Race For Top Rookie Seen Wide Open Affair

GRAND FORKS— Who’s the best rookie in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association? That decision won’t be reached until late March when coaches, sports information directors and writers following the WCHA cast their votes. There are plenty of candidates, chief of which may be North Dakota’s Kevin Maxwell, a center, and Bob Iwabuchi, a goalie; Michigan center Murray Eaves; Minnesota center Neal Broten; Michigan Tech center Rick Boehm; Notre Dame’s Dave Laurion, a goalie; and Dave Poulin, a wing, and Wisconsin’s Roy Schultz, another netminder. North Dakota coach Gino Gasparini feels Maxwell, one of the most highly-recruited players in Western Canada last year, should be the choice. “I believe he’s the best rookie in the league. Of course, I haven’t seen everyone. But Maxwell can do everything. He can hurt an opponent individually and he’s intelligent…

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Dailey’s Hitting Pleasing Flyers, Quieting Critics

PHILADELPHIA— During one of his post-game visits to the Flyers’ dressing room, board chairman Ed Snider stopped a sports writer of long acquaintance and said, “Did you see Dailey tonight? He was awesome.” If you think Snider is enthusiastic about Bob Dailey, you should hear the demanding Flyers’ fans. The “Count” appears to have finally won over the Spectrum’s 17,077 regulars. When Dailey was obtained by GM Keith (The Theif) Allen from Vancouver in January 1977 for Jack McIlhargey and Larry Goodenough, people slapped their foreheads in dismay. “What a steal” they exclaimed while keeping one hand on their wallets whenever Allen was near. Dailey, a six-foot-five, 220-pound defenseman who had failed to satisfy Vancouver’s success-starved fans, was called a “future All Star.” The late Barry Ashbee said Dailey had the potential to be…

WHA’S POINT SCORING AND PENALTY STATISTICS