The Hockey News $1.50 64522 THE INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY WEEKLY MAY 18,1984 Vol. 37, No. 33

NHL ENTRY DRAFT SPECIAL THE FRANCHISE: Pittsburgh Gears Up For Mario Lemieux THE FRANCHISE: Denis Potvin Tops List Of No. 1 Picks It’s A Rematch: Oilers Vs. Islanders—age 13 Previewing Kitchener’s Memorial Cup—age 25 Win A Trip To The Canada Cup—age 23…

Quote Of The Week

“I do a little bitching about it sometimes, maybe give myself a kick in the ass, but I still think we made the right decision.” —Kitchener Ranger treasurer Jim Malleck, who in 1968 could have purchased the junior team for one dollar but didn’t because he thought it should be a community-sponsored club. Story on Page 25.…

Is There A Draft In Your Home?

If anyone has ever wondered what it’s really like to be at the National Hockey League entry draft, they’ll find out on June 9 when the annual event is televised live coast-to-coast in Canada by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “It’s not a new idea, but it’s one whose time has come,’’ says Steve Ryan, NHL vice president, marketing, the man most responsible for bringing the idea to fruition. Beginning at 3 p.m. (EDT), CBC’s sports magazine show, SportsWeekend, will carry at least two hours of live draft coverage. The other hour of the show will be filled by coverage of the Belmont Stakes, horseracing’s final leg of the Triple Crown, interspersed with live updates from the Montreal Forum, site of the draft. “We expect to be going into about 800,000 Canadian households, which…

RATING THE PROSPECTS

Lemieux’s No. 1, But It Gets Tricky After That Picking the top-rated player in the 1984 National Hockey League entry draft re-quires no skill at all. He is, of course, Mario Lemieux, the Laval Voisins scoring machine who is—barring a surprise of major proportions—going to become a Pittsburgh Penguin on June 9 (see story on Page 3). After you get past No. 1, however, prognostications get a little sticky, especially if you try to peg who is going where. And because draft day is still a few weeks away, it’s that much more difficult to be accurate since several teams are talking of trading to get a more favorable draft position. Therefore, THE HOCKEY NEWS is not going to tell you which team will select which player, at least not in this issue…

And The Penguins Hope He Can Work Miracles In Pittsburgh

Eddie Johnston was talking fast for Eddie Johnston, no insignificant feat in the history of oral communication. “Somegamesthisguy is just awesome,’’ came the words, compressed against their will into one spectacular syllable. Johnston, the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, delivers his speech at 78 rpms in normal conversation, but the topic this night was Mario Lemieux, an 18-year-old hockey player with lightning in his wrists. The words arrived in a fast-forward blur. “You look at the guys who have been great players out of this league—Lafleur, Larouche, Bossy—he’s broken every record they have,” Johnston was saying between periods one night at the Centre Sportif Laval, home of Lemieux and the Voisins of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. “We need that big, dominant guy and this guy’s presence is felt. He’s got…

Order Of Selection

First Round 1. Pittsburgh 2. New Jersey 3. Los Angeles 4. Toronto 5. Montreal (From Har) 6. Chicago 7. Detroit 8. St. Louis 9. Pittsburgh (From Wpg) 10. Vancouver 11. Hartford (From Mtl) 12. Calgary 13. Minnesota 14. NY Rangers 15. Quebec 16. Pittsburgh (From Pha) 17. Washington 18. Buffalo 19. Boston 20. NY Islanders 21. Edmonton Second Round 22. Philadelphia (From Pit) 23. New Jersey 24. Los Angeles 25. Toronto 26. Montreal (From Har) 27. Philadelphia (From Chi) 28. Detroit 29. St. Louis 30. Winnipeg 31. Vancouver 32. Montreal 33. Calgary 34. Washington (From Min) 35. NY Rangers 36. Quebec 37. Philadelphia 38. Calgary (From Was) 39. Buffalo 40. Boston 41. NY Islanders 42. Edmonton…

RATING THE CLASS OF 1973-1982

For some, it’s the first step to an illustrious professional hockey career. For others, it’s the beginning of the end, the day when their career starts to take a nosedive. Some would call it an honor. Others would simply say it’s a curse. Whichever way you perceive it, being selected No. 1 overall in the National Hockey League entry draft changes your life forever. Being No. 1, the top of your graduating class, means you’ll play out your career under a microscope, your every move monitored and evaluated by an unyielding public, critical media and expectant club management. Maybe your middle name should have been Moses. Because constant scrutiny comes with the turf—what did you think that signing bonus was really for?—THE HOCKEY NEWS figures it’s time to grade the class of…

The Hockey News

THE INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY WEEKLY Founded in 1947 by Kenneth W. McKenzie PUBLISHER Dean Heine CONTROLLER Tony Dobranowski EDITOR LN CHIEF Bob McKenzie EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Charlie Halpin ASSISTANT EDITOR Perry Lefko CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Stan Fischler. Frank On ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Randy Green ADVERTISING SERVICES MANAGER Esther Sumka ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Canadian Consumer Product Sales: CCMC. Cliff Kivell, 287 MacPherson Ave. Toronto. Ontario M4V 1A4 (416) 928-2909 SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES MANAGER Paula Heard NEWSSTAND SERVICES MANAGER Esther Sumka CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT Kathy Niklcs Rosanne Tanino ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT Tom Moffat Mary Carubia SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER Hughes Marketing Hockey News Bookshelf (416) 499-8227 ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL OFFICES 85 Scarsdale Rd., Suite 100 Toronto. Ontario. Canada M3B 2R2 (416) 445-5702 EXECUTIVE OFFICE 850 Thiid Avenue New York. New York 10022 NEWSSTAND DISTRIBUTOR Distributed nationally by Disticor 101 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite L4 Don Mills. Ont., M3B 1Z3 (416) 449-6430 THE HOCKEY NEWS, (ISSN 0018-3016) is published weekly except monthly June and bimonthly July and August by W.C.C. Publishing Ltd., 85 Scarsdale Road #100, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3B 2R2 (416) 445-5702. In U.S. do W.C.C. Publishing Corp.,…

High School Goalie Rates High

For the second consecutive year, the top-rated goaltender among NHL entry draft prospects may be a New England high schooler. His name is Alan Perry and he’s a junior at Mt. St. Charles Academy, the same school in Woonsocket, R.I., that produced last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Brian Lawton. Although the NHL’s Central Scouting list wasn’t finalized as this issue went to press, sources indicate that Perry will be at or near the top of the ratings list. But that doesn’t mean you should expect Perry to follow in the footsteps of last year’s New England high school phenom grad, Tom Barrasso of the Buffalo Sabres, who is an excellent bet to win rookie-of-the-year honors in the NHL. They possess similarities, but there are also striking differences. “Barrasso is more than six feet tall,”…

The Hockey News

The International Hockey Weekly Founded in 1947 Published by W.C.C. Publishing Ltd. 85 Scarsdale Road, #100, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3B 2R2. Justice For All NOW THAT A Salem (MA) Superior Court has sentenced Boston Bruin forward Craig MacTavish, who pleaded guilty to a vehicular homicide charge, to one year in jail with no possibility of parole, it raises a serious question concerning the way NHL discipline is meted out. Specifically, will the NHL take further disciplinary action against MacTavish, the 25-year-old London, Ont., native who entered the guilty plea in connection with an early-morning car accident last Jan. 25 in which Kim Radley, 26, was seriously injured and died four days later? Now, one might question why the NHL need be involved at all. MacTavish obviously made a critical mistake which resulted in the death of a…

Poor Officiating Isn’t Fine And Dandy

I had made up my mind to keep my mouth shut on the subject of the impossibly miserable state of National Hockey League officiating until two things happened a week apart. The first was a phone call. Not long after the Quebec Nordiques had been eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens in the infamous Forum bloodbath, my pal Bert Corwin was on the line. To put Corwin in perspective, let me just say that if Bert Corwin had been a Canadian he would have been as good as Gordie Howe. And, secondly, Corwin is one of only six people whose opinions on hockey I respect more than my own. When Bert calls, Stan listens. “I feel bad as a hockey fan,” said Corwin, “not because of all the fighting in that game but…

FAN FORUM

Want to voice your opinion on an issue? Send your letters to: FAN FORUM, THE HOCKEY NEWS, 85 Scarsdale Rd., Suite 100, Don Mills, Ont., M3B 2R2. PLAYOFF PUZZLEMENT I have been an avid subscriber to THE HOCKEY NEWS for 10 years or more and I consider myself more than an avid hockey fan. I would like to voice my opinion about the playoff structure! To paraphrase an American expression…it stinks. Can you explain to me what individual team records mean? Can anyone explain to me why the Islanders’ home-ice advantage situation should be determined by what six other teams in the Patrick Division record did against the Adams Division? Can anyone explain to me why a team such as Montreal should even be considered for the playoffs, let alone compete in the…

Oilers Trving To Stall Isles’ Drive For Five

Before the 1983-84 National Hockey League season started, many people predicted it would be the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup finals. And that’s what has happened. The Oilers beat Minnesota in a four-game sweep to win the Campbell Conference championship while the Islanders, after losing the first two games to a spirited Montreal team, got their engines going to win the Wales Conference four games to two. This year’s Cup will feature the Islanders hosting the first two games of the best-of-seven final, then the series will switch to Edmonton for the next three and then will go back to the Island if necessary. The Islanders and the Oilers, it will be a replay of last year’s final which the Isles won in a four-game sweep. The Isles…

Stanley Cup Finals

RECORD FOR REGULAR SEASON 1983 STANLEY CUP FINALS…

Stanley Cup Playoff Picture

PLAYOFF STANDINGS WALES CONFERENCE FINALS Game scores: NYI 0 at Mtl 3; NYI 2 at Mtl 4; Mtl 2 at NYI 5; Mtl 1 at NYI 3; NYI 3 at Mtl 1; Mtl 1 at NYI 4. Top goal scorers: NYI: Bossy 4, Gillies 3, Jonsson, Gilbert, Flatley 2. Mtl: Shutt, Naslund, Mondou 3. Overtime winners: none. ADAMS DIVISION FINALS SEMI-FINALS PATRICK DIVISION FINALS SEMI-FINALS CAMPBELL CONFERENCE FINALS Game scores: Min 1 at Edm 7; Min 3 at Edm 4; Edm 8 at Min 5; Edm 3 at Min 1. Top goal scorers: Edm: Kurri 5, Gretzky, Linseman 4. Min: Broten 3, Napier 2. Overtime winners: none NORRIS DIVISION FINALS SEMI-FINALS SMYTHE DIVISION FINALS SEMI-FINALS LEADING PLAYOFF SCORERS…

SLAPSHOTS

BUFFEY SEEKS CHANGES TORONTO—Vem Buffey, a former National Hockey League referee and now the technical director for referees with Hockey Ontario, recently said last year he asked for changes in penalties for charging, boarding, high-sticking and crosschecking after reading a study on neck injuries. Testifying at a public hearing on hockey safety and development, Buffey said he wanted the rule book to tell referees they “must assess” the penalties when the infractions occur, rather than using an element of judgment. Buffey was not then part of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, so he sent copies of his suggestions to the Thunder Bay and Ottawa Branches of the Ontario Hockey Association and the Northern Ontario Hockey Association to ask them to raise the issue in CAHA rule meetings. “But nothing has been done,” Buffey said.…

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Quick now, name all the National Hockey League teams that former defenseman Larry Hillman didn’t play for. Although the number of teams that he didn’t play for exceed the ones he did play for, Hillman’s 19-year career lists time spent with the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota North Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres. Whew. Of course, you can add three more seasons in the old World Hockey Association with the Cleveland Crusaders and Winnipeg Jets. In all, he played 22 seasons with six Stanley Cup teams and one Avco Cup team. “Even though I played on eight NHL teams and two more in the WHL, I really enjoyed myself while I was playing,” recalled Hillman, a native of Kirkland Lake, Ont. “Of course my father…

Did You Know…

that the NHL teams which have won the most consecutive playoff series (excluding the result of the current Islander-Canadien semi-final) are:…

TRIVIA

1. Which current NHL coach was the MVP in the 1960 and 1962 NCAA tourneys? 2. Which New York Islander once played minor league baseball in the Astros’ chain? 3. Name the Flyer defenseman who lost an eye during the 1973-74 playoffs? 4. What member of the NFL Seattle Seahawks was a fourth-round draft pick of the Minnesota Fighting Saints in the 1974 WHA draft? 5. Which current NHL executive once coached the Montreal Maroons? 6. Name the only two NHL teams which have never won a playoff game? 7. Who was the first player from an expansion club to make the NHL’s first all-star team? 8. Name the player who played with Edmonton in last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, despite not having appeared in a single regular season game? 9. Which Canadian university recently dropped its hockey…

HOCKEY VIEWPOINT

Not Quite Free BECAUSE ANY SPECULATION on the matter of a player under contract to a National Hockey League club and the possibility of his changing teams as a free agent can bring punishment for tampering if it’s done in public, the general manager of an NHL club could only discuss Rick Vaive anonymously. Vaive is the excellent right winger of the Toronto Maple Leafs, a high quality player who has had 50 or more goals in the past three seasons. He’s 24, big, strong and marketable, a player who would decorate any NHL roster. Vaive’s contract with the Leafs is heading into its option year and undoubtedly the Leaf captain would like to see some hefty numbers on a new deal, say, $300,000 per season. Recently, Leaf owner Harold Ballard, when asked about…

Wounded North Stars Leave With Pride

BLOOMINGTON—Battered, beaten and with their injured players practically matching their healty ones, the Minnesota North Stars ended their season with pride. When they lost 3-1 in game four to Edmonton, it gave the Oilers a four-game, 4-0 sweep in their Stanley Cup semi-final playoff. It was the first time in their history that the North Stars had gone out 4-0 in a seven-game playoff series. Even when they lost to the Islanders in the Cup final three years ago it was 4-1. But watching that fourth Edmonton game, out of uniform, were Paul Holmgren (shoulder surgery), Lars Lindgren (pulled groin), Brent Ashton (strained knee), in addition to Craig Hartsburg, Dan Mandich, Tom McCarthy, all of whom had gone down before with serious injuries. That all gave general manager Lou Nanne the chance to…

COMING SOON IN THN

June In our next issue, which will be out in the first week of June, we’ll wrap up coverage on this spring’s Stanley Cup playoffs, giving you some insights as to why one team won and one team lost. We’ll also have The Terrific Trivia contest, a chance for our readers to test their hockey knowledge and win a cash prize in the process. And it’ll be time to announce the two finalists in each of the eight HOCKEY NEWS’ awards categories. Last, but not least, we’ll have a special section on the Molson-NHL Slo-Pitch Challenge, an annual event that shows another side of pro hockey players and helps charity, too. Don’t miss it. July 1 This issue, which will be out in the last week of June, will chronicle the ins and…

Gretzky Knows He Can’t Afford To Go Dry

UNIONDALE—The goal, albeit a milestone, carried precious little consequence at the time. With 1:53 remaining in a National Hockey League game here Dec. 13, Wayne Gretzky slammed the puck home from the side of the New York Islander net, guarded by the despised Billy Smith. There was no jubilation. No skate of glee. No high-five. Gretzky simply bowed his head and skated away. An Edmonton Oiler teammate was left to retrieve the puck that signified Gretzky’s 300th NHL goal. When it’s an 8-5 loss to the dreaded opponent and ninth conseuctive, personal accomplishments rate alongside good news-bad news tidings—emphasis heavy on the bad. “No satisfaction at all,” sighed Gretzky, who had become the fastest NHLer (350 games) to scale the monumental plateau. Now, almost five months later, Gretzky is attaching hope for some special…

BLUELINES

Although Dan Maloney is slated to get the Maple Leaf coaching job, the scenario believed to be mapped out by general manager Gerry McNamara is more complex. Here’s how one Maple Leaf Gardens insider views it: McNamara is forced to name Maloney as coach because of pressure from boss Harold Ballard. But McNamara prefers Doug Carpenter, who will be promoted from St. Catharines as Maloney’s assistant. The thinking is that Maloney will flub out by December, enabling McNamara to move the man he really thinks should be head coach, Carpenter, into the number one spot…The NHL moved its New York offices from the tower adjoining Madison Square Garden to less-expensive quarters on Fifth Avenue. One visitor reveals that the size and geography of the new offices gives insight into the…

Isles Prepared To Sweat To Create Sports Dynasty

LONG ISLAND—The New York Islanders were pounding nails into the Montreal Canadiens’ coffin in the Wales Conference championship series when the Nassau Coliseum fans started chanting, “We Want Gretzky…We Want Gretzky.” Now they have him. The Islanders earned the right to oppose Wayne Gretzky and his Edmonton teammates in the Stanley Cup finals by eliminating the Canadiens in a six-game series. It wasn’t easy. The Islan-ders spotted the Canadiens the first two games, then bounced back to win the next four contests. That set up a rematch between the Islanders and the Oilers. In last year’s Cup finals, the Islanders swept Edmonton in four games, holding hockey’s highest-scoring team to six goals and limiting Gretzky to four assists. Now the Islanders hope to wrap up their fifth consecutive Cup championship, which would match the…

Canadiens Are Victimized By Lack Of Goal Scoring

MONTREAL—The Canadiens’ playoffs ended the same way their regular season began—with a loss to the New York Islanders. Yet, it was generally agreed that the team which lost to the Islanders in the sixth game of the Prince of Wales Conference final series had come a long way from the club which dropped a 7-4 opening-night decision Oct. 6. “I’m proud we went this far,” said coach Jacques Lemaire, who took over the team with 17 games remaining in the regular season. “A lot of people thought we wouldn’t play more than three playoff games. We won two series, against Boston and Quebec, and played 15 games.” But it is obvious the Canadiens have some improving to do during the summer if they are going to be legitimate contenders for the Stanley Cup…

ON THE CONTRARY

The Intriguing Ones ONE OF THE most fascinating aspects of the National Hockey League topography is its flora and fauna; mostly the fauna, those characters who people the ice menagerie. We have some whackos and some winners; a handful of geniuses and an equal number of jerks. So, without further ado let us get on with Fischler’s Most Intriguing Hockey People Of 1984. BILL SMITH: Because the Islander goalie intimidates more writers than anyone in hockey, they have grown to resent him and never come to know or understand one of the most honest people in the business. “Smitty is very gracious,” says sportscaster Bill Mazer, who has known the netminder since he broke in. He is one of the best at diagnosing the game and takes second place to no one in the candor…

Ranger Rooters Still In Mood For Battling

NEW YORK—One wonderful legacy of the remarkable Ranger-Islander confrontation of last month is that it gave hockey fans from Manhattan’s Seventh Avenue to Uniondale’s Hempstead Turnpike another year to decide whether or not the Rangers have indeed “closed the gap” between themselves and the Islanders. The intensity of this urban-suburban rivalry was brought to mind one morning during the recent Wales Conference finals when several thousand accountants, of all people, gathered in the exhibition hall of Nassau Coliseum to take their Certified Public Accountant exams and were greeted as follows: “Welcome to Nassau Coliseum, home of the Stanley Cup champion Islanders.” Half of the accountants cheered loudly while the other half—and remember, this is supposedly Islander territory—booed passionately. The night before, the Islanders’ Butch Goring had been asked to compare the series against…

Pens Take Mantha As Compensation…

PITTSBURGH—Moe Mantha has been confirmed as the future considerations owed to the Penguins in the March trade that sent Randy Carlyle to Winnipeg for the Jets’ first-round draft choice in next month’s NHL entry draft. But there almost was an even bigger deal involved. “It was a combination of options,” said Penguin general manager Eddie Johnston after acquiring Mantha. “There was a chance for awhile that it might have come up a much bigger deal with more players. “The Mantha deal was in the original Carlyle trade for the first-round draft choice. Another part of the deal, which we were trying to work out and add some other things to it, never worked out during the season and after the playoffs. So it really wasn’t finalized until recently.” Johnston appears to have come out…

…Because Fergy Didn’t Have Much Choice

WINNIPEG—The inevitable was happening. Only minutes after being told he was traded, Moe Mantha was bracing himself for a storm that had devastated other parts of the country. Already, the winds were threatening to topple the tall timbers which surround his cottage near Sturgeon Falls, Ont. Like a trade, you can’t stop a storm. The Jets had tried to keep Mantha but, in the end, they were forced to surrender him to the Pittsburgh Penguins as the player to be named later in the deal for Randy Carlyle. The Penguins had already received the Jets’ first-round draft choice in June. “Pittsburgh wanted Moe Mantha,” said Jet general manager Ferguson, implying that others had been offered but refused by Eddie Johnston, the Penguins’ GM. “According to the terms of the trade, we had to come up…

Player Of The Week

The New York Islanders, disposing of a tough Montreal Canadien team, are back in the Stanley Cup finals again and while all of the Isles can take a bow, winger Mike Bossy deserves a little extra recognition. Bossy, who had been slumping throughout the playoffs, erupted against the Canadiens and scored four goals, including three game winners (Games Four, Five and Six) to push the Isles into the finals against the Edmonton Oilers. That’s why Bossy is the THE HOCKEY NEWS’ Player of the Week for the period ending May 6. Heading into the finals, Bossy had eight goals and seven assists in 16 games.…

Wings Are Strong On Left Side

DETROIT—The Red Wings’ big trade of the summer of ‘83 was designed to bolster the right side. That done, most of the attention was diverted to a major problem area: left wing. But when all the results were in after 80 games and the playoffs, the left side, surprisingly, proved the more productive. “And that’s where we appear to be stronger for the future, too,” coach Nick Polano said. “We’ve got some good kids coming up.” The Wings acquired Ron Duguay and Ed Johnstone (along with goaltender Ed Mio) in the trade with the New York Rangers and immediately put them at the top of the depth chart, next to Danny Gare. Duguay enjoyed a banner season, his best in the NHL, with 33 goals and 47 assists. But injuries denied Johnstone and Gare…

HOCKEY CORNER

I Don’t Like Fighting IT WAS MY pleasure recently to meet Mr. Frank Tampone, director of the Long Island City (New York) YMCA roller hockey league. This is what I told him: “I’ve done many things in my life, covered many sports in many parts of the world—the World Series, the Super Bowl, Indy 500, Kentucky Derby, U.S. Open Golf, U.S. Open Tennis, the Stanley Cup, the Olympics and even the Stone Skipping tournament on Mackinac Island—but I never did anything as worthy as winning the 1944-45 YMCA roller hockey championship of Long Island City. He looked at me across the table, this man who has been running these leagues for 40 years of his life, and said: “You mean that, don’t you?” I told him, “I never meant anything more. Winning that medal…

Ornest Paid The Price For Saving

ST. LOUIS—Last fall, early in his tenure as owner of the Blues, Harry Ornest spoke proudly of the cost-cutting measures he had adopted in an effort to avoid the kinds of heavy losses incurred by the team’s previous ownership. In 1982-83, Ralston-Purina’s last season as owner of the Blues, the franchise lost a reported $3 million. That brought to $20 million the amount lost in six seasons under Ralston-Purina. The 1983-84 season was barely underway when Ornest boasted of having trimmed hundreds of thousands of dollars off the payroll. Pink slips had been sent out to all sorts of personnel that he considered expendable. As the season wore on, other measures to save money were undertaken. The Blues complained long and loud about their difficult schedule, but in truth they made matters worse…

Devil Foundation Shaky, But Not Set To Crumble

EAST RUTHERFORD—If there is one lesson Tom McVie learned during his coaching reigns in Washington and Win-nipeg, it is that no matter how improved a team may be, it is not at all improved until the National Hockey League standings say so. For those who watched the New Jersey Devils become a competitive team in the final weeks of last season, there is no denying improvement. But for realists who remember that the Rangers, Flyers, Capitals and Islanders are miles ahead in the Patrick Division and that the Penguins are likely to show a vast improvement on the basis of a strong skeleton and a super draft, New Jersey’s improvement is more like standing still at best. “You look at these other teams,” said chairman John J. McMullen with a monstrous sigh,…

Carnpenter Looking For Promotion To NHL

TORONTO—Doug Carpenter has a theory about making it to the National Hockey League as a coach. “For some it comes fast, for some it comes slow, and for some it never comes at all.” Carpenter is presently trying to figure into which of these three categories he fits. Carpenter, back home in Cornwall, Ont., is in a state and involved with “non-hockey” matters of limbo after his contract expired as head coach of the St. Catharines Saints, the Leafs’ American League farm team. He could return to the Saints where he’s made improvement in the two seasons he’s coached there, but Carpenter, who coached the Cornwall Royals to a Memorial Cup before advancing to the pros, makes no bones about the fact he’d like to climb the coaching ladder to the NHL. Is there…

THE WESTERN WORD

Kevin Lowe Factor ON THE EVE of the Stanley Cup finals, a flaw has been discovered. It is not a playoff system that sees Montreal win and Boston lose. It is not the referee who sees the same infraction in the first and third periods but calls it only in the first. There is a flaw in the Stanley Cup coverage, more specifcally in the flaw of the Edmonton Oilers, more specifically those of us who write about such matters. I plead as guilty as anyone. We in this business are no different than many. If we can, we take the easy way out. Through 37 days of Stanley Cup coverage, the easy way out has meant the KEVIN LOWE FACTOR has been omnipresent. Confused? Don’t be. Kevin Lowe is a pleasant, well-spoken slow-skating defenseman who happens…

Kitchener Community Franchise Thrives

To say that the Kitchener Rangers’ Ontario Hockey League franchise is perhaps the most unique in all of major junior hockey may be something of an understatement. And if you don’t mention that the Rangers are also one of the most successful major junior teams ever—in terms of performance, player development and financial stability—then you’re not only understating your case, you’re neglecting the facts. The Kitchener Rangers may just be the Cadillac of major junior hockey today, though you’re likely to get arguments from Portland, Ottawa and any other half-dozen cities with strong junior operations, on and off the ice. Still, it’s Kitchener which will be in the spotlight as the OHL regular season champion Rangers play host to the 65th Memorial Cup, May 12-19 at the Memorial Auditorium. As this issue went to…

Tucker Chalks It All Up To Experience

“A lot of fans in the league said,” Why don’t you go back to Buffalo.’ My response to that is, ‘I would if I could.’” —Kitchener Ranger center John Tucker recalling some of the comments directed at him by opposition fans after he returned to junior following two trials with Buffalo of the National Hockey League. John Tucker knows the route from Kitchener, Ont., to Buffalo, NY, as well as any trucker. While he might not be able to give you any tips on restaurants, he can tell you what it’s like going from junior hockey to the NHL. Tucker made the trip twice this season, going from the Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League to the Sabres of the National Hockey League, and he figures the time he spent with the Sabres…

FINAL OHL THREE-STAR STANDINGS

Kitchener Ace Caps Bio Year

KITCHENER—There were 13 new winners among the 15 Ontario Hockey League teams in the Molson Cup three-star voting this season and one of the new faces belongs to high-scoring Wayne Presley of the Kitchener Rangers. The 19-year-old right winger capped an extremely successful year in the OHL by winning the Kitchener segment of the Molson Cup balloting. He scored 63 goals for the Rangers this season, missed the league point scoring title by six points and wound up as a first-team All-Star. Here’s how the voting finished in the other OHL cities: BELLEVILLE—Dune MacIntyre, with 115 points, closed with a flurry to edge Dave MacLean, who had 100. BRANTFORD—Goaltender Chris Pusey came on strong to fend off Mike Millar, 75 to 70. CORNWALL—Mike Tomlak won both the final segment and the overall title with 75…

Call-Up Rule For Juniors Could Be Altered

The National Hockey League and the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, who have been haggling for more than a year over a new agreement on the development of players, appear to be closing in on something that may finally satisfy both their needs. “I don’t want to say anything right now,” said CMJHL president Ed Chy-noweth, “but I think something will happen (with regards to a satisfactory agreement) before the (NHL entry) draft (June 9 in Montreal).” While all the terms of the existing agreement—which was extended last summer because no new plan could be agreed upon by the two factions—have been subject to intense scrutiny over the past year, the most contentious issue is NHL teams calling up junior players during the course of the season. Brian O’Neill, NHL executive vicepresident, confirmed…

Depth Explains Success Of OHL Teams

Louisville Hockey TORONTO—The Ontario Hockey League will be represented by at least one team in the Memorial Cup Tournament. But it’s quite likely it could wind up with two. Kitchener Rangers, by virtue of finishing first overall in the OHL, are the host team. But they may be joined by the Ottawa 67s, who were leading the OHL eight-point final 5-1. The Rangers were forced to play the first two games of the series in Ottawa because the Memorial Auditorium was booked for a home show. The Rangers tied the first game in Ottawa 5-5, but lost the next two 13-4 in Ottawa and 6-5 in Kitchener. The 67s were an unknown quantity when the season opened, but garnered respect as the season progressed. They finished first in a tough Leyden Division, with only two…

Junior Oilers Run On All Cylinders

Louisville Hockey KAMLOOPS—In the battle for Western Hockey League bragging rights, the Oilhrs are willing to let their balance do the talking. They finished first in the Western Division and were the top team in the 14-Jeam league with a 50-22 regular-season record. They decided the best way to get good mileage was by running on all cylinders. The results have been impressive. In facing Eastern Division champion Regina Pats in the best-of-seven league final, Kamloops can point to depth as the reason they figure a championship pendant is not some far-fetched notion. Kamloops has religiously played four lines and six defenseman all season. As with any team harbouring Memorial Cup aspirations, there has to be a unit capable of scoring on any given shift. That’s where the veteran line of center Dean Evason, left…

Ferraro Wants To Go To Pros

Ray Ferraro has nothing to prove—at least not in the WHL. The Brandon Wheat King center capped off an amazing Cinderella story this season when he was named the league’s most valuable player in voting by WHL coaches. Ferraro, who was deemed expendable by the Portland Winter Hawks in a preseason transaction and questioned whether he’d even suit up for the Wheat Kings, led the league in scoring with 108 goals and 84 assists for 192 points. He also established new league standards for most goals, most hat tricks and most power-play markers in a season. So much for doubting Ferraro’s offensive ability. “It really went beyond all expectations,” said the 5-foot-10, 175-pound native of Trail, B.C. “It was quite a turnaround. This time last year I was getting ready to go to…

Lemieux Is Key To Laval’s Mighty Offense

Louisville Hockey LONGUEUIL—If Mario Lemieux and Co. make it to the Memorial Cup, it will have taken a monumental effort. The reason? Because the Chevaliers wanted to be there just as badly and weren’t about to surrender without a tough fight. The best-of-seven Quebec Major Junior Hockey League final was tied at two games apiece as this series was going to press. After a 54-16 season, it appeared as though the big, powerful Voisins could book rooms in Kitchener for the Cup before the playoffs began. But the small, speedy Chevaliers refused to give up. As Longueuil coach Mario Bazinet said of his team’s performance in the QMJHL: “Everybody expected Laval to be in the final but I don’t think very many people expected to see us here.” Still, the fourth-place Chevaliers faced a much…

Top Junior Scorers

ONTARIO LEAGUE WESTERN LEAGUE QUEBEC LEAGUE…

Nordiques Fined For Caustic Comments

Louisville Hockey QUEBEC—The Nordiques have learned there’s no such thing as free speech in the National Hockey League—at least when it comes to voicing an opinion on the integrity of refereeing. The Nordiques have been slapped with a $3,000 fine for comments general manager Maurice Filion made about the officiating after his team was eliminated by Montreal. On the eve of the Canadien-New York Islander series, Filion said in an openline radio show that “the league wanted a big show in the final between the winner of the five Stanley Cups and the team that’s after its fifth.” However, when NHL president John Ziegler was alerted to the caustic comments, he issued the fine and assessed a similar one to the Islanders who, ironically, made comments of a comparable nature after the second game…

Cap Coach Has Come A Long Way

LANDOVER—Few people will admit it now, but when Bryan Murray was hired as coach of the Washington Capitals in November 1981, there was a groundswell of complaint from the team’s season-ticket holders. The other major candidate at the time was Don Cherry and when owner Abe Pollin selected Murray instead, the fans felt Pollin was picking a minor-league coach to save money. But Pollin passed up on Cherry because he had a “gut feeling” about Murray. With a 112-80-34 record, Murray has turned around a franchise that had never come close to a winning season and has justified Pollin’s decision. “I received dozens of letters, with people listing section and seat number, that were very uncomplimentary,” Murray recalled. “They hurt my feelings badly at the time. I just tore them up. “I realized…

CANADA CUP 1984

JOIN THE BEST WITH THE HOCKEY NEWS In four big issues in August and September. THE HOCKEY NEWS will provide extensive coverage of the biggest international hockey event of the 1980 s—THE CANADA CUP SERIES OF 1984 Even as the Stanley Cup playoffs wind down towards their own thrilling conclusion, the excitement builds for this bigger-than-life confrontation when the top European and Soviet national teams face-off against the best in North America-Canada and the United States-in late summer 1984 These are not just games between the best hockey teams, but something more than that; a global championship that gives the winner the undisputed right to say that it is truly No 1 in the world of hockey. We re planning to print thousands of extra copies of these issues to make certain there…

Flames Need Clearance To Play in Tourney

CALGARY—Cliff Fletcher would prefer if Paul Reinhart and Kent Nilsson did not play in September’s Canada Cup. Accordingly, Fletcher, the Flames’ general manager, will demand that the pair receive medical clearance from the Flames before they will permit them to play in the tournament. Reinhart, the team’s top defenseman, injured his back in the season’s final game against the Edmonton Oilers. Nilsson, the team’s scoring leader, broke his leg three games before the end of the Regular season. Together, they represent a large chunk of the team’s future. Hence, Fletcher’s unwillingness to risk them in the Canada Cup, an exhibition tournament to be played here in early September. “As general manager, I’m concerned about any involvement they might have the Canada Cup,” said Fletcher. “fore they receive any approval, they will both have to…

Sabres’ Brash Netminder Is A Double Candidate

BUFFALO—Tom Barrasso is a selfassured, confident, poised, cool customer, mature beyond his 19 years. But even he had to admit he was surprised to find himself a finalist for two league trophies this year. When the National Hockey League awards are presented in a glittering cere-oniony in Toronto June 4, Barrasso, who just a year ago was getting ready to graduate from high school, will be one of only two players up for a pair of trophies. When the two finalists are called up for each award, Barrasso will be there for the Calder Trophy as outstanding rookie and, also the Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender in the league. Only Rod Langway, Washington’s veteran defenseman, is also a finalist for two awards. “I’m really, really happy about it,” said Barrasso, upon hearing of…

MacTavish Could Face More Punishment

BOSTON—Craig MacTavish, who will be incarcerated for one year beginning May 14, has been issued a $10 million suit charging negligence in the death of Kim Radley, whose car was in collision with MacTavish’s auto Jan. 25. Radley’s husband, Michael A. Radley, has filed the suit, claiming MacTavish was driving “negligently, carelessly and recklessly.” MacTavish, 25, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and and was sentenced to a year in prison. He will begin serving his one-year sentence with no parole May 14 at the minimum security Essex County (MA) House of Correction. MacTavish called the accident “a big mistake” and added he could “only imagine the agony” that he caused the Radley family.” “If I could retract the accident, I’d do it a second,” he said. “After I do my debt, then maybe I…

Hawk Super Sub Looks For Regular Employment

CHICAGO—Bill Gardner, who was expected to be bartered back in September, is still with the Black Hawks. During the course of the season, his market value climbed steadily. Yet he has the feeling that as long as he stays in Chicago he will be going up the down staircase. This was the best of Gardner’s three seasons in the National Hockey League. He wound up the season with 27 goals and 21 assists. Although these statistics aren’t awesome, only two Hawk forwards have better numbers, Denis Savard and Steve Larmer. What’s more, Gardner’s shooting percentage of 23.7 was by far the best on the team and his four game-tying goals tied him with Quebec’s Peter Stastny for the league lead. Gardner is young—he turned 24 on March 19—and has abundant speed. He is a…

Darling Throws His Hat Into Fluor GM Job Ring

PHILADELPHIA—After a week-long search of his soul, Gary Darling has found his ambition. The Flyers’ assistant general manager has informed team president Jay Snider that he wants to be the sub’s next GM. Darling originally felt he was caught in an awkward situation by Bob McCammon’s resignation. It was McCammon who hired him away from Boston a year ago and he wondered about Snider’s resolve to start fresh. An opportunity to become a GM had never come before and Darling also wondered if, already in plain view of Snider, he should have to come forward. But several friends and associates, including his former boss in Boston, Harry Sinden, urged Gary to go after the job. Now Darling will be weighed against the other candidates on executive vicepresident Keith Allen’s list. That list…

A Note To Our Subscribers

This issue marks the last in our weekly publication schedule, therefore, when you don’t receive a copy next week, you won’t have to call our subscription department to find out why. Our next issue will be dated June and should be in the mail by the first week of that month. After that, the next issue published will be July 1 and it will be in the mail the last week of June, followed by the July 15 issue, Aug. 1 issue and Aug. 31 issue.…

Hakansson Happy To Be On Kings’ Wanted List

LOS ANGELES—He only collected 15 goals and 17 assists in 80 games—all career highs—yet 27-year-old Anders Hakansson proved to be one of the most productive and valuable members of the Kings this sorry season. “He showed a lot of heart and desire. He wants to win,” general manager Rogie Vachon said. “There are some guys on this team who should take a look and follow his example.” Obviously pleased with the performance of the free agent-to-be, Vachon rewarded Hakansson with a new one-year contract (plus an option) as the regular season wound down. For the first time in over a year, the swift-skating Swede knows how it feels to be wanted. “I know next September where I’ll be and that’s a nice feeling for a change,” Hakansson said before departing for his homeland. “Last year…

Francis On Search For Tomorrow

HARTFORD—If there’s one thing that Emile Francis has failed to master in 36 years, it’s how to relax. “I’ve been to Maine, Quebec, Kitchener, Brandon and a half-dozen other places,” said the Hartford Whalers’ president-general manager. “I’m leaving again tomorrow.” Possessing just one draft pick in the first five rounds—the Whalers will pick 11th overall and then must wait until the sixth round to draft again—Francis continues to bang the bushes. He’s good at it. “Not having the picks hurts, but it’s not like we’re without young players,” Francis said. “A guy like Mark Fusco helps. A guy like Dave Tippett helps. Scot Kleinendorst is young and we’ve got (David) Jensen, too.” Jensen, a left winger from the U.S. Olympic team, is one of those who will help right away, according to Francis. “If you’re looking…

Canuck Players Feel Smith Deserves A Shot

VANCOUVER—A popular sport around here lately is guessing who will be the next Canuck coach. Harry Neale, the Canuck general manager who also has a hold on the coaching reins until he finds a suitable successor, wouldn’t have it any other way. He and the Griffiths family, the owners of the Canucks, knew full well the game would be a six-month process back when they fired Roger Neilson in January when the team was “underachieving.” Now the guessing is reaching a crescendo, though the players themselves have begun something of an underground lobby for assistant Ron Smith. Smith, who came to Vancouver from Buffalo with Neilson three years ago, is probably too closely aligned with Neilson and the regime of the past to be taken seriously by Neale. But many of the players…

Cinderella Mariners Craving Cup More Than The Glass Slipper

Louisville Hockey PORTLAND—They are longshots for sure, these Maine Mariners. By most any reasonable measure they should be on the golf courses, not playing for the Calder Cup championship. Yet here they are back in the familiar position of being the Northern Division finalist with a chance to make amends for their shoddy performance of a year ago. The Mariners continued their improbable march toward the Calder Cup title by winning their Northern Division championship series with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs four games to one. Larry Floyd’s three goals provided the bulk of the offense for the Mariners in the fifth game as they finished off the Vees 5-2 and earned a rematch with the Rochester Americans, the team that swept them out of the finals in four games last year. The victory…

Oilers End Season By Taking Adams Cup

Louisville Hockey INDIANAPOLIS—The Oilers may have nowhere to display it, but they own the Adams Cup. The former Tulsa team, whose members have been living out of suitcases since mid-February. completed a four-game sweep of the defending champion Indianapolis Checkers April 27 to claim the Central Hockey League championship with a 3-2 triumph in the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel. Coach Tom Webster’s squad completed a rather topsy-turvy season which saw the league and the parent New York Rangers keep the Oilers alive after local ownership in Tulsa went under. But the Oilers apparently got used to life on the road and they won eight of nine playoff games on foreign ice. They eliminated Salt Lake City 4-1 in the semifinal round, then breezed past the Checkers in four straight. Ranger boss Craig Patrick said the…

Amerks Go On As The Crow Flies

ROCHESTER—Let the record show that in seven previous seasons as an American Hockey League head coach, Joe Crozier reached the Calder Cup finals four times and copped three Cups. There were fruitless seasons, the ones with Cincinnati in 1971-72 and New Brunswick in 1978-79, but from 196368, the sly guy Rochester Amerk fans call “Crow” saw nothing but success from behind the War Memorial bench. This season, he’s at it again. After taking over from Mike Keenan, who led the Amerks to a Cup last season, Crozier is back again in the AHL finals. The Amerks won three straight games to knock off the favored Baltimore Skipjacks, four games to two, and advance to the finals against the surprising Maine Mariners. The Amerks, behind the stellar goaltending of Jacques Cloutier, the inspired play…

General Coach Could Qualify As A Prophet

Louisville Hockey FLINT—In the stretch run of the International Hockey League season, the Generals trailed only front-running Fort Wayne Un posting the best record in the league. But General coach Dennis Desrosiers said the best was yet to come. “Let’s wait and see what happens in the playoffs,” he said following a close Hoss to Fort Wayne late in the season. “The playoffs are a new season.” After two games in the Turner Cup final, Desrosiers appears to be a prophet. The Generals led Toledo 2-0, after a 6-4 victory in the first game in Flint and a 7-5 win in Toledo, and if the Generals continue their winning ways, they’ll celebrate their first championship since they won the North Division title in 1973. The victory was Flint’s third in the last four in…

The Classified

MISCELLANEOUS WIHL FINALISTS: Nelson Senior Maple Leafs require player-coach and other players for 1984-85. Some scholarships and employment available. Apply soon to Nelson Maple Leafs, P.O. Box 311, Nelson, B.C. DEFUNCT SPORTS PRICELISTS 35 pages of media guides, yearbooks. photos, programs, pennants, decals, cards, game Jerseys and more. Includes WHA (world Hockey Association). WFl (world FootBaH league), ABA (American Basketball), NL (National lacrosse) and more send cheque or m/o for 54.99 to: EMPIRE SPORTS, 1947 Avenue Road. Sulu 201, Toronto. Ont. M5M 4A2. NCCA Dealer. * Free gift and $2.50 credit on first order. WHA-NHL-AHL-IHL-MINOR HOCKIY 65 page pricelist of photos, media guides, cards, yearbooks, programs, pennants, pucks, game used Jerseys, equipment and much more send cheque or m/o for $5.50 with this ad to: CANADA U.S. SPORTS HNTIRFRISHS 99 Katherine Rd. Downtvlew, Ont Canada M3K 1J5 * Free gift…

Top Rookies In The Playoffs

NHL PLAYOFF SCORERS

CONFERENCE RNALS EDMONTON—Semenko 4, Gretzky 6, 7, 8, 9, Hughes 1, 2, Kurri 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, McClelland 3, Hunter 5, Linseman 6, 7, 8, 9, Lumley 1, Coffey 6, Anderson 5, Messier 5, Jackson 1. Winning goals-Gretzky, Linseman 2. MINNESOTA—Payne 3, Broten 3, 4, 5, Plett 6, Bellows 2, Maxwell 2, Napier 2,3, Ciccarelli 4. Winning goals-none. MONTREAL— Carbonneau 4, Naslund 4, 5, 6, Shutt 5, 6, 7, Mondou 4, 5, 6, Hunter 2, Tremblay 6. Winning goals-Carbonneau, Shutt. NY ISLANDERS—Gillies 5, 6, 7, Potvin 1, Jonsson 2, 3, Gilbert 3, 4, Bossy 5, 6, 7, 8, Dineen 1, Trottier 6, B. Sutter 3, Flatley 7, 8. Winning goals-Bossy 3, B. Sutter 1. Penalty shot goals—Gretzky (Edm) 1.…

STANLEY CUP SCOREBOARD

WALES CONFERENCE FINALS GAMES COMPLETED Tue. Apr. 25 NY Islanders 0 at Montreal 3 Thu. Apr. 27 NY Islanders 2 at Montreal 4 Sat Apr. 29 Montreal 2 at NY Islanders 5 Tue. May 1 Montreal 1 at NY Islanders 3 Thu. May 3 NY Islanders 3 at Montreal 1 Sat. May 5 Montreal 1 at NY Islanders 4 ADAMS DIVISION FINALS GAMES COMPLETED Thu. Apr. 12 Montreal 2 at Quebec 4 Fri. Apr. 13 Montreal 4 at Quebec 1 Sun. Apr. 15 Quebec 1 at Montreal 2 Mon. Apr. 16 Quebec 4 at Montreal 3 Wed. Apr. 18 Montreal 4 at Quebec 0 Fri. Apr. 20 Quebec 3 at Montreal 5 DIVISION SEMI FINALS ADAMS DIVISION GAMES COMPLETED Wed. Apr. 4 Montreal 2 at Boston 1 Thu. Apr. 5 Montreal 3 at Boston 1 Sat. Apr. 7 Boston 0 at Montreal 5 GAMES COMPLETED Wed. Apr. 4 Quebec 3 at Buffalo 2 Thu. Apr. 5 Quebec 6 at Buffalo 2 Sat. Apr. 7 Buffalo 1 at Quebec 4 PATRICK DIVISION FINALS GAMES COMPLETED Thu. Apr.…

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF SUMMARIES

All-Time Playoff Leaders Sat. Apr. 28 MONTREAL 2, ISLANDERS 5 EDMONTON 8, MINNESOTA 5 Tue. May 1 MONTREAL 1, ISLANDERS 3 EDMONTON 3, MINNESOTA 1 Thu. May 3 ISLANDERS 3, MONTREAL 1 Sat. May 5 MONTREAL 1, ISLANDERS 4…

Chrysler Rookie Award

When the NHL season started and top rookies were mentioned, Steve Penney was not one of them. But then why should he have been? He wasn’t even given a chance to make the Nova Scotia Voyageurs. But here it is eight months later and Penney, a native of Ste. Foy, Que., is the story of the playoffs. The unheralded rookie played all 15 playoff games for the equally surprising Montreal Canadiens and came up with a 9-6 record. His 2.20 goals-against average was the lowest in the playoffs and when the rookie talk begins next fall, Penney’s name will be mentioned since he’s still technically a rookie.…

MINOR SCOREBOARD

NHL PLAYOFF SCORING