Canucks' organization.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02233/4154675-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="624" height="900"><figcaption class="caption-body">JACK RILEY&hellip; Troubled Times</figcaption></div><h2>Minor League Scoreboard</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03175/4154668-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="2015" height="2335"></div><h2>SHL Leaders</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-01296/4154661-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="654" height="1410"></div> &#9632;

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Four Financially-Troubled SHL Franchises Throw In Towel Reducing To 3 Teams

<div class="byline">- By Bill Hilts</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02204/4154706-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="374" height="460"></div><h2>N.Y. Metro League</h2>The N.Y Metropolitan Jr Hockey Association regular season races sharpened with the emergence of the Bergen- Rockland Rangers as contenders for one of the top three spots and the undisputed claim of the Suffolk Royals in first place. The Rangers have overcome an early 1-4-0 record with an 11 game unbeaten streak to take third place, only six points behind the league-leading Royals. Suffolk scored two impressive wins over Long Island rivals&mdash;Oyster Bay Gulls and New Hyde Park Arrows, to break a deadlock with the defending champ New York Americans for the top position&hellip; Rangers thumped the Gulls 11-8, Westsiders 9-5 and White Plains Plainsmen 4-3, to widen their lead over Jersey Rockets to five points. Both B/R and Jersey beat Plainsmen. but not easily. The Rockets took them 2-0. The Rangers game was a thriller, with Kevin Behan notching the winner late in the final period. Gary Weicker of White Plains and Glenn Murphy of B-R provided super goaltending&hellip;Royals outscored their opposition 16-3 to grab a four- point lead over idle Amerks. League top goaler Frank DeMayo played brilliantly in Suffolk's 8-2 win against the Arrows, though two Royal defensemen sat out the game with injuries. Coach Norman Ryder re-arranged his Jet line, placing Tom Ray on wing with Mike Labianca in the middle and Rich DeStasio. The new line gathered five goals in the game. Once again coach BiJi Conforte's Arrows turned in a strong opening period, led by top scorer Enn Kunnapas. Aggressive Royal checking sealed victory in middle period. Suffolk's game with Gulls ended 8-1.<h2>N.Y.-Penn League</h2>Battle for first place in N.Y -Penn Jr. League has become a slugfest between Rochester Monarchs and Syracuse Stars Both teams are stringing victories together and are slowly edging away from the other five teams, who stay closely bunched. The Niagara Falls Mang Sharks edged Buffalo Blades 4-3, with Mike Richardson leading the winners attack with a hat trick. Blades goalie Bill Kaminska was outstanding in nets with the Sharks outshooting the losers 56- 25&hellip;The next night at Southtown, the Sharks won another by a 6-2 count. Cougar goalie Cookie Gonzalez faced 51 shots while the Cougars could muster only half that total. Richardson again led the Shark attack with two goals and two assists. Shark goalie Stan Wojton kept Cougar marksmen off score sheet until 14:37 of final period when John Ekberg broke shutout. Roy Culver scored Southtown final marker with just one second left in the game&hellip;The high- scoring Syracuse Stars derailed the Sharks by edging them 6-5. Andy Zechman scored the winner at 18:49 of the final period when a shot deflected off a Shark defenseman into the goal. The Stars line of Rob Hameline (the league scoring leader), Zeckman and Jim MacCollum accounted for eight points&mdash;four goals. Zeckman had a pair in the win and Joe Barrick led the Sharks with a pair of goals.<h2>Central Ontario League</h2>The Central Ontario Jr. Hockey League individual scoring race leadership belongs to Louis Lortie of the Gloucester Rangers with 51 points on 29 goals and 22 assists. He is also high for goals scored. Doug Harvey of Pembroke Lumber Kings is runnerup with 25 goals and 21 assists for 46 points. Just one point behind is Roly Hedges of Rockland Nationals, with 45 points on 27 goals and 18 assists. Brian Fontaine of Hawkesbury Hawks and Dan Cyr of Gloucester each have 41 points. Fontaine has 14 goals and 27 assists, while Cyr has 10 goals and a league-leading 31 assists. Wells of Pembroke has 39 points. Maxwell of Brockville Braves- 39 points. Morgan also of the Braves-37 points, Neill of Nepean-36 points and Pollock of Pembroke-35 points Paul Menaker of Nepean leads the goalies with a fine 3.11 GA average.<h2>Saskatchewan League</h2>Kevin Waugh sends word from the Saskatchewan Amateur Jr. Hockey League that coach Dave Bal&oacute;n has the Humboldt Broncos on their longest winning streak of the season&mdash;four straight. At this point it appears that Saskatoon Olympics and Yorkton Terriers won't make the playoffs&hellip;SAJHL All Star game will be held Jan. 25&hellip;Individual scoring race is still led by Doug Smail of Moosejaw with 61 points on 31 goals and 30 assists. He's followed by Paul Kryouchka of Prince Albert-53 points. Tim Nickle of Moose Jaw-48 points, Cyril Andreas of Moose Jaw-47 points, Dave Moore of Prince Albert-46 points. Tim Fylyma of Battlefords-45 points. Wayne Merkle of Swift Current-44 points. Eric Ponath of Prince Albert-43, Robbie Pebbles of Prince Albert-42, Frank Kisciglio of Saskatoon-41, Dennis Dohie of Weyburn-41 and Cecil Stumborg of Humboldt- 41&hellip;Prince Albert continues to lead North Division with 48 points, followed by Swift Current-38, Battlefords-27, Humboldt-24 and Saskatoon-11. The South Division is led by Weyburn with 42 points. Moose Jaw-40. Melville-28. Estevan-28, Regina-22 and Yorkton-6.<h2>Alberta League</h2>The Calgary Canucks and Red Deer Rustlers continue their see-saw tussle for top spot in the Alberta Jr. A Hockey League. The Canucks lead as of this writing with a 22-7-0 record for 44 points, followed by Rustlers with 21-7-0 and 42 points. Spruce Grove Mets have 35 points. Taber Golden Suns-33, Fort Saskatchewan Traders-31, Edmonton Crusaders-8 and Pincher Creek Panthers-7 points&hellip;Spruce Grove goalies lead league with combined goals against average of 4.02: Bart Hunter-2.07, Pierre Lamoureux-3.70 and Bob Iwabuchi-4.30. Calgary netminders are next with 4.06 GA average: Brad Hall-3.22. Guy Comeau-3.97. Darcy Way- 4.06. Doug Nasipayko-8.10. Red Deer is third with 4.29 GA average: Larry Wittchen-4.00, Darrell Morin-4.43. Joe Neigum-11.54&hellip;Marty Achtymichuk of Fort Saskatchewan leads individual scorers with 78 points on 28 goals and 50 assists. He's followed by Darryl Sutter of Red Deer-75 points (28-47); Bruce Small, Red Deer-60 points; John Ewasiuk, Fort Saskatchewan-59 points John Laycock, Calgary-55 points; Mendel Vysohlid, Calgary-53; Terry Oakes. Fort Saskatchewan-48 Kelly Kisio, Red Deer-46; Dale McMullen, Red Deer-46 and Todd Scott, Calgary-46 points.<h2>Great Lakes League</h2>''A'' Division: Paddock Pools Saints dumped Fraser 3-1 All scoring in second period. Jack McKinch one goal and one assist for Saints, while Paul Gottwald and Dave Ross got other two goals&hellip;Cleveland Jr. Barons offense plays well against Saints. Although losing 12-7, they have now scored 15 goals in last two outings with Paddock Pools. Todd Fenton. Paul Gottwald, Dave Ross and Bob Smith had two goals apiece for Saints. Tom Thiesen had hat trick and two assists to lead all Saints. Doug Hauser scored his 25th goal and assisted on three others for Barons. Five other players scored as Bill McCreary had a pair plus two assists for four points. Winning goal scored by Ross and was his fifth winner of season to tie him for lead with Dave Gandini of Jr. Wings . Wayne Chiefs pulled goalie for extra attacker and it payed off in 3-3 tie with Detroit. Al Michalic got tying goal for Wayne at 19:24 of third period. Pat Evo and Tom Wylie had other two goals for Chiefs. The three marksmen of Jr Wings were Dave Guertin, Leo Bienick and Gandini After trailing 3-2 at end of second period Fraser Highlanders got three goals in third to nose out Saints 5-4. Saints last goal as they pulled their netminder and also had a man advantage with 15 seconds left in game. Dave Kobylarz shot game winner at 9:52 mark in final period, his second of season. Brian Eugenio and George Mimikos had two goals each for winners. Fred Bahna and McKinch had pair for Saints. ..Detroit extended its unbeaten string to four as they beat Wayne 8-2 Derek Arzoomian and Dan Collard had two goals apiece for Wings. Keith Zoldak added one goal and two assists The two goal getters for Wayne were Pat Behen and Tom McCubbin.<h2>New England League</h2>The Springfield Olympics downed the South Shore Braves twice. 6-3 and 8-4 to run their unbeaten streak through eight games in New England Jr. Hockey League action. Dean Lombardi and Bob Hess scored unanswered goals in third period to allow the Pics to pull away in the first game and post their 100th NEJHL victory against 53 losses and 15 ties. Defenseman Jack Moranstern led Springfield with a goal and two assists. Frank Silva and Charlie Ryan each had a goal and assist for Braves. The Pics then got goals from eight different players in the rematch. Tom Gentile and Lombardi each scored goals once and assisted on two other Springfield goals, while Dick Hammell scored two for South Shore&hellip;Fitchburg could do no better than rally from a 2-0 deficit to gain a 2-2 deadlock with Tyngsboro Huskies. After Huskies Jim Donovan and Doug Wain scored goals 39 seconds apart early in second period, the Wallopers battled back on Fran Boucher's goal at 7:16 and Mike Boucher's goal at 5:23 of the final period. Jim Browder kicked out 33 shots in a super performance for Huskies, while Jim Mastalerz, the leagues leading puck stopper with a 2.22 GA ave rage, stopped 26 shots for Wallopers&hellip;Tri-Valley Squires snapped an 11 game losing streak by dumping Great Bay Vikings 8-5. Jim Flynn pumped in three goals to pace Squires, while Tom Marchand had a goal and three assists. Scott Callan made 41 saves in Squire nets. Jim Violette scored twice for Vikings. &#9632;

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JUNIOR JOTTINGS

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January 21, 1977

Ivan-Reay Rift Raised Question, “Who Really Fired Hawks' Coach?”

HOCKEY WORLD

Hawk Players Shocked By Coaching Change, Admit It Had To Come

WHA SCORING AND PENALTY STATISTICS