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Yearbook 1987
The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.
Old-New Coaches In OHL
Two Ontario League teams have turned the clock back in hopes of making up time in a hurry. Brian Kilrea and Orval Tessier are back in the OHL as coaches. Tessier, the man who led the Cornwall Royals to their first Memorial Cup in 1972, has rejoined his hometown team. Kilrea, who led the Ottawa 67’s to their only Memorial Cup in 1984 after a long and successful run at the 67’s helm, has done the same in Ottawa. Both are returning from the National Hockey League. Tessier, the NHL’s coach of the year in 1983, was fired by the Chicago Blackhawks midway through the 1984-85 season and sat out the remaining year and a half of his contract. Kilrea, in the capacity of assistant coach, was being groomed as Al Arbour’s successor but…
A Season Like No Other
With apologies to Charles Dickens, it was the best of times and the worst of times in the National Hockey League, circa 1985-86. It was a season in which much of what we saw and heard had been seen and heard before. But unhappily, much of it hadn’t. Wayne Gretzky, who had a scoring streak of 39 games, set records for most assists (163) and most points (215). Paul Coffey, whose scoring streak reached 28 games, added one more—most goals by a defense-man (48). Mike Bossy scored more than 50 goals—for his ninth straight year. Marcel Dionne, now the No. 2 scorer in NHL history, accounted for 100-or-so points (94) and no-body cared in Los Angeles. Bemie Federko scored 100-or-so points (102) and nobody noticed, except in St. Louis. Detroit fired and hired yet more…
Los Angeles Kings
For the Los Angeles Kings, abdication seems the best alternative to serving their subjects. Because they did precious little for precious few last year when only the Detroit Red Wings were worse and Winnipeg Jets more commited to a nosedive. The Kings, whose average attendance of just over 10,000 was a National Hockey League low, were a terrible disappointment after a 1984-85 season of much promise. All of it was left unfulfilled in 1985-86. They placed 20th overall in National Hockey League standings, finishing only ahead of the pathetic Red Wings, and accumulated 28 less points than the previous year, second-worst regression in the league next to the Jets. Like Winnipeg, Los Angeles came too far too quickly and fell just as far, just as quickly. The Kings enjoyed a 23-point improvement from 1983-84…
WCHA
Nobody, especially the coaches, forecasted Denver University’s remarkable surge to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association championship a season ago. The coaches picked Denver to finish seventh in the eight-team loop. The doomsayers may be just as pessimistic this year because it doesn’t get any easier. Denver lost free agent Dwight Mathiasen to a million-dollar contract from the Pittsburgh Penguins and high-scoring center Dallas Gaume, the league MVP, graduated, signing with the Hartford Whalers. But for a change, there were few defecitions of underclassmen to the pros, though Minnesota-Duluth did lose Brett Hull to Calgary and Winnipeg plucked defenseman 1 Brad Berry off North Dakota’s campus. Even so, it is easier to judge the strength of the clubs with fewer dropouts than normal, t “I think it would be crazy for anyone to predict…