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

August 1, 1977

The Hockey News August 1, 1977

<div class="byline">BY TOM LOGAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011053/3982342-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">GERRY DESJARDINS&hellip; Confident he&rsquo;ll play again</figcaption></div>BUFFALO&mdash;If no news is good news, then the Buffalo Sabres should be in fine shape for a new coach as they approach the 1977-78 season.Floyd Smith, the Sabres&rsquo; ex-coach who took the team to the Stanley Cup finals in his rookie season as Buffalo&rsquo;s bench master, was fired following two straight second place finishes in the Adams Division and subsequent quarter-final losses to the New York Islanders in the playoffs.Immediately thereafter the rumors began flowing, speculating and predicting who Smitty&rsquo;s successor would be.&ldquo;Mum&rdquo; is the only word emitting from the Sabres&rsquo; offices in Memorial Auditorium, and with summer vacations and executive office redecoration all but shutting down operations, no word is expected from general manager Punch Imlach before early August.Likewise during the annual NHL meetings in Montreal last month, rumors were spreading like wildfire regarding trade possibilities, but nothing has developed as of this writing.One development of note, however, is the progress of goaltender, Gerry Desjardins. Desjardins, who came within a millimeter or two of losing his right eye last February when a deflected shot caught him just under his mask, underwent surgerv in Buffalo on June 23 for removal a cataract that was forming in his injured eye.Initially, anyway, the operation appears to be a success.&ldquo;All indications are that I&rsquo;ll be able to see normally,&rdquo; Desjardins revealed while in Buffalo to see his opthamologist for a checkup, &ldquo;but the doctor told me that it&rsquo;ll be three or four more weeks before something more definite is known.&rdquo;That &ldquo;something more definite&rdquo; will be whether or not additional surgery will be required to restore his eyesight to a level at or near normality.&ldquo;Usually a cataract operation requires one or two days of hospitalization,&rdquo; Desi said, explaining the complexity of the June operation. &ldquo;I was in for nine days.&rdquo;The condition of Desi&rsquo;s eye when training camp begins in mid-September will, of course, have a great deal of bearing on what Imlach&rsquo;s, and the new coach&rsquo;s plans will be for the new season.Until the injury, Desjardins was enjoying his most successful year as a pro goalie. Though appearing in only 49 games. Desi had already set a new Sabres&rsquo; record for most wins in a season&mdash;31&mdash;breaking his own year-old mark of 29, while maintaining a very respectable 2.63 goals against average. And his superb play contributed greatly to Buffalo&rsquo;s streak in December when the Sabres overtook the Bruins in the Adams I Division and opened up a healthy lead.Don Edwards, who will still be classified as a rookie next year, and newlywed Bob Sauve are the only, experienced netminders behind Desjardins on the depth chart. For this reason, Imlach and scouting director, John Andersen, selected Richard Sirois of Laval in the fifth round of the recently completed amateur draft to give the Sabres an additional goalie in their organization.While it would be a very pleasant surprise to see Sirois make the big club this season, Buffalo&rsquo;s first pick, 14th overall. Ric Seiling from the St. Catharines Fincups may be counted on to shore up what many consider to be a weakness on the Sabres&rsquo; front lines, the right wing.With Danny Gare and Rene Robert already on the roster. Seiling could have difficulty in remaining with the club this season, but the Sabres can certainly use a hard-nosed, right shooting winger on their roster, particularly when that player has an admitted fondness for the checking game and penalty killing.The brother of St. Louis defenseman, Rod Seiling, Ric at six-foot-one and 170-pounds has the size to go into the corners and come out alive.Ric paired with the number one pick of the 1977 draft, Dale McCourt, as a penalty killer for the Fincups and led his team in power play goals.Buffalo&rsquo;s other draft picks were Ron Areshenkoff from Medicine Hat (second round), a center; defenseman Bill Stewart from Niagara Falls (fourth round); and defenseman Wayne Ramsay from Brandon (sixth round). The Sabres had traded their third round pick to the Islanders in exchange for the NHL rights to Desjardins.ICE CHIPS: The fourth annual Tim Horton memorial golf tournament was held July 8 at the Bridgewater Country Club across the river in Fort Erie, and 42 players, representing 23 professional hockey teams took part in the event.In three previous summers, more than $20,000 has been raised to benefit the camp for underprivileged children, a living memorial to the late defenseman whose last NHL team was the Sabres.Proceeds from this year&rsquo;s tournament were expected to exceed $10,000 for the first time as over 160 golfers, one hockey player per foursome, teed off in a &ldquo;shotgun&rdquo; format, starting at different holes, thus finishing at approximately the same time.McCourt, who will play for Detroit next year, Marcel Dionne, Derek Sanderson, Peter McNab, Don Marcotte, Stan Weir and Bruce Boudreau were some of the familiar players who played in the tournament, in addition to most of the Sabres&rsquo; roster who were entered. &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

Sabres Still Pondering Team’s Coaching Successor

<div class="byline">BY BRUCE PENTON</div>WINNIPEG&mdash;When the news broke, nobody was surprised. Winnipeg Monarchs of the Western Canada Hockey League were vacating the Manitoba capital after four seasons of near-starvation at the gate.That the Monarchs finally decided to leave Winnipeg and the 10,000-seat arena to the World Hockey Association Jets was no shock. The move had been predicted by many for about 18 months. But the crunch was when the National Hockey League appeared ready to accept the Jets into the major league of hockey, meaning Gerry Brisson&rsquo;s hopes that the Jets might one day fade into oblivion had been finally shattered. Once and for all.As of mid-July, the move hadn&rsquo;t been officially announced. Calgary and the 7,500-seat corral were ready and waiting for the Monarchs to arrive, but Brisson was quoting the team&rsquo;s chances for a move to Alberta at only &ldquo;50-50.&rdquo;The holdup was the indecision as to the final structure of the new NHL. If Winnipeg was in, and Calgary Cowboys out, as appeared to be a certainty, the Monarchs would indeed move lock, stock and hockey stick to Calgary. If, by some late development, Calgary still had a professional hockey team, the &ldquo;50-50&rdquo; came into effect.Brisson, the president, governor, general manager and coach of the Monarchs, has been searching for a way out of Winnipeg since the Jets became as solid in town as the Golden Boy.&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t kid ourselves,&rdquo; Brisson said. &ldquo;If the Jets go to the NHL and they expand the arena, we can&rsquo;t survive. We&rsquo;re losing all sorts of money now.&rdquo;Brisson added that any move his team makes isn&rsquo;t a question of wanting to&mdash;it&rsquo;s either move or get out of the business.&rdquo;The proposed move doesn&rsquo;t mean a change in ownership, wrote Pat Doyle of the Winnipeg Tribune. Brisson&rsquo;s four partners are willing to go along with the idea. About the only thing that will change is the role Brisson will play in the operation.Brisson has said he is scrapping the coach-general manager plan, and will work 100 percent at just one of the jobs. That job will be managing, leaving the coaching chores to someone else.Even if the club stays in Winnipeg, Brisson says he will not be the coach.The fate of Brisson and the Monarchs will be known by July 20, the day the WCHL&rsquo;s annual meeting comes to a close. Brisson must have made some final arrangement, so that the WCHL schedule-makers know where to schedule the games&mdash;either in Alberta (the Central Division) or Manitoba (in the East).&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t have carried it this far if I wasn&rsquo;t optimistic,&rdquo; Brisson said. &ldquo;Personally, I feel very confident that we&rsquo;ll be in Calgary, but I&rsquo;m reading between the lines.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-01275/3984035-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="500" height="589"><figcaption class="caption-body">GERRY BRISSON &hellip; Leaving Winnipeg</figcaption></div>Right now, the lines are heading in a direction to Calgary.The Corral is open for a junior franchise, of course, because the Centennials announced last month they were setting up shop in Billings, Mont., and would be known as the Bighorns in the 1977-78 season.In Seattle, meanwhile, it was officially announced that Kamloops Chiefs would be setting up shop in the Washington city this coming season and known as The Breakers.Owner Ephraim Steinke of Kamloops said the team landed in Seattle after exploring possible transfers to Portland a year ago and Spokane this year.Steinke said the interior B.C. city of 65,000 did not react well to news that the Chiefs were switching to Seattle.&ldquo;They were very disappointed; the mayor even had me before the city council about it,&rdquo; Steinke told a Seattle news conference.Steinke, a land developer and businessman, moved the team after losses totalling $140,000.The WCHL, although not in the category of the former Western and Central Hockey Leagues that operated here in past years, &ldquo;is not a toy, it&rsquo;s a complicated business,&rdquo; said Steinke.&ldquo;I told them in Kamloops that until they had a new facility, we had to move,&rdquo; Steinke said. The Kamloops rink seated only 2,400 and the best average attendance in the four years the Chiefs occupied the city was 2,012.Average crowds during the past season were in the 1,600-range.Tom Gauthier, Breakers&rsquo; general manager, moved to Seattle from Portland where he was assistant general manager last year with Portland Winter Hawks.Gauthier said he plans to work with junior hockey in the area and already has contacted Ernie Adby, regional director for the American Amateur Hockey Association.Steinke said a Seattle farm team, for junior B players, will be operated in Kamloops next season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-02224/3984028-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="581" height="601"><figcaption class="caption-body">JACK SHUPE &hellip; Takes Over Cougars</figcaption></div>&ldquo;We have sent out letters inviting 140 players to camp,&rdquo; Steinke continued, &ldquo;and we&rsquo;ll keep 70 on our list. The top 19 will play in Seattle, with another 19 in Kamloops.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got arrangements to place 10 more in Vernon, B.C., and 10 in Coquitlam, B.C.,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The remaining 12 will go to junior B or back to play midget hockey.&rdquo;Steinke is also on the lookout for a new coach, since Harvey Roy is staying in Kamloops to run his Dairy Queen business. One name on the list is Doug Sauter, who served as assistant coach to Ernie McLean withMemorial Cup champion New Westminster Bruins the past few seasons.The Seattle area now is protected territory for the Breakers, but one of the top young players, Joe Ward, is on the list of the Bruins. &ldquo;If he wants to play in Seattle, it&rsquo;s up to him to get his release,&rdquo; Steinke said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a $5,000 fine for tampering with any player.&rdquo;WCHL NOTES: The divisional alignments will be decided at the annual meeting in Calgary July 18-20, but if Winnipeg goes to Calgary, the league will likely stick with the present three-divisional arrangement and have the teams lined up as follows: East&mdash;Brandon, Flin Flon, Saskatoon, Regina; West &mdash;Victoria, New Westminster, Seattle, Portland; Central&mdash;Billings, Calgary, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge&hellip;It didn&rsquo;t take former Medicine Hat coach and general manager Jack Shupe long to find new WCHL employment. When the Tigers&rsquo; change of ownership occurred last spring and Vic Stasiuk hired as coach, it was only a matter of time before Shupe started looking elsewhere for work. Bob Briscoe, GM of Victoria Cougars, hired Shupe instantly when the plan to get former pro Andy Hebenton fell through. Shupe will have much more to work with in Victoria that he would have had in Medicine Hat. The Cougars are actively seeking the services of 19-year-old Danny Lucas, who quit the Cougars two years ago and went to play university hockey. Lucas was a 56-goal man with Victoria as a 16-year-old. Regardless of where he plays this season, Lucas is almost a certain first-round draft choice next summer. &#9632;

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Brisson Eyeing Calgary For Juniors; Kamloops’ Franchise Goes To Seattle

<h2>FINAL STANDINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-01288/3983769-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="598" height="454"></div><h2>FINAL LEADING SCORERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02224/3983762-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="589" height="310"></div>FINAL SCORING BY TEAMS<h2>KINGSTON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03174/3983755-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="598" height="870"></div><h2>KITCHENER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04136/3983748-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="598" height="550"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05121/3983741-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="601" height="358"></div><h2>LONDON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0694/3983734-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="598" height="544"></div><h2>NIAGARA FALLS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0781/3983727-1-eng-US/f0031-072.jpg" title="f0031-07" width="598" height="658"></div><h2>OSHAWA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0872/3983720-1-eng-US/f0031-082.jpg" title="f0031-08" width="589" height="676"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0959/3983713-1-eng-US/f0031-092.jpg" title="f0031-09" width="598" height="286"></div><h2>OTTAWA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1047/3983706-1-eng-US/f0031-102.jpg" title="f0031-10" width="592" height="601"></div><h2>PETERBOROUGH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1140/3983699-1-eng-US/f0031-112.jpg" title="f0031-11" width="592" height="726"></div><h2>ST. CATHARINES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1223/3983692-1-eng-US/f0031-122.jpg" title="f0031-12" width="598" height="229"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1320/3983685-1-eng-US/f0031-132.jpg" title="f0031-13" width="595" height="739"></div><h2>SAULT STE. MARIE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1418/3983678-1-eng-US/f0031-142.jpg" title="f0031-14" width="592" height="811"></div><h2>SUDBURY</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1517/3983671-1-eng-US/f0031-152.jpg" title="f0031-15" width="595" height="387"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1615/3983664-1-eng-US/f0031-162.jpg" title="f0031-16" width="595" height="259"></div><h2>TORONTO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1714/3983657-1-eng-US/f0031-172.jpg" title="f0031-17" width="601" height="763"></div><h2>WINDSOR</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-1813/3983650-1-eng-US/f0031-182.jpg" title="f0031-18" width="592" height="795"></div> &#9632;

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Ontario Major Hockey League Statistics

<div class="byline">BY HARRY KLAFF</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-02868/3982466-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">CHICO RESCH&hellip; Could Be Third Man Out</figcaption></div>LONG ISLAND&mdash;Usually when the calendar makes its dreary way through the summer months, your average hockey writer begins to climb the walls in search of news, and usually the best he can come up with is a charity golf tournament. So when the club he is covering announces a major news conference, it&rsquo;s like a muse sent from heaven.After spending their usual quiet time at the annual meetings in Montreal, the Islanders announced they had something cookin&rsquo; on June 18th. &ldquo;Mum&rsquo;s the word,&rdquo; said public relations director Hawley Chester, &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s a biggie!&rdquo;With their appetites whetted (in more ways than one) the local scribes tried to play Sherlock Holmes. Could be a free agent Peter Mahovlich spent more time in the Islander dressing room than his own the night the Habs eliminated the Islanders. Larry Robinson? &ldquo;Well, it has to be important,&rdquo; said one, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s at the Nassau Room at the Coliseum. And that means a hot meal. If it wasn&rsquo;t so big, it would be a Racquet and Rink with cold cuts.&rdquo;In fact, the conference was to introduce the Isles&rsquo; new signees, goaltender Goran Hogosta and defenseman Stefan Persson, fresh from Sweden.&ldquo;This move gives us depth,&rdquo; said a happy GM, Bill Torrey. &ldquo;This is what we need to be up there with Montreal. Depth made them so good, and now we have it, too.&rdquo;Informers say that Hogosta, 23, could step into the NHL right now. He was the Swedes&rsquo; number one goalkeeper in the World Cup tournament at Vienna in May, and was in the nets for his country&rsquo;s two victories over the Soviet Union, allowing only two goals. Overall, his goals-against average for the tourney was a miniscule 1.25.Persson, also 23, was voted the top defenseman in Sweden&rsquo;s Division I. But unlike Hogosta, who only recently was placed on the Islanders&rsquo; negotiating list, has been an apple in Torrey&rsquo;s eye for some time. He was the Isles&rsquo; 13th draftee back in the 1974 lottery&mdash;the year Clark Gillies was number one&mdash;but at a time when European players were still looked at as being an ocean away and nothing else.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll have a lot of competition for jobs at training camp,&rdquo; added Torrey. &ldquo;And this is something every team in the league likes to have. When you have competition, everybody&rsquo;s on their toes. There will be no such thing as a shoo-in on this club.&rdquo;Competition is nice, but the double acquisition could have far greater ramifications, especially if the pair look good at camp in September. A trade is a possibility, and a very good one at that.The Islanders are absolutely loaded in goal and on defense, so the obvious question arises as to what the Isles want with more of the same. Bill Torrey is a top executive, and he didn&rsquo;t build a genuine contender from less than nothing with just luck. When he makes a move, it&rsquo;s never done for the sake of making one. Like a good chess player, he&rsquo;s always three moves ahead of you.Another reason for a forecast of trade winds is simple economics. The Islanders are far from the richest team in the NHL. They still owe the Rangers and the NHL about one-third of Nassau county on their original initiation fees from 1972, so when owner Roy Boe reaches into his pocket, it&rsquo;s not for a new cotton candy machine for the Coliseum.The two players cost the Isles $40,000 (to the Swedish Hockey Federation) each, plus whatever they&rsquo;re paying them to perform. So at that price, you can be sure that Boe doesn&rsquo;t intend to have his new talent on display in Fort Worth or Erie.Consequently there will be two goaltenders and six defensemen who will spend the summer wondering if their number is up. If Hogosta does well, it is highly conceivable that either Bill Smith or Glenn Resch&mdash;both excellent netminders&mdash;will go. And there could be nothing they could do to prevent it. Both Smitty and Chico might go the entire preseason route without giving up a single goal, but if Hogosta looks like the real McCoy, someone&rsquo;s the third man on the match.On defense, Persson will be trying to crack a lineup featuring Denis Potvin, Dave Lewis, Gerry Hart, Bert Marshall, Jean Potvin, and Pat Price. Like Smith and Resch, any of these would carry a pretty price tag if Torrey opens his flea market.Traditionally, the Islanders have elected to stand pat over the past couple of years rather than deal for the one thing they need most&mdash;the big goal scorer that just might&mdash;might, mind you&mdash;bring them the Stanley Cup. With the two Swedes in the fold, Mr. Torrey deals and he has the aces. &#9632;

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Top Swedish Netminder Acquired By Islanders

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0002-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-01986/3981800-1-eng-US/f0002-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Toronto Leafs signed scoring star Darryl Sittier, above, to a five-year contract calling for $150,000 per season.</figcaption></div><h2>LEAFS LOCK UP ACES</h2>TORONTO &mdash;The Toronto Maple Leafs wasted little time dealing with their top scorers of the 1976-77 season. Both Darryl Sittler and Lanny McDonald were rewarded with five-year contracts estimated at $150,000 per season.Both Leafs&rsquo; scoring stars had reached the end of their original contracts and owner Harold Ballard said that he wanted Sittier and McDonald to begin the new season with suitable contracts. McDonald, who won second-team All Star honors at right wing, led the Leafs with 46 goals. Sittier had 38. Between them they collected 180 scoring points.<h2>LINDSAY FIRES SHOTS</h2>DETROIT &mdash;The 1977-78 hockey season hasn&rsquo;t even started and already Terrible Ted Lindsay is firing verbal shots from the hip. Lindsay, the new GM of the Detroit Red Wings, has zeroed in on player director Alan Eagleson. As Lindsay puts it, he and Eagleson aren&rsquo;t exactly soul brothers.Lindsay has accused Eagleson of meddling in the affairs of his club and said Eagleson is trying to run the Red Wings. The Wings&rsquo; GM called a fitness session for members of the Detroit club and Eagleson advised the players not to show because it violated the players&rsquo; association agreement. Lindsay said the players needed the physical test. Lindsay said the idea is to have the Red Wings report to training camp in top condition. Lindsay says he has enough problems without having to put up with Eagleson. He says he&rsquo;ll run the Red Wings and call the shots otherwise the players won&rsquo;t be wearing Detroit sweaters.<h2>NEW PRO LEAGUE LOOMS</h2>SAN DIEGO &mdash;San Diego sports promoter Peter Graham said he is attempting to create a six-team Pacific Coast Hockey League. He says it is only in the talking stages but Graham believes the league will become a reality for 1977-78.The league is the idea of Graham, ex-WHA president Dennis Murphy and Ron Ingram, former San Diego Mariner coach. He says things are pretty firm in San Diego, Long Beach, San Francisco and Reno with Portland and Seattle possibilities. Graham envisons a 60-game, 20-week schedule and said the proximity of the cities will hold down expenses and keep ticket prices low. Ingram is in charge of lining up players and reports an enthusiastic reaction to players he&rsquo;s already contacted.<h2>SLATER GOES TO COLLEGE</h2>ROCHESTER&mdash;Terry Slater has gone back to college only he&rsquo;ll be coaching not studying. Slater has accepted the head coaching position of the Colgate University hockey team in the ECAC&rsquo;s Division One.The former Cincinnati Stingers&rsquo; coach will replace Jim Higgins, who has moved on to take a similar post with Princeton. Slater coached the Stingers in the WHA for the last two years and made Cincinnati a force in the league. &#9632;

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DEADLINE STOPPERS

<div class="byline">BY CHARLIE HALPIN</div>MONTREAL&mdash;The proposed merger between the National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association appeared to be wavering as opposition to the hockey marriage continued to mount on the NHL side.The NHL&rsquo;s fact-finding committee was still trying to put it all together to the satisfaction of the 18 teams and was finding it increasingly difficult to get NHL club owners to go along with their findings.The talks between the two leagues have slowed down, interest on the part of at least 10 NHL teams has dwindled and it appeared that neither side was any farther ahead after a three-day meeting in Toronto.Negotiations are to put it mildly, up in the air and everyone is growing impatient waiting for the outcome. Both the NHL and the WHA have their hands tied in the matter. Minor leagues are anxious to find out if the merger is on or off to formulate their 1977-78 plans. Schedules are being delayed and in general there is anxiety all around. There is speculation that both sides are pressing to clean up the uncertainty by the first week in August. Many are of the opinion that if nothing is decided by then, the whole merger program will be shelved for at least another year. At any rate, time is running out.The WHA met recently to discuss details of their applications and league president Bill MacFarland said the documents are in the hands of NHL officials. The NHL on the other hand has not sent out any official application forms to the eight interested WHA teams because the league doesn&rsquo;t know if the owners want the merger or expansion to go through.MacFarland said that &ldquo;markets in the WHA cities being considered for the NHL are acceptable (to the NHL). Some of the buildings are short of NHL standards, but they&rsquo;ll all be adding seats to bring them up to the minimum 13,000 capacity.&rdquo;WHA committee representatives like Howard Baldwin of New England and Cincinnati&rsquo;s Bill DeWitt Jr., are still hopeful the two leagues will merge.But the WHA people were being kept in suspense by a breakdown in agreement between the NHL owners and the Players Association. The owners voted only 12-6 in favor of expansion, well short of the three-quarters vote required for the resolution to pass, Boston, Los Angeles, Toronto, Detroit, Minnesota and Vancouver were leading the fight against any merger.Alan Eagleson, the executive director of the NHL Players&rsquo; Association, said there are many objections to the two leagues being merged. He said the players didn&rsquo;t want to have to shell out $250,000 to cover pension requirements for incoming WHA players. He said there was also a matter of settling the status of players who recently were drafted by both leagues. There are other major matters to be resolved and it&rsquo;s all taking time, something that both the NHL and WHA don&rsquo;t have too much of. Training camp is only eight weeks away and teams and players alike are anxious to know where they stand.The only constructive move seemed to be an assurance by Eagleson that the players would not stand in the way of any merger because of the five-year collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and its performers. It was thought at first that the players wanted to renegotiate the agreement but such is not the case. But Eagleson said that while the players will not block a merger they are not prepared to accept other conditions.The NHL wasn&rsquo;t totally certain that it was solvent enough that all 18 of its teams were in a position to guarantee they would open the season. At least three teams, notably St. Louis and Atlanta. were on the financial ropes and had still to uncover new financial capital to operate in 1977-78.The expansion meetings have basically been going on since January and now seven months later, they seem to be no closer to a merger than they were then.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-02895/3981831-1-eng-US/f0002-022.jpg" title="f0002-02" width="553" height="769"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILL MacFARLAND&hellip;Papers Filed</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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NHL-WHA Negotiations Still Up In Air

HARTFORD &mdash;Gordie Howe thinks a merger between the National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association would be a healthy thing.&ldquo;It would be a great move for the sport, a definite step in the right direction,&rdquo; Howe said. &ldquo;A merger would eliminate the negative thinking that has been associated with hockey for the last few years.&rdquo;Hockey&rsquo;s all-time leading scorer and a 29-year veteran of the professional ranks, Howe, along with sons Mark and Marty, have helped keep the WHA alive since its inception five years ago.&ldquo;I think the WHA could keep going,&rdquo; said Howe. &ldquo;Some teams actually made money last year, but that was overshadowed by the clubs that folded.&ldquo;Both leagues need a financial strengthening, and that&rsquo;s what would happen with a merger. The WHA has been looking for a breakthrough, a feeler, that might lead to one league and now we have gotten it.&rdquo;Howe likes the proposed format that would bring at least six WHA teams into the NHL in a separate division. The teams would compete only among themselves until the playoffs, when the top four teams would qualify to play for the Stanley Cup.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a good idea to ease us into the league,&rdquo; noted Howe, whose New England Whalers are expected to be one of the new NHL members. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to see our teams incorporated into the other divisions a little quicker than three years, but the chance to play for the Stanley Cup is what the players want.&rdquo; &#9632;

Merger Healthy Says Howe

<h2>NHL TEAMS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-03669/3981914-1-eng-US/f0002-032.jpg" title="f0002-03" width="485" height="725"></div><h2>WHA TEAMS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-04459/3981907-1-eng-US/f0002-042.jpg" title="f0002-04" width="483" height="265"></div><h2>OTHER LEAGUES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-05330/3981900-1-eng-US/f0002-052.jpg" title="f0002-05" width="497" height="245"></div><h2>COLUMNISTS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-06234/3981893-1-eng-US/f0002-062.jpg" title="f0002-06" width="489" height="173"></div><h2>OTHER FEATURES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0002-07145/3981886-1-eng-US/f0002-072.jpg" title="f0002-07" width="477" height="79"></div> &#9632;

f0002-03

WHERE YOU’LL FIND IT ALL

<div class="byline">&#x2014; BY BOB VERDI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-01993/3981966-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg" title="f0003-01" width="304" height="451"></div>MONTREAL&mdash;Losing only eight of 80 games means never having to say you&rsquo;re sorry, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean you can&rsquo;t say you&rsquo;ve become a trifle bored.Kenneth Wayne Dryden is a cerebral sort most likely to be exasperated by the tedium of anything repetitious, whether it&rsquo;s winning, losing, tying&mdash;or for that matter, playing.Which is why the Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; goalkeeper, whose 29-year-old mind is a multifaceted machine, gazes at horizons beyond the blueline even after a Stanley Cup championship ring is placed on his finger.&ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t a complaint, but I didn&rsquo;t enjoy this last season very much,&rdquo; he was saying. &ldquo;Mind you, we had a great team and a great record, but there were an inordinate number of games which we won without even a reasonable amount of difficulty.&ldquo;There were moments this season when we&rsquo;d win a game and when you&rsquo;d come into the dressing room, there would be a certain emptiness. Some guys would have to yell it up just to emphasize the fact that we won. Or somebody would have to turn on a stereo to provide a little background noise.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-02857/3981959-1-eng-US/f0003-022.jpg" title="f0003-02" width="559" height="1641"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEN DRYDEN: &ldquo;You become a little spoiled after awhile and maybe a little bored by the lack of challenges. There Is a certain Intensity missing. You find yourself coming to the rink not necessarily charged up.&rdquo;</figcaption></div>&ldquo;You become a little spoiled after awhile, and maybe a little bored by the lack of challenges. There is a certain intensity missing. You find yourself coming to the rink not necessarily charged up.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t feel I have to apologize for thinking like I do. I&rsquo;m happy we won as often as we did and only lost eight times. But I found myself spending increasing time thinking about what I want to do with my future.&rdquo;When Dryden talks thusly, one immediately recalls 1973, when he &ldquo;retired&rdquo; for a season to work as a $6,000-a-year law clerk in Toronto.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-03574/3981952-1-eng-US/f0003-032.jpg" title="f0003-03" width="2341" height="1881"><figcaption class="caption-body">Nothing stimulates Ken Dryden more than a good playoff struggle but the trouble Is, according to the Montreal goaler, there are too few of them. (Photo by Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div>&ldquo;That was intentionally shortlived&mdash;I stopped playing for a reason and I returned the next season,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The next time I retire, it will be permanent. I&rsquo;ll leave the world of fun and games for fun and games in another field.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know when that will be or what the other field will be. I have the option year on my contract next season, and after that, I don&rsquo;t know what I&rsquo;ll do. I won&rsquo;t play any place but Montreal; whether I&rsquo;ll play, though, I don&rsquo;t know.&ldquo;I&rsquo;d be the most surprised person in the world if I was still playing when I&rsquo;m 33 or 35. But you know how that works.&ldquo;You can cover hockey for your newspaper year after year and say you want a change. But you continue doing it. One of the reasons is that you like it. The other reason is a certain inertia, a certain reluctance to try something else you&rsquo;re not sure of.&ldquo;If I knew what was the ideal job for Ken Dryden, it would make things easier.&rdquo;After dabbling in law, after being one of Ralph Nader&rsquo;s Raiders, after establishing himself as a premier goalkeeper, Dryden thinks he would like to pursue projects in the public interest&mdash;consumer and environmental.&ldquo;I thought I&rsquo;d like to mix the two with TV, but I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; Dryden said. &ldquo;You produce a half-hour documentary on something worthwhile, people take an interest, then Rhoda comes on, and whatever message your show carried is forgotten.&rdquo;Don&rsquo;t, however, misconstrue Dryden&rsquo;s healthy restlessness for raging dissatisfaction. It&rsquo;s not that at all.&ldquo;On the contrary, playing hockey&mdash;with the financial rewards and summers off&mdash;has provided me a lot of chances to explore paths I otherwise wouldn&rsquo;t have.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-04344/3981945-1-eng-US/f0003-042.jpg" title="f0003-04" width="514" height="940"></div>&ldquo;And there is still nothing to match the feeling you have, say, after a stimulating playoff game. The only thing I&rsquo;m saying is that there are too few of those. You really get excited about the Stanley Cup finals. During the season, though, you see the other teams so seldom that there is a lack of identity and feeling.&ldquo;One other thing. You hear that by losing just eight games, the Canadiens may be bad for the sport, too dominant. Well, you can&rsquo;t operate that way. You are paid to produce the best team possible. You can&rsquo;t mitigate against success if that is the team&rsquo;s destiny.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0003-01

HOCKEY TALK

<div class="byline">Ken McKenzie&#x2019;s</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011044/3982018-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="436" height="466"></div>&bull; IT TOOK A long time in coming but Clarence Campbell, outgoing president of the National Hockey League, is finally receiving the praise and accolades he so justly deserved during his 31-year tenure at the helm of hockey&rsquo;s major league. Campbell received more than his share of digs, knocks and rough treatment by the press during the time he was in office but now those same columnists who gave him a tough time are praising him to the skies for the wonderful job he did during his 31 years as president of the NHL. It reminds me very much of what the scholarly Scot told me during my early days in this business. &ldquo;Always, remember,&rdquo; he told us, &ldquo;many who come to jeer, stay to cheer&rsquo;. How right he was!&hellip; Archie Wilcox, an excellent defenseman with Montreal Maroons of yesteryear, can&rsquo;t figure out why Pit Lepine and Bun Cook have not been named to Hockey&rsquo;s Hall of Fame. &ldquo;I played against both of them and they were both super stars. They should have been elected long ago. What&rsquo;s the matter with the selection committee, are they asleep?&rdquo;&hellip;Norm Jewison, assistant director of information for the National Hockey League for the last few years, has been named public relations director of the Vancouver Canucks. Norm is well-liked and cooperative and should do a first-class job for the Canucks.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-02999/3982011-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="283" height="493"><figcaption class="caption-body">Clarence Campbell</figcaption></div>&bull; RALSTON PURINA of Checkerboard Square in St. Louis is expected to purchase the St. Louis Blues from the Salomon family. Ralston Purina is interested in the hockey club but not the St. Louis Arena, home of the Blues&hellip;Christer Abrahamsson, injury-prone goalie of the New England Whalers, will not be offered a contract for 1977-78. Christer, a twin brother of Thommy Abrahamsson, was one of the first of the Swedish players to make good in pro ranks in North America. He played 45 games for the Whalers last season&hellip; Da vid Branch has been appointed by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to succeed Gordon Juckes as secretary-manager of the ruling amateur body in Canada. Branch, who has spent 15 years in a variety of positions within the CAHA, said that all Tier Two junior A leagues across Canada have agreed in principle to adopt a format similar to the one currently used by Major Junior A leagues for national championships&hellip; Bob Geyer, who did such a fine job reorganizing the Milwaukee Admirals of the United States Hockey League, is anxious to locate with a pro team in the Eastern or Southern United States. Geyer&rsquo;s marketing expertise played a vital role in establishing hockey in Milwaukee&hellip;Although it hasn&rsquo;t been announced officially, Jean-Guy Talbot will coach the New York Rangers in &lsquo;77-78. John Ferguson is proving popular with the New York media because he cooperates with them and always comes up with a good story&hellip;Detroit Red Wings have had 13 coaching changes in the last 10 years&hellip;Dennis Murphy, Jim Browitt and Walt Marlow, who all played leading roles in the formation of the World Hockey Association, are trying to reorganize the old Pacific Coast Hockey League. Cities showing an interest include San Diego, Sacramento, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland and Reno.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-03894/3982004-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="289" height="454"><figcaption class="caption-body">Dennis Murphy</figcaption></div>&bull; STAN FISCHLER, author of 45 books on hockey and recognized as hockey&rsquo;s most controversial columnist will write a column each week for THE HOCKEY NEWS commencing with the first weekly issue in October. Also joining THE HOCKEY NEWS and HOCKEY PICTORIAL will be Tom Murray, former senior editor of Sport Magazine. Tom is a graduate of Boston College where he played three years of varsity hockey and lacrosse&hellip;Danny Malone, well established coach in Sweden, making his annual summer tour of Ontario and his native Quebec in search of players for next season&hellip;Arne Stromberg, the dean of hockey coaches in Sweden, is sorry to learn that Sweden will be losing six of its top players to NHL and WHA teams. Sweden&rsquo;s finish in the World Tournament in Vienna surprised a lot of people and Stromberg feels the brand of hockey in Sweden right now is the best its ever been&hellip; Despite the fact six NHL teams are against the NHL-WHA merger, Howard Baldwin, managing general partner of the New England Whalers, feels it&rsquo;s a certainty the move will go through as planned. The six NHL teams against are Toronto, Boston, Los Angeles, Detroit, Minnesota and Vancouver&hellip; The NHL Booster Clubs&rsquo; Convention takes place August 12-14 with Minnesota Stargazers playing host &hellip; Vancouver Canucks will not offer Bobby Lalonde a contract next season. GM Jake Milford conceded Lalonde&rsquo;s small size played a part in his decision.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-04792/3981997-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="301" height="459"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bobby Lalonde</figcaption></div>The Hockey NewsOFFICIAL NATIONAL HOCKEY WEEKLYFounded October 1st, 1947Vol. 30 NO. 38 AUGUST 1977Published weekly except monthly June through September by W.C.C. Publishing Ltd., 1434 St. Catherine Street West, Montreal. Canada H3G 1R7 U.S. c/o W.C.C. Publishing. 150 E. 58th Street. New York. N.Y. 10022.Kenneth W. McKenziePresident and PublisherDon WallAssociate PublisherCharlie HalpinEditorial DirectorKeith LawtonAdministration Mgr.U.S. Advertising Representatives:NEW YORK: Tom Lomberson, National Soles Dirertor, 150 East 58th Street, New York, N.Y. 10022. Telephone (212) 593-2100.CHICAGO: Hooper Jones & Assoriates, 3322 W. Peterson Ave., Chkogo, III. 60659. Telephone (312) 478-5544.NEW ENGLAND: Steve Ganak Ad Reps, Statler Office Bldg., Boston, Mass. 021160. Telephone 1617) 542-6913.YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $11.95 in Canada $12.95 in the U.S.A, and $17.25 in Foreign Countries. Sec ond doss postage paid al New York. N. Y, 10001 and at additional mailing offices SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO 1434 ST. CATHERINE STREET WEST, SUITE 217, MONTREAL, CANADA H3G 1R7. Second Class mod Registration No. 1327. All inquiries pertaining to subscriptions should be addressed to Subscription Dept, The Hockey News, 1434 St. Catherine St. W. Montreal, Canada H3G 1R7. Printed in Canada. &#9632;

f0004-01

PASSING THE PUCK

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-05653/3982049-1-eng-US/f0004-052.jpg"></div><h2>Fans Will Always Remember Barry Ashbee</h2>Barry Ashbee will always be remembered by all of his fans. He was a great hockey player and assistant coach and the five of us were really upset when we heard the news about his death.Barry Ashbee will never be forgotten by any true fan of the Philadelphia Flyers because he always did everything to play hockey it seems, even when he was hurt with a bad back, broken bones, pinched nerves and other injuries.He was one of the NHL&rsquo;s best men and will be remembered by his fans.DONNA CHYZ, DOREEN CHYZ, HEATHER SCHMIDT, SHELLY BARNETT, MELANIE MCCASINGrandview, Man.<h2>NHL Teams Should Sponsor Junior Clubs</h2>I would like to see the NHL go back to sponsoring the Junior teams, to produce the type of player we used to get. That way the Juniors would be brought up in a system where they would know what to do when they got to the parent club.I also think you could do the hockey fans a service by listing the TV and radio stations which broadcast the games. Concerning the radio broadcasts, please indicate if the games are on AM, FM. or shortwave and the wave length.Down here in Florida, we don&rsquo;t get any broadcasts that I know of, and very little news.DUNCAN MACKAY, New Port Richey, Fla.<h2>Isles&rsquo; Pat Price Not A Dirty Player</h2>I must take exception to the letter written by Mr. Beare in the May 20 issue.I saw the play on TV when Pat Price checked Rejean Houle very hard into the boards. It was a clean check and Price didn&rsquo;t receive any penalty from the referee.Later the knowledgeable Canadiens fans booed him every time he touched the puck. The referee was so intimidated that he finally called a penalty on Price.As an Islander fan, who has watched Price this year I saw he is not a dirty player.RALPH CARUSO Wantagh, N.Y.<h2>Atlanta&rsquo;s Plett Didn&rsquo;t Deserve Calder</h2>I just picked up this month&rsquo;s copy of THE HOCKEY NEWS and was saddened over the demise of the Calder Trophy. What had been a great honor in the past for outstanding freshman NHL&rsquo;ers was reduced to almost a joke with this year&rsquo;s selection of Atlanta&rsquo;s Willi Plett.Granted with the injury in mid-season to the Rangers&rsquo; Don Murdoch, who at the time was the odds-on favorite, there was no obvious choice as was the case last year with the Islanders&rsquo; Bryan Trottier. However, an examination of statistics should prove that the selection of Plett was achieved primarily through the publicity campaign staged by the Atlanta media, specifically play-by-play announcer Jiggs MacDonald.Plett&rsquo;s 56 points in 64 games should not be enough for him to win the award for outstanding rookie. The two men most deserving of the Trophy (choosing between them would be tough) because of their hard work and not an outstanding media push are Colorado&rsquo;s Paul Gardner and Toronto&rsquo;s Mike Palmateer.Gardner outpointed Plett while playing in fewer games. He totalled 59 points in 60 games which is quite a total for a rookie on a club such as the Rockies which had its difficulties producing offense this year. Plett had an easier time obtaining his points being placed on a well established team and line.Palmateer, after spending some time at Dallas, played a total of 50 games for the Maple Leafs. While finishing with a very respectable 3.21 goals against average behind a questionable defense, he showed signs of brilliance.The Calder Trophy is an award presented to the outstanding rookie each year. It is too bad that this year&rsquo;s award was &ldquo;given&rdquo; to an, as yet, unproven talent and not to a deserving individual, mostly due to the efforts of the Atlanta Press.KENNETH DeSIEGHARDT Overland Park, Kan.<h2>Russian Hockey Superior To Canadian Game</h2>I would like to express my deep disappointment in Team Canada 77 for it&rsquo;s poor demonstration in Vienna. Hitting and aggresiveness are part of the game but the way Paiement, McKechnie, Vail, Vadnais and co. manhandled their European opponents has absolutely nothing to do with hockey. They tried to compensate for their lack of skill by displaying unnecessary roughtough tactics and chippy play.Wilf Paiement, a highly payed spoiled star, has to be one of the dirtiest and unfairest players I&rsquo;ve ever seen.I think the series against the Russians has once and for all erased any doubt as to who plays the better brand of hockey. I only hope that Canadian players and coaches start to realize that the Russian system is better than theirs and stop playing the teachers of hockey, because it&rsquo;s time to learn from the Soviets.This will be the only way to prevent Canada&rsquo;s further descent in international competition.PETER HUSER, Wettingen, Switzerland<h2>Fan Still Hoping Merger Will Pass</h2>I am writing in regard to the NHL-WHA merger. There are three owners, Harold Ballard of Toronto, Paul Mooney of Boston, and Jack Kent Cooke of Los Angeles, who openly oppose the &ldquo;expansion&rdquo; because it would not be for the good of the game.But could it be that Mr. Ballard does not want to divide the television revenue from Hockey Night in Canada with three new Canadian based teams much in the same way the Leafs opposed expansion to Vancouver in 1967. Mr. Ballard&rsquo;s outbursts must be ranked with lovable Charlie O. Finley.Could it be Mr. Mooney is afraid of the New England Whalers. Boston&rsquo;s attendance has been steadily going down while in Hartford its been going up in leaps and bounds and now the Whalers have won the war for the Howes.And then there&rsquo;s Mr. Cooke who has shown his love of the game by living in Las Vegas and not attending his Kings games. He has also interfered in the teams front offices so much that it forced two great hockey men, Jake Milford and Bob Pulford to leave. These three men are looking out for themselves and not hockey and its fans.Teams such as Winnipeg with Hull, Hedberg, Nilsson, Sjoberg, Quebec with Tardiff, Cloutier, New England with the Hewes, Keon, Gordie Roberts, and Cincinnati with Dudley, Leduc, and Ftorek would rather be seen by fans then Detroit, Washington, Colorado, and Cleveland.The NHL should have 24 teams with four geographical divisions involving greater divisional play. This would cut traveling expensives. bring back rivalries, and cut ticket prices which will in turn bring back the fans.Come on Pal Hal, Paul, and Jack Kent and get on the ball. The other 15 owners are right and voting for the merger to save the game of professional hockey.ERNEST GREEN, Rochester, N.Y.<h2>NHL Scouts Missed Future Star In Draft</h2>In the recent NHL draft of the junior players the scouts missed one player who I thought should have been selected in the top three rounds.The player is Bob Smith, a left-winger for the Ottawa 67s. This past year Smith led the OHA in goals (65) and had 70 assists to finish third in the scoring race behind 1st round picks Dale McCourt and Dwight Foster.Smith was also the top scorer and point getter in the Memorial Cup which featured such future stars as Barry Beck, Doug Wilson, Mark Lofthouse and Jere Gillis all first round draft choices in this year&rsquo;s draft.How the NHL scouts missed Smith when making their selections is a mystery to me.DAN MACDONALD, Port Perry, Ont.<h2>More Accolades For Team Canada &lsquo;77</h2>I would like to congratulate Team Canada &lsquo;77 for once again proving the superiority of Canadian hockey. No other country in the world could have picked an AU Star team from the worst teams of an 18-team league and still come within two points of first place. In fact, if the Czechs weren&rsquo;t allowed that offside goal which tied Canada at 3-3, our team would have tied for first place.Sure we were whomped by the Russians, but they got whomped too, 5-1 by little ol&rsquo; Sweden. And we did some whomping ourselves&mdash;we beat Sweden 70 and humbled the World Champion Czechs 8-2 in our final game. And we did it without the likes of Lafleur, Shutt, Robinson, Potvin, Sittler and McDonald.No other country has produced players of this calibre in the last five years, so let&rsquo;s not hear any more nonsense about the so-called inferiority of our hockey system.Remember, when we have used our best, we have never lost a tournament against foreign competition. We are still number one.RON COLLINS, Hamilton, Ont.<h2>Team Canada Fan Thanks Writer Orr</h2>I am writing in response to Frank Orr&rsquo;s column (May 6) in which he set the average hockey fan straight with regards to Team Canada &lsquo;77.I agree totally with Mr. Orr. When an average Canadian hockey fan says &ldquo;Why send a team at all if it isn&rsquo;t our best&rdquo; it sure does show what a bad sportsman he/she is. Johnny Wilson was the best choice they could have made and Phil Esposito as his assistant was also a wise decision. With the amount of talent available the team was chosen quite well.When a supposed hockey fan makes a statement such as the one stated before, it shows he/she really isn&rsquo;t an interested fan at all but just a bad sportsman.I would just like to end by congratulating Team Canada &lsquo;77 for their outstanding performance at the Vienna tournament. Looking at the talent on the team I feel the team played outstanding hockey throughout the tournament.I felt very proud to be a Canadian when the team formed a semi-circle around the flag and sang the National anthem.Thank-you very much Mr. Orr for explaining to the uninformed fans, you did an excellent job.GREG ROGGEVEN, Victoria, B.C.<h2>NHL Changes Needed For Season, Playoffs</h2>Once again the Canadiens dominated throughout the entire season and the playoffs. Sure Boston, Philly, the Islanders and Buffalo are competitive, but tell me why is it always an upset when a team beats Montreal?There are three things hurting the NHL. First, the season is too long. How many Americans, excluding true hockey fans, want to stay home and listen to the Stanley Cup playoffs in April and May when the temperatures are in the &lsquo;70&rsquo;s and &lsquo;80&rsquo;s and it&rsquo;s really nice outside?The schedule should be shortened to about 60 games and the playoffs should be finished by late March or very early April to keep the interest of the fans.Secondly, the playoff system is a joke. Only the top eight teams should make it. With the system as it is now, competition is lessened because the top teams know they have a playoff spot clinched.Finally, the Canadiens&rsquo; domination has to end. How do you expect people to get involved in a sport where it&rsquo;s practically controlled by one team? In the NFL, the Packers, Dolphins and Steelers dominated but they were eventually dethroned for awhile.I also believe that the minor leagues should be combined into one big nine-team league. Put half the players from the best team (Montreal) and half from the worst team (Detroit) together in this league. Put half the players from the second best team and half from the second worst team together and so on. This will stop powerhouses like Nova Scotia.Besides that, the players from the better teams will have to work harder and therefore, will inspire themselves to get to the parent club. In addition, the better players can pass on the winning attitudes and advice to help the lesser players.BILL JUELICH, Green Bay, Wis. &#9632;

f0004-05

FAN FORUM

<div class="byline">BY VARTAN KUPELIAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-01905/3982080-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">PERRY MILLER&hellip; Jumps Jets For Chance At NHL</figcaption></div>DETROIT&mdash;The Detroit Red Wings have enough defensemen to guard Ft. Knox.General manager Ted Lindsay added two more in recent days, signing World Hockey Association refugee Perry Miller, who was recommended by new coach Bobby Kromm, and troubled NHL cast-off Steve Durbano.But while Lindsay has plenty of players under contract, he&rsquo;s having trouble finding a spot&mdash;a minor league team&mdash;for those who don&rsquo;t make the big club.Lindsay wants his own minor league team, no more sharing with another NHL team. For a while it appeared the Wings would go to Oklahoma City of the Central Hockey League&mdash;in fact, the Wings made the deal and the announcement but later it fell through.Afterwards, Lindsay turned his attention to Kansas City, where the franchise folded after winning the CHL title last season. That team was sponsored by the Wings and St. Louis.The Wings signed Miller, 25, a six-foot, 200-pound defenseman-left wing, after his contract with the Winnipeg Jets expired. Miller played for Kromm, formerly the Winnipeg coach, the last two years and Kromm is confident he can help the Wings.Miller holds the WHA record for most goals in one game by a defenseman, four, and also most points in one game by a defenseman, six.As for Durbano, Lindsay simply is hoping he and Kromm can resurrect the troubled, but some say potentially talented, defenseman. Lindsay figures it&rsquo;s a gamble worth taking. When you&rsquo;re on the bottom, there&rsquo;s very little to lose.With the addition of Miller and Durbano, the Wings will have 14 defensemen, all under NHL contracts, vying for the five or six spots on the regular season roster.The only defenseman that appears to have a lock on a spot is young Al Cameron. The others, regardless of seniority and experience, will have to battle it out for the remaining jobs.Lindsay is determined to find a minor league affiliate.&ldquo;I want my own team, my own coach, my own trainer, my own PR person,&rdquo; Lindsay said.Larry Wilson, the deposed coach of the Wings, had agreed to take over as general manager and coach at Oklahoma City (and be readily available should Lindsay need a quick replacement). He&rsquo;ll take over at Kansas City, or wherever the Wings end up with a farm team.Lindsay met with Kansas City officials.&ldquo;I want to put my own team here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to split it with anyone else.&ldquo;Kansas City is a great hockey town. I was impressed with the warmth of the people. I can&rsquo;t say if the prospects of us fielding a team there next season are good or bad, but I&rsquo;m encouraged and I&rsquo;m an optimist.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just trying to get my figures together right now. I&rsquo;m willing to make it a two-or three-year contract with the city so we can build up some loyalty, to show fans we plan to be there and stay there. We want to be identified with the community. We want to make this a good venture for all of us.&ldquo;I just hope things work out in Kansas City.&rdquo;The Wings almost immediately signed their top two draft choices&mdash;center Dale McCourt and defenseman Rick Vasko.McCourt is expected to step right into the lineup while Vasko likely will need some seasoning.&ldquo;I feel great,&rdquo; McCourt said. &ldquo;I just hope I can help the team. I don&rsquo;t mind playing in Detroit. When you start on the bottom, there&rsquo;s no place to go but up. I&rsquo;ll play anywhere. I&rsquo;d like to help the Wings move up.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0005-01

Rebuilding Red Wings Grab Miller, Durbano For Blueline Depth

<h2>NATIONAL LEAGUE</h2>LOS ANGELES-Steve Short, defenseman, secured from Philadelphia in exchange for future considerations.VANCOUVER&mdash;Dan Brady and Bruce Bullock, goalers, John Grisdale, defenseman, Bobby Lalonde, Jim Wiley and Danny Gloor, forwards, handed outright releases.DETROIT&mdash;Perry Miller, defenseman, signed to NHL contract after jumping from Winnipeg of WHA. Steve Durbano, defenseman, signed as free agent, after release by Colorado.PITTSBURGH&mdash;Ed Van Impe, defenseman, placed on voluntary retired list.Following are the latest signings after the 1977 summer drafts:<h2>NATIONAL LEAGUE</h2>VANCOUVER-Jere Gillis, drafted 4th, Jeff Bandura, 22nd, Glen Hanlon, 40th, Murray Bannerman, 58th.DETROIT&mdash;Dale McCourt, drafted 1st, Rick Vasko, 37th.MINNESOTA&mdash;Brad Maxwell, drafted 7th.CLEVELAND&mdash;Mike Crombeen, drafted 5th, and Daniel Chicoine, 23rd.WASHINGTON&mdash;Robert Picard, drafted 3rd.COLORADO&mdash;Barry Beck, drafted 2nd.CHICAGO&mdash;Doug Wilson, drafted 6th.MONTREAL&mdash;Moe Robinson drafted 49th.RANGERS&mdash;Lucien Deblois drafted 8th, Ron Duguay, 13th, Mikt Keating, 26th, Steve Baker, 44th Mario Marois, 62nd, and Benoil Gosselin, 80th.<h2>WORLD HOCKEY ASSN.</h2>HOUSTON&mdash;Scott Campbell drafted 1st. &#9632;

Hockey Players On The Move

<div class="byline">BY BOB VERDI</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-011075/3982142-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-02823/3982135-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="1756" height="1057"><figcaption class="caption-body">THE NEW LOOK: The Chicago Black Hawks have undergone a drastic change at the top for the 1977-78 season. President Bill Wirtz, is shown at left with his new coach and general manager, Bob Pulford, in Black Hawks jacket, after Wirtz made announcement in Chicago. Above, Pulford with his new aide, Jack Davison, right, who will be assistant GM and player personnel director. Pulford takes over from Bill White as coach of the Hawks after leaving the Los Angeles Kings.</figcaption></div>CHICAGO&mdash;In recent seasons, the general manager of the Black Hawks hasn&rsquo;t always gotten along with the coach of the Black Hawks. Now, there&rsquo;s no choice.Announcing what he jokingly referred to as the world&rsquo;s worst secret, team president Bill Wirtz July 6 awarded both jobs to Robert Jesse Pulford, a 41-year-old deep thinker who has excelled as a National Hockey League player and coach for more than two decades.A stern tactician who converted the Los Angeles Kings from a cartoon to a hit Hollywood show in five years, Pulford pledged to help the Hawks return to the halcyon days they once knew by preaching a technique they once practiced: hard work.&ldquo;This team can win, but effort comes before winning,&rdquo; said Pulford, who quit the Kings in late May. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not as bad a club as some people think. There is talent here. I want to evaluate it first to see what we have. To make changes for the sake of making changes would be a mistake.&rdquo;But several changes in the Black Hawk scene already have been made, and there are more to come. To wit:&bull; Tommy Ivan, dean of NHL general managers, will retire from the post he has held since 1954. He will become a vice-president and assistant to Wirtz, who said that Ivan &ldquo;will work with me on a lot of league-related business&rdquo; while remaining available as a consultant to Pulford.&bull; Jack Davison, 48, has been appointed assistant general manager and director of player personnel. Davison, a former all-around athlete and 19-year employee of the Hawks, once was promised he would succeed since dismissed Billy Reay as general manager (Reay was to succeed Ivan.)But Davison said he is &ldquo;satisfied&rdquo; with his new role, which likely will include overseeing the Dallas farm club which Chicago shares with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Davison is expected to work closely with Pulford, but will continue to reside at his home near Toronto for at least one more year.&bull; Bobby Orr, Chicago&rsquo;s 29-year-old superstar on the mend, will take an important position with the management if he cannot play next season. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t expect Bobby to play,&rdquo; said Wirtz. &ldquo;But I don&rsquo;t preclude it, even though he&rsquo;s still on crutches. I just don&rsquo;t want to be accused of trying to sell season tickets on the pretext that he will play. If he can&rsquo;t, though, he&rsquo;ll be an integral part of our front office.&rdquo;&bull; Bill White, who completed last season as coach after Reay was sacked, may be offered the Dallas coaching spot. &ldquo;We have to discuss that with the Maple Leafs for one thing,&rdquo; said Wirtz. White said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll listen if they offer. There is no way I can play again, according to the doctors.&rdquo;&bull; Pulford can count on having Chicago&rsquo;s top two choices from the recent amateur draft. Doug Wilson, a defenseman from Ottawa, and Jean Savard, a right-wing-center from Quebec, are all locked up with new contracts.&bull; Interest by the Hawk brass in reobtaining Bobby Hull is minimal. The 38-year-old Golden Jet, who became a Winnipeg Jet five years ago, apparently is free to move about.The Black Hawk brass is saying publicly that &ldquo;Hull has five more years on his Winnipeg contract, so we can&rsquo;t touch him,&rdquo; but it&rsquo;s more likely that they don&rsquo;t want to touch him. His age doesn&rsquo;t mesh with the Hawks&rsquo; youth kick, and besides, the Jets probably would want something in return for Hull. The Hawks would probably balk at that, since they got nothing from Winnipeg when Hull jumped.Pulford, a native of Newton Robinson, Ont., was an industrious center and penalty killer during 14 seasons with the Maple Leafs. He never made an All Star team, never won an individual award, but he was a clutch player and personally helped extinguish the Black Hawks during the 1962 playoffs by scoring seven times.&ldquo;Pulford will be good for us,&rdquo; said Black Hawk forward John Marks. &ldquo;We need discipline. Too many of us loafed last year. Myself included.&rdquo;HAWK TALK: Al Melgard, the Stadium organist for many years, died in mid-July at Las Vegas, Nevada. Melgard was 88&hellip;Wirtz is trying to negotiate a 25-galne Black Hawk TV package with a UHF station in Chicago. Not one Hawk game was telecast here last season&hellip;Left wing Darcy Rota has signed a multi-year contract with the Hawks. &ldquo;He could have been a free agent to go where he wanted,&rdquo; said Boston attorney Bob Woolf. &ldquo;But Darcy never wanted to leave Chicago.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0006-01

Hawks Move Ivan, White Out As Pulford Takes Double Role

<div class="byline">BY BILL LIBBY</div>LOS ANGELES&mdash; George Maguire, the new general manager of the Los Angeles Kings, is a man in his middle 50s who spent 27 years in the Canadian Army, devoted his spare time to hockey and now has made a second career of it.Born in 1921 in Ottawa, he played center at St. Catharines college, but joined the Army at 18 and spent the World War II years with service hockey teams in Montreal.At war&rsquo;s end he was offered a minor league contract with Eddie Shore&rsquo;s New Haven team, but by then decided to stick to the service.Aside from a hitch in Korea during that conflict, his career was primarily passed in cities in Canada on, as he puts it, a nine-to-five basis, and he&rsquo;d hustle out to hockey in the evenings.He commenced his coaching career with the Ottawa Montagnards in 1949, a junior team, later formed and managed successful senior teams in Ottawa.On the side, he became an area scout for Wren Blair, first with Boston, then with Minnesota. He left the Army as a lieutenant in 1965 and was made chief scout of the Kings by Larry Regan, then the manager, in 1969.George and his wife Doris have been married 36 years and now live in the distant suburb of Valencia. They have three grown children and six grandchildren:Michael, 34, is a public health inspector in Ottawa and he and his wife have a son. Barbara King, 33, is married to an Army man and is with him in Germany with their two sons, who play hockey, and two daughters. Sharon Freiberg, 31, works for the telephone company, is married to an administrative affairs officer, and they have a daughter.Since he joined the Kings, Maguire, who worked out of Ottawa, travelled a lot and earned good grades as a scout by spotting players who could play in the big leagues such as Butch Goring, Vic Cenasky, Gary Sargent, Neil Komadoski, Don Kozak and Dave Hutchison from low draft rounds. Maguire says he can live with owner Jack Kent Cooke&rsquo;s policy of trading high draft rights for experienced players, especially now that the Kings finish higher and get lower picks. Prior manager Jake Milford and coach Bob Pulford were in the majority opposing the policy.Prior to the most recent draft, the Kings had traded their first four picks in the past for Gene Carr, Ab DeMarco, Glenn Goldup, and Dave Schultz, respectively. Goldup would be the only one many would prefer to a pick today.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-01960/3982187-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="880" height="1360"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-02782/3982180-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="892" height="1352"><figcaption class="caption-body">KING SIZE SURPRISES: New L.A. general manager George Maguire has had quite a reputation for spotting potential NHL stars among low draft picks by the Kings. Here are two of Maguire&rsquo;s proteges. Left, Is Vic Venasky, whom the Kings picked 34th in the 1971 draft, and at right la defenseman Gary Sargent, who was chosen 48th in 1974. Both are now regulars with Los Angeles. (Photos by Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div>Maguire and his scouts selected Julian Baretta, Warren Holmes, Randy Rudnyk and Bob Suter as the 84th, 85th, 103rd and 121st selections of the session and he admits they are at best &ldquo;possibles&rdquo; for the future. None will be offered contracts until they try out.Baretta, a small, but skilled goaltender is not rated a bad bet, but he and Suter, a small, but aggressive left defenseman, are returning to their NCAA champion Wisconsin University team at this time.Holmes, a big center from Ottawa of the OHA, and Rudnyk, a big right-winger from New Westminster of the WCHL, had poor scoring stats, but have potential. Holmes recovered from several serious injuries to surprise with his playoff performance.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03553/3982173-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="577" height="685"><figcaption class="caption-body">GEORGE MAGUIRE &hellip; An Eye For Talent</figcaption></div>Maguire also has brought the team two top prospects for this year who were acquired last year in forward Dan Bonar, a big scorer out of the WCHL, and David Taylor, a big defenseman out of collegiate ranks.George still regards as prospects players like Lome Stamler, Russ Walker, Jim Moxey and Steve Clippingdale whom he feels were buried in the minors most of last season and not given sufficient tryouts in the majors by the prior administration.He just picked up a long shot in a big left defenseman, Steve Short, a 23-year-old four-year pro, who had 302 minutes in penalties one season in the AHL, played with the Kings&rsquo; farm team in Fort Worth of the CHL last season, but was owned by Philadelphia.EarUer he got Cooke&rsquo;s approval on what was primarily a money deal that brought right defenseman Randy Manery, a 28-year-old, eight-year pro from Atlanta. &ldquo;He is better than some we had so we have improved ourselves, but I am still looking for a real good right defenseman and a top left-winger,&rdquo; observes Maguire.Cooke brought Maguire into L.A. as Jake Milford&rsquo;s assistant last season and moved him up when Milford moved on to Vancouver this summer, but it remains to be seen how much authority a new coach will be given or how much Cooke will give. Jack runs his teams. Since both coaches and the staff secretary also have left, Maguire now is doing the work of five, but says, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not afraid of work.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0007-01

Kings’ New GM Facing Myriad Of Work

<div class="byline">&#x2014;BY BILL LIBBY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011066/3982225-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="405" height="453"></div><h2>The Ups And Downs&hellip;</h2>A YEAR AGO AT THIS TIME, Al MacAdam was the most valuable player of the California Seals. He had tied for the team lead and had set a team record for left-wingers with 32 goals. And after three seasons of suffering from mediocre support in Oakland, he was on his way to a new home and hopefully superior support in Cleveland.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-02959/3982218-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="793" height="1100"><figcaption class="caption-body">Al MacAdam of Iha Barona haa experienced early years of Inoacurity alnca becoming an NHLor. Between franchise movea and missed paydays, he hopes It is all behind him now with Cleveland. (Photo by Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div>After a season of similar insufficient support in Ohio in which the Barons came closer to collapsing than even the Seals did in their insecure years in California, MacAdam fell off 10 goals and finds himself feeling understandably insecure.&ldquo;After all we have been through in Oakland and Cleveland it is impossible not to feel insecure. We weren&rsquo;t even paid part of the time. We threatened to quit at one time. It&rsquo;s a wonder we did as well as we did.&rdquo;How well they did is open to debate, since their collectively dismal record of 25-42-13 made them last in their division, two wins and two points short of the previous season when they finished fourth, and left them out of the playoffs for the seventh straight season and eighth time in 10 seasons since the team was formed as part of the original NHL expansion.Owners have come and gone, including no less than Charles 0. Finley, and now George Gund III and Sandy Greenberg have come and Mel Swig has gone in the latest transfer of rights to this ill-fated franchise.Harry Howell moved in as manager last season and Jack Evans continues as coach for the time being and they are capable people, but it is difficult to sustain spirit among players who do not know whether they will be paid, much less where they will Play.MacAdam, for example, admits, &ldquo;1 didn&rsquo;t dream a hockey career could be so hectic.&rdquo;Reginald Alan MacAdam was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in March of 1952 and played for the University there. He has a summer home in the little village of Morrell now. His father managed a dairy, but now is a chief liquor inspector.Al is the middle of three brothers. All played hockey as lads, but Al is the only one who went on with it. Paul is a fisheries officer, Peter a restaurant owner on the island today and their lives, though less glamorous, seem more settled.DRAFTED BY PHILADELPHIA in the summer of 1972, Al played for Richmond in the minors and had only five games with the Flyers before being traded to the Seals. The tall, husky right-winger tallied 18 goals as a rookie before rising to 32 his second season and dropping to 22 last season.&ldquo;I was surprised that I did as well as I did when I got 32, but I worked with Dennis Maruk and Bob Murdoch and they created a lot of openings. I&rsquo;ve worked on my shot and I was able to take advantage of some opportunities, but I don&rsquo;t have confidence in myself as a shooter,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;My junior coach said I&rsquo;d never be a scorer and it has stuck in my mind.&rsquo; I think of myself more as a defensive checker, though I&rsquo;m weak as a hitter. I skate my wing and I skate well, but not as well with the puck as without it.&rdquo;Clearly, Al is not the kind to toot his own trumpet, but he has ability he has only begun to realize. He and his wife, Anne, have a daughter, Sarah, and they would like to settle down so he can concentrate on his sport.&ldquo;We bought a home in Oakland in November of 1975, sold it last summer, bought a home in Hudson, Ohio, last fall, and spent the winter wondering what was going to happen next,&rdquo; he sighs.SWIG BOUGHT THE SEALS on the understanding his hometown San Francisco was finally going to permit the long-discussed construction of an adequate arena, but after one season took the team to Cleveland when that fell through once again. Here he had a beautiful building, but in the middle of nowhere. Halfway through the season he said he&rsquo;d blown $2-and-a-half million on the club and couldn&rsquo;t afford any more. He suggested the players take a pay cut. When they refused, he refused to pay them.He did agree to go for $350,000 more when the league, which had gone for $11 million to operate the franchise in earlier seasons, agreed to go for another $350,000, and the Players Association agreed to loan the team $600,000, enough to finish the campaign. This came at a time when the players were meeting and deciding to abandon the ship and jump to other teams, looking forward to it, in fact.Now, minority owners Gund and Greenberg have assumed majority control of the club and the players are back where they were before. Captain Bob Stewart said, &ldquo;I never thought it could happen in the big leagues but players stopped eating out to save money to feed their families and had a hard time making mortgage payments on their homes.&rdquo; Budding star MacAdam concludes, &ldquo;We can only hope it doesn&rsquo;t happen again and we can get back to the game.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0008-01

Hockey Ad Lib

<div class="byline">BY ALAN TRUEX</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-03812/3982256-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">RICHARD MULHERN&hellip; Ready To Become Regular</figcaption></div>ATLANTA&mdash;For the past three years, the Atlanta Flames&rsquo; top draft selection has been a defenseman. It figures. Defense is the area the Flames have been most intent upon improving.&ldquo;One thing we&rsquo;ve always lacked,&rdquo; general manager Cliff Fletcher concedes, &ldquo;is that one blue-chip player on defense. A Denis Potvin, a Guy Lapointe, that type of player.&rdquo;But in Dave Shand and Rich Mulhern, Fletcher feels he had the two best rookie defensemen in the National Hockey League last season.And by choosing Miles Zaharko on the second round of the June draft, Fletcher was hoping to add yet another top defensive prospect to his team.The Flames did not have a first-round selection in the draft, but they had three second-round choices. They picked Zaharko 20th overall, and they added center Don Laurence and right wing Brian Hill later in the second round.Flames head scout Donnie Graham called Zaharko &ldquo;a very sound defensive defenseman along the lines of the Islanders&rsquo; Dave Lewis.&rdquo;Zaharko played junior hockey for the New Westminster Bruins, and he played in the shadow of teammates Barry Beck and Brad Maxwell, both high-scoring defensemen who became first-round draft choices this year.The Flames rate Zaharko an effective slot player and a good puck carrier. He&rsquo;s six-foot-one, and 200 pounds.Laurence, five-foot-10, 175 pounds, scored 43 goals and 88 points in half a season at Kitchener last year. Then he broke a leg and did not play the rest of the season.Eager to return, Laurence unwisely removed the cast on his leg before the injury had healed, and he refractured the leg. Doctors are uncertain he will ever rebuild the leg well enough to play hockey again. But they say he has at least a 70 percent chance.The Flames feel that if Laurence is well, he could play for them next season.Zaharko is given a good chance of earning a position with the Flames this fall, but he will have to beat out another rookie contender, Greg Fox.Formerly a player for the University of Michigan, Fox comes off a very good season in Nova scotia.&ldquo;The only minor-league player we&rsquo;ve ever had more offers for was Willi Plett,&rdquo; Fletcher says.While Fletcher doesn&rsquo;t expect Fox to be rookie of the year, as Plett was, the young defenseman definitely figures strongly into the Flames&rsquo; future.Shand, Mulhern, Barry Gibbs and Eddie Kea are assured of defensive jobs with the Flames next season, and Zaharko and Fox will contest Pat Ribble for the fifth position.Fletcher opened a battle for a defensive job by trading five-year regular Randy Manery to Los Angeles. In return, the Flames received Ab DeMarco, a power-play specialist who is not expected to compete for regular duty.By trading Manery, Fletcher was banking on a good rookie year from Fox or a draft pick, which turned out to be Zaharko.One possible problem, however, was the signing of Zaharko. Winnipeg, one of the more successful teams in the World Hockey Association, drafted Zaharko, who has already made known his dislike for cities in the United States.Asked how he felt about being drafted by Atlanta, Zaharko said, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice, but it&rsquo;s too bad it couldn&rsquo;t be a Canadian city. Too bad it&rsquo;s in the States.&rdquo;As of press time, the Flames had not yet signed Zaharko or any of their other draft picks.FLAME NOTES: The Flames made a change in the front office, as owner and board chairman Tom Cousins announced that Bob Kent had taken the title of president of the team. Cliff Fletcher, who had been acting president, was designated a vice-president and will concentrate entirely on his duties as general manager of the team.Fletcher was apparently supportive of the change in titles. Over the past year. Kent has assumed increasing authority over Flames financial and business matters, and the title change only makes the trend official. &#9632;

f0008-03

Flames Draft Depth For Youthful Defense

<div class="byline">BY RICH PASSAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011031/3982287-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">MORE MUSCLE: Cleveland GM Harry Howell shows off his two top amateur draft picks, Mike Crombeen, left, and Daniel Chicoine, to the media after announcing Barons had signed the two amateurs to multi-year contracts. Both players are noted for playing it tough, something Howell felt the Barons needed at right wing to become a contender. Both players are right wingers and each is 5&rsquo;11&rdquo; and weighs 195 pounds.</figcaption></div>CLEVELAND&mdash;The rejuvenated Barons, according to general manager Harry Howell, took a couple of major steps toward respectability recently.Howell, after some long and intense negotiating, finally nailed the autographs of his top two choices in the June amateur draft.Both are right wingers, both stand five-foot-11, both weigh 195-pounds and both like to play it rough at both ends of the ice. One did it in the Ontario Hockey Association. The other in the Quebec Junior League.Mike Crombeen, the Barons&rsquo; top choice, is Howell&rsquo;s kind of hockey player. He exudes confidence off the ice and indications are that attribute will cafry over onto his on-ice performances.Confidence is a big part of Crombeen&rsquo;s game. &ldquo;You have to have confidence in anything you do,&rdquo; said the very self-assured young man, who sniped for 42 goals in 49 games with Kingston of the OHA last season.Crombeen, built very much along the lines of a young Bobby Hull, credits Kingston general manager Punch Scherer with helping him develop his positive mental attitude.&ldquo;Whenever I found myself in the dumps, he was there to turn me around,&rdquo; said Crombeen, whose leadership qualities were one of the factors that led Howell to use the Barons&rsquo; No. 1 pick on him.Crombeen is not entering the National Hockey League with wide eyes. He has a very good idea of what lies in store.&ldquo;I think I know what the NHL will demand of me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Total effort. And I&rsquo;m willing to do it to make the club.&rdquo; No attitude problem here.Danny (Chico) Chicoine will present no attitude problem, either. He is not as outgoing as Crombeen, but he loves to play hockey. Especially in the four comers of the rinks on which he plays.Skating for Sherbrooke in the QJHL, Chicoine did his share of scoring with 46 goals last season. But Chico&rsquo;s strength lies in his ability to keep his check off the score sheet.&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t accept having anyone score against me,&rdquo; the thick-necked Chicoine said.Unlike Crombeen, Chicoine is very wide-eyed about playing in the NHL. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t believe it yet,&rdquo; said the Barons&rsquo; second-round selection. &ldquo;I guess I&rsquo;ll believe it when I get to training camp.&rdquo;When Crombeen and Chicoine get to training camp in mid-September at Kent State University, they will get more than a modicum of competition from three incumbent right wingers.Fred Ahern, Bob Murdoch and Gary Sabourin, who missed 125 mangames last season due to injuries, are healthy now and are not expected to stand by and watch a couple of upstart youngsters take their places.Right wing is the one area Howell wanted to shore up and the former New York Rangers&rsquo; great defenseman is more than satisfied with his selection.All that remains now is for them to justify the selections.BARONS&rsquo; BITS:Jack Curran, trainer for the World Hockey Association Phoenix Roadrunners, has been appointed to a similar job with the Barons&hellip;Peter Larsen, president of the Richfield Coliseum, has been appointed president of the Barons. George Gund III, who bought the club from Mel Swig for $5.3 million, will be the club&rsquo;s governor&hellip; Ticket prices have been reduced, the top ducat now going for $8.50 instead of last year&rsquo;s $10&hellip;WJW has excercised its option and will carry the Barons on radio for the second straight year&hellip;No television plans have been finalized. &#9632;

f0009-01

Barons Bolstered Weak Right Wing With Draft Picks

CLEVELAND&mdash;George Gund III has purchased the Cleveland Barons hockey team from Mel Swig, the former owner, for $5.3 million in cash and notes.A native of Cleveland, Gund is a financier and businessman who has been closely identified with both Cleveland and hockey since his youth. He and his brother Gordon, who participated with him in the purchase of the team from Swig, both played on a number of local Cleveland school and club hockey teams.Gund said he plans to take a number of steps to strengthen the Cleveland Barons and that he hopes to &ldquo;build the team into a championship contender.&rdquo;The Cleveland club will actually be owned by the Ohio Barons, Inc., a company formed by Gund to make the purchase. The agreement with Swig calls for the company to pay him $500,000 in cash and $3 million in notes. It also calls for the payment of $1.8 million in notes to Charles O. Finley, who owned the club when it was the California Seals.The new Barons owner said he was &ldquo;confident&rdquo; that the hockey franchise can be turned into a success &ldquo;by giving spectators a more exciting team and by more effectively mobilizing public support for the Barons.&rdquo;To boost game attendance, the Barons will reduce ticket prices for next season&rsquo;s games and will seek to enlist the &ldquo;active support&rdquo; of season subscribers in selling season tickets, Gund stated. The Barons will also sponsor an extensive ice hockey program throughout northeast Ohio to stimulate youth interest in the team, he declared. The operations of the franchise will be placed on a &ldquo;businesslike basis&rdquo; to insure the team&rsquo;s financial health, he said.Harry Howell, acting general manager of the Barons, was immediately installed as permanent general manager. Jack Evans, coach for the past two seasons, was re-appointed to that position. Gund said he had &ldquo;great confidence&rdquo; in both men and that he believed they can produce a winning team for Cleveland. Peter Larsen, president of the Richfield Coliseum, has been named president of the Ohio Barons, Inc., and will be responsible to Gund for the club&rsquo;s business affairs. Gund will serve as board chairman of the company.The Barons youth program will encourage ice hockey tournaments for grade school high school and college teams throughout northeast Ohio and other areas served by The Coliseum. Many of the teams will have an opportunity to play in The Coliseum on Barons game nights.The tournament winners will be awarded trophies, and members of all the teams, including the coaches, will have an opportunity to receive free hockey instructions from the Barons players and coaches.A director of the Cleveland Trust Company, Gund is a partner in Gunwyn Ventures, a venture capital company, and vice chairman of Gund Investment Company. He has real estate holdings on the West Coast, is the owner of a Nevada cattle ranch and has numerous other business and financial interests.Active in civic, cultural and philantropic affairs, the new Barons owner is a director of the Cleveland Zoological Society, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the San Francisco Art Institute and the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art of New York and many other organizations. He is a director of the Gund Foundation.In his youth, Gund played ice hockey for the Cleveland Skating Club and Cleveland Falcons hockey teams and helped organize the first Western Reserve University team. &#9632;

Cleveland Native Gund Buys NHL Barons For $5.3 Millions

MONTREAL&mdash;The National Hockey League clubs have been hard at work since the June 14 amateur draft, signing no less than 13 of the league&rsquo;s top 18 draft choices, including the first eight players selected. Of the first 26 players selected by the NHL, a total of 17 have come to terms.Thus far, only one player chosen among the top 18, Scott Campbell of London Knights, has signed with a World Hockey Association team. Campbell, a defenseman. was chosen ninth by the St. Louis Blues as well as by the Houston Aeros of the WHA and has opted for the latter.A total of 12 teams in the NHL have been able to sign their first-round draft choice, while the New York Rangers have signed two players, right winger Lucien Deblois of the Sorel Black Hawks, whom they nabbed eighth and centerman Ron Duguay of the Sudbury Wolves, who was selected 13th.Teams not signing players chosen among the first 18 include Toronto Maple Leafs who drafted John Anderson 11th and Trevor Johanson 12th, both from the Toronto Marlboros; Montreal Canadiens. who tabbed WHA star Mark Napier of Birmingham as their first choice (10th overall) as well as left wing Normand Dupont of the Montreal Juniors who was selected 18th.The first pick in the entire draft was by Detroit as they chose center Dale McCourt of the St. Catharines Fincups. A pair of defenseman followed with Barry Beck drafted and signed by Colorado Rockies and Robert Picard who has entered the Washington Capitals fold.Selections four through eight who have been signed include Jere Gillis of Sherbrooke Castors (Vancouver Canucks), Mike Crombeen of Kingston Canadiens (Cleveland Barons). Doug Wilson, brother of Canadien Murray Wilson, Ottawa 67&rsquo;s (Chicago), Brad Maxwell from New Westminster Bruins (Minnesota) and Deblois with the Rangers.Also signing first-round picks were Buffalo Sabres who grabbed Ric Seiling, brother of Toronto&rsquo;s Rod Seiling, from St. Catharines, New York Islanders who took Michel Bossy of the Laval Nationals, Boston Bruins who signed OHA leading scorer Dwight Foster of Kitchener, and Philadelphia Flyers, who went for defenseman Kevin McCarthy of the Winnipeg Monarchs.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-02855/3982373-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="557" height="856"><figcaption class="caption-body">DALE McCOURT</figcaption></div>Several other teams announced the signings of top draft choices, as Vancouver Canucks came to agreement with Jeff Bandura, a second-round defense selection from the Portland Winter Hawks, Glen Hanlon, a third-round choice from Brandon Wheat Kings, and Murray Bannerman from the Victoria Cougars, a fourth-round goaltender Detroit, with third-round selection Rick Vasko of the Peterborough Petes; Cleveland Barons with second-round choice Daniel Chicoine of Sherbrooke; the New York Rangers with Mike Keating in the second-round, a left winger from the St. Catharines Fincups, defenseman Mario Marois of Quebec City, chosen 62nd overall, and winger Benoit Gosselin of Trois-Rivieres Draveurs. a fifth-round choice; plus Chicago Black Hawks who have signed their second-round choice, Jean Savard, a Quebec Remparts&rsquo; centerman, the 19th pick overall. &#9632;

f0010-02

NHL Teams Sign 13 Of 18 First Round Draft Selections

<div class="byline">BY DONALD BERNS</div>ST. LOUIS&mdash;The St. Louis Blues have been looking for an angel to save them from extinction.The current owners of the Blues are trying to find a buyer for the team and the St. Louis Arena, in which the team plays. Without a buyer the team apparently would declare bankruptcy. The principal owners, Sidney Salomon Jr. and Sid Salomon III, do not want to operate the team this coming season.However, prospective buyers for the Blues have been examining the team&rsquo;s financial books, then turning away. One serious buyer, Fred S. Kummer, president of HBE Corp., a construction company, became involved in extended negotiations for purchasing the team, then abruptly halted the talks and said he no longer was interested.One remaining prospective buyer was Ralston Purina Co., which stepped into the situation with the intention of saving the hockey team for St. Louis.R. &lsquo;Hal&rsquo; Dean, board chairman of Ralston, said, &ldquo;If there were another alternative for keeping the St. Louis Blues in St. Louis, Ralston Purina Co. would never consider investigating the possibility of purchasing the franchise. However, we have agreed to study a complex and rather desperate situation.&rdquo;Ralston Purina, which has its headquarters just a few miles from the Arena, is the world&rsquo;s largest producer of animal feed. It is diversified into other fields, such as breakfast food and restaurants, and last year had sales of $3.39 billion and a profit of $125.9 million. It employs 57,000 persons in 40 countries.The Blues&rsquo; financial problems are being disclosed gradually as suits are filed and other problems come to public notice. Apparently the extent of the Blues&rsquo; obligations has been the factor which has discouraged other prospective buyers.A realistic price for the Blues and the Arena apparently is somewhere between $8 million and $10 million. That amount would include all obligations, the largest of which is a $5.4 million balance of a mortgage held by Cousins Corp, of Atlanta. Other large loans reportedly include $1 million, owed to Mercantile Bank of St. Louis and $1 million owed to Sports Service of Buffalo.The largest suit against the Blues is by the City of St. Louis for $265,000 in unpaid taxes. Two former players, Jim McCrimmon and Bruce Cowick, have filed suits for unpaid salary with McCrimmon seeking $90,000 and Cowick $28,000. Several players, including Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante, reportedly are still drawing salaries from the Blues under the terms of contracts signed five to 10 years ago.The Blues have fired most of their Arena employees and were operating the building and the team&rsquo;s offices with a very small crew. No efforts had been made to sell tickets for next season.The St. Louis players anxiously were awaiting news of their fate. Either they will report to training camp on schedule under new ownership or will be cut loose from the franchise, probably in a dispersal draft, if the franchise ceases to exist.One player decided not to wait for the news. The Blues&rsquo; No. 1 draft choice this year, defenseman Scott Campbell of London, signed a contract with the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association. Campbell indicated the uncertainty in St. Louis was a factor in his decision.The Blues drafted well this year but also had not signed contracts with any of their other choices. Emile Francis, coach and general manager of the team and one of the few remaining fulltime employees, was handicapped in contract signings by the pace of the purchase negotiations.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011008/3982404-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="573" height="781"><figcaption class="caption-body">SCOTT CAMPBELL &hellip; He Didn&rsquo;t Wait</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0011-01

Blues Desperate For New Buyers

<div class="byline">Bill Fleischman&#x2019;s</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011027/3982435-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="266" height="427"></div><h2>Barry Ashbee Lives On</h2>THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS&rsquo; training camp won&rsquo;t be the same&mdash;Barry Ashbee won&rsquo;t be there.Ashbee&rsquo;s shocking death in May was a severe emotional jolt to all those who knew him. Some people in the Flyers&rsquo; organization were aware how fast their popular and respected assistant coach was slipping, but to many others the news hit with the impact of a two-by-four between the eyes.During the annual NHL meetings in Montreal several people mentioned to me how stunned they were when they read of Ashbee&rsquo;s death at 37 from acute leukemia. As Minnesota coach Ted Harris, one of hockey&rsquo;s all-time rugged players, talked about the man he had known for one year as a Flyers&rsquo; teammate, Harris&rsquo;s eyes moistened.How much Ashbee will be missed by the Flyers will be seen a few months after the season begins, but perhaps those who only knew Ashbee from a fan&rsquo;s view are wondering: why such lingering reaction to this man? What was his appeal to bring a charter flight of 100, including Flyers&rsquo; players and wives, to Toronto for his funeral?Why would almost 500 people fill St. Andrew&rsquo;s Presbyterian Church in Humber Heights, near Toronto, for funeral services? Among those paying tribute to Ashbee were NHL president Clarence Campbell; Darryl Sittier and Lanny McDonald of the Maple Leafs, two of hockey&rsquo;s classiest young players and former Flyers&rsquo; Dave Schultz, Ed Van Impe, Jack Mcllhargey, Doug Favell and Terry Murray.<h2>Flyers Will Feel It</h2>WHAT WAS IT ABOUT Ashbee that would bring an estimated 800 people, including Washington&rsquo;s Bryan (Bugsy) Watson, to the Spectrum on a Monday afternoon for a memorial service?As you&rsquo;ve concluded by now, Barry Ashbee was someone special. Flyers&rsquo; GM Keith Allen, the man who freed Ashbee at 31 from an outrageously long minor-league sentence, described his former colleague as &ldquo;a man&rsquo;s man. Barry taught our team what it took to win.&rdquo;What made Ashbee such a remarkable man was his honesty. Ask him a question and you received a to-the-point answer. As a player, if he didn&rsquo;t like a coach&rsquo;s opinion or a writer&rsquo;s story, he said so. Not in a loudmouth way&mdash;but you got the message. The next day, however, you could talk and laugh with him as if nothing had happened.The Flyers respected Ashbee because they saw how he responded to injuries that would put a normal man in civilian clothes&mdash;or in the hospital. They respected him because, after he adjusted to coaching, he became an adviser, a confidant, someone with unalterable poise, a man who defended his players to the public while sometimes privately giving them hell. &lsquo;Ashbee&rsquo;s judgments on players were held in the greatest esteem. Writers who wavered on the trade that brought Bob Dailey to Philadelphia suddenly snapped to attention when Ashbee said, &ldquo;He has a chance to be another Larry Robinson.&rdquo;<h2>He Was Revered By All</h2>I THOUGHT I KNEW Barry well, but after his death I learned of episodes like this:Barry frequently visited Stepheri Kenney, whose father, Bob, is sports editor of South Jersey&rsquo;s largest newspaper. Stephen was severely burned while curving the blade of his hockey stick. The visits of Ashbee and Phillies&rsquo; catcher Bob Boone are credited with helping the youngster and a friend who was also a burn victim recover from near death. Ashbee also spent time cheering up elderly women patients, much to the hospital staff&rsquo;s delight.During his one-month hospitalization, Ashbee was visited regularly by Philadelphia players. The former second-team NHL All Star defenseman kept in daily contact with Keith Allen, Fred Shero, Mike Nykoluk and the players during their brief semi-final series with Boston.The day before Ashbee died, Bobby Clarke, the Watson brothers and Terry Crisp were among those who saw their friend. When the heavily medicated Ashbee was finally able to recognize the Flyers&rsquo; delegation, he asked for a pen and pad to diagram some strategy that would help the team&rsquo;s defense. However, before he could write anything, the man with a heart as big as Seattle Slew lapsed into unconsciousness again.During the days following Ashbep&rsquo;s death, people learned a lot about themselves and each other. Grown men who thought they wouldn&rsquo;t cry over anything except family tragedies wept. Don Saleski, an occasional target for Spectrum boo-birds, provided a sturdy shoulder for Ashbee&rsquo;s children to lean on. Bobby Clarke, his knees shaking and his heart aching, offered a eulogy on Ashbee that made people want to applaud.Ashbee applauded in 1974 when he watched&mdash;with one eye&mdash;as the Flyers upset Boston for the Stanley Cup. Ashbee&rsquo;s playing career had ended during the Semi-finals when a Dale Rolfe shot struck him in the right eye. When Ashbee announced hisretirement a month later, he told everyone he wasn&rsquo;t bitter because, at 34, he had achieved his lifetime goal&mdash;playing on a Stanley Cup winner.Later, the man who was such a vital part of the Flyers&rsquo; success found another goal. He had grown to like coaching and hoped to be an NHL head coach. That ambition was closer to fulfillment than many suspect.Now all that&rsquo;s left of Barry Ashbee for us is memories. We&rsquo;re grateful for those fond memories. In my case, they&rsquo;ll last a long, long time. &#9632;

f0012-01

HOCKEY WORLD

<div class="byline">BY PAT THOMPSON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0013-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-01989/3982504-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">ROLAND ERICKSSON&hellip; Helped North Stars Land Swedes (Photo by Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div>BLOOMINGTON&mdash;The Minnesota North Stars had not completed their work in the National Hockey League draft when they announced a news conference for the following day.The signing of some veterans? Of No. 1 draft choice Brad Maxwell?Neither. The Stars dropped a blockbuster announcement in Bloomington June 15 by signing two 26-year-old veterans from the Swedish National team which did very well against Czech, Soviet and Canadian teams the last year.Joining Roland Eriksson, the Swede who scored more points than any other NHL rookie last season, on the Minnesota roster for the coming season will be six-foot-two, 185-pound right winger Kenta-Erik Andersson and five-foot-eight, 172-pound center-left wing Per-Olov Brasar.There are no promises of a Swedish Connection line, but the two newcomers should step right onto the big league club.At least that&rsquo;s what veteran defenseman Lou Nanne thinks, and he played against both of them in the world tournament the past spring in Vienna.&ldquo;If they don&rsquo;t make our club,&rdquo; declared Nanne, the ranking North Star veteran, &ldquo;something is wrong. In fact, I feel on the basis of raw talent, they should fit in at the top level of our club. How can they not be good the way Sweden played on a par with the Russian and Czech teams.&rdquo;General manager Jack Gordon credited Eriksson with a major role in luring Andersson and Brasar into North Star sweaters.&ldquo;I&rsquo;d be less than frank if I didn&rsquo;t say that our very pleasant relationship with Roland played a large role in what led to these signings,&rdquo; said Gordon. &ldquo;There was plenty of competition from at least four other teams to sign them.&ldquo;These players are going to make us a stronger hockey club next season and there&rsquo;s no question that they will help us right away. Their addition will make the competition for positions that much more interesting.&rdquo;Brasar scored 23 goals and 16 assists for his Leksands team in Sweden&rsquo;s Division I tier. He has played eight seasons in that division, performed in the Canada Cup and in the world tournament.Andersson played at Farjestads, another Division I unit, and scored 17 goals and 17 assists before joining the Swedish nationals for the Austrian tournament. He has six years, experience in Sweden&rsquo;s top league.People were talking at the end of the 1976-77 season that the North Stars were four, possibly, five players from developing into a genuine division title contender. The thinking now is that figure may have been reduced to one, possibly two, with these signings and through the draft.Maxwell, six-foot-one, 184, should bolster the team&rsquo;s defense. He was the seventh player chosen on the opening round and Gordon expects him to step into a major league uniform immediately.The right-handed shooting defenseman was a member of the Memorial Cup champion New Westminster team, and actually scored the winning goal in the junior title game.Maxwell (no relation to former Star choice Bryan Maxwell who is in the WHA) scored 21 goals and had 58 assists for 79 points in 70 junior games. He was assessed 205 minutes in penalties.&ldquo;Maxwell is the type of player who can break open a game with his skating and stickhandling,&rdquo; said chief scout Ted O&rsquo;Connor. &ldquo;He also knows how to play the defensive end of the game, too.&rdquo;What had concerned North Star fans was the team&rsquo;s inability to counter intimidation tactics the last few seasons.The second round draft choice, six-foot-three, 201-pound left winger Dave Semenko of the Brandon juniors could answer that calling. He amassed 265 penalty minutes his final junior year.Gordon said he was uncertain how fast Semenko would develop, but that it probably would not take him long if he did get a minor league ticket.STAR DUST: Veteran defenseman Nick Beverley signed a new contract&hellip;That left goalie Gary Smith, defenseman Jerry Engele, right wing Bill Fairbairn and left wing Ernie Hicke unsigned&hellip; Smith apparently will not be offered a new con tract&hellip; Charlie Burns is shopping for a job with another organization&hellip; Burns was released as assistant GM in an economy move after serving the team as player, playing coach, coach, scout, minor league coach and minor league GM, and in other capacities&hellip;Dick Dillman, team&rsquo;s PR, was back at work soon after the second of two arterial operations.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-02815/3982497-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="561" height="885"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRAD MAXWELL &hellip; Inks Pro Contract</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0013-01

North Stars Strike It Rich With Swedes

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011008/3982535-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Veteran St. Louis Blues&rsquo; trainer Tommy Woodcock tries out some skating techniques on the unique synthetic ice surface produced by &lsquo;Skate On, and which will be featured at the Expo trade show in Minneapolis Aug. 12-14. A wide variety of hockey products will be presented during the show.</figcaption></div>MINNEAPOLIS&mdash;New products and ideas for hockey and ice arena will be featured during the second National Hockey/Arena Expo, to be held August 12-14 in Minneapolis. The show is a trade event, and those who will attend are involved in the sport and business of hockey, and will come from throughout the United States and Canada.Advance registration is running well ahead of the first hockey expo, according to show producer Larry Jorgensen of United Expos, Inc. The first show, which was also held in Minneapolis, attracted over 4,000 persons.Jorgensen said, &ldquo;we have received registrations from over 30 states and four Canadian provinces. We have even received requests from several towns in Alaska.&rdquo;The people who are planning to visit the show have varied interests in hockey. They include arena managers, owners of hockey and sports shops, city and county recreation officials, team owners and managers, youth hockey organizations, coaches, and others.The new products they will see also will be varied. For the hockey participant there will be sticks, skates, protective gear, training aids, clothing, and other necessary sports items. While the arena owner will view items such as ice plants, scoreboards, concession equipment, or dashers; or even consider the designing and construction of complete ice arena facilities. And to help pay for it all, numerous fund raising ideas and products will be displayed.The three day exposition will be held in the Minneapolis Auditorium, and even though the exhibit hall is not equipped to provide an ice surface, this will not stop the hockey show from offering actual skating demonstrations&hellip;thanks to a unique synthetic ice surface. The material, called &ldquo;Skate On&rdquo; is placed on the cement floor with no refrigeration necessary. The inter-locking rink pieces than provide an ice-like surface that is excellent for practice or competition.Another important segment of the expo show will include seminar sessions, to be conducted by industry leaders. The program will cover areas such as youth hockey, rink management, purchase and use of equipment, new developments in face and neck protection,, and other current hockey topics.Persons who would like to attend or participate in the second National Hockey/Arena Expo should contact the show producer, United Expos, Inc., P.O. Box 13, Green Bay, Wisconsin 54305 or phone 414-468-5157.Hockey fans will have an opportunity to enjoy a sneak preview of the newest in products and ideas for hockey at the second National Hockey/Arena Expo. The weekend show requires admission by registration for qualified buyers.However, this year there also will be special public hours when hockey fans and the general public will be allowed to view the displays and demonstrations.The producer of the show, Jorgensen said the public hours were introduced this year because of the great interest in hockey in Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota.&ldquo;Numerous requests had been received for this change, and our exhibitors agreed that it would be to their benefit to provide this public viewing,&rdquo; Jorgensen said.The open hours will be Saturday night, Aug. 13 from 6:00 until 10:00 pm only. Attendance at all other times during the show, will be by qualified registration.Problems which are unique to the sport of hockey will be considered during special seminar sessions at Hockey/Arena Expo show. The sessions will be featured during the first two days of the weekend show.Heading the program will be Dr. Earl Hoemer of Livingston, N.J., who is internationally known for his leadership in sports medicine. He is also chairman of Safety and Protective Equipment for the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS), and will serve as coordinator for the entire program.Others expected to participate will include Dr. Allan Ryan, editor of Sportsmedicine Magazine. Charles Holt, coach, university of New Hampshire; and Fenton Kelsey, Jr., publisher of U.S. Hockey/Arena Biz magazine.In addition selected resource people will be present to assist in special interest areas. The seminars are planned to provide authoritative information in a unique flowing format.The first session will begin at 1:00 pm, Friday, Aug. 12, and the subjects to be introduced will include the following:1. Fitness and conditioning - comparing techniques of Russia, Sweden Czechoslovakia, Canada, and U.S.2. Conditioning and training for youth, high school, and college hockey players.3. Biomechanics of hockey today - what this means to hockey leaders.4. First aid and what to do at the rink.5. Methods of evaluation of hockey potential and player&rsquo;s ability.6. Psychology attitudes of coaches, players, and parents.The second seminar session will begin at 1:00 pm. Saturday, Aug. 13, with the following topics to be considered:1. Your role in the healthy play and growth of hockey in your community. How to expand your future in hockey.2. The purchase, use and care of hockey equipment and uniforms. Protective equipment today - with update and forecast.3. What is new in ice facilities. What to look for in tomorrow&rsquo;s planning.4. Funding, building, operating ice facilities.5. Raising money to operate your hockey teams, to purchase hockey equipment. &#9632;

f0014-01

Minneapolis To Host Second Expo Trade Show

AHAUS SAFETY & PROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT COMMITTEELivington, New JerseyMethods for testing helmets, different types of helmets.ALBANY INTERNATIONALAlbany, New YorkPortable surface for Ice rinks.AMERICAN FUND RAISING CO.Milwaukee, WisconsinFund Raising MerchandiseAIR TECH INDUSTRIESClifton, New JerseyAMERICAN SEATING COMPANYGrand Rapids, Mich.Arena chairsATICWayzata, Minn.Refrigeration equipmentAM-PRO INCORPORATIONRochester, Minn.Hockey face shieldARNO ADHESIVE TAPES, INC.Michigan City, Ind.Athletic pressure sensitive adhesive tapesBELCO ATHLETIC SCHOOL LAUNDRYEQUIPMENT CO.Charlotte, N.C.Laundry equipmentBONI GOALIE TRAINERS, INC.Brampton, OntarioGoalie Training MachinesCAN-AM CORPORATIONBurlington, Vt.Hockey equipmentCHAPYL SPORTS, INC.Long Island City, New YorkHockey Jerseys, hockey hose, scrimmage vest,knit accessoriesCHRISTIAN BROTHERS, INC.Warroad, Minn.Hockey sticksCUSTOM RADIUS CORPORATIONTopsfield, Mass.Skate sharpener, skate sharpening accessoriesDARIC DESIGN, INC.Tulsa, OklahomaHockey scoreboardD.J. DESIGNSRockford, IIITeaching & coaching aid for hockeyDRAKE CONSTRUCTION CO.Minneapolis, Minn.ITT ice rinksFINNAIRNew York, N.Y.THE FLEITER CORPORATIONSt. Louis, Mo.Ice rink refrigeration systems.GATEWAY PUBLISHING CO., LTD.Winnipeg, ManitobaHockey bookGOUROCK INDUSTRIES, LTD.Boucherville, QuebecGUARDIAN SPORTSVancouver, B.C.&ldquo;Neeld Shield&rdquo; full face shield for hockeyHEIN-A-KENCORP.Thief River Falls, Minn.HERSHEY CHOCOLATE OF CANADASmith Falls, OntarioHOCKEY MATE INTERNATIONALMontreal, QuebecHockey Mate puck passing and shooting machineHOLMSTEN ICE RINKS, INC.St. Paul, Minn.Refrigeration and dasher systems for ice rinks.IRWIN SEATING COMPANYGrand Rapids, Mich.Fixed arena seating, fully upholstered, semi-upholsteredJAYFRO CORPORATIONWaterford, Conn.Ice hockey goals and nets; rink protective and ball control nettingKIRBY BUILDING SYSTEMS, INC.Houston, ToxasPre-engineered stool building systems for use as indoor hockey arenas.KATHRYN BEICH CANDIESForest Park, IIIKOHO HOCKEY EQUIPMENTFarmingdale, N.Y.LEEDS DIVISION OF JEWELMONT CORP.Minneapolis, Minn.New Hormos engraving machinesLET&rsquo;S PLAY HOCKEYBloomington, Minn.Hockey publicationLIFELINE, INC.Madison, Wis.Jump rope and exercise program.THE LINDGREN COMPANYMinneapolis, Minn.Rink grid roll up package, arenabuilding plans, ice rink refrigeration systems.LONG ISLAND ICEFloral Park, New YorkHockey publicationLYLE&rsquo;S REFRIGERATIONNew Hope, Minn.M.E.C.A. SPORTSWEAR, INC.St. Paul, Minn.Hockey emblems, jackets, T-ShirtsMARIK WESTERN LTD.Medicine Hat, AlbertaHockey sticksMIDLAND PRODUCTS COMPANYMinneapolis, Minn.Food concession equipmentDOUGLAS MONROApple Valley, Minn.MONTREAL HOCKEY COMPANYStamford, Conn.Hockey sticks, bags, tape, lacesMUNARI CORPORATION CANADA, LTD.Montreal, QuebecHockey skates & accessoriesNORTHLAND GROUP, INC.Chaska, Minn.Hockey sticks, helmets, masks.PAM TOOL COMPANYPeekskill, New YorkIndustrial diamond tools used for skate sharpeners, grinding wheels.ROBERT PAESCHKE & ASSOCIATESMilwaukee, Wis.Rubber productsPRO-TEC, INC.Tukwila, WashingtonQB GARD, INC.Stockton, Calif.Wire face mask, hockey stickRLSPRODUCTSSanta Monica, Calif.2-wheel Indoor/outdoor roller skates for off-ice conditioning.ROPE-A-DOPE - GREG CAMPBELLPRODUCTIONS, INC.Madison, Wis.Muhammad All Rope-A-Dope jump ropesRUBBER PRODUCTS DIVISIONTampa, Fla.SAFE-T-GARD, INC.Madison, Wis.Hockey mouthguards, eyeglass holders, street and gym hockey, hockey facemasks, anti-fog and cleanerSPORTDECALSCrystal Lake, III.SANDOW SPORTING KNIT, INC.Montreal, QuebecNHL approved hockey sweaters and stockingsSHERBROOKE SPORTS CANADA LTD.Worcester, Mass.Hockey equipmentSHIELD MANUFACTURING, INC.Tonawanda, New YorkTorspo hockey sticks Shield street hockeyShield mouthguardsSKATE ON, INC.Bridgeton, MissouriSynthetic ice skating surfaceSPORT SEATING COMPANYEmmaus, Pas.Spectator seatingSTICK SHACKOmaha, Neb.Fund raising items, hockey coloring books, hockey posters, hockey T-shirtsTEMCORMinneapolis, Minn.Temcor hockey domesTIPPMANN ENGINEERING, INC.Fort Wayne, IndianaHockey dashersU.S. HOCKEY/ARENA BIZMadison, Wis.Hockey/Arana publicationU.S. HOCKEY HALL OF FAMEEveleth, Minn.WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS CO.San Diego, Calif.WARD. DRESHMAN, & REINHARDT. INC.Worthington, OhioProfessional fund raising counsel.BOB WHITE CANDY COMPANYMadison, WisconsinCandies for fund raisingWISCONSIN BLUE RIBBON CHEESESun Prairie, Wis.Cheese for fund raisingWISCONSIN HOMESTEAD, INC.Madison, Wis.Cheese & sausage for fund raisingWORLD&rsquo;S FINEST CHOCOLATE, INC.Chicago, III.Chocolate A products for fund raisingTSM INDUSTRIES, INC.Mississauga, OntarioSkate sharpener equipment &#9632;

List Of Exhibitors For Expo Trade Show

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0015-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-01972/3982590-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">The skyline of downtown Minneapolis where trade show will be held.</figcaption></div>MINNEAPOLIS&mdash;Minneapolis continues to offer the ideal location for important trade expositions. It is in the heart of one of North America&rsquo;s finest hockey markets. The city is easy to reach with air, rail, bus and truck services that meet every schedule.The 16 million dollar Minneapolis Auditorium and Convention Hall is within walking distance of downtown hotels and motels, with more than 5,000 accommodations nearby. It also offers a &ldquo;no hassle&rdquo; exposition facility, with ease of show set-up and operation. Every service is available at a price that is reasonable and it is the ideal place for the annual National Hockey/ Arena Expo trade show.All persons attending the show during trade hours will be screened and registered for admittance. Firm name, address, and title will be registered, and printed lists will be available to exhibitors only, after the show has been completed.Trailer trucks have direct access to the floor of the Exhibit Hall. Canopied loading docks 360 feet long also provide all&mdash; weather protection at other loading zones.Services to the show include electricity, hot&mdash;cold water, gas, drains and telephone connections. Provided are 115/208, three-phase five-wire, up to 100 Amp circuits. The latest and most efficient type of illumination is used throughout the hall, with special lighting effects available. The entire area is air conditioned, and ventilating systems provide a constant flow of fresh air and controlled temperature.Each exhibitor will be provided with a complete move-in packet, with easy to follow instructions and general show information. Packets were mailed well in advance of show dates, to permit sufficient time for exhibit planning.Nearly half of Minnesota&rsquo;s population now lives in the seven county Twin Cities metro area of approximately 2,000.000 people. The total population of metro Minneapolis (Hennepin County) is 960,080.The Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, a gently curving pedestrian walkway flanked by trees, flowers and fountains, is the heart of the City&rsquo;s exciting shopping scene. Lined by five major department stores and scores of specialty shops and boutiques, the Mallis where the visiting shopper can find high fashions or functional designs in an exciting and interesting atmosphere. The city&rsquo;s QT bus service runs the entire length of the Mall and past most of the downtown area&rsquo;s major hotels and motels to the Minneapolis Auditorium and Convention Center.Minneapolis is nationally at the forefront in constructing modern, congestion-free highways and freeways while preserving valuable park lands and residential properties. The vast freeway network links downtown Minneapolis to all points, North, East, West and South. &#9632;

f0015-01

Minneapolis Ideal Location For Second Expo Trade Show

<div class="byline">BY TOM HENSHAW</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-01814/3982621-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">CHIEF ON SPOT: Veteran John Bucyk of the Bruins hopes to play his 23rd NHL season this year but much depends on how well the 42-year-old all-time scoring great has recovered from an ailing knee. Bucyk missed most of last season.</figcaption></div>BOSTON&mdash;Don Cherry has a theory that you can tell a hockey player just by looking at his picture.The Boston Bruins coach tested the theory during the June amateur draft, sorting through glossy photos of graduating juniors, strangers to him all, and selecting one of Barry Beck, not a bad choice considering Beck was the No. 2 selection of the scouts who actually watched him play all season.Cherry also liked the looks of Dwight Foster, which must have come as a relief to the Bruins&rsquo; front office since it had just picked the 20-year-old center-right-wing from kitchener Rangers in the first round of the draft.&ldquo;Look at that scar between his eyes,&rdquo; chortled Cherry, dabbing at Foster&rsquo;s picture with his forefinger. &ldquo;And look at that squint in his eyes. Just like Wensink.&rdquo;It may come as a blow to Foster&rsquo;s ego to be likened to a four-goal scorer who plays only occasionally but Cherry measures his players first by their toughness and the current standard is John Wensink, who was once suspended for biting an opponent when all else failed.Aside from the scar and the squint (which no one else noticed, even after close scrutiny), Cherry was particularly impressed by the fact that Foster is part-owner of a radiator repair shop in Kitchener and plans to work there most of the summer.He was equally impressed when the Bruins&rsquo; No. 2 choice, goalie Dave Parro from the Saskatoon Blades, was finally located laboring for the summer on an oil or gas pipeline somewhere in the Canadian north.&ldquo;At least they&rsquo;re not out on the golf course all summer, &rdquo; said Cherry, whose own off-season occupation is digging postholes at his newly acquired estate in suburban Andover.The Bruins&rsquo; brass, who have not been notably successful in mining gold from the amateur draft in recent years, were enthusiastic about both Foster and Parro.&ldquo;Our scouts rated Foster the No. 7 pick in the whole draft and we got him with our 16th pick,&rdquo; said managing director Harry Sinden. &ldquo;This is the first time in the last few years that we have had a crack at a player who we rated that low.&rdquo;&ldquo;We think he has a real good chance of cracking the club next year,&rdquo; said chief scout Gary Darling, &ldquo;even though he&rsquo;s a right winger and that is one of our strong points.&rdquo;Foster, who played center for most of the OHA season after teammate Red Lawrence broke his leg, won the scoring title by four points over Dale McCourt, the No. 1 pick in all the draft, with 60 goals and 83 assists for 143 points.The Bruins, who were up to their shoulder pads in goals during the Phil Esposito-Bobby Orr era a few years ago, need an explosive scorer almost as much as they need a mobile, puckhandling defenseman.Foster told the Boston hockey writers by telephone that he was both surprised and pleased to be picked by the Bruins.&ldquo;I was surprised that I&rsquo;d be there when Boston took its pick,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It really shocked me but I&rsquo;m happy about it. The Bruins are a stable team. There aren&rsquo;t any problems, none that I know about anyway. They&rsquo;ve always been in the running. I think I&rsquo;ll have a chance to crack the lineup.&rdquo;The Bruins selected eight players in the draft, including two college futures, and Sinden indicated they would offer pro contracts to Foster and possibly Parro while the rest would be invited to camp as amateurs.Boston is not deep in goaltending prospects. There are Gerry Cheevers and Gilles Gilbert with the big club, Jim Pettie at Rochester, Gary Carr at Columbus and Pete Waselovich, a 1974 draft choice, due out of the University of North Dakota.Parro was rated second among eligible goalies in the NHL&rsquo;s Central Scouting Bureau report behind Murray Bannerman of Victoria. But Bruins&rsquo; scouts put him on top.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of the best standup goalies that I&rsquo;ve seen in juniors in the last four years,&rdquo; said Darling. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to have to start in the minors but he has the potential to be a good NHL goalie some day.&rdquo;&ldquo;Besides,&rdquo; he added, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t feel that you can have too many goaltenders in your organization.&rdquo;BRUINS BITS & PIECES: Sinden sums up the Bruins, implacable opposition to an NHL-WHA merger into a 24-team league like this: &ldquo;Hockey just does not have the player supply to maintain a major league skill level with 24 teams. We don&rsquo;t feel we should have more than 18 teams although the Bruins were ready to compromise at 20.&rdquo;The key to 42-year-old Johnny Bucyk&rsquo;s chances of returning for a 23rd NHL season, 21st with the Bruins, is the condition of his ailing leg. &ldquo;He never regained strength in his leg at all last season right through the playoffs,&rdquo; said Sinden. &ldquo;The key is whether or not that leg can come back to normal. It appears at the moment that it&rsquo;s coming around very well.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0016-01

Cherry Lavishes Praise On Bruin Draft Choices

NEW YORK&mdash;Ned Harkness, the former coach of the Detroit Red Wings, has already contributed one goalkeeper of high stature to the National Hockey League and now he&rsquo;s about to provide a second.Harkness, who is currently the coach of small Union College in upstate New York, feels that goaler Steve Baker has all the ingredients to become a major leaguer.In fact, Harkness thinks that Baker is more advanced in his college hockey career than Ken Dryden was when he coached the big Montreal goalkeeper at Cornell University.Baker, the Rangers&rsquo; third round draft choice for 1977, has agreed to terms and Ranger scout Paul Moreau played a major role in getting the big goaler to sign a New York contract for the future.Harkness had Baker last season at Union College and he&rsquo;ll have him back next fall for his junior year of college. Rangers don&rsquo;t intend to rush young Baker into pro ranks according to Moreau, who recommended the youngster to Rangers&rsquo; GM John Ferguson at draft time.Ferguson said he is happy to have Baker work under Harkness, who is a highly successful college coach despite the fact he was a wipeout as an NHL bench boss.Harkness called Baker &ldquo;the best goalie in U.S. college hockey&rdquo;. The rookie is six-foot-three and weighs in at 200 and has a great glove hand.Ferguson hopes youngsters like Baker and Swedish netminder Hardy Aastrom will bring the Rangers&rsquo; goaling picture up to top NHL level in the years ahead. The New Yorkers suffered badly last season from goaling problems and it appears that injury-prone John Davidson may not be the answer to the Rangers&rsquo; goalkeeping needs. &#9632;

Harkness Grooming Rangers Future Goalkeeping Hope

<div class="byline">BY NORM MacLEAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0017-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-01705/3982659-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRAIN TRUST: General manager John Ferguson, left, and his aide, Jean-Guy Talbot have high hopes for the Rangers next season and they will put their youth movement into operation with Talbot going behind the bench as head coach while Ferguson concentrates on the GM duties. (Photo by Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div>NEW YORK&mdash;Jean Guy Talbot will coach the newly reconstructed New York Rangers in 1977-78 and at least two and perhaps as many as five of the Blueshirts&rsquo; 1977 draft picks will be in uniform when the new season opens.The coronation of Talbot as Rangers coach will officially take place this month, with general manager John Gerguson working only in the front office from now on.&ldquo;Talbot ran many of our practices last year,&rdquo; said Ferguson. &ldquo;There will be no problem as a result of the changeover.&rdquo;Talbot&rsquo;s promotion was forecast in THE HOCKEY NEWS&rsquo; June issue, although it was speculated at the time that Ferguson might start the new season behind the bench.&ldquo;Talbot will do alright,&rdquo; said captain Phil Esposito. &ldquo;The guys like him just as much as they do Fergy, who was a player&rsquo;s type coach.&rdquo;Some feel that Talbot may be a better coach than Ferguson because of his calm approach to a game, in comparison to Ferguson&rsquo;s frenetic fury.Meanwhile the general manager did his thing, bringing his first five drafts to New York for a sign in and rap session with the media. And he arranged for the Rangers to completely control their working agreement with the New Haven (AHL) Nighthawks when Minnesota was talked into leaving the previously half and half deal.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy to be able to work with New Haven without sharing them with another NHL team. It means we will have our farm team just 74 miles away, and that I have a place to send anyone on my roster. I won&rsquo;t fear to put any of my veterans on waivers or send them to the AHL team if I think it is the right move,&rdquo; said Ferguson.Rangers&rsquo; first five draft picks, included five-foot-11, 200-pound right wing Lucien DeBlois, six-foot-two, 210-pound center Ron Duguay both first round selections, and Six-foot, 185-pound left wing Mike Keating, a second round pick as well as five-foot-11, 170-pound defenseman Mario Marois and five-foot-10, 190-pound left wing Benoit Gosselin.&ldquo;I know of at least three spots we have to improve on,&rdquo; said Fergy. &ldquo;These five boys will fight for those spots and I think their chances are good.&rdquo;DeBlois, the MVP of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League fits into the mold of comer man.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a strong take charge guy built like a tank,&rdquo; observed Ferguson. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a corner man in the mold of a J.P. Parise. He&rsquo;ll take a bump to get the puck and he expects to be bumped and to bump back.&rdquo;&ldquo;People say I&rsquo;m a two way player and that&rsquo;s what I want to be,&rdquo; said DeBlois.The main question is can 20-year-old DeBlois of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, fits into the Ferguson get the opportunity and so will Duguay get a chance to send light checking Wayne Dillon packing to New Haven, $200,000 per year contract and all.There will be instant pressure on DeBlois, but it will be unfair and unlikely that he can duplicate the instant stardom that another right wing rookie Don Murdoch accomplished during the first half of 1976-77.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that DeBlois has the kind of natural scoring gifts that Murdoch has,&rdquo; said Ferguson. &ldquo;We are thinking of DeBlois as a rugged hard working comer man.&rdquo;If the Rangers dissatisfied patrons give the new right wing the razzberry it won&rsquo;t phase the young man.&ldquo;I have been told New York fans become angry with bad play,&rdquo; said Lucien, who speaks English haltingly. &ldquo;But that is the same everywhere. I will work hard and they will see I don&rsquo;t like bad play also.&rdquo;With Rod Gilbert, Murdoch, Bill Goldsworthy, Hodge and sometimes Pat Hickey available on the right side, DeBlois could still wind up in New Haven for seasoning. But, most deem it more likely that a veteran, such as Goldsworthy, will walk the plank. Hodge is also in danger.DeBlois&rsquo; signing with the Rangers created pressure on the WHA&rsquo;s Quebec Nordiques, the Avco Cup champions who tried to sign the young man.&ldquo;I think they thought that with Quebec about to come into the NHL, and me speaking mostly French they didn&rsquo;t have to work so hard to sign me,&rdquo; said Lucien. &ldquo;But Mr. Ferguson was so enthusiastic about the reconstruction of the Rangers that I wanted to come to New York. I can&rsquo;t wait for September and training camp.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-02602/3982652-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="561" height="1308"><figcaption class="caption-body">LUCIEN DEBLOIS &hellip; First Choice</figcaption></div>Duguay has already taken the roster spot of one of the Rangers centers, Peter Stemkowski, Other pivots are Esposito, Dillon, and hard checking Walter Tkaczuk. Ron was recommended by his former junior teammate Dave Farrish. one of three first year men who cracked the Rangers&rsquo; lineup last year.Farrish, a defenseman, played with Duguay with Sudbury of the Ontario Hockey Association two years ago.Duguay has been lifting weights all his life,&rdquo; said Farrish. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s very strong. He will fit into the youth movement on this team.&rdquo;Farrish, Murdoch and defenseman Mike McEwen were the Rangers three top draft picks a year ago. All became regulars. The same pattern would fit Keating onto the 1977-78 team. Present left wings are Steve Vickers, who can score, but whose lackadaisical checking doesn&rsquo;t endear him to MSG patrons. Dan Newman, who wound up on Espo&rsquo;s line Nick Fotiu, the rough kid from Staten Island, Greg Polis, and the versatile Hickey.&ldquo;All five boys will get a chance,&rdquo; insisted Ferguson, puffing a cigar. &ldquo;September and October will be critical months for some of our veteran players with big names. They will have to prove they still can play up to their previous standing in the league.&rdquo;In another matter, Ferguson took exception to reports that the Rangers had come off second to the Islanders in the signing of Hardy Aastrom of Sweden. Aastrom, a goalie played with the Swedish National team as did Goran Hogasta, who signed with the Islanders. Despite Hogasta&rsquo;s number one rating with the Swedes, Ferguson opined, &ldquo;We think Aastrom is better then Hogasta in several different areas of play. He is a notch above Hogasta.&rdquo;BLUE CHIPS: Rookie camp opens Sept. 11 at Pointe Claire, a Montreal suburb with Aastrom among those attending&hellip;Regular camp opens at Long Beach, L.I. Sept. 18. &#9632;

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Talbot Ready To Coach Rangers As Top Five Draft Picks Signed

<div class="byline">BY FRANK ORR</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-01722/3982721-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">DEPARTED MENTOR: Red Kelly, ohown with his players behind the Leafs&rsquo; bench, has been relieved of the Toronto coaching job for &lsquo;medical reasons&rsquo;. He has declined an offer to remain in the organization and will enter private business. (Photo by Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div>TORONTO&mdash;LOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S and CanadaTORONTO&mdash;Harold Ballard, the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, claimed that Roger Neilson was &ldquo;on a safari&rdquo; in Africa when his appointment as Leaf coach was announced.Actually, Neilson did visit South Africa on a summer vacation, most of which was spent in Europe. But the new Leaf coach hardly was off in the jungle hunting wild animals when Ballard informed the world that Neilson would replace the departed Red Kelly behind the Leaf bench.&ldquo;Departed&rdquo; is about the only word which accurately fits Kelly&rsquo;s leaving the Leaf scene. Kelly, who had held the job for four years, had serious problems in his back, an ailment which has kept him in constant pain since early April.Ballard claimed health reasons were behind Kelly&rsquo;s contract &ldquo;not being renewed.&rdquo; He didn&rsquo;t mention &ldquo;fired&rdquo; and said Red could have a job in the Leaf organization. Kelly claimed he hadn&rsquo;t heard any Leaf job offers and was ready to enter private business, anyway.Neilson&rsquo;s appointment caught the Leaf organization slightly unawares. Leaf press releases usually are comedy-writing at its finest but the Neilson blurb stated that &ldquo;he was born somewhere around the middle of June in 1934.&rdquo;Anyway, Ballard showed considerable courage in going outside the lodge to find a new coach. The National Hockey League has been extremely reluctant to hire men as coaches who didn&rsquo;t play in the league, thus extending the circle of mediocrity, in a great many cases.The Detroit Red Wings tried it when they lured Ned Harkness out of U.S. college hockey. Harkness, well-aided by the organization behind him, helped make the Wings what they aren&rsquo;t today.Neilson had only one season of pro coaching&mdash;the 1976-77 campaign when he handled Dallas Black Hawks, the Central League farm team which the Leafs shared with the Chicago Black Hawks.Neilson was manager-coach of Peterborough juniors for six and a half seasons, where he developed a reputation as a chap who could draw the maximum from young players. The Leafs were impressed with his work in Dallas, especially the progress some of their young players made under his guidance.Neilson brings to the job almost unique qualifications. Coaching a hockey team basically is a teaching position but few NHL coaches ever have had knowledge of the teaching arts, a highly specialized trade. Neilson is a teacher first. He graduated from McMaster University with a degree in physical education and education&mdash;and taught high school in Toronto and Peterborough.&ldquo;Hockey under Roger is an interesting classroom,&rdquo; said Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; Craig Ramsay, a Peterborough grad who is one of the game&rsquo;s finest technical players.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-02580/3982714-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="553" height="1140"><figcaption class="caption-body">ROGER NEILSON &hellip; Challenges Players</figcaption></div>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a teacher in the finest form. He challenges his players to think all the time.&rdquo;Neilson coached minor hockey and baseball teams for years in Toronto, winning assorted championships. He also became a mini-legend for his unorthodox approaches and wildly devised methods to win.&ldquo;We were very impressed with the work he did in Dallas,&rdquo; Ballard said. &ldquo;Several of our young players developed extremely well under him. We have a young Leaf team now which is ready to go places. Neilson is a young coach with fresh, new ideas. We think he&rsquo;ll do a big job for us.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0018-01

Leafs Appoint ‘Teaching’ Coach As Neilson Takes Over From Kelly

<div class="byline">BY LARRY BORTSTEIN</div>DENVER&mdash;By merely signing a contract for the 1977-78 season with the Colorado Rockies, Barry Beck became one of the biggest and strongest players ever to appear on a National Hockey League team&rsquo;s roster.Beck, the defenseman who led the New Westminster Bruins to the Memorial Cup and was the most valuable player of the Canadian junior hockey championships, brought his six-foot-three, 216-pound frame to the Mile High City a few days, after the Rockies made him their first-round Selection in the June 14 amateur draft&mdash;and the second choice overall. Everyone was impressed by the youngster&rsquo;s great size and strength, and also by his maturity, which made him seem far more than his 20 years. Beck, in fact, turned 20 on June 3, just 11 days before the amateur draft.He handled himself so well in front of the Denver media that he already has insured himself a large following before the start of training camp.It wasn&rsquo;t only the way he handled himself during his first few days in Denver&mdash;he had never been here before he came to town to sign a contract and spend a couple days looking around and meeting media types&mdash;but what he said.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to take me a while to learn this league and adjust,&rdquo; said the youngster. &ldquo;The management here understands that. They went through it with Wilf Paiement. But in hockey, unlike other pro sports, by the time you&rsquo;re 20 you are physically mature. It&rsquo;s the mental part of the game, the learning process, that takes more time. Look at Guy Lafleur. For three years I watched him and couldn&rsquo;t figure out why he wasn&rsquo;t doing better. It was the pressure and the mental part of the game. Once he learned to handle it, he broke loose.&rdquo;Beck knows it&rsquo;s tougher for a defenseman to break into the NHL than it is for a forward or goaltender, and he&rsquo;s prepared to work hard. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to clear the front of the net and get that puck out of your end,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and it doesn&rsquo;t matter much how you do it. Hockey is a game of fundamentals, and I think I play a fundamentally sound game.&rdquo;The Rockies, of course, agree. &ldquo;We had thought about making Barry our No. 1 pick as far back as the early part of the season,&rdquo; vice president-general manager Ray Miron recalls. &ldquo;We thought all along he was just the type of player who could come in and help us where we needed help most, on defense. We needed someone with his kind of size and ability.&rdquo;Miron admits that a bout with (pneumonia) Beck suffered last February caused some concern, but it was shortlived.Rudy Filion, Colorado&rsquo;s scout for Western Canada, has seen Beck play &ldquo;many times in the past three years. He&rsquo;s big, strong, and physical, and never turns his back to the play. He turns well and handles the puck very well. He should step in to play defense for the Rockies right away, and stay there for a long time.&rdquo;After tapping Beck with their first selection, the Rockies didn&rsquo;t have another pick in the draft until the third round, when they selected Doug Berry, well known to hockey fans locally because he has centered one of Denver University&rsquo;s lines the past two collegiate seasons. Ironically, Berry, who may complete his remaining two years of collegiate eligibility before turning pro, was bom the same day as Beck&mdash;June 3, 1957&mdash;and in the same general vicinity. Beck is a native of Vancouver, while Berry calls Burnaby, B.C., a suburb of Vancouver, home.Colorado had no second-round choice, that having long ago been peddled to Atlanta by the Kansas City Scouts. The Flames used that spot to draft Miles Zaharko, a New Westminster defensive teammate of Beck&rsquo;s,ICE PEBBLES: The Rockies will miss their captain Simon Nolet, who announced his retirement the week of the June amateur draft. Injuries limited the veteran right winger to 52 appearances for Colorado last season, which was his 10th in the NHL. Nolet, who&rsquo;ll turn 36 next November, retired from hockey to accept a job with Labatt&rsquo;s brewery in Quebec, In 1976-77, Simon had 12 goals and 19 assists. In 562 games during his big league career&mdash;Nolet scored 150 goals and collected 182 assists for 332 points. Simon also played with the Kansas City Scouts and Pittsburgh Penguins, in addition to the Rockies&hellip;Bill Cleary, the Harvard coach and a member of the 1956 and 1960 U.S. Olympic teams, calls defenseman Jack Hughes, &ldquo;some kind of player with a real future in the game.&rdquo; Hughes, a six-foot-one, 198-pound product of Somerville, Mass., was Colorado&rsquo;s eighth-round draft choice last month. He has three years of collegiate eligibility left, and is expected to complete his Crimson career before he entertains notions of a pro career&hellip;Among the off-season training programs being undertaken by the Rockies are: Barry Dean working at losing weight and improving his skating; Larry Skinner working at getting stronger; Mike Kitchen, already powerfully built, working at stretching his muscles coming off knee surgery, John Van Boxmeer is working with weights; Doug Favell. another knee surgery case last season, is building up his legs.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-01692/3982752-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="569" height="745"><figcaption class="caption-body">BARRY BECK &hellip; Inked In By Rockies</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0019-01

Beck Takes Denver By Storm

<div class="byline">BY DAN DONOVAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-01537/3982790-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">VIC HADFIELD&hellip; To Test Knee In Training Camp (Photo by Bruce Bennett)</figcaption></div>PITTSBURGH&mdash;The Penguins lean slightly to the left. Not politically, of course, but when the hopefuls line up in training camp, the ice might tilt slightly towards left wing.The Penguins will have quantity, albeit questionable quality, as a remedy to last year&rsquo;s weakness at left wing. In all, 10 players will be clamoring for the three or four left wing spots on next year&rsquo;s roster, with nary a favorite.Ironically, the guy with the least financial security going among the left wings will be a guy known for his huge contracts. Vic Hadfield&rsquo;s $180,000 per year contract has expired, but he will come to training camp hoping to win another contract.For Hadfield, 36, underwent a massive rebuilding job on his knee early last season and hasn&rsquo;t played since.&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t talked contract yet, and I won&rsquo;t until training camp,&rdquo; Hadfield said. &ldquo;I want to finish my career in Pittsburgh. I&rsquo;ve enjoyed my seasons there and I&rsquo;m looking forward to this season. But it wouldn&rsquo;t be fair to the Penguins to talk contract unless I know I can play. I won&rsquo;t know that until I try. And that&rsquo;s all I can promise right now&mdash;that I&rsquo;ll try.&rdquo;Though &ldquo;the doctors say I&rsquo;m right on schedule&rdquo;, the Penguins know a 36-year-old repaired knee is nothing to count on. And they have two of them. Though Lowell MacDonald valiantly came back to finish the season after mid-season knee surgery, he wasn&rsquo;t altogether convinced his knee was sound.The Penguins management has, therefore, built up a supply of left wings. The lone favorite for a regular spot is Wayne Bianchin, who seems fully recovered from his near-tragic surfing accident of several years ago.Bianchin started strong, sagged in the middle, and then surged at the end, making him their best left wing coming down the stretch.The Penguins hesitated before signing Bob Kelly to a contract, for owner Al Savill said he wanted &ldquo;the Bob Kelly of two years ago.&rdquo; Savill felt Kelly hadn&rsquo;t demonstrated his old aggressiveness the last two years, but if he does some hitting, the Penguins could certainly use Kelly&rsquo;s size on the forward lines.Gritty Mike Corrigan, obtained when both Hadfield and MacDonald underwent the knife last season, didn&rsquo;t score a lot, but was a strong defensive player who could fit into new coach Johnny Wilson&rsquo;s plans.Stan Gilbertson was almost totally ignored last season, but he may have a chance under a new regime. But the Penguins&rsquo; top two draft choices are also expected to fight for left wing jobs.Though second-round choice Al Hamilton played right wing in junior hockey, he is a left-handed shot and the Penguins project him as a left wing. Third-round choice Kim Davis played both center and left wing in juniors, but the Penguins project him exclusively as a left wing.The Penguins are also eager to complete the deal for swift left wing Morris Lukowich, who played for Houston in the World Hockey Association last season. Lukowich and the Penguins have agreed on a contract, but at last word the Penguins were still awaiting his official release by the WHA.The 10th left wing is Ron Schock, the durable center who played left wing during the rare occasions when all three other Penguin centers&mdash;Syl Apps, Greg Malone and Pierre Larouche&mdash;were healthy last season.PENGUIN NOTES: The Penguins settled the contract of defenseman Ed Van Impe, who they claimed was reinjured in an office accident. Van Impe then retired&hellip;The Penguins signed a new television contract with an independent station calling for 26 games on the tube. Play-by-play man will be former Pittsburgh Pirate and ABC-TV announcer Bob Prince. Penguin PR man Terry Schiffhauer will do the color&hellip; Penguins will again train at Rostraver Gardens, a rink just south of Pittsburgh&hellip;Hadfield on Johnny Wilson: &ldquo;They (the Penguins) made a good choice. I played with Johnny in New York and I know what kind of man he is. He is a disciplinarian for one thing. But I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;ll lead this club as much from a disciplinary standpoint as one of respect. Johnny is an intelligent hockey man. I think the guys will respect him for what he is trying to get across. He knows his stuff.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02385/3982783-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="556" height="1258"><figcaption class="caption-body">WAYNE BIANCHIN &hellip; Leading Candidate</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0020-01

Penguins Load Up On Left Wing

<div class="byline">BY BILL FLEISCHMAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0021-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-01380/3982835-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">RICK MacLEISH&hellip; Medical Reports Encouraging</figcaption></div>PHILADELPHIA&mdash;The Philadelphia Flyers&rsquo; mid-summer news is no news.While the NHL and WHA were working at Guy Lafleur speed toward forming one major league, the Flyers were gliding along like Gilles Marotte. If the pace around the Spectrum offices were any slower, the Flyers would be arrested for loitering.Once Kevin McCarthy, the club&rsquo;s top draft choice, was signed, vacations were in order for many front-office employees. Nothing wrong with this: everyone deserves time to relax after the long, and in the Flyers&rsquo; case, disappointing winter. However, considering the Flyers&rsquo; stunning four-straight flameout against Boston in the Stanley Cup semi-finals, many were expecting a major deal&mdash;quickly.The idea was: GM Keith Allen would shake up the club enough to give returning players something besides their backhands and backstrokes to ponder over the summer. What &lsquo;cha been up to. Keith?&ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t been talking to anybody.&rdquo; Allen said from his Jersey shore summer home. &ldquo;Things are always kind of slow in the summer. I think that once August rolls around, and the people get back in their offices, we&rsquo;ll all be touching bases again.&rdquo;Allen, known to some as &ldquo;Keith the Thief&rdquo; for his wheeling-dealing, has touched all the bases many times. But indications were that the only new faces at the Flyers&rsquo; training camp will be McCarthy and other high draft picks.&ldquo;H we can do something prior to camp, I won&rsquo;t be adverse to it,&rdquo; Allen said as the ocean waves rumbled in the background. &ldquo;But I think most teams will want to look at their kids (draft choices) before they do anything.&rdquo;Before Allen does anything, he&rsquo;ll want to look at McCarthy and several front-line veterans who finished the season with various ailments.Al McCarthy, the offensive-minded defenseman from Winnipeg Monarchs, has to do is prove he can play acceptable defense and he&rsquo;ll be wearing a Philadelphia uniform. If McCarthy is as good as Flyers&rsquo; scouts say he is, Allen will be free to include one of his other defensemen in a deal.Encouraging medical reports on Rick MacLeish and Gary Domhoefer were filed with Allen. MacLeish, a 49-goal scorer last season, has discarded the neck brace he had added to his wardrobe following an auto accident. After minor surgery Dornhoefer&rsquo;s knee was responding nicely to treatment.The most action involving the Flyers was occurring on the coaching level. Mike Nykoluk, the top aide to Fred Shero for five years, has been moved into a new post. As co-ordinator of player development, Nykoluk will work primarily with the Flyers&rsquo; top farmhands. He&rsquo;ll also scout NHL clubs for Shero.Nykoluk&rsquo;s new job means more time with the new Portland (Me.) AHL team and the NAHL Firebirds. When the coaching shift was announced, Nykoluk sounded hesitant about accepting his new assignment. A few weeks later, he still wasn&rsquo;t displaying any Hubert Humphrey enthusiasm, but at least he understood what the Flyers expect of him.&ldquo;Sure this is like what Montreal has done with its Nova Scotia farm team,&rdquo; Nykoluk said. &ldquo;Our kids will play a lot (at Portland) and they&rsquo;ll always be ready when they&rsquo;re called up.&rdquo;Taking Nykoluk&rsquo;s place on the Flyers&rsquo; staff will be Terry Crisp. The former center-broadcaster-assistant coach without title is eager to get started.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a whole new career,&rdquo; Crisp said, before insisting that he wasn&rsquo;t pressured to relinquish (or postpone?) his grip on the radio-TV analyst&rsquo;s job.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02251/3982828-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="559" height="739"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKENYKOLUK &hellip; More Time On Road</figcaption></div>&ldquo;Mr. Snider told me before I closed all doors I should keep hah a mind open (about coaching),&rdquo; Crisp said. &ldquo;They told me I could go whichever way I wanted to go.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03165/3982821-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="568" height="745"><figcaption class="caption-body">TERRY CRISP &hellip; Becomes Coach</figcaption></div>Another new career may be opening for Pat Quinn, the Atlanta Flames&rsquo; defenseman who has been the top candidate to take Barry Ashbee&rsquo;s place on the coaching staff. Quinn was attempting to negotiate a settlement on the final year of his Flames&rsquo; contract. &#9632;

f0021-01

Flyers Sign Top Draft But Few Changes Likely Despite Talk Of Trades

<div class="byline">BY RON WEBER</div>WASHINGTON&mdash;Robert Picard got all the publicity but the Capitals feel sure they didn&rsquo;t just go through the motions in the nine selections that followed the Montreal junior defenseman.Indeed, at least one other club confided that Washington had done as well as any team in the June 14 drafting of amateurs.You might say they winged it. Of the 10 selected, six are wingers and seventhround pick Brent Tremblay (Trois-Rivieres), to quote general manager Max McNab, &ldquo;is an exceptional skater who could readily be converted to wing. His team was short on defensemen, which is why he was seeing duty there.&rdquo;Second choice Mark Lofthouse (New Westminster), third-rounder Eddy Godin, and later choices Perry Schnarr (Denver U.) and Archie Henderson (Victoria) are right wingers while Nelson Burton and the University of Minnesota&rsquo;s Don Micheletti are listed as left wings.This leaves one center&mdash;Ron Turcotte, who like Godin and Burton, is from the Quebec Remparts, and one goalie&mdash;Rollie Boutin of Lethbridge.The eight players from junior hockey were hustled up to the University of Ottawa for fitness evaluations by doctors Hal Hansen and Al Veed. Boutin and Turcotte were shown to be a bit overweight but, overall, it was a fit, enthusiastic group which also included veterans Bryan Watson, Bob Sirois, Bernie Wolfe, youngster Tom Rowe and the newly acquired Doug Gibson.Gibson was the super-cheap pickup from the Bruins&rsquo; organization who may be called the best leaguer of the mid-70s. Two AHL MVP awards support that thought.Collegians Micheletti and Schnarr did not go to Ottawa in order to protect their amateur standing. McNab is very content to leave both in college &ldquo;at least through their upcoming course,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;The college standard of play is improving, they&rsquo;re getting good coaching and they both need seasoning.&rdquo;Meanwhile, the Caps in residence around Washington are keeping bust. Watson, Wolfe, Hartland Monahan and Craig Patrick had made 88 public appearances by the end of July, and the number will approach 125 before training camp opens in Hershey in midSeptember.At least 25 of these are full-blown street hockey clinics held in conjunction with Maryland and Virginia departments of recreation.Watson made 26 events in 29 days. We watched him play goalie in one-on-one shooting for five hours in the hot sun on one occasion.Patrick showed diversity by throwing out the first ball to start the Vienna (Va) Little League baseball season, and attending the altar boys, awards ceremony at the Shrine of the Immaculate Comception.Wolfe, who &ldquo;swims like a little otter&rdquo; gave a poolside goaltending exhibition at the Rockville (Md) municipal pool.Monahan, a mainstay of the community effort for two years, was area chairman for the M.D. Carnivals against Dystrophy and was cited by the Alexandria (Va) American Legion Post 129 as Sportsman of the Year.ICE CAPS: The home opener of season four will be with Pittsburgh on Friday, Oct. 14. The NHL has moved the schedule to a one-week later start. Obviously a jealous move, envying the NBA&rsquo;s ability to keep playing into June&hellip;Patrick became a poppa again. His first son and second child born in late April&hellip;Surprise! McNab actually took a vacation in early July, Lasted almost a week. In the summer of 1976 the Caps drafted a Swedish National player, Bjorn Johanson. Not to be confused with the Cleveland Baron of the same name. But their interest in him waned when he didn&rsquo;t play as well in Sweden this past season&mdash;the last year on his contract there&hellip;Picard showed up at the Capital Club on draft day. With his parents in attendance he agreed to terms, politely asked to be called &ldquo;Robert&rdquo;, not &ldquo;Bob&rdquo; and requested uniform number 24. That&rsquo;s what his uncle, Noel Picard, wore when he played for Canadiens. It&rsquo;s been the most frequently switched number in the Caps&rsquo; three-year history&mdash;worn by eight different guys from Paul Nicholson to Tom Rowe. Picard should upgrade fortunes of number 24&hellip; Only one number has had day-in, day-out use by the same guy since &lsquo;74: seven, on the back of Yvon Labre. Ron Low is the only guy to wear number one, but he donned &ldquo;30&rdquo; for half a year when his jersey was stolen. Oddity: nobody has worn 16 except Mike Marson, despite increasing time in the minors for the likeable winger.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02320/3982866-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="557" height="833"><figcaption class="caption-body">ROBERT PICARD&hellip;Wants Uncle&rsquo;s No. 24</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0022-02

Capitals Beaming Over Draft Picks

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0022-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-01413/3982897-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">RICK CHARTRAW &hellip;Multi-Year Part</figcaption></div>MONTREAL&mdash;As if NHL opponents didn&rsquo;t have enough trouble already with Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; &ldquo;Big Three&rdquo; on defense&mdash;Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and Larry Robinson&mdash;The Canadiens have added another Robinson to the fold, Larry&rsquo;s younger brother, Moe of the Kingston Canadians of the Ontario Major Hockey League.The younger Robinson, also a defenseman, was the sixth choice of the Habs in the 1977 amateur draft, selected in the third round and 49th overall. He is also the first drafted player to sign a contract with the club.Others selected ahead of Robinson include WHA star Mark Napier of the Birmingham Bulls, Montreal Junior Normand Dupont, Rod Langway from New Hampshire College, Alain Cote of Chicoutimi in the Quebec Major Junior League and Pierre Lagace of Quebec City in the same league.Canadiens drafted a total of 27 players, the most in the league with Philadelphia Flyers picking off 21 players.Of the 27 selections, 11 were from the college ranks (all U.S. schools), while nine players were obtained from the Quebec Junior League, four from Ontario, two from the WHA (New England&rsquo;s Gord Roberts was the other), and one player, Carey Walker of New Westminster Bruins from the Western Canada Hockey League.Canadiens also announced the signing of defenseman-forward Rick Chartraw to a multi-year deal. Chartraw, an irregular with the club who had been asking coach Scotty Bowman &ldquo;play me or trade me&rdquo;, apparently has been satisfied by general manager Sam Pollock&rsquo;s offer.Chartraw appeared in 43 games for Montreal last year scoring three goals and four assists while picking up 59 minutes in penalties. He was often at odds with Bowman missing a few practices and showing up late for others. However, he did see more frequent duty during the playoffs and played outstanding hockey for the Habs. &#9632;

f0022-01

Canadiens Sign ‘Second’ Robinson, Lock up Chartraw

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0023-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02297/3982928-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">For players like Rangers&rsquo; Phil Esposito, the new NHL playoff format is something that should have happened last year. Rangers&rsquo; record was good enough to qualify but Espo and the Rangers played in the league&rsquo;s toughest division. (Photo by Bruce Bennet)</figcaption></div>TORONTO&mdash;Taking a page from the National Football League, the National Hockev has decided to adopt a &ldquo;wild-card&rdquo; format for the 1977-78 playoffs. The move was one of the few major changes to come out the league&rsquo;s summer meetings and was dubbed &ldquo;an affirmative decision&rdquo; by outgoing president Clarence Campbell.It was also a move which pleased general manager and coach John Ferguson of the New York Rangers whose team would have qualified for the playoffs last season if the &ldquo;wild card&rdquo; format had been in effect.Under the new procedure, assuming that the merger with the World Hockey Association does not take effect in the 1977-78 season, the top two teams in eachof the NHL&rsquo;s four divisions will qualify for post-season action, plus four other teams will be admitted to the playoffs as &ldquo;wild card&rdquo; entries based on their respective points standings.Last year, the top three teams in each division qualified for the playoffs, leaving the fourth-place Rangers, who had more points than Minnesota and Chicago, who finished second and third respectively in the Smythe Division, out of the playoffs.Ferguson, obviously pleased by the new structure, commented: &ldquo;This makes all these meetings worthwhile. I can&rsquo;t tell you how pleased lam.&rdquo;As in the past few years, the rest of the playoff procedure is expected to remain intact. The first-place finishers in the four divisions will be granted a bye into the second round, while the other eight teams will play in four preliminary series with make-ups determined by the points obtained by the teams.The non-division winners will be numbered from one to eight on points with the team with the highest point total playing against the team with the eighth highest point total, the team with the second highest total against the team with the seventh highest total and so on.The four survivors will be grouped with the division winners and once again numbered from one to eight by point totals. In each case the teams having the higher point total will receive the home ice advantage throughout the playoff series.Former president Campbell said that there may be some discussion concerning the possibilities of changing the number of games in the preliminary series from its present set-up of a best-of-three competition, but until the matter of merger has been solved that no further decisions will be made.It is believed that the playoff change will help to alleviate any discrepancies in the strength of the divisional alignments. For example, the Rangers finished last in their division behind Philadelphia, New York Islanders, and Atlanta Flames, but had a point total of 72, which was only one point behind Smythe Division leaders St. Louis Blues, who received a bye through the first-round of the playoffs. &#9632;

f0023-02

NHL Agrees To New Stanley Cup Playoff Format

MINEOLA, N.Y.&mdash;Former hockey and basketball player agent Richard Sorkin, 37, of Rockville Centre, N.Y., has been arrested on charges of stealing more than $600,000 of his clients&rsquo; money and is faced with 32 charges of second-degree larceny. Most of Sorkin&rsquo;s clients are active National Hockey League players.Arraigned in Nassau County District Court on the charges following a six-month investigation conducted by the Nassau County District Attorney, the office of the U.S. Attorney for East York, the U.S. Postal Service and the New York City Police Department, Sorkin was released in his own custody after waiving a hearing in district court and will stand before the Grand Jury at a later date.According to Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon, Sorkin, a former sportswriter for Newsday, the Long Island newspaper, was supposed to receive the athletes&rsquo; regular pay cheques, pay their bills, provide them with spending money, and invest the remainder of the money.Dillon said that Sorkin did noi make the investments and in many cases, did not pay the players&rsquo; bills, but instead converted the money for his own use.A total of 30 athletes were victimized by Sorkin with Bob Nystrom of the New York Islanders hardest hit, losing $145,000. Teammates Jude Drouin and Garry Howatt also were reported to have lost $56,000 and $55,000 respectively to Sorkin, while Ron Greschner of the N.Y. Rangers was embezzled for $86,000. Other NHL players affected were Bruce Affleck, St. Louis Blues, $59,000, Dwight Bialowas, Minnesota North Stars, $47,000, Boyd Anderson, of the Rangers, $39,000 and Bob Bourne of the Islanders, $25,000, plus John Bednarski and Greg Polis of the Rangers.In addition, at least three pro basketball players were affected, Dennis Duval of the Washington Bullets, and Al Skinner and Kim Hughes of the New York Nets.The alleged thefts occurred between March 31, 1975 and December 31, 1976, said the district attorney.The maximum penalty for second-degree larceny is seven years imprisonment. Thus far, 16 of the 30 athletes have joined in a civil suit to recover their money.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-01387/3982959-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="560" height="901"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOB NYSTROM &hellip; $145,000 Poorer</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0023-01

Hockey Players’ Agent Charged After $600,000 Reported As ‘Missing’

<div class="byline">BY GREG NOBLE</div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S and CanadaCINCINNATI&mdash;While optimism ran high around the World Hockey Association that the proposed merger with the National Hockey League would ultimately come off, there was also the stark reality that the whole thing could possibly be deferred or dissolved completely.Some were being pessimistic about the chances of a merger with the NHL this season and others clung to the hope that it could all be resolved in time for the six WHA teams to become a division of the NHL before the first puck is dropped next October.But there was a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the negotiations and some predicted that the WHA would be back at the same old stand with eight teams come the start of the 1977-78 campaign. Certainly WHA president Bill MacFarland was preparing for such an eventuality while others, like the Cincinnati Stingers, were still feeling a sense of jubilation after being originally accepted by the NHL.Cincinnati Stingers officials celebrated the news with an impromptu champagne party at their Riverfront Coliseum offices.For sure, the announcement that the National Hockey League would accept six World Hockey Association teams into its fold this fall stirred excitement all over North America, but nowhere more than at Riverfront Coliseum. The Stingers, feeling certain that they would be included in the merger, had been looking forward to this day for several years.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great!&rdquo; executive vice-president Bill DeWitt Jr. said excitedly. DeWitt had applied for an NHL franchise five years ago. When they offered him a conditional franchise at some future date, he elected instead to build a hockey team in the WHA, expecting that one day the leagues would merge.During the last year DeWitt campaigned hard for an agreement between the two leagues and he should be considered one of the men primarily responsible for the merger. Nonetheless, he applauded all the parties involved&mdash;the two leagues and their players associations&mdash;for their cooperation in reaching the agreement.&ldquo;With something like this there&rsquo;s just so many things to get done. I think it&rsquo;s really remarkable that we came this far,&rdquo; said DeWitt. &ldquo;Everybody came together. I don&rsquo;t think money was the overriding factor. All four parties really and seriously looked at what was best for everybody and the game.&rdquo;Fans in Cincinnati and the other WHA cities that join the NHL may be disappointed that, at first, their clubs will not get to play legendary teams like Montreal and Boston, but DeWitt explained, &ldquo;It was a concept that was developed by both sides. It makes a lot of sense. There would be too many problems now to make a schedule that would satisfy everyone. This is similar to the AFL-NFL deal. And this way we have a whole year to do a better job of scouting the NHL and preparing for their style of play.&rdquo;Stingers&rsquo; captain Rick Dudley, who played two seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, said &ldquo;It feels great&rdquo; to be back in the NHL.Asked if he thought the Stingers could compete with the established NHL teams, Dudley said, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we could go right out and beat the Montreal Canadiens, but I think this team has as much talent as the Buffalo teams I played with. And we went to the Stanley Cup finals.&ldquo;Our division just might be the toughest in the league,&rdquo; said Dudley. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got some very good hockey teams, and if we absorb the top players from the teams that aren&rsquo;t included in the merger, just think how strong those teams could be.&rdquo;Dudley and DeWitt both noted that the Stingers have to improve their defense and goaltending. DeWitt indicated that the Stingers might try to sign former San Diego defenseman Brent Hughes and goaltender Ernie Wakely. The Stingers may also pick up a couple of defensemen from the Indianapolis Racers.Certainly everyone waited anxiously for word that the merger would become a reality. There wasn&rsquo;t much doubt that if the right decision didn&rsquo;t come, a lot of people were going to. be both shattered and disappointed.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-06111/3982990-1-eng-US/f0024-062.jpg" title="f0024-06" width="550" height="1081"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILL DeWITT JR.&hellip;Second Time Around</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0024-06

WHA Wonders If It Will Be Back At Old Stand

<h2>FINAL STANDINGS 1976-77 SEASON</h2><h3>EASTERN DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-01401/3983042-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="581" height="219"></div>(*-Dtebanded Operations)<h3>WESTERN DIVISION</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02315/3983035-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="579" height="219"></div><h3>TOP 25 SCORERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03223/3983028-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="585" height="363"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04164/3983021-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="579" height="355"></div> &#9632;

f0024-01

HOW RACES FINISHED

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0024-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-05129/3983073-1-eng-US/f0024-052.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">RON PLUMB&hellip;Overlooked Too Often</figcaption></div>CINCINNATI&mdash;Overlooked in voting for All Star teams and individual awards in past seasons, Cincinnati Stingers&rsquo; defenseman Ron Plumb is finally getting the recognition he has deserved.Plumb, who received more votes for the All Star team than any other defenseman, has been honored as most valuable defenseman in the World Hockey Association.&ldquo;Before the season started I was really hoping to make the All Star team,&rdquo; said the 26-year-old Plumb. &ldquo;To get this on top of it is a real bonus.&rdquo;Plumb, putting together his best season, had the highest plus-minus rating in the league, plus-64. In addition, he scored 11 goals and 58 assists for 69 points and finished one point behind Indianapolis&rsquo;s Darryl Maggs in scoring among defensemen.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve reached a good peak,&rdquo; said the five-year WHA veteran. &ldquo;If I can continue like that, I&rsquo;ll be happy.&rdquo;Plumb received $4,000 as part of the award. The winner was determined by the news media. &#9632;

f0024-05

Plumb Pays Off Stingers As WHA’s Best Defenseman

<div class="byline">BY DOUG McCONNELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0025-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-01341/3983104-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">LARRY HILLMAN&hellip;Coming Back As Coach</figcaption></div>HOUSTON&mdash;The first player named in the World Hockey Association amateur draft was signed by the Houston Aeros.Scott Campbell, a six-foot-three, 205-pound defenseman signed a multi-year contract with the Aeros. He was also the first choice of the St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League draft.Campbell scored 23 goals and 44 assists last season for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey Association.&ldquo;We have always been believers in good defense,&rdquo; said coach and general manager Bill Dineen, &ldquo;and it&rsquo;s not possible to have too many good defensive players. All the reports were that Scott was one of the top two or three defensemen in the Canadian juniors last season.&ldquo;He has excellent speed and he has excellent size. He&rsquo;ll fit right in with our club and I believe he has a good shot at helping us right away.&rdquo;The Aeros had earlier traded with the Cincinnati Stingers for three-year WHA veteran John Hughes, a solid five-foot-11. 200-pound proven rearguard.&ldquo;We intend to have the best team possible no matter which league we play in next season,&rdquo; said Harrison Vickers, acting club president. &ldquo;We feel we owe it to the fans to continue putting the best team on the ice at all times.&rdquo;The Aeros also drafted Dwight Foster, a five-foot-11, 176-pound center, in the first round. Foster was the leading scorer in the OHA, scoring 60 goals and assisting on 83 others.&ldquo;We drafted with a couple of things in mind,&rdquo; said Dineen. &ldquo;First, we went after players we feel can help our club, if not right now at least sometime in the near future. Second, we went after players we thought we could sign.&ldquo;A player has to be able to do it at both ends of the ice. And that&rsquo;s why we picked Foster. He&rsquo;s got good speed and he&rsquo;s a scrappy player. Foster is not only a good scorer, but he&rsquo;s also very aware of his defensive obligations.&rdquo;The rest of the Aeros draft: second round, winger Dave Sememko. six-foot-four, 220: and third round, goaltender Glen Hanlon, six-foot. 175, both from Brandon of the Western Canada Hockey League.After taking center Reg Kerr from Kamloops of the WCHL in the fourth round, the Aeros began a string of European selections, taking Finnish goaltender Markus Mattson in the sixth round. Swedish center Harold Luckner in the seventh and Finnish center Marri Forss in the eighth. They took left wing Mike Dwyer of Niagara Falls in the ninth and goaltender Dave Parro of Saskatoon in the 10th.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s too early to say what kind of draft we had,&rdquo; said Dineen. &ldquo;If we don&rsquo;t sign any of these players, it was a bad draft. But if we can get some of them signed, I think we&rsquo;ll look back at this as being a good draft.&rdquo;Dineen said he would continue contract discussions with goaltender Ron Grahame, the only player who remains unsigned for the coming season.In other WHA developments, the Winnipeg Jets were reportedly leaning towards former Jet defenseman Larry Hillman as their new coach to replace Bobby Kromm, who left to take the Detroit job in the NHL. Both Bobby Hull and captain-defenseman Lars-Erik Sjoberg endorsed Hillman as their coaching choice and it appeared he would be the man behind the Winnipeg bench this coming season.The Edmonton Oilers have a new general manager in Brian Conacher. The former minor league coach and executive had stepped up from Mohawk Valley of the NAHL to take over executive duties with the ill-fated Indianapolis Racers. Now with the Racers out of business, Conacher decided to move on and accepted the Edmonton job. He will work closely with coach Glenn Sather at Edmonton.The Calgary Cowboys were still selling season tickets in preparation for the 197778 season and general manager-coach Joe Crozier said Calgary would have a team either way the WHA goes. Certainly if the WHA remains as a separate entity the Cowboys will be in operation.The Quebee Nordiques, who have been moaning about how much money they would lose if they went into a merger with the NHL this year, decided they had better lock up their super scorer, Real Buddy&rsquo; Cloutier before the Chicago Black Hawks got their clutches into him. The Nords inked Cloutier to a six-year contract at nearly a million bucks. &#9632;

f0025-01

Aeros Land Top Draft Pick; Hillman May Be Jets’ Coach

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0026-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-01352/3983163-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">STAN JONATHAN &hellip;Showed The Most Accuracy</figcaption></div>MONTREAL&mdash;Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings, runner-up to Guy Lafleur in the league&rsquo;s scoring race, was the most prolific shooter in the National Hockey League last season unleashing 378 shots, 53 of these resulting in goals for a scoring percentage of 14 percent.Perennial shooting leader Phil Esposito of the Rangers was near the top once again as he finished second with 344 shots. Esposito ranks second only to Bobby Hull in number of shots taken during the 20 years that these statistics have been kept.Two other players surpassed the 300-shot mark on the season&mdash;defenseman Ian Turnbull of the Toronto Maple Leafs and teammate Darryl Sittier, who recorded 316 and 307 shots, respectively. Steve Shutt (Montreal) was fifth with 294, followed by Lanny McDonald (Toronto), 293, Guy Lafleur (Montreal), 291, Guy Lapointe (Montreal), 289, Wilf Paiement (Kansas City), 287, and Tom Lysiak of Atlanta with 277.As far as shooting accuracy was concerned rookie Stan Jonathan of the Boston Bruins was the most deadly marksman for players with at least 15 goals. Jonathan scored 17 times for the Bruins on only 71 shots for a shooting percentage of 23.9. The record shooting percentage is held by Murray Wilson of the Canadiens, who as a rookie in the 1972-73 season, scored on 26.5 percent of his attempts.Following Jonathan in the scoring percentage ratings in the 1976-77 season were Gary Dornhoefer of Philadelphia with 21.7 percent, Bob Kelly, also of Philadelphia at 21.6, Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Wayne Bianchin at 21.5, Willi Plett of Atlanta at 21.2, Yvan Cournoyer of the Canadiens at 20.5, Steve Shutt of Montreal at 20.4, John Bucyk of Boston at the same percentage, Gilbert Perreault of the Sabres at 20.0 and Rick MacLeish of Philadelphia at 19.4.Shutt, the NHL&rsquo;s leading goal-getter with 60 during regular season play was the only player to rank in the top 10 in both shooting categories, ranking fifth in shots and seventh in percentage.The 18 teams in the NHL averaged fewer shots per game in 1976-77 than in any of the previous 19 seasons in which such statistics have been tabulated.There were 43,227 shots taken on goal during the 720 regular-season games, an average of 60 shots a game, or 30 shots per team. The highest average per game since 1957-58, the season shooting statistics were first compiled, was 65.6 for both teams, or 32.8 per team&mdash;13,778 shots in 210 games among the six teams then in the league.While the average shots per game was at a low, the scoring percentage was near a record high. Players scored goals on 11.06 percent of shots on goal. They scored 4,783 goals.In 1957-58, the scoring percentage was 9.20 (1,175 goals, 12,775 shots) and in the succeeding 19 seasons, the percentage gradually climbed to a peak of 11.15 in 1975-76 on 4,913 goals and 44,070 shots by the 18 teams in 720 games.League and Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens led teams in shooting accuracy in 1976-77 with 387 goals on 2,815 shots for 13.7 percent. The all-time high percentage by a team is 14.6, set by Montreal in 1974-75 when it had 374 goals on 2,553 shots on goal. The team&rsquo;s 1976-77 figure is the second best during the 20-year period.One player has played in each of the 20 seasons the NHL has compiled shooting percentages. Boston veteran left winger Johnny Bucyk was the leader among players with 15 or more goals twice and finished among the top 10, a total of 12 times. His 20-season figures&mdash;all with Boston&mdash;are: 540 goals, 3,361 shots and 16.1 percent.The player with the best scoring percentage, among those who played at least five seasons, was Camille Henry of New York Rangers, Chicago and St. Louis Blues. Henry, who was a powerplay specialist for most of his career, scored 236 goals between 1957-58 and 1969-70. During that time he had 1,174 shots on goal, giving him a percentage of 20.1.The best percentage for career totals among active players belongs to Steve Vickers of New York Rangers. The left winger, who was chosen rookie-of-the-year in 1972-73, has scored 157 goals in five seasons on 846 shots of 18.5 percent. Next is another left winger, Steve Shutt of Montreal Canadiens, who has also played five seasons. Shutt, who led the NHL in 1976-77 with 60 goals, has a career total of 158 goals on 868 shots for 18.2 percent.There were only three players who surpassed the 100-point mark in 1976-77, the fewest to reach that plateau since 1973-74 when there were also three 100-point scores. Lafleur won the Art Ross Trophy with 136 points. Second was Dionne with 122 and third was another Montrealer, Shutt, with 105. In 1975-76, nine players had at least 100 points. The 100-point mark has been reached a total 38 times, Esposito being the first with 126 in 1968-69.The three leading pointmen in 1976-77 were also the only players to reach the 50-goal mark. Shutt led the league in goals with 60, followed by Lafleur, 56, and Dionne, 53. There were six players who reached the 50-goal mark in 1975-76 and four each in 1974-75 and 1973-74. A total 31 50-goal seasons have been recorded, beginning with Maurice Richard of Montreal, who scored 50 goals in 50 games in 1944-45. Twenty-five of the 50-goal seasons have been since 1969-70, the last season there weren&rsquo;t any.The leading 25 point scorers in the NHL in 1976-77 accounted for 18.1 percent of the total 4,783 goals scored during the 720 regular-season games. The players scored a total 866 goals. In 1975-76, the 25 leading pointmen scored 989 of the 4,913 goals, or 20.1 percent.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02282/3983156-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="1129" height="1611"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARCEL DIONNE &hellip;Fired Most Shots In NHL</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03241/3983149-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="1136" height="1432"><figcaption class="caption-body">IAN TURNBULL &hellip;Best Shooting Defenseman</figcaption></div>Montreal Canadiens had five players among the top 25 pointmen in 1976-77. Toronto Maple Leafs had four and Los Angeles Kings, three. The only teams not represented among the leading 25 were Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks. During 1975-76, six clubs did not have a player among the leading 25.There were 59 three-or-more-goal games recorded during the 1976-77 regular season. The total included five-goal games by rookie Don Murdoch of New York Rangers and defenseman Ian Turnbull of Toronto Maple Leafs&mdash;the first defenseman to score that many goals in an NHL game. Rick Blight of Vancouver had a four-goal game. Four players each had three three-goal games&mdash;Gregg Sheppard. Boston; Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles; Bernie Federko, St. Louis; and Rene Robert, Buffalo. There were 89 three-or-more-goal games in 1975-76, including six four-goal efforts and one six-goal game, by Darryl Sittier of Toronto.Five players scored goals on penalty shots in 1976-77. They were Curt Bennett of Atlanta, Cliff Koroll of Chicago, Don Murdoch of New York Rangers, Al MacAdam of Cleveland and Hartland Monahan of Washington. There were 13 penalty shots called during the season, compared to 11 in 1975-76 of which one resulted in a goal (by Bob Nevin, Los Angeles).<h2>Hockey&rsquo;s Top Shooters</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04186/3983142-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="540" height="376"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-05150/3983135-1-eng-US/f0026-052.jpg" title="f0026-05" width="536" height="358"></div> &#9632;

f0026-01

Dionne Emerges As League’s Best Shooter; Boston’s Rookie Jonathan Most Accurate

<h2>ATLANTA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-01334/3983341-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="539" height="645"></div><h2>BOSTON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02256/3983334-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="541" height="745"></div><h2>BUFFALO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03181/3983327-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="543" height="639"></div><h2>CHICAGO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-04137/3983320-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="539" height="163"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-05105/3983313-1-eng-US/f0027-052.jpg" title="f0027-05" width="545" height="657"></div><h2>CLEVELAND</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0685/3983306-1-eng-US/f0027-062.jpg" title="f0027-06" width="541" height="941"></div><h2>COLORADO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0770/3983299-1-eng-US/f0027-072.jpg" title="f0027-07" width="543" height="829"></div><h2>DETROIT</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0866/3983292-1-eng-US/f0027-082.jpg" title="f0027-08" width="541" height="963"></div><h2>LOS ANGELES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-0965/3983285-1-eng-US/f0027-092.jpg" title="f0027-09" width="539" height="219"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1061/3983278-1-eng-US/f0027-102.jpg" title="f0027-10" width="541" height="491"></div><h2>MINNESOTA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1152/3983271-1-eng-US/f0027-112.jpg" title="f0027-11" width="543" height="695"></div><h2>MONTREAL</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1245/3983264-1-eng-US/f0027-122.jpg" title="f0027-12" width="537" height="589"></div><h2>ISLANDERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1339/3983257-1-eng-US/f0027-132.jpg" title="f0027-13" width="541" height="651"></div><h2>RANGERS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1435/3983250-1-eng-US/f0027-142.jpg" title="f0027-14" width="541" height="727"></div><h2>PHILADELPHIA</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1529/3983243-1-eng-US/f0027-152.jpg" title="f0027-15" width="535" height="371"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1623/3983236-1-eng-US/f0027-162.jpg" title="f0027-16" width="553" height="466"></div><h2>PITTSBURGH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1720/3983229-1-eng-US/f0027-172.jpg" title="f0027-17" width="543" height="753"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-1817/3983222-1-eng-US/f0027-182.jpg" title="f0027-18" width="537" height="541"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-01275/3983215-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="543" height="251"></div><h2>TORONTO</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02223/3983208-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="541" height="751"></div><h2>VANCOUVER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03146/3983201-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="550" height="819"></div><h2>WASHINGTON</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04110/3983194-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="553" height="907"></div> &#9632;

f0027-01

How The NHL Shooters Fared Last Season

<div class="byline">JOHN ARNOLD&#x2019;S</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0028-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-01316/3983372-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg"></div><h2>ACROSS</h2>1. One of the Penguins.5. A Fort Worth forward.9. Bobby Clarke won the trophy in 1975-76.10. Montreal just had a good one.12. One of the Canucks answers to this.14. Injured Black Hawk.15. Number of goals scored by Tom Reid last season.17. LA&rsquo;s top scorer.19. Denotes scoreless tie.21. Initials of an NHL city.22. Former NHL goaltender Edwards answers to this.23. Ex-Hawk defenseman Vasko,(init)24. A Washington defenseman.27. One of the Canucks.<h2>DOWN</h2>1. One of the Leafs answers to this.2. Former Montreal Captain.3. A young horse.4. Former NHL linesman.6. An NHL coach.7. Either.8. Number worn by Bucyk.11.5th and 15th letters of the alphabet.12. One of the Flyers answers to this.13. Number of goals scored by Awrey last year.15. Non-negotiable. (init)16. Pictured player.18. Former NHL center.20. Same as 19 across.23. Before.25. Hockey players&rsquo; lawyer, (init)26. Played 1 game for Dallas last season, (init)SOLUTION IN SEPTEMBER ISSUE<h2>ANSWERS FROM JUNE ISSUE</h2><h3>ACROSS</h3>1. MAHOVLICH.6. A.A.7. LAXTON11. T.M.12. OCTOBER.13. A.I.14. W.A.15. HULL.17. MAIR.19. EEL.20. PAILS.21. AN.22. ST.23. TOR.24. RENO.26. GAME.<h3>DOWN</h3>1. MELOCHE.2. HEXTALL.3. LINESMAN.4. CAT.5. HAMMARSTROM.8. A.C.9. TOIL.10. O.B.14. WILSON.18. U.E.18. A.I.20. PAT.23. TEAM.25. R.G. &#9632;

f0028-01

HOCKEY CROSSWORD

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0029-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0598/3983410-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">GUY LAFLEUR&hellip; Seventh Best Shooter</figcaption></div>EVELETH&mdash;Three high scoring forwards, including a practitioner of the now outlawed kick shot are the latest additions to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.Hall executive director Roger Godin announced that Marquette, Michigan native Eddie Olson, a 10-year professional veteran and kick shot devotee Earl Bartholome, Minneapolis, who played 14 professional years; and Bill Riley, outstanding Dartmouth forward of the Mid-1940&rsquo;s, will be enshrined into the hall this fall.Olson performed principally in the American Hockey League (AHL) where he attained honors that remain unmatched for an American player at any level of professional hockey. While playing for the Cleveland Barons he twice won the AHL scoring title, 1952-53 and 1954-55, was most valuable player in 1952-53, and was named to the first All Star team in 1952-53 and 1954-55. Olson&rsquo;s brother Wesley (there are nine hockey playing brothers in the family) originated the kick shot and the future Hall of Famer. used it in his pre-AHL days. Placing his stick firmly on the ice in the shooting position, Olson would rear back and bring his right foot forward with crashing intensity on the back of the blade. The Marquette skater later coached for three seasons including one with Victoria of the Western Hockey League making him the only known American to coach a professional team in Canada.Bartholome came out of Minneapolis high school hockey to play the amateur game in the twin cities and then go on to a brilliant professional career spent mostly with the AHL Cleveland Flour City team center ice man.Bartholome moved into the AHL in 1936 and remained there for a decade. His most outstanding seasons were 194344 and 1944-45 when he finished sixth and fifth respectively in the AHL scoring race with 67 and 81 points. His 38 goals in 1944-45 were a career high and indicated his great ability around the net. After retiring from the pros Bartholome played amateur hockey in the Twin Cities.Riley marks the third Dartmouth graduate to be named to the American shrine joining his coach, the late Eddie Jeremiah, and player Myles Lane. Like Olson, he is part of a famous brother act. His late brother Joe was Dartmouth &lsquo;49 while Jack, now the head coach at West Point and former Olympic Team coach, is Class of 1944. Although a member of the Class of 1946 Riley&rsquo;s career at Hanover was interrupted by WWII resulting in play in 1942-43 as a freshman and three subsequent varsity years (1946-1949). During this period he scored 118 goals, 110 assists for 218 points and was team scoring leader in three of the four varsity years. Riley helped Dartmouth reach the NCAA finals twice only to lose on both occasions to Michigan in 1948 and Boston College in 1949. After his playing career he became a leading official in the New England area.The selection of Olson, Bartholome, and Riley brings the Hall&rsquo;s ranks to 45. Enshrinement ceremonies will be held at Eveleth in mid-October.<h2>TEAM PENALTIES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-0677/3983403-1-eng-US/f0029-062.jpg" title="f0029-06" width="592" height="678"></div> &#9632;

f0029-05

U.S. Hall Of Fame Picks Three Forwards As Newest Enshrinees

<h2>ATLANTA FLAMES (9)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02248/3983619-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="745" height="271"></div><h2>BOSTON BRUINS (8)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03188/3983612-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="751" height="241"></div><h2>BUFFALO SABRES (5)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04131/3983605-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="749" height="163"></div><h2>CHICAGO BLACK HAWKS (8)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0588/3983598-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="745" height="241"></div><h2>COLORADO ROCKIES (8)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0665/3983591-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="749" height="245"></div><h2>CLEVELAND BARONS (9)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0752/3983584-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="745" height="273"></div><h2>DETROIT RED WINGS (16)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0845/3983577-1-eng-US/f0030-082.jpg" title="f0030-08" width="739" height="293"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0937/3983570-1-eng-US/f0030-092.jpg" title="f0030-09" width="723" height="171"></div><h2>LOS ANGELES KINGS (4)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1123/3983563-1-eng-US/f0030-112.jpg" title="f0030-11" width="749" height="141"></div><h2>MINNESOTA NORTH STARS (8)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1222/3983556-1-eng-US/f0030-122.jpg" title="f0030-12" width="747" height="249"></div><h2>MONTREAL CANADIENS (27)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1320/3983549-1-eng-US/f0030-132.jpg" title="f0030-13" width="743" height="457"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1418/3983542-1-eng-US/f0030-142.jpg" title="f0030-14" width="733" height="303"></div><h2>NEW YORK ISLANDERS (8)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1518/3983535-1-eng-US/f0030-152.jpg" title="f0030-15" width="745" height="243"></div><h2>NEW YORK RANGERS (13)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1613/3983528-1-eng-US/f0030-162.jpg" title="f0030-16" width="737" height="381"></div><h2>PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (21)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1713/3983521-1-eng-US/f0030-172.jpg" title="f0030-17" width="737" height="85"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1811/3983514-1-eng-US/f0030-182.jpg" title="f0030-18" width="723" height="515"></div><h2>PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (4)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-198/3983507-1-eng-US/f0030-192.jpg" title="f0030-19" width="743" height="139"></div><h2>ST. LOUIS BLUES (9)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-208/3983500-1-eng-US/f0030-202.jpg" title="f0030-20" width="741" height="271"></div><h2>TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (10)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-216/3983493-1-eng-US/f0030-212.jpg" title="f0030-21" width="745" height="301"></div><h2>VANCOUVER CANUCKS (8)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-224/3983486-1-eng-US/f0030-222.jpg" title="f0030-22" width="753" height="247"></div><h2>WASHINGTON CAPITALS (10)</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-234/3983479-1-eng-US/f0030-232.jpg" title="f0030-23" width="741" height="301"></div><h2>Top 18 Picks By Teams</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-1029/3983472-1-eng-US/f0030-102.jpg" title="f0030-10" width="1132" height="526"></div> &#9632;

f0030-02

How NHL Teams Drafted The Amateurs

LOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S and CanadaPORTLAND&mdash;The American Hockey League will have a new entry this season and the team will answer to the name of the Maine Mariners.The fledgling AHL franchise will be the complete project of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League. The Flyers will own and operate the Mariners as their top development team in this city. While the Mariners are based in Portland, the NHL club decided to give the club a &lsquo;state&rsquo; name to make it more appealing to hockey fans throughout the state of Maine.The Flyers have selected Bob McCammon. an astute handler of young players, to become the coach of the Mariners. Keith Allen of the NHL Flyers will act as the team&rsquo;s general manager and it will be Allen&rsquo;s job to stock the Maine team with McCammon taking over the development of the players, most of whom will be rookies.The Flyers drafted 21 players during the 1977 NHL amateur grab-bag and a good bulk of them will find their way to Maine next season.Among the possible starters for the Mariners are Dave Hoyda, a left winger from Portland of the Western Canada Hockey League, who was the Flyers&rsquo; third draft pick, Yves Guillemette, a netminder from Shawinigan. Dan Clark, a defenseman from Kamloops of the WCHL, Rene Hamelin, also a winger from Shawinigan. Alain Chaput, a center from Sorel of the Quebec League. Richard Dalpe from Trois-Rivieres, goalie Peter Peeters from Medicine Hat and Clint Eccles from Kamloops. All were among Philadelphia&rsquo;s first 10 top NHL draft picks.McCammon. 36. joins the Flyers&rsquo; organization from the Port Huron Flags of the International Hockey League. McCammon, who doubled as a forward and defenseman. played 11 seasons in Port Huron and coached there the past four seasons.&ldquo;We interviewed numerous candidates for the Mariners&rsquo; position.&rdquo; Allen revealed. &ldquo;Bob is exactly the type of person we wanted for the job.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s young, enthusiastic and has some very definite ideas on how the game should be played. He&rsquo;s a very stable individual who can handle young players. He&rsquo;s a worker who is willing to spend long hours teaching and developing our young players He&rsquo;s also a winner and that&rsquo;s what we want in our organization&mdash;winners.&rdquo;McCammon, a native of Thunder Bay, Ont., has been signed to a multi-year contract with the Mariners. He will spend a good deal of time this summer learning the Flyers&rsquo; system from coach Fred Shero and player development coordinator Mike Nykoluk.McCammon began his coaching career with Port Huron in 1973-74. He was the International League&rsquo;s coach of the year in 1975-76.McCammon and his wife, Marie, have two children&mdash;Joey, 13 and Susie, 12.The American Hockey League will start the 1977-78 season with eight teams and it appears the circuit will have a com-Six of the eight AHL clubs are already aligned with NHL teams and four of the agreements are new. The New York Rangers, striving to establish their own farm club system of player development, will take over the New Haven Nighthawks operation under Parker MacDonald and will send their excess NHL talent exclusively to the Hawks. Ranger GM John Ferguson huddled with New Haven officials and said he was looking forward to establishing a farm club system with New Haven.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-01312/3983441-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="553" height="883"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOB McCAMMON&hellip; Picked By Flyers</figcaption></div>The Hershey Bears, who divided their minor league agreement during the past few seasons with Pittsburgh and Buffalo have dropped their affiliation with the NHL Penguins and struck up a new arrangement with Washington Capitals. The Bears will have both Buffalo and Washington supplying them with players next season.The Rhode Island Reds have become associated with the Pittsburgh Penguins and will work a three-team system between the NHL team and the Columbus Owls of the International Hockey League. General manager and coach Ross Brooks said he is hoping the Pittsburgh alignment will help restore hockey interest in Providence.The new Portland team will be totally operated by the Philadelphia Flyers and the Hampton Gulls, the other new AHL entry, will continue its three-year agreement with Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA. Brophy said he is still hopeful of securing player help from an NHL team before training camp in September.While Rochester Americans and Nova Scotia Voyageurs will continue their affiliations with Boston and Montreal respectively, the plight of Springfield is still not known. The Indians, who worked with Washington and Philadelphia last season, have terminated their agreement and are hoping to become attached to the Los Angeles Kings. General manager and coach Gary Dineen said he is hopeful of working out a deal with the Kings for the new season.The AHL will function as a two-division league next season with four teams&mdash;Rochester, Hampton, New Haven and Hershey&mdash;in the South and Nova Scotia, Springfield, Rhode Island and Portland in the North. &#9632;

f0030-01

Flyers Set Up Maine Mariners As AHL Completes Team Format

<div class="byline">BY BILL ADLER</div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S and CanadaDALLAS&mdash;After a rather bizarre series of events, the Central Hockey League announced an abrupt change for the 1977-78 season. Prior to a CHL meeting in Dallas in late June, the CHL alignment for 77-78 season included six cities with Dallas, Ft. Worth, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Salt Lake City and the loop&rsquo;s newest entry Phoenix.However, after some change of events in Oklahoma City, it was announced that the Detroit Red Wings would not be operating a CHL club in Oklahoma City for the upcoming season. This announcement came only days after a possible deal between the Red Wings&rsquo; general manager Ted Lindsay and the local operators in Oklahoma City had been tentatively firmed.In that brief period between the CHL meeting in Montreal and the one in Dallas three weeks later, negotiations between Detroit and the Oklahoma City group headed by former Blazer general manager murray Davison and Ron Norick broke down. The two parties were unable to reach a happy medium with regard to the financial arrangements for the Oklahoma City operation for the forthcoming season.While these negotiations were stalling, the management of the Kemper Arena in Kansas City along with the mayor and members of the city council revealed their interest in maintaining hockey in Kansas City for the 77-78 season. At the time of the Montreal meeting, the St. Louis Blues announced that their CHL operation for the 77-78 season would be moved from Kansas City which left the city of the champions without hockey.With the interest in the return of hockey to Kansas City rekindled at this high level, the news traveled quickly to Lindsay, who along with CHL president Bud Poile, met with the high-ranking Kansas City officials. The two parties entered negotiations on the rental fees for the use of the ultra-modern Kemper Arena and after a few days, Lindsay announced that a satisfactory agreement had been reached and that his CHL team would be in Kansas City. Good news for the fans in Kansas City but disheartening news for those staunch supporters in Oklahoma City as this deal all but sealedthe fate of hockey in Oklahoma City for the rapidly approaching 77-78 season.Oklahoma City had been the second oldest active franchise in the 14-year history of the CHL, the Blazers having operated in 11 of those 14 seasons. During that span, they captured two Adams Cup championships while failing to make the playoffs only twice in that period of time.However, the Blazer management could not work out their financial differences in such a manner that would have been feasible to all parties. Despite the absence of hockey in Oklahoma City for the next season, this does not preclude the possibility of the return of professional hockey to this area in the future.With the addition of Kansas City, the CHL is now ready to actively begin its preparation for the 77-78 season which will see the return of the defending champions. Each team now has their own responsibilities for preparing for the upcoming season while the CHL office has begun the difficult process of preparing the schedule.With the announcement of the Detroit Red Wings moving into Kansas City, CHL president Poile also released the final alignment picture for the rest of the league which included a Jew surprises.As noted the Red Wings will be operating the Kansas City franchise on their own as Lindsay attempts to rebuild the Detroit organization to its once lofty position in the National Hockey League. Early speculation has tabbed Larry _ Wilson for the coaching position in Kan-&rsquo; sas City. Wilson coached the Red Wings for the last half of the 76-77 season and was maintained in the Detroit organization when the Red Wings hired Bobby Kromm as coach.In Tulsa, the solid marriage between the Atlanta Flames and the Vancouver Canucks will continue. This relationship has produced two consecutive solid clubs and Oiler General Manager Bobby Gilbert is looking toward another successful year. There will be a new coach in Tulsa this year after Andy Hebenton finished the season for Orland Kurtenbach who took the reins in Vancouver. When Kurtenbach left Vancouver earlier last month, there was some speculation that he would be returning to Tulsa, but that was ended when Kurt was quickly rehired by the new management in Vancouver leaving the coaching slot in Tulsa vacant.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-01291/3983800-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="561" height="673"><figcaption class="caption-body">LARRY WILSON &hellip; To Coach K.C.</figcaption></div>For the second consecutive season the Chicago Black Hawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs will operate together in Dallas. Both clubs drafted heavily, so that the Hawks should be a strong contender again this season. The Hawks did suffer a serious loss, which was a valuable gain for the Toronto Maple Leafs, when Hawk roach of only one season Roger Neilson, was hired by the Maple Leafs to replace Red Kelly in Toronto. Neilson, a 42-year-old native of Peterborough spent 10 years coaching the Petes (OHA) before becoming a professional coach in Dallas last year. In his short period of time in the CHL, Neilson impressed everyone with his astute knowledge of the game and his ability to communicate this knowledge to the players.Speculation for a replacement for Neilson in Dallas centers around former NHL defenseman Bill White who took the reins in Chicago midway last year when Billy Reay was fired. Bob Pulford announced as the new coach in Chicago, it is apparent that the Hawks would like to give White an opportunity to continue his coaching career and that opportunity rests in Dallas.Across the Texas turnpike there will be one noteworthy change in the Fort Worth-NHL alignment. The New York Islanders will continue in Ft. Worth for the fourth consecutive year but their partner for the last two seasons, the Los Angeles Kings, have returned to Springfield of the American Hockey League. Joining the Islanders in Ft. Worth instead, will be the Minnesota North Stars. The North Stars, under the astute guidance of General manager Jackie Gordon, emerged as the brightest young team in the NHL last season while the Islanders continue to rank as one of the top three contenders to dethrone the Montreal Canadiens as Stanley Cup champions. This combination of parent clubs in Ft. Worth should provide for some interesting and entertaining moments before the end of the year.Moving out west, there will be a major change in the Salt Lake City operation for this coming season. Salt Lake City general manager Art Teece has completed a deal with the St. Louis Blues who will move their defending championship squad from Kansas City to Salt Lake City for the 77-78 season. In theory the Golden Eagles will be the defending champions because many of the players on this year&rsquo;s championship Kansas City team will be moving to Salt Lake City this year. One in particular who will be a most welcome addition to Salt Lake City is player-coach Barclay Plager. This former NHL defenseman captured the CHL&rsquo;s most valuable player award (Tommy Ivan Trophy) as a player and did an outstanding job in his first season as a coach. It should be interesting to watch how the fans in Salt Lake City who &ldquo;hated&rdquo; this man so much last year will quickly learn to &ldquo;love&rdquo; this extremely hard-working veteran performer.The CHL&rsquo;s newest member, the Phoenix Roadrunners will be working with the Cleveland Barons and the Colorado Rockies. Both the Barons and the Rockies are young organizations looking to improve their current NHL positions and both possess some good young talent which should prove beneficial to all three teams. The &ldquo;hottest&rdquo; rumor out of Phoenix notes that Sandy Hucul could be returning to the coaching ranks in Phoenix this season. Hucul formerly coached the Roadrunners in both the old Western Hockey League and the World Hockey Association but was replaced as coach last season. After an absence of one year from hockey, there has been some talk the Hucul, who is living in Phoenix, will return to his position behind the bench. Such a move would prove most popular with the fans in Phoenix who have expressed sincere interest in the likeable Hucul. &#9632;

f0032-01

Detroit Takes Over Kansas City; NHL Blues Shift Into Salt Lake

<div class="byline">BY DOUG McCONNELL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0032-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02223/3983831-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Former WHA coach Sandy Hucul, second, left, talks with pro hockey stars Bill Lesuk, Joe Daley, Ed Kea and Gary Braun while Pro Athletes Outreach&rsquo; president Arlis Priest, far left, looks on, during recent meetings held by the group to promote Christianity among professional athletes across the country.</figcaption></div>PHOENIX&mdash;Baseball Chapel has an average attendance of nearly 400. meeting before each Sunday game in clubhouses, equipment rooms or any location available and the program encompasses all 26 major league teams.All 28 National Football League teams participate in a similar program with attendance ranging from 18 to 24 per team and with meetings held in hotels before the pre-game meal.The speaker may be a local minister or someone like NFL All-Pro Bill Glass, now an evangelist, or ex NFL linebacker Don Shinnick or former major league pitcher Fritz Peterson.Hockey and basketball have no such programs, which was one of the reasons for the Pro Athletes Outreach-sponsored training conference at Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona, this summer.One of the purposes was to teach Christians in hockey and basketball how to share their faith with their teammates and fellow man.Gary Braun, a former Phoenix Roadrunner, now living in Edmonton, expressed it well.&ldquo;For two years I was a Christian and I never knew anything about how to share the word,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I was a secret service Christian&hellip;&rdquo;Whether weekly chapel meetings are yet a couple of years away was a topic of relaxed hours discussion around the pool at Camelback Inn.Hockey&rsquo;s being behind in Christian sharing is blamed on misunderstanding by Sandy Hucul, World Hockey Association coach of the year with the Phoenix Roadrunners in 1975.&ldquo;Some coaches feel,&rdquo; said Hucul, who has worked the past several months with the Scottsdale-based PAO, &ldquo;That Christianity takes some of the aggressiveness out of a player and it&rsquo;s just not so.&rdquo;Hucul accepted Christ nine years ago and as a Western Hockey League All Star defenseman and twice league outstanding defenseman, thumped opponents just as hard after as before.&ldquo;We need to get out and make a stand,&rdquo; said Ernie Wakely, goaltender last season for the San Diego Mariners.&ldquo;This is something that has to be gotten together.&ldquo;I went to our coach last year about a Sunday Chapel and he said he didn&rsquo;t care as long as we didn&rsquo;t have it at the rink.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll have to start with in-hotel meetings on the road, get the interest built to carry over into holding something when we&rsquo;re at home.&rdquo;A similar conference was held at the Christian-oriented Teen Ranch near Toronto at the same time. Next year, PAO hopes to bring both conferences together.Don Liesemer, a former Phoenix Roadrurtner who has been teaching school in Montreal the past two years and is going to work as a full-time employee of Athletes In Action, was at the Teen Ranch conference.&ldquo;Most of the guys felt they&rsquo;d have no problems in getting chapel service started on their teams,&rdquo; said Liesemer, &ldquo;first with in-hotel services.&rdquo;Among those attending the Teen Ranch conference were Doug Jarvis of the Montreal Canadiens, Dave Forbes of the Boston Bruins, Tom Reid of the Minnesota North Stars and Sheldon Kannegiesser of the Los Angeles Kings.At the Scottsdale conference were Joe Daley and Bill Lesuk of the Winnipeg Jets, Ed Kea of the Atlanta Flames, Ed Staniowski of the St. Louis Blues, as well as former Phoenix Roadrunners Braun and Wendell Bennett.Basketball was represented at Scottsdale by Paul Westphal, Keith Erickson, Bayard Forrest and Tom Van Arsdale (recently retired) of the Phoenix Suns, Bobby Jones of the Denver Nuggets, Claude Terry of the Atlanta Hawks and former NBA star Darrall Imhoff.Several football players attended, including Chuck Goodrum of the Minnesota Vikings, Mark Cotney and Ken Stone of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Randy Young of the Miami Dolphins.Jarvis wasn&rsquo;t sure of his team &ldquo;or some other teams, but if it got started on one team, I think it would spread.&rdquo;As for management objecting, they might consider the views on Baseball Chapel of Kansas City Royals&rsquo; bullpen ace Mark Littell, printed in a recent issue of the Baseball Chapel, a weekly publication.&ldquo;What better way is there for a team of 25 guys to stick together than having a belief in God?&rdquo;Infielder Dave Nelson, in an interview with Del Black of the Kansas City Star, observed:&ldquo;It used to be that athletes were afraid to admit they were Christians. They were afraid people would look at them freaky.&ldquo;But let&rsquo;s face it. The youth looks up to athletes. Our chapel program has been instrumental in making players proud to say they are Christians.&rdquo;Hockey may yet take heed. &#9632;

f0032-02

Hockey Stars Join Christian Movement

<div class="byline">BY BILL ADLER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0033-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-01261/3983904-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOB MANNO&hellip;Oiler Star Bound For NHL</figcaption></div>DALLAS&mdash;A great number of hockey players perform to the standards of their presumed ability but some have seasons above their considered level (pleasant surprise) while others classify as disappointments. Looking back at the 1976-77 Central Hockey League season shows that there were several interesting developments along these lines.The season for the Dallas Hawks was filled with many bright surprises, including the appearance of an exciting first-year coach Roger Neilson. The former mentor for the Peterborough Petes (OHA) demonstrated quickly his ability to guide a professional hockey club and for his efforts-was elevated to the head coaching job of the Toronto Maple Leafs for next season.Perhaps the most pleasant surprise for the Hawks was the performance of second-year professional Bob Warner who produced only seven goals during his rookie season while performing strictly on defense. Last season, however, the Maple Leafs instructed Neilson to switch Warner to right wing where he responded with 26 goals along with his continued aggressive hard-hitting. Warner also filled in quite well in his brief visits to Toronto and with continued development rates a shot with the Maple Leafs in 1977-78.Another second-year Hawk with a bright future is defenseman Mike O&rsquo;Connell who is coming off his second consecutive outstanding CHL campaign. The American-born O&rsquo;Connell captured the league&rsquo;s most valuable defenseman award and first-team All Star berth with a successful offensive and defensive showing. On offense, O&rsquo;Connell finished with 68 points in only 63 games and his assist total (53) ranked him third in the league in that category. A serious groin injury hampered this quiet young man from Boston through the first couple of months of the season but upon his return to full strength O&rsquo;Connell emerged as the CHL&rsquo;s number one blueline performer.Mention the name Greg Vaydik and a smile will quickly appear on the faces of all those associated with the Chicago Black Hawk organization. This first round draft selection (7th overall) two years ago played only 17 games in his rookie season, scoring five goals before being sidelined following corrective knee surgery. After somewhat of a slow start, the former Medicine Hat Tiger developed into one of leading goal-scorers in the CHL finishing the regular season with 29 goals.In the disappointment department, leftwinger Dan Hinton&rsquo;s name comes quickly to mind as this four-year veteran, who was coming off two consecutive 20-goal seasons for the Hawks, finished the &lsquo;76-77 season with only 13 goals and a less than spectacular all-around performance for the second place Black Hawks.Just ask Texan coach John Choyce and all the Fort Worth fans about the most pleasant surprise on their team and the name that most will respond with is Alf Handrahan. The aggressive rightwinger completed the &lsquo;76-77 campaign with a new all-time single season high of 25 goals and continually supplied the Texans with the flame of desire. At the start of the season Alf was a free agent simply seeking employment and under the suggestion of Choyce the New York Islanders signed the popular winger. Handrahan acquired a reputation as a tough guy through the early days of his career which he maintained last season in Ft. Worth as the Texans gained their first playoff berth in three seasons.A little man who carries some big weight is Dave Salvian who has surpassed the 70-goal plateau in his first two seasons of professional hockey. This second round draft selection by the Islanders two years ago has developed the ability for putting the puck into the net with 36 goals last season compared to 38 during his rookie year with the Texans. Despite his apparent lack of size (five-foot-nine, 165-pounds), this little leftwinger from St. Catherines has the ability to score goals which is a most valuable commodity in any league.Rookie Mike Kaszycki provided the Texans with many thrilling moments of hockey action during his initial season, developing his talents much faster than anyone expected so that this center should be ready for the Islanders next season. Kaszycki finished as the second leading scorer in the CHL with 87 points and his assist total of 55 established a new CHL mark for playmakers in a single season by a rookie.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02198/3983897-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="592" height="669"><figcaption class="caption-body">STEVE WEST&hellip;Scoring Champ</figcaption></div>There were two major disappointments in Ft. Worth last season as two high-scoring forwards failed to live up to their past reputations. Brad Anderson, a 57-goal scorer in his first two seasons of professional hockey, managed only 16 goals for the Texans drawing much concern as to his future.The other was leftwinger Lorne Stamler who had scored 33 goals for the Texans during the &lsquo;75-76 campaign. However, Stamler tallied only 19 goals for the Texans last year but much of the loss in scoring for Stamler can be traced to a serious eye injury sustained when Stamler was struck by a puck during a game in Salt Lake City in early December. The three-year veteran did regain his scoring touch toward the end of the year, giving indications that the &lsquo;77-78 season will find the high-scoring forward returning to his high goal total.One would be hard pressed to find any significant player disappointments in Kansas City last season after the Blues swept the defending champion Tulsa Oilers to capture the Adams Cup. Perhaps the only area would lie in the attendance figures for the city that compelled the St. Louis Blues of the NHL to drop the franchise this year.For pleasant surprises, you need look no further than the player-coach, Barclay Plager. Wearing two hats Plager contributed very much at both levels for the Blues. After nine NHL seasons with St. Louis, Plager took the reins in Kansas City at the beginning of the year while remaining on the blueline. For his outstanding performance the oldest of the three Plager brothers earned the highest honor in the Central Hockey League, the Tommy Ivan Trophy (most valuable player award).Rightwinger Don Martineau excelled for the Blues in this his fifth season of professional hockey. This former Detroit Red Wing established a new single season high with 27 goals for the Blues this season surpassing his previous high set during his rookie season with Omaha during the &lsquo;72-73 campaign. This past season also Martineau emerged as one of the leading penalty-killers in the CHL and he topped the league in the shorthanded goal department with four such tallies.Returning to his rookie season form was center Mitch Babin who scored 30 goals during his first season with Denver (CHL). While playing in Providence (AHL) his goal production fell to only eight but last season under the tutelage of Plager his offensive performance returned to 26 goals and a strong feeling that this third-year professional will blossom into a fine NHL prospect.After such a dismal season where would one begin to look for promising developments? But despite their plight the Blazers had their share of glory. Beginning right at the top one could consider the courageous performance of their coach-general manager Murray Davison. The former defenseman returned to professional hockey following a six-year absence as&rsquo; the coach of the Balzers where he experienced a great deal of success in the mid 60&rsquo;s as both a coach and a player. After several weeks of the season had passed and finding himself short of defensemen, &ldquo;Muzz&rdquo; donned the old skates and bravely took his regular shift on the ice through the balance of the season.Rookie Ron Hansis provided the Blazer fans with plenty of excitement. This first-year player from Montreal&rsquo;s Concordia University finished the season with 16 goals along with a strong penchant for physical game. Hansis, the property of the Houston Aeros, played several games with Houston this past season and has given indication that he will be playing a great number of big league games in the very near future.However, the truly shining light for the Blazers was CHL scoring leader Steve West who finished on top in points (96) and assists (63). A most productive offensive season for this center whq earned his second scoring title having previously captured the scoring championship while playing in New Haven (AHL) during the 73-74 season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03148/3983890-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="585" height="549"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOB WARNER&hellip;Late Bloomer</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-04121/3983883-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="561" height="544"><figcaption class="caption-body">ALF HANDRAHAN&hellip;Hot Texan</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0597/3983876-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="557" height="529"><figcaption class="caption-body">RON HANSIS&hellip;Exciting Blazer</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0678/3983869-1-eng-US/f0033-062.jpg" title="f0033-06" width="549" height="549"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE O&rsquo;CONNELL&hellip;Beet Defenseman</figcaption></div>Perhaps the one man above all others who was pleased to see the 1976-77 campaign end was goalie Pierre Hamel. The 24-year-old three-year professional suffered through physical difficulties&mdash;a serious pulled groin muscle handicapped Hamel most of the year. Along with the physical ailments, Hamel played behind a most instable Blazer defense that watched his once good goals against average soar to a new all-time high. However, Hamel still managed to excel on certain occasions giving all indications that Pierre is still a young goaltender with a bright future which is certainly something that the Toronto Maple Leafs are banking heavily upon.In a season filled with a great deal of misfortune highlighted by the financial problems of the parent Cleveland Barons, which reached its pinnacle when the Barons kept only 27 players under contract while making most of the players in Salt Lake City free agents, owner Art Teece worked out contractual arrangements with those players in Salt Lake and finished in the thick of a playoff battle until the final week of the season.One of the bright faces to appear in the Salt Palace and around the Central Hockey League during the past season belonged to rookie Ken Kuzyk who surpassed the 30-goal plateau (33) despite playing in only 62 games with the Golden Eagles. A big rightwinger, Kuzyk has both the size and the speed to become an NHL star in the not too distant future.Another of the young Baron prospects who has developed rather quickly in his first season of professional hockey is Rick Shinske, the former member of the New Westminister Bruins. The high-scoring center finished as the Golden Eagles leading scorer with 22 goals and 48 assists while displaying his outstanding skating talents.For the Golden Eagles the major disappointment during the &lsquo;76-77 season had to lie in the goaltending department. Coach Marv Edwards, a former goalie himself, began the season with three strong prospects but unfortunately for the Golden Eagles none of the three were able to provide the team with a consistent enough performance to push the Golden Eagles into one of the top four positions in the CHL. Jim Warden, the star of the United States Olympic team in 1976, suffered through a most disappointing rookie year. Warden played in seven games before cracking his ankle but his goals against average was very high. Warden has yet to show as a professional that goaltending agility that he displayed as a member of the U.S. Olympic squad.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02189/3983862-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="1176" height="845"><figcaption class="caption-body">BARCLAY PLAGER&hellip; Led Blues To CHL Title</figcaption></div>The Golden Eagles veteran Ray Martyniuk started the season on a strong note but the seven-year veteran was felled by personal difficulties with the management until finally being suspended by the team in late February. After that point the burden of the goaltending rested on the shoulders of second-year professional Larry Hendrick who had missed the first three months of the season after suffering a shoulder separation during the exhibition schedule. Hendrick had a very rough season including one span that saw him winless in 11 straight games. However, this young man from Edmonton will be looking forward to a healthy 77-78 campaign so that he can prove himself a valuable asset to the Cleveland organization.The most pleasant development for the Tulsa Oilers and for that matter the entire Central Hockey League rests in the rapid improvement of Willi Plett. After only one-third into his second professional season with the Oilers the burly Plett moved into Atlanta where he exploded onto the scene in the National Hockey League and ultimately won the Calder Trophy, which is symbolic of the NHL rookie of the year.Two new rookies for the Oilers last season who could challenge for this same coveted NHL award in the very near future are defenseman Bob Manno and rightwinger Rob Flockhart. Both players were draft selections of the Vancouver Canucks and both are long on talent and have shown good &ldquo;hockey sense&rdquo; in their first season of professional hockey. Manno, a quick defenseman carries the puck well and finished as the second leading scorer among CHL defensemen with 18 goals and 36 assists. Flockhart developed his checking and skating abilities very well along with tallying 22 goals during the season.The major disappointment for the Oilers on offense was the goal production of leftwing Alain Langlais who only two seasons ago tallied 41 goals while playing in New Haven (AHL). Last season Langlais hit for only 13 goals despite playing the last two months of the season with two outstanding forwards Jim Wiley and Flockhart.However, the prime source of concern in Tulsa all season was goaltending. The Oilers had the offensive guns to put the points on the board but the goaling did not match its performance of the previous season when the Oilers captured the Adams Cup. Little Bruce Bullock who was unbeatable during the final two months, including the playoffs, of the &lsquo;7576 season never quite was able to regain that form for the Oilers. Michel Belhumeur, a goalie with NHL experience, also failed to provide the Oilers with the necessary consistency in the net to enable the Oilers to repeat as Adams Cup champions. &#9632;

f0033-01

Warner, Handrahan, Hansis, West Among Surprises Of 1976-77 Season

<div class="byline">BY BUD GALLMEIER</div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S. and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S. and CanadaDAYTON&mdash;The International Hockey League faced the prospect of operating with seven teams during the 1977-78 season following the annual summer meeting. The IHL, which will launch its 33rd consecutive year next October, is in danger of losing two of its franchises&mdash;Dayton and Columbus.That Dayton would not be in the IHL family next season became a reality at the meeting. Jack Walker, president of the Dayton Gems, appeared at the session and told the board of governors the franchise would suspend operations for at least the 1977-78 season. Walker cited current financial problems as the reason. He expressed hope the financial difficulties could be erased during the layoff and that the Gems would rejoin the fold for the 1978-79 season.An attempt by former Gem goalie Patt Rupp to purchase the franchise and operate next season apparently fell short of its goal. The fact Washington switched its affiliation from Dayton to Port Huron added to Rupp&rsquo;s problems.In addition, Al Savill, owner of the Columbus Owls, said he definitely would not operate the franchise in Columbus next season. He did not close the door completely on the franchise, however. Savill said he&rsquo;ll have a team &ldquo;some place.&rdquo; One area which was mentioned was the Canton-Akron. O., area but Savill denied he had made any such plans. &ldquo;I would be interested in the area. But I don&rsquo;t know where we could play,&rdquo; he said.There was some speculation Savill might move his team to Indianapolis, a former IHL city. The World Hockey Association Racers are in dire straits and should the team fold, it&rsquo;s conceivable an IHL franchise would survive. Adding credence to the Indianapolis possibility is the fact Savill again makes Indianapolis his home.Should both Columbus and Dayton not answer the starting call, there is the possibility the league would accept a bid by Milwaukee of the United States League to fill an eight-team league. Milwaukee has had two previous unsuccessful tenures in the IHL.The Milwaukee Chiefs joined the IHL in 1952&mdash;same year the Fort Wayne Komets surfaced&mdash;and operated through the 1953-54 campaign. The Milwaukee Falcons joined the IHL in 1960 and folded after 17 games with a 1-15-1 record.In addition to the league news, two clubs appear set for the coming season as far as coaches are concerned. The Flint Generals ended speculation that Doug Carpenter would not return by announcing his appointment for another season at a recent news conference. There was considerable speculation in the Flint camp Carpenter may not return because of the Generals&rsquo; poor playoff record over the years.Recognizing the playoff problem, Carpenter promised to have a more physical team next year. He said, &ldquo;In looking at the teams that have been successful in our league, it&rsquo;s very evident that the teams with the most success are those who consistently play a tough brand of hockey. Over the years, the Generals have iced finesse teams. Despite the fact that we have won more games than we have lost I&rsquo;m convinced that we need a tough team to battle the best in the IHL.&rdquo;The Komets also announced the signing of a new coach to replace Ralph Keller, who coached the Komets for two complete seasons and a good portion of a third. The new Komet coach is Gregg Pilling, who comes to Fort Wayne following five years of successful coaching in the Southern and North American Leagues. Pilling, who coached Philadelphia Firebirds in the NAHL, assumed his duties on July 1.The Komets are also engaged in an ambitious season-ticket selling campaign which has been endorsed and received the support of the Fort Wayne business community. The Komets hope to sell 2,000 season tickets which would assure financial security. The club never has sold more than 500 season tickets in its 25-year history. The 8,000-seat Memorial Coliseum is not conducive to a good season ticket sale but the Komet management is optimistic about reaching its goal because of the enthusiasm generated by the community-backed drive.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-02227/3983942-1-eng-US/f0034-022.jpg" title="f0034-02" width="549" height="645"><figcaption class="caption-body">AL SAVILL &hellip; Looking Around</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-03170/3983935-1-eng-US/f0034-032.jpg" title="f0034-03" width="561" height="653"><figcaption class="caption-body">GREGG PILLING &hellip; Takes Over Komets</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0034-02

Dayton Out, Columbus Doubtful As IHL Faces Reduction In Ranks

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-01284/3983973-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="561" height="604"><figcaption class="caption-body">TED GARVIN &hellip; Things Moving</figcaption></div>TOLEDO&mdash;The Toledo Goaldiggers have announced a minimum four-game exhibition slate for the 1977 campaignOn Friday, Oct. 14, the Goaldiggers will open the exhibition season by hosting the Fort Wayne Komets. They will travel to Fort Wayne the following evening, Saturday, Oct 15, to do battle at the Allen County Memorial Coliseum.The Kalamazoo Wings will entertain the Goaldiggers on Sunday, Oct. 16, atWings Stadium in Kalamazoo. And on Tuesday, Oct. 18, Toledo will return to the friendly confines of the Sports Arena and host the K-Wings in a return matchup.General manager-coach Ted Garvin commented, &ldquo;We may play a third game at home, but right now there hasn&rsquo;t been a third game scheduled. But,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re exceptionally pleased at being able to bring Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo into our building for exhibition games. They could very well be two of the strongest teams in the league this coming season.&rdquo;On Monday, Aug. 15, the Toledo Goaldiggers will be sponsoring the 51st Toledo Open Golf Tournament. It is the first time ever that this prestigious event has had a sponsor and the Goaldiggers are proud of the fact they are the sponsor for this annual event.Then, on Wednesday, Aug. 24, the Goaldiggers, in cooperation with the Toledo Professional Golf Association, will be sponsoring the first annual Toledo Goaldiggers-PGA Pro-Celebrity Golf Tournament, to be held at the Valleywood Country Club in Swanton.Close to 100 players, (PGA pros, Goaldiggers players, local celebrities and VIP&rsquo;s) will be participating in this coveted event.The Toledo Goaldiggers softball team continues to make news throughout northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan.This is the first year the club has sponsored a team and it has been a smashing success. The Goaldiggers are currently in first place in the Midwest Division of the Toledo City Recreation Department with a 7-3 record. Overall the Goaldiggers are sporting an 11-7 mark.Recently, the Goaldiggers played a benefit game against the WCWA-ces and better than 1,600 fans showed up to root the Goaldiggers on to a 13-10 victory over the local radio station crew, as they raised close to $1,000 for the Bobby Jablonski Fund.Between 500 and 600 have been turning out to see the Goaldiggers in action in league play. &#9632;

f0034-01

Garvin Plans 4 Exhibition Games

FLINT&mdash;Robert Stork, president of the Flint Generals has announced that Doug Carpenter has been rehired as general manager-coach for the 1977-78 season.Carpenter, who held the same dual position last year, after serving as coach for two and one half previous seasons, guided the Generals to a third place finish in the IHL&rsquo;s tough North Division.Following the Generals disappointing first round loss in the Turner Cup playoffs, speculations arose concerning Carpenter&rsquo;s future. However. Stork gave Carpenter a good vote of confidence. While admitting that the owners had studied the situation carefully and deliberately, they agreed that Carpenter was the best man available for the job.Carpenter, in his remarks, emphasized that the Generals will be aiming to change their style of play considerably for the coming season. &ldquo;In looking at the teams that have been successful in our league, it&rsquo;s very evident that the teams with the most success, are those who consistently play a tough brand of hockey. Over the years, the Generals have iced finesse teams. Despite the fact that we have won more games then we have lost. I&rsquo;m convinced that we need a tough team to battle the best in the IHL,&rdquo; said Carpenter.It was also revealed that the Generals will continue their working agreement with the Chicago Black Hawks and the Colorado Rockies for the coming season.It was also announced that Doug Manchak, who has served as assistant PR director and assistant coach, has also been given the duties of box office manager. In making that announcement, Stork said, &ldquo;Doug has been working in the box office area since the middle of last season. We are sure he is extrememly capable, and will do an excellent job for us. His appointment will free Carpenter to spend more time with the coaching duties.&rdquo;The Generals have already sold more than 1,000 season tickets for the coming season, and the goal of 1,500 is well within reach again. &#9632;

Coach-GM Carpenter Rehired As Flint Sells 1,000 Tickets

<div class="byline">BY CHARLIE JAWORSKI</div>LOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S and CanadaLEWISTON&mdash;Maine Nordiques general manager Maurice Ducharme says his hunt for a new coach will end shortly.And when that contract&rsquo;s signed, it will be the second coach Ducharme has had in the fold for the 1977-78 season.The first, 38-year-old J.C. Gravel, has left the Nords for the greener pastures of St. George de Beauce, Que. Ducharme said the club amicably released Gravel from the one-year contract signed following last season so he could take a new post.According to Ducharme, Gravel will be overseeing youth hockey and a baseball program in St. George.Following the 1976-77 season, Maine finished in second place with a surge at the end and made it to the Lockhart Cup finals. Gravel was rewarded with a new contract. He&rsquo;d given the fans of Lewiston their most representative team since the league was formed in 1973.Ducharme would not release any names he&rsquo;s considering for the job, though he did say he is looking within his own organization. And one of the first names that came to mind was that of Bobby Leduc who was player-coach of the 1975-76 team and who came out of retirement to play 25 games at the end of last season. Other possible candidates also dot last year&rsquo;s Nordiques&rsquo; roster, namely John Cunniff and Paul Larose.If Gravel was a miracle worker, his Nords perhaps would have beaten Syracuse for the playoff finals instead of losing in four straight. But he did instill a sense of defensive mindedness which saw Maine&rsquo;s staggering 450 goals-against record in 1975-76 nearly cut in half to 284 last season.Gravel first came to the Nords at the height of their ineptness. He took over the team on Nov. 23, 1974, after Maine had lost its first 16 games of the season. Holdover coach Michel Harvey resigned after going 0-10.And it didn&rsquo;t take long for him to give the hometown fans a win, 5-1, over Philadelphia, though the game never reached the mid-way point of the second period because then-Firebird coach Gregg Pilling pulled his team from the ice.Maine gave Long Island a run for a playoff berth that year, but because of the disastrous start, finished last eight points back. Under Gravel, the team was 27-30-1, but instead promoting hockey in his native Quebec.Ducharme again lured him away after the team set a league record for futility with fewest wins in a season, 18.As far as season tickets are going, Ducharme predicts, &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be the best year for season tickets we&rsquo;ve ever had.&rdquo; He says the figure is now at &ldquo;650 and climbing&rdquo; and is shooting for 1,200, well above last year&rsquo;s 850.Season tickets in Erie, Pa., are so far on the upswing that GM-coach Nick Polano is bubbling over the fact that last year&rsquo;s total of 637 has already been surpassed. Polano said he hopes to have 800 by the end of July. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve already doubled program advertising sales.&rdquo;Commissioner Jack Timmins still insists that at least six teams will go to the wire for the upcoming season. In the four most solid franchises are Philadelphia, Maine, Erie and Binghamton. The Johnstown Jets still have not been sold, but Timmins is confident they&rsquo;ll be in the league next year along with a new team from Beauce.Timmins said the Mohawk Valley and Syracuse franchises have been terminated because &ldquo;the owners who had the clubs weren&rsquo;t that interested in going on.&rdquo; However, Timmins is still hopeful new groups in each of those cities will ice a team next season. He also said there&rsquo;s a possibility teams representing Providence and Baltimore could come into the loop.Many of the question marks will be ironed out by late July or early August when a special league meeting will convene to get rid of the shroud of mystery concerning the future of the NAHL.Meanwhile, the league mourned the early-July death of Dave Ferguson who was killed in a car crash near Regina, Sask. He was 34. Ferguson scored 25 goals for the 1973-74 Syracuse Blazers. NAHL and Lockhart Cup champs.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-01250/3984066-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="568" height="745"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAVE FERGUSON &hellip; Ex-Blazer Killed</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0036-01

Mohawk Valley, Syracuse Doubtful As NAHL Aims For Six-Team Start

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0037-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-01221/3984104-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Suffolk Royals brought back the N.Y. State AHAUS Junior B Tournament championship this season as well. Here&rsquo;s coach Norm Ryder, left, and his star performer Mike Labianca, holding tournament trophy. At left of Labianca is Anthony Shaw, N.Y. Met League vice-president and at right is James F. McGuigan, Royals&rsquo; league governor. (Photo by Bill Contorts)</figcaption></div>NEW YORK&mdash;The Suffolk Royals captured the Art Keegan Trophy, emblematic of the playoff championship of the New York Metropolitan Junior Hockey Association when they swept the defending champion New York Westsiders three games to nothing.It was the first time that a team from outside New York City had captured the coveted cup. The Royals and victorious coach Norm Ryder were competing in their third straight finals.&ldquo;It was a long time coming, but my boys came through,&rdquo; said the proud Ryder, a former Eastern Hockey League performer with the Long Island Ducks.The Royals also captured the New York State Junior &ldquo;B&rdquo; championship this season sparked by the splendid play of Mike Labianca. who centered their Jet Line with wingers Vic Silvestri and Rich DeStasio, Silvestri was the playoff MVP, with honorable mention to Labianca and center Dave Drew.The Westsiders scored all ten of their goals in the three games on the power play&mdash;and went down fighting. The defending champions were almost completely rebuilt this year as coach Tommy Horvath did a super rebuilding job. Goalie Peter Farrell and defenseman Tom Matthews, the power play catalyst had outstanding series.In regular season play Suffolk easily captured the title with Labianca and New Hyde Park&rsquo;s Em Kunnapas being co-MVPs. Matt Gillis of the Bergen-Rockland Rangers finished third in the balloting.Jim Pavese of Suffolk and Matthews were the co-most valuable defenseman with Mike Rossides of New. Hyde Park third. Frank DeMayo of Suffolk was the best goaltender, winning the goals against and shutout titles in regular season play. Norm Ryder of Suffolk was named coach of the year, both for his Keegan Cup win, and also his regular season and state titles.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-02165/3984097-1-eng-US/f0037-022.jpg" title="f0037-02" width="2423" height="1256"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Suffolk Royals became the first team from outside the New York city area to win the N.Y. Metro Junior Hockey League championship this past season and the Keegan Cup Playoff title. Here are the new champs, from the left, front row, HANK RYSDK, LEE RUDNITSKY, TOM RAY, MIKE LABIANCA, KEVIN HOARTY, MIKE SCHACKER and FRANK DEMAYO. Second row, JAMES F. McGUIGAN, Suffolk governor, LARRY DREW, TOM DOWD, RUSSELL BROACKER, RICH DESTASIO, ERIC BROECKER, ART KEMPNER and NORM RYDER, coach. Third row, GLEN AHRENS, BOB COCHRANE, JERRY FOERST, DAVID DREW, VIC SILVESTRI, and JIM PRADO. Missing are Jim Prado and Sal Marinello.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0037-01

Suffolk Royals Class Of N.Y. Junior Hockey

<h2>METROPOLITAN JUNIOR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION &mdash; 1976-77</h2><h3>FINAL STANDINGS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-03119/3984149-1-eng-US/f0037-032.jpg" title="f0037-03" width="589" height="250"></div><h3>LEAGUE PLAYOFFS</h3>SERIES AAmericans 4, Suffolk 5Suffolk 5, Americans 1(Suffolk wins series 2 games to 0)SERIES BBergen-Rockland 8, Westsiders 9Westsiders 7, Bergen-Rockland 2(Westsiders wins series 2 games to 0)SERIES CWestsiders 3, Suffolk 9Suffolk 7, Westsiders 4Westsiders 3, Suffolk 7(Suffolk wins series and Keegan Cup 3 games to 0)<h3>FINAL LEADING SCORERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-0496/3984142-1-eng-US/f0037-042.jpg" title="f0037-04" width="589" height="427"></div><h3>LEADING GOALTENDERS</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-0578/3984135-1-eng-US/f0037-052.jpg" title="f0037-05" width="577" height="118"></div> &#9632;

f0037-03

Final Metro Loop Statistics

LOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S and CanadaLOUISVILLE SLUGGERHOCKEY STICKSMade in Canada by HILLERICH & BRADSBY. LTDArnold Street, Wallaceburg. Ontario Sold in U.S and CanadaMONTREAL&mdash;One thing that is certain about Junior hockey&mdash;particularly in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League&mdash;is that nothing is ever certain. Some teams change their coaches as often as they change their socks and some coaches change their minds as often as they make line changes.Take Roger Bedard for example. Last season, when he took over the reins of the Montreal Juniors from Jacques Laperriere, Bedard went to great pains to make it clear that he was only assuming the job temporarily. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m taking the job now because there is no one else to take it,&rdquo; Bedard commented last year, &ldquo;But I&rsquo;ll step down as soon as someone can be found.&rdquo;Bedard guided the Juniors into the playoffs, losing out in the quarter-finals and then quietly drifted into the offseason. Now, apparently he has opted for another try behind the bench of the Juniors explaining: &ldquo;I got back the feeling for the game. I decided I still have a lot to contribute to the development of young hockey players.&rdquo;Added the man who has coached such Junior stars as Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Rejean Houle, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really looking forward to this year.&rdquo;Part of the reason for Bedard&rsquo;s enthusiasm is the fact that his hockey team will be returning nearly intact. Only three starters from last year&rsquo;s club, goaltender Robert Holland, defenseman Robert Picard and forward Normand Dupont, the latter two of whom were chosen early in the NHL draft this spring, will not be back.Bedard, a scout in the Canadiens&rsquo; organization, ended rumors that the club had been seeking a new coach to pilot the Juniors. Jacques Demers, who opted for the coaching job with the Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA, had been mentioned as a possible successor, although Bedard claimed that Demers asked the Canadiens for the job and not the other way around.Getting back to his team, Bedard mentioned that the Juniors went for players with size in the Midget draft this year. &ldquo;Last year we had a lot of small guys and got pushed around,&rdquo; said Bedard, &ldquo;so we decided to get some protection for them.&rdquo; He indicated, however, that he felt that violence in the league is being toned down and that the situation is not as bad as many people make it out to be.Another positive factor in the performance of the Montreal Juniors this year is the fact that the club will be playing two-thirds of their home games at the Paul Sauve Arena which seats 4,800 instead of the spacious Montreal Forum where they played last year.Said Bedard, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s no secret that we had attendance problems last year, so if we can get 2,000 fans it will look much better at the Sauve Arena than playing before all those empty seats in the Forum.&rdquo;Regular season play for the 10-team league will resume on Sunday, Sept. 18 and will continue through, Sunday, March 18.The only change in the league is the shift of the Sorel franchise to Verdun, while Chicoutimi, Cornwall. Hull, Laval, Quebec, Shawinigan, Sherbrooke and Trois Rivieres, will all be in action once again.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-01257/3984180-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="565" height="684"><figcaption class="caption-body">ROGER BEDARD &hellip; Likes Challenge</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0038-01

Bedard Decides To Give Coaching Another Chance

<h2>FINAL STANDINGS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-02203/3984309-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="595" height="409"></div><h2>FINAL SCORING BY TEAMS</h2><h3>CHICOUTIMI</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-03151/3984302-1-eng-US/f0038-032.jpg" title="f0038-03" width="604" height="760"></div><h3>CORNWALL</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-04102/3984295-1-eng-US/f0038-042.jpg" title="f0038-04" width="589" height="658"></div><h3>HULL</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-0574/3984288-1-eng-US/f0038-052.jpg" title="f0038-05" width="607" height="976"></div><h3>LAVAL</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-0658/3984281-1-eng-US/f0038-062.jpg" title="f0038-06" width="601" height="859"></div><h3>MONTREAL</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-0752/3984274-1-eng-US/f0038-072.jpg" title="f0038-07" width="589" height="73"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-0837/3984267-1-eng-US/f0038-082.jpg" title="f0038-08" width="601" height="786"></div><h3>QUEBEC</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-0931/3984260-1-eng-US/f0038-092.jpg" title="f0038-09" width="598" height="763"></div><h3>SHAWINIGAN</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1028/3984253-1-eng-US/f0038-102.jpg" title="f0038-10" width="598" height="385"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1126/3984246-1-eng-US/f0038-112.jpg" title="f0038-11" width="589" height="383"></div><h3>SHERBROOKE</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1223/3984239-1-eng-US/f0038-122.jpg" title="f0038-12" width="581" height="741"></div><h3>SOREL</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1317/3984232-1-eng-US/f0038-132.jpg" title="f0038-13" width="581" height="741"></div><h3>TROIS-RIVIERES</h3><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1414/3984225-1-eng-US/f0038-142.jpg" title="f0038-14" width="589" height="89"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1512/3984218-1-eng-US/f0038-152.jpg" title="f0038-15" width="590" height="671"></div><h2>GOALING RECORDS</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-1610/3984211-1-eng-US/f0038-162.jpg" title="f0038-16" width="597" height="1287"></div> &#9632;

f0038-02

Quebec Major Hockey League Statistics

CAMPBELLTON&mdash;The Campbellton, New Brunswick, Tigers became the first team in history to win the Canadian Intermediate hockey championship twice this past season when they downed the Warroad, Minnesota, Lakers 6-3 to capture the best-of-five Dominion final three games to one.The thrilling series pitted two former Hardy Cup winners against each other. The Tigers had won their first national crown in 1972, while the Lakers won in 1974.In the final game the Lakers, who were representing the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association, took a 3-2 lead into the third period before the Tigers rallied to score four unanswered goals.Sterling Loga had two goals for Campbellton in the final game, while veteran George (Chief) Berube had a goal and two assists. Lakers&rsquo; veteran Bob Storey counted twice for the losers in the last game with defenseman Gerry Hangsleben assisting on all three goals.Tigers&rsquo; 23-year-old leftwinger Brian Forster was named the most valuable player in the series after getting four goals and two assists including the winner in each of the first two games. He captured the Carling-O&rsquo;Keefe Trophy.The Tigers won the first game of the final series 4-3 and then nabbed the second contest 5-4 in overtime. The Lakers captured the third contest skating to a 7-2 triumph, landing the Tigers their only playoff loss in 25 contests.The Hardy Cup victory capped a tremendous season for the Tigers, coached by former Boston Bruin and 12-year pro player Gerry (Red) Ouellette. In 55 games overall, the Tigers won 49, lost five and tied one. They beat out Dalhousie Rangers and Bathurst Alpines in the North Shore Hockey League playoffs, both in straight games of a best-of-seven series. Next they turned back Shediac Capitals in the New Brunswick final 4-0 before sweeping through Charlottetown, P.E.I., Antigonish, N.S. and Georgetown, Ont., in Canadian playdowns.One member of the Tigers, star goaltender Mike Frawley, served as backup netminder for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League for their final four regular-season contests, but did not see any action. &#9632;

Campbellton Gets Second Hardy Cup Intermediate Title Win

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0039-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-01242/3984364-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg"></div>The Campbellton, N.B., Tigers became the first team ever to twice win a Hardy Cup as national champions as they captured the Canadian Intermediate hockey championship, three games to one over the Warroad, Minnesota Lakers. It marked their second national campionship in five years. Front row, left to right, they are LAURIE GREGAN, MIKE FRAWLEY, LUC TESSIER, GERRY (RED) OUELLETTE, coach, JOHN WOOD, GEORGE BERUBE, JEAN-CLAUDE LEGACE, ROBERT ALLAIN, ALCIDE THIBAULT, trainer. Middle row, ROBBIE ROBINSON, team president, GLEN SEPERICH, GEORGE PARKER, DAVE WISENER, BRIAN FORSTER, DENNIS HENDERSON, WAYNE PARKER, MARCEL DUMAIS, BOB CHAMBERLAIN, ARNOLD FIRLOTTE, general manager. Back row, DENIS LANGLAIS, SANDY O&rsquo;BRIEN, GREG McCULLOUGH, DAVE STEVENSON, STERLING LOGA, PAUL VAUTOUR, JEAN-MARIE BOUCHARD, NOONANMAHER, MIKE NORTON. Missing Eric Cameron. &#9632;

f0039-01

Canadian Intermediate Champs — Campbellton Tigers

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0039-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02178/3984395-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg"></div>Rochester Monarchs of the New York &mdash; Pennsylvania Junior Hockey League became the first team in league history to capture both the regular season title (Gannett Trophy) and the playoff championship (Empire Cup). The team fashioned a 26-8-4 regular season record including a mark of 20-1-0 on home ice for first place during the regular season and then swept the playoffs in the minimum eight games defeating Binghampton Barons and Niagara Falls Sharks. Here are the champions, seated, left to right, OWEN MclNTEE, MARK BURGHOLZER, JERRY SHORTHOUSE&rsquo; JAY DIETZ, ANDY LAING, general manager and coach, DAVE TREVOR, PETE DAWES, BO HEWEY. Standing, VAN SPRING, trainer, JOHN CASE, RICK ALTIER, TERRY WILSON, PAUL SWIATEK, RON WEATHERS, WILF DAVID, JIM BROWN, CLINT CAMPBELL, STEVE SCRABB, RICK KOZLOWSKI, GREG WOOD, TERRY HERVEY, BOB STUEWE, DOUG VELEPEC, president. &#9632;

f0039-02

N.Y. Penn League Champs — Rochester Monarchs

<div class="byline">BY TONY GALLAGHER</div>VANCOUVER&mdash;The new coach of the Vancouver Canucks is Orland Kurtenbach.Check that, he was the old one.Things work like that in Vancouver. It&rsquo;s nothing really very new, but it raised a few eyebrows in town anyway. Not that anyone complained either. Kurtenbach, an enormously classy individual, is popular, and indeed deserved another shot at coaching the team. It&rsquo;s just the way he came to be rehired.Round about May 17, Kurtenbach, not having been rehired by then general manager Phil Maloney, decided to &ldquo;sever relations with the club&rdquo; and try to find a coaching job somewhere else. The reason Maloney did not rehire Kurtenbach was because two weeks later, he himself would be purged by club president Bill Hughes, and the president didn&rsquo;t want to saddle his new GM with a coach he didn&rsquo;t want.Enter Jake Milford, the new general manager, who said that Bob Pulford, now the coach and general manager in Chicago, was his first choice as a coaching candidate. Then it was rumored that Jack Evans and John Wilson were also in line for the position.Finally, when Kurtenbach was appointed after an endurance meeting with Milford one afternoon, it was all settled, but not without the usual folly that takes place in this town.Kurtenbach, in signing a contract for one year, said that while it didn&rsquo;t exactly do his ego any good that he was second or maybe even third choice, he was determined to have the Vancouver job and was determined to make the team a winner.&ldquo;I was a bit stymied in my negotiations with other clubs because I wanted to make sure I had exhausted the possibility of getting the Vancouver job first,&rdquo; said Kurtenbach. &ldquo;My home is here and we&rsquo;ve made plans to do things with our house, and I&rsquo;ve been with the organization for nine years, so naturally I wanted to stay here.&rdquo;Kurtenbach, who took over the Canuck coaching duties Dec. 22 in Los Angeles, had the Canucks playing nearly 500 hockey while he was behind the bench and they made a serious run at the playoffs only to be eliminated on the last weekend of the season. Milford&rsquo;s decision to rehire Kurtenbach was probably a good one, although the jury is out right now. But the mountain of speculation could have been avoided and Kurtenbach might have been spared the anxiety of not knowing about his employment.&ldquo;I certainly can&rsquo;t blame Jake for the way things went for me personally,&rdquo; said Kurtenbach. &ldquo;He made it plain right from the outset that he wanted Bob Pulford as his coach, and I respected that. It&rsquo;s natural for a guy to want to work with a fellow with whom he has had a fair bit of success. But now that I&rsquo;m back I&rsquo;m just looking ahead to the season. I know what I&rsquo;m up against. I know what must be done and I&rsquo;ve got a year to do it in. We&rsquo;ll just take it from there.&rdquo;Milford and Kurtenbach should make a pretty good team as they worked in the same New York Ranger organization for a few years and they seem to see eye to eye on many issues.&ldquo;During the meeting in which I decided to rehire Kurt, we talked about every aspect of the organization,&rdquo; said Milford. &ldquo;We had a few disagreements. Kurt is certainly not going to be a yes-man, but that&rsquo;s all right. I don&rsquo;t want a yes-man anyway. I examined his record and the conditions surrounding that record, and I feel it was a very difficult position to come into last season. This year, he&rsquo;ll be in charge from the start.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01160/3984433-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="544" height="857"><figcaption class="caption-body">JERE GILLIS &hellip; First Pick</figcaption></div>Kurtenbach was quite lucid in discussing the fact that he has only been given a one-year contract, but he seems to be happy with the arrangement.&ldquo;Realistically, I think every coach in the National League would like to have a 10-year contract. But it doesn&rsquo;t really make any difference because if management wants to make a change they are going to make it whether you have a one-year deal or a five-year deal.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-0295/3984426-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="521" height="853"><figcaption class="caption-body">GLEN HANLON &hellip; Signs Contract</figcaption></div>The club has also announced the signing of their first round pick (fourth overall) in the amateur draft&mdash;Jere Gillis. Similarly, righthanded defenseman Jeff Bandura has signed and goaltenders Glen Hanlon and Murray Bannerman have also agreed to terms. &#9632;

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August 1, 1977

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