Changing the Game

by Stephen Laroche

  Semenko also participated in one of the wildest nights in team history on January 19, 1980, when they visited the Pittsburgh Penguins. He tangled with Russ Anderson and Kim Clackson in the second period and he recalled the craziness that ensued.

  “I remember everything started after the initial fight. Once the brawl started, I thought, I’m not sitting in there! They were both trying to get me and haul me into the box. That was probably the last bench-clearing brawl we ever had in Edmonton.”

  He started the month of February by battling Winnipeg Jets rookie Jimmy Mann, who had nothing but praise for his opponent.

  “I fought him a few times. Sammy was so big and strong. He didn’t throw a lot, but he’d throw you. If he got a hold of you, it was tough.”

  It wasn’t all fisticuffs for Semenko, however, as he had three points in an 8–2 win over Washington on February 15 and also had the game-winner against Chicago 12 days later. In just a short time, he would be regarded as Wayne Gretzky’s protector and played a major role in the team’s success.

  Jim Corsi

  Before beginning his big-league hockey career, Corsi played some pro soccer in the North American Soccer League in the early 1970s and attended Concordia University, where he graduated magna cum laude. After two strong seasons as a backup to Richard Brodeur for the WHA’s Quebec Nordiques, he grew tired of waiting for confirmation that he was going to be resigned and signed with the Oilers as a free agent.

  “I always thought he was a pretty capable goalie when we played him,” said Glen Sather. “He was available and I couldn’t think of any reason why we shouldn’t take him. He only had the best save percentage in the league last season.”

  There was one minor problem heading into training camp, however, as his equipment was still with the Nordiques and they weren’t in a hurry to ship it out west. As a result, he ended up in the unique position of needing to hit the ice but not being able to play in goal, and so he got a chance to play up front.

  “I ended up going to the Oiler camp with my gear still in Quebec, so I played forward for the first three days I believe. Right-hand shot, goalie skates … . I was small but slow,” he exclaimed. “Good laughs but I did get to play exhibition games. I recall shutting down the Canucks for my second half of the game.”

  When the regular season started, Corsi was sent down to play in Houston but was recalled when the Oilers began to experience a goaltending crunch. He debuted against the Colorado Rockies on December 21, 1979, but the opporunity came at a most inopportune time, as he was quite ill. After he gave up five goals after two periods, Ed Mio relieved him in net.

  “Ouch! Really not my best effort. Actually got sick between the second and third period … gastro-sick! Pulled and felt awful … unsure what was worse — pulled or up-chucking,” he said.

  After that, however, Corsi recovered and managed to see a fair deal of action over the next two months. He effectively played in games against the Los Angeles Kings, earning two wins and a tie against them. As Edmonton began to gear up for a playoff run, he was sold to the Minnesota North Stars, but they would only send him down to Oklahoma City to finish the year. The team had the option of getting him back for the next season.

  “I felt I had arrived when we played against L.A. Kings and I stopped Marcel Dionne on a breakaway. It all started to come together,” he said. “But of course, the natural progression wasn’t enough. Good young talent came up … and the rest is history. Europe called and those exceptional kids won a series of Stanley Cups that changed the game!”

  Ron Low

  Low bounced between the Quebec Nordiques and their AHL farm club in Syracuse for most of the 1979–80 season, but the Oilers were on the hunt for some experienced goaltending in the march toward the postseason and they dealt away captain Ron Chipperfield to snag the veteran netminder. The Oilers were also well aware that he had won several honours with Kansas City of the CHL a year earlier, including Most Valuable Player.

  Now with his third expansion club, Low knew how bleak things could be while playing for a first-year team, but at least Edmonton had several bright spots and a shot at the postseason. Down the stretch, he went an impressive 8–2–1, which included a 6–3 victory over his old club just a day after the trade was made.

  “The way he competed, even in practice, he always worked hard. He played outstanding down the stretch and boosted our confidence. He was the main reason we got in there,” said Dave Semenko.

  Appearing in the playoffs for just the second time in his career, Low put up a valiant effort against the mighty Philadelphia Flyers. In Game 1, he made 47 saves in a 4–3 overtime loss that featured a tying goal by Rick MacLeish with 19 seconds left and a winning goal by Bobby Clarke. He was named the first star but the next game was a tough 5–1 defeat. The Oilers weren’t about to give up, however. Game 3 went into double overtime and Low turned back 45 shots before Ken Linseman beat him to take the series.

  Ron Low

  Dave Dryden

  Once the WHA’s Chicago Cougars ceased to exist, Edmonton claimed Dryden and made him the team’s number one goaltender for the rest of their time in the rival league. During that period, he became the first goaltender to wear a modern fibreglass mask with a cage. In 1978–79, at the age of 37, he was at the top of his game and was named the loop’s Top Goaltender as the Oilers went to the AVCO Cup Final.

  After such a great season, he was reclaimed by his latest NHL club, the Buffalo Sabres. Not wanting to lose such a great talent, the Oilers made him a priority selection before the expansion draft. Although there was a glut of goalies at training camp, he had a new contract that had a clause that allowed him to become an assistant coach, so he was not too worried about his fortunes for the 1979–80 season.

  “It wasn’t extremely stressful. All of us knew there was competition there,” he said. “In my case, I was 38 and I could look at it that way as having been through expansion with Buffalo before. It was going to be a great team, but I knew I wasn’t going to be around… . I was motivated toward coaching at that point. I wanted to get on with my life.”

  In the early part of the year, when the young club was in the midst of a rough start, Dryden appeared in his last 14 professional games. His final appearance came on December 7, 1979, in an 8–3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. A couple of weeks later, he approached Glen Sather while the team was in Colorado and told him that his playing days were over.

  At that point the Oilers made him a goaltending consultant and he remained with them in that role until the end of the season. After that, he coached the Ontario Hockey League’s Peterborough Petes and he now serves as the chair of Sleeping Children Around the World — a charity that was founded by his father and provides bed kits to children in the developing world.

  EXPANSION YEAR RECORD: 27–34–19

  (73 points — fourth in Norris Division)

  COACH: Don Blackburn

  GENERAL MANAGER: Jack Kelly

  FIRST GAME: October 11, 1979 —

  4–1 loss vs. Minnesota North Stars

  FIRST GOAL: October 11, 1979 by Gordie Roberts

  HARTFORD

  WHALERS

  The New England Whalers were one of the original World Hockey Association franchises and became the first winners of the AVCO Cup in 1972–73. They played their first two seasons out of the Boston Garden but relocated to Hartford in 1974. While waiting for the Hartford Civic Center to be built, they played out of Springfield, Massachusetts, and continued to be a success on the ice and at the box office.

  On January 18, 1978, the Whalers were thrown into temporary turmoil when the arena roof collapsed because of heavy snow, but fortunately they came back to Springfield until the problem was fixed. They spent their final two WHA seasons there and it became their home as they entered the NHL. As conditions of entry, the Boston Bruins asked that their name be changed to the Hartford Whalers to avoid any potential confusion, and the team also changed their colours to green, blue and white.

 
Most of the 1978–79 Whalers club remained with the team one way or another as they came into the NHL. Gordie Howe and his sons, Mark and Marty, stayed on the roster along with veterans Andre Lacroix, Al Smith and Dave Keon. They also held on to top young talents like Mike Rogers, Blaine Stoughton, John Garrett and Gordie Roberts as well. The only major losses were Brad Selwood, Warren Miller and George “Sparky” Lyle, who was the WHA’s Rookie of the Year in 1976–77. The Toronto Maple Leafs reclaimed veteran defenceman Rick Ley, but they did not keep him and he quickly returned to the Whalers.

  Hartford was not so lucky in their first NHL Entry Draft, though, as they did not end up with a major impact player. Their first-ever selection was Ray Allison of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who put up phenomenal numbers at the junior level but was unable to recapture that magic at the pro level. With the second-round pick, they got Ray Neufeld, who ended up playing nearly 600 regular-season games over his career.

  Going into their first NHL season, the Whalers got a lot of recognition for having a strong defence corps and tons of pro experience. With Don Blackburn behind the bench, they had a teaching coach who was willing to work with young players. And fans were excited to see what Mark Howe was able to do. More than 40 players were invited to training camp, and some of those who did not make the big club were not going to be far away, since the team’s AHL affiliate was also in Springfield.

  The regular season began with a four-game road swing that started with a 4–1 loss to the Minnesota North Stars on October 11, 1979. Roberts scored their first goal that night. The Whalers did not earn a victory until their first home outing against the Los Angeles Kings, eight days later. Early on, Smith went down with an injury and Garrett had to take over since there was no experienced goaltender to back him up. The first month of action culminated with a visit to Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens that was a homecoming for Keon. He had been cast away years earlier by Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard, and the team worked together to ensure that his return resulted in a victory.

  That victory kicked off a three-game winning streak, but their first half of the season proved a rough one with 27 games on the road. Lacroix announced his retirement early on. It was also apparent that the 1979–80 season was going to be the last for Gordie Howe, who received tremendous applause from the crowd on his return to Detroit on January 12, 1980. One thing that helped the Whalers out of the doldrums was the acquisition of Pat Boutette from Toronto, and as a result both Stoughton and Rogers began racking up points. The Hartford Civic Center finally re-opened on February 6, and that game ended in a 7–3 win over the Kings. The team was back in playoff contention.

  Gordie Howe had some late-season problems, but he eventually scored his 800th career goal and finally got to play in an NHL game with both of his sons when Hartford came to Detroit for the second time on April 6 to close out the regular schedule.

  At the end of the year, Stoughton tied for the league lead in goals with 56, and Rogers chipped in a whopping 105 points to rank among the NHL’s best. Mark Howe was also phenomenal in the second half, as his shift from forward to defence proved to be a smart move and he scored 50 points over his last 38 games.

  For their first playoff matchup, Hartford drew a formidable opponent in the previous year’s Stanley Cup champs, the Montreal Canadiens. The first two games of the series were blowouts and a serious injury knocked Stoughton out of action early on. The third contest was a little closer, but Yvon Lambert ended up scoring in overtime.

  The early 1980s were a terrible time to be a fan of the Whalers, as the team did not make the playoffs for five straight years. Numerous bad trades were part of the problem. The 1982–83 campaign proved one of the worst in franchise history as they surrendered more than 400 goals. By drafting well and hiring Emile Francis to serve as general manager, Hartford had a good run from 1985–86 to 1991–92, but they won only a single playoff series and there were many disastrous deals made — one of which sent Ron Francis to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991.

  The Whalers ultimately were the victims of playing in a small market, and it was often rumoured that they would be sold to be relocated to a larger centre. Peter Karmanos took over as owner in 1994 and committed to four more seasons in Hartford, but because of a lack of ticket sales and financial support from both local business and state government, frustration quickly set in for the new ownership. The greatest fears of Whalers fans became a reality during the 1996–97 season and they were moved south to become the Carolina Hurricanes. Over their first decade in Carolina, the former Hartford club finally had some playoff success and won a Stanley Cup in 2005–06.

  Mike Rogers

  Considered small by some hockey executives, but huge on scoring talent, Rogers was an All-Star in the World Hockey Association who hit the 80-point mark on two occasions. He was originally drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 1974, but the team unwisely chose not to reclaim him when the Whalers entered the NHL and he ended up staying with the rechristened Hartford club.

  “As players, we looked at the WHA as a professional league,” he said. “There were a lot of people who didn’t think I was going to make it in the National Hockey League because I wasn’t big enough. I had to sign a two-way contract for the first time in my career and really looked at keeping in shape for the first time as well.”

  During the season opener, Rogers assisted on the first goal in franchise history and then popped a backhand shot past Chicago’s Tony Esposito for his first NHL tally on October 14, 1979. After that, he was a scoring machine with four-point nights against Toronto and Detroit in the first half of the year. A lot of that success had to do with being placed on a line with Blaine Stoughton and Pat Boutette, and the trio was dubbed “Bash, Dash and Stash.”

  “Don Blackburn put me on a line with Blaine and we just clicked. We added Patty Boutette from Toronto as well and everything came together.”

  Surprisingly, he was not selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game, but he went on to get a hat trick against the Boston Bruins on January 30, 1980.

  “The biggest thing is that I went around Raymond Bourque for my hat trick goal. At the time, our biggest rivalry was with Boston, and to do it in Boston Garden was amazing.”

  Between February 18 and March 22, Rogers put together an incredible 18-game point streak, which was the best in the league in 1979–80. He made club history on April 4 with his 100th point of the year in a five-point night against the Quebec Nordiques. Once the playoffs hit, he led the club in scoring as they were swept by the Montreal Canadiens.

  Blaine Stoughton

  A former first-round pick who jumped to the WHA in 1975–76, Stoughton was regarded by opponents as a dangerous man with the puck. He enjoyed a big 52-goal and 104-point season with the Cincinnati Stingers in 1976–77. Dispatched to the Indianapolis Racers the following year after a slow start, he was sold to New England in December 1978 and quietly finished out the season with the club.

  Since the Maple Leafs owned Stoughton’s rights, they went to great lengths to reclaim him but puzzlingly let him go in the expansion draft. The move backfired on Toronto and he ended up back with Hartford. In the second game of the 1979–80 season, he had a goal and an assist in a 3–3 tie with Pittsburgh. Although Dave Keon’s return to Toronto grabbed most of the headlines, Stoughton also got his fair share of revenge that night, too, as he scored the winning goal. He credited a lot of his early-season success to the presence of coach Don Blackburn.

  “I started playing better when Blackie came last year,” he told the press. “When Bill [Dineen] was here I was playing too much defence. That’s not my game. Now I’m thinking offence and when the time comes, I pick up my man, that’s all.”

  Over his first 50 games, Stoughton put up a very impressive 33 tallies, including hat tricks against Buffalo and Atlanta. On March 28, 1980, he became the first player from an expansion club to record 50 goals in a season, and the big moment came against Glen Hanlon of the Vancouver Canucks. In fact, he and then-t
eammate Bobby Hull are the only players to ever score 50 in a season in both the NHL and WHA. At the end of the year, he was tied with Buffalo’s Danny Gare and Charlie Simmer of Los Angeles for the league lead with 56. His final point of the year was his 100th and it came on an assist when Pat Boutette scored an insurance goal against Detroit on April 6.

  The Whalers finished first among the new imports from the WHA in 1979–80, but they drew a daunting playoff opponent in the form of the previous year’s Stanley Cup champions, the Montreal Canadiens. At the end of the first period in Game 1, Stoughton fractured his right ankle and was out of action for the rest of the series.

  Blaine Stoughton

  Mark Howe

  Howe was a true superstar in the WHA with Houston and New England and he earned a great deal of recognition for his talent over the course of six seasons there. As the Whalers readied to join the NHL, the Boston Bruins attempted to reclaim his rights, but Hartford had an ace up their sleeve when they made him one of their priority selections. As a result, he was still able to play alongside his brother, Marty, and father, Gordie, in 1979–80.

  “I was really looking forward to it,” said Howe. “As much as I liked playing in the WHA, you grew up wanting to play in the NHL.”

  Unfortunately, Marty was a late cut in training camp and it had an immediate impact on the other members of the family.

  “We played together pretty well every day since we were kids. It was different. I thought Marty deserved to be on the club as a seventh defenceman. It was really hard on me and really hard on Dad.”

  One of his early highlights in Hartford was a three-point night against Los Angeles on October 19, 1979, and it included the first game-winning goal in franchise history. The 1979–80 campaign also marked a shift for Howe, as he moved from left wing to defence. While it was a bit of a learning curve for him, he managed to excel and most of his point production came after the move.