The lines
are drawn, at least as far as coach Jacques Demers and his Cincinnati Stingers are
concerned, on the eve of the World Hockey Association season opener at Riverfront Coliseum
Wednesday night. Demers, the Stingers' new boss, has his forward lines set to meet the
Indianapolis Racers, the team he coached into the WHA playoffs the last two years.
Actually, those lines have been pretty well established since the club returned from the
three-week European excursion. Since then Demers has worked with the team on defense,
keeping each line intact so the players can become accustomed to each other.
 |
© Courtesy of Cincinnati
Public Library. |
Stingers Robbie Ftorek & Claude
Larose will be wearing the same number when they play this season. Both have worn
no. 8 in the past and Stinger officials convinced the WHA to initiate a first and permit
two players on the same team to wear the same number. |
Robbie Ftorek, the Stingers' newest center, anchors one line
with former Phoenix Roadrunner linemate Del Hall and Cincinnati veteran Rick Dudley. That
could be the strongest forward trio on the team. Dennis Sobchuk will center another
powerful line with plenty of scoring potential, skating with wingers Blaine Stoughton on
the right and young Peter Marsh on the left. The third line has Rich Leduc, one of the
WHA's top scorers last season at center with Claude Larose and Dennis Abgrall on the
wings. Abgrall and Larose are both young and are noted for hard work at both ends of the
ice.
The Stingers under former coach Terry Slater, had a tendency last
year to change forward lines about as often as they changed cloths. By mid-season there
was no way of knowing who would be on what line next. Demers doesn't like that idea, as
evidenced by his tendency to maintain forward lines through most of the season when he ran
the show at Indy."I'll try to keep them (lines) together as long as possible,"
the coach explained. "I won't necessarily change a line just because it isn't
producing goals. I'm more concerned with whether a line checks well and doesn't allow a
lot of goals. As long as they do that they'll stay together. Sometimes a line will have
trouble scoring, but that can be worked out in time. But they must produce
defensively."
There will be two more forwards on the bench, and their job will be
solely to kill penalties. "Jamie Hislop and Jacques Locas will be my penalty
killers," Demers said. "They may occasionally have to take another shift but
most of the time they'll kill penalties. I always try to get two guys I can depend on to
do that job." That will keep the other forwards fresh, especially Sobchuk who teamed
with Billy Steele last season on short-handed situations. "Sobchuk won't get quite as
much work and I think maybe he'll be stronger near the end of the season," said
Demers. "I believe in using everyone as effectively as possible. I want everyone
capable of playing late in the season."
The defense lineups probably will carry according to situations, but
Demers does anticipate using Barry Legge and newcomer Gilles Marotte on the penalty
killing crew most of the time, possibly spelling one or the other with Serge Beaudoin.
When the Stingers go on power play, Demers will have three centers on the ice - Ftorek,
Sobchuk and Leduc, with Leduc actually playing the center ice position. Blaine Stoughton
and defenseman Ron Plumb will fill out the quintet. Demers indicated he will announce his
choice of backup goalie following today's 10:30 a.m practice at the Coliseum. But he added
that he expected to go with rookie Mike Liut and send Norm LaPointe to the Hampton, Va.,
farm club.
STINGERS NOTES - The Indianapolis team which comes to town Wednesday
won;t look much like the squad coached by Demers last season, as the lineup has been
changed considerably.....there will be one very familiar face in the Racers lineup, former
Stinger Dale Smedsmo. Smedsmo, who wasn't invited to join the Stingers this year, has been
playing well in training camp for new coach Ron Ingram. |
