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January 14, 1983
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.
BEDCLOTHES
Time For The Polls AS LECH WALESA might say. over there in Gdansk, the year’s-end was the time for polls. Each week before Jan. 1, the stately Associated Press and the sprightly United Press International and the stodgy Canadian Press find out, to their own feigned surprise. which hockey team was the best in North America. Or who was the year’s outstanding Toronto Maple Leaf coach? Or can a good NHL team beat a good Russian team, salaries being equal? Or who is the liveliest hockey boss in Chicago named Orval. This was done by polling the stuffing out of the continent’s sports editors. What with one thing and another, the sports editors were polled within an inch of their wretched lives. The last is customarily reserved for the Bedclothes Poll, which makes up in…
Sabres Find It Difficult To Pot Some Goals
BUFFALO—What’s this—the Buffalo Sabres having trouble scoring goals? The Sabres were once one of the goal-happiest teams in the National Hockey League. Back in the days of the French Connection, they scored 354 goals one season, second only to the Montreal Canadiens’ 374. The Connection itself—Gil Perreault, Rene Robert and Rick Martin—scored 121. That was 1974-75, when the Sabres made it to the Stanley Cup finals. Perreault is the only remaining member of the French Connection playing in the NHL. He’s the Sabres’ leading scorer, as usual, but the classy center-left wing had only 18 goals going into the final game of 1982. Perreault was the only Sabre with more than 15 goals and one of only four with 10 or more. Tony McKegney had 13, and Mike Foligno and rookie Sean McKenna each…
‘Nifty’ Middleton Loses Touch Around Net
BOSTON—Along with the first Bloody Marys of the new year came word that the Boston Bruins were leading the National Hockey League’s Adams Division by four points over the Montreal Canadiens and were only four points behind the Chicago Black Hawks for the best record in the whole league. And they were doing it with anemic goal production from Rick Middleton, their 51-goal scorer the previous year. The Bruins played their 38th game of the season on New Year’s Eve, a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota North Stars, and Middleton had only 14 goals. He had only one goal in the last eight games. That’s hardly the pace of a 50-goal scorer. “I don’t know what it is,” said Middleton, who has never really known a slump like this since he came to…
Halward All But Extinct In Vancouver
VANCOUVER—The career of Doug Halward is looking remarkably similar to Colin Campbell’s in the eyes of many Vancouver Canucks’ fans. Halward is having another splendid season, though a glance at his contract would tell you he’s only about three months from extinction as a Canuck. He has been sent a termination contract this year, meaning he will be a free agent without compensation after this season. His Toronto agent. Bill Watters, has repeatedly tried to negotiate a new deal with Vancouver GM Harry Neale, because Halward wishes to remain in Vancouver. But so far.-he has had very little success. Neale has a glut of defensemen on hand and that is perhaps why Halward. who is second only to Lars Lindgren as the Canucks’ best rearguard, is being given the cold shoulder. Halward is…
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