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| CINCINNATI
ENQUIRER |
Saturday, January 11th 1976 |
By David Fuselier |
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Major Shakeup |
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| The head
people of the Cincinnati Stingers are very unhappy with their team's progress and they are
about to drop the ax. As many as four Cincy players could be shipped down to the minor
league team in Hampton, VA, following tonight's home game against the Minnesota Fighting
Saints. It would be the purge of the year in the hockey world because among those who
might go are million dollar contract centers Dennis Sobchuk and Joacques Locas. "They are not playing up to their ability," declares coach Terry
Slater. "It's past the point where I can be a nice guy and say these people will come
around soon. Their time is up. We've got to get some people on this team who will play at
home and away. I don't know anybody's salary on this hockey club," the coach
continues."And I don't give a damn if they play in Hampton the rest of the year. You
can spend so much money on anyone, but you can't buy pride. It takes pride to be a
winner."
The Stingers have just come back from a two game road trip to
Houston and Phoenix where they lost 7-3 and 7-1 and everyone is furious. The team is just
5-16-1 on the road this year. "I spent half the day on the telephone with (vice
president) Bill DeWitt," Slater announced. "He agrees with me. If people aren't
playing for you, something has got to be done.Jerry Rafter (director of player personnel)
has been in Hampton the last three days. He's looking at people we might bring up. If the
people are there and we bring them up, we'll send down some of these big contract
guys."
Exempt from this pending purge, Slater says are the defenseman,
including both goalies. ("They are playing well. You're going to give up some goals
if the puck is always in your end, if the forwards can't take the puck over the blue
line.") Also exempt is the Bryan Campbell line, with wingers Rick Dudley and Murrat
Myers. ("Its really the only line we have that's playing consistently well both at
home and away. I'm pleased with this line.")
He also specifically excludes French Line right wing Pierre Guite
and specialists Bernie MacNeil and Dale Smedsmo. ("They're all playing very well and
doing the job we've asked them to do.") "Any of the others could go," the
coach swears, even concedes rookie all-star Claude Larose, although Slater concedes,
"He did very well for us the first part of the season." The principal targets
are the two $1000,000 a year plus centers, Sobchuk and Locas. "Besides Campbell, we
don't have another center that I can honestly say is giving is even a solid effort. And
your centerman is your quarterback. If he isn't going, the line isn't going to go. The
French Line and the Sobdhuk line., nothing is happening.
This purge could come at any time " We might do it after this
game," Slater says. "We'll take one more look at everyone and male a decision
then. We have two divisional road games coming up next week. We want a team that's going
to make an effort. We can't afford to lose all these road games." Players who might
be brought up from Hampton include Art Stratton, a 38-year-old center and Frank Beaton, a
fight-prone left winger. |
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| Sunday, Jaunary 11th |
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Standings |
| Lost to Minnesota Saints |
Riverfront Coliseum |
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2nd |
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The day before game day, it was announced that the
organization is very unhappy with their team's progress and they are about to shake things
up. It was published that at least four Stingers could be sent down to the Hampton Gulls
following the game against the Fighting Saints. Among those who could go are million
dollar players Dennis Sobchuk and Jacques Locas. Slater went on record stating "I
don't know anybody's salary on this hockey club. And I don't give a damn if they play in
Hampton the rest of the season. You can spend so much money on anyone, but you can't buy
pride. It takes pride to be a winner".
While the Stingers are struggling on the ice, the
Minnesota Fighting Saints are struggling off the ice. Despite the team drawing 14,000 fans
in their last home game, the club didn't have the operating capital to stay afloat. The
Saints players had not been paid in nearly a month and the team was on the verge of
disbanding. The players of course were angry because the All Star Game was to be played on
the 13th and the players had bills they had to pay. Head Coach Harry Neale decided to have
some fun with his players seeing that the end was near.
The club had a team meeting in the locker room instead
of warm up and as a result it threw off the Stingers and team officials. The Saints were
hoping that if they were late, everyone would think the team had folded. Bill Friday and
Stingers owner Bill DeWitt Jr. stopped by the Saints locker room to see what the hold up
was. Neale told both that "If you go in there, those players will probably kill
you". So both Bills left. After the game was concluded, some of the Saints players
told the media that they skipped warm-up because "We looked at the Stingers players
and figured there was no need to warm up." Of course this was untrue. However, the
Stingers play on the ice made it believable.
The Stingers were downed by a final score of 7-4.
However, the game did save a couple jobs for some Stingers players. Dennis Sobchuk
answered the call, despite having groin muscle problems, by grabbing three assists. Pierre
Guite put the fourth Cincinnati goal in the net during the third period. But Brad Serafini
and Pat Donnelly were not as lucky. Both were shipped down to Hampton the following day.
Serafini was acquired in a trade that sent Gary Veneruzzo to Phoenix. Serafini has only
been used sparingly since his arrival. Donnelly had scored five goals with seven assists
in 23 games played since he was called up in November. Lack of defense was what sent him
down to Hampton. .
The Stingers called up defenseman Bruce Abbey and
winger Frank Beaton. Cincinnati's personnel director Jerry Rafter felt that these were the
two best players in Hampton after a scouting trip he took. Abbey had started the season
with Cincinnati but was busted down to the minors for more playing time. The rough and
tumble Beaton was on the verge of setting a Southern Hockey League record for penalties
with 280 penalty minutes. His physical play was one reason he was brought up. He also had
16 goals and 15 assists with the Gulls. |
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vs |
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Cincinnati |
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1 |
1 |
2 |
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4 |
Minnesota |
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0 |
3 |
4 |
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7 |
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FIRST PERIOD |
| GOALS
- CIN: Smedsmo (D. Sobshuk, G. Sobchuk) ? . |
PENALTIES
- MIN: Westrum (holding) 2:46. MIN: Busniuk (fighting) 5:50. MIN:Carlson (fighting, high
sticking) 5:50. MIN: Garrett ( leaving the crease) 5:50. CIN: Serafini (high sticking,
fighting) 5:50. CIN: D. Sobchuk (fighting, 10 minute third man in) 5:50. CIN: Smedsmo
(fighting) 5:50. CIN: Hoganson (leaving the crease) 5:50. |
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SECOND
PERIOD |
| GOALS
- MIN: Connelly (Odrowski) 3:55. MIN: Connelly (Huck, Walton) 9:55. CIN: Dudley
(Campbell, D. Sobchuk) 11:11. MIN: Antonovich (McKenzie) 13:58. |
PENALTIES
- CIN: Pelyk (tripping) 8:50. CIN: Smedsmo (misconduct) 9:55. MIN: Smith (tripping) 10:50.
CIN: Inkpen (interference) 14:40. |
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THIRD
PERIOD |
GOALS
- CIN: G. Sobchuk (Hughes, D. Sobchuk) 2:24. MIN: Walton (Connelly, Odrowski) 6:52. MIN:
Huck (unassisted) 7:46. MIN: Boucha (Connelly, Walton) 11:54. CIN: Guite (MacNeil) 12:49.
MIN: McKenzie (Keon) 15:26. |
PENALTIES
- MIN: Busniuk (interference) 3:44. MIN: Busniuk (fighting) 7:20. CIN: D. Sobchuk
(fighting) 7:20. MIN: Holmgren (elbowing) 14:47. |
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SHOTS ON GOAL |
Cincinnati |
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10 |
10 |
15 |
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35 |
Minnesota |
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11 |
08 |
12 |
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31 |
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GOALTENDERS - CIN: Hoganson. MIN: Garrett. |
ATTENDANCE - 7,226 |
REFEREE - Bill Friday |
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1975-76 WHA Finals Standings |
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| WHA East |
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W |
L |
T |
Pts |
GF |
GA |
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| New England Whalers |
20 |
18 |
3 |
43 |
129 |
121 |
| Cincinnati Stingers |
18 |
22 |
1 |
37 |
155 |
186 |
Cleveland Crusaders |
16 |
22 |
2 |
34 |
135 |
144 |
Indianapolis Racers |
16 |
23 |
2 |
34 |
113 |
127 |
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| WHA Canadian |
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Winnipeg Jets |
29 |
16 |
0 |
58 |
186 |
128 |
| Quebec Nordiques |
25 |
16 |
2 |
52 |
187 |
171 |
| Calgary Cowboys |
23 |
15 |
2 |
48 |
162 |
129 |
| Edmonton Oilers |
17 |
27 |
2 |
36 |
154 |
192 |
| Toronto Toros |
14 |
24 |
3 |
31 |
170 |
200 |
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| WHA
West |
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| Houston Aeros |
26 |
13 |
0 |
52 |
164 |
133 |
| Minnesota Fighting Saints |
19 |
15 |
3 |
41 |
125 |
129 |
| San Diego Mariners |
18 |
19 |
4 |
40 |
157 |
147 |
| Phoenix Roadrunners |
18 |
18 |
3 |
39 |
145 |
138 |
| Ottawa Civics > |
14 |
25 |
1 |
29 |
130 |
167 |
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| > Formerly the Denver Spurs |
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