| The
Cincinnati Stingers have begun to turn things around, winning four straight before
dropping a 3-2 decision to Houston at home Sunday night, and ironically a pair of former
foes from Indianapolis have played a large role in the reversal. Goaltender Michel Dion
and defenseman Pat Stapleton arrived in the Queen City after the current World Hockey
Association season had begun. Both had been heroes in Indy with the Racers under the old
regime, but suddenly found themselves unwanted this year. New Stinger coach Jacques
Demers, the former Racer coach who has worked with Stapleton since 1973 and brought Dion
up as a rookie in 1975, was happy to obtain the services of his old players and the
acquisitions certainly helped the Stingers. Stapleton is a
veteran of 17 years in professional hockey, eight seasons with the National Hockey League
Chicago Black Hawks. He brought to the Stingers not only his ample experience but a
steadying influence. He was able to demonstrate the type of control hockey Demers had been
preaching since training camp. Dion, although only 23, is a goalie with plenty of
confidence. He is at times unorthodox in style but his 6-3 record and 2.88 goals-against
average (third in the WHA) since joining the Stingers leaves little room for dispute as to
his ability in the net.
Stapleton and Dion became expendable when the Racers were purchased
by Nelson Skalbania of Edmonton, Alberta, a former partner on the Edmonton Oilers
franchise. Skalbania hired Ron Ingram as coach and Ingram brought in a number of his
former San Diego Mariners players. The mood in Indianapolis this year has changed
drastically as a result. The team has fallen on hard times after a good start and the Indy
fans don't like it.
When the Stingers played at Market Square Arena a week ago, the
walls were festooned with signs but most of them welcomed Demers, Stapleton and Dion back
home. There were very few exhorting the Racers to victory. 'It just isn't the same there
now," Dion said. "I really liked Indianapolis and still have a lot of friends
there, and when I signed with Cincinnati I was sorry to be leaving. But now I couldn't be
happier. I made the right choice. I couldn't have played there (Indy) and it's good to be
back playing for Jacques."
NOTES - Stinger center Dennis Sobchuk received some good news Monday
when doctors at the UC Medical Center determined he did not have a fracture of the wrist,
as had been originally feared. The diagnosis was an inflamed wrist tendon which means the
hard-skating forward can continue to see penalty-killing ice time while the tendon
heals...the Stingers play the Oilers in Edmonton Wednesday night, then travel to Winnipeg
for a game with the Jets on Friday. A game in Indianapolis was first scheduled for Friday,
then changed to an open date and finally filled with the Winnipeg game to make up for the
contest which was postponed November 20 because of a blizzard....the Stingers with more
games away than at home in the early part of the season, are finding the road much more
comfortable this year. |
