1975-76 Cincinnati Stingers
Record: 35-44-1, 71 pts
Finish: 4th, East
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Coach: Terry Slater
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Preview, 1975-76 • Pro Hockey 1975-76 WHA • by Dan Proudfoot
The Cincinnati group that wanted to get into the National Hockey League wasted no time at all, once the old league announced it would have to wait for the privilege to pay $6 million for one of its laughable, expansion lineups. Bill DeWitt, Brian Heekin and the rest took their plans for the new Riverfront Coliseum to the World Hockey Association, did business immediately — and they haven't stopped moving ever since the date they were granted their WHA franchise, May 6th, 1973. The management of the team that was to be known as the Stingers realized they wouldn't play until 1975-76, but preparations began immediately to make the first season a winning campaign. They reasoned that it shouldn't be necessary to wait until 1975 to find players, so they began signing talent right away. Dennis Sobchuk, for instance, was a junior who wouldn't be eligible for the NHL amateur draft until 1974. Most scouts agreed, though, that he would be the best youngster in Canada by 1974, if he wasn't already in 1973, so he was signed immediately. Although under contract with Cincinnati, he played the 1973-74 season with his junior team, the Regina Pats, and then was placed with the Phoenix Roadrunners of the WHA for 1974-75. Stingers continued signing players, placing them around the league. "By the end of last season," says coach Terry Slater, "we had pretty well an entire team, playing everywhere." The result of all the careful planning is that Stingers start with a team of handpicked players. Most expansion teams, of course, in either major league, end up with players existing clubs have rejected. Indianapolis Racers of the WHA, as an example, probably have less chance of making the playoffs than do the Stingers, because the Indy team is still wheeling and dealing in search of a respectable lineup. "We know what we want," says Slater. "We hope to be an aggressive team, a tough hockey club, one that will go into the corners and fight for the puck. I don't mean a brawling team — don't misunderstand. But it must be tough. We're young, so young that we may have to sell diapers in the building. But we're going places. We're all expecting to make the playoffs." Positive thinking, of course, is only one of the cerebral approaches for which Slater is noted. He studied psychology for seven years and takes pride in finding unorthodox ways to rouse his players. Hockey folks swap stories, late at night, over tricks Slater has pulled. Like the time he walked on to the ice in the middle of a game. "It was in Fort Wayne," he says. "We had a team that should have been winning easily. An important game, too. But here we were early in the third period, down 2-0 and the guys were doing nothing. I mean, it was like they were in a trance. "What could I do to catch their attention, get them going? Then I got an idea — Just as there was a line change. I walk out on the ice. It's crazy — 8,000 people are watching, wondering what I'm doing. I slide up to the referee, a little guy, as I remember, and I shake my fist at him and I say, 'You're calling a great game, ref!' Of course, none of the fans knew what I said. The ref did, but he couldn't believe his ears. He didn't know what to say, but he had no choice but to throw me out. Naturally, my guys came alive. There was no coach left behind the bench to run things for them. They woke up and they won. The thing to remember is that you never do crazy things just for the sake of doing them. It's just that some situations call for it, and I'm always ready." Slater already has had one brief coaching term in the WHA with the short-lived Los Angeles Sharks. Never, however, has he had the backing of a solid ownership structure such as the group backing the Stingers. "We know what we need," he says, "and we'll get it. We could use a third top-quality center, one more top defenseman, and an experienced goaltender to go with Norm Lapointe, the brilliant kid we signed out of Trois-Rivieres. "By the time people read this book, we'll likely have taken care of many of those areas. We don't have the biggest budget in the league, you know, but we're definitely in for the long haul. We'll just keep building." And the NHL, undoubtedly, will watch with envy. |
Game Log ... (@ away game, * overtime)
Player Scoring
Goaltending
Transactions
• Rick Dudley, Bernie MacNeil signed to contracts, May 1975
Splits versus opposing teams, home and away, and by month
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no.
Date
Opponent
Score
w-l-t
pts
gf-ga
no.
Date
Opponent
Score
w-l-t
pts
gf-ga
1. Oct 11 @ Cleveland 1-0 W 1-0-0 2 1-0 41. Jan 11 Minnesota 4-7 L 18-22-1 37 155-186
2. Oct 17 @ Calgary 6-2 W 2-0-0 4 7-2 42. Jan 15 @ New England 2-5 L 18-23-1 37 157-191
3. Oct 19 @ Edmonton 2-4 L 2-1-0 4 9-6 43. Jan 17 @ Indianapolis 4-0 W 19-23-1 39 161-191
4. Oct 21 @ Winnipeg 0-7 L 2-2-0 4 9-13 44. Jan 21 Cleveland 8-2 W 20-23-1 41 169-193
5. Oct 23 Edmonton 6-4 W 3-2-0 6 15-17 45. Jan 23 @ Indianapolis 3-4 L 20-24-1 41 172-197
6. Oct 25 Houston 7-4 W 4-2-0 8 22-21 46. Jan 24 New England 6-3 W 21-24-1 43 178-200
7. Oct 29 @ Minnesota 6-4 W 5-2-0 10 28-25 47. Jan 27 @ Quebec 1-9 L 21-25-1 43 179-209
8. Oct 30 @ Winnipeg 0-4 L 5-3-0 10 28-29 48. Jan 28 Cleveland 4-6 L 21-26-1 43 183-215
9. Nov 1 Calgary 3-2 W 6-3-0 12 31-31 49. Jan 31 Winnipeg 2-5 L 21-27-1 43 185-220
10. Nov 6 @ New England 3-8 L 6-4-0 12 34-39 50. Feb 1 @ Edmonton 2-5 L 21-28-1 43 187-225
11. Nov 8 San Diego 7-4 W 7-4-0 14 41-43 51. Feb 3 @ Calgary 2-3 L 21-29-1 43 189-228
12. Nov 9 New England 4-2 W 8-4-0 16 45-45 52. Feb 6 Edmonton 7-0 W 22-29-1 45 196-228
13. Nov 15 Houston 8-5 W 9-4-0 18 53-50 53. Feb 7 @ Indianapolis 1-5 L 22-30-1 45 197-233
14. Nov 16 Minnesota 2-3 L 9-5-0 18 55-53 54. Feb 11 @ Cleveland 2-4 L 22-31-1 45 199-237
15. Nov 18 @ Quebec 4-6 L 9-6-0 18 59-59 55. Feb 13 @ New England 5-1 W 23-31-1 47 204-238
16. Nov 21 @ Toronto 7-8 L 9-7-0 18 66-67 56. Feb 14 Indianapolis 3-2 W 24-31-1 49 207-240
17. Nov 22 Quebec 6-9 L 9-8-0 18 72-76 57. Feb 15 Calgary *5-4 W 25-31-1 51 212-244
18. Nov 23 @ Denver 3-5 L 9-9-0 18 75-81 58. Feb 20 Phoenix 4-1 W 26-31-1 53 216-245
19. Nov 26 Winnipeg 3-11 L 9-10-0 18 78-92 59. Feb 21 San Diego 3-2 W 27-31-1 55 219-247
20. Nov 27 @ Minnesota 3-5 L 9-11-0 18 81-97 60. Feb 24 @ Toronto 9-6 W 28-31-1 57 228-253
21. Nov 29 Toronto 5-9 L 9-12-0 18 86-106 61. Feb 25 New England 5-2 W 29-31-1 59 233-255
22. Dec 3 @ Cleveland 5-3 W 10-12-0 20 91-109 62. Feb 28 Houston 2-4 L 29-32-1 59 235-259
23. Dec 4 @ Indianapolis 1-7 L 10-13-0 20 92-116 63. Feb 29 Indianapolis 2-5 L 29-33-1 59 237-264
24. Dec 6 Denver 3-2 W 11-13-0 22 95-118 64. Mar 3 Cleveland *4-3 W 30-33-1 61 241-267
25. Dec 7 Cleveland 3-1 W 12-13-0 24 98-119 65. Mar 4 @ Indianapolis 1-3 L 30-34-1 61 242-270
26. Dec 9 @ Houston 4-6 L 12-14-0 24 102-125 66. Mar 6 Indianapolis 2-3 L 30-35-1 61 244-273
27. Dec 12 @ Phoenix 4-2 W 13-14-0 26 106-127 67. Mar 7 New England 5-3 W 31-35-1 63 249-276
28. Dec 13 @ San Diego 3-3 T 13-14-1 27 109-130 68. Mar 10 @ Cleveland 2-5 L 31-36-1 63 251-281
29. Dec 16 @ Denver *2-3 L 13-15-1 27 111-133 69. Mar 12 Indianapolis 3-6 L 31-37-1 63 254-287
30. Dec 18 @ San Diego 3-7 L 13-16-1 27 114-140 70. Mar 13 New England 1-5 L 31-38-1 63 255-292
31. Dec 20 New England 4-2 W 14-16-1 29 118-142 71. Mar 17 Toronto 5-4 W 32-38-1 65 260-296
32. Dec 21 Quebec 11-7 W 15-16-1 31 129-149 72. Mar 19 @ New England *5-6 L 32-39-1 65 265-302
33. Dec 23 Phoenix 3-5 L 15-17-1 31 132-154 73. Mar 20 Houston 2-1 W 33-39-1 67 267-303
34. Dec 26 @ New England 3-4 L 15-18-1 31 135-158 74. Mar 21 @ Cleveland 1-4 L 33-40-1 67 268-307
35. Dec 27 @ Indianapolis 1-2 L 15-19-1 31 136-160 75. Mar 24 @ Phoenix 5-4 W 34-40-1 69 273-311
36. Dec 28 Indianapolis 4-1 W 16-19-1 33 140-161 76. Mar 25 @ San Diego 1-9 L 34-41-1 69 274-320
37. Jan 2 Ottawa 2-1 W 17-19-1 35 142-162 77. Mar 26 @ Houston 1-5 L 34-42-1 69 275-325
38. Jan 3 San Diego 5-3 W 18-19-1 37 147-165 78. Mar 31 Phoenix 2-7 L 34-43-1 69 277-332
39. Jan 6 @ Houston 3-7 L 18-20-1 37 150-172 79. Apr 2 Cleveland 5-2 W 35-43-1 71 282-334
40. Jan 8 @ Phoenix 1-7 L 18-21-1 37 151-179 80. Apr 4 @ Cleveland 3-6 L 35-44-1 71 285-340
pos.
Player
D Abbey, Bruce
G Aubry, Serge
RW Andrascik, Steve
D Ball, Terry
LW Beaton, Frank
RW Byers, Mike
C Campbell, Bryan
G Coutu, Rich
C Donnelly, Pat
LW Dudley, Rick
LW Guite, Pierre
G Hoganson, Paul
D Hughes, John
D Inkpen, Dave
D Justin, Dan
G Kiely, John
G Lapointe, Norm
LW Larose, Claude
C Locas, Jacques
LW MacNeil, Bernie
RW McKenzie, John
RW Myers, Murray
RW O'Donoghue, Don
D Pelyk, Mike
D Plumb, Ron
D Serafini, Ron
LW Smedsmo, Dale
C Sobchuk, Dennis
LW Sobchuk, Gene
RW Steele, Billy
LW Veneruzzo, Gary
Goaltender
Aubry, Serge
Coutu, Rich
Hoganson, Paul
Kiely, John
Lapointe, Norm
• Dale Smedsmo signed to contract, Jun 1975
• Serge Aubry purchased from Quebec, Jul 1975, subsequently released, Dec 1975
• Bryan Campbell and Murray Myers acquired in trade from Calgary for future considerations (Murray Myers himself, returned to Calgary Jun 1976), Aug 1975
• Frank Beaton signed to contract, Aug 1975
• Dale Smedsmo claimed on waivers from Minnesota, Sep 1975
• Gary Veneruzzo traded to Phoenix for Ron Serafini, Nov 1975
• Paul Hoganson signed as free agent after release from New England, Dec 1975
• Terry Ball acquired from Cleveland for future considerations, Jan 1976
• Mike Byers signed as free agent after release from New England, Feb 1976
• John McKenzie signed as free agent from defunct Minnesota, Mar 1976
opponent
overall
gf-ga
home
gf-ga
away
gf-ga
Calgary 3-1-0 16-11 2-0-0 8-6 1-1-0 8-5
Cleveland 6-5-0 38-36 4-1-0 24-14 2-4-0 14-22
Denver-Ottawa 2-2-0 10-11 2-0-0 5-3 0-2-0 5-8
Edmonton 2-2-0 17-13 2-0-0 13-4 0-2-0 4-9
Houston 3-4-0 27-32 3-1-0 19-14 0-3-0 8-18
Indianapolis 3-8-0 25-38 2-3-0 14-17 1-5-0 11-21
Minnesota 1-3-0 15-19 0-2-0 6-10 1-1-0 9-9
New England 6-5-0 43-41 5-1-0 25-17 1-4-0 18-24
Phoenix 3-3-0 19-26 1-2-0 9-13 2-1-0 10-13
Quebec 1-3-0 22-31 1-1-0 17-16 0-2-0 5-15
San Diego 3-2-1 22-28 3-0-0 15-9 0-2-1 7-19
Toronto 2-2-0 26-27 1-1-0 10-13 1-1-0 16-14
Winnipeg 0-4-0 5-27 0-2-0 5-16 0-2-0 0-11
October 5-3-0 28-29 2-0-0 13-8 3-3-0 15-21
November 4-9-0 58-77 4-4-0 38-45 0-5-0 20-32
December 7-7-1 54-55 5-1-0 28-18 2-6-1 26-37
January 5-8-0 45-59 4-3-0 31-27 1-5-0 14-32
February 8-6-0 52-44 6-2-0 31-20 2-4-0 21-24
March 5-10-0 40-68 4-4-0 24-32 1-6-0 16-36
April 1-1-0 8-8 1-0-0 5-2 0-1-0 3-6
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