Director of Player Personnel

Brian Heekin - At thirty-four years of age, energetic Brian Heekin is now in his sixth year as President of the Cincinnati Stingers and Riverfront Coliseum.

As a native Cincinnatian, Heekin attended Canterbury High School here in the Queen City prior to attending Georgetown University where he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree.

Heekin then returned to Cincinnati to attend the University of Cincinnati Law School, graduating in 1965. He then joined the law firm of Kyte, Conlan, Wulsin and Vogeler and practiced law for six years prior to assuming his present role with the Stingers and Coliseum.

Heekin, along with Bill DeWitt Jr. are the two men responsible for the construction of Riverfront Coliseum in the downtown area and also for bringing major league hockey to Cincinnati.

Bill DeWitt Jr. - Stinger executive Vice President and League Trustee is thirty-six year old Bill DeWitt Jr.DeWitt also serves on a four man executive committee of the World Hockey Association. Two years ago he was honored as Executive of the Year by the "Hockey News" which is recognized throughout North America as hockey's most informative publication.

DeWitt;s commitment to youth concerning the Stingers continue to raise eyebrows throughout major league hockey. As an example, in the latter part of the 1976-77 season, he secured the services of Phoenix's Robbie Ftorek (later named MVP of the league) and left winger Del Hall of the 1977-78 season. In August of this year, DeWitt announced that Ftorek had signed a new eight year pact with Cincinnati that would insure Robbie's best playing days would be spent here in Cincinnati.

Although DeWitt is now strictly involved in hockey, his sports background stems from baseball. His father Bill DeWitt Sr. has been a very prominent name in baseball for over thirty years. Today he serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Chicago White Sox, coupled with serving in the same capacity here in Cincinnati with the Stingers. Bill DeWitt Jr.'s schooling includes an undergraduate degree from Yale and a Master's degree from Harvard in Business Administration

Jacques Demers - Thirty-two year old Jacques Demers was named Head Coach of the Cincinnati Stingers June 16, 1977.

For two years prior to assuming the coaching job here in Cincinnati, Demers had been behind the bench of the Indianapolis Racers serving in a dual capacity as Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel. During the 1975-76 campaign, Demers guided Indianapolis to the Eastern Division Crown of the WHA n what has been termed the most exciting race ever in major league hockey. With a little more than one month to go in the regular season, the Racers appeared destined for a last place finish in the tight. Eastern Division struggle; however, under the guidance of the Montreal native behind the bench, the inspired Racers compiled the finest record in the league over the last month to vault into first place. Last season the Racers surrendered the division championship to the powerful Quebec Nordiques and finished third in the East, a mere 3 points behind second place Cincinnati. Demers and the Racers continued their two year dominance over Cincinnati. Demers and the Racers continued their two year dominance over Cincinnati by engineering an incredible 4 game sweep over the powerful Stingers. In 25 games over two years, (including playoffs) Demers led the Racers to 18 wins and only 7 losses against the Stingers.

Prior to joining the Racers, Demers served as Chief Scout, Director of Player Personnel and Bench Coach for the Chicago Cougars. During the 1973-74 season with the Cougars, Demers led a relatively obscure team to the Avco Cup finals against the powerful Houston Aeros.

Jerry Rafter - The Director of Player Personnel for the Cincinnati Stingers is thirty-six year old Jerry Rafter. Rafter is responsible for scouting and recommending top notch players who will wear Cincinnati colors in future years, along with accompanying the Stingers on the majority of their road trips throughout the season.

Shortly after Jerry joined the club in 1973, the Stingers announced the sighing of centerman Dennis Sobchuk to a long term pact, much to the surprise of many National Hockey League teams. Sobchuk's signing turned out to be just the beginning of many talented juniors joining the Cincinnati Stingers over the next four years.

Over the past summer months Rafter worked hard at complementing the Stingers talented youngsters with seasoned veterans such as former National Hockey League defenseman Gilles Marotte and Ernie Wakely. This third season of Stingers hockey promises to be the most exciting ever. With new head coach Jacques Demers and the abundance of talent plus the addition of needed experience on defense and in goal, the Stingers are thought to be one of the strongest contenders to overthrow the defending Avco Cup Champion Quebec Nordiques.

Lefty McFadden - Vice President Lefty McFadden has been with the Stingers since joining mid-March of 1977. Since joining the Stingers, Lefty has headed all marking functions, including the sale of season tickets. he has also served as an advisor in the area of promotion, public relations, group sales.

In 1964 McFadden founded the International League Dayton Gems, serving as Vice-President and General Manager. For the next 10 years, Lefty put the Dayton Gems in the lime-light by continually packing Hara Arena. During this time he was also Sports Director for WONE radio, also in Dayton.

In the spring of 1974, McFadden left the Dayton area to join the National Hockey League Washington Capitals as assistant General Manager. In June of 1975 Lefty was promoted to Vice-President in charge of marketing for the Capitals.

In joining the Stingers in March, McFadden brought with him a wealth of knowledge in the sports field which dates back to his minor league playing days with the Cleveland Indians farm system in the early 40's. After a three year stint in the United States Air Force, Lefty then re-entered the sporting world as a sports writer with the Salt Lake City Tribune for two years prior to moving on to the Dayton Daily News to assume a similar position for the next eight years. During his time as a sports writer for these papers, McFadden also served as a baseball scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds.

Flo Potvin - Head Scout Flo Potvin began his professional scouting career after a knee injury side-lined him from what was considered to be a promising playing career. In the last two and a half years, Flo has been virtually all over the United States and Canada (not to mention in Czechoslovakia and Finland during the Stingers training camp this season) scouting graduating juniors and top notch players who will be eligible for the amateur draft this coming June.

Flo's scouting is not limited to the junior ranks in Canada, witnessed by the fact that the Stingers obtained Mike Liut's WHA rights from the New England Whalers this past summer. Liut was fresh out of college hockey at Bowling Green, and although at the time it was said the Stingers gave up too much to get his rights, Potvin was confident that Liut had a brought future with the Cincinnati Stingers.

When Liut was named the Most Valuable Goaltender in the International Tournament in Czechoslovakia this past September, others started to believe in Liut the way Potvin said they would when the trade was announced.

Potvin is also directly responsible for such Stingers as Claude Larose, Jamie Hislop, Craig Norwich, Peter Marsh and Barry Melrose. During their junior days Potvin frequently saw them play with their respective junior clubs and recommended them highly to the Stingers front office at the annual June draft.

Potvin has also scouted the pro ranks including the National Hockey League and again the bottom line spells success. Example of this would be the sighing of former Toronto Maple Leaf Blaine Stoughton along with Los Angeles Kings property Dennis Abgrall and as recent as this summer NHL veteran defenseman Gilles Marotte.

OTHER

Andy MacWilliams - For the third straight season, the radio Voice of the Cincinnati Stingers will be 27 years old Andy MacWilliams. In the off season MacWilliams also has conducted hockey clinics, sponsored by Kahn's Meats, as well as co-hosting WLW's Sports Talk Show in which many times he has provided up to date information on all Stingers happenings throughout the off season.

Prior to coming to the Stingers and WLW, Andy had handled the broadcast and public relations work for the Syracuse Eagles and the Jacksonville Barons of the AHL, plus the Syracuse Blazers of the EHL.

As if this not enough, MacWilliams also doubles as a sports director of WOW radio, doing numerous sports broadcasts Monday thru Friday. He has also served as a Bengal's spotter during their broadcasts plus he conducts a half hour Reds show on the radio every Saturday afternoon during the summer months. Andy has also narrated the Stingers informative, Hi-Lite film, entitles "The Stars Are Born" which is co-sponsored by Southern Ohio Bank.

Bill Connelly - The head trainer this season is 22 year old Bill Connelly. For the past four seasons Connelly has been student trainer at Ohio State University for all varsity sports, including the fame Ohio State Buckeyes. In his junior and senior years he also served as the assistant trainer with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Born in St Clairsville, Ohio, Connelly turned down a very attractive offer from Boston College to take the post of head trainer with the Cincinnati Stingers. As a certified trainer at the young age of 22, Connelly's ability to get along with all Stinger players and satisfy all their medical needs will be a big asset to the Stingers organization this year.

Tim Ringler - The assistant trainer for the Cincinnati Stingers for the second year in a row is 27 year old Tim Ringler. Tim first became interested in hockey and working in his current capacity approximately 11 years ago. That's when his mother began working as Gordie Howe's private secretary. It was then that Tim met Lefty Wilson, head trainer for the Detroit Red Wings and immediately Lefty began teaching Ringler tricks of the trade. Unfortunatly Tim did not make the pre-season European swing with the Stingers because of a bout with hepatitis. However, he is fully recovered and has been given a clean bill of health by team physician.

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