DECEMBER 15, 1947
BREAKING NEWS: The Montreal Valiants have acquired all-star defenseman Shel Herron along with veteran rearguard Bryan Williams from the Detroit Motors in exchange for three young talents. Details to come in next week's edition.
WILL MOTORS BE SOLD OFF FOR PARTS AS TRADE DEADLINE APPROACHES?
The NAHC trading deadline is less than a week away and while midseason moves are not common in the sport, there is some speculation that a front-runner like Montreal, Chicago or Boston might look to add a piece that might help put that club over the top. The season is a long one -especially so with the hike from 48 to 60 games this year- but it certainly appears that both the New York Shamrocks and Detroit Motors will be hard pressed to make the playoffs so there is always the possibility one of those two teams move a veteran piece for the endless optimism of hope for the future a young talent or two can provide.
Looking at last place Detroit perhaps veteran rearguard Shel Herron might be a player targeted by both Chicago and Montreal. Neither the Packers or Vals are in need of an offensive upgrade but a solid top pairing defender may be enough to help either win its first Cup in years -well, forever for Chicago which has never won the Challenge Cup and since 1928 for the Valiants. There has been no word out of the Big Apple but Shamrocks 30-year-old defenseman Bert McCalley might be another name the Packers and Vals are both interested in. The Boston Bees might more have their eyes trained on secondary scoring and a player like Shamrocks great Orval Cabbell seems to fit that bill.
The issue all three contenders might face is whether they are willing to part with enough young assets to draw any interest out of the Shamrocks or Motors. All three of the above mentioned players are fan favourites in their community and long-time members of their resepctive clubs, not to mention the fact that all three wear letters on their jerseys.
We did see a major deal last season when struggling Toronto and New York combined to send playmaking pivot Laurel Albers to Broadway in exchange for steady rearguard Phillippe Dubois but a big midseason deal feels more than exception than the rule in the NAHC.
Code:
NAHC Standings
TEAM GP W L T PTS GF GA
Chicago 23 14 8 1 25 85 60
Montreal 23 14 8 1 25 76 70
Boston 22 11 10 1 23 65 56
Toronto 24 11 12 1 23 68 78
New York 22 8 13 1 17 62 67
Detroit 22 7 14 1 15 53 78
SCORING LEADERS
NAME GP G A PTS
T Burns, Chi 23 18 13 31
W Burns, Chi 23 10 21 31
Mahoney, Chi 22 11 19 30
Chandler, Bos 22 9 13 22
Cabbell, NY 21 14 7 21
Pollack, Tor 22 10 11 21
Albers, NY 22 6 15 21
Skinner, Mon 23 9 11 20
Sauer, Tor 22 9 10 19
Lanceleve, Mon 23 9 10 19
Lynch, Mon 18 7 12 19
Hart, Bos 21 9 9 18
Haines, Mon 19 6 12 18
Gregg, NY 17 8 9 17
Carlson, Tor 21 6 11 17
Galbraith, Tor 24 6 11 17
GOALIE LEADERS
NAME GP W L T ShO GAA
James, Bos 7 4 2 1 1 2.00
Brockers, Bos 15 7 8 0 0 2.74
Tremblay, NY 13 5 7 0 1 2.78
Hanson, Chi 18 9 8 1 0 2.85
Carter, Det 7 1 4 0 0 2.90
Touhey, Mon 21 13 8 0 1 3.15
Broadway, Tor 22 9 11 1 1 3.18
Sorrell, NY 11 3 6 1 2 3.31
Chasse, Det 17 6 10 1 0 3.70
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10
Boston 3 at 1 Chicago: Chicago entered the game riding a nine-game unbeaten streak while the Bees limped into the Windy City on a 3-game losing streak....so of course both streaks ended with rookie goaltender Oscar James turning aside 28 of the 29 Packers shots in a 3-1 Bees victory. Tommy Burns scored his league high 16th of the season to keep his point-streak going at 11 games while Jacob Gron had a goal and an assist for the visitors.
Toronto 3 at 1 Detroit: Dukes coach Jack Barrell is now 4-1 against his former team as second period goals from rookies Lou Galbraith and Dick Zimmerman -5th of the season for each- lifted Toronto to a 3-1 victory.
Montreal 4 at 1 New York: Montreal completed a sweep for the visiting clubs on this night with a 4-1 decision giving the Valiants their third straight win. Ian Doyle, Doug Lynch, Max Ducharme and Spencer Larocque scored for the Vals, who moved two points clear of Chicago for sole possession of first place.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 11
New York 4 at 5 Montreal: A sweep of the home and home series as Wayne Augustin and Ian Doyle score third period goals as Millard Touhey and the Valiants hold off the Shamrocks 5-4. Augustin had a 3 point evening for the winners.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 13
Chicago 6 at 3 Detroit: After being derailed by Boston on Wednesday, the Chicago Packers got back on the winning side of the ledger with a 6-3 doubling of Detroit. Tommy Burns scored twice, giving him points in 12 straight games while his brother Wes had a goal and 2 assists and Marthy Mahoney -the third member of the highest scoring line in the league- added two helpers. Chicago peppered beleagured Motors goaltender Henri Chasse with 59 shots.
New York 1 at 2 Toronto: First period goals from Lou Galbraith and Trevor Parker stood up as the Dukes handed slumping New York its fourth straight loss. Laurel Albers had the lone Shamrocks marker midway through the third period with Gordie Broadway bolting the door the rest of the way in the Dukes cage.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 14
Toronto 1 at 3 Boston: A long train ride overnight to Boston likely left the Dukes a little flat-footed in the early going as Robert Walker and Mickey Bedard scored in the first period to put the Bees up 2-0 in a game they would win by a 3-1 margin. Les Carlson gave Toronto hope in the second period but the Bees ice with an early third period powerplay marker off the stick of Tommy Hart.
Montreal 1 at 4 Chicago: First place was at stake as the Chicago Packers pulled even with Montreal for top spot after a 4-1 victory in which the Packers exploded for 3 games in the final stanza. Wes Burns, with his league-high 21st assist, was the only member of the Packers big trio to get on the scoresheet, bringing an end to brother Tommy Burns 12-game scoring streak. Ed Delarue, Jeremy MacLean, Jarrett McGlynn and Mike Van Tol were the Chicago marksmen with Leo Bernard the only Toronto goal scorer.
Detroit 3 at 1 New York: The battle to escape the basement went to New York as the host Shamrocks snapped a 4-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over a Detroit team that is 2-6-1 in its last 9 games and now has lost 3 straight. Jim Macek opened the scoring for Shamrocks midway through the first with Laurel Albers notching a powerplay marker in the second before Detroit's Doug Yeadon and the Greenshirts Sam Furr traded third period goals. It was the first of the season for the 35-year-old Yeadon, a member of a family with a rich tradition dating back to the creation of west coast loop, and one gets the feeling his days are numbered in Detroit.
UPCOMING REGULAR SEASON GAMES
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17
Detroit at Chicago
Boston at New York
SATURDAY DECEMBER 20
Boston at Montreal
Detroit at Toronto
SUNDAY DECEMBER 21
Detroit at Boston
Toronto at Chicago
Montreal at New York
OTHER HEADLINES THIS WEEK
- Frank 'The Tank' Melanson successfully recaptured the World Middleweight Title with a 12th round TKO of John Edmonds in their rematch after Edmonds claimed the belt with a TKO win of his own in July.
- Quarterback Pat Chappell was the MVP after throwing 3 touchdowns to lead his Kansas City Cowboys to a second straight Continental Football Conference title, beating the New York Gothams 42-13
- The Washington Wasps have qualified for the American Football Association championship game for the first time in franchise history after needing a tie-breaker to top Philadelphia for the East Division title. The Cleveland Finches beat Chicago on the final day of the season to claim the West Division.
- St Blane quarterback Ricky McCallister was also named the recipient of the Christian Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in collegiate football this season.
- Republican leaders in Congress announced agreement on a four-point anti-inflationary program which they expect to pass before this session of Congress adjourns for the Christmas holidays. President Truman blasted the plan as inadequate and insisted his 10-point plan he gave Congress three weeks ago would do the job of curbing the rising cost of living.
- Bitter clashes over the partition of Palestine continue into their second week as Britain reveals plans to surrender her Palestine mandate May 15, paving way for the Arab and Jewish states to come into being on June 1.
Full national sports coverage is available in this week's edition of
THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL.