MAY 19, 1947
NAHC TEAM RECAPS: MONTREAL VALIANTS
18-26-4 40 pts: 5th place - Missed Playoffs
Big things were expected from the Montreal Valiants this past season. Perhaps unfairly as the Valiants had barely snuck into the playoffs a year ago, qualifying for the fourth year in a row but second straight season that they barely nosed out the Detroit Motors for the fourth and final playoff berth. However, they parlayed that into a 3 game sweep of first place Toronto -a team that finished 19 points ahead of them during the regular season- and then took Boston to six games before ultimately falling short in a bid for their first Challenge Cup title since 1928.
Nevertheless, expectations were high for the Vals 46-47 season but things went wrong almost from the start. First goaltender Millard Touhey, who had an outstanding playoff run a year ago with a .950 save percentage, showed up to camp out of shape. Touhey was very inconsistent early and there were some calls to replace him with backup Andy Backlund but Touhey did just enough to keep his job despite some terrible struggles on the road all season.
All the blame does not fall on Touhey as the Valiants struggled to score all season with only Claude Skinner (18-17-35) and Glen Whitley (17-15-32) topping the 30 point plateau. The season was clearly lost by a dismal stretch that began in mid-January and had the Vals playoff hopes disappear when they lost 13 out of 15 games -dropping them from comfortably in a playoff spot nestled in third place to outside of the playoffs with old a late charge in March lifting them ahead of the Brooklyn Eagles and into fifth place.
There is some talent for the Valiants to build around, most notably pivots Skinner and Whitley as well as 23-year-old second year winger Brett Lanceleve and rookie defenseman John McDonald but the club seems to lack an identity. It does not have the offense to match with the high-flying Chicago Packers, the defensive depth of a team like Detroit or the gritty determination of the championship Boston Bees.
Valiants head coach Danny McLachlan has had 7 years to bring Montreal a Cup, and he has guided the club to the finals twice in that span, but the heat is on him to get more from the club next season. It just feels like Montreal -while not quite at the level of Boston or Chicago- did not perform as well as the pieces would indicate the club could. Finding a combination that can carry the club as a number one line -likely with Skinner and Lanceleve as two of the pieces- is one priority. The other one will be for McLachlan, and club management, to decide if they are willing to pin their playoff hopes on Millard Touhey being 100% committed to the sport.
MONTHLY RECORD
NOV: 5-3-2 12 points
DEC: 4-4-1 9 points
JAN: 3-8-0 6 points
FEB: 3-9-0 6 points
MAR: 3-2-1 7 points
OVERAL 18-26-4 40 points
Four defensemen recently agreed to contract extensions that will keep them with their respective NAHC clubs for the next couple of years. The Chicago Packers were the busiest club of late, extending one contract while also parting ways with a pair of veteran forwards.
The Packers extended the contract of defenseman Mo Masters, who was a 26-year-old rookie with the Packers this past season after spending the previous six years in the minors with Cleveland. With Chicago Masters had 4 goals and 13 points in 34 games this season but did not appear in the playoffs due to a knee strain. Meanwhile the Packers have released forwards Red Briggs and Joe Samuels. Briggs, 32, played just 1 game for Chicago this season, spending the rest of the year in Pittsburgh. The 36-year old Samuels was Brooklyn's captain for half a decade before joining the Packers prior to the 45-46 campaign. He spent last season with the Pittsburgh Rovers of the HAA, notching 26 points in 46 games to help the Rovers win the HAA championships.
The New York Shamrocks will have the services of defenseman Anthony Lehman for two more years after agreeing to a deal with the 23 year old third year player. Lehman had a career best 16 points in 34 games on the Shamrocks blueline this season. Elsewhere, yhe Boston Bees recently signed 23-year-old defenseman Connor Mikaelsen to a 3-year extension. The Toronto native recently completed his second season with the Bees, notching 2 goals and 14 points in 39 games during the regular season before adding 4 more points in the Bees run to a second consecutive Challenge Cup. Finally, the Detroit Motors re-upped 27 year old rearguard Curt Gaston inking a 2-year deal. Gaston had 6 points in 5 games with the Motors this season but spent most of his time with Buffalo.
BEES NAPIER, DETROIT D PAIR MAY BE ON MOVE
Number of NAHC Veterans With Expiring Contracts
32-year-old right winger Viv Napier, who won 4 Challenge Cups with the Boston Bees, highlights the list of players who may be free to sign with other NAHC clubs when their contracts expire on June 30. Napier missed over half the season due to an injury and scored just 2 goals along with 11 assists in 20 games -numbers that appear to have the Boston Bees convinced his usefulness to the club has been outlived. Napier had a career best 17 goals in 1943-44 and has 30 points in 57 playoff games this decade including a goal and 4 assists in the Bees Cup run last month. He was paid a reported $12,000 by the Boston club this past season and it appears the team feels that money is better spent elsewhere.
A pair of veteran Detroit defenseman have refused to resign with the Motors and are also expected to be available to the highest bidder on July 1. 36-year-old Bernie Dunton had a career low 10 points this past season while 32-year-old Phil Denman scored 4 times and added 8 assists but often voiced his displeasure with a lack of ice-time in his first full season in the Motor City after beginning his career in Toronto.
Others who are presently unsigned and may be available July 1 include 22-year-old New York Shamrocks defenseman Derek Hansen and a large group of Brooklyn Eagles including defensemen Ryan Kennedy, Chad Roy and Pat Green as well as Montreal forwards Reed Hathaway and Tony Narand and veteran Toronto Dukes forwards Dick Klein, Rosie McInnis and Sam Koger.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
One has to wonder if Montreal Valiants owner Charles LeClerc was paying much attention to what went down in Toronto recently. The Dukes had an awful season on the ice -no denying that- and this after our beloved Vals showed them up in the playoffs last June. The problem is that is about all we can gloat about as we seldom get the better of our Ontario rivals. I do find it interesting that Dukes mogul David Welcombe parted ways with one of the league's most successful coaches because of one awful season.
Makes you question if LeClerc is asleep at the switch. Denny McLachlan has never won a title in his 7 seasons at the helm of the Valiants. He has never guided the club to a regular season finish higher than third and now our 4 year streak of playoff appearances has come to an end. In the same number of games behind the bench (336), Norb Hickey won nearly 50 more contests in Toronto than McLachlan won here in Montreal. Hickey - a Montreal native by the way- also has 2 Challenge Cups, a bauble this city has not greeted since 1937 -and that was for the old Nationals. The Vals have not had a Cup parade since 1928 and are 0-4 in the finals over that stretch, including losses under McLachlan in the the '44 Cup -to Hickey's Dukes- and to Boston a year ago. Yet Hickey -with his hand adorned with a pair of Cup rings- is now looking for work and sure to find it with his impressive resume. Meanwhile, McLachlan appears to be secure in his post and ready to guide to Vals to another year of mediocrity. Perhaps it is time for that to change. Wouldn't it be something if one of Montreal's most successful sons were to return home and lead the Vals out of the wilderness of mediocrity that they have been lost in for two decades?
The Toronto Mail & Empire has secured an interview with newly appointed head coach Jack Barrell. Although it is May with the Wolves taking up the majority of print the chance to give the Dukes fans something to debate over the summer was a opportunity that could not be missed by the paper.
Mail & Empire: Welcome back to Toronto in probably what was the worst kept secret in the NAHC.
Barrell: Thank you. I am glad to be back in Toronto where hockey is king although the Wolves are trying to usurp that position especially after the last hockey season. I am looking forward to the challenge of returning the Dukes to their rightful position as the most feared team in the NAHC.
Mail & Empire: What is the first thing you would like to tell the Dukes fans.
Barrell: The first thing I would ask of the fans is patience. Last year was a disaster brought about by some questionable player moves made by the previous management team. The nucleus of good team is here although it may take a few seasons to put all the pieces in place along with a new system. One thing I will guarantee is that the faithful will be seeing a team that will play hard as a unit. Seventh place with only 35 points is not what these fans deserve, it is my job to give them a better team.
Mail & Empire: What were the questionable moves of the last regime?
Barrell: That is history that cannot be changed, no sense looking back, it is time to move forward with the Dukes. My meetings with the new GM have been fruitful, we are the same page on how this team has to play to move ahead in the NAHC. I am still trying to get my feet on the ground here, my initial review of what is here, what is in the system has given me, along with the GM, the basis of a plan for 1947-48 season.
Mail & Empire: Would you care to share any of that plan?
Barrell: The plan is still in its infancy. it needs to be fleshed out over the summer. It will be built around Gordie Broadway, arguably the best goaltender in the league, last season was not normal, Gordie did not forget how to tend goal, having his goals against average jump by almost 2 per game goes to the entire team: forwards, defensemen, goaltending. The Dukes hung the goaltender out to dry many games, Broadway faced 10 more shots per game last season. The first order of business is install a new defensive system. The current Dukes do not have the personnel to play a firewagon brand of hockey, so expect to see a lot of 2-1, 3-2 games this year. The first priority will be keeping the puck out of our net. We will be a tight checking and hard nosed, but not dirty, unit smothering and frustrating other teams forcing them to give up the puck. One thing I will demand is that all players finish their checks. It is surprising that even at the NAHC level the number of players that will cough up the puck, rather than take a hit to make a play. The Dukes will be known as team that finishes every single check, also a team that will take a hit to make a play. It will be a hard-hitting entertaining brand of hockey although not high scoring.
Mail & Empire: Sounds interesting, any other nuggets to share?
Barrell: Funny you use the word nuggets. The GM and I are putting together a plan I have been discussing with the players as I contact them to discuss the future. I have told them all to be prepared to gather in Toronto before the middle of September then head north on the train for an extended training camp in the Porcupine area, a gold-mining hotbed. The McIntyre Arena, which is a scale model of Dominion Gardens, has year round ice. I plan to start camp there along with playing a few exhibition games against teams in the Porcupine Mines League - a Northern Ontario Sr. A loop. I have been told that the league plays a style I want to instill in the Dukes, fast paced, tight checking, hard hitting. Who knows we may find a few players that deserve a chance in the Dukes system? We should come out of camp in shape with our system in place for exhibition games with NAHC opponents.
Mail & Empire: Sounds like the plan is already coming together, can we contact you over the summer?
Barrell: Please do, I will keep you update with the plans, your paper should send a reporter north with the team.
OTHER HEADLINES THIS WEEK
- The St Louis Pioneers continue to lead the Federal Association after having the loop's worst record a year ago. Meanwhile, rumours are circulating of a manager change for the struggling New York Gothams.
- Boulder State, a former charter member of the AIAA's Rocky Mountain Conference has announced a switch to the Plains Athletic Association beginning with the 1947-48 academic year. That boosts the Plains section to seven schools with the Grizzlies joining College of Omaha, Daniel Boone College, Eastern Kansas, Iowa A&M, Lawrence State and Oklahoma City State.
- Welterweight title hopeful Rudy Perry had a short night, claiming a first round knockout of Keith Bowman in Friday ring action in Perry's hometown of Philadelphia.
- Turkey has announced that it will use all of its $100 million loan from the United States to strengthen its army and will seek a loan from the International Bank for economic development.
- The US Senate gave overwhelming approval to a labor contol bill, less drastic than the House passed, but still making far-reaching changes in existing laws.
Full national sports coverage is available in this week's edition of
THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL.