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Yearbook 1979

The Hockey News Yearbook 1979

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0131-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0131-0168/10139366-1-eng-US/f0131-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0132-0172/10139359-1-eng-US/f0132-012.jpg" title="f0132-01" width="2298" height="3178"></div> &#9632;

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1977-78 STATISTICS

ONTARIO MAJOR LEAGUE 1977-78

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0066-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-01202/10137988-1-eng-US/f0066-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Defenseman Larry Robinson was one of the big stars in Canadiens&rsquo; Stanley Cup playoff success.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0067-01140/10137981-1-eng-US/f0067-012.jpg" title="f0067-01" width="2388" height="3228"></div> &#9632;

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HOW THE CANADIENS WON 21st STANLEY CUP…

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011554/10137195-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="596" height="608"></div>The one question surrounding the Montreal Canadiens as they get set to defend their third consecutive Stanley Cup is not whether they will finish with the best record in hockey&mdash;that&rsquo;s pretty much assured due to their wealth of talent&mdash;the question is how many times in a row can the Habs retain the Cup?Guy Lafleur&mdash;who has a lot to do with the success of the team&mdash;figured during the 1978 playoffs, that the Canadiens might be able to win the Cup for the next five years, barring a rash of serious injuries. And he has company in a number of experts who expect that the current version of the Canadiens will be able to challenge the five consecutive Stanley Cups earned by the Montreal teams from 1955-56 through 1959-60.With their third Stanley Cup in a row this past season, the Canadiens joined their illustrious predecessors and the 1961-62 through 1963-64 Toronto Maple Leafs as the only National Hockey League teams to win the league championship three successive years.And they&rsquo;ll be favored to make it four straight during the 1978-79 season for a number of reasons. First, they&rsquo;re solid at every position. Second, they are relatively young with able replacements waiting down on the farm. Third, their organization is second to none and works harder than any other club at continuing their winning tradition.When you look at the Canadiens. you are looking at the closest thing to a perfect professional sports team. They have four players which made the All Star ream. They have six players who captured league awards. They have scorers. They have checkers. They have excellent goaltending and they have outstanding penalty killing. Once again they led the NHL in producing goals as well as preventing them. And they have the kind of bench strength to wear down their opponents with frequent line changes.Their only problem is that they have too many good players in their system and they are going to have to lose a few in the intra-league draft in October. One other disconcerting fact for the Canadiens was that they failed to sign any of their top four draft choices, mainly because the players jumped at the chance to play in the World Hockey Association rather than spend a couple of years in the minor before fitting into the Canadiens&rsquo; plans.While speculation about what makes the Canadiens great in terms of player personnel often begins with the heart of their defense&mdash;Larry Robinson. Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe&mdash;there is no question that Lafleur has become the single most dominant figure in the NHL.Lafleur became the first Canadien ever to win three consecutive scoring titles by leading the NHL with 60 goals and adding (tying the club record) 72 assists for 132 points, just four points shy of his career best in the 1976-77 campaign. He also captured his second Hart Trophy in succession as the most valuable player in the league and amazed even his teammates with his remarkable skating and puck-handling ability. All this and he&rsquo;s just turned 27 years of age.Lafleur also has plenty of help from other Montreal sharpshooters. Steve Shutt has totalled 109 goals the last two years and is second to none in banging in rebounds and bouncing pucks. Jacques Lemaire, undoubtedly one of the top five twoway players in the game, gives the line balance with his defensive abilities and came through with an unheralded 97 points, including 36 goals.Other guys who can score are Rejean Houle, another two-way performer who notched 30 goals, Pierre Larouche who netted 23 goals in part-time duty last year and Pierre Mondou, who picked up 49 points in his rookie year and looks ready to break out at any time.Mondou, a 5&rsquo; 11&ldquo;. 180-pounder who looks Smaller than he really is. may be the only player in the league to have more moves than Lafleur. He&rsquo;s a natural who makes things happen when he gets the puck and if the Canadiens can improve his skating speed and stamina.Then there&rsquo;s the checkers. Bob Gainey was voted the best defensive forward in the league (Frank Selke Trophy) and there are few players in the league who have gone into the corners with him who will argue the fact. There&rsquo;s Doug Jarvis, the league best faceoff man and a plethora of unsung contributors such as Doug Risebrough. Yvon Lambert, Rick Chartraw (who also plays defense). Mario Tremblay, and Murray Wilson, who will try to come back from back surgery.Captain Yvan Cournoyer, the team&rsquo;s oldest member at 35 successfully returned from a similar back operation to score 24 goals during the season and another seven in the playoffs. All together Montreal topped the NHL with 359 goals.Their defense, led by Robinson, Savard and Lapointe and the Vezina Trophy winning duo of Ken Dryden and Michel (Bunny) Larocque. also allowed the fewest goals. 183, 17 less than Philadelphia.Dryden had the best average among goalers, a 2.05 mark and played all 15 playoff contests, again with the best average. 1.90 per game. Robinson, meanwhile, was the most valuable player of the playoffs, earning the Norris Trophy. He also joined Shutt on the second All Star team, while Dryden and Lafleur were on the first team All Stars.Lending support to the heart of the defense were Bill Nyrop, one of the league most improved players and a regular all season long. Pierre Bouchard, towering&rsquo; (6'6&rdquo;) Gilles Lupien and Brian Engblom. who showed remarkable calm and skill in spot assignments.Mark Napier, of the Birmingham Bulls, who was drafted two years ago, is slated to join the Canadiens on right wing and forwards Pat Hughes and Rod Schutt, who played for Nova Scotia last year will also have a chance.With the prospects of adding a fourth Stanley Cup in succession dont be surprised if the Canadiens are right up there around the 59 and 60 win totals of the last two years.The only real question is who they will meet in the Stanley Cup finals.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011425/10137188-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="745" height="597"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;SCOTTY BOWMAN</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03721/10137181-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="823" height="2370"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-021001/10137174-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="1697" height="3164"><figcaption class="caption-body">Guy Lafleur did it ail last year for the Canadiens in cup win.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011530/10137167-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="1107" height="1094"><figcaption class="caption-body">Veteran Serge Savard continues to give the Canadiens solid defensive strength with his two-way ice play.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-021073/10137160-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="1234" height="1444"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Canadiens&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03794/10137153-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="2393" height="1824"></div><h2>CANADIENS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02921/10137146-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="2442" height="1248"></div>Code of abbreviations used areGP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS-&mdash;ShotsSC PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF,&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip;On The Canadiens</h3>There have been a couple of pretty fair small players to have worn the colors of the Montreal Canadiens in recent years namely Henri Richard and current captain Yvan Cournoyer, who both measured in at 5&rsquo;7&rdquo;, and the 1978 amateur draft saw the Canadiens continue to choose small players with big hearts and large doses of talent.We&rsquo;re speaking of 5&rsquo;7&rdquo;, 158-pound Kevin Reeves of Montreal and 5&rsquo;8&rdquo;, 167-pound Keith Acton, who performed for Peterboroug. Ordinarily these players, drafted sixth and eighth, respectively, would have been destined for Montreal&rsquo;s American League farm club, but the fact that the first five picks by Montreal decided to sign with the World Hockey Association has put these two into the spotlight.Local hero Reeves is a playmaker whose talents stood out in a league (Quebec Major Junior) known for its offensive proficiency. He was second to Ottawa&rsquo;s Bob Smith in Canada with 109 assists and also collected 62 goals.Acton scored 128 points from his center spot with Memorial Cup final contenders Peterborough and both players were compared to Boston Bruins&rsquo; centerman Gregg Sheppard (5&rsquo;8&rdquo;, 171-pounds) by Canadiens&rsquo; general manager Sam Pollock.The Canadiens were the second busiest team at the draft, selecting 24 players with seventh choice Mike Boyd of Sault Ste. Marie as their first defenseman named. He&rsquo;s 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;, 226-pounds.Montreal drafted two goalies, Kevin Constantine of RPI, who was their 11th choice and Rick Wilson of St. Lawrence University who was picked 22nd. An even dozen players taken by Montreal played last year in college hockey.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04497/10137139-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="731" height="1099"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEVIN REEVES</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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Rounding Up The NHL

Montreal Canadiens:

<div class="byline">BY NORM MacLEAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012326/10136987-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">The revelation that the New York Islanders were in debt to the tune of $7 million dollars as the result of mishandling of the NHL club&rsquo;s finances by owner Roy Boe, shocked all of hockey.</figcaption></div>The shocking news that the New York Islanders were in debt to the tune of almost $7 million has given the public and the fan paying the freight a previously off limits peek at the finances of hockey.The Islanders, rated as one of the top four teams in the National Hockey League&rsquo;s so-called Super Six, sell out their home rink the Nassau Coliseum, with crowds of 15,317 for at least 30 of their 40 home games. They take in an additional $200,000 for TV and radio rights. Last year, with 604,03 I fans clicking through the turnstiles at home games in the regular season, they grossed $4.5 million, yet reportedly lost $2 million.They rent the Nassau Coliseum for $500,000, pay $400,000 in sales taxes, $200,000 in Coliseum staffing, $2.5 million in salaries, and almost $1 million in interest payments.They got behind when Roy Boe, then the Islanders principal partner &ldquo;loaned&rdquo; the bankrupt New Jersey Nets basketball team $3.2 million from the Islanders cash flow. This caused a $320,000 missed payment to the New York Rangers, which was part of the special Ranger indemnification for the Islanders 1972-73 invasion of their territory; and missed payments of $ 163,000 to each of the NHL teams in the league in 1972-73 at the time the Islanders were granted a franchise.There were other problems, such as a successful suit by Cablevision Inc. which resulted in a $4.1 million judgement against both the Islanders and the Nets.Nonetheless, the fact that a franchise with a galaxy of stars such as All Star defenseman Denis Potvin, the winner of the Norris Trophy, and super rookie Mike Bossy, whose 53 goals earned him the Calder Trophy, a sold out arena&mdash;and a legitimate chance at the Stanley Cup, could run into serious trouble shocked one and all.&ldquo;Our escrow with the NHL ($250,000 per annum) is up to date.&rdquo; noted Bill Torrey, the Islanders general manager. &ldquo;The court has appointed John O. Pickett as caretaker manager for a financial reorganization. Our 30 limited partners have shown their colours by pumping in more monies, but nonetheless, the franchise is in grave danger.&rdquo;Torrey, who had almost nothing to say about the financial aspects of things in the past, when Boe was running the store, will have a much larger role in the future of the Islanders.Despite their exalted standings atop the Patrick Division, dethroning the Philadelphia Flyers' four-year run as division champions, the Islanders lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a seven game quarter-final series and cost the franchise a much needed $750,000 in revenues from semi-final round games.&ldquo;That hurt,&rdquo; admitted Torrey. &ldquo;More NHL teams than care to admit it, break even or make a marginal profit because of the playoffs. This year&rsquo;s unexpected defeat after four years in the semi-finals really cost us.&rdquo;The Islanders team budget for salaries is $ 1,690,000 as far as players are concerned. That figure places them eleventh in the NHL, far below their place in the standings. It emphasizes Torrey&rsquo;s high caliber management&mdash;and the player evaluations of his scouts.Overall, the Montreal Canadiens, contrary to popular belief, and despite the tight reins that general manager Sam Pollock holds, have the highest budget for player salaries.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-012008/10136980-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="1638" height="1463"><figcaption class="caption-body">The NHL still manages to get the best juniors each year but the teams shell out for their services. NHL president John Ziegler is shown flanked by two of the league&rsquo;s top drafts, Behn Wilson, left, of Philadelphia, and Wayne Babych, right, of St.Louis.</figcaption></div>They expend $2,385,000. I he Philadelphia Flyers spend $2,115,000. Chicago Black Hawks $2,110.000. New York Rangers $2,050.000, Boston Bruins $1.960.000. Los Angeles Kings $1,940,000, St. Louis Blues $1,780.000. Vancouver Canucks $1.720,000. Toronto Maple Leafs $1,710,000, Pittsburgh Penguins $1,695,000, then the New York Islanders at $1.690,000 followed by the Buffalo Sabres at $1,680,000, Detroit Red Wings $1,635,000, Minnesota North Stars $1,420.000, Colorado Rockies $1.415.000, Atlanta Flames $1,395.000. and Washington Capitals at $1,305,000.The now defunct Cleveland Barons were pegged at $1,365,000. with the combined Cleveland and Minnesota franchise expected to rise to about $1.750,000.The Rangers will go up to nearly $2,500,000, the top figure in the NHL because of the addition of Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson with two year pacts worth a total of $2.9 million. The addition of new general manager Fred Shero at a record $250,000 has added to the Rangers general overhead.Salaries of the stars always fascinate the fans, so when it was revealed in the middle of the 1977-78 that Phil Esposito of the Rangers had one of the NHL&rsquo;s highest salaries at $325.000, with Marcel Dionne of Los Angeles right behind at $320,000, most fans gasped.What really brought home the fact that the owners no longer had what former NHL president Clarence Campbell once termed, &ldquo;license to mine gold,&rdquo; was the salaries of many relatively nonproductive players who were signed to long term contracts.Neil Komadoski of the Blues was earning $105,000. In the days of the old six team NHL Komadoski would have been toiling in the American Hockey League for something under $5,000.&ldquo;The NHL has an average salary of $92,000 plus fringe benefits, which in reality bring it over $100,000 per player,&rdquo; reports John Ziegler, the second year president. '"Salaries have dropped a bit, but they must come down if the weaker franchises are to stabilize. The signing of Hedberg and Nilsson are isolated incidents because they sold their own free agent rights, but nonetheless the Canadiens gave Guy Lafleur an increase shortly after the Rangers signed Hedberg and Nilsson. Other players have reportedly asked for more also.&rdquo;Lafleur reportedly was boosted from $180,000 to about $250,000 after team captain Yvan Cournoyer observed, &ldquo;Lafleur is twice the player that either of those Swedes are&mdash;and he won&rsquo;t even be getting half their money.&rdquo;The NHL can ill afford to raise salaries again&mdash;something that has seemingly been slowed in the last three years after a gigantic jump from an average pay of $42,000 at the time of the inception of the World Hockey Association in 1972-73.Last year, for the third year in a row NHL attendance declined. In 1974-75 the league set an attendance record with 9,983,197, but since then sales have dropped each year. Last season the falloff was only about 200 fans a game, but it was still a minus figure.In 1977-78 the NHL drew 9,101.023 fans. The Detroit Red Wings showed the biggest increase with 547,272, up 162,264. The St. Louis Blues, under the new ownership of the Ralston Purina Company, dropped a whopping 161,812 drawing only 425,323.Once more the Rangers led in total attendance, and undoubtedly, in revenue, as they have the highest price scale in the NHL. They finally stopped announcing inaccurate sellouts of 17,500 for their final dozen games. They drew 695,164 down from 700,000. The actual fall off is much worse than announced, but nonetheless, the Rangers turn a neat annual profit as do the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Philadelphia Flyers.Those teams managed to cut professional hockey&rsquo;s total loss from a figure of $30 million in 1976-77 to about $18 million last year. The NHL loss was &ldquo;only&rdquo; $12 million, with 12 of the 18 teams operating in 1977-78,in the red.The World Hockey Association&rsquo;s eight 1977-78 teams lost the remaining $6 million, despite careful accounting and the amputation of many big money contracts.NHL attendance figures at home for 1977-78 were as follows: Atlanta 420,841 down 69,502; Boston 494,744 up 24,300; Buffalo 647,390 down 9,898; Chicago 443,512 down 7,088; Cleveland 227,029 down 11,514; Colorado 355,930 plus 13,954; Detroit 547.272 up 162,264; Los Angeles 471.923 down 25,791; Minnesota 347,279 plus 16,110; Montreal 664,643 minus 3,571; New York Islanders 604.031 plus 5,480; New York Rangers 695,164 minus 4,836; Philadelphia 671,151 down 11.859; Pittsburgh 421,924 up 20,343; St. Louis 425,323 down 161,812; Toronto 659.162 plus 707; Vancouver 568,841 down 30,881; Washington 434.864 down 2,217.Each team plays 40 home games and keeps the home gate, not sharing in attendance on the road. Road average attendance sheds some light on which teams are the most popular with the fan.The Philadelphia Flyers, still known for their muscle, are the best draw on the road, averaging 14,350 fans, with the Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens second with 14,130 fans per game.Other road averages showed Boston at 13,934; Chicago 12,873; New York Islanders 12,840; Pittsburgh 12,775; Buffalo 12,749; Los Angeles 12,965; Toronto 12,567; New York Rangers 12,310; Cleveland 12,200; Atlanta 12,118; Detroit 12.046; Washington 11,982; St. Louis 11,969; Minnesota 11,983 and Colorado 11,754.WHA attendance figures reveal a total of 2,860.211 fans paid their way in during the 1977-78 season to watch eight teams, the WHA had decreased in size from 12 teams in 1976-77, but the average attendance per game increased by 472. The average was 8,267.Edmonton led with 429,862, an average of 10,235 per game and an increase of 84,564 as the team led by Glen Sather came alive.Winnipeg, the regular season and Avco Cup champions was second with 396,085, an average of 9,431 and a plus of 52.923. New England was up 21,812 with an average of 8,661 and a total of 381,075, despite the almost disastrous collapse of the roof on their Civic Center Arena in Hartford in mid-January. Forced to transfer their home games to Springfield. Mass., the Whalers lost at least 50,000 additional admissions and over $200,000 in revenue.&ldquo;Our new building will be ready for the start of the 1979-80 season,&rdquo; reports Howard Baldwin, the president of the Whalers and the WHA. &ldquo;In the meantime we&rsquo;ll make do in Springfield.&rdquo;Quebec, the defending champions in 1977-78 and the team which rates second to the Canadiens in the hearts of most of Quebec province, drew 372,336, an average of 8,865 and a plus of 14,373.Houston, which has now dropped out of pro hockey after losing $2.4 million in 1977-78. and failing to receive an NHL expansion franchise, drew 315,698, average of 7,175 and a minus figure of 39,027.Cincinnati and Indianapolis had about the same figures with the Stingers drawing 303,404, averaging 6,896 and being down 17,044. The Racers drew 301,891, averaged 6,709 and were down 6,815.Birmingham, which almost dropped from the WHA. drew a pretty fair 359.860, averaged 8,369 in football country in Alabama and were up 25,584 from the first year of 1976-77.It was reported that Edmonton. Winnipeg, Quebec and New England made modest profits or broke even, with the rest of the WHA teams losing about $1.5 million each.Jack Vickers, the Colorado owner lost $2.7 million last year, down from the $4.5 million of 197677, and planned to sell to trucking magnate Arthur Imperatore. He wants to move the Rockies to the new arena scheduled for erection in the Meadowlands in New Jersey. Whether the NHL will allow Imperatore to move the Colorado team to New Jersey in 1980, when the 20,000 seat facility opens is still under discussion. The Flyers are openly opposed to sharing part of what they consider their territory, despite the fact that Meadowlands is seven miles from Madison Square Garden and 86 miles from Philadelphia&rsquo;s Spectrum.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011788/10136973-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="2452" height="1791"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Indianapolis Racers dug deep to the tune of $1.6 million to lure junior whiz kid Wayne Gretzky into the fold this year. Now the WHA has the youngest in Gretzky, who is 17, and the oldest in Gordie Howe, background, who is 50 years old.(Photo by William E. Sauro, New York Times)</figcaption></div>&ldquo;Four teams in a geographic area of 130 miles, meaning the Rangers, Islanders, Meadowlands Rockies and the Flyers isn&rsquo;t good for the NHL,&rsquo;&rsquo; insists Ed Snider, the Flyers president. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want their money in the form of indemnification for territorial invasion. We just don&rsquo;t want them there.&rdquo;The Rangers and Madison Square Garden will take the Rockies money for indemnification, and even tried to sell them dates in the Garden, in a vain effort to have the Rockies play two seasons there before transferring to the Meadowlands.It is not too much more than a decade ago that a franchise in the NHL was literally a license to print money. All six established teams were playing to almost automatic sellouts. The exact figures in 196667, the year before expansion, was 92 percent capacity attendances. Even the minor American Hockey League was operating at a profit, with certain teams having a tidy profit margin. &ldquo;Expansion in 196768 diluted the player market when it doubled the number of teams in the NHL from six to 12,&rdquo; noted Clarence Campbell. &rsquo;&rsquo;And it hurt the AHL, which saw its caliber of play drop way off.&ldquo;Player salaries must come down&mdash;and long multi-year guaranteed contracts have to become few and far between. Even the Rangers only signed Hedberg and Nilsson to two year pacts. They aren&rsquo;t completely sure how things will turn out with them,&rdquo; continued Campbell.To the fan in the stands, owning a hockey team may seem like overtime goals, champagne and a respected place in the community. In most cases it means unpaid bills, long tangles with players agents and attorneys, and vilification by the local press when the standings of the teams reflect disappointment.&ldquo;Vickers, bitterly disenchanted complained, &ldquo;The other owners in the NHL don&rsquo;t help their partners who are in trouble. Football is better organized than hockey. It may be true the owners had an advantage over the players at one time, but that is long gone. If salaries don&rsquo;t come down, along with other overhead factors such as arena rental, then we may see an eventual shrinkage of the hockey map in the United States &#9632;

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Our Inside Features

Better Be Prepared. It’s High Finances And The Profits Are Small Whether It’s The NHL Or The WHA

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-012167/10136859-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"></div>More Features! More Facts! More Photos! More Fun!Subscribe NOWYou still get 8 issues of Hockey Pictorial even if you start now.This season you&rsquo;ll get much more hockey and you&rsquo;ll get much more out of hockey, in the expanded HOCKEY PICTORIAL, incorporating many new features plus an added array of photos, and fact-packed articles guaranteed to keep you on top of the ever-changing hockey scene the issues and controversies, the top teams, players, and personalities (covered in-depth in our new &ldquo;Hockey People&rsquo; Department), exciting action-photos and a whole lot more &mdash; coming your way every month, all through the 1978-79 season.SO ACT NOW, AND YOU&rsquo;LL SAVE $2.00 ON A 1-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION&hellip; $5.50 ON A 2-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION!DON&rsquo;T DELAY MAIL TODAY &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

SAVE BIG BUCKS ON 8 GREAT ISSUES OF HOCKEY’S #1 ACTION NEWSMONTHLY!

<div class="byline">BY TOM MURRAY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0007-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-012228/10136897-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg"></div>In the six years that the New York Islanders have been a member of the National Hockey League, the team has grown from being the very worst in the league to one of the four best. Look at their record:In 1972-73, the Isles' first season, the team won only 12 games of the 78 they played, losing 60 (that&rsquo;s right, 60) and compiling a laughable 30 points for the season. In 1973-74, they managed to win 19 games and increase their point total to 56 in the process, but they were still pretty dreadful, and it was considered an upset of major proportions if they managed to best anyone. Those were the days when the word &ldquo;lowly&rdquo; appeared so often in front of the team&rsquo;s name in newspaper and magazine stories that people thought it was a town in Long Island&rsquo;s Nassau County.Then, in 1974-75, the Islanders suddenly stopped being a joke: The team won 33 games during the regular season and amassed 88 points, to finish in third place in the newly formed Patrick Division, just behind the New York Rangers, their long-established and hated Manhattan-based rivals. Then, to add insult to injury, the Isles defeated the Rangers in a two-out-of-three playoff series, a stunning achievement which catapulted them into the quarter-final round against the Pittsburgh Penguins. After losing the first three games to Pittsburgh, the Islanders roared back to win four straight, becoming the first team to accomplish that since the mid-40s.In the semi-finals against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Islanders almost did the same incredible thing again: After losing the first three games, they tied the series at 3-3, before-losing the decisive seventh game in Philadelphia.Although the Islanders failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup finals in that amazing year, they gained confidence, credibility, and respect from everyone who watched them and played against them, and the consensus of everyone was that this young, hungry and inspired team would surely win the Stanley Cup within two or three years.But they never did. In 1976, the Islanders were again stopped in the semi-finals, this time by the Montreal Canadiens. and in 1977 the Canadiens again defeated the Islanders in the semi-final round. In those two years the Islanders, playing their relentless, indefatigable style, were the only team not to be swept by the Canadiens on their way to Stanley Cup championships, and the Isles enhanced their image as one of the very best defensive clubs in the NHL.But being the best defensively does not necessarily win championships, and this fact&mdash;coupled with the frustration of watching his team claw and scratch its way to the semi-finals in two consecutive years, only to lose&mdash;made general manager Bill Torrey realize that the Islanders were not a complete team, that they desperately needed yet another ingredient before they could expect to win the Stanley Cup. That last ingredient, Torrey knew, was a true goal scorer, a &ldquo;home run hitter&rdquo; who was a threat to put the puck in the net everytime he stepped on the ice, a player who could mesh with the &ldquo;blue collar&rdquo; types already on the team and, finally, make the Islanders truly worthy of challenging for the Stanley Cup.Bill Torrey found his &ldquo;home run hitter&rdquo; in the first round of the National Hockey League&rsquo;s amateur draft in June, 1977. Fourteen players had already been selected by those teams which had finished lower in the 1976-77 standings than the Islanders, and now it was Torrey&rsquo;s turn to make a selection. In the draft, each team is allowed only three minutes to make a choice unless it chooses to utilize a five-minute timeout. Torrey used one of the two timeouts alloted him and consulted with his scouts. The men were comparing the merits of two players who appealed to them. One was Dwight Foster, a right wing from the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey Association whose hard-working, hard skating, defensive style was perfect for the defensively oriented Islanders. The other players was Mike Bossy, a right wing who was not renowned for his backchecking ability, but who had scored 308 goals in four seasons for the Laval Nationales of the Quebec Junior Hockey League. Bossy had scored 75 of those goals in his final season with Laval, to become the second-highest scorer in the history of the league. Only one player had scored more goals&mdash;five more&mdash;and his name was Guy Lafleur.In any other year, Torrey would have undoubtedly grabbed Foster in a second, but now, knowing what his priorities were, he quickly made his decision and ended the conference:&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s take Bossy,&rsquo;&rsquo; Torry said. &ldquo;We need the goals.&rdquo;So Mike Bossy, offensive-minded player, reported to the New York Islanders, defensive-minded team, in the fall of 1977, acutely aware of the differences in style and not at all sure of what the team had in mind for him.&ldquo;I knew the Islanders emphasized defense,&rdquo; Bossy says. (Coach) Al Arbour called me and said that if I worked hard and wanted it, there was a spot for me on the right side. But I knew my defensive game wasn&rsquo;t what it should have been. So when I got to training camp I concentrated a bit too much on defense and I was struggling a bit. Al told me not to worry, to open up and to play my own game. If he saw any weaknesses he said he would point them out.&rdquo;Arbour also did one other thing that made life for Bossy an awful lot easier: He put the youngster on a line with Bryan Trottier at center and Clark Gillies at left wing. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t remember exactly when that was,&rdquo; Bossy says. &ldquo;Al just called out the lines one night and I was on that one. I think it was the fifth exhibition game.&rdquo;The chain of events which have occurred since that fateful night when Arbour put the line together are well known to anyone who even casually followed the NHL last year. The three played as a unit&mdash;the &ldquo;Trio Grande&rdquo;&mdash;for the entire season and led the Islanders to their first ever first-place finish in the Patrick Division of the Clarence Campbell conference. With a regular season total of 111 points, the Islanders finally beat out their chief nemesis the Philadelphia Flyers who finished with 105. In the process, Mike Bossy became the first rookie in the history of the National Hockey League to score at least 50 goals during the regular season, as he finished with 53. The only other player in the league to score 50 goals last year was another product of the QJHL named Guy Lafleur, and it marked the first time since 1970-71 that only two players attained that magic 50-plus status.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012430/10136890-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="1398" height="1800"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mike Bossy, left, and Denis Potvin brought home two of the NHL&rsquo; major awards to the Islanders last season. Bossy won Calderas rookie year and Potvin was chosen Norris Trophy winner as best defenseman in the league.</figcaption></div>In scoring 53 goals, Bossy smashed the Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; Rick Martin&rsquo;s rookie record of 44 goals, set in 1971-72. Bossy also led the league in scoring power play goals, with 25, and became only the second player in NHL history to score that many. Phil Esposito set the mark of 28 in 1971-72 with the Boston Bruins, and had 27 in 1974-75 and 25 in 1970-71.Overall, Bossy&rsquo;s 53 goals and 38 assists in 78 games gave him 91 points for the season, good enough for a sixth place finish in the race for the Art Ross Trophy&mdash;awarded to the player with the highest point total at the end of the season. Finishing ahead of Bossy were some pretty decent hockey players: Winner Lafleur (132 points). Bossy&rsquo;s linemate Trottier (123). the Toronto Maple Leafs Darryl Sittler (117) the Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; Jacques Lemaire (97), and Bossy&rsquo;s teammate Dems Potvin (94).Although the Islanders were prematurely eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. Bossy was ultimately awarded the Calder Trophy as the outstanding rookie in the NHL&mdash;an honor he insists on sharing with his linemates.&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t have gotten all those goals if it weren&rsquo;t for Clark and Bryan,&rdquo; Bossy says. &ldquo;Bryan is so great. Playing with him you just have to score goals. He knows where you are without looking and then, bang, the puck is right on your stick. Those two make it easy for me. When I watch them working so hard, it gives me the extra incentive to work just as hard. When I do that, it&rsquo;s easy to play in this league.&rdquo;While the modest, unassuming Bossy prefers to share his glory with his teammates, there are quite a few of his peers who feel that he is a pretty good hockey player by himself. For instance:&bull; Bryan Trottier: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s learned extremely well. He has tremendous puck sense. He always seems to know just when and where the puck is coming from.&rdquo;&bull; Tony Esposito: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got amazing quickness,&rdquo; says the Chicago Black Hawks&rsquo; goalie. &ldquo;Usually if a goaltender can have a split second to set himself he&rsquo;s got a chance. But not on a shot like his.&rdquo;&bull; Al Arbour: Mike&rsquo;s learned the defensive part of the game very well, much better than we expected. He&rsquo;s an intelligent player and he realizes that he doesn&rsquo;t know everything about the game.&rdquo;&bull; Chico Resch: &ldquo;Mike has a natural knack for scoring goals that can&rsquo;t be taught. He&rsquo;s great in close. But he doesn&rsquo;t skate in too close. He patrols the perimeter where the defenseman can&rsquo;t line him up. He never gets caught in the traffic around the net. He stands back where he has room to shoot. With his quick hands, he&rsquo;d make a great pickpocket. When he&rsquo;s out anywhere from 10 to 15 feet, he&rsquo;s got the knack of getting the puck up high quickly. On a shot from that range, nine out of 10 goaltenders will crouch down low to the ice and give the shooter the top of the net because most shooters can&rsquo;t get the puck up top from there. Mike can get it up top.&rdquo;He can indeed &ldquo;get it up top&rdquo; or anywhere else in the net&mdash;and his 53 goals last year attest to that fact. But there is one ironic twist to all of this: In the first year that the Islanders finally had a 50-goal scorer, a true &ldquo;home run hitter,&rdquo; the team was eliminated in the quarter-finals, their worst finish in three years.The question now is what else does this hard-working, hard-skating group of players have to do to win that Stanley Cup? The addition of Bossy to the Isles&rsquo; already potent lineup should have been enough, but it wasn&rsquo;t&mdash;at least not last year. Time will tell whether this year, finally, will be the year for the Islanders &#9632;

f0007-01

BIG SCORER THE ISLANDERS EXPECT WILL MAKE THEM A CUP THREAT

<div class="byline">BY TOM MURRAY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012408/10136942-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">New Ranger coach Fred Shero will revamp team&rsquo;s offense around his two new Swedish acquisitions.</figcaption></div>On June 5. 1978. the New York Rangers held a press conference in the Hall of Fame Lounge at Madison Square Garden. The purpose of the gathering was to introduce the media to the team&rsquo;s newest players, a standard procedure for the Rangers in recent years.New York City is a place where even the most insignificant occasion can merit an announcement of this sort&mdash;usually because free cocktails and lunch are part of the deal. But this was no ordinary, insignificant occasion, and the throng of TV, radio, and newspaper reporters that were present on that day&mdash;more than had ever showed up for any previous Ranger press conference-came for reasons far more important than the inducement of free food and drink.They were there to see Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson, the two &ldquo;Super Swedes&rdquo; who had finally become Rangers after months of being courted like debutantes by seven other teams in the National Hockey League. In the process of becoming Rangers. Hedberg and Nilsson had also become millionaires, for the word was that each had signed a two-year contract bringing him something around $600,000 per year. That meant that in the elite fraternity of the mega-salaries athletes, Hedberg and Nilsson were making as much money as the New York Yankees' Reggie Jackson, the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; Kareem Abdul-Jabber. and the Chicago Black Hawks' Bobby Orr.The huge crowd of media people that came to the Garden on that June afternoon were attracted by curiosity for a good part of them had never even seen the two young millionaires so much as take a stride on the ice. Here, then, is the strange chain of events that brought Hedberg and Nilsson to New York, a move which&mdash;coupled with the acquisition of Fred Shero as coach&mdash;finally makes the New York Rangers a bona fide contender for a Stanley Cup championship.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011998/10136935-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="2694" height="1774"><figcaption class="caption-body">New Rangers Anders Hedberg, left, and Ulf Nilsson, were given a top level welcome to New York by Madison Square Garden boss Sonny Werblin, who wants a winner in the Big Apple in the worst way.</figcaption></div>Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson signed with the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association in May, 1974, for approximately $55,000 apiece. Hedberg had received a higher offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he rejected it so that he could play with Nilsson and be a teammate of Bobby Hull, a player whom he had long admired.During the first two years in the WHA, right wing Hedberg and center Nilsson&mdash;playing on a line with Hull, were subjected to an incredible amount of physical abuse by opponents who hoped to intimidate them sufficiently so that they&rsquo;d simply pack up their bags and return to Sweden, where rough-house tactics in hockey are practically unheard of.Despite some incredible beatings and blatant, out-and-out attacks on them, the two refused to crumble and each not only survived the barrage of abuse, but excelled in spite of them: Hedberg scored 53 goals in his rookie season, finished the year with 100 points, and was elected to the WHA second All Star team. Nilsson scored 26 goals in his rookie year and garnered an incredible 94 assists, for 120 points. Many of those assists were on tallies by Hull, who scored a record 77 goals during the regular season that year.In their second year with the Jets, Hedberg scored 50 goals during the regular season and 13 more in the playoffs-tops in post-season play that year. Nilsson, who had 114 points during the regular season, had the most assists (19) and points (26) in the playoffs as the Jets won the Avco World Trophy, the WHA&rsquo;s version of the Stanley Cup.The following year, 1976-77, was an even more impressive year for both players. Although the team failed to successfully defend its Avco Trophy titles Hedberg and Nilsson were awesome during the regular season. Hedberg scored 70 goals, to lead the WHA, and he also became the first player in hockey history (WHA and NHL) to score 50 goals in less than 50 games. On February 6, 1977, playing in only his 47th game, Hedberg&mdash;by now called &ldquo;The Swedish Express&rdquo; by the media&mdash;scored his 49th, 50th, and 51st goals of the season, thus shattering the record (50 goals in 50 games) that had been set in 1944-45 by Maurice &ldquo;Rocket&rdquo; Richard and matched by Bobby Hull during his scoring binge in 1974-75. Nilsson, meanwhile, was in the process of leading the league in assists during the regular season (85) and finished the year with 124 points.If Hedberg and Nilsson had performed their incredible feats with any team in the NHL, they would have been covered like blankets by the media and been well known all over the United States. But in the WHA, the unfortunate truth is that deserving players simply don&rsquo;t get the exposure and attention they should. The reasons for this range from the fact that WHA games are rarely on TV in the States, to the fact that none of the teams are geographically located near media-oriented cities (eg.: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles), to the widely held belief that the league and its players are far inferior talentwise to the NHL. Whatever the reasons, Hedberg and Nilsson were known to many hockey fans and writers in the United States only through short, wire service pieces which followed their careers. The net result was that a comparatively small amount of people had been lucky enough to see the two perform in person.Just prior to the 1977-78 season, when the Board of Governors of the NHL rejected any hope of a merger between the two leagues, it seemed that Hedberg and Nilsson would be destined to toil in obscurity for the duration of their WHA careers. But then, in late October 1977. the NHL abolished its policy of allowing its teams to protect seven players each on what was known as a &ldquo;negotiating list.&rdquo; This meant that Hedberg, who was on the list of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Nilsson, on the Buffalo Sabres&rsquo; list, were free of their committments to those two teams. In addition, over the summer each player had signed a five-year, $ 125,000-per-year contract with the Jets which allowed him the option to negotiate with any NHL team and leave the Jets&mdash;unless Winnipeg could come up with a counter offer in 30 days that was within $20,000 of the NHL offer.Both players started the ball rolling by making it clear that they would certainly talk to whomever was interested in them, stipulating only that they would go only as a pair and would sign contracts for two years&mdash;no more.Suddenly, the war was on. Hedberg and Nilsson were finally getting the publicity they&rsquo;d been lacking for so long as a total of eight teams expressed interest in the two. Among the teams were the Vancouver Canucks, the St. Louis Blues, the Chicago Black Hawks, the Philadelphia Flyers, and, of course, the New York Rangers&rsquo;. People like Bobby Orr, Bobby Clarke, and Emile Francis started making appearances in Winnipeg and showing up at the Jets&rsquo; road games to make their pitch to the Swedes.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012348/10136928-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="768" height="1635"><figcaption class="caption-body">Anders Hedberg is a renowned goal scorer who should lift Rangers.</figcaption></div>John Ferguson, then the general manager of the Rangers, had seen the Swedes play and knew' that they Were capable of performing in the NHL, but he wanted to check with one more person before throwing his hat into the ring. &ldquo;I immediately phoned Roddy MacLeod, my Western Canada scout, and told him to get to Winnipeg,&rdquo; Ferguson said. &ldquo;He took the players to dinner and found out they were interested in the Rangers.&rdquo; MacLeod also assured Ferguson that if the Rangers were serious about getting the two players, they were definitely worth however much money it would take to sign them.At this point Sonny Werblin and Gulf and Western Industries. Inc. came into the act. Werblin was the man who signed Joe Namath for the New York Jets in 1965 and turned him into a household word overnight by inking him to a then unheard of $400,000 contract. After that he turned a piece of barren swampland in New Jersey&mdash;Meadowlands into the most profitable horse-racing track in North America. Everything the man has touched in his incredible, mercurial career has turned to gold, so when Sonny started talking about bringing a hockey and basketball team to Meadowlands, Gulf and Western Industries Inc.&mdash;of which Madison Square Garden Corp, and the New York Rangers are a wholly-owned subsidiary&mdash;made the only logical move: They lured Sonny Werblin away from Meadowlands, made him the president of Madison Square Garden, and gave him carte blanche as far as improving the Rangers and basketball Knicks. Werblin, in turn, gave Ferguson and Ranger president Bill Jennings carte blanche to sign Hedberg and Nilsson.By this time, the end of January, 1978, stories began leaking in the papers which said that the Rangers had offered both Hedberg and Nilsson identical contracts which would pay them anywhere between $475,000 and $600,000 per man, per year. By neither confirming nor denying the story the Rangers lent credibility to it as far as the press was concerned, and soon it seemed that Hedberg&rsquo;s and Nilsson&rsquo;s future as Rangers was a fait accompli.Meanwhile, as the papers were buzzing with the news, Don Baizley, the players&rsquo; agent, informed the WHA trustees at their January meeting that the bid by the Rangers was. indeed, bona fide, as were several lesser ones by other NHL clubs. The team with the bid reputed to be the closest to the Rangers was the Philadelphia Flyers' $375,000 per year for each man. But Flyers' chairman Ed Snider vehemently denied that rumor. &ldquo;That figure is totally erroneous, grossly overstated, disgusting, and horrifies me,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Anyone who is tossing money around like that is crazy. We made an offer but it was a sane offer.&rdquo;Executives in the WHA were just as surprised by the money the Rangers were supposedly offering. &ldquo;Can you believe that?&rdquo; said Indianapolis Racers&rsquo; owner Nelson Skalbania. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s $60,000 a month for the hockey season. If they played ten games a month, each guy would make six grand a game&hellip;that&rsquo;s $100 a minute. It all seems pretty funny,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;All the NHL does is badmouth our league. Then one of their teams is willing to pay two WHA players $600,000 each per season.&rdquo;WHA president Howard Baldwin did not sound particularly optimistic about the situation when asked if he&rsquo;d try to keep the players in the WHA. &ldquo;The Rangers&rsquo; offer to the two players amounts to $2,700,953, Canadian funds, over a two-year period,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It would be financially ridiculous for the Jets to try and match that&hellip;It&rsquo;s the craziest thing I&rsquo;ve ever heard of. According to my figures, one of the players will be getting $650,000 for one year. That&rsquo;s more than a whole team payroll four years ago.&rdquo;In the wake of Baldwin&rsquo;s gloomy statement, a group of Winnipeg businessmen, led by Michael Gobuty, bought the Jets and announced that they were going to match the Rangers' offer, keep Hedberg and Nilsson on the Jets, and get the Jets into the NHL. The reason for this totally unrealistic announcement was understandable: the Jets were a publically-owned team playing in an arena that had a capacity of only 10,200 and was barely breaking even. The loss of the Swedes would be a crushing blow for the community, and Gobuty and his group desperately hoped that their matching offer would compel the NHL to open its doors and welcome the Jets with open arms. It didn&rsquo;t happen, of course, and all that was left was for Hedberg and Nilsson to sign their names on their new Ranger contracts.&ldquo;New York&rsquo;s got that kind of money and we can&rsquo;t afford it,&rdquo; Gobuty said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re two fine athletes, two fine gentlemen, and instant millionaires. We have no malice toward them. They&rsquo;re making a business move that would be tough for anyone to pass up.&rdquo;On Monday, March 30, 1978, a smiling John Ferguson told an audience tuned into the NHL&rsquo;s TV game of the week that Hedberg and Nilsson had indeed signed contracts with the Rangers that day. &ldquo;This could be the high point of my career as general manager,&rdquo; Ferguson said, beaming, and no one could disagree with him. At long last, the speculation had finally become reality: Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson were, officially, New York Rangers.By the time that June press conference took place, a number of significant changes had transpired in the New York Ranger organization. Among them:&bull; Fred Shero, the brilliant, innovative coach who led the Philadelphia Flyers to consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975, had been signed by Werblin as the coach and general manager of the Rangers.&bull; Both Jean-Guy Talbot, coach, and general manager Ferguson had been eased out of the scheme of things as a result. Ferguson, whose high point as GM was signing Hedberg and Nilsson for the Rangers, experienced his low point as GM only a few months later. His absence was conspicuous at the press conference, and it caused more than several people in attendance that day to say that it seemed as if Werblin kept Fergy around just long enough to do all the dirty work before axing him.&bull; The Winnipeg Jets, about to embark on a fund-raising campaign to build a new, larger arena, were faced with the bleak prospect of generating enthusiasm for the project, knowing full well that the teams two most exciting players were gone.&bull; John Ziegler, president of the NHL, had this to say about the transaction: &ldquo;We are trying to stabilize. We have seen that our player costs have risen in the last few years and that it is not in our best interests to have our players&rsquo; costs as high as they have been. As far as the NHL is concerned this is certainly not a good trend.&rdquo;Good trend or not, for better or for worse, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson are New York Rangers for at least the next two seasons. They will be playing under incredible pressure, before frustrated, demanding fans who are very sensitive to the fact that their team is the only one in New York not to win a championship in at least the last 25 years. The Giants have won in that time, and so have the Jets, Knicks, Yankees, Mets, and Cosmos. The Rangers, on the other hand, haven&rsquo;t won the Stanley Cup since 1940&mdash;38 years ago. Hedberg and Nilsson are being paid an exorbitant amount of money to help the Rangers improve their losing image and become a winning team&mdash;no small feat in itself. But they are also being regarded by many Ranger fans as the saviors who will ultimately lead the Rangers to that elusive championship. It&rsquo;s not fair, and it&rsquo;s not realistic, but that&rsquo;s the price Hedberg and Nilsson are going to have to pay in the most demanding sports town in the world.God help them if Lord Stanley&rsquo;s Cup isn&rsquo;t in New York by the spring of 1980 &#9632;

f0010-01

NEW YORKERS HOPING HEDBERG, NILSSON WILL PUT END TO 38-YEAR CUP FAMINE

<div class="byline">BY NORM MacLEAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0019-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011712/10137025-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Veteran Vladislav Tretiak is still the man the Soviets call on when they want a super goaling job.</figcaption></div>No matter what the outcome of the confrontation between the Soviet Union and the National Hockey League All Stars in New York&rsquo;s Madison Square Garden, the Soviets are still the proud champions of the World&mdash;a title they won in Prague last spring when all odds were against them doing it.The Soviets dethroned the world champion Czechoslovakians right in their own country, with a sold out arena cheering every move the home side made and actively whistling down (booing) every move the Soviets made. It was their 13th gold medal in the last 16 tournaments.The Soviets persevered with a balanced squad which finally seemed to find the happy medium between veterans and flaming youth. In the two previous world tournaments the soviets had changed coaches twice and finished third and second respectively The winning team had eight veterans and 10 younger players.It&rsquo;s heart and guts still are forward Boris Mikhailov, defenseman Valeri Vasiliev and goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. Tretiak, seemingly, is the one player they cannot replace.A Latvian. Helmut Balderis, might be the Russians most exciting player&mdash;one who could rise to eventually challenge Guy Lafleur&mdash;and has many of the same shifts in pattern on his blades. One minute he is in overdrive, the next slowing, the next zigging in a different direction.Balderis and 20-year-old defenseman Vyacheslav Fetisov, who was playing in only his second World tournament, are the nucleous of future Soviet successes. Many rated a third forward, winger Sergei Kapustin as their best player. Significantly, Kapustin was out of action in the 1977 tourney at Vienna, when he was nursing a shoulder seperation.Fetisov was named to the All Tourney team&mdash;a great accomplishment.They also boast Sergei Makarov, a top flight junior graduate, who assures them of continued world dominance. The Soviets won the world junior title in Canada last January&mdash;which says something about their young talent.The internal squabbling on the team has apparently stopped&mdash;just as the inner strife on the New York Yankees subsided last October when they won the World Series. There&rsquo;s not much doubt that it was because of the win at Prague. But, in winning with a youthful squad, coach Viktor Tikhonov has banished his predesessor Boris Kulagin to Denmark forever, not just for a short two year span as first announced after the Vienna disaster in 1977. Tikhonov, like Balderis, is a Latvian.Even Anatoli Tarasov has come around. The father of Soviet hockey notes, &ldquo;We lost in 1977 because Kulagin played it too cautiously. We won in 1978 because the Czech coaches (Karol Gut and Dr. Jan Starsi) wouldn&rsquo;t take a chance&mdash;and we went after them on attack. Our final 3-1 victory was a good result&mdash;and a true measurement of what happened on the ice in the final game.&rdquo;The Soviets beat the Czechs 3-1 in Prague, to squeeze past the defending gold medalists by the slimest of margins, the difference in the goals for and goals against between the two teams. Each had won nine and lost one, for 18 points, but the Soviets by winning against the Czechs in the final game, beat them in goals for and against difference by 36-35.Tretiak, a world class goalie, still didn&rsquo;t get the nod as the all World Tournament goalie, losing out to Czechoslovakia&rsquo;s Jiri Holocek, who failed so dismally in the Canada Cup&mdash;and had to be replaced by Vladimir Dzurilla.The placing of Fetisov on defense instead of the ancient Aleksandr Gusev was the key for the Soviets. The dropping of Gusev may have made the Soviet team in the dressing room&mdash;as Gusev was a pretty good club house lawyer, who had the backing of the older Russian players.The nadir for the Soviets&mdash;and the high point for the Czechs was the 1978 Christmas Izvestia tournament in Moscow where the veteran Czech Nationals humiliated the Soviets right on their own ice.&ldquo;Things changed after that,&rsquo; confessed Tikhonov. &ldquo;The players understood that the old era was finally over. It helped us go to Prague with a great sense of dedication.&rdquo;The same feeling of trying to prove something would prevail for the Soviets whether it be the special tournament in Madison Square Garden or a world tournament against the Czechs. We want to win and we want to win big.&rsquo; said Tikhonov.The Russians placed three men on the first team World Tournament All Stars, defenseman Fetisov and forwards Aleksandr Maltsev and Kapustin. The Czechs rounded out the first team with goalie Holocek, defenseman Jiri Bubla and center Ivan Hlinka. With the Soviets and Swedes finishing one-two in the World Junior Tournament, and Canada third, the task for the NHL may be magnified.Even though Canada&rsquo;s Wayne Gretzky won the point title, the Soviets&rsquo; Victor Shkurdjuk had nine goals in eight games, the most in the competition. He added four assists for second place overall. Four other Soviets. Makarov, who made the jump to the Nationals. Alexandre kozevnikov, Viacheslav Rjanov and Aleksandr Gersimov all placed in the top 10 in the junior tournament scoring.&ldquo;We moved Marakov up because fie was the difference in the World Junior play and proved he could get things done and make things happen under pressure. He was the difference in the final two games in Canada against Team Canada and Sweden.&rdquo; said Tikhonov. &ldquo;And he didn&rsquo;t hurt us at Prague. He is a super prospect, who fits in well with Balderis, Kapustin, Fetisov and our other young players.&rdquo;Significantly, Maltsev was the top Soviet scorer at Prague with 5-8-13. Makhailov was 9-3-12. Balderis also had nine goals with two assists for 11 points. Kapustin was 6-5-11, as flaming youth came to the fore, neatly balanced by the veterans Maltsev and Mikhailov.&ldquo;No longer do the Russians depend on one line&mdash;the Vladimir Petrov, Kharlamov-Mikhailov line,&rsquo; noted Gut, sadly. &ldquo;They have their scoring distributed through their team.&rdquo;The defeated Czechs had no one to blame but themselves for their demise. They had whipped the Soviets 6-4 in the preliminary round, and should not have played kitty bar the door for almost two periods of the climatic game with Russia.The absence of their former captain. Frantisek Pospisil may have hurt&mdash;as he was the heart of their defense&mdash;but at 34 he had been deemed too old. Along with Holocek and Jiri Holick. Pospisil will play in West Germany this year. He turned down offers from both the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers.Jan Zajicek, a big young defenseman from Sparta Prague made a good impression during the World games&mdash;and he will be heard from in the future. So too. will Frankisek Cernik. who scored a hat trick against the Soviets in the first game.Disappointments Ivan Hlinka, who was bewildered by the close checking of Garry Unger of the St. Louis Blues in tournament play&mdash;and also Milan Novy, the team sparkplug. Novy had a subpar series. Hlinka did finish second with 4-10-14 in the point race, but he didn&rsquo;t do it when it counted. Novy wasn&rsquo;t in the top 20&mdash;a shocking showing.But Bohuslav Ebermann. with 6-5-11, and Peter Stastny, 5-6-11 took up some of the slack for the vanquished Czechs.The phasing out of Pospisil, and in 1978-79, of Holocek, means a new era in Czech hockey. They captured two straight World titles, in 1976 and 1977, with a veteran squad which changed only one player in the two years.The Czechs certainly are on a par with the Soviets, and they have to rate, once more, as being at the head of the World Tournament field. *Sweden disappointed, after its great 1977 second place showing during which it beat the Soviet Union twice. They were unable to beat or tie any of the top three clubs. The Swedes had the Rangers&rsquo; Hardy Aastrom in goal, but lacked Borje Salming on defense, Ulf Nilsson, Anders Hedberg and Dan Labraaten up front. They were all busy with professional playoffs in North America.They did have Roland Eriksson, whose hat trick had beaten the Soviets 3-1 in the final game in 1977, but he disappointed. Perhaps the contract negotiations which moved him from the Minnesota North Stars to the Vancouver Canucks were on his mind. Per Olov Brasar and Kent Erik Andersson were less than brilliant.The Swedes do have a great Junior team&mdash;which finished number two to Russia in the World Junior Tournament, beating Canada in order to gain the final. Mats Naslund was their best junior&mdash;and he was promoted for a time to the Swedish Nationals. A great future is predicted for Mats Hallin.At Prague, the Swedes were led on offense by Rolf Edberg, who was sixth in the scoring race with 7-5-12, and Bengt Lundholm, who tied with Kapustin for ninth with 6-5-11. On defense it was Mats Waltin and Lars Lundgren, along with 21-year-old Thomas Gradin, who has signed to join the Vancouver Canucks next season.If Canada and Sweden had all their professional players available at World Tournament time, the Big Two would become a Big Four with any one of four countries, the Soviet Union, Czechsolvakia, Sweden and Canada having a legitimate shot at a gold medal.Led by six-foot-six Erich Kuehnhackel, West Germany moved from seventh place to the head of Group B. They wiped out Finland and the United States. They have developed two pretty good leagues in West Germany and are making progress. Their National team has only four players over 28, and has developed a heretofore unknown team unity. Kuehnhackel, a native of Czechoslovakia, but a naturalized German, had a lot to do with the decisions of Pospisil, Holocek and Holick to stay in Europe.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011721/10137018-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="1630" height="1893"><figcaption class="caption-body">Milan Novy ranks as one of the best Czechoslovakian players. However, he failed to deliver in the world tournament.</figcaption></div>Everyone knows about the influx of European players to North America but few people realize there is a reverse lend lease pouring North American pros to Europe.In West Germany, Bill Mikkelson, an original Islander and former Washington Capital, plays for Manheim. Former Winnipeg Jet Milt Black is with Augsburg and Danny Seguin, an ex-Minnesota North Star, is with Landshut. Fran Huck, a former NHL and WHA star, made $50,000 for one season in West Germany.Derek Holmes, executive director of Hockey Canada, who has placed between 50 and 60 pros in Europe. notes, &ldquo;It is a viable alternative to the minor league pro or the player who isn&rsquo;t completely happy in North American play. In West Germany, a normal offer is a $30,000 tax free salary, an apartment and a car free. Now that&rsquo;s not too bad to take.&rdquo;Finland, rebuilding with younger junior players, but buttressed by the return of former pros Matti Hagman, Pekka Rautakillo, and Juhanni Tamminen won two, lost six and tied two, the same record as the United States, and one scant point more than East Germany.They defeated Canada 6-4 in their opener, then played poorly. On talent they rate fifth in Europe, just behind Sweden. Hagman, a scoring terror with Quebec in the WHA, who was dropped because of a failure to check, didn&rsquo;t score much in the World play. In 1976, he had been the most promising of the Finnish players at the Winter Olympics.The Finns and Swedes have set up their own Scandinavian playoff system which fits into the 36-game schedules the first division squads play in each country.Chuck Lefley, who scored 43 goals for the St. Louis Blues two years ago. played with Jokeritt. Former Detroit Red Wing and New England Whaler Doug Roberts is a teammate of Lefley&rsquo;s. Terry Ball, a hard working journeyman defenseman from the WHA. plays with IFK in the Finnish first division.The return from theWHA of Finnish stars such as defenseman Hexxi Riihiranta, and forwards Velli-Pekka Ketola and Kari Monnonen, reduced the Finnish market for North Americans.Switzerland, renowned as. a tourist center, also boasts a flourishing hockey circuit which actively recruits North Americans. Andy Bathgate, a new member of Hockey&rsquo;s Hall of Fame, played in Switzerland when his career wound down. So did Eric Nesterenko and former Toronto tough guy Gerry James. Last year. Danny O&rsquo;Shea, the former Minnesota North Star, played with Le Choid de Frot in Switzerland. His brother, Kevin, played with Timra in Sweden. Morris Mott is now in his third year in Sweden. Mott formerly played with the California Golden Seals.Rick Cunningham, the former Toronto Toros defenseman spent this season in Austria playing for Salzburg, and has signed for three more years. Billy Harris, the one time Toronto Maple Leaf star is the coach of the Italian National team and coaches in Italy full time during the season.One of the better Italian defensemen last season was Ray McKay, the former NHL and WHA performer.&ldquo;Everything is relaxed,&rdquo; noted Harris. &ldquo;The life style is so different that I recommend it to every Canadian and American professional to try for one season at least.&rdquo;Although Harris pushes Italy&mdash;and &ldquo;its relaxed atmosphere&rdquo; more pros seem to favor Switzerland. In addition to those mentioned above, former Winnipeg Jet Norm Beaudin, once Bobby Hull&rsquo;s linemate before the advent of Hedberg. played in Switzerland with Langnau; George Pesut. a former Seal, plays with Davos and former WHA players Ted Snell and Jean-Guy Gratton are with Langenthal and Lausanne.Peter Gaw, a former member of the Ottawa 67s, is with Ambri in the Swiss First Division and makes $35,000 a year and lives real well.One problem which the NHL hopes to avoid is the inconsistent refereeing in Europe. Most of the rule changes put through by the International Ice Hockey Federation including the icing the puck rule in which the puck must be touched before a whistle is blown, tend to make IIHF rules the same as those in the NHL, but the officials interpretation can be quite something else again.Alan Eagleson, the executive director of the NHL Players Association, and chairman of Hockey Canada, charged with negotiating the Soviet-NHL series notes, &ldquo;We want to set up a referee exchange program with the Soviet for all international competition. And we want to include the Czechs and other countries in this, too.&rdquo;Eagleson has programmed a schedule of future international competitions which would go in the following manner: April 1979. World Tournament in Moscow; September 1979, Canada Cup ih Toronto, Winnipeg and Montreal; February 1980, Olympics in Lake Placid; 1981 World Tournament, venue undecided; 1982 Canada Cup; 1983 World Tournament, venue undecided; 1984 Olympics; 1985 World Tournament, venue undecided and 1986 Canada Cup.Whether all this happens is subject to intense negotiation, but it seems certain fans can look forward to some super hockey between the NHL and the European world.John Ziegler, the president of the NHL stated it perfectly when he said, &ldquo;It will be the best against the best.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0019-01

SOVIET UNION BACK ON TOP OF ‘WORLD’ HOCKEY PLAY

<div class="byline">BY ART KAMINSKY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0022-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011600/10137056-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Boston U. coach Jack Parker did masterful job bringing Terriers all the way to NCAA title last season. He&rsquo;ll start this year as favorite to do it again.</figcaption></div>Although the good citizens of Providence, Rhode Island might not like to hear this, for one fascinating evening last March, their beautiful new Civic Center looked and sounded like just another Boston street corner. The occasion was the final game of the annual slugfest known as the National Collegiate Athletic Association Hockey Tournament. For the first time in its 31 year history, cross-town enemies (&ldquo;rivals&rdquo; is just not strong enough&rdquo;) Boston University and Boston College were going head to head for the title. The Terriers had moved past defending champ Wisconsin with surprising ease in the semis, while B.C. took advantage of shaky Bowling Green goaltending to eliminate the Falcons.A sellout crowd of 11,000 plus was on hand and the game was a dandy. The Terriers eked out a tough 5-3 victory as freshman center Mark Fidler (brother of Minnesota North Stars&rsquo; left winger Mike) notched a pair of goals. Right winger Dave Silk was outstanding as were the sterling defensive duo of tourney MVP Jack O&rsquo;Callahan and former Olympian Dick Lamby. The Eagles&rsquo; key man was certainly all-tourney goaler Paul Skidmore, superb both nights, while the two Joes. Mullen and Augustine, also were outstanding. And now that the NCAA title is back East for the first time since 1972. the big question is whether it will stay there. Here&rsquo;s one man&rsquo;s scenario:1. Boston University. The Terriers should repeat. From their Big 4, only Lamby is gone (graduated and under contract to St. Louis Blues), and the other three should be better. The team has great depth and big scorers John Bethel (63 points) and Tony Meagher (38 points) are also improved. Goaltender Jim Craig was excellent down the stretch, but the big new name may well be sophomore Darryl MacLeod. Not the least of this club&rsquo;s strengths is terrific young coach Jack Parker. And expect his frosh recruits to help, too.2. Minnesota. The Gophers, for them, had a fair year in 197778-22-14-2 and fourth in the WCHA. This year they could go all the way. Their top six scorers return, led by center Steve Christoff, the first collegiate player selected in the NHL amateur draft (second round&mdash;Minnesota). Bill Baker heads the defense and the rest of the forwards such as Tim Harrer and Rob McClanhan can fly. It is also interesting to note that this club formed the heart of the Minnesota team that won the recent U.S. Sports Festival competition in Colorado Springs.3. Michigan Tech. Always look for a John Maclnnes coached team to be there and next year looks like the old master&rsquo;s best squad since 1975-76. Juniors Gord Salt (Philadelphia&rsquo;s third round draft) and Greg Hay (fifth round to the Islanders) should really bloom, while leading scorer Dave Joelson will continue to be his pesty self. Graduation losses were not inconsiderable (three blueliners, top forwards Stu Ostlund and Dana Decker, and goalie Bruce Horsch), but look for John Rockwell to handle the goaltending and defenseman Tim Watters to be a standout. Former Tech great Jim Nahrgang (ex-Detroit Red Wing) returns as assistant coach and that will help.4. Boston College. If everyone returns and stays healthy the Eagles could be better than last year&rsquo;s surprise Eastern titlists. As always, the central figure is Paul Skidmore, the region&rsquo;s best netminder. He fought injuries all last year, even in the playoffs where he was so spectacular. All American Joe Mullen, who improved so much last season, is battling the books this summer in an effort to remain eligible, and he must if the Eagle is to fly. The blueline is anchored very nicely by Joe Augustine. Youngsters like Charlie Antetomaso and Mike Ewanouski were also impressive last season and rumor has it that Len Ceglarski has another great frosh class this time.5. Bowling Green. 1977-78 was most satisfying for coach Ron Mason as his club became the first Central Collegiate Hockey Association team to qualify for the Final Four. And their third place finish was quite nice. Graduation hit a bit hard, particularly with the loss of stalwarts such as Byron Shutt (to the Cincinnati Stingers), Tom Thomas and Mike Hartman. But don&rsquo;t grieve too hard for the Falcons, as plenty of talent returns. Most prominent is giant Ken Morrow (6&rsquo;5&rdquo;, 215-pounds), the first CCHA player ever to make All-American. Up front, the offense centers around talented John Markell. Excellent recruiting is supposed to be the word here too.6. Wisconsin. Bob Johnson is almost always near the top and, although his graduation losses were heavy. Badger Bob will somehow do it again. The great Mike Eaves is gone, but fabulous Mark Johnson (48 goals in 1977-78) returns. So does super goalie Julian Baretta (NCAA MVP in 1977) and tough blueliner Bob Suter. Johnson will rely on his frosh more than usual, but big things are expected from forwards such as Mike Blaisdell.7. Michigan. No team was ever more disappointing than last year&rsquo;s Wolverines. Picked by many to go all the way. they started well but came home an abysmal ninth. Still great talent remains, with terrific prospects such as Gord Hampson, Dan Lerg, John Olver and Doug Todd. Good recruits are rumored, but Dan Farrell will need to find a goaltender&mdash;which he never did last year.8. Brown. The Bruins have a new coach. Paul Schilling, and he is lucky enough to inherit some excellent young skaters. Forwards Jim Lawson and Rick Scully were very impressive and defensemen John Slonim and Kevin Lovitt matured rapidly. All-American goalie Mike Laycock also wins games.9. New Hampshire. Last year, Charlie Holt lost his entire defense plus Bob Miller, yet somehow he brought the Wildcats to the playoffs and within an overtime goal of knocking off B.U. Given a year to develop some blueliners, the Wildcats should be better, and forwards such as Ralph Cox and Bobby Gould are among the country&rsquo;s best.10. (tie) Cornell. The Big Red lost more players (11) than anyone else, but still one has to feel they&rsquo;ll be there. All-American and ECAC MVP Lance Nethery (83 points) should be back and he alone can carry the team. Recruits will shoulder a big burden for Dick Bertrand.10. (tie) Providence. The surprise of last season was certainly the Friars&rsquo; inspirational drive through the playoffs; as they upset the first and second seeded teams (BU and Cornell), only to run out of gas in the ECAC final and, a week later, in the NCAA preliminary round to BU. So, this year if they do as well, it will shock no one. Dedicated Lou Lamoriello has a lot of talent back starting with playoff hero, goalie Bill Milner, and big blueliner Jim Korn. Good forwards abound and P.C. always runs a happy ship. &#9632;

f0022-01

BU TERRIERS SHOULD KEEP NCAA TITLE IN THE EAST AGAIN BUT LOOK OUT FOR THOSE MINNESOTA GOPHERS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011541/10137108-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="704" height="620"></div>For the first time in its history, the National Hockey League has merged two franchises and will operate in 1978-79 with an odd number of teams, 17, following the combination of the Minnesota North Stars and the Cleveland Barons.With the two teams becoming the new Minnesota North Stars, the NHL will now have three four-team divisions and one five-team division. the Norris, which includes Montreal, Detroit, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Washington.The North Stars, previously in the weak Smythe Division, will now compete where the Barons formerly did, in the Adams Division, where three of the league&rsquo;s top six teams, Boston, Buffalo, and Toronto, reside. This will leave the North Stars in a position of having to hope for a wild card berth in the playoffs, since they aren&rsquo;t likely to finish first or second in their new division.For the most part, though, the 12-team playoff system, including four wild card teams, was an acknowledged success.Despite another drop in attendance, which saw some 200 less fans per game, the NHL has become aware of the importance of marketing its product and is actively pursuing a national television contract with a major U.S. network.To this end, the league has created a new All Star format which calls for a three-game series in New York against a Soviet national All Star team. The games, slated for February 8, 10 and 11. will replace the annual league All Star match, which despite the fact that it has produced exciting games in the last two years, wasn&rsquo;t considered a top draw for a U.S. television audience. The All Star series against the Soviets, according to NHL thinking, will be.The NHL has also voted to introduce a new twist to hockey, a time out, which can be called at any time during a game. It will mostly be used during the final moments of a close game when a coach may want to remove his goalie or get certain players on the ice to employ his strategy.Another ruling passed by the league calls for helmets to be mandatory, but the final decision will rest with the players&rsquo; association which must approve the resolution. Although the number of players wearing helmets has increased considerably in the past half dozen years, it is not expected that the players would vote to make it compulsory for every player to wear a headpiece. It will be left up to the individual player.During the June meetings in Montreal, no mention was made of any talks with the World Hockey Association, but the NHL board of governors met two weeks later in Detroit to view the possibility of accepting teams from the WHA. After two days of discussions, the NHL decided to continue with just 17 teams.Two other matters were expected to be cleared up before the start of the 1978-79 season &mdash; the finances of the New York Islanders and the ownership of the Colorado Rockies. The Islanders were given two extensions on deadlines for having their financial affairs put in order after relieving principal partner Ray Boe of his responsibilities. Club general manager William Torrey will assist John Pickett in the reorganization. Meanwhile sale of the Rockies to New Jersey trucking magnate Arthur Imperatore was expected to be approved if Imperatore agreed to keep the club in Denver.That leaves the 16 also-rans to try and assemble a challenge to the Montreal. Canadiens who will seek their fourth Stanley Cup in a row. With most valuable player and scoring champion Guy Lafleur leading a star-studded lineup including Vezina Trophy winners Ken Dryden and Michel Larocque, Conn Smythe Trophy recipient Larry Robinson, and Frank Selke Trophy winner Bob Gainey, the Canadiens figure to be just as elusive as ever.<h2>How They&rsquo;ll Finish</h2><h3>NORRIS DIVISION</h3>1. Montreal Canadiens2. Detroit Red Wings3. Los Angeles Kings4. Pittsburgh Penguins5. Washington Capitals<h3>ADAMS DIVISION</h3>1. Boston Bruins2. Buffalo Sabres3. Toronto Maple Leafs4. Minnesota North Stars<h3>PATRICK DIVISION</h3>1. New York Islanders2. Philadelphia Flyers3. New York Rangers4. Atlanta Flames<h3>SMYTHE DIVISION</h3>1. Chicago Black Hawks2. Vancouver Canucks3. Colorado Rockies4. St. Louis Blues<h2>Canadiens Bask In Cup Limelight</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011347/10137101-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="1175" height="1628"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02952/10137094-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="1172" height="1472"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-03664/10137087-1-eng-US/f0025-032.jpg" title="f0025-03" width="1204" height="2475"></div><h2>Hail To The Champs!</h2>Winning is becoming habit forming with the Montreal Canadiens. They&rsquo;ve won the Stanley Cup three straight years and here they savor the sweet satisfaction of clutching the renowed hockey award. Top left, goaler Ken Dryden, and scoring ace Guy Lafleur, lower left. Team captain Yvan Cournoyer, above admires cup after he performed on his ninth winner. &#9632;

f0024-01

First Franchise Merger, Soviet Confrontation Highlight New Season

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011541/10137282-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="713" height="391"></div>What more can be said about Ted Lindsay, Bobby Kromm and the amazing turn-around by the Detroit Red Wings. From 18th in the league and out of the playoffs eight straight years and 11 out of 12. to ninth in the league and a strong showing against the Montreal Canadiens in the quarter-finals in the space of a year.Fantastic, a boost for hockey, a magnificent rebuilding job&mdash;but where do you go from there?&lsquo;We&rsquo;ll be better next year.&rdquo; said Red Wings&rsquo; general manager Lindsay we won&rsquo;t be 37 points better, like we were this year. Improvement like that isn&rsquo;t realistic. But we will be improved.&ldquo;Going into this season (after finishing with a record of 16-55-9 in 1976-77) we didn&rsquo;t even know what our problems were.&rdquo; said Lindsay, who opened training camp with the edict that aggressive hockey was back in town. &ldquo;Now we have a base to start from. We know what talent we have to build around.&rdquo;Indeed, no less than 41 players donned the red and white uniforms of the Red Wings last season before Lindsay and Kromm had completed their screening process which produced a pretty fair team.They assembled players from everywhere&mdash;from the 1977 draft where they selected Dale McCourt as the first amateur in the league, from trades, which brought in players such as Andre St. Laurent. Errol Thompson. Vaclav Nedomansky, from the ranks of free agency where they tracked down Ron Low and Thommie Bergman and from the infamous intraleague draft where they purchased Paul Woods for $50,000 from the Montreal organization. Woods went to become one of the top players on the club. The Red Wings also received help from within their own farm system.The rapid progress of the Red Wings even surprised Kromm and Lindsay. Said the new coach at the beginning of last year:, &ldquo;Ted and 1 realize that we&rsquo;re not going to turn the corner in a year or two&hellip;but the main thing is to make progress each year&hellip;&rdquo;Or how about Lindsay when he said: &ldquo;(Dan) Maloney is the nearest thing to an untouchable (read untradable) that we have.&rdquo; So much for untradables.Last year&rsquo;s Red Wings got their season off to a good start by signing free agent Low from the Washington Caps during the off-season. He combined with Jim Rutherford and for a time, Eddie Giacomm, to give Detroit the best goaltending it had seen since their salad days of the 50&rsquo;s.For the season. Low turned in a 3.37 goals against mark in 32 appearances, while Rutherford was a bit busier with 43 games and a 3.26 goals against average. Each had a shutout.The Red Wings&rsquo; organization knew prior to last season that they needed help at practically till positions, so it should come as no surprise that the team made its remarkable improvement because of improved personnel at practically every position.Lindsay figured that the club has a real find in McCourt, a super scorer with Hamilton in the Ontario Hockey Association. But he didn&rsquo;t want his young star to have to shoulder the responsibility of becoming the saviour who was going to singlehandedly pull the Red Wings out of the NHL basement.So the management downplayed McCourt&rsquo;s successes and setbacks, preferring to stress team production. And when the club began to roll and began challenging Los Angeles and Pittsburgh for second place in the Norris Division, only then did the club begin to extoll the virtue of its super young center.McCourt went on to have an outstanding first year, winning as much praise for his anticipation and alert play as for his impressive 33 goals, 39 assists.And in much the same way that McCourt emerged as the focal point of the Red Wing offense did Reed Larsen play an important role for the defense. With an excellent shot from the point, Larsen scored 19 goals and added 41 assists to set a new rookie record (shared by Colorado&rsquo;s Barry Beck) for points by a defenseman.Larsen was also complemented on the blueline by veteran Terry Harper who enjoyed one of his best seasons ever, finishing in the top five in the league in the plus-or-minus figures. Said Harper. &ldquo;It was really enjoyable playing for the Red Wings this year, even more so than the years I played in Montreal when we were winning the Stanley Cup.&rdquo;Thommie Bergman, who broke into North American hockey with the Wings, returned from Winnipeg of the World Hockey Association to bolster the club late in the season and Al Cameron and Jean Hamel, plus Greg Joly, who appears to have found himself, all played their best hockey of their careers.Up front, the two most pleasant surprises were Andre St. Laurent and Paul Woods.St. Laurent came from the Islanders in exchange for Michel Bergeron and finished second on the club in scoring with 70 points, including a somewhat surprising 31 goals.Woods, whose, purchase price was considered a gift to the Montreal organization by many other NHL figures, turned out to have been one of the best deals ever made by Detroit. He is a tireless worker, an excellent skater, penalty killer and forechecker and he popped in 19 goals to boot.When you add in the contribution made by the veteran Detroit forwards such as, Nick Libett (23 goals), Dennis Hextall, Dennis Polonich, Nedomansky and Thompson, who had 22 goals for the season, plus the up and coming Red Wings such as Rick Bowness, Bill Lochead. and Dan Labraaten, who joined the team from Winnipeg, the future looks promising.In the draft. Detroit selected 19 players including the biggest player. 6&rsquo;5&rdquo;, 228-pound defenseman Willie Huber of Hamilton. Lindsay said he was looking for one more big defenseman and he certainly has one in Huber.The Red Wings defined their weaknesses and went to work on strengthening themselves in the draft. They have a good attitude and a fine nucleus of players. Look for them to be second in Norris Division again<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011394/10137275-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="765" height="580"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;BOBBY KROMM</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-03712/10137268-1-eng-US/f0031-032.jpg" title="f0031-03" width="790" height="2354"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02947/10137261-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="1696" height="3148"><figcaption class="caption-body">Newcomer Dale McCourt enjoyed a fantastic first year with the Wings.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011516/10137254-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="1127" height="1201"><figcaption class="caption-body">College graduate Reed Larson proved to be a solid performer both offensively and defensively for Wings.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-021025/10137247-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="1228" height="1433"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Red Wings&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03744/10137240-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="2407" height="1673"></div><h2>RED WINGS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011342/10137233-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="2510" height="1415"></div>Code of abbreviations used areGP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Red Wings</h3>Good things came in small packages for the Detroit Red Wings last season in the form of Dale McCourt and Paul Woods, two relatively small forwards, but Red Wings&rsquo; general manager Ted Lindsay jumped at the chance to take defenseman Willie Huber, at 6&rsquo;5&rdquo;, 228-pounds, the largest player to be named in the amateur draft.&ldquo;Going into last year, we didn&rsquo;t even know what our problems were,&rdquo; said Lindsay, &ldquo;but now we feel we need help at a couple of positions like defense and right wing.&rdquo;Huber could be the defenseman to step right into the lineup in Detroit. He was well regarded by all National Hockey League clubs, particularly Boston Bruins who were on the verge on making a deal with Chicago for the 11th choice in the draft in an effort to get him. However, Detroit had 10th choice and took Huber.Last season for Hamilton in the Ontario Hockey Association Huber produced 12-45-57 statistics which included 168 minutes in penalties. He&rsquo;ll join the ranks of veteran Terry Harper and young talents like Reed Larson, Thommie Bergman and Greg Joly.The Red Wings also had 12th pick in the first round and obtained Portland centerman Brent Peterson, who had 83 points in just 51 games last year. He&rsquo;s 6&rsquo;, 190-pounds.Of the 19 players drafted by Detroit, no player was more highly rated at his position than goaler Al Jensen, Huber&rsquo;s Hamilton teammate. He turned in a sparkling 3.35 goals against average and was thought to be the best junior goaler in Canada.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03721/10137226-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="746" height="1032"><figcaption class="caption-body">WILLIE HUBER</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0030-01

Detroit Red Wings:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-011541/10137369-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg" title="f0034-01" width="533" height="525"></div>For new Los Angeles Kings' coach Bob Berry the season may be over before it starts. The fate of the Kings, whether they finish second to Montreal, fourth ahead of Washington or in between in the Norris Division race, is held by the player agents who are doing the negotiating for the free agent Kings, particularly Rogie Vachon and Butch Goring.By the middle of the off-season. Berry and general manager George Maguire had handled half of their decisions involving six L.A. players who had gone the free agent route. The first was the easiest. Defenseman Bob Murdoch was re-signed to a multi-year deal. (Also signed were veterans Pete Stemkowski and Darryl Edestrand who were finishing one-year contracts, but did not declare themselves free agents). The others took more time.Defenseman Dave Hutchison, the Kings&rsquo; defenseman, couldn&rsquo;t come to at agreement, so the club swapped him to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Brian Glennie (six years older than Hutchison) and forwards Kurt Walker and Scott Garland. Minor leaguer Lome Stamler completed the deal going to the Leafs.Gary Sargent, another defenseman, took his free agent status to the Minnesota North Stars with whom he signed. The Kings were compensated by Rick Hampton who has played both defense and forward, left winger Steve Jensen and center Dave Gardner after a ruling by a court appointed arbitrator.However, it is the question of the other three players, Vachon, Goring and Tommy Williams which may well decide the order of finish in the division.Last year, under coach Ron Stewart, the Kings had a good first half but slumped badly towards the end of the season and were dispatched from the playoffs in two games by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Soon after. Berry, who was sent to the Kings&rsquo; American League farm team in mid-season and became their coach for the last six weeks of the season, was named to the top job in Los Angeles.In 1977-78, the Kings were 31-34-15, three games behind the pace of the previous year when they finished strongly and gave the Boston Bruins a good fight in the quarter-finals. And while last year&rsquo;s club produced the eighth best mark in goals allowed, giving up 245 or just four more than the previous year, the offense slipped from 271 to 243, or 12th in the league.Naturally, the fact that Marcel Dionne, the club&rsquo;s premier offensive player missed 10 games with a sore shoulder and was hampered throughout the season by the injury, would help to explain the reduced attack, but Dionne still managed to lead the club in points with 79 and after he and Goring, the goal-leader with 37, the scoring figures on the club drops drastically. The loss of Goring, winner of the Bill Masterton and Lady Byng trophies this year, would be a telling blow to the Kings&rsquo; second-place hopes, but the removal of Vachon, would be the real crusher.Little Rogie played in 70 Kings&rsquo; games last year with a 2.86 goals against average and four shutouts despite a team which couldn&rsquo;t seem to make up its mind whether to stress offense or defense.His backup was Gary (Cowboy) Simmons who appeared in 14 games with a 3.81 average. Down on the Springfield farm was Mario Lessard, certainly a standout in the American League and one of a few players which coach Berry figures has a good shot of playing with the Kings. Others mentioned by Berry included Charlie Simmer, Steve Clippingdale and Russ Walker.Berry feels that the Kings have the nucleus of a good club but that he won&rsquo;t be able to accurately assess his team until all of the free agent problems have been settled.&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s just say that our training camp will offer a fresh start to all of our players. I won&rsquo;t say every job is open, but a lot look like they are. Some players will have to play much better than they did last year&hellip; that&rsquo;s obvious or I wouldn&rsquo;t be here as coach&hellip; and if the club doesn&rsquo;t do better, I won&rsquo;t be here at this time next season.&rdquo;So Vachon, Goring and Williams aside, what does Berry have to look forward to in his first NHL job? On defense he&rsquo;ll have Murdoch, Larry Brown and Randy Manery, all experienced pros and second year King Rob Palmer, plus newcomers Glennie, one of the best hip checkers in the league and possibly Hampton, a talented but heretofore undisciplined player who loves to rush with the puck but is less inclined to defend his position with anything resembling consistency. Finding the proper place for Hampton will be among Berry&rsquo;s concerns.In the forward ranks the Kings need help. They acquired Stemkowski, Syl Apps, Hartland Monahan, Ernie Hicke and Danny Grant last year, players who had each scored more than 20 goals in a previous NHL campaign, Grant once hitting 50, but between them they scored only 65 goals for the Kings.Rookie Dave Taylor managed 22 goals for Los Angeles in 1977-78 and was joined by captain Mike Murphy with 20 along with Dionne and Goring as the only 20-goal scorers on the club. Not exactly a picture to bolster the confidence of a rookie coach, or any coach for that matter.Looking for help from the amateur draft? Forget it. Previous deals stripped the Kings of a choice until 76 players were gone. The 77th choice was Paul Mancini, a left winger from Sault Ste. Marie who scored 54 goals and 91 points in the Ontario Hockey Association. He may help.A sleeper may be smallish (5&rsquo;9&rdquo;, 165-pound) Donald Waddell a center and defenseman from Northern Michigan. In only 32 games, Waddell had 18 goals and 34 assists for 52 points.The Kings have a number of workers in players like Glenn Goldup. Don Kozak, Vic Venasky, Bert Wilson and now Garland and Walker, but without two of their top stars, they&rsquo;ll likely fall to fourth in the division.If Vachon and Goring are retained, expect L.A. to give Pittsburgh a battle for third place<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-011419/10137362-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="766" height="633"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;BOB BERRY</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-021012/10137355-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="793" height="2358"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-03837/10137348-1-eng-US/f0035-032.jpg" title="f0035-03" width="1739" height="3208"><figcaption class="caption-body">Kings continue to look to little Marcel Dionne for offensive leadership.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011442/10137341-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="1152" height="1387"><figcaption class="caption-body">Veteran Bob Murdoch is steady on the L.A. blueline but he&rsquo;s going to need some help.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-02983/10137334-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="1233" height="1539"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Kings&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-03812/10137327-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="2416" height="1587"></div><h2>KINGS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011278/10137320-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="2453" height="1267"></div>Code of abbreviations used are:GP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goafs AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Kings</h3>For the second year in succession the Los Angeles Kings had to wait until the fifth round before making a selection in the amateur draft, so the chances of a player passed by 76 times making the squad are rather slim.The Kings&rsquo; first choice was Paul Mancini who was the 77th player named. But how about odds on the seventh player out of the eight selected by the Kings making the team? That would be Jim Armstrong of Clarkson University, although the Kings may feel a certain amount of sentiment there because last year&rsquo;s top rookie in Los Angeles Dave Taylor also happened to come from Clarkson.Armstrong, who plays left wing and center scored 19 points in 27 games last season, so he&rsquo;ll rate a pretty good look in training camp, while Mancini, who played with Sault Ste. Marie in the Ontario Hockey Association had 54 goals and 91 points a year ago.Goaltender Doug Keans was the Kings&rsquo; second choice in the draft. He performed for Oshawa in the OHA with a 4.12 goals against average.The only defenseman tabbed by L.A. in the draft was Doug Waddell, who also played left wing for Northern Michigan. The rest of the picks were aimed at getting centers with three chosen, plus one more left winger.Biggest scorer of this group though he&rsquo;s only 5&rsquo;8&rdquo;, 171-pounds, was eighth pick Claude Larochelle of Hull of the Quebec League. Larochelle turned in 51 goals and 82 assists last year. _The other centers were Rob Mierkalns of Hamilton in the OHA and Brad Thiessen of the Toronto Marlies, while left winger Ric Scully played for Brown University and scored 26 points in 29 contests.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-03730/10137313-1-eng-US/f0037-032.jpg" title="f0037-03" width="743" height="1059"><figcaption class="caption-body">CLAUDE LAROCHELLE</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0034-01

Los Angeles Kings:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011398/10137456-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="673" height="690"></div>Last year was the pits for the Penguins and principal owner Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. who also owns majority interest in the football 49ers of San Francisco and several race tracks, decided he&rsquo;d do something about it.First of all, DeBartolo assessed, the whole Pittsburgh organization was a mess. &ldquo;There was no organization&hellip;people weren&rsquo;t coming to work in the morning,&rdquo; said DeBartolo.Financial losses for the club were over $2 million for last season alone, a deficit DeBartolo intends to pare to half that amount this year. His first step in that direction was to put Vince Bartimo, who operates Louisiana Down race track and lawyer Paul Mantha. a former National Football League player, in charge of running the Penguins.&ldquo;I insist on maximum effort,&rdquo; said DeBartolo in reference to the players who will suit up for the Penguins this year. &ldquo;If 1 just hear a player isn&rsquo;t trying&hellip;! don&rsquo;t care who it is&hellip;we&rsquo;ll get rid of him. I think even if the team loses that the fans will feel they&rsquo;ve got their money&rsquo;s worth if the team hustles.&rdquo;One of the first players the Penguins will have to contend with is Jean Pronovost, the 33-year-old right winger who has asked to be traded for the past couple of seasons. During the June NHL meetings in Montreal, Pronovost reiterated that he would like to leave the Penguins for a winning team.Last year the Penguins slipped to 25-37-18, finishing fourth in the Norris Division and failed to make the playoffs, despite a late slump by the Rangers which left the final wild card position open.The year before the Penguins were above .500 at 34-33-13 and had reasonable goals for-and-against figures of 240 for and 252 against. Though they increased their offense by 14 goals to 254 in 1977-78, they allowed their defense to slip horribly to 321. tied for the 15th worst mark in the league.The main problem for the Penguins, however, did not lie in their goaltending as the figures might indicate. Denis Herron, who saw action in 60 games, was brilliant in recording a goals against mark of 3.57 per game. He faced an average of more than 30 shots per game and held the Penguins close on many occasions when they should have been far out of the contest.His back-up, however. Dune Wilson, did not perform to the level that he had exhibited the year before when taking over for an injured Herron. Wilson played 21 games and turned in an unimpressive 4.83 average.It was the sieve-like blueline brigade of the Penguins which got the team into trouble. Long-time Penguin leader Dave Burrows was injured part of the season and didn&rsquo;t play with the same zest he had shown in previous years. Ron Stackhouse, the club&rsquo;s only offensive threat from the rearguard position missed most of the first half of the season and only finished with 20 points in 50 games. Youngsters Colin Campbell and Russ Anderson are still learning on the job. while Mario Faubert was injured most of the year, playing only a total of 25 games in Pittsburgh and Binghamton.So the Penguins took the trade route in attempting to cast a more reliable defense. They shipped Burrows back to his native province with the Toronto Maple Leafs, picking up George Ferguson, the only man to score a hat trick in the 1977-78 playoffs (he did it against LA.) and defenseman Randy Carlyle, who surprised many with his fine play in post-season action.Carlyle was one player the Leafs wanted to hang onto because of his potential and a key acquisition for the Penguins because of his ability to parry the puck.In exchange for their first-round pick in the 1978 draft, the Penguins received three players from the Philadelphia Flyers, Tom Bladon, Orest Kindrachuk and Ross Lonsberry. For their defense there&rsquo;s 26-year-old Bladon. A six-year veteran of the Flyers. Bladon has averaged 11 goals per year and has missed only one game in the last three seasons. Though not as proficient a puckhandler as Stackhouse and Carlyle, he has an excellent shot from the point and is a disciplined player who should add greatly to the Penguin defense. There&rsquo;s also Tom Edur who had .43 points in 58 games with Pittsburgh after coming over from Colorado. All in all, a young nucleus of talented players which could develop into a first-rate crew.The Penguin forward ranks are also shaping up with a mixture of veterans and newcomers who have potential, though if they grant Pronovost his wish, they&rsquo;ll lose a 40-goal scorer and they&rsquo;ve already lost free agent Gene Carr to Atlanta. Carr was coming off his best NHL season with 19 goals and 37 assists.The Penquins' new leader on offense, though, is Pete Mahovlich. the strapping centerman obtained from the Canadiens for Pierre Larouche.Mahovlich averaged better than a point a game with the Penguins, finishing as the club leader in points with 69. including 28 goals.Young forwards such as Greg Malone (18-43-61), Blair Chapman (24-20-44) and Wayne Bianchin (20-13-33) promise to get better and right winger Rick Kehoe was a frequent contributor to the Penguin attack with his best season ever. 29goals and 50 points.And the additions to the Penguins' attack are noteworthy. Slick centerman Kindrachuk (17-45-62) and left winger Lonsberry (18-30-48) will be reunited with league penalty minute leader Dave Schultz, their former Stanley Cup championship teammate.Down on the Binghamton farm are Jacques Cossette, who scored 39 minor league goals last season and &rsquo;77 No. I pick Jim Hamilton. In this year&rsquo;s draft, the Penguins, who have the smallest roster in major league professional hockey, took only three players, all forwards.They were right winger Mike Meeker, nephew of ex-Leaf star Howie Meeker, from Peterborough where he had 33 goals, Shane Pearsall, a left winger from Ottawa and also a 33-goal scorer and 38-goal man Rob Garner, center for the Toronto Marlies.New organization, a new attitude, and young exciting players should have hockey on the rise once again in Pittsburgh. They should give Los Angeles a good fight for third in the division<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011278/10137449-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="681" height="642"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;JOHNNY WILSON</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-02871/10137442-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="809" height="2367"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-03685/10137435-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="1714" height="3111"><figcaption class="caption-body">Penguins found leader in former Montreal star Pete Mahovlich.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02655/10137428-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="1048" height="1275"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jean Pronovost can still fire them with the NHL&rsquo;s big guns but he shown he&rsquo;s unhappy with the Penguins.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03509/10137421-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="1241" height="1507"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Penguins&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-04405/10137414-1-eng-US/f0040-042.jpg" title="f0040-04" width="2443" height="1591"></div><h2>PENGUINS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01870/10137407-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="2474" height="1389"></div>Code of abbreviations used areGP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Penguins</h3>The Pittsburgh Penguins have the smallest roster in the National Hockey League, partially supplying only two minor league teams, Binghamton in the American League and Grand Rapids in the International League, and when it came time for the 1978 amateur draft, the Penguins did little to add to their player wealth by drafting only three players.Pittsburgh gave up the sixth pick in the draft to Philadelphia in return for Ross Lonsberry, Orest Kindrachuk and Tom Bladon, and did not have a selection until the 25th pick.They also had traded away their third and fourth round choices to Montreal (for Don Awrey) and the New York Rangers (for Dune Wilson) although they received Los Angeles&rsquo; fourth-round selection the 61st pick overall and also exercised their fifth-round choice, the 75th player taken.The Pittsburgh Trio were all chosen from the Ontario Hockey Association and each from a different forward position. Right winger Mike Meeker, finished the year with Peterborough after starting the season with Wisconsin University. He had 33 goals, 36 points in only 44 games and checks in at 5&rsquo;10&rdquo;, 185-pounds.Number two selection by the Penguins was 5&rsquo;10&rdquo;, 177-pound Shane Pearsall of Ottawa who scored 33 goals and 30 assists. He did an excellent job on the left wing for Ottawa, although he was overshadowed by the performances of his team&rsquo;s No. 1 line featuring super star Bob Smith.The third Penguin drafted was center Rob Garner of the Toronto Marlboroughs. He&rsquo;s 5&rsquo;11&rdquo;, 177-pounds and collected 38 goals and 35 assists.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03475/10137400-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="734" height="922"><figcaption class="caption-body">SHANE PEARSALL</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0038-01

Pittsburgh Penguins:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01926/10137550-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="746" height="515"></div>From the toast-of Washington to the dregs of the National Hockey League and just when everyone figured that here was a club destined to rise ala the New York Islanders. What happened to the Capitals in 1977-78?Whatever it was, the hockey people surrounding the Caps would just as assume forget about it.From a promising 24-42-14 (that&rsquo;s promising after only 19 victories in your first two seasons) the Caps slipped back to 17th in the NHL and a 17-14 record. They gave up 14 more goals than the previous year and they scored 26 less. All in all. a pretty dismal year.It began with first draft choice Robert Picard attempting to jump ship for the World Hockey Association Quebec Nordiques. Picard was quickly persuaded to stay in the NHL. but his initial unwillingness to play seemed to set the attitude for the entire team. For a team which had worked and sweated and fought for every point in the 1976-77 season, last year&rsquo;s Caps seemed to be lacking the spark and the confidence to make much progress.Despite their rather gloomy record, though, there were some positive signs on the team, particularly as far as individual play was concerned. And it was those signs and the new players being added to the Capitals this year, which the club hopes to mold into the ingredients of a successful team in the future.At the beginning of last season, the Caps&rsquo; goaltending battle came down to veteran Gary Smith and Bernie Wolfe, who had two NHL seasons under his belt. Ron Low, who had split the last two years of work with Wolfe, had been lost to Detroit as a free agent.But when the Caps got off to a particularly bad start the club elected to call up Jim Bedard from their Hershey farm club. Bedard got into the lineup and was nearly impossible to move out for the rest of the season. He made 42 appearances, earning 11 of the Caps&rsquo; 17 victories and recorded a 3.66 goals against average. Smith departed for Minnesota, while Wolfe had to be content with a back-up role, permitting 4.25 goals per game in 25 appearances.On defense, several Caps made significant progress as the season wore on, particularly Picard, who finished with 10 goals and 27 assists, fourth on the squad in scoring, and Gordie Lane, who topped the team in penalty minutes with 195.Bryan Watson was number two in the penalty department for the Caps but his 167 minutes last year enabled him to become the NHL&rsquo;s all-time leading badman with 2.176 minutes in parts of 15 seasons. Captain Yvon Labre returned from injury in the latter part of the campaign to give the team a lift and the Caps were also pleased by the improvement shown by Rick Green, their 1976 number one draft choice. Pros who have bounced around such as Jack Lynch. Bob Paradise, Gordie Smith and Larry Bolonchuk also gave the team some blueline stability.What the team needed most, though, was scorers as only two players were able to crack the 20-goal barrier. The most outstanding of the lot, of course, was Guy Charron, the free agent who signed with Washington from Colorado just prior to the 1976-77 season.Last year Charron established a team record with 38 goals, breaking by two the figure he had set one year earlier. He also added 35 assists for a 73-point season. Linemate Bob Sirois was one of the other bright lights on offense with 24 goals, and 37 assists to finish second in Caps&rsquo; scoring. The third member of the line was Bob Girard who came over from the Rockies and was the digger for the unit.Veteran Gerry Meehan was about the only other consistent contributor with 19 goals. 24 assists, as most of the rest of the Caps fell short on the figures projected for them by general manager Max McNab and coach Tommy McVie.Experienced players such as Ace Bailey, Dave Forbes and Bill Collins did not reach the Caps' expectations scoring wise and young forwards like Bill Riley. Mike Marson. Rick Bragnalo and Tom Rowe still are learning the ropes of playing in the NHL.The Caps&rsquo; front office, though, appears happy with the wealth of talent rounded up by McNab, including a pair of Swedish national team players who should help the club right away.We&rsquo;re referring to defenseman Leif Svensson and center Rolf Edberg who led Sweden in scoring during the World Championships in Prague last spring. Both should fit well into the starting lineup.Then there&rsquo;s the amateur draft where the Caps selected the second amateur, Ryan Walter of Seattle. Walter, who scored 54 goals to go along with 71 assists in a 6'. 195-pound prospect who is talented and a natural leader, and along with Charron and Edberg, will make the Caps strong up the middle.Tim Coulis. of Hamilton was also chosen by the Caps in the first round (18th overall) and is a strong two-way player. A line of the future might be comprised of left wing Paul Mulvey of Portland, who is 6&rsquo;4&rdquo;, 220-pounds and scored 48 goals last season, center Glen Currie of Laval of the Quebec League, who totalled 145 points including 63 goals and is also an all-around performer who is still filling out (6&rsquo;1&rdquo;, 176), plus right winger Ake-Bengt Gustavsson. one of the brighter prospects to come out of Sweden.And the Capitals may one day boast of having the tallest hockey player in the NHL on their roster if goaler Dave McNab ever makes it. Son of the Washington GM, young McNab is 6&rsquo;7&rdquo; and weighs 220. which would make him taller than the league&rsquo;s present-day &lsquo;giants&rsquo;. Gilles Lupien of Montreal (6&rsquo;6&rdquo;). Bob Dailey of Philadelphia (6&rsquo;5&rdquo;) and Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Pete Mavolich (6&rsquo;5&rdquo;). The rookie is coming off the University of Wisconsin campus.1978-79 should be a year which sees the Washington Capitals bounce back on the road towards respectability. How the new players fit into the lineup will determine what kind of a battle the Caps can expect to give Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. They&rsquo;ll be better, but probably last again in their division<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-01897/10137543-1-eng-US/f0043-012.jpg" title="f0043-01" width="442" height="566"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;TOMMY McVIE</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-02630/10137536-1-eng-US/f0043-022.jpg" title="f0043-02" width="827" height="2387"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-03524/10137529-1-eng-US/f0043-032.jpg" title="f0043-03" width="1718" height="1403"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0043-04401/10137522-1-eng-US/f0043-042.jpg" title="f0043-04" width="1750" height="1577"><figcaption class="caption-body">The lowly Capitals suffered from a lack of offense last year. Players like Gerry Meehan, top, and Guy Charron did their best, but it wasn&rsquo;t good enough.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01806/10137515-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="1143" height="949"><figcaption class="caption-body">Veteran Bryan Watson is steadying force on Caps&rsquo; defense but he, too, will have to come through to change things.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02530/10137508-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="1237" height="1328"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Capitals&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-03403/10137501-1-eng-US/f0044-032.jpg" title="f0044-03" width="2419" height="1931"></div><h2>CAPITALS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01709/10137494-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="2460" height="1384"></div>Code of abbreviations used are:GP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Capitals</h3>Washington Capitals, first in war, first in peace and last in scoring goals in the National Hockey League, to paraphrase an old baseball adage, went after scorers in the amateur draft and came away convinced that they&rsquo;ll be able to move up in the Norris Division.They signed their main man, Ryan Walter, the Seattle Breakers&rsquo; captain and center who is bright, ambitious and a natural leader. Walter, 6&rsquo;, 195-pounds, was chosen second in the entire draft and last year clicked for 54 goals and 71 assists. He rates highly in all categories of player appraisal.There&rsquo;s also 6&rsquo;, 197-pound Tim Coulis, a left winger from Hamilton of the Ontario Hockey Association who combined ruggedness (203 penalty minutes) with ability (52 points in 46 games) and 6&rsquo;4&rdquo;, 219-pound Paul Mulvey, another left winger, who played for Portland in the Western Canada League. Mulvey produced 43 goals and a lot of sore bodies with 262 penalty minutes. Center Glen Currie, the Caps&rsquo; fifth pick from Laval in the Quebec League, is another guy who can put the puck in the net. He fired 63 goals and totalled 145 points last season.The Capitals are also enthusiastic about Rolf Edberg, a center and Leif Svensson, who plays for defense. They were members of the Swedish national team and Edberg led the club in scoring in the Prague World Championships. Both have signed with Washington and may be joined by Ake-Bengt Gustavsson, a right winger who performed for the Swedish national junior team.With defenseman Paul MacKinnon signing with the World Hockey Association, John Johnston of Hamilton was the club&rsquo;s top amateur rearguard selected in the draft. Johnston, 5&rsquo;11&rdquo;, 180-pounds was only the 45th player taken overall.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-03408/10137487-1-eng-US/f0045-032.jpg" title="f0045-03" width="694" height="954"><figcaption class="caption-body">PAUL MULVEY</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0042-01

Washington Capitals:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01719/10137637-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="650" height="634"></div>&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t win any games the first time we met Montreal in the finals. We won two games this year, so I guess we&rsquo;ll have to go out and take four from them next year.&rdquo;So said Don Cherry. the National Hockey League&rsquo;s most quoted coach after his Boston Bruins had been eliminated in six games in the 1978 Stanley Cup playoffs. Cherry is of the school of thought that if you just keep working, plugging away, trying your best, that sooner or later, things will go your way. And after leading the &ldquo;lunch-bucket brigade&rdquo; Bruins into the finals for the second year in a row. very few people are doubting Cherry&rsquo;s tactics.He&rsquo;s been coaching the Bruins for four years now and the club just keeps getting better and better. His first year, they won 40 games but were eliminated in the preliminary round. Then they won 48 games and made it to the semi-finals. Two years ago it was 49 victories and a date in the finals. And last year the Bruins finished with the league&rsquo;s second best record, 51-18-11. and gave the Canadiens a pretty good scare in the finals, at one point evening the series at two games apiece.For those who thought Cherry got the Bruins into the finals in 1977 with mirrors and a great deal of good luck. 1978 was a year of vindication for the Boston coach and his players&mdash;their success was certainly not a fluke.Simplicity and togetherness are the keys to victory for Boston.&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t try to do too much and we don&rsquo;t try to be too fancy, but what we do. we do very well,&rdquo; explains Cherry. He also has another theory about getting his team to play together and it goes like this: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always surrounded myself with tough guys&mdash;not dirty players, guys that are willing to play the man and use the body&hellip; and I've found that once you have a few guys willing to play tough, the whole team will start working in the same way. picking up their checks and playing as a unit.&rdquo;The Bruins togetherness is backed up by statistics. They were third in the league in scoring with 332 goals (one less than second-place New York Islanders, but more importantly, they set an NHL record by having 11 players with 20 or more goals.Six-foot-three Peter McNab led the goalscorers with 41. giving him 79 in two seasons since coming over from Buffalo. Team inspiration Terry O'Reilly led the team in penalties (211) but also blossomed into a scorer becoming the team leader with 90 points, including a career-high 29 goals. Steady Jean Ratelle was second in scoring with 84 points, with defenseman Brad Park who termed 1977-78 &ldquo;his best season ever&rdquo; close behind with 22 goals and 57 assists to rank fourth overall on the squad. Park was the only defenseman on the team with 20 goals which meant that 10 forwards produced 20-goal seasons.Among them were veterans Bobby Schmautz (27 goals), Wayne Cashman (24), Gregg Sheppard (23) and Don Marcotte (20) as well as second-year Bruins Stan Jonathan (27) and Rick Middleton (25), plus rookie Bob Miller who fired 20 goals.Miller, a local boy out of Billerica. Mass, via the University of New Hampshire, wasn't supposed to make the team let alone score 20goals, but his skating ability and desire won him a place in Cherry's heart and oh the roster.Defensively, the Bruins reduced their goals against by 22 to 218. the fifth best total in the league by successfully blending three goaltenders and a crew of defensemen, which outside of Park, had been rated merely adequate.During the regular season the Bruins employed Ron Grahame, Gilles Gilbert and Gerry Cheevers in goal, depending on which of the backstops were healthy. All three were shelved by injury for some part of the regular season.Grahame. 28 played his first season in the NHL after leading the World Hockey Association in goals against average with Houston. He led the Bruins in shutouts (three) and recorded 26 wins and seven ties with only six losses. Gilbert appeared in 25 games with a 2.53 average and a 15-6-2 slate, while Cheevers, sidelined in mid-season by knee surgery, produced a mark of 10-5-2 with a 2.65 goals against average. 'In the playoffs, the Bruins went mainly with the now 38-year-old Cheevers, one of the game&rsquo;s best money players and he produced some of the best goaltending of his career to keep the Bruins hard on the heels of the Canadiens throughout the finals.If Cherry did a job handling the awkward position of having three first-rate goaltenders, he performed minor miracles with the Bruins' defensemen.He paired Mike Milbury. the most talented of the blueline corp, with his defensive ace. Park. Milbury, at 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;, 205-pounds. is big enough to play things rugged, as his 151 penalty minutes will attest, and he can carry the puck, especially with the opposition having to be so concerned with Park.The other regular pairing saw journeymen Gary Doak and Rick Smith, play an integral part in the consistency of the Bruins defense. Cherry has so limited their responsibilities to clearing out opposing players in front of the net and moving the puck out of the defensive zone along the boards with no-risk passes, that the pair are seldom caught out of position and have developed into top-notch players.Dennis O'Brien, who played with Minnesota. Colorada and Cleveland last year before settling with the Bruins is the club&rsquo;s fifth blueliner with Al Sims and Doug Halward fighting it out for the sixth spot. Boston&rsquo;s number two 1978 draft pick Graeme Nicolson. a 6', 190-pound prospect and Mike Forbes, a 1977 pick will also vie for a place on the roster.Up front. Al Secord. 6'. 204 pounds from Hamilton of the Ontario Hockey Association, is rated as a Don Marcotte-type forward and will rate a long look in training camp.The Bruins made excellent progress last year in adding a little daylight between themselves and Buffalo in the Adams Division and perhaps moving a notch or two closer to Montreal in the bid to be the best in the league. If the goaltending holds up, they&rsquo;ll be first in the Adams again and a good bet for the Stanley Cup finals<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01646/10137630-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg" title="f0047-01" width="763" height="630"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;DON CHERRY</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-02421/10137623-1-eng-US/f0047-022.jpg" title="f0047-02" width="807" height="2387"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-03334/10137616-1-eng-US/f0047-032.jpg" title="f0047-03" width="1730" height="3103"><figcaption class="caption-body">Brad Park is the man who makes Bruins go every time he&rsquo;s on the ice.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01509/10137609-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg" title="f0048-01" width="1134" height="1265"><figcaption class="caption-body">Peter McNab was offensive surprise of the Bruins last year with 41 goals and he&rsquo;ll be factor this season.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-02327/10137602-1-eng-US/f0048-022.jpg" title="f0048-02" width="1209" height="1499"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Bruins&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-03228/10137595-1-eng-US/f0048-032.jpg" title="f0048-03" width="2374" height="1594"></div><h2>BRUINS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-01505/10137588-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg" title="f0049-01" width="2502" height="1457"></div>Code of abbreviations used are:GP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Bruins</h3>Al Secord. left winger, is the kind of hockey player that Don Cherry, coach of the Boston Bruins, likes on his team. He skates up and down his wing, he&rsquo;s solid at 6', 204-pounds and he&rsquo;s not afraid to go into the corners.That&rsquo;s why the former Hamilton Fincup was made the number one choice of the Bruins in the 1978 amateur draft and that&rsquo;s why Secord, who scored 28 goals, added 22 assists and 185 minutes in penalties, will have an excellent opportunity to make the Bruins.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not a speedball but he&rsquo;s a good skater,&rdquo; said Bruins&rsquo; general manager Harry Sinden, who added, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;ll score 40 or 50 goals in this league, but he&rsquo;ll fit in with the Bruins perfectly. He&rsquo;s a good tough winger.&rdquo;Sinden also likened Secord to Don Marcotte and Stan Johathan, two hard-checkers who just happen to average 20-30 goals a year while giving the opposition fits.A pair of defensemen, Graeme Nicolson of Cornwall and Brad Knelson of Lethbridge were the second and third selections by Boston among their nine choices, and both will have a shot at becoming the sixth defenseman with the team.Nicolson, 6&rsquo;, 188-pounds, produced 65 points on offense last year, including 52 assists, figures which have to impress the Bruins. Knelson, 6&rsquo;3&rdquo;, 190-pounds also showed talent offensively with 44 assists.Two other players who will contend for a spot on the roster are George Buat, a right winger from Seattle who scored 40 goals and left winger Darryl MacLeod of Boston University.Bruins also drafted Jeff Brubaker, a 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 210-pound left wing from Peterborough, who has been signed by the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-03309/10137581-1-eng-US/f0049-032.jpg" title="f0049-03" width="732" height="1075"><figcaption class="caption-body">AL SECORD</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0046-01

Boston Bruins:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01496/10137724-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="614" height="593"></div>The expected changes in the playing personnel of the Buffalo Sabres, as promised by general manager Punch Imlach after the clubs quarter-final ouster from the playoffs by the Philadelphia. Flyers, had not materialized by the time of the amateur draft so the Sabres got ready for training camp with basically the same roster, plus a few highly-touted draft selections.&ldquo;If we&rsquo;re going to lose, we won't lose with the same players.&rdquo; threatened Imlach. &ldquo;Every player on the roster is available for trades.&rdquo; said the Sabre GM, but one had to wonder whether or not workhorse goaltender Don Edwards, might be included in any such deal.Gil Perreault, though, who was the foundation upon which the Sabres rose to the position of contender, winning a division title after just five years, might now be available if the right deal came along. Perreault managed only five points in eight playoff contests as he closed out the season with a horrendous three-month goal-scoring slump.Ever since the Sabres peaked in the 1974-75 season when they accumulated 113 points and reached the finals against Philadelphia, the club has been mired at the same level. Good enough to be recognized in the upper third of the league, but unable to crack the top three. In fact, the Sabres, bridesmaids to the Bruins in the Adams Division for the past three seasons have been unable to get past the quarter-finals, losing twice to the Islanders and last year in five games to the Flyers.With the fifth best offense (288 goals) and the fourth best defense (215 goals against) for the 1977-78 season, you would think that the Sabres would have gone somewhere, but the truth is they just barely managed to squeeze past the Rangers in the best-of-three preliminary round.First-year coach Marcel Pronovost. an outstanding defenseman for 20 years in the NHL. promised a tighter defensive team with a definite system, but as the playoffs glaringly revealed, the main improvements on defense were only the result of the outstanding play of goaler Edwards.A candidate for rookie of the year honors since he had played in only 25 games the previous year. Edwards led the league in minutes played and victories, capturing 38 of the Sabres 44 wins in 72 game appearances. He also tied for second in the league in shutouts, five, while posting a 2.64 goals against average.At 5'9&rdquo; and 160-pounds, however. Edwards finally did wear down and thanks to a not so mobile defense the Flyers eventually had too many scoring opportunities for Edwards to hold them off any longer.With one of the largest defense crews in the league, led by Jerry Korab and Bill Hajt at 6&rsquo;3&rdquo;, Jim Schoenfeld and Jocelyn Guevremont at 6&rsquo;2&rdquo; and Lee Fogolin at 6&rsquo; and over 200 pounds, the Sabres were surprisingly reticent when it came time for playing the body.Only against Montreal, which despite the Herculean size of its defense, has a number of smaller forwards, did Buffalo care to engage in running into the opposition.The result&mdash;three wins in five games for the Sabres vs. Montreal.Yet somehow. Imlach and Pronovost&lsquo;([A-z]+)&rsquo;t able to get the message through when it came time for the rest of the league.So now they've decided to create more competition for blueline jobs and see how their gun-shy behemoths react. Larry Carriere, who first broke into the NHL with the Sabres is back after stops with Atlanta. Vancouver and Los Angeles. He's 6&rsquo;1". 205-pounds and likes the heavy going.But the real eye-popper at the Sabres' training camp is bound to be 6&rsquo;4&rdquo;, 20 l-pound Larry Playfair, Buffalo's first pick in the amateur draft out of Portland in the Western Canada League. Playfair is not only big, but he likes to lay on the muscle as his 402 penalty minutes will attest. The oft-injured Ken Breitenbach who missed most of last year with a broken leg, and youngsters Richie Dunn and Bill Stewart will also battle for a job.Offensively, the Sabres are a well-balanced club. Perreault, despite his slump, finished with 41 goals, just three off his career best. Richard Martin, who narrowly missed incurring a serious head injury when checked into the boards finished with 28 goals despite missing 15 games. Captain Danny Gare rebounded from back problems to pot 39 goals plus 38 assists to finish second on the squad in scoring with 77 points behind Perreault's 89. Rene Robert, the third member of1 Buffalo's on-again-off-again French Connection line, which for the most part was left disconnected by Pronovost, finished with 24 goals and a respectable 48 assists.When you add in two-way performers Don Luce and Craig Ramsay, who scored 28 and 26 goals, respectively, and mention Andre Savard and Al McAdam who each collected 19 markers on the third and fourth lines, you can see that scoring isn't much of a problem.Just the same, Buffalo grabbed the speedy Tony McKegney reputed to be the fastest accelerator in the Ontario Hockey Association last year, as their second choice. McKegney, a 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;, 198-pound left winger, who scored 44goals and 48 assists for Kingston had signed with the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association, but was released from his commitment to the club shortly after being drafted by Buffalo.The Sabres' first objective, though, should be mounting a challenge to Boston in the Adams division. Their second is to find an adequate back-up to Edwards who certainly can&rsquo;t be expected to play 72 games a season and be sharp for the playoffs. Bob Sauve appeared in only 12 games last year, although he is rumored to have been making in excess of $ 100,000, considerably more than Edwards was being paid. Sauve, in fact, is one of a dozen Sabres reported to be above the $ 100,000 mark in salary, the highest number for any team in the league.Some of these high-priced players may be found elsewhere in the league if the Sabres don't come up with a better performance this time around.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-01373/10137717-1-eng-US/f0051-012.jpg" title="f0051-01" width="789" height="656"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;MARCEL PRONOVOST</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-02269/10137710-1-eng-US/f0051-022.jpg" title="f0051-02" width="805" height="2370"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-03195/10137703-1-eng-US/f0051-032.jpg" title="f0051-03" width="1797" height="3243"><figcaption class="caption-body">Captain Danny Gare can be a big scorer if he can avoid injuries.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-01379/10137696-1-eng-US/f0052-012.jpg" title="f0052-01" width="1192" height="1385"><figcaption class="caption-body">Gilbert Perreault is still the Sabres&rsquo; most exciting player and most productive scorer.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-02245/10137689-1-eng-US/f0052-022.jpg" title="f0052-02" width="1240" height="1483"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Sabres&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-03173/10137682-1-eng-US/f0052-032.jpg" title="f0052-03" width="2413" height="1559"></div><h2>SABRES&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-01353/10137675-1-eng-US/f0053-012.jpg" title="f0053-01" width="2453" height="1328"></div>Code of abbreviations used are:GP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Sabres</h3>The Sabres went for a sizeable defenseman and a speedy forward and feel they have succeeded in finding a pair of players who can step right into their starting lineup.Larry Playfair, a 6&rsquo;4&rdquo;, 201-pound blueliner who collected 401 penalty minutes for Portland in the Western Canada League is the young man they have slated to join the likes of 6&rsquo;3&rdquo; Jerry Korab, 6&rsquo;3&rdquo; Bill Hajt, 6&rsquo;2&rdquo; Jim Schoenfeld and 6&rsquo;2 &rsquo; Josh Guevremont on the Buffalo defense.Playfair likes to play the body, something which the Buffalo defensemen with the exception of Schoenfeld and occasionally Korab, have been reluctant to do. It&rsquo;s part of the reason why the Sabres haven&rsquo;t fared well in the playoffs and general manager Punch Imlach feels it is time for the club to change its tactics to a more physical approach.Having speed in your forward ranks is also a good idea and the reason why the Sabres went after Tony McKegney, rated as the fastest accelerator in the Ontario Hockey Association. McKegney scored 44 goals and 48 assists for Kingston last season and signed with the Birmingham Bulls, but was released from his contract when the Sabres made him their number two pick.Rob McClanahan, a center-left winger from the University of Minnesota, was the Sabres&rsquo; third choice, followed by defenseman Mike Gazdic of Sudbury of the OHA. Goaltender Randy Ireland was the fifth selection as a re-entry draftee from the International League.Left winger Cam McGregor, a 6 Lgoal scorer for Cornwall in the Quebec League is a dark horse candidate to make the club.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-03177/10137668-1-eng-US/f0053-032.jpg" title="f0053-03" width="796" height="1057"><figcaption class="caption-body">TONY McKEGNEY</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0050-01

Buffalo Sabres:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-01367/10137811-1-eng-US/f0054-012.jpg" title="f0054-01" width="638" height="642"></div>This could be the year the Toronto Maple Leafs make great strides to move out of third place in the tough Adams Division, moving past Buffalo and taking on Boston, or it might be the year when they slip back into the oblivion of a middle-of-the-pack club, destined to remain an also-ran.Two factors will contribute heavily to the success of the 1978-79 Maple Leafs. The status of All Star defenseman Borje Salming's eye, which was injured in the playoffs, and the ability of Leaf coach Roger Neilson to keep his team following his basic fundamentals towards improvement.Neilson&rsquo;s first objective when he took over the Leafs last year was to reduce the goals against to 240, an average of three per game. This seemed a tall order considering that the club would be counting plainly upon Mike Palmateer, who had only 50 National Hockey League games under his belt coming into last season, and that the year before the Leaf defense had surrendered 285 goals. But Neilson got his wish and the Leafs allowed just 237 goals, the seventh best total in the league.Turning to Salming's injury. When the defenseman left for Sweden and a summer vacation, his recuperation was right on schedule. He had been accidentally cut by an errant stick in the preliminary round of the playoffs against Los Angeles and though he wanted to return for action by the time the Leafs had advanced to the semi-finals, he was convinced to make absolutely sure of his future and let the eye heal fully over the summer.The one blessing the Leafs received from the injury to Salming was the ability shown by lan Turnbull to become a dominant player on the team. Always regarded as No. 2 next to the talented Salming, Turnbull seemed to be everywhere in the Leafs&rsquo; quarter-final triumph over the Islanders and against Montreal in the semi-finals. In 13 playoff games, Turnbull clicked for six goals and 10 assists and never seemed to get caught out position on defense. -With two top-notch defensemen already at their blue-line, the Leafs then went out and traded for another pair of rearguards, each of them already established as the defense leader with their team.From Pittsburgh, in exchange for center George Ferguson and defenseman Randy Carlyle, the Leafs obtained steady Dave Burrows, a respected defensive defenseman who is an excellent shot-blocker and plays the kind of disciplined, positional game which Neilson stresses. Then they swapped defenseman Brian Glennie and young forwards Kurt Walker and Scott Garland to the Los Angeles Kings in return for defenseman Dave Hutchison and forward Lome Stamler.Hutchison has been the main L.A. policeman for the past few years but had played out his option with the Kings. He'll have more support in the muscle department from new teammates Dave (Tiger) Williams and former King teammate Dan Maloney and should flourish in an environment where he will be better able to develop his talents.With their defense in good shape, the Leafs must now turn their attention towards offense, where they have been regarded as little more than a one line team. Or maybe even two-thirds or a line, the two parts being captain Darryl Sittler and right winger Lanny McDonald.Sittler, the classy centerman who lets his stick do his talking, had his best year ever in 1977-78, scoring 45 goals and 72 assists for 117 points, third best in the NHL. McDonald was once again the club leader in goals, with 47 and 40 assists for 87 points, despite missing half a dozen games.They were joined on the left side by Dave Williams who had his best season ever offensively with 19 goals and 31 assists and later by another tough guy, Dan Maloney, the former Red Wings&rsquo; captain, who came to the Leafs in exchange for Errol Thompson and draft choices.Maloney, whose value was sworn by, by Leaf GM Jim Gregory and coach Neilson, finished the season with 19 goals, 33 assists and is supposed to provide muscle for Sittier and McDonald. leaving Williams free for duty elsewhere.Unfortunately for the Leafs, the rest of the forward corps did little scoring, particularly in the center spot as the team desparately sought a No. 2 man to play behind Sittler. Ferguson and Stan Weir, both departed, weren't the answer, while Pat Boutette and Bruce Boudreau, along with defensive specialist Jimmy Jones didn't produce enough either.Ron Ellis, who retired for two years, came back with a gratifying 26-24-50 season to finish tied for sixth in team scoring, with Salming (16-60-76) and Turnbull (14-47-61) taking third and fourth place.In the draft, the Leafs didn't pick until 21st, but were pleased to be able to obtain defenseman Joel Quenneville of Windsor of the Ontario Hockey Association. He&rsquo;s six-feet even. 188-pounds and a fine offensive player who contributed 27 goals and 103 points for his junior club. Neilson is hoping that Quenneville will develop as quickly as Trevor Johansen, another OH A graduate who played a full season with the Leafs last year.The Leafs&rsquo; second choice. 48th overall, was a somewhat surprising one as they elected to go for Mark Kirton. a checking center from Peterborough. At 5&rsquo;9&rdquo;, 165-pounds, he&rsquo;s in the Doug Jarvis mold (Jarvis also played for Peterborough under Neilson) whom the Leafs originally drafted but traded to Montreal.Later selections by Toronto were aimed at getting scorers. Among them were Jordy Douglas, a 6&rsquo;, 199-pound left winger from Flin Flon who had 60-56-116 credentials this year, and right winger Normand Lefebvre of Trois Rivieres, who scored 51 goals and the same number of assists in the Quebec League.Toronto recorded their second highest point total. 92. last year with a 41-29-10 record, but still finished behind Boston and Buffalo. If the defense and the offense continue to improve they could edge Buffalo for second this year, but too many things have to go right all at once. The Leafs will be third once again, although probably with a stronger club<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-01324/10137804-1-eng-US/f0055-012.jpg" title="f0055-01" width="780" height="681"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;ROGER NEILSON</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-02210/10137797-1-eng-US/f0055-022.jpg" title="f0055-02" width="805" height="2353"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-03156/10137790-1-eng-US/f0055-032.jpg" title="f0055-03" width="1744" height="3219"><figcaption class="caption-body">Team leader Darryl Sitler continues to be the big producer.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-01298/10137783-1-eng-US/f0056-012.jpg" title="f0056-01" width="1177" height="1316"><figcaption class="caption-body">Leafs are keeping their fingers crossed that Borje Salming&rsquo;s eye injury won&rsquo;t hamper his play.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-02195/10137776-1-eng-US/f0056-022.jpg" title="f0056-02" width="1217" height="1425"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Maple Leafs&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-03123/10137769-1-eng-US/f0056-032.jpg" title="f0056-03" width="2416" height="1641"></div><h2>MAPLE LEAFS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-01276/10137762-1-eng-US/f0057-012.jpg" title="f0057-01" width="2521" height="1369"></div>Code of abbreviations used are:GP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Maple L&eacute;afs</h3>Toronto Maple Leafs took a giant step in solidifying their defense corps when they obtained rearguards Dave Hutchison and Dave Burrows in separate trades with Los Angeles and Pittsburgh, and they are also confident that No. 1 draft pick Joel Quenneville will be playing a key role on their blueline in the not-too distant future.Quenneville, 6&rsquo;, 188-pounds, was the 21st player taken in the amateur draft and had impressive figures with Windsor of the Ontario Hockey Association last year, scoring 103 points, including 27 goals. He can rush with the puck and has a fineshot from the point, so the Leafs are hoping he can step into a lineup which features offensive defensemen such as Borje Salming and Ian Turnbull.Mark Kirton, a center with Peterborough, also of the OHA, was the clubs second selection and is a smallish forward (5&rsquo;9&rdquo;, 165) who can get the job done at both ends of the ice. Last year he produced 71 points in 68 games.Goaler Bob Parent of Kitchener was the Leafs&rsquo; third pick and one of the OHA stop netminders, compiling a 3.81 goals against average in 48 appearances. He&rsquo;s built along the same lines as Leaf goaler Mike Palmateer at 58 171-pounds.Fifth choice Mel Hewitt, a defenseman-left winger who played for Calgary in the Western Canada League "night be worth keeping an eye on just for his penalty minutes total last year, a whopping 508. Only Brent Gogol of the same league had more with 511.If the Leafs are looking for offense, they might turn to right winger Normand Lefebvre of Trois Rivieres in the Quebec League, their sixth player chosen out of 10. Lefebvre collected 51 goals and 51 assists last year.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-03151/10137755-1-eng-US/f0057-032.jpg" title="f0057-03" width="827" height="1043"><figcaption class="caption-body">Joel Quenneville</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0054-01

Toronto Maple Leafs:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-01300/10137905-1-eng-US/f0058-012.jpg" title="f0058-01" width="726" height="647"></div>It was a &ldquo;good news-bad news&rdquo; situation for the new Minnesota North Stars, but after finishing the season with the worst record in the National Hockey League, the fact that there was any news was a refreshing sign for the club. Mostly the news was good.By completing the 1977-78 season at 18-3-9, by far the worst record ever compiled by Minnesota, the North Stars were assured of one thing, the first pick in the amateur draft. Ottawas Bob Smith, a 6'4&rdquo;. 207-pound center who broke the Ontario Hockey Association scoring record with 192 points, would be the one.Next, just before the dawn of the draft, the North Stars received some additional player help, most of one team, the Cleveland Barons, to be exact and it is safe to say that there were a few players with that club who would interest even the Montreal Canadiens. So the two clubs merged into the new Minnesota North Stars and suddenly fan reaction in Bloomington which had been slowly turned off, sprang back to life and requests poured in for information and season tickets.Now for the bad news. General manager Lou Nanne. who started out last season as a player for Minnesota, learned that hrs newly strengthened club would not be competing in the weak Smythe Division, but instead would be residing in the Adams Division, keeping company with Boston. Buffalo. Toronto. each of whom earned more points in just their home games than the North Stars did in their entire schedule.Still. Nanne wasn't complaining too loudly.He had watched a team which had finished the 1976-77 season with a remarkable surge which vaulted them into the playoffs and filled the team with optimism concerning their young players, suddenly go into a slump and never come out of it. :&rdquo;d to challenge Chicago for the Smythe title, the North Stars only challenge was to the Washington Capitals for worst and most disappointing clubs in the league.The North Stars allowed 325 goals, a figure matched by. unfortunately Cleveland, as the worst in the league, and 15 more than the previous year. Their offense wasn't much better, ranking 16th with 218 goals, ahead of only Washington and St. Louis. Cleveland, by the way. tied Chicago for 14th with 230.Minnesota went through three coaches last year, Ted Harris, his former assistant Andre Beaulieu and then Nanne to try and retain some semblance of organization. In the weeks prior to the NHL meetings after the end of the regular season. Nanne had two prospective coaches turn down offers to handle the reigns of the North Stars. Herb Brooks and Tom Watt, both college level instructors opted to refuse the job and it wasn't until after the draft and merger with the Barons that Cleveland general manager Harry Howell accepted the position as coach of the team.All of which leads us into the training camp of the North Stars, one which will be rivaled in size only by the St. Louis Blues, who drafted 31 players. Hopefully, from a North Stars&rsquo; viewpoint, their training camp will produce the most talented lineup ever to wear the green, gold and white Minnesota colors.In goal, Gilles Meloche comes over from the Barons to battle with Pete LoPresti and possibly Gary Smith for the starting job. Meloche has been dying to get into the playoffs for years but has never had a supporting cast strong enough to match his brilliant efforts in the nets. In 54 games with Cleveland last year, he somehow managed to post a 3.77 goals against average, an amazing feat on a club which gave up 325 goals.LoPresti probably saw even more rubber in his 53 games for the North stars last year, though not as consistent as Meloche, he has held up very well under trying circumstances.Among the rearguards, Brad Maxwell has the most potential, and is coming off a fine rookie campaign which saw him contribute 18 goals and 29 assists to tie the club record for points by a defenseman. Greg Smith who toiled for the Barons seems to be growing in confidence and competence, producing 37 points for Cleveland and Jean Potvin, who started last year with his more illustrious brother Denis with the Islanders, is also capable of adding to the attack.More defensive-minded blueliners include 37-year-old Jim Neilson. Nick Beverley, who captained the North Stars last year, Tom Reid, Jerome Engele, Bill Butters and Bryan Maxwell, the latter pair who began 1977-78 with the New England Whalers of the WHA.The brightest spot for the club, though, remains in its forward ranks. From Cleveland comes Dennis Maruk, a rugged little worker who accounted for 36 goals and 71 points, the best totals between the two teams. There&rsquo;s also Chuck Arnason (25 goals). Mike Fidler (23 goals). Kris Manery (22 goals) J. P Parise (21 goals) and Walt McKechnie and Al McAdam, who each scored 16 goals.They&rsquo;ll be mingling with Tim Young (23 goals), Per-Olov Brasar (20-37-57), Glen Sharpley (22 goals), Ron Zanussi, Kent-Erik Andersson, Tom Younghans. Jim Roberts, Alex Pirus and Pierre Plante, who was obtained from Chicago.First pick Smith is already being hailed as a team leader and his Ottawa teammate and linemate Steve Payne, a 6&rsquo;2". 204-pound left winger who scored 57 goals last year, will also be given a long look.College players Curt Giles, Don Jackson and Jim Boo, all defensemen. and Steve Christoff, a center who scored 27 goals and 27 assists in 32 games, will also intensify the competition.The new North Stars will be last in the tough Adams Division, but might be good enough to earn a wild card berth if all the pieces come together<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-01239/10137898-1-eng-US/f0059-012.jpg" title="f0059-01" width="603" height="649"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;HARRY HOWELL</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-02158/10137891-1-eng-US/f0059-022.jpg" title="f0059-02" width="805" height="2392"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-03117/10137884-1-eng-US/f0059-032.jpg" title="f0059-03" width="1744" height="1272"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0494/10137877-1-eng-US/f0059-042.jpg" title="f0059-04" width="1752" height="1886"><figcaption class="caption-body">The North Stars still have Tim Young, top, and Brad Maxwell, to spark offense but team must come up with more proven scorers to survive.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-01248/10137870-1-eng-US/f0060-012.jpg" title="f0060-01" width="1171" height="1195"><figcaption class="caption-body">Team captain Nick Beverley anchors the Minnesota defense and with merger he&rsquo;ll get some needed help.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-02153/10137863-1-eng-US/f0060-022.jpg" title="f0060-02" width="1231" height="1396"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On North Stars&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-03109/10137856-1-eng-US/f0060-032.jpg" title="f0060-03" width="2379" height="1740"></div><h2>NORTH STARS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-01222/10137849-1-eng-US/f0061-012.jpg" title="f0061-01" width="2511" height="1384"></div>Code of abbreviations used areGP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The North Stars</h3>Minnesota North Stars&rsquo; general manager Lou Nanne, who has been known to have engaged in a bit of horse trading during his days as a player in the National Hockey League, received all sorts of attractive offers to part with the NHL&rsquo;s No. 1 draft choice, but Nanne refused to budge and chose 6&rsquo;4&rdquo;, 207-pound Bob Smith from the Ottawa 67s.Smith, a center, was junior hockey&rsquo;s leading scorer, with 192 points last year, including 69 goals, breaking the all-time Ontario Hockey Association one-season mark. He&rsquo;s also a natural leader, an excellent skater and penalty-killer and has the kind of attitude which should make him a great favorite in the Minnesota area. In his case, it looks like Nanne made a smart move by refusing his adversaries&rsquo; enticements.Ottawa teammate Steve Payne, who played left wing for Smith was the second of Minnesota&rsquo;s 10 picks and an accomplished player in his own right. He also has good size at 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 204-pounds, and scored better than a goal a game (57 goals in 52 games) for the 67s.The North Stars turned to the college ranks for their third and fourth selections, taking University of Minnesota centerman Steve Christoff as their third choice (24th overall) and defenseman Curt Giles of Minnesota-Duluth as No. 4. Both displayed fine offensive potential with Christoff accounting for 27 goals and the same number of assists in 32 games and Giles assisting in 31 goals in just 29 contests.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-03113/10137842-1-eng-US/f0061-032.jpg" title="f0061-03" width="796" height="1140"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOB SMITH</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0058-01

Minnesota North Stars:

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0062-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-01244/10137950-1-eng-US/f0062-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-01200/10137943-1-eng-US/f0064-012.jpg" title="f0064-01" width="2348" height="3218"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-01202/10137936-1-eng-US/f0065-012.jpg" title="f0065-01" width="2702" height="3635"></div> &#9632;

f0062-01

NHL I977-78

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0068-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0068-01152/10138026-1-eng-US/f0068-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0069-01130/10138019-1-eng-US/f0069-012.jpg" title="f0069-01" width="2378" height="3238"></div> &#9632;

f0068-01

HOW NHL TEAMS SELECTED THE TOP AMATEUR PLAYERS

<div class="byline">BY MIKE DENNIS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0070-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0070-01133/10138064-1-eng-US/f0070-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">With players like defenseman Larry Robinson, left, shown being presented with the Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP by past winner Roger Crozier, the Canadiens are in a class by themselves.</figcaption></div>It was during the moments following the 1978 amateur draft in Montreal and Canadiens&rsquo; general manager Sam Pollock was surrounded by a horde of newsmen, eager for tid bits of information about the players that Montreal had just selected.Pollock dutifully filled them in with short concise statements such as: &ldquo;he's a classy player&rdquo;&hellip;or, &ldquo;we have reports which indicate he&rsquo;s got what it takes&rdquo; etc, etc.Then Pollock was asked: &ldquo;Were you considering drafting Ken Linseman in the first round?&rdquo; The question was a reference to a strategy employed by the Canadiens the previous year when they used their first pick (acquired, of course, from another team) to choose Mark Napfer. who was beginning the final year of his contract with the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association.This time, however, the Philadelphia Flyers, using the seventh pick, obtained from the Rangers in exchange for former coach Fred Shero, selected Linseman immediately prior to Pollock&rsquo;s turn, which he in turn, had secured from the Los Angeles Kings when the Canadiens sent them Glenn Goldup. So the Canadiens were deprived of the opportunity to get Linseman, but Pollock&rsquo;s answer to the query was the most interesting thing.It was simple, It was direct. &ldquo;We consider everyone when we do our drafting,&rdquo; and it is exactly this thoroughness which has aided the Canadiens in maintaining their stranglehold as the top team in the National Hockey League.In 1963, the NHL instituted the universal amateur draft, supposedly the great equalizer in professional sports. It was implemented to allow the team with the poorest record to have first choice of the graduating junior players, thus giving them the opportunity to build up their team.Throughout the 15 years of hockey&rsquo;s amateur draft there have been a great number of changes, especially in recent years with all the dealings involving option years in contracts, free agents, and so on. But suffice to say that no one, and no organization has had as much success directly and indirectly from the amateur draft as Sam Pollock and the Montreal Canadiens.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0071-01129/10138057-1-eng-US/f0071-012.jpg" title="f0071-01" width="2701" height="1684"><figcaption class="caption-body">The phenomenal Guy Lafleur has had the last laugh on NHL netminders for the past three years scoring 172 times while winning three point titles. Here he accepts Hart Trophy as NHL MVP from former great Ebbie Goodfellow, who went along with laugh when base fell off trophy during presentation.</figcaption></div>Pollock, who became general manager of the Canadiens for the 1964-65 season, has fashioned an organization which has captured nine Stanley Cups in the past 14 years, including three in a row. He has done it by enlisting the help of competent hockey people who can analyze players and apply them to Pollock&rsquo;s system and he has done it by taking advantage of the draft system and staying several jumps, ahead of rival general managers.With an eye eternally cocked towards the future. Pollock&rsquo;s attitude when drafting players remains, &ldquo;&hellip;we take the best players available, regardless of position. We're after the players who have the talent and the right attitude to fit into the structure of our team.&rdquo;The Canadiens. and Pollock, in particular, also have an attitude about fostering togetherness of the team, a feeling which is being ruled more and more today, by matters of financial concern.The reason why the Canadiens have the highest payroll in the NHL is because they have the best players in the league, not because their players have the best agents. In other words, while Guy Lafleur and Ken Dryden were earning a base salary of $180,000 a year, tops on the Canadiens, there were a half dozen or so players in the NHL over the $200,000 mark and some as high as $315.000, the figure reported for Buffalo&rsquo;s Gilbert Perreault.However, the Canadiens have their own salary structure and it&rsquo;s based on years of service and productivity at an NHL level. That&rsquo;s why Napier, who appears to be immensely talented, won&rsquo;t be commanding any five-year, million dollar deals, the going rate today, should he choose to sign with the Canadiens.Even though Napier, a right winger, is a player the Canadiens would dearly love to get into their lineup, and despite the fact that the top five 1978 amateurs drafted by the Canadiens have signed with the WHA, there is no doubt that Pollock will clearly spell out where Napier fits into the Canadiens&rsquo; salary structure, but at the same time, he&rsquo;ll make an offer attractive enough to make Napier think long and hard.This policy may have lost the Canadiens a few highly rated players over the years, but the players that do choose to sign with Montreal, are happy since they know the salaries on the team are fair.And the fact remains that the Canadiens have a number of players on their squad, most notably Guy Lafleur and Rejean Houle, who could be playing in the WHA for more money, but have opted for Montreal for reasons which are apparent after you&rsquo;ve seen this organization in operation.Lafleur, after three trying years with the Canadiens, was offered a fantastic deal from the Quebec Nordiques, among whose supporters was Guy&rsquo;s father-in-law. The Canadiens countered with a 10-year package which set him up for life and Lafleur has responded with four consecutive 100-plus point seasons. Houle, who was originally a Canadien, jumped to the WHA, but after enjoying considerable success, becoming a 50-goal scorer, etc., he balked at accepting less money than had been agreed upon and came back to the NHL.No doubt stung by the loss of this year&rsquo;s top juniors, Pollock rolled up his sleeves on the Napier case and went to work getting the proceedings going in the direction that he likes best&mdash;his way. The Canadiens were given permission by Edmonton Oilers of the WHA who put in a claim for Napier&rsquo;s services, to talk with him before his Aug. 31 contract expired. But lawyers for Montreal told the club to not discuss a possible contract until after that date, a suggestion which Pollock passed along to Napier&rsquo;s agent Gus Badali. It was soon obvious that Napier wasn't going to do any deciding between Montreal and Edmonton until September. Shortly afterwards, the Edmonton Oilers withdrew their offer to Napier and the odds increased that he&rsquo;ll be coming to the NHL.What Pollock will undoubtedly do is come close to matching Edmonton&rsquo;s original offer (and they have indicated they may reopen pursuit of Napier) and throw in some team-related bonuses.Which brings us to another reason for the Canadiens&rsquo; success. Most players don&rsquo;t get bonuses for scoring such and such a number of points, instead they get bonuses if the team achieves this number of victories, or it the defense holds the opponents under a certain number of goals. Few individual incentives, instead success is team-orientated.Now let&rsquo;s take a look at the 1977-78 edition of the Canadiens which won Montreal&rsquo;s third consecutive Stanley Cup to get a better idea where all of their winners have been coming from.Of the 23 players who made up the Canadiens roster for the most part of last year, including left winger Murray Wilson who had to undergo back surgery, we can see that only six of their players, were, or will be 30 years of age or more as the current schedule heads into the 1979 portion.Yvan Cournoyer, at 35, is the oldest' having been around the same length of time that Pollock has been general manager, 14 years, with his name inscribed on the Stanley Cup nine times.Thirty-three-year-old Jacques Lemaire and Serge Savard, 32, have completed 1 1 seasons with the Habs, with seven Stanley Cups to their credit, and they, along with Cournoyer and 30-year-old Guy Lapointe, played for Montreal&rsquo;s junior team in the days when these clubs were sponsored by NHL clubs and came up through the ranks (all of them played at least briefly in the minors) to reach the big club.Pierre Bouchard, 30, was taken in the 1965 amateur draft after playing for the Canadiens&rsquo; junior team in the Ontario Hockey Association, while Ken Dryden, 31, was originally drafted as a 16-year-old by the Boston Bruins, but eventually went to Cornell University instead, played for the Canadian National Team and then was signed by the Canadiens.Out of the remaining 17 players, no less than 15 were drafted if you count Yvan Lambert, who e5me from the Detroit organization in the reverse draft, plus Houle, who was the Canadiens&rsquo; first pick in 1969 as one of two French Canadian players taken by Montreal in lieu of their regular draft selections.Pollock likes to point out that contrary to what many people believe, that during the eight years which Montreal was allowed to choose two French Canadian players, only four players were selected&mdash;Houle and Marc Tardif in 1969, Jude Drouin and Phil Myre in the 1966 draft.No doubt one of Pollocks greatest coups was the oft-told wheeling and dealing which assured the club of getting Lafleur in the 1971 draft.The Canadiens figured that either Oakland (Seals) or Lbs Angeles would finish last during the 1970-71 season, thus &ldquo;earning&rdquo; the right to choose first in the amateur draft. So they made a deal with Oakland to get their draft pick and also sent Bobby Sheehan, a speedy forward to the Seals. Then Montreal made sure that Los Angeles couldn&rsquo;t finish last by conveniently trading Ralph Backstrom to the Kings for a couple of minor leaguers. Backstrom scored 14 goals and added 13 points for L.A. in 33 games, the Kings finished ahead of Oakland, and the Canadiens chose Lafleur.When the Canadiens become too glutted at one position they simply look around for a team to make a deal with and get a future draft choice in return. When a team is battling to get out of the cellar, who can turn down a Phil Myre, a Noel Price, a Don Awrey, a Bob Murdoch, and that&rsquo;s why the Canadians, after all these years, will still have an extra pair of third round draft choices in 1979.Which leads us to another fundamental of the Canadiens&rsquo; success&mdash;development of the players, an area which again goes back to the work of Sam Pollock in assembling a crew of top flight instructors, scouts, etc. which can spot potential talent and then upgrade it to became a part of the NHL Canadiens.The Canadiens&rsquo; top farm club is in Halifax where the Nova Scotia Voyageurs are run by Al MacNeil, the former coach of the Canadiens. MacNeil&rsquo;s greatest strength is his ability to produce excellent defensemen and Larry Robinson, Bill Nyrop, Brian Engblom and Gilles Lupien, currently with the Canadiens, are examples of defensemen who received their professional baptism under MacNeil.Take a look at the Canadiens&rsquo; roster. Check the players&rsquo; ages. Houle. 29, Lambert, 28, Robinson, Wilson. Lafleur, all 27, Michel Larocque, Doug Risebrough, Steve Shutt, Nyrop each 26. Bob Gainey, 25, Rick Chartraw, Lupien, 24, Jarvis, Larouche, Engblom and Pierre Mondou, only 23, Mario Tremblay, now in his fifth NHL year, 22. And there are others waiting their chance in the minors or just entering the pro ranks.Montreal clubs won five straight Stanley Cups in the latter part of the 50s and with the nucleus of stars now on the team, it is possible that Montreal will have a good chance, as Guy Lafleur suggested, of being able to win for the next five years. Or how about 10?They talk about the pride of the Canadiens, but what it boils down to is the fact that this organization has established the highest standard for itself, and insists that each member, whether player, coach, scout, whatever, makes an all out effort to work up to these standards.It&rsquo;s a formula of unqualified success &#9632;

f0070-01

LES CANADIENS BUILDING ANOTHER HOCKEY DYNASTY

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0074-01123/10138151-1-eng-US/f0074-012.jpg" title="f0074-01" width="679" height="632"></div>The New York Islanders, the only team to win a game from the Montreal Canadians during the 1976 and 1977 playoffs, figured they were one big scorer away from seriously challenging the Habs. So they drafted Mike Bossy, a fellow who put the puck in the nets 75 times during his final junior year with Laval of the Quebec Major Junior League. All Bossy did was set a National Hockey League record with the most goals ever by a rookie, 53, helping the Islanders to a club record 333 goals, second in the league.Their tight defense, headed by goalers Glenn (Chico) Resch and Billy Smith, was nearly as effective as the year before, allowing 210 goals, to rank third behind Montreal and Philadelphia, changing places with the Flyers as compared to the previous year.And Denis Potvin, the cornerstone of the team, became only the second defenseman to twice score 30 goals in a season (Bobby Orr was the other) enroute to a 94-point season, selection to the first All Star team and his second Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in three years.All Star center Bryan Trottier finished second in the scoring race with 123 points. Captain Clark Gillies (85 points) also made the first All Star team. Forwards Bob Nystrom and Bob Bourne each produced 30-goal seasons, giving the team six 30-goal scorers, and the Isles took away the Patrick Division championship from the Philadelphia Flyers by posting a 48-17-15 mark for 111 points.The only thing which spoiled their season, of course, was elimination in the quarter-finals at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs.So where did they go wrong?Most observers agree that the Islanders main trouble stemmed from the fact that they tried to change their style when it came time for the playoffs. With the increased firepower provided by Bossy and the maturation of Nystrom and Bourne, the Islanders had the offense to outscore most NHL rivals. Instead they chose to play close-to-the-vest, defensive hockey, against the Leafs- and played right into their hands.Toronto went to great lengths to keep the Trottier Bossy-Gillies trio off the scoresheet by sending out their best checkers and layed on the body often enough to get the rest of the Islanders worrying about getting hit rather than press the attack. The Islanders played Toronto&rsquo;s game and most of the contests (three went into overtime) boiled down to a case of which team was able to capitalize on a break late in the game.Perhaps the biggest breakdown in the Islanders' offense came in the center spot, where after Trottier, the team looked rather ordinary. Wayne Merrick, who showed promise with California and St. Louis, was unable to regain his scoring touch after being obtained from Cleveland. Rookie Mike Kaszycki, who helped feed secondline mates Bourne and Nystrom, was, in fact, the team&rsquo;s top pivotman in the playoffs with four points. Lome Henning, the fourth center, was used sparingly and did not score in post-season play.So the Islanders, who have built their team up from the worst in the history of hockey (until the Washington Capitals) by means of the amateur draft went to another junior scoring whiz, in an effort to balance the club's offense.And they returned to the Western Canada Junior team which produced Bryan Trottier, the Lethbridge Broncos, and picked the player who had succeeded Trottier, as the team&rsquo;s captain and No. 1 center, 5&rsquo;11&rdquo;, 184-pound Steve Tambellini.All Tambellini did was score 75 goals and add 80 assists last year and the Islanders hope that they&rsquo;ll have the key man for another high scoring line.He&rsquo;ll battle with Kaszycki, Merrick, Henning and possibly John Tonelli of Houston of the World Hockey Association who was drafted two years ago. The Houston franchise folded, selling its players to the Winnipeg Jets, so Tonelli may be ready to try to crack the NHL.Up front the Islanders also have Billy Harris, a good all-around player who must avoid some of the lengthy scoring droughts which have bothered him from time to time, Jude Drouin, who also had an in-and-out season last year, battling Garry Howatt, who contributes a great deal to the team even if it&rsquo;s not registered in goals and Eddie Westfall, the 38-year-old former team captain who may or may not lace up the skates for one more year.The Islanders&rsquo; defense, often referred to by Montreal&rsquo;s Scotty Bowman and other NHL coaches as &ldquo;the best clutch and grab unit in the league&rdquo; continues to improve each year.Along with the superlative Potvin, young Swedish blueliner Stefan Persson is an accomplished player after just one NHL season. Persson, who plays the point on the Islanders&rsquo; power play, one of the best in the league, had 50 assists, the most ever by a rookie defenseman.Then there's steady Gerry Hart, a little guy with a lot of heart who loves to play the game, steady Dave Lewis, and the much-improved Pat Price, who finally played up to his potential after being the Isles&rsquo; first draft choice in 1975. Bert Marshall, the dean of the defense corps, was a spot player, and at the age of 35 may be forced off the roster by some of the Islanders' young recruits. &bull;Two players who will be attempting to break into the lineup at a defense post are the club&rsquo;s numbers two and three draft picks, Randy Johnston and Dwayne Lowdermilk.Johnston is 5&rsquo; 11&rdquo;, 192-pounds and played for Peterborough in the Ontario Hockey Association, while Lowdermilk, who is also 5' 11&rdquo;, 202-pounds, performed for Seattle in the Western Canada League and scored 86 points, including 28 goals in 71 games.Between the pipes the Islanders are first rate with Resch who had a 2.55 goals against average, and Smith who turned in a mark of 2.65, along with Goran Hogosta and Don Cutts, who each played well in the minors last season.There is no reason why the Islanders can&rsquo;t continue to improve this year and defeat Philadelphia for the Patrick title once again<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0075-01102/10138144-1-eng-US/f0075-012.jpg" title="f0075-01" width="813" height="712"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;AL ARBOUR</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0075-0260/10138137-1-eng-US/f0075-022.jpg" title="f0075-02" width="833" height="2363"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0075-0339/10138130-1-eng-US/f0075-032.jpg" title="f0075-03" width="1732" height="3139"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bryan Trottier continues to be the key to Islanders&rsquo; offense.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0076-01114/10138123-1-eng-US/f0076-012.jpg" title="f0076-01" width="1112" height="1385"><figcaption class="caption-body">Defensively the Islanders are solid with goaler Chico Resch backing up Denis Potvin.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0076-0257/10138116-1-eng-US/f0076-022.jpg" title="f0076-02" width="1196" height="1475"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Islanders&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0076-0339/10138109-1-eng-US/f0076-032.jpg" title="f0076-03" width="2347" height="1607"></div><h2>ISLANDERS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0077-01113/10138102-1-eng-US/f0077-012.jpg" title="f0077-01" width="2453" height="1278"></div>Code of abbreviations used are:GP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Islanders</h3>The New York Islanders looked to the 1977 amateur draft for a big scorer and despite having to wait until the 15th pick came out with Mike Bossy, who last year set a National Hockey League record of 53 goals by a rookie.They were looking for another scorer this year, and armed with the 15th pick once again, went back to a territory whose franchise produced their highest scoring player ever, Bryan Trottier. This year they came out with Steve Tambellini, who stepped into Trottier&rsquo;s shoes on the same junior franchise when Trottier left for the NHL.Tambellini, who is built along the same lines as Trottier at 5&rsquo;11&rdquo;, 184-pounds, centered for the Lethbridge Broncos (they were in Swift Current when Trottier played) and banged in 155 points including 75 goals. Coincidentally, 75 is the number of goals Bossy counted in his final junior year.Defensemen Randy Johnston of Peterborough in the Ontario Hockey Association and Dwayne Lowdermilk of Seattle in the Western Canada League were the second and third choices of the Islanders. The latter showed a fine flair for offense as well with 28 goals and a total of 86 points in 71 games last year.Left wingers Greg Hay of Michigan Tech and Kelly Davis of Flin Flon in the Western Canada League were drafted fourth and fifth by the club, while darkhorse Richard Pepin, a right winger from Laval (Bossy&rsquo;s former team) displayed his potential with 62 goals and 121 points in 67 games.Center David Cameron, goaler Paul Joswiak and defenseman Scott Cameron were taken from the college ranks.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0077-0344/10138095-1-eng-US/f0077-032.jpg" title="f0077-03" width="770" height="980"><figcaption class="caption-body">STEVE TAMBELLINI</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0074-01

New York Islanders:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0078-01109/10138238-1-eng-US/f0078-012.jpg" title="f0078-01" width="584" height="405"></div>&ldquo;I have done all I can to motivate this team,&rdquo; said Fred Shero and when the Philadelphia Flyers lost in five games to the Boston Bruins in the semi-finals, it was obvious that Freddie's magic just wasn't enough for the Flyers.The league had caught up with the Shero system, with the top teams combining strategies of their own with more talented and hungry player and the Flyers were once again forced to face a long-summer coming off a resounding playoff defeat.It was apparent that changes would have to be made in Philadelphia, although the resignation of Fred Shero. was certainly not at the head of the list of movements planned by the Flyers' management. But when the word leaked out in May that Shero was told that he could make a deal for himself if a job came along which he liked, most people realized that &ldquo;Freddie The Fog&rdquo; would be making his confusing statements from behind somebody else's bench.Even before he tackled the problem of getting a new coach for the Flyers, general manager Keith Allen went to work rearranging his roster for the 1978-79 season, attempting to field a club which could regain the Patrick Division title from the Islanders.When Shero Subsequently signed with the New York Rangers. Alien made sure he was compensated, getting the Rangers' first-round draft choice (seventh overall) for the rights to Shero. Then he sent center Orest Kindrachuk. left winger Ross Lonsberry and defenseman Tom Bladon to Pittsburgh for the Penguin's number one draft choice, the sixth pick overall. This gave Philadelphia three of the first 14 choices in the amateur draft.With Pittsburgh's turn, the Flyers drafted 6'2". 207-pound Behn Wilson. &lt;t defenseman from Kingston, who had 76 points in 62 games last year, immediately following that, they named Ken Linseman. a 5'9&rdquo; center who scored 38 goals for Birmingham in the World Hockey Association. With their own choice, the Flyers selected right winger Dan Lucas, a 6'1". 207-pounder who played in the shadow of super star Wayne Gretzky with Sault Ste. Marie. Lucas had 50 goals and 177 points last year and was named an Ontario Hockey Association All Star.To add further balance to their squad, the Flyers drafted Mike Simurda, a 6'2". 202-pound right winger from Kingston who can skate and check and even more importantly quickly signed these top four picks, who each have a legitimate shot at making the Flyers next year.Perhaps the Flyers' biggest coup was the selection of Linseman. who has been described as &ldquo;a Bobby Clarke-type player, with more scoring talent, although not as much leadership ability as Clarke at this stage of his career.&rdquo; Linseman. who was signed by Birmingham as an underaged player, was supposedly tied into a long-term contract, but to everyone&rsquo;s surprise, the Flyers made a deal with Birmingham to get Linseman&rsquo;s release.The two keys to Philadelphia&rsquo;s success, though, remain Bobby Clarke and Bernie Parent. Clarke has been injured the last two years and despite 89 total points, slipped to only 21 goals, his lowest total since his rookie year. What's more he was not able to go full out in many clutch situations as his forechecking game was curtailed by a late-season knee injury which followed a broken thumb.Parent, showed flashes of his brilliant form, finishing with the second best goals against average. 2.22, during the regular season and 29 victories, tied for fourth best in the league, yet he seemed to lose his touch in the playoffs against Boston, allowing 21 goals in five starts. Remember, it was Parent, who was named the most valuable player the two years the Flyers captured the Stanley Cup, and carried the Flyers to victory. Over the last two playoff years. Parent has not played nearly as well.From the forward ranks the Flyers have lost Kindrachuk Lonsberry and Gary Dornhoefer, who retired. Of the three, the loss of Kindrachuk will be felt the most, since he was able to do so many things so well. Lonsberry was made expendable by the fact that he is nearly 33 and Paul Holmgren has been handpicked to occupy Dornhoefer's spot in the opposition&rsquo;s goal crease, although he hasn't yet developed much of a scoring touch.Two of the Flyers' high-scoring forwards, Reg Leaeh and Rick MacLeish. experienced dismal years last time around as they went through a year in which their names came up often in trade discussions.Leach, who had 61 goals two years ago. continued his slump, dropping off to 24 in 1977-78, eight less than the previous year. The fact that he does his only checking at the bank, also did not endear him to Shero. MacLeish followed up a 49-48-97 campaign with 31 goals and 39 assists and was not nearly the open-ice threat he once was. Bill Barber was one of the few Philly forwards to improve over the previous year, netting 41 goals (he had 50 two years ago) after just 20 goals in 1976-77.On defense. Bob Dailey became an offensive star with 21 goals and 57 points, although he was accused at times of not playing defense. Proven rearguards Jim Watson and Andre (Moose) Dupont had efficient but rather unspectacular years. Both contributed less to the offense than in previous years. The Flyers were very satisfied with No. I draft Kevin McCarthy and pleased by the progress shown by Rick Lapointe. Wilson will try to crack that group with Joe Watson as the odd man out.Which brings us back to the Flyers&rsquo; coach. He&rsquo;s Bob McCammon. a surprise choice over assistant coaches Pal Quinn and Terry Crisp and ex-Flyer Larry Hillman. McCammon who toiled in the International League for years guided first-year Flyer farm club Maine Mariners to the American Hockey League title last season.Maine players Al Hill. Drew Callander. Blake Dunlop and Wayne Schaab will follow McCammon to Philadelphia for a chance to make the big club, but there are too many question marks in the reshuffled Philadelphia lineup.Philly for second in the Patrick Division<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0079-0196/10138231-1-eng-US/f0079-012.jpg" title="f0079-01" width="812" height="672"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;BOB McCAMMON</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0079-0249/10138224-1-eng-US/f0079-022.jpg" title="f0079-02" width="848" height="2364"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0079-0333/10138217-1-eng-US/f0079-032.jpg" title="f0079-03" width="1763" height="3244"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Flyers rise and fall with Bobby Clarke and it isn&rsquo;t likely to change.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0080-0197/10138210-1-eng-US/f0080-012.jpg" title="f0080-01" width="1128" height="1339"><figcaption class="caption-body">Goaler Bernie Parent is the key to the defense and his play wilt determine where they&rsquo;ll finish.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0080-0248/10138203-1-eng-US/f0080-022.jpg" title="f0080-02" width="1219" height="1497"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Flyers&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0080-0327/10138196-1-eng-US/f0080-032.jpg" title="f0080-03" width="2375" height="1633"></div><h2>FLYERS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0081-01105/10138189-1-eng-US/f0081-012.jpg" title="f0081-01" width="2411" height="1425"></div>Code of abbreviations used areGP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Flyers</h3>There were a few raised eyebrows during the 1978 amateur draft when the Philadelphia Flyers drafted Ken Linseman of the Birmingham Bulls with a choice obtained from the New York Rangers in exchange for the rights to coach Fred Shero, but it seems the Flyers knew what they were doing as they announced the signing of Linseman shortly after the summer meetings had ended.Linseman. 20, scored 38 goals and the same number of assists for the Bulls last year and was thought to be tied in to a long-term contract, but the flyers were able to reach a settlement with the Bulls and he was Philadelphia-bound.At 5&rsquo;9&rdquo;, 175-pounds, Linseman is an excellent forechecker and opportunistic scorer. In many ways he resembles the Flyers&rsquo; Bobby Clarke, although he is said to have a far better scoring touch.Seeking to rebuild their team with hungry young players, the Flyers also drafted several other players with the potential to make their club among their 19 picks.The first was 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 207-pound Behn Wilson, taken just before Linseman, a highly-touted defenseman from the Kingston Canadians who scored 76 points in 62 games and acquired 186 minutes in penalties.There&rsquo;s also right wingers Dan Lucas of Sault Ste. Marie and Mike Simurda of Kingston, the third and fourth Philadelphia choices in the draft. Lucas had 117 points, including 50 goals, while Simurda is more of a two-way digger, who used his 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 191-pound size to his advantage.Gord Salt, a 6&rsquo;4&rdquo;, 201-pound right winger from Michigan Tech was the first of nine college players taken by the Flyers and turned in 34 points in 36 games last year.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0081-0267/10138182-1-eng-US/f0081-022.jpg" title="f0081-02" width="772" height="1246"><figcaption class="caption-body">KEN LINSEMAN</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0078-01

Philadelphia Flyers:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0082-0194/10138325-1-eng-US/f0082-012.jpg" title="f0082-01" width="780" height="818"></div>The Rangers started the 1977-78 season desparate to make the playoffs. If they couldn't move past Atlanta in the Patrick Division, they were at least hoping that they&rsquo;d catch a playoff berth by means of the National Hockey League&rsquo;s wild card system.In 1977-78 the Rangers made the playoffs&mdash;just. They won only one of their last six games but the Pittsburgh Penguins were losing at the same time and ran out of games to catch the Rangers. But even more important, 3he Rangers took a few steps in the direction of assembling a decent team. They reduced the number of goals allowed by 30, They moved from seventh to sixth as far as the number of goals scored with 279 for the season and they discovered a nucleus of young talent beginning with Pat Hickey who became a 40-goal scorer in the NHL.The Rangers went with youth last year and the fact that general manager John Ferguson and coach Jean-Guy Talbot were released during the summer doesn't really tell the story about the progress made by the Rangers.Not only did they reach the playoffs for the first time in three years, but they removed some of the players past their primes. Rob Gilbert, Bill Goldsworthy, Ken Hodge, out of the lineup and replaced them with hustling kids.Then it came time for the Rangers to raid the free agent market ala George Steinbrenner and with Sonny Werblin calling the shots for Madison Square Garden Inc. the Rangers came up with the choicest crop possible&mdash;Swedish forwards Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson from the Winnipeg Jets.When they added general manager-coach Fred Shero and assistant coach Mike Nykoluk, both of the Philadelphia Flyers, it was the icing on the cake. Now the Rangers have ail of the ingredients for a winner&mdash;except possibly a defense.Hedberg and Nilsson bring some pretty impressive numbers with them to the Rangers, the former scoring 63 goals and 122 points, the latter leading major league hockey in assists with 89, plus 37 goals for 126 total points. And they&rsquo;ll likely be teamed' on a line (Hedberg on right wing, Nilsson at center) with Hickey, who also started off in the World Hockey Association and has scored 77 goals in three seasons with the Rangers.But last season was by far his best. Hickey led the Rangers in goal-scoring with 40 and added 33 assists to finish second on the club in points to Phil Esposito, who averaged better than a point a game with 38 goals. 43 assists.Esposito, who used to be top dog in the NHL, never mind on the Rangers, seems resolved to the fact that he&rsquo;ll be centering the number two line.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll play wherever they want me,&rdquo; said big Phil. &ldquo;Maybe we 11 have two power plays, one with my line and one with Hedberg, Nilsson and Hickey. Freddie (Shero) likes to have one-minute shifts on the power play like he used when coaching the All Stars.&rdquo;Walk Tkaczuk, rumored to have been on the tradeblock for the past few years, came through with his best two-way play since 1971-72, notching 26 goals and 40 assists and a whole string of youngsters turned in promising efforts. Steve Vickers struggled with 19 goals, but certainly has the potential.High draft picks Ron Duguay and Lucien DeBlois fit into the Rangers&rsquo; attack very well and Eddie Johnstone and Mark Heaslip played so well in New Haven, the Rangers&rsquo; American League farm, that they were brought up to the big club.In this year's draft, the Rangers nabbed another pair of top-notch forwards, Don Maloney, brother of Ranger defenseman Dave, came from Kitchener*where the 6' I&rdquo;, 191-pound left winger compiled 30-74-104 figures last year. Then there&rsquo;s 6&rsquo;3'&rsquo;, 218-pound center Ray Markham of Flin Flon. Not only did he score 100 points, including 35 goals, but Markham picked up 328 minutes in penalties, a total which must have caught Shero&rsquo;s eye.Which leads us to the Rangers&rsquo; defense, a problem spot in recent years, but even here, the outlook is brightening.Starting with the goaltenders, John Davidson managed to stay healthy for the entire year and led the team in average, 3.18 and victories, amassing a 14-13-4 rec ord. Wayne Thomas, who alternated with Davidson as the number one backstop after being acquired from Toronto, fashioned a 3.60 average with 12 wins and seven ties in 39 decisions. Hardy Aastrom and Doug Soetaert handled the remaining games last year and either one is available should the club decide to deal off one of the starters.The blueline, though, is the major area of concern and even here, the Rangers have to be pleased with the development that has taken place.Maloney appears to be the most talented member of the crew and though he missed 24 games to injury had the best plus-and-minus figures in the league, no mean feat on a team whose record was below .500 (30-37-13).Ron Greschner added sock to the lineup whether he played on defense or in the forward ranks, scoring 24 goals and a most impressive 48 assists to finish third in team scoring.Three former Boston Bruins' defensemen make up the major part of the rest of the Rangers&rsquo; defense, although Carol Vadnais, Dallas Smith and Don Awrey are each well into their 30&rsquo;s. Vadnais, of course, has played exceptionally well offensively some years, but his defensive skills are no more than average. Smith and Awrey are fair defensively, but will step aside when the younger defensemen like Dave Farrish, Mike McEwen and John Bednarski gain experience and confidence.Tim Bothwell, a 6&rsquo;3&rdquo;, 195-pound defenseman out of Brown University is also given a shot at making the team. Bothwell was rated by Ranger scouts as the best defenseman in the collegiate ranks.The further maturation of the Rangers&rsquo; youngsters, the addition of the Swedish stars, the firm handling of Fred Shero will make the Rangers a much better team. Pick them for third in the Patrick Division<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0083-0184/10138318-1-eng-US/f0083-012.jpg" title="f0083-01" width="772" height="654"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;FRED SHERO</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0083-0249/10138311-1-eng-US/f0083-022.jpg" title="f0083-02" width="820" height="2348"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0083-0337/10138304-1-eng-US/f0083-032.jpg" title="f0083-03" width="1754" height="3160"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ranger defenseman Dave Maloney could be club&rsquo;s next big super star.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0084-0187/10138297-1-eng-US/f0084-012.jpg" title="f0084-01" width="1135" height="1206"><figcaption class="caption-body">The years are catching up to Phil Esposito but he can still help the Rangers on the ice.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0084-0240/10138290-1-eng-US/f0084-022.jpg" title="f0084-02" width="1239" height="1364"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Rangers&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0084-0325/10138283-1-eng-US/f0084-032.jpg" title="f0084-03" width="2435" height="1774"></div><h2>RANGERS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0085-0183/10138276-1-eng-US/f0085-012.jpg" title="f0085-01" width="2438" height="1394"></div>Code of abbreviations used areGP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring-PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Rangers</h3>It is certain the fans of Madison Square Garden will be looking forward to the additions of Anders Hedberg, Ulf Nilsson and coach-general manager Fred Shero this year, but they should also keep their eyes upon some of the young players who may be breaking into the lineup.The Rangers continued their movement towards youngsters with good size last year by taking left winger Don Maloney (6&rsquo;1&rdquo;, 191-pounds, brother of Ranger defenseman Dave), center Ray Markham (6&rsquo;3&rdquo;, 218-pounds) and defenseman Dean Turner, 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 215-pounds.Turner, who played for Michigan the last two seasons, may have the best shot at making the starting team because of his all-around ability. Not only is he maneuverable and possesses a good shot, but he&rsquo;s also a hard-hitter and was the strongest player on his team last season.Maloney picked up 104 points and 143 minutes in penalties for Kitchener in the Ontario Hockey Association, while Markham also reached the 100-point plateau and chalked up 328 minutes in penalties for Flin Flon in the Western Canada League. All three players seem to be in the mold that Shero prefers.The Rangers also acquired another promising scorer in fourth pick Dave Silk, a right winger for national champion Boston University, who clicked for 27 goals and 31 assists in 28 games last year.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0085-0246/10138269-1-eng-US/f0085-022.jpg" title="f0085-02" width="768" height="1139"><figcaption class="caption-body">DEAN TURNER</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0082-01

New York Rangers:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0086-0191/10138412-1-eng-US/f0086-012.jpg" title="f0086-01" width="764" height="814"></div>Round and round the Atlanta Flames go. They get a little younger each year, a little better, but then comes the playoffs and their season quickly comes to a grinding halt. What gives?In '1977-78 the Flames put together a record of 34-27-19 for 87 points, the most ever in their six years of existence, but the Flames have had a winning team since 1974-75. In that year they were 34-31-15. finishing fourth in the Patrick Division. The last three years they've been third in the division with win totals of 34, 34, and 35 back in 1975-76, but they've never gone anywhere in post-season action. They&rsquo;ve played in four series (three preliminary rounds and one quarter-final) and they&rsquo;ve won a grand total of one game. And this year, they'll be hard-pressed t&copy; stay out of the cellar of the Patrick Division, although their &ldquo;Annual&rdquo; record of a little better than .500 should land them a wild card spot like last year.Some say it&rsquo;s the goaltending of Dan Bouchard, which causes the Flames to wilt in the playoffs, although statistics do not back them up. Heading into this season, Bouchard had a regular season goals against average of 2.92 and a 3.00 mark for four playoff games. In 1977-78, Bouchard recorded a 2.75 goals against average during the regular season and a 3.50 mark for the two playoff losses to Detroit. But he couldn't be held responsible. It was strictly a team thing.Or maybe it&rsquo;s their defensemen. Atlanta used to have names like Noel Price, Arnie Brown, Pat Quinn, Barry Gibbs, Randy Manery patrolling their blueline, but now it&rsquo;s Dick Redmond, Ed Kea. Dave Shand, Pat Ribble, Miles Zaharko and Richard Mulhern, a much more mobile, but inexperienced crew.Scoring? It&rsquo;s the least of the Flames&rsquo; problems. They knocked in 274 goals last year, up 10 from the year before to rank seventh in the NHL. They also managed to chop 13 goals from their goals against, so at least they're making progress.But it was slow progress and though general manager Cliff Fletcher has been reluctant to make changes, he may be forced into it by the demands of the public who want a team which is better than adequate, a team which can make a charge for a division title.And Fletcher, whether he says so or not, has to be spurred on by the overall success of the Flames&rsquo; first major deal, the trade with St. Louis which brought Bob MacMillan, Redmond and Yves Belanger for Gibbs, Curt Bennett and Phil Myre.All MacMillan did was wind up the top scorer on the Flames with 38 goals and 33 assists for 71 points. He helped to ease the scoring load from the shoulders of people such as Tom Lysiak, Eric Vail and Willi Plett of the infamous Down Connectors line which threatened to become the lowest-scoring, most publicized line in the NHL for most of the first half of last year.Redmond added his outstanding shot from the point and his experience to the defense corps, while Belanger filled in when Bouchard needed a rest, winning seven of 15 decisions, a much better record than Myre&rsquo;s 2-7 slate.Through the amateur draft, the Flames have added a couple of more young candidates for their defense. Remember Mulhern, Shand and Zaharko were all number one picks of the Flames in 1975-77 and this year, it was Brad Marsh, a 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 205-pound rearguard from London of the Ontario Hockey Association. Marsh had 55 assists this season and he&rsquo;s a hitter who also picked up 192 penalty minutes. A darkhorse candidate to make the club is a similarly endowed youngster, Gord Wappel of Regina in the Western Canada League. He&rsquo;s 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 203-pounds and was the club&rsquo;s fourth choice. They&rsquo;ll both join the battle with Greg Fox, a can&rsquo;t miss prospect who played mainly with Nova Scotia of the American League last year.Redmond and Kea. who has matured into an excellent defensive player are probably the only ones assured of a job. The others will have to decide their fate in training camp.The second pick of the Flames was goaltender Tim Bernhardt acknowledged as the best backstop in the highscoring Quebec Major Junior League where he turned in a 3.39 goals against average. Though he&rsquo;ll most likely be assigned to one of the Flames farm clubs, he could be called upon as a back-up if the Flames get busy in the trade market.The position from which the Flames deal with the most strength is 'their forward alignment. After MacMillan and Lysiak, who finished the season strongly at 27-42-69, there&rsquo;s Guy Chouinard who enjoyed his best season yet, 28 goals and 30 assists. He teamed with Bill Clement, 20-30-50, despite injuries, and Hal Phillipoff, 17-36-53, to provide Atlanta&rsquo;s steadiest line from start to finish.Other offense came from the sticks of Ken Houston, who&rsquo;s found a home at left wing after playing defense earlier, Vail and Plett, each of whom managed 22 goals, while John Gould pitched in with 19 and Bobby Lalonde, acquired from Vancouver popped in 15.Free agent Gene Carr, moved to the sunny South from Pittsburgh where he enjoyed his best season to date, scoring 50 points including 19 goals. He&rsquo;ll replace Rey Comeau who played out his option and signed with Colorado.Jim McRae, a 5&rdquo; 10&rdquo;, 165-pound left winger from London, the team&rsquo;s number three draft choice, will also be given a chance of sticking with the parent club. McRae fashioned 50-62-112 statistics in the OHA last year. Red Lawrence, the top forward drafted by Atlanta in &lsquo;77 may also be one to stick, especially if the Flames deal away a few veterans.The Flames are still several players away from challenging the Islanders and the Flyers for the Patrick division title and move most likely slipped behind the Rangers as well. But since they won't be finishing second anyway, making the playoffs as a wild card should be their main concern.They II be a wild card playoff contender once more, but may go into the playoffs with a much more experienced club if their team doesn't improve over the course of the 1978-79 season. The Flames have been commendable in not giving up potential lot instant success, but may have reached the fine line where trades are necessary for the advancement of their team<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0087-0179/10138405-1-eng-US/f0087-012.jpg" title="f0087-01" width="563" height="673"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;FRED CREIGHTON</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0087-0239/10138398-1-eng-US/f0087-022.jpg" title="f0087-02" width="832" height="2380"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0087-0330/10138391-1-eng-US/f0087-032.jpg" title="f0087-03" width="1729" height="3194"><figcaption class="caption-body">The Flames depend largely on goaler Dan Bouchard for tight defense.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0088-0196/10138384-1-eng-US/f0088-012.jpg" title="f0088-01" width="1113" height="1331"><figcaption class="caption-body">Team captain Tom Lysiak will again have to help carry the offensive load for the Flames.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0088-0239/10138377-1-eng-US/f0088-022.jpg" title="f0088-02" width="1208" height="1522"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Flames&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0088-0323/10138370-1-eng-US/f0088-032.jpg" title="f0088-03" width="2365" height="1626"></div><h2>FLAMES&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-0185/10138363-1-eng-US/f0089-012.jpg" title="f0089-01" width="2443" height="1300"></div>Code of abbreviations used are:GP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Flames</h3>The Atlanta Flames stuck to their usual amateur draft policy by naming a defenseman, Brad Marsh, as their first selection in the draft and he&rsquo;ll have an outstanding chance of making the team&rsquo;s defense crew which includes 1975 No.1 pick Richard Mulhern, top 1976 choice Dave Shand and 1977&rsquo;s Miles Zaharko, the Flames&rsquo; first player last year.Marsh, 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 205-pounds from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey Association was the first of 11 players taken by the Flames and his junior team&rsquo;s penalty minute leader with 192 minutes.He is one of two defensemen chosen by Atlanta, the other being 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 203-pound Gord Wappel of the Regina Pats of the Western Canada League, who was tabbed fourth. Wappel also likes to lay on the body, picking up 177 minutes in penalties last year, which should be good news to the Flames, who despite having one of the biggest teams in the league, didn&rsquo;t get that much physical play from their rear-guards.Goaltender Tim Bernhardt, the leading netminder in the Quebec Junior League, was the Flames&rsquo; second choice after playing for the Cornwall Royals with a nifty 3.39 goals against average. He&rsquo;ll have an outside chance at making the club, along with three forwards, two of them from the college ranks.Third choice Jim McRae scored 50 goals as a teammate of Marsh with London, while No. 5 pick Greg Meredith played right wing for Notre Dame and Dave Hindmarch played the same position for Canadian College champion Alberta Golden Bears.The Flames also drafted one European player, goaltender Bernhart Engelbrecht, from West Germany. He was the 196th player taken in the draft.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0089-0247/10138356-1-eng-US/f0089-022.jpg" title="f0089-02" width="779" height="1020"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRAD MARSH</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0086-01

Atlanta Flames:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0090-0190/10138499-1-eng-US/f0090-012.jpg" title="f0090-01" width="784" height="827"></div>Nearly lost amid the hubbub surrounding the revival of hockey in Detroit, was the return to life of a corpse called the Chicago Black Hawks.Despite the fact that they bowed out of the playoffs rather ingloriously, losing four straight to Boston in the quarter-finals, praise should be directed towards Bob Pulford, the Chicago general manager-coach, who turned the Hawks around, following their worst season in 20 years.From 26-43-11 and a third place finish in the non-competitive Smythe Division in 1976-77, Pulford pushed the Hawks over the .500 mark with a slate of 32-29-12 and back on the road to respectability.Pulford got the Hawks to cut their goals against total from 298 to 220, a better than 25 percent reduction, while at the same time the offense actually increased by 10 goals despite some rather low-scoring years from veterans like Stan Mikita (18 goals) and Cliff Koroll (16 goals).What's more Pulford blended rookies and newcomers into the lineup and the whole team came into the rink with a renewed confidence, a feeling which spread as the season wore on.Of course, the man who makes the Hawks go on the ice is Tony Esposito, the lefthander with the butterfly style of net-minding. He's now 35, but &lsquo;Tony O' didn't let age bother him last year playing in 64 games. He turned in a 2.63 goals against average, five shutouts, and 28 of the Hawks&rsquo; 32 victories.Mike Veisor. who missed half of the year with a blood disorder and the veteran Eddie Johnston gave Esposito an occasional breather, although Pulford admitted that Veisor would have seen more action if he had remained healthy. Now he's apparently recovered and along with Murray Bannerman, whom the Hawks obtained from Vancouver in the Pit Martin trade, will come under the watchful eye of Johnston with his numerous years of experience.Naturally, there's another player in the Windy City who can make the Hawks or any other team go and that&rsquo;s Bobby Orr. He stayed away from the NHL wars for all of last season and chances are about 75-25 that he'll return for another try at playing defense if there are no further signs of the collapse of his celebrated left knee.Orr skated with the team for a couple of months at the end of last year in his role as assistant coach and is willing to make one more attempt to play, albeit in a much more limited degree in terms of the amount of ice time he can withstand.His passing ability and knowledge of the game would add greatly to a defense which fared much better last year with less emphasis placed on individual offensive contributions. The defensemen were told to concentrate on stopping the opposition and forget about trying to make the perfect play on offense. Just move the puck up to the forwards and not get caught out of position.With a definite system to play, Phil Russell was able to make advancements in his all-around play, instead of running around trying to get into every play. Much the same can be said about captain Keith Magnuson, the club leader by example.Hawks' number one pick defenseman Doug Wilson also showed maturity far beyond his years. The younger brother of Montreal&rsquo;s Murray Wilson showed a booming shot from the point and knocked in 14 goals to go with 20 assists. But his ability to play the man and stick to positional hockey became an even more important factor in the Pulford setup.On the forward lines, center Ivan Boldirev, who tied for the team lead in goals the previous year, had his best season ever with 35 goals, 45 assists for 80 points. Rookie Ted Bulley was also a pleasant surprise contributing 23 goals and 28 assists, but the rest of the Hawks&rsquo; forwards did not enjoy an exceptional year in the goalscoring department.As mentioned. Mikita and Koroll did not produce up to expectations, and-players such as John Marks, Grant Mulvey, Alain Daigle, Darcy Rota, J. Bob Kelly, J.P. Bordeleau and Jim Harrison, who broke a hand, were inconsistent threats to score.That&rsquo;s why the Hawks were no match for the Bruins in the playoffs and why the management paid particular attention to forwards in the amateur draft.Their first three choices were all forwards, one from each forward position. Number one was Tim Higgins, a former teammate of Doug Wilson's with the Ottawa 67s. Higgins, 6&rsquo;, 181-pounds, is a right winger who scored 41 goals and added 60 assists this year.Next in line was Doug Lecuyer, a 5&rsquo;9&rdquo;, 180-pound scrapper from the Portland Winter Hawks. He knocked in 43 goals and 46 assists, but Chicago got him for his work in the corners (he&rsquo;s a left winger) highlighted by his 342 minutes in penalties.Smooth-skating centerman Rick Paterson of the Cornwall Royals of the Quebec Major League was the Hawks&rsquo; third pick. He turned in 58-80-138 goals-assists-points statistics and he&rsquo;ll join the other draftees plus Jean Savard, a &lsquo;77 draft who started out last season with the Black Hawks and finished up impressively with their Dallas farm team, in a fight for starting positions.You can bet that the Chicago organization also has their eye on Real (Buddy) Cloutier, the Quebec Nordiques&rsquo; star whose National Hockey League rights belong to the Black Hawks. He&rsquo;s another future prospect who could enable the Hawks to become the all-around team capable of challenging in the playoffs.There are a number of pieces of the puzzle which must fit together for the Black Hawks to move towards the upper third of the league. They&rsquo;ve been mired in mediocrity since their four consecutive first-place finishes to open the 70&rsquo;s, but they seemed to have regained the impetus towards improvement under the influence of Pulford.They'll easily take the Smythe title, but just how much of a playoff factor they&rsquo;ll be, remains to be seen<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-0173/10138492-1-eng-US/f0091-012.jpg" title="f0091-01" width="782" height="676"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;BOB PULFORD</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-0238/10138485-1-eng-US/f0091-022.jpg" title="f0091-02" width="799" height="2351"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0091-0329/10138478-1-eng-US/f0091-032.jpg" title="f0091-03" width="1744" height="3201"><figcaption class="caption-body">Goaler Tony Esposito is still the workhorse of Hawks at age 35.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0092-0192/10138471-1-eng-US/f0092-012.jpg" title="f0092-01" width="1146" height="1333"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ivan Boldirev came up with a surprise performance to lead the Hawks last year in total offense.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0092-0243/10138464-1-eng-US/f0092-022.jpg" title="f0092-02" width="1206" height="1455"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Black Hawks&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0092-0325/10138457-1-eng-US/f0092-032.jpg" title="f0092-03" width="2371" height="1627"></div><h2>BLACK HAWKS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-0179/10138450-1-eng-US/f0093-012.jpg" title="f0093-01" width="2463" height="1301"></div>Code of abbreviations used areGP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Black Hawks</h3>Seeking more punch from their forwards, the Chicago Black Hawks made their first three selections in the 1978 amateur draft a right winger, a left winger and a center. If all three make the team, the Hawks could begin to have some explosive scorers in their lineup.They are particularly pleased with the acquisition of Tim Higgins, their No. 1 choice from the Ottawa 67s. Higgins received a vote of confidence from Chicago&rsquo;s 1977 No. 1 choice Doug Wilson who just happened to have been his teammate the year before. Wilson tabbed Higgins as possibly the best pro prospect in the entire draft.Last year with Ottawa, Higgins scored 101 points in 50 games, despite missing several contests with a severe Charley horse. He&rsquo;s 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;, 185-pounds and still filling out. And the word is that he doesn&rsquo;t back down from heavy action in front of the net.Doug Lecuyer, a stocky 5&rsquo;9&rdquo;, 180-pounder from Portland is a digger who is fearless in the corners, the type of player the Black Hawks desperately need. In 65 games, the right winger produced 43 goals, 46 assists and 342 penalty minutes.Completing the trio is centerman Rick Paterson of Cornwall in the Quebec League. The slight pivot banged in 58 goals and 138 points last year and is the natural scorer the Hawks have been seeking.Although Chicago reduced its goals against by 78 last year, they still went for defensemen in the middle stages of the draft, taking five blueliners on choices four through 10. Three of them were college players, Dave Feamster and Glenn Van of Colorado College, and Sandy Ross of Colgate, while fourth pick Brian Young played for New Westminster and Dave Mancusso was with Windsor.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0093-0323/10138443-1-eng-US/f0093-032.jpg" title="f0093-03" width="758" height="1039"><figcaption class="caption-body">TIM HIGGINS</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0090-01

Chicago Black Hawks:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0094-0184/10138593-1-eng-US/f0094-012.jpg" title="f0094-01" width="675" height="468"></div>When you finish in third place and out of the playoffs in the Smythe Division you keep your eyes and ears open for good deals to help improve your hockey club.Even before Vancouver Canucks' general manager Jake Milford had hired coach Harry Neale from the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association, he was busily assembling a cast which would have a good chance of finishing the season with a better record than the 20-47-13 turned in by Vancouver in 1977-78.Milford picked up the candidates for the 1978-79 Canucks from all over the place. From the WHA. from a rival NHL. team, from Europe and from the amateur draft, and suddenly the Canucks don't look like a team which finished 12th in goals scored with 239 and 13th in goals allowed (only five less than the two1 bottom clubs) with 320.Replacing the retired Cesare Maniago will be Gary Bromley, goaltender for the Avco Cup winning Winnipeg Jets of the WHA. Bromley started his pro career in the Buffalo organization before going to the Jets where he had a 3.30 goals against average in 39 regular season games and a 1.57 average in the playoffs during the 1977-78 campaign. He'll join holdover Curt Ridley, who split last year's duties with Maniago and had a 4.06 goals against average, and Central Hockey League rookie of the year Glen Hanlon who was impressive when called up to the Canucks late in the year.Vancouver's defense crew hist year was belittled and be labored with only two members. Dennis Kearns and Harold Snepsts. appearing in more than 70 games, but Milford has three new players who will be contending for spots on the club.Swedish national team players Lars Lindgren and Lars Zetterstfom were the result of a search by Milford during the World Championships in Prague. Lindgren handled himself quite well, apparently. against some of the rougher North American players and Zetterstrom. though not as physical a player as Lindgren, is a good stickhandler and passer.The third new face belongs to Randy Holt, who was obtained from Cleveland in the dispersal draft when the Barons merged with Minnesota. Holt's a tough guy who will give the overworked Jack Mcllhargey (172 penalty minutes) some relief in the muscle department.Other than Dennis Kearns, who excelled with four goals and 43 assists last year and Harold Snepsts. a bruising and improving rearguard who was second to Mcllhargey in penalty minutes with 118. the Canucks were hard-pressed to field a consistent defensive unit.Larry Goodenough, Sheldon Kannegiesser, John Grisdale and Bob Manno appeared in only about half of the Canucks&rsquo; &lt; games last year. Grisdale, in fact, had one of the better plus-1 minus records on the club until bothered by back problems and &lsquo;hopes to be able to report in shape for training camp.The forward lines were also a problem area for a club which won just one quarter of its games last year. Mike Walton. Canucks' leading scorer with 29 goals, 37 assists was traded to St. Louis, but only after Vancouver was quite certain that their number one pick would still be available in the amateur draft.Then the Canucks convinced Swedish agent Bjorn Wagnsson to deliver the contract of Roland Eriksson, the sophomore centerman who led the Minnesota North Stars in scoring with 21-39-60 figures. Right away the Canucks gained nine years in the realignment of leading scorers, Eriksson just 24 compared to Walton at 33. They also signed center Thomas Gradin, another member of the Swedish nationals and a much sought after player who is tabbed as a future star.Suddenly centers like Chris Oddleifson and Pit Martin. 17 and 16-goal scorers last year, have themselves some pretty fair competition. And who was the number one choice of the Canucks in the amateur draft but Brandon's Bill Derlago who scored 89 goals in just 52 games in the Western Canada League. Naturally, he too. is a centerman.Meanwhile several other Canuck forwards are coming off fair to middlin' seasons. Young Rick Blight. 23. was the best with 25 goals for the third straight year and a total of 63 points to claim the runnerup spot to Walton in team scoring after winning the title a year ago.Hilliard Graves, in his first full season with the Canucks, finished well with 21 goals 26 assists, while top '77 rookie Jere Gillis started well then tapered badly to wind up with 23 goals but only 18 assists.Two of the bigger disappointments were Don Lever, who finally missed a game (actually four in all) after five complete seasons without an absense, and Dennis Ververgaert, who was often rumored to be on the verge of a trade to another club.Lever slipped to his lowest goal total since his rookie year with only 17 to go along with 32 assists, while only a late burst allowed Ververgaert to reach 21 goals after 27 and 37 the two previous years.In drafting amateurs, the Canucks stuck close to home in choosing two more forwards from the Western-Canada League. Left winger Curt Fraser of Victoria, a 6&rsquo;. 190-pounder had 48 goals. 44 assists last year, while Stan Smyl, a 5'8&rdquo;, 200-pound scrapper contributed 29 goals, 47 assists for the New Westminster Bruins. Right winger Smyl also picked up 211 minutes in penalties along the way.The 53 points earned by Vancouver during the 1977-78 season, represented the team&rsquo;s worst effort since 1972-73, their third year in the NHL. It also marked the second year in a row that the Canucks didn&rsquo;t reach the playoffs. Prior to that, Vancouver had two years of finishing above .500 before losing their sense of direction somewhere along the way.With the talented nucleus now assembled in Vancouver, there&rsquo;s no reason to believe that coach Neale can&rsquo;t get his team onto the right track and make the playoffs via a second place divisional finish<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-0179/10138586-1-eng-US/f0095-012.jpg" title="f0095-01" width="763" height="679"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;HARRY NEALE</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-0235/10138579-1-eng-US/f0095-022.jpg" title="f0095-02" width="808" height="2339"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-0329/10138572-1-eng-US/f0095-032.jpg" title="f0095-03" width="1688" height="1315"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0095-0411/10138565-1-eng-US/f0095-042.jpg" title="f0095-04" width="1661" height="1769"><figcaption class="caption-body">Rick Blight, above left, kept the Canucks&rsquo; hopping last season but the club needs a return to form from team captain Don Lever, below.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0096-0196/10138558-1-eng-US/f0096-012.jpg" title="f0096-01" width="1157" height="1217"><figcaption class="caption-body">Hilliard Graves paid off on his trade from Atlanta last year with 21 goals for the Canucks.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0096-0243/10138551-1-eng-US/f0096-022.jpg" title="f0096-02" width="1266" height="1399"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Canucks&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0096-0328/10138544-1-eng-US/f0096-032.jpg" title="f0096-03" width="2496" height="1792"></div><h2>CANUCKS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0097-0192/10138537-1-eng-US/f0097-012.jpg" title="f0097-01" width="2458" height="1348"></div>Code of abbreviations used areGP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Canucks</h3>Vancouver Canucks will have one of the most improved teams in the National Hockey League and much of the progress should stem from the play of their rookie-studded lineup. Whether the players are from the Canucks&rsquo; backyard, the Western Canada League, or from Sweden, they should produce more effectively than the 1977-78 Canucks.Major junior hockey&rsquo;s highest goalscorer, Bill Derlago, a center from Brandon of the WCHL, will be the main attraction as he brings his scoring touch to the team. Derlago, a solid 5&rsquo;10&rdquo;, 194-pounds, scored an incredible 89 goals despite playing in only 52 games when he was shelved by a broken leg in mid-season. He also added 63 assists for good measure.Completing a Western Canada line are the second and third choices, left winger Curt Fraser of Victoria and right winger Stan Smyl of New Westminster. Fraser, 6&rsquo;, 190-pounds, had 48 goals, 92 points and 252 penalty minutes. Smyl, a rugged man in the corner, is only 5&rsquo;8&rdquo;, but weights 200-pounds and collected 76 points and 211 penalty minutes.Other WCHL players selected by the Canucks included center Gerald Minor of Regina, left winger Dave Ross of Portland and Ric Martens, a goaltender from New Westminster who was Vancouver&rsquo;s tenth and final selection.Harald Luchner, a junior center was drafted from Sweden while two other Swedes, defensemen Lars Lindgren and Lars Zetterstrom, have already signed contracts.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0097-0256/10138530-1-eng-US/f0097-022.jpg" title="f0097-02" width="777" height="1046"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILL DERLAGO</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0094-01

Vancouver Canucks:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0098-01109/10138666-1-eng-US/f0098-012.jpg" title="f0098-01" width="794" height="822"></div>The Colorado Rockies lost exactly half of their 80 games in 1977-78 and they dirt even win a quarter of their matches, gaining two points in the standings on only 19 occasions. Yet because of a second-place finish in the Smythe Division they qualified for the playoffs and did rather well testing Philadelphia in two extremely close contests before being eliminated.This year the Rockies will probably win more games. They'll probably have a better team. But they most likely won't make the playoffs because of the noted improvement of the Vancouver Canucks. Still they'll be trying&mdash;somewhere.And most people figure it will be in the land of the eternal &ldquo;high". Denver, where the Rockies attracted more than 150.000 people to their last 15 playing dates. The major drawback was the lease the Rockies had with the city for McNichols Arena. The basic tenants of the lease were suitable to both parties but the Rockies were concerned that they were being restricted in other areas such as concessions and advertising and that they were paying too high a price for the money they were receiving in return. (Owner Jack Vickers was to submit a proposal to the National Hockey League board of governors in late July to sell the Rockies to Arthur Imperatore. a New Jersey Trucking magnate. but it was doubtful that the league would allow the transaction since Imperatore wants to shift the franchise to the Meadowlands Complex, scheduled for completion for the 1981 season, while the NHL is in favor of retaining a club in the Denver area.It was expected that whoever wound up with control of the team would be able to arrange some kind of compromise on the lease situation with the city of Denver and that the franchise could continue to blossom in the Midwest.Last season the Rockies made great strides on offense while not sacrificing the team's defense. They added 3 I goals to their attack, bringing their offense up to 257 goals, ninth in the league, and allowed 305 goals, two less than the previous year. And all this without Paul Gardner, who had 30 goals by midseason and then missed the last 34 games with a back injury and 10 fewer goals from leading scorer. Wilf Paiement.What the Rockies did to pick up the slack was to squeeze 60 goals out of their defense crew, the most by any rearguard corps in the league.The big man. in every way since he's 6'3". 216-pounds. was 1977 No. I draft choice Barry Beck. &ldquo;Bubba&rdquo; Beck set two NHL records by scoring 22 goals, the most everfor a freshman defenseman and by earning 60 points, also a record for rookie defenders, a mark he shared with Detroit's Reed Larson.What's more he played a heady brand of game at the Rockies' blueline and crunched anyone who dared get close to him. After a rather one-sided early season fight with Philadelphia's Paul Holmgren, the rest of the league forgot about testing Beck&rsquo;s muscle.With Beck playing like a poised veteran, John Van Boxmeer. the superbly talented defenseman. was relieved of much of the offensive pressure which had been placed upon his shoulders after coming to a struggling Colorado team from the Montreal Canadiens.Van Boxmeer suddenly caught fire after the All Star break and finished with 12 goals and an impressive 42 assists to rank third on the club in scoring. Another defenseman Dennis Owchar. came from Pittsburgh and also contributed to the attack with 10 goals and 31 assists for the 1977-78 campaign. Mike Kitchen. Mark Suzor. and Mike Christie, all youngsters on the way up. rounded out the Rockies' defense, and promise great things for the future.Paiement. despite slipping from 41 to 31 goals, produced his best season to date by chalking up 56 assists to finish tied for 10th in the league, while Gardner had a great start before his injury and now has 60 goals in less than 120 NHL games. His return to the lineup will be a great boost for the Rockies.Other forwards who had a great deal to do with the success of Colorado were hard-working Gary Croteau who turned in a 17-22-39 season and Andy Spruce who reached 40 points including 19 goals.Doug Favell was the mainstay of the Colorado netminding faction, appearing in 47 games with a 3.58 goals against average. Michel Plasse. injured part of last year, played in 25 games with a 3.90 average and Bill McKenzie was the third most frequent performer with a 3.86 average in 12 games.Seeking more balance from their forwards, the Rockies sought to strengthen themselves up front in the amateur draft. Their first pick. Mike Gillis, from Kingston, is a left winger who combines ability and toughness. He played in 46 games, scoring 21 goals. 46 assists for 67 points and is said to be an all-around player who can skate, check, play the body, and a player with a perfect attitude for a professional.Merlin Malinowski, from Medicine Hat. was the club&rsquo;s second choice and gives them a play making center with good size (6&lsquo;. 190). Malinowski popped in 48 goals and added 78 assists in the Western Canada League.College centerman Paul Messier, from Denver University is another Rockie to watch. He had 17-23-40 figures last year in only 31 games.Can lighting strike twice in Colorado? Will the enthusiasm generated by a chance at port-season play be enough to carry the Rockies through the 80-game schedule? The Washington Capitals seemed on their way two years ago. but everything went bad for them last season as they seemed to regress. People have likened the Rockies to the early New York Islanders who built their club around an outstanding young defenseman, Denis Potvin.Overall the Rockies have strengthened their forward ranks and should see some improvement on defense as their young players gain experience. But they'll have to win between six and 10 more games if they expect to jeep pace with the Canucks. Mark them down for third in the Smythe<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0100-0182/10138659-1-eng-US/f0100-012.jpg" title="f0100-01" width="746" height="644"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;PAT KELLY</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0100-0238/10138652-1-eng-US/f0100-022.jpg" title="f0100-02" width="802" height="2356"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0100-0322/10138645-1-eng-US/f0100-032.jpg" title="f0100-03" width="1698" height="3189"><figcaption class="caption-body">Barry Beck had fantastic rookie year to lift Rockies into playoffs.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0101-0175/10138638-1-eng-US/f0101-012.jpg" title="f0101-01" width="1162" height="1293"><figcaption class="caption-body">Wilf Paiement slipped from 41 to 31 goals but he blossomed out as a top playmaker for the Rockies.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0101-0243/10138631-1-eng-US/f0101-022.jpg" title="f0101-02" width="1254" height="1506"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Rockies&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0101-0327/10138624-1-eng-US/f0101-032.jpg" title="f0101-03" width="2439" height="1536"></div> &#9632;

f0098-01

Colorado Rockies:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0102-0178/10138767-1-eng-US/f0102-012.jpg" title="f0102-01" width="793" height="831"></div>The tune they&rsquo;ll be singing in St. Louis may not be sweet, but anything's better than what they were doing a year ago.Coming off a summer of financial uncertainty, and with their first-round draft choice Scott Campbell opting for the World Hockey Association, the Blues experienced their worst start in their I l-year history and sunk to the bottom of the lowly Smythe Division.When the organization realized that Ralston Purina Corporation which fought the club just prior to the start of the 1977-78 campaign, were doing an able job in the bookkeeping department. they should have been able to salvage something out of their season but through players losses and injuries the club was just never able to get back on the track and finished a dismal fourth in their division.Following a first-place finish in 1976-77 with a 32-39-9 record the older Blues seemed to age and the younger Blues tried to catch up to rookie mistakes they may have missed the first time around.Problems? Just pick a spot and the Blues will come up with something wrong for you. Their offense, and we use the term lightly, was tied with Washington for worst in the league, producing a paltry 195 goals as compared with 239 the year before.Defensively things got worse as well.. Where they allowed 276 in 1976-77. last year. 304 goals got past St. Louis netminders. The result&mdash;a 20-47-13 record, worst in the club's history.Chuck Lefley. a 43-goal scorer in 1975-76 had an off year the year before last, scoring only 13 times. Last fall he was just off&mdash;off to Finland to play hockey for enjoyment rather than six-figure contracts.The Blues knew, of course, that their defense would have to till a big hole in the person of Bob Gassoff. who was killed in the summer of 1977 in a motorcycle accident. But promising young defensemen like Bruce Affleck and Bob Hess were expected to improve, not regress as they apparently did a year ago.The Blues attempted a major shake-up when they dispatched goaler Yves Belanger, defenseman Dick Redmond and forward Bob MacMillan, the club's leading score at the time, to Atlanta in return for goaler Phil Myre. defenseman Barry Gibbs and center Curt Bennett. It was a good trade for both teams, but probably a better one for the Flames.MacMillan switched from St. Louis' leading scorer to Atlanta's leading scorer with his best season ever. Bennett failed to get untracked in St. Louis, finishing with just 10 goals for the year. Redmond took his considerable offensive talents to Atlanta and played well. Gibbs, too. was consistent for the Blues with seven goals 17 assists for the season and a good job defensively.In goal. Belanger fit in well as a backup in Atlanta, while Myre found out what it's like to be a number one goalie. He started nearly every game the rest of the season, playing in 44 games in a St. Louis uniform. His goals against average (3.64) wasn't bad. but not as good as it usually had been in Atlanta. His record was an uninspiring 11-25-8.Barclay Plager who took over the coaching reigns from Leo Boivin on Feb. 16. 1978. guided his club's season to a merciful end with a deft touch which produced close to .500 hockey. And it's from here, with some additional talent that Plager must build for the 1978-79 season.Thirty-three-year-old veteran Mike Walton, a proven Scorer who potted 29 goals last year for Vancouver was obtained for a draft choice and will considerably brighten the forward-scene which looked pretty dismal at times last year.Iron-man Garry Unger, he of the 813 consecutive games played streak, turned in his seventh straight 30-goal plus season with 32-20-52 figures, but he can't do it alone. Inge Hammarstrom was the only other Blue to reach 20 goals, while Larry Patey and Bernie Federko who each scored 17 times were considered "big scorers on the club.Red Berenson has retired and will now assist Plager. while old pros Jimmy Roberts. Claude Larose. Rod Seiling and Bill Fairbairn don't have many years left in the old legs.Steve Durbano is back from terrorizing the WHA and will add muscle to the defense which features the up and coming Jack Brownschidle. Len Frig. Neil Komadoski and Gary Holt.Little Doug Palazzari. who won the triple crown for Salt Lake with 45 goals. 56 assists and 101 points (he led the central league in each category) has signed a new contract and will be offered a chance at sticking with St. Louis.Wayne Babych. a 5&lsquo;11 '. 191-pound right winger who scored 50 goals. 71 assists for Portland in the Western Canada League, is another good bet to crack the starting lineup. He was the third player selected overall in the June draft.There's also Jim Nill. a right winger from Medicine Hat (47-46-93). center Steve Stockman from Cornwall and Boston University standout Tony Meagher, another right winger. Defensemen Steve Harrison of Toronto Marlboros and Kevin Willson of Billings will also try to catch on.In the goaltending department look for a battle between Ed Staniowski and Doug Grant for the backup spot behind Myre.It's practically assured that the Blues will be better than last year, but they're still too thin in too many areas. Much better seasons are needed from young forwards like Rick Bourbonnais. Brian Sutter. John Smrke and Brian Ogilvie if the Blues are even to challenge Colorado for third.They won&rsquo;t have Minnesota to finish ahead of in &lsquo;79 so most likely they&rsquo;ll be last be last in the Smythe<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0103-0171/10138760-1-eng-US/f0103-012.jpg" title="f0103-01" width="742" height="649"><figcaption class="caption-body">Coach:&nbsp;BARCLAY PLAGER</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0103-0233/10138753-1-eng-US/f0103-022.jpg" title="f0103-02" width="819" height="2355"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0103-0326/10138746-1-eng-US/f0103-032.jpg" title="f0103-03" width="1666" height="3116"><figcaption class="caption-body">Garry Unger continues to show the way but he can&rsquo;t do it alone.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0104-0182/10138739-1-eng-US/f0104-012.jpg" title="f0104-01" width="1126" height="1222"><figcaption class="caption-body">Bruce Affleck showed improvement last season and he could be asset to Blues this year.</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0104-0244/10138732-1-eng-US/f0104-022.jpg" title="f0104-02" width="1189" height="1365"></div><h2>Who&rsquo;s Who On Blues&rsquo; Roster&hellip;</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0104-0327/10138725-1-eng-US/f0104-032.jpg" title="f0104-03" width="2356" height="1778"></div><h2>BLUES&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0105-0173/10138718-1-eng-US/f0105-012.jpg" title="f0105-01" width="2366" height="1299"></div>Code of abbreviations used areGP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Blues</h3>Whether there is strength or safety or whatever in numbers, the St. Louis Blues certainly adopted that strategy in the amateur draft, naming 31 players, the most ever taken by one team.But realistically only about a half dozen of those players will have any hope of catching on this season in the National Hockey League with most of the players ticketed for the minors or returning to their college teams for another year.The best chance, of course, belongs to right winger Wayne Babych, who turned in 50 goals and 71 assists for Portland in the Western Canada League. Babych, 5&rsquo;11&rdquo;, 191-pounds, was the third player selected in the draft.Defensemen Steve Harrison of Toronto in the Ontario Hockey Association and Kevin Willson of Billings in the Western Canada loop, were the second and third choices of the Blues and should challenge the Blues&rsquo; blueline incumbents. They scored 58 and 62 points, respectively, for their junior clubs.Another right winger, Jim Nill from Western Canada&rsquo;s Medicine Hat club, may also impress the Blues&rsquo; brass after scoring 47 goals last year.Tony Meagher, right winger for National Collegiate Athletic Association champs Boston University is a darkhorse candidate for the big club with 17-21-38 statistics in 32 games last year. He was the first of 13 college players taken by the Blues.St. Louis left no stone unturned in seeking additional help drafting players from Sweden, Finland, West Germany and the Soviet Union. They also looked close to home, selecting goaltender Carl Bloomberg and left winger Terry Kitching from St. Louis University as their 22nd and 23rd picks.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0105-0330/10138711-1-eng-US/f0105-032.jpg" title="f0105-03" width="742" height="998"><figcaption class="caption-body">WAYNE BABYCH</figcaption></div><h2>ROCKIES&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0106-0177/10138704-1-eng-US/f0106-012.jpg" title="f0106-01" width="2357" height="1298"></div>Code of abbreviations used are:GP&mdash;Games PlayedG&mdash;GoalsA&mdash;AssistsSHOOTINGPTS&mdash;PointsS&mdash;ShotsSC. PCT&mdash;Scoring PercentageGP&mdash;Games PlayedTGF&mdash;Total Goals ForPGF&mdash;Power Play Goals ForOFF&mdash;Offensive PercentagePLUS-MINUSTGA&mdash;Total Goals AgainstPGA&mdash;Power Play Goals AgainstDEF PCT&mdash;Defensive PercentagePCT DIFF&mdash;Percentage Differential<h2>MEET THE ROOKIES</h2><h3>&hellip; On The Rockies</h3>Now that the Colorado Rockies have their defensemen scoring, they&rsquo;d like to see a few more goals from their forwards, not including Wilf Paiement and Paul Gardner, of course.So the Rockies went prospecting for forwards who can skate, shoot and score and appear satisfied with their findings which include top draft choices Mike Gillis and Merlin Malinowski.Gillis is an all-around player who combines talent with alert play and unrivaled determination. He collected 67 points in only 43 games for Kingston in the Ontario Hockey Association, and the reason he only played in 43 games was that he was injured making an overly enthusiastic check.For overall skills, combined with aggressiveness and the ability to lead, Gillis was one of the most highly rated junior prospects this year.Malinowski, a 6&rsquo;, 189-pound center was a master craftsman for Medicine Hat in the Western Canada League, scoring 48 goals and adding 78 assists.An excellent playmaker, he is extraordinarily dexterous at stickhandling and is the type of slick centerman the Rockies are looking for to hit some of their high-scoring wingers with passes.Overall, Colorado selected 14 players in the draft, including goaler Tim Thomiinson of Billings, their fifth choice and three European players, Bo Ericsson and Ulf Zetterstrom of Sweden and Jari Viitala of Finland.The Rockies went for five college players in the draft, including Paul Messier, a center from Denver University who was their third pick. Messier had 40 points in 31 games last year. Other collegians were Harvard goalie John Hynes, defenseman Danny Clark of Lake Superior, teammate Jeff Jensen, a left winger, and right wing-center John Olver of Michigan.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0106-0328/10138697-1-eng-US/f0106-032.jpg" title="f0106-03" width="704" height="1182"><figcaption class="caption-body">MIKE GILLIS</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0102-01

St. Louis Blues:

Jilted at the altar for the second consecutive year by the National Hockey League, the World Hockey Association finds itself with seven teams, down from the dozen of two years ago, but according to league president Howard Baldwin, the remaining teams find themselves in their healthiest state ever.Attendance rose last year by nearly 500 a game and four of the franchises, Edmonton, Winnipeg, New England and Quebec, had financial reports in the black. Edmonton. in fact, led the league in attendance averaging more than 10,000 per game.In late June, a proposal was submitted to the NHL calling for the transfer of three WHA teams, Edmonton, New England and Quebec to the NHL beginning with the 1978-79 season. Winnipeg was to join a year or two later after completing arena expansion.However, after two days of deliberating in Detroit, the NHL decided to continue with their 17-team setup and for the second year in a row WHA hopes were dashed.The Houston Aeros, who had announced their intentions of withdrawing from the WHA, were also unsuccessful in gaining entrance to the NHL and later sold the contracts of 13 of its players and the franchise to the Winnipeg Jets. The remaining Houston players became free agents, and one of them Poul Popiel, accepted a coaching job in Europe.Forced to compete against the NHL instead of joining forces in a harmonious union, some of the WHA owners stepped up their signings of junior players, including some who were not yet eligible for the NHL draft.Even while the NHL&rsquo;s summer meetings were going on in early June, the Indianapolis Racers, last in the league in 1977-78, pulled a major surprise by announcing that 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky, who had played one year of junior hockey for Sault Ste. Marie in the Ontario Hockey Association, had signed a seven-year personal services contract with Nelson Skalbania, owner of the Racers.The deal called for more than $1.6 million for Gretzky who finished second in OHA scoring to Bob Smith of Ottawa, who was the number one choice in the NHL amateur draft.Birmingham Bulls&rsquo; owner John Bassett took things a step or two further, signing six under-age juniors, Rob Ramage, Craig Hartsburg, Gaston Gingras, Keith Crowder, Pat Riggin, and Rickey Vaive to one-year contracts calling for $60,000. Each player still has a year of junior eligibility. Bassett also promises additional signings.Other WHA clubs did well in competition with the NHL clubs as Winnipeg signed three players drafted by the NHL, Quebec and New England two each and Edmonton signed one, Dave Hunter, a first-round draft choice by the Montreal Canadiens.Last season the WHA defeated the NHL in head-to-head exhibition season play and gained much needed confidence by showing their fans that they could hold their own against the established league.This year&rsquo;s race for the Avco Trophy should be an interesting one, too, now that the Winnipeg Jets have lost Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson, the super Swedes. The Jets, who obtained a number of good hockey players from the Aeros, will be faced with the fast-rising Edmonton Oilers and last year&rsquo;s finalists, the New England Whalers, in an effort to defend their title.Each year people predict the collapse of the WHA, but the league steadfastly refuses to buckle under.The quality of play in the league and its facilities are making rapid advancements as the WHA seems on much more solid ground now that it has reduced the number of teams to a more operable level. The increased schedule against European teams and the number of exciting young players around the league has built a strong base of fan support and bodes well for the future<h2>HOW WHA RACE WILL FINISH</h2>1. EDMONTON Oilers2. WINNIPEG Jets3. NEW ENGLAND Whalers4. QUEBEC Nordiques5. CINCINNATI Stingers6. BIRMINGHAM Bulls7. INDIANAPOLIS Racers &#9632;

Rounding Up The WHA

WHA PICKS UP PIECES AFTER MERGER SNUB WITH HEAVY SIGNINGS OF UNDER-AGE JUNIORS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0108-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0108-0184/10138822-1-eng-US/f0108-012.jpg"></div><h2>THE WHA:</h2>&bull; NEW ENGLAND Whalers&bull; WINNIPEG Jets&bull; EDMONTON Oilers&bull; BIRMINGHAM Bulls&bull; QUEBEC Nordiques&bull; INDIANAPOLIS Racers&bull; CINCINNATI Stingers &#9632;

f0108-01

WORLD HOCKEY ASSOCIATION’S

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0110-0178/10138874-1-eng-US/f0110-012.jpg" title="f0110-01" width="732" height="717"></div>Glen Sather was a miracle worker with the Edmonton Oilers last year, leading a team that had trouble fielding the same lineup two nights in a row to a 38-39-3 record and a spot in the playoffs when many people believed the Oilers would be holding up the rest of the league from the basement.The scrappy Sather patched together a defense crew which allowed only three more goals than the previous year despite absences to key players such as Al Hamilton. 21 games, Joe Micheletti, 24 games and Dave Langevin, 18 games.Along the way, the Oilers started with goaltender Ken Broderick, dispatched him, picked up goaler Don (Smokey) McLeod and subsequently lost him over the summer to Indianapolis. So they went to Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; farmhand Ed Walsh and signed him to battle with standby Dave Dryden for the starting role with the club.Last year was a big year offensively for the Oilers who poured in 309 goals, an increase of 66 over the previous year. And this year with some additional scorers and a healthy defense, the Oilers, who have never finished higher than third place, may just have the club to dethrone Winnipeg as World Hockey Association champs.First team All Star Hamilton heads the defense which should stack up as the best in the league. Hamilton, who missed the last quarter of the season with an eye injury had his best season ever with 11 goals, 43 assists for 54 points and a strong performance guarding the Oiler net.He'll be joined by Paul Shmyr, who managed to play in all 80 games and did so very efficiently with nine goals, 40 assists, plus Micheletti, who had 14-38-52 figures last year and has to be regarded as one of the best up and coming defensemen in the league.Claire Alexander is another blueliner who has inked a contract with the Oilers and should fit in very well with the club&rsquo;s style of play. Alexander topped all Vancouver Canuck defensemen in scoring with eight goals and 18 assists, despite playing in only 32 contests last year. However, he balked at signing a contract which had a minor league clause in it and opted for the WHA instead.Langevin, another good-looking youngster and Cal Sandbeck who signed with the Oilers out of college ranks and played in 11 games last year, complete the defense.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0110-0246/10138867-1-eng-US/f0110-022.jpg" title="f0110-02" width="734" height="1374"><figcaption class="caption-body">PAUL SHMYR</figcaption></div>Bill Flett was the club&rsquo;s leading goalscorer from his right wing post last year with 41. while center Ron Chipperfield was the leading point-getter with 85, including 33 goals. Blair MacDonald knocked in 34 goals from his right wing spot and the club also acquired Bill Goldsworthy who became player coach for Indianapolis last season. Center Juha Widing went to Indianapolis in the deal.Sather, and new general manager Larry Gordon, though, have their eye on Mark Napier, the Birmingham right winger whose contract was to expire on August 31. Estimates had the club offering close to $1 million for Napier who scored 33 goals and 65 points last year.Backing up Chipperfield at the center spot are Stan Weir, who chose not to sign with Toronto Maple Leafs, Dennis Sobchuk, who missed most of last season due to injury 23-goal scorer Mike Zuke and Doug Berry, the slick center from Denver University.The Oilers are also impressive on the left side with Norm Ferguson (26-21-47), Brett Callighen (20-3050), Darcy Rota, Dave Semenko, (140 minutes in penalties) and a pair of junior players they signed, Dave Hunter of Sudbury and Wes George of Saskatoon.Hunter, a first-round choice of the Canadiens, was rated as one of the most rugged and talented players in the junior ranks last year. He&rsquo;s 5' 11&rdquo;, 204-pounds and scored 44 goals and the same number of assists for a last-place club. George, 6&rsquo;, 214-pounds was a seventh-round choice of the Detroit Red Wings and scored 38 goals last season.Dryden was the workhorse in nets last year, appearing in 48 games with a 3.49 goals against average. He also put 21 victories in the books for the Oilers.Walsh, who toiled for three seasons with Nova Scotia, before splitting last year between Nova Scotia, Binghamton and Springfield, all in the American League, was one of the happiest Oilers to sign. Although he twice shared the Hap Holmes Trophy as the AHL's top goalkeeper, he knew he had a long wait behind Ken Dryden and Michel Larocque in Montreal. Instead, he&rsquo;ll have a chance to possibly be on the WHA pennant-winner.No apparent weaknesses and good depth at all positions will be the keys to Edmonton&rsquo;s rise in the WHA. If the loss of Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson affects Winnipeg as much as most people think it will, and the Oilers stay healthy, they may be the next Avco Trophy winners<h2>OILERS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0111-0177/10138860-1-eng-US/f0111-012.jpg" title="f0111-01" width="2368" height="1546"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0111-0236/10138853-1-eng-US/f0111-022.jpg" title="f0111-02" width="1602" height="1456"></div> &#9632;

f0110-01

Edmonton Oilers:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0112-0186/10138926-1-eng-US/f0112-012.jpg" title="f0112-01" width="668" height="664"></div>When a team finishes first during the regular season, skips through the playoffs winning eight of nine games and then adds the contracts of 13 players to its roster, plus several promising amateur draft selections, you&rsquo;d think they&rsquo;d be a cinch for the whole bundle again the following season. Right Winnipeg Jets?Wrong! Because although the Jets did receive the contracts of 13 members of the Houston Aeros, and although they did manage to sign some promising junior players who had been claimed in the early rounds of the National Hockey League draft, they have lost the heart of their team, Swedish stars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson, have seen two other key players, left winger Dan Labraaten and goaler Gary Bromley slip away, and have two inspirational players in Bobby Hull and Ted Green, either or both on the verge of retirement. The Jets will be good, possibly great, but not the dominant force which ruled the WHA in 1977-78.Last year the Jets set a league record with an amazing 381 goals, while at the same time they finished second in goals allowed to New England, giving up just 270. Their record of 51-27-2 included the league&rsquo;s longest winning streak, a stretch of 15 games.But they&rsquo;ll be without the 63 goals and 122 points of Hedberg, and the 126 points, including 89 assists, picked up by Nilsson, not to mention that the two Swedes were the club&rsquo;s leading playoff scorers with 15 and 14 points, respectively.Labraaten, who missed nearly half the season with a broken leg, but still had 18 goals, will also be dearly missed. It was Labraaten who replaced Hull the year before on the club&rsquo;s big line and did an excellent job. He&rsquo;s off to Detroit, while Bromley, who had 25 wins in 39 appearances for the Jets with a 3.30 goals against average, has left for Vancouver in the NHL, leaving 35-year-old Joe Daley, who produced a 3.30 average last year in 37 games, as the No. 1 backstop.These losses won't exactly make the Jets powder puffs. Far from it, in fact. Their star-studded lineup still includes Lars Erik Sjoberg, named the league's best defenseman. who had 11-39-50 stats last year; Barry Long, another rearguard who played his best hockey ever with a 7-24-31 offensive record and selection to the second team All Stars, and rookie of the year Kent Nilsson, one of eight players to crack the century mark in scoring with 42 goals and 65 assists.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0112-0240/10138919-1-eng-US/f0112-022.jpg" title="f0112-02" width="741" height="1676"><figcaption class="caption-body">BOBBY HULL</figcaption></div>Whether or not Hull and his 46 goals, 71 assists will be back the Jets have Willy Lindstrom and Pete Sullivan, who came out of deep slumps in the second half of the season to finish with 30 and 16 goals and 20-goal men in Dave Kryskow and Robert Guindon, who had eight goals in the playoffs and was named the most valuable player of post-season action.When you add impressive Houston forwards such as Andre Lacroix (36-77-113). Don Larway (24-3559), John Gray (35-23-58) and rugged Cam Connor (21-16-37, 217 penalty minutes), plus the exciting Terry Ruskowski-Rich Preston-Morris Lukowich line, you can certainly see the potential for an explosive offense.Ruskowski had 72 points last year, Preston 50, including 25 goals and Lukowich sniped 40 goals, although there is a chance he might wind up with the Pittsburgh Penguins who hold his NHL rights.Second-year man Scott Campbell (8-29-37) and Paul Terbenche should bolster the Jets&rsquo; defense which also has Kim Clarkson (203 penalty minutes in 52 games) and Dave Dunn returning once again.One of the areas of greatest accomplishment for the Jets was in signing top junior prospects who spurned NHL offers. No less than four top-flight players, selected in the first two rounds of the NHL draft inked contracts with the Jets.On defense, there&rsquo;s Paul MacKinnon, captain of the Peterborough Petes on the Ontario League, who was chosen in the second round by Washington. Left winger Glenn Hicks of Flin Flon, who scored 50 goals and 69 assists, plus 225 penalty minutes, was selected in the second round by Detroit, while a pair of centers, 6&rsquo;4&rdquo;, 200-pound Dale Yakiwchuk (32-52-84) from Portland and 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;, 190-pound Ron Carter from Sherbrooke of the Quebec League, who was second in goals in Canadian junior hockey with 88 (plus 86 assists), were both second-round picks of the Montreal Canadiens and chose to sign with the Jets instead.There is no doubt that the Jets will be in the running for the top spot in the WHA for the 1978-79 season. Whether they can get the cohesiveness necessary to outlast Edmonton is the question. Put them down for second this year<h2>JETS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0113-0173/10138912-1-eng-US/f0113-012.jpg" title="f0113-01" width="2454" height="1591"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0113-0243/10138905-1-eng-US/f0113-022.jpg" title="f0113-02" width="1623" height="1450"></div> &#9632;

f0112-01

Winnipeg Jets:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0114-0181/10138978-1-eng-US/f0114-012.jpg" title="f0114-01" width="703" height="687"></div>Bill Dineen, who coached the Houston Aeros during their six years in the World Hockey Association, has returned to the New England area, site of his first professional coaching championship, where he will be reunited with a grandfather who plays hockey and two of his sons, plus a talented group of players who put together the second best record in the league last year and reached the Avco Trophy finals.Dineen, who coached the Springfield Kings to the Calder Cup as champions of the American League in the early 70&rsquo;s, has moved a few miles to the south to Hartford, where he and general manager Jack Kelley will see what they can do about getting the New England Whalers a second WHA championship.He&rsquo;ll be back with close friend Gordie Howe and sons Mark and Marty and will inherit a team which compiled a 44-31-5 mark under Harry Neale last year. Neale accepted the head coaching job with the Vancouver Canucks.Dineen takes over a club which finished third in scoring last year with 335 goals, an increase of 60 from the year before. The Whalers have a balanced attack and they had the best defense in the league in 1977-78, allowing just 269 goals, one less than Winnipeg and 33 fewer than Dineen&rsquo;s Houston crew which rated third in the WHA.One of Dineen's pleasant problems with the Whalers will be deciding upon a starting goaltender. Will he try first team All Star Al Smith, who turned in a 3.22 goals against average, the best on the league. or can Louis Levasseur, who started most of New England&rsquo;s playoff games and had a 2.59 average in post-season play to go along with a 3.30 mark during the regular season, carry the load for the Whalers?Smith, who had 30 victories in the regular season, the most of any goaltender, is 33, while Levasseur is 32, so age likely won&rsquo;t enter into Dineen's decision.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0114-0237/10138971-1-eng-US/f0114-022.jpg" title="f0114-02" width="721" height="1938"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARK HOWE</figcaption></div>On defense Dineen will welcome second team All Star Ricky Ley, who assisted on 40 goals last year, offensive threat Ron Plumb, who finished with 57 points, including 14 goals after being obtained from Cincinnati for Greg Carroll, and young Gordie Roberts, who is rapidly developing into one of the finest rearguards in the game and a player with certain AH Star capabilities. Roberts turned in 15-46-61 statistics last year.There&rsquo;s also Marty Howe, a solid defensive performer, veteran Brad Seiwood and Alan Hangsleben, who also played as a forward at times.Topping the list of forwards is still 50-year-old Gordie Howe. Though many people expected Gordie to retire when he reached the half-century mark, he does not want to leave the game and probably won&rsquo;t until an injury forces him to do so.Howe has said he&rsquo;ll quit when he stops playing effectively for the team, but his 34-58-92 figures were classy enough to lead the club in scoring.Son and linemate Mark Howe overcame a slow start to finish right behind the old man in team scoring with 27 goals, 59 assists and there are a number of other accomplished scorers in the ranks of the Whalers.The line of Mike Antonovich, Dave Keon and Johnny McKenzie combined for 80 goals last campaign as Keon was voted the league&rsquo;s most gentlemanly player for the second time in a row.Left winger George Lyle accounted for 29 goals, with centerman Mike Rogers close behind with 28 goals and a total of 71 points. Injuries cut short on the seasons of Larry Pleau and Tom Webster, but they still managed 18 and 15 goals, despite missing 24 and 60 games respectively.Tim Sheehy has returned to the club after a brief stint with Detroit, while Andre Peloffy and Dan Bolduc emerged from the American Hockey League with a lot of potential.The Whalers also signed a couple of left wingers taken in the NHL's amateur draft, Jordy Douglas, a fifth round pick of Toronto who turned in 60-56-116 figures for Flin Flon last year and 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, 210-pound Jeff Brubaker of Peterborough, selected in the sixth round by Boston.Look for the Whalers to continue as a winning club under Dineen, good enough for third at the least, second if either the Oilers or the Jets should experience problems<h2>WHALERS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0115-0170/10138964-1-eng-US/f0115-012.jpg" title="f0115-01" width="2393" height="1680"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0115-0239/10138957-1-eng-US/f0115-022.jpg" title="f0115-02" width="1582" height="1395"></div> &#9632;

f0114-01

New England Whalers:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0116-0180/10139030-1-eng-US/f0116-012.jpg" title="f0116-01" width="688" height="706"></div>From first to fourth, from Avco Trophy holder to elimination in five games in the semi-finals, the 197778 season for the Quebec Nordiques was one of disappointment and mostly, injuries.Offensively, the Nordiques had few problems with the record shattering Marc Tardif establishing a major league mark for the most points in a season, 154, on 65 goals and 89 assists and Real (Buddy) Cloutier, his linemate, finishing close behind, second in fact, with 56-73-129 statistics. They were the nucleus of an attack which produced 349 goals, second only to Winnipeg, but the bottom line for the Nordiques was that they also allowed 347, an increase of 52 over the previous year and no doubt responsible for their mediocre 40-37-3 record. which placed them behind Winnipeg, New England and Houston.In turn, the main reasons for the Nordiques&rsquo; significant drop-off in keeping the other teams off the scoresheet were the club&rsquo;s uncertainty in the goaltending ranks and a lengthy string of injuries which rendered half of the defense corps out for the majority of the season.At the start of last year, the goaltending picture in Quebec City had Richard Brodeur as No. 1 followed by Serge Aubry and Ed Humphreys. The latter two weren&rsquo;t around for long.Suddenly, rookie Jim Corsi over from the Colorado Rockies&rsquo; organization made the team. Then, when Brodeur was injured early in the year, Don (Smokey) McLeod played briefly and then was dealt to Edmonton for Ken Broderick. Markus Mattson was also around for a short time.What this meant was that the club did not have a steady netminder for any length of time during the season. Brodeur, who closed the season in the number one spot again, playing most of the playoff games, eventually appeared in 36 games, posting an 18-15-2 record. Broderick was 11-13-1, and Corsi finished 10-7. They&rsquo;ll carry the Nordiques&rsquo; 1978-79 hopes.If the goaltending scene was confusing, the defense picture was a nightmare. Topping the injury list were regulars Jim Dorey, who missed 54 games, Francois Lacombe who was absent from 58, and Wally Weir, who appeared in only 13 games for the season. That put too much of a strain on Paul Baxter. Garry Lariviere, J.C. Tremblay and Jean Bernier and it eventually showed in the later stages of the regular season and the playoffs.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0116-0245/10139023-1-eng-US/f0116-022.jpg" title="f0116-02" width="728" height="966"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARC TARDIF</figcaption></div>Though the defensemen turned in pretty fair seasons as far as producing goals Lariviere had 56 points, Bernier and Tremblay 42), they were far less effective preventing opposition goals.The Nordiques lost a pair of pretty fair offensive performers in the interleague draft when Matti Hagman, who scored 56 points, including 23 goals in 53 games after being purchased from the Boston Bruins, was selected by Edmonton, while Cincinnati drafted Steve Sutherland, a left winger who turned in 23 goals for the Nordiques.Still there&rsquo;s plenty of firepower remaining. Paulin Bordeleau picked up the slack for his injured brother Christian, who missed 54 games, by coming through with a 41-goal season. Serge Bernier scored 78 points, while Warren Miller, Norm Dube and Bob Fitchner accounted for 16, 16, and 15 goals, respectively.The Nordiques also signed a gifted pair of players from the Quebec Major Junior League to long-term contracts, players who were drafted by the Montreal Canadiens.Actually Richard David, a left winger from Trois Rivieres, who turned in 50-61-111 scoring totals last year was signed to a five-year contract with the Nordiques before the Canadiens took him as their fifth choice in the third round of the NHL draft, but not so with the other big-name junior to sign with Quebec, Danny Geoffrion.Geoffrion, son of Bernie (Boom Boom) Geoffrion, played right wing and center for the Cornwall Royals of the Quebec League, finishing the season with 68 goals and 75 assists for a total of 143 points. He was Montreal&rsquo;s first draft choice, eighth overall, but accepted a five-year deal from the Nordiques after the Canadiens failed to show the type of interest in signing him which he and his father Bernie, figured was due a first-round draft choice.Undoubtedly he and David will add considerable punch to a lineup that scores right up there with the best teams in the league. Unfortunately, Winnipeg, despite losing Hedberg, Nilsson and Labraaten, has also improved their attack, as have Edmonton and New England.Too many question marks on defense will be the Nordiques&rsquo; unraveling in the coming season. Tremblay and Dorey are getting along in years and the team desperately lacks a take-charge defenseman who can stand back and direct the action in front of the net.New coach Jacques Demers, with his third WHA team in three years, may find his latest former team, Cincinnati, breathing down the Nordiques&rsquo; necks for fourth place<h2>NORDIQUES&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0117-0171/10139016-1-eng-US/f0117-012.jpg" title="f0117-01" width="2394" height="1650"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0117-0243/10139009-1-eng-US/f0117-022.jpg" title="f0117-02" width="1637" height="1400"></div> &#9632;

f0116-01

Quebec Nordiques:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0118-0175/10139082-1-eng-US/f0118-012.jpg" title="f0118-01" width="477" height="535"></div>The Cincinnati Stingers picked up where they left off the 1976-77 season, on a losing note. Two years ago. they finished second in the Eastern Division of the World Hockey Association after building an offensive powerhouse. But when it came time for the playoffs, the Stingers were nothing to buzz about. They were wiped out in four straight by Indianapolis Racers.So they lured Racers&rsquo; coach Jacques Demers over to give their team a defensive system and what happens. The club struggles to a 35-42-3 record, is caught in the stretch by Birmingham, finishes seventh and doesn&rsquo;t even qualify for the playoffs. Along the way, the offense scored 56 fewer goals, the defense allowed 29 more goals and Demers quit as coach at the end of the season to try his hand in Quebec.New coach Floyd Smith, who coached in this city when it was a member of the American League and is said to be popular among Cincinnati fans, will hopefully not have to face some of the scoring difficulties experienced by the Stingers who led the club two years ago and suddenly lost their touch last year.We&rsquo;re talking about Richie Leduc, who did manage good statistics in each of the two years, but has been dealt to Indianapolis, along with Blaine Stoughton, a 51-goal scorer two years ago, who slumped to 19 last year and Dennis Sobchuk, who had 94 points two years ago and only 23 last year in 36 games. He&rsquo;s now with Edmonton.Rising young stars such as Dennis Abgrall and Jacques Locas, also had disappointing seasons last year. Abgrall, who had 62 points two years ago, produced only 24 last time around. Locas played in only 17 contests in 1977-78, did not score a goal and managed just two assists.In addition, Smith comes to a Stingers&rsquo; squad minus defense leader Pat Stapleton, who will be coaching in Indianapolis and Darryl Maggs who is playing in Europe. Stapleton led the Stingers&rsquo; defense corps in scoring with 49 points in only 65 games.But there are some bright spots for Smith.To begin with, he&rsquo;s got super star Robbie Ftorek, coming off his best season ever, a 59-50-109 campaign. In addition to scoring over 100 points for the third season in a row, Ftorek became the first American-born player to score 50 goals in a major league.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0118-0234/10139075-1-eng-US/f0118-022.jpg" title="f0118-02" width="705" height="1324"><figcaption class="caption-body">RICK DUDLEY</figcaption></div>Captain Rick Dudley appears to have settled his problems with management and should be able to better his 30-41-71 statistics of a year ago, while right wingers Jamie Hislop and Peter Marsh are solid after 24-43-67 and 25-25-50 campaigns, respectively.Center Greg Carroll (15 goals, 42 points) has returned from New England, while other relative newcomers in the forward ranks include Hugh Harris and Reg Thomas from Indianapolis.Promising centerman Dave Debol was signed off the Michigan University campus and the club also acquired a pair of left wingers, Jim Troy and Steve Sutherland (23 goals) in the inter-league draft. Paul Stewart (241 penalty minutes in only 40 games) provides muscle up front.The main strength of the Stingers, somewhat surprisingly, may lie with their goaltending. Michel Dion is only 24 and led the WHA in shutouts last year with four, despite a 3.57 goals against average in 45 games. Mike Liut was the major backup man with a 4.25 mark in 27 appearances and he&rsquo;s only 22.There&rsquo;s also 38-year-old veteran Ernie Wakely, who began last season with the Stingers, got off to an 0-5 start and was traded to Houston where he produced a 3.24 average.The goaltender-rich Stingers also have Norm Lapointe and Paul Hoganson, who each saw service last year and Cap Raeder, who once started for the New England Whalers and was picked up in the interleague draft. With such an overload of netminders, it is obvious the Stingers will be looking to make a trade once they decide which of the goalers best fit into their plans.Defense is the most likely spot for the club to try and improve after the losses of Stapleton and Maggs, plus Ron Plumb who went to New England in exchange for Carroll.Craig Norwich (7-23-30), Barry Legge, Barry Melrose, and young Floyd Lahache will make up the nucleus of the defense.Craig Norwich (7-23-30), Barry Legge, Barry Melrose, and young Floyd Lahache will make up the nucleus of the defense, and will be joined by Al McLeod over from Houston Aeros and Bryon Baltimore, who was injured much of last season, appearing in only 50 games, 28 with the Stingers.A more settled team with strong goaltending should get the Stingers back into the playoff scene once again, but reaching .500 could be a struggle. Look for the Stingers to finish fifth, well back of the teams in the WHA&rsquo;s first division<h2>STINGERS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0119-0167/10139068-1-eng-US/f0119-012.jpg" title="f0119-01" width="2354" height="1631"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0119-0237/10139061-1-eng-US/f0119-022.jpg" title="f0119-02" width="1615" height="1398"></div> &#9632;

f0118-01

Cincinnati Stingers:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0120-0176/10139134-1-eng-US/f0120-012.jpg" title="f0120-01" width="679" height="724"></div>No longer will teams visiting Birmingham be bullied. Instead with the sixth-place Bulls of a year ago losing several regulars at various positions, owner John Bassett has gone to the under-age junior approach to try and build his team. What it will cost him, in addition to slightly less fanatical audiences with enforcers such as Steve Durbano and Frank Beaton no longer around to stir up the crowd, is probably a spot in the playoffs.Last year the Bulls set a major league mark for penalty minutes (2,187) and increased their victory total by five to 36, to go along with 41 losses and three ties. Their record of 287 goals for and 314 against was quite similar to the preceeding year&rsquo;s mark of 389 for and 309 against and they can thank goaltender John Garrett, who worked in 58 games, for that.However, they have lost leading goal-scorer and point-getter Ken Linseman (38 goals, 38 assists) to the Philadelphia Flyers and will also be without Mark Napier, who became a free agent on Aug. 31. Napier ranked fourth on the club in scoring with 33 goals and 32 assists. Also missing from the forward lines will be Frank Mahovlich, who struggled through last season after knee surgery and who at age 39 wasn&rsquo;t offered a contract and speedy young Tony McKegney, who was released from his contract to sign with the Buffalo Sabres.From their defense, the Bulls lost their two top tormentors, Durbano, who was the league&rsquo;s No. 1 badman with 284 penalty minutes and Beaton, who was close behind with just five minutes less.Durbano opted for what he termed more security in signing with the St. Louis Blues, while Beaton inked a pact with the New York Rangers.That doesn&rsquo;t mean that the Bull will suddenly become patsies. They still have left winger Gilles Bilodeau, who finished third in the penalties &ldquo;race&rdquo; with 258 minutes and defenseman Dave (Slap shot) Hanson, who was tied for fourth spot with a rousing 241 total, but with half of their intimidators removed, the Bulls will be less ornery.Rounding out the defense crew are captain Dale Hoganson, who missed 37 games through injury last year, Brent Hughes, who led the defense in scoring with nine goals, 35 assists, and veterans like Serge Beaudoin, Jim Turkiewicz and Pat Westrum.Center remains one of the Bulls&rsquo; strong points, with Peter Marrin, the club&rsquo;s leading scorer after Lin seman, with 73 points including 28 goals, second-year man Tony Cassolato (18-25-43). J.C. Stewart, who centered for Dave Gorman (19-2140) and Steve Alley, a line which carried the team into the playoffs with 17 points on the final night of the season, a game which gave the Bulls sixth place.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0120-0243/10139127-1-eng-US/f0120-022.jpg" title="f0120-02" width="773" height="995"><figcaption class="caption-body">PAUL HENDERSON</figcaption></div>On the left side there&rsquo;s Paul Henderson, who was back in 1972 Team Canada form with a 37-29-66 season. young Rod Langway, tough Bilodeau and Gord Gallant.Two of the club&rsquo;s top right wingers, Phil Roberto and Joe Noris, who also plays center, should be healthy after each missing a number of games last year.The team&rsquo;s fortunes in goal, of course, are handled by 27-year-old John Garrett and his 5&rsquo;9&rdquo;, 170-pound frame. He was second in minutes played by WHA goaltenders last year, saw 1,714 shots directed his way and still managed to come up with 24 of the team's 36 victories. Wayne Wood was his backup with a 3.83 goals against average, .02 higher than Garrett&rsquo;s.Next season will undoubtedly be a rebuilding year for the Bulls, though, as they expose a whole batch of teenagers to the life of a professional hockey player.That&rsquo;s because owner Bassett went out and signed four players who still have a year of junior eligibility to one-year contracts calling for $60,000 apiede.&ldquo;If an 18-year-old can vote, can drink, can fight for his country, then what&rsquo;s wrong with them making a living playing hockey?&rdquo; asked Bassett, who added that it would be unfair to deprive a young man the chance to earn $60,000 a season rather than $75 a week as a junior.Although WHA policy does not advocate signing under-age players, last year's court ruling on the Ken Linseman case which upheld Bassett&rsquo;s right to sign him, has opened the door to make way for more under-age players entering the league-Three junior defensemen, Rob Ramage of London (OHA), Craig Hartsburg of Sault Ste. Marie of the same league and Gaston Gingras of Brantford, Ont. each agreed to one-year deals with the Bulls and will fight for a job on defense, while right winger Ricky Vaive of Sherbrooke in the Quebec League, who turned in a 76-79-155 season, appears likely to find a place in the starting lineup.There is some talent on the Birmingham club, but it will be difficult for them to move up in the standings with so many key players removed from the club. They&rsquo;ll likely be sixth again, but this year it&rsquo;s only a seven-team league<h2>BULLS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0121-0171/10139120-1-eng-US/f0121-012.jpg" title="f0121-01" width="2404" height="1620"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0121-0247/10139113-1-eng-US/f0121-022.jpg" title="f0121-02" width="1627" height="1412"></div> &#9632;

f0120-01

Birmingham Bulls:

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0122-0176/10139186-1-eng-US/f0122-012.jpg" title="f0122-01" width="838" height="592"></div>Signing 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky during the National Hockey League's summer meetings may have been a major coup for Indianapolis Racers' owner Nelson Skalbania, but one player, even a &ldquo;once-in-a-lifetime&rdquo; super star such as Gretzky may be destined to become, won&rsquo;t make the Racers contenders overnight.They&rsquo;re dealing strictly from weakness when it comes to the rest of the lineup as evidenced by the team&rsquo;s 24-51-5 record, some 22 points out of a playoff berth and a far cry from their 1976-77 effort of 36-37-8.Part of the reason is the turnover on the club&rsquo;s roster. Only four players&mdash;goal er Jim Park, defenseman Ken Block, and forwards Michel Parizeau and Reynaid Leclerc&mdash;who finished the 1976-77 season with the team were still there for the start of the 1978-79 campaign. And though they had some decent individual performances last year, the club fell out of the playoff race early and finished with the lowest number of goals for, 267, and the highest number of goals against, 353.A mid-season coaching change elevated Bill Goldsworthy who came over from the New York Rangers&rsquo; organization into a player coach role, replacing Ron Ingram who opened the season, and gave the club a brief spurt in the standings, but eventually the Racers&rsquo; 7-30-2 road record proved to be far too much for the squad to overcome.Admittedly help is on the way, in the form of several players who closed out the season with the club or were picked up before the start of the current campaign, and in the form of Gretzky, who could form the nucleus for future teams.One sad note saw the retirement of Rosaire Paiement during the offseason after sustaining an eye injury during a fight in February of this year. The fight and resulting injury caused Paiement to miss 19 games after appearing in 439 consecutive WHA contests. Now it has ended his career.The Racers boasted five forwards last year who surpassed the 20-goal mark and another pair, Kevin Devine and Blaine Stoughton who finished with 19. All of the players were newcomers on the Racers' squad.Richie Leduc, 37-46-83, the Racers&rsquo; top scorer, and Claude La rose, (25-36-61) began last year with Cincinnati, Claude St. Sauveur (36-42-78) and Rusty Patenaude (23-19-42) along with Devine, were with Edmonton, and Peter Driscoll (28-28-56 and 158 minutes in penalties) was with Quebec.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0122-0241/10139179-1-eng-US/f0122-022.jpg" title="f0122-02" width="743" height="1194"><figcaption class="caption-body">DON BURGESS</figcaption></div>Kevin Morrison had an excellent year offensively for the defense with 17 goals, 40 assists for 57 points, after joining the club, along with forwards Don Burgess and John French, from the San Diego franchise. But other than from Ken Block, who totalled 26 points, the Racers didn&rsquo;t get much offensively from their defensemen and the crew was not particularly adept at stopping the opposition from scoring either.It included NHL veterans Gilles Marotte and Barry Wilkins, Dave Inkpen, Glen Irwin and Bill Prentice. The latter is a question mark for 1978-79, as injuries have limited him to only 24 games in the past two years.Goaltending, fortunately, looks a bit stronger for the coming season. Gary Inness handled the bulk of the work last year, compiling a 4.21 average in 52 games, with Ed Mio, a former Birmingham Bull as his chief back-up at 4.27 in 17 games. Jim Part and Peter McDuffe also saw action in a dozen games each, but aren't likely to enter this year&rsquo;s picture.That&rsquo;s because Don (Smokey) McLeod is slated for the Racers&rsquo; netminding chores, after playing for Houston, Vancouver, Calgary, Quebec and Houston in the past five years. Last year he played 40 games for Edmonton, turning in a 3.67 goals against average and the Racers hope he can recapture his form of 1973-74 when he fashioned a 2.56 average in 49 regular season games and a 12-2 record in the playoffs in leading Houston to the Avco Trophy.Other additions to the club are center Juha Widing (18-24-42) from Edmonton who came over in a swap for Bill Goldsworthy and Pierre Jarry, a left winger, who was taken in the inter-league draft.They&rsquo;ll certainly be a boost for the Racers&rsquo; offense which hopes to shift into high gear with Gretzky in the middle. He&rsquo;s an extraordinary playmaker with innate hockey sense who scored 70 goals and assisted on 112 others, playing most of the season as a 16-year-old on a fifth-place club.The main problem lies with the defense which is slow and inconsistent and lacks the personnel who can successfully get the puck away from their own net. That plus the process of getting the players to play like a team will find the Racers last once more in 1978-79<h2>RACERS&rsquo; STATISTICAL REVIEW</h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0123-0165/10139172-1-eng-US/f0123-012.jpg" title="f0123-01" width="2350" height="1636"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0123-0235/10139165-1-eng-US/f0123-022.jpg" title="f0123-02" width="1584" height="1413"></div> &#9632;

f0122-01

Indianapolis Racers:

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0124-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0124-0180/10139224-1-eng-US/f0124-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0126-0174/10139217-1-eng-US/f0126-012.jpg" title="f0126-01" width="4757" height="3188"></div> &#9632;

f0124-01

WHA 1977-78

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0128-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0128-0178/10139262-1-eng-US/f0128-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0129-0170/10139255-1-eng-US/f0129-012.jpg" title="f0129-01" width="2318" height="3208"></div> &#9632;

f0128-01

HOW THE WINNIPEG JETS WON THE AVCO TROPHY…

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0130-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0130-0173/10139328-1-eng-US/f0130-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAN LUCAS&hellip; 50-Goal Scorer For Sault</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0130-0419/10139321-1-eng-US/f0130-042.jpg" title="f0130-04" width="1115" height="1190"><figcaption class="caption-body">STEVE MARENGERE&hellip; Counted 118 Points</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0130-0510/10139314-1-eng-US/f0130-052.jpg" title="f0130-05" width="1146" height="1072"><figcaption class="caption-body">DANIEL METIVIER&hellip; Scored 73 Goals For Hull</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0130-0241/10139307-1-eng-US/f0130-022.jpg" title="f0130-02" width="741" height="657"><figcaption class="caption-body">RICK PATERSON &hellip;Cornwall Ace</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0130-0333/10139300-1-eng-US/f0130-032.jpg" title="f0130-03" width="751" height="655"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRIAN PROPP &hellip;Scoring Champ</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0130-066/10139293-1-eng-US/f0130-062.jpg" title="f0130-06" width="735" height="665"><figcaption class="caption-body">RAY ALLISON &hellip;No. 2 In West</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0130-01

TOP STARS IN MINOR ICE LOOPS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0133-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0133-0171/10139404-1-eng-US/f0133-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0134-0174/10139397-1-eng-US/f0134-012.jpg" title="f0134-01" width="4787" height="3218"></div> &#9632;

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WESTERN CANADA LEAGUE 1977-78

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0136-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0136-0177/10139435-1-eng-US/f0136-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0136-01

QUEBEC MAJOR LEAGUE 1977-78

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0138-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0138-0169/10139501-1-eng-US/f0138-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">DOUG PALAZZARI&hellip; Mr. Everything In CHL</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0138-0413/10139494-1-eng-US/f0138-042.jpg" title="f0138-04" width="1155" height="1026"><figcaption class="caption-body">GORD BROOKS&hellip; Shared AHL Scoring Title</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0138-055/10139487-1-eng-US/f0138-052.jpg" title="f0138-05" width="1147" height="975"><figcaption class="caption-body">RICK ADDUONO&hellip; Ended Tied For AHL Honors</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0138-0247/10139480-1-eng-US/f0138-022.jpg" title="f0138-02" width="749" height="956"><figcaption class="caption-body">GLEN HANLON &hellip;Top&rsquo;CHL Rookie</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0138-0329/10139473-1-eng-US/f0138-032.jpg" title="f0138-03" width="751" height="968"><figcaption class="caption-body">JIM JOHNSTON &hellip;Led IHL Scorers</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0138-063/10139466-1-eng-US/f0138-062.jpg" title="f0138-06" width="749" height="932"><figcaption class="caption-body">NORM DUPONT &hellip;AHL Rookie Of Year</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0138-01

Top Stars In Hockey’s Minor Loops

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0139-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0139-0154/10139539-1-eng-US/f0139-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0140-0163/10139532-1-eng-US/f0140-012.jpg" title="f0140-01" width="4837" height="3218"></div> &#9632;

f0139-01

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE 1977-78

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0142-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0142-0156/10139570-1-eng-US/f0142-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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CENTRAL HOCKEY LEAGUE 1977-78

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0144-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0144-0159/10139601-1-eng-US/f0144-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE 1977-78

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0146-0158/10139639-1-eng-US/f0146-012.jpg" title="f0146-01" width="700" height="904"><figcaption class="caption-body">GORDIE HOWE</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0146-0230/10139632-1-eng-US/f0146-022.jpg" title="f0146-02" width="1483" height="1532"><figcaption class="caption-body">Guy Lafleur has 303 goals in seven years.</figcaption></div>Three of hockey&rsquo;s modern day competitors are making giant strides in the National Hockey League&rsquo;s all-time scoring race.In fact, at their present production, all three could conceivably set a shot at&rsquo; replacing all-time leader Gordie Howe, who left the NHL after 25 seasons with an imposing goal scoring record of 786 goals.Since Howe's departure, no one has really challenged his mark although Rangers&rsquo; Phil Esposito has made monumental advances in recent years. But time is running out on Espo and he could retire well short of Howe&rsquo;s plateau.The NHL scoring spotlight is squarely on Guy Lafleur of Montreal, Garry Linger of St. Louis and Jean Pronovost of Pittsburgh. All three are a threat to Howe although most concede that if any player manages to overhaul Howe, it will likely by the indomitable Lafleur.After the 1977-78 season, all three players advanced up the all-time scoring ladder. Unger scored 32 times to raise his career total to 347 moving him from 23rd place to 20th. Pronovost shot 40 goals past NHL goalers boosting his career mark to 316 and 25th place on the list.The spectacular Lafleur enjoyed another prolific scoring year tallying 60 times to raise his career total to 303 goals, good for 28th spot on the all-time list of scorers.The remarkable thing about Lafleur is that he has scored 303 times in only seven NHL seasons. At his present rate, he&rsquo;ll have well over 600 goals in 14 years. It took Howe 25 to score 786, Esposito 15 to get 634 and Bobby Hull 15 seasons to make 604.Here are the NHL&rsquo;s top all-time scorers: Howe leads with 786, Esposito is second with 634, Hull ranks third with 604, the recently-retired Johnny Bucyk is fourth with 556, Maurice Richard, also retired, has 544, Frank Mahovlich, who is now in the WHA, left with 533 goals, Stan Mikita&rsquo; has 520 for seventh place, Jean Beliveau retired with 507, Norm Ullman had 490 and Alex Delvecchio notched 456 goals and holds down 10th place.<h2>All-Time Scoring Leaders</h2>Yrs. GS25 Gordie Howe 78615 Phil Esposito 63415 Bobby Hull 60423 John Bucyk 55618 Maurice Richard 54417 Frank Mahovlich 53319 Stan Mikita, 52018 Jean Beliveau 50720 Norm Ullman 49023 Alex Delvecchio 45614 Yvan Cournoyer 42616 Jean Ratelie 42515 Rod Gilbert 40416 Bernard Geoffrion 39322 Dean Prentice 39117 Ted Lindsay 37915 Dave Keon 36520 Henri Richard 35816 Andy Bathgate 34911 Garry Unger 34711 Jacques Lemaire 34213 Ken Hodge 32815 Nels Stewart 32416 Vic Hadfield 32310 Jean Pronovost 31615 Pit Martin 31216 Bob Nevin 3077 Guy Lafleur 30314 Dennis Hull 30312 Ron Ellis 302 &#9632;

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Yearbook 1979

ONTARIO MAJOR LEAGUE 1977-78

HOW THE CANADIENS WON 21st STANLEY CUP…

Montreal Canadiens:

Better Be Prepared. It’s High Finances And The Profits Are Small Whether It’s The NHL Or The WHA