Note- There won't be a lot of hockey news posted here for a bit as it will be a quiet period for the NAHC with only the hardware to be handed out before things heat up in July with the draft. A reminder the NAHC is an online league and part of Legendsport's Figment universe, so we advance one week a day (Monday thru Friday) in all 3 of our current online sports: baseball, hockey and basketball with college basketball and pro football likely going from solo leagues to online in the coming seasons.
April 26, 1948
PHILADELPHIA AND ROCHESTER MAKE HAA DEAL
The Philadelphia Rascals of the minor league Hockey Association of America have added some veteran leadership with NAHC experience in a three player deal with the Toledo Tigers. Winger Dick Klein and defenseman Elmer Jernigan both join the Rascals, who finished third in the HAA's West Division this past season. Klein is a 34-year-old who had spent a number of years with the Toronto Dukes and played a big role in their 1944 Challenge Cup win before being let go by the club prior to last season. He had 7 goals and 23 points for the Tigers this year. Jernigan is a former captain of the Chicago Packers who also won a pair of Challenge Cups during a 3-year stint with Boston. The Bees elected not to resign the 35-year-old last year and he took his talents to Toledo, notching 7 goals and 15 points in 32 games although he was far better known during his time in the NAHC for his crease clearing work as a strong defensive defenseman.
The cost for Philadelphia was heavy in that the Rascals had to part with 24-year-old puck moving defenseman Pete Garneau. The Quebec City native was a third round pick of the Detroit Motors in 1943 and his NAHC rights are still held by the Motors although Garneau, who had spent the past four years on the Rascals blueline, is under contract for three more years. He had 3 goals and 16 points in 38 games last season and joins a Toledo club that finished second in the West Division of the HAA, two points ahead of the third place Rascals.
OTHER HEADLINES THIS WEEK
- The 1948 Continental and Federal Association baseball seasons got underway this week with the defending CA champion Philadelphia Sailors off to a quick 7-1 start.
- St Paul, Mn. native Mac Erickson is the new World Welterweight Champion after scoring a unanimous decision over Harold Stephens at Boston's Denny Arena over the weekend. Erickson is now 17-0 as a professional.
- The playoffs are underway in both of the professional basketball loops.
- John L Lewis was fined $20,000 and the United Mine Workers $1.4 million for contempt of court in the mine strike. Court delayed any jail sentence for Lewis to ward off a potential new coal strike.
- Final results in Italy's crucial elections indicate a smashing anti-Communist victory.
- Congress was told that Britian is due for a $1 billion slice of the $5.3 billion dollar European Recovery Program.
- The United States said today it would provide troops for Palestine if other countries to be selected by the United Nations would join them.
Full national sports coverage is available in this week's edition of
THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL.