Another weekend sim and we only need a couple more 2-week at a time sims and we will be caught up to the rest of the Figment Universe including our OOTP online league.
DECEMBER 16 , 1946
REELING DUKES DEAL ALBERS
The Toronto Dukes have made the first online league trade of the NAHC in hopes of turning around what has been a dismal start to the season. The Dukes, winless in 9 games and just 2-10-3 overall after leading the league with 70 points a year ago, hoped that sending second line center Laurel Albers to New York might shake the team out of its doldrums. In return the Shamrocks part with talented 23-year old rookie defenseman Philippe Dubois.
Toronto hopes that Dubois, a raw but talented former second round pick, can pay immediate dividends and help shore up the Dukes porous defensive zone coverage. Veteran netminder Gordie Broadway, the Juneau Trophy winner last season, will be the first to admit he has not played well but he is also typically seeing close to 40 shots against a game this season. Dubois, who spent the previous three seasons out west with the Portland Ports, has 1 goal and 6 assists in 13 games with the Shamrocks.
Albers looks like an ideal fit as the second line center in New York behind top gun Orval Cabbell. In his 7th season, Alberts matched his career high with 15 goals a year ago but has just 2 goals and 11 points thru 15 games this season. There were rumours that he was extremely unhappy in what has been a trouble Toronto locker room this season and he appears quite happy with the move. The Shamrocks, who have not made the playoff since 1942, are presently tied for 5th pace, five points back of Montreal which presently holds the 4th and final playoff berth.
Code:
NAHC STANINGS
TEAM GP W L T PTS
Boston Bees 13 10 2 1 21
Detroit Motors 15 8 4 3 19
Chicago Packers 15 7 4 4 18
Montreal Valiants 14 6 5 3 15
New York Shamrocks 14 5 9 0 10
Brooklyn Eagles 14 4 8 2 10
Toronto Dukes 15 2 10 3 7
SCORING LEADERS
NAME TEAM GP G A PTS
Tommy Burns CHI 15 12 12 24
Tommy Hart BOS 12 10 8 18
Orval Cabbell NY 14 10 8 18
Wes Burns CHI 15 9 8 17
Bobbie Sauer TOR 15 8 8 16
Quiton Pollack BKN 14 9 6 15
Wilbur Chandler BOS 12 5 10 15
Sam Coates BKN 14 5 10 15
Jacob Gron BOS 13 3 12 15
Marty Mahoney CHI 15 3 11 14
Glen Whitley MON 14 8 5 13
Ed Delarue CHI 12 6 7 13
Mahlon Klein TOR 14 3 10 13
GOALIE LEADERS
NAME TEAM W L T ShO GAA
Pierre Melancon BOS 7-2-1 1 2.31
Henri Chasse DET 8-4-3 3 2.40
Norm Hanson CHI 7-4-1 2 2.55
Tom Brockers BKN 4-7-2 0 2.94
Millard Touhey MON 4-4-3 0 3.20
Etienne Tremblay NY 4-8-0 0 3.43
Gordie Broadway TOR 1-10-1 0 3.95
LAST WEEK'S GAME RECAPS
TUESDAY DECEMBER 3
Boston defenseman Len Bentley does not score often but his first two goals of the 1946-47 campaign came in the same game and helped power the Bees to a 5-3 victory over the Brooklyn Eagles.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5
Detroit goaltender Henri Chasse turned aside all 30 shots he faced from the normally high scoring Chicago Packers for his second shutout of the season as the Motors blanked the Packers 3-0. Detroit captain Miles Barfield had a goal and an assist. At Bigsby Garden, Orval Cabbell scored twice and added two assists while linemate Gil Corbeil chipped in 4 helpers to lead New York past the Montreal Valiants 5-1.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 7
The Detroit Motors defense held Montreal to just 16 shots as the Motors downed the Valiants 3-1 while in Boston the Bees beat Gordie Broadway three times in the third period to top Toronto 4-1. Tommy Hart scored twice and added an assist for the winners while Broadway can't shoulder all of the blame as the Dukes were outshot 17-3 in the third period and 48-11 for the game.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 8
The New York Shamrocks completely dominated the Detroit Motors at the Thompson Palladium, outshooting the locals 46-23 in a 6-0 shutout victory. Jocko Gregg led the way for the Greenshirts with his first two goals of the season while backup goaltender Ronnie Flanagan -in a rare start- blanked the team he spent two and a half seasons with before moving to New York in a mid-season deal a year ago. In the other game the Burns boys each had a goal and an assist to help visiting Chicago leave Denny Arena with a point following a 3-3 tie with the Boston Bees.
TUESDAY DECEMBER 10
A defensive duel at Bigbsy Garden as Craig Simpson's first period goal -his 6th of the season- held up in Boston's 1-0 victory over the New York Shamrocks. Pierre Melancon stopped all 22 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 12
Norm Hanson had a 28 save shutout while Wes Burns, with his 9th of the season, Jarrett McGlynn and Moose Vezina scored in a 3-0 win for the Chicago Packers on home ice over the Brooklyn Eagles. Nothing seems to be going right for the Toronto Dukes, who played two strong periods and had the lead in Montreal before falling apart in the third. After being outshot 30-16 and outscored 3-1 in the opening 40 minutes the Valiants roared back with 4 third period goals, including 2 off the stick of Glen Whitley, to claim a 5-3 win over their Canadian rivals.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 13
No superstitions on Friday the 13th for Henri Chasse as the red-hot Detroit Motors netminder made 28 saves to help his club blanked the New York Shamrocks 3-0 behind two-point evenings from Shel Herron and Vincent Arsenault.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 14
Another game, another loss for the Toronto Dukes, who are doubled 6-3 in Chicago on this occasion. Chicago's big line of the Burns brothers and Marty Mahoney was held to just 1 goal but Jarrett McGlynn picked up the slack. The rookie enjoyed his second 4-point night of the season in the win.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 15
Toronto salvaged a point from their home and home series with the Packers, earning a 5-5 tie at Dominion Gardens despite a hat trick from Chicago star Tommy Burns. Detroit and the Valiants also skated to a tie at the Montreal Arena. This one finished 1-1 as the Vals Glen Whitely and Motors Vincent Arsenault traded first period goals before netminders Millard Touhey and Henri Chasse took over. The final game of the night saw rookie ian Doyle score twice and add an assist to lead Brooklyn to a 4-3 triumph at Prescott Arena over the visiting New York Shamrocks.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
The Montreal Valiants will be without left winger Adam Sandford for the rest of the season after he suffered a foot injury against Detroit last night. The 23 year old was selected second overall by the Valiants in the 1942 draft and joined the club this season after five years with the minor league Pittsburgh Rovers. Sandford had 2 goals and 6 points in 14 games this season.
If you are looking for a reason why the New York Shamrocks are struggling, look no further than special teams. The Greenshirts have converted on a league worst 17.2% of the power play opportunities and are dead last in penalty killing with just a 63.6% success rate. Top shorthanded unit belongs to the Valiants with only 2 power play goals surrendered and killing off over 90% of opponents power plays. Four of the clubs are tied for the most successful power play with Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago and Montreal all scoring at a 25% success rate with the man advantage.
Tommy Burns of the Chicago Packers leads the league with 12 goals this season so it comes as little surprise Burns also leads the way in shots on goal with 73 so far. Number two on the list is Brooklyn rookie Quinton Pollack, who has fired 62 shots on net and has 9 goals.
OTHER HEADLINES THIS WEEK
- The New York Football Stars shutout the Chicago Wildcats 28-0 to win the AFA championship game. The new Continental Football Conference stages its championship next Sunday with the heavily favoured Kansas City Cowboys hosting the New York Gothams.
- Gus Thompson of Rome State was named the winner of college football's Christian Trophy. Thompson and fellow Rome State backfield mate Chet Donelson each were named All-Americans for the third consecutive season.
- College cage play is heating up with top ranked Liberty College improving to 11-1 following a 47-43 victory over previously unbeaten North Carolina Tech.
- Russia unexpectedly refused to accept a proposal for a United Nations inventory of armed troops at home. The Soviet Foreign Minister demanded an accounting of home troops be removed from an agreement already approved by the UN committee.
Full national sports coverage is available in this week's edition of
THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL