Okay, let's try again and see if the league file will survive in a reboot. We rolled back to July 1, 1946 and taking over as an online league from there. Here is the new first edition of The Figment Hockey News
JULY 7,1946
EAGLES LOOK FOR IMPROVEMENT IN FALL
The Brooklyn Eagles have loog been the NAHC's doormat but fourth year coach Dusty Lamour is hoping that is about to change. The Eagles have won just 8 games in the last three seasons combined including a dismal 2-41-5 campaign a year ago but recent signings give the club some optimism about next season.
The Eagles selected 19 year old right winger Jamie Wilson first overall in yesterday's NAHC rookie draft and the club is hopeful that the Winnipeg native can step right into the lineup when the season opens in November. Wilson has already had a ful season of pro hockey, notching 5 goals and 9 points in 45 games with the Philadelphia Rascals of the Hockey Association of America -the top minor league loop.
Wilson is far from the only newcomer expected to add some offense in Brooklyn next season. The Eagles signed a trio of players from the Great Western Hockey League led by 23 year old center/left wing Quinton Pollack. The Saskatchewan native was selected first overall by the Eagles in the 1942 draft but after a couple of seasons in the HAA he elected to head out west and play for the Tacome Lions instead of joining a struggling Brooklyn club. He helped the Lions to back-to-back GWHL titles and led that loop in goals, assists and points last season with a 28-43-71 showing in 48 games. The Eagles followed that up with the acquisition of wingers Hank Walsh and Sammy Coates from Vancouver. The youngsters, aged 21 and 22, combined for 21 goals and 52 points for the Bears last season.
To finish off their summer signing frenzy, Brooklyn also inked 22 year old center Ian Doyle, who had 33 points for the Syracuse Lancers of the HAA last season. Doyle was the Eagles first overall selection in the 1943 NAHC draft.
*** Packers and Motors Busy Signing ***
Brooklyn was not the only club to make a splash in the signing department last week as the Chicago Packers and Detroit Motors each added two players. Chicago signed a pair of centers led by Jarrett McGlynn, a 24-year-old Calgary native who they originally drafted in the 5th round in 1941. McGlynn is a five-year veteran of the GWHL and combined with the great Tommy Burns and another new signing in Ed Delarue gives the Packers arguably the best trio of centers in the league.
Detroit recognized a need to upgrade its blueline and the Motors inked Bryant Williams and Joe Todd to join star defenseman Shel Herron as an outstanding trio. Williams, 27, and the 24 year old Tood were both released recenly by the Toronto Dukes.
Here is a look at the top players (2.5 star and above) on each of the NAHC teams. Newcomers to a club are noted in red ink.
DRAFT RECAP
As mentioned above the Brooklyn Eagles selected right winger Jamie Wilson from Winnipeg first overall. Here is a quick biography of the rest of the first round selections.
2nd- New York Shamrocks: Joe Martin LW/RW - A Montreal native, Martin was acquired last season by the Syracuse Lancers of the HAA and played in 38 games for the club, tallying 3 goals and 11 points against professional competition.
3rd - Detroit Motors: Bobo Davis C -Davis was listed number one in the mock draft and while scouts agree he is outstanding upside, it is also a consensus he may need a fair bit of time to reach it. Born in Toronto, Davis, like most of the top prospects, elected to play minor pro as a 19 year old (18 is the minimum age in the minor leagues compared to 20 in the NAHC) but he played sparingly for the Portland Ports of the GWL, scoring 3 goals in 29 games.
4th - Montreal Valiants: John McDonald D -The Halifax native may be the most NAHC ready player in the draft but he does not turn 20 until March so he may have to spend another season in the minors. He played in 13 games for the Rochester Robins as an 18 year old and if the Valiants sign him he will likely play a key role on their Syracuse Lancers farm club.
5th - Chicago Packers: Phil Stukus D -After signing a number of free agent forwards the Packers went for blueline help with their first round draft pick. Stukus is from Ottawa and was listed #2 behind only Bobo Davis on the OSA mock draft. He has a high upside but may need a year in the minors. Unlike the four picks ahead of him, Stukus remained in Ontario and played junior hockey last season instead of joining a minor pro club.
6th - Boston Bees: George Anderson C/LW -The Calgary born Anderson played one game of minor pro for the Cleveland Eries last season before he felt homesick and returned to western Canada to play junior. The Bees have the luxury of plenty of depth up front so they will likely ease Anderson into pro hockey with a season in Springfield.
7th - Toronto Dukes: Tim Brooks D -The London, Ontario native is young -he does not turn 20 until March 1st- and will likely benefit from a year or perhaps more in the minors although the Dukes cut ties with some of their defenseman over the past month and may have some depth concerns on the blueline.
LOOKING BACK
Here is a quick look back at the final standings and leaders in the NAHC
last season.
Code:
NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY CONFEDERATION STANINGS
TEAM W L T PTS
Toronto Dukes 31 9 8 70
Boston Bees 29 15 4 62
Chicago Packers 24 20 4 52
Montreal Valiants 23 20 5 51
Detroit Motors 21 19 8 50
New York Shamrocks 16 22 10 42
Brooklyn Eagles 2 41 5 9
PLAYOFFS
Montreal over Toronto 3 games to 0
Boston over Chicago 3 games to 0
FINALS -Boston over Montreal 4 games to 2
1945-46 SCORING LEADERS
NAME TEAM GP G A PTS
Joe Morey BOS 48 27 34 61
Tommy Burns CHI 48 28 29 57
Bobbie Sauer TOR 42 22 30 52
Clarence Skinner MON 43 23 27 50
Wes Burns CHI 43 18 32 50
Les Carlson TOR 48 17 30 47
Doug Lynch MON 48 16 24 40
Laurel Albers TOR 42 15 25 40
Tommy Hart BOS 45 10 30 40
Jacob Gron BOS 43 15 24 39
Marty Mahoney CHI 43 12 23 35
Orval Cabbell NY 47 10 25 35
Doug Yeadon DET 38 11 23 34
1945-46 TOP GOALTENDERS (min 24 games)
NAME TEAM GP W-L-T GAA
Gordie Broadway TOR 46 30-8-7 1.44
Pierre Melancon BOS 40 25-11-4 2.03
Henri Chasse DET 41 20-15-5 2.27
Millard Touhey MON 45 22-19-4 2.29
Etienne Tremblay NY 47 15-22-8 2.33
Tom Brockers BKN 43 2-33-4 3.60
OTHER HEADLINES THIS WEEK
- The New York Gothams lead the way with 7 players heading to Boston for tomorrow's 14th annual FABL all-star game. The Federal Association, which includes the Gothams, leads the series 8 wins to five.
- The Detroit Dynamos have agreed to contract terms with 3rd overall draft pick Tommy Allenby. The 18 year old outfielder from Alabama debuted at #18 on the OSA top prospect list.
- Pro football's newest loop -the Continental Football Conference- has unveiled its schedule. The 8-team league, which will compete for players and fans with the long-runnng American Football Association, kicks-off September 6th and includes a pair of coast teams in the Los Angeles Lobos and San Francisco Wings.
- A historic test of the A-bomb in the Pacific was deemed a success, with 3 of the 73 old target warships sunk and 8 others badly damaged in the test of the fourth atomic bomb. In all, 59 of the ships suffered at least some damage.
- Prices held steady in the opening hours of no-ceiling shopping following President Truman's veto of the modified price control bill. However, the death of the OPA saw rent prices immediately skyrocket in many cities, including Miami where landlords boosted prices as much as 250 per cent.
Full national sports coverage is available in this week's edition of
THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL