The Times Herald from Port Huron, Michigan • Page 15

Friday, September 21, 1979 3B THE TIMES HERALD PORT HURON, MICH. Expansion may be a boon Francis believes all levels of hockev will benefit By RICK SMITH Francis also predicts that the number New-look NHL Prince ol Wolei Conference Norrlt Division Detroit Red Wings Montreol Conadlens Pittsburgh Penguins Los Angeles Kings Harttord Whalers Adams Division Boston Bruins Bultalo Sabres Toronto Maple Leafs Minnesota North Stars Quebec Nordiaues Clarence Compbell Conference Patrick Division Washington Capitals Philadelphia Fivers New York Rangers New York Islanders Atlanta Flames Smythe Division St. Louis Blues Chicago Black Hawks Vancouver Canucks Colorado Rockies Winnipeg Jets Edmonton Oilers rtl Wat 't'Ai i PM i Blues pick roster today for opener The St. Louis Blues will pick today their squad for the exhibition season opener at Atlanta Saturday night. Blues' General Manager and President Emile Francis said he would meet after this afternoon's workouts with his scouts, Coach Barclay Plager and other members of the St.

Louis hierarchy to discuss what moves to make. "Everything is progressing very well We'll be ready to play Saturday," Francis said Thursday. The question is, which players will go? A squad of 25 most likely will make the trip. The other players trying out will stay in Port Huron and prepare for Sunday night's intrasquad scrimmage at McMor-ran Arena. The 7 p.m.

scrimmage, which is open to the public, will match the St. Louis roster against the Salt Lake City (farm learn) roster. The Blues will not break their Port Huron training camp until next Friday. They host the Pittsburgh Penguins next Thursday in an exhibition game at p.m. Francis said 20 or so players will be assigned to Salt Lake and leave Port Huron that day.

Another 2t or so will stay for the game and thun depart for St. I mils next Friday morning Bll'E NOTES At least 12 players are expected lo be assigned to Port Huron. Francis said. Blues also will lie assigning players to two other Central Hockey League teams and Hampton in the Northeastern League. Flags' General Manager Morris Snider says he has first crack at players not headed for St.

Louis or Salt Lake City. Mullen, an outstanding center with Grand Kapids last year, has been hobbled by a knee injury but could skate today. player? Times Herald Sports Editor In the year 2525, if pro hockey Is still alive, the latest expansion will be the reason. So believes Emile Francis. But how can the St.

Louis Blues general manager and president say so? Expansion, you recall, is a major reason today that (1) the quality of the game has slipped, (2) that interest may" be waning and (3) minor league and all-Important junior teams have suffered. The arrival of the World Hockey Association triggered raids on junior talent. End result: underage players now are drafted by the NHL. The old WHA also diluted the product too many teams with too few good players to go around. Salaries skyrocketed.

And the NHL's decision to let its own league grow to 17 members (now 21 with the WHA teams) allowed poorly financed franchises to gain admittance. Thus teams like the Colorado Rockies repeatedly have faced financial ruin. With general managers forced to scrap up the last hockey puck and mortgage their Zambonies to keep operating, minor leagues saw needed financial support dry up. Francis says those days are over. "This expansion will be a big plus.

What will help the NHL and hockey in general is that all of hockey is under one roof. "All that money which was poured into litigation can now be spent to improve the league and for the development of players. We are seeing this already. More (NHL) teams are operating teams in the minor leagues independently and this will give the minor leagues a chance to prosper. In the end, this wUl give us a better product and that's the key," he said.

St. Louis, a bankrupt franchise two years ago, is a vivid example of what weak ownership and costly bidding for talent caused. "One thing that was, really hurt was the development of players," Francis said of the dark days, using his team as an example. "Teams were so frightened of law suits will decline but won't disappear all together. The battle over junior players rights may not be over, for example.

And another player may some day test the agreement between the NHL and the NHL Players Association which calls for compensation to be awarded to a team losing a free agent. But Francis doesn't expect the agreement to be overturned. "Dale McCourt (Detroit Red Wings) lost his case and even though he appealed it to the Supreme Court, there was doubt that it would even hear the case," Francis said. The NHL and NHLPA recently renegotiated the pact for another four years and Francis said players do not have much to complain about. "It's the best in professional sports," he said.

Francis' major reservation about expansion was the balanced schedule (two home games, two away games with every team) the NHL adopted. It will be ir. effect next season also. "I'm not a firm believer in the balanced schedule," he said. "It's nard to build up competition in our own division.

You don't have teams in your building often enough." The reallignment of divisions can be improved, too. "We should reallign geographically," Francis said. "This would help develop rivalries, and it hasn't helped us the way travel expenses have been jacked up, you know." Of course Francis didn't disagree with the Stanley Cup playoff plan. Sixteen of the 21 teams will qualify and no team draws a first round bye which was the case last season. He hopes his team qualifies this year.

But what he likes most of all is being able to spend more time on the phone talking hockey. "Geez, it's been meeting after meeting after meeting all summer," he said with a sigh. "There's a better attitude for all concerned now. We can concentrate on the problems of the game, not the law." to survive that they cut expenses where ever possible. "In any war, you find casualties, but that's behind us now.

Look at the Central Hockey League and the American Hockey League. The focus is on development, and you'll find a better attitude." The CHL, he believes, is a stronger league with new franchises in Indianapolis, Birmingham, and Cincinnati, Ohio. When the New York Islanders pulled out of Fort Worth, the Rockies stepped in thanks to the money new ownership provided. The CHL teams receive all players and coaches from the NHL clubs, similar to the farm league system established by major league baseball. As NHL teams funnel more money into the minor leagues, Francis said the International Hockey League, the Northeastern League and the Western League will receive more players and more help on player salaries.

Francis hopes the days of minor leagues folding are over. At least the established 17 NHL teams have more money to spend thanks to the handsome financial reward from the expansion. Each WHA team had to pay $6 million to enter. PLAYING FAIR? Buffalo's Larry Playfair gives an elbow to Philadelphia's Bobby Clarke in the National Hockey League exhibition opener for both teams Thursday night. Clarke is trying to keep Playfair from the puck by holding him.

Philadelphia rallied for a 5-5 tie. Error gives Mueller egde over SEM Gas in opener AUTO SERVICE CENTER "1 i SERVICESTORES Rec Softball I 4 I I I i I Eg 111 I WE RETURN WORN-OUT PARTS lV iU "1 I Vf.llLJklll "III 1L WE HONOR OUR AUTO SERVICE IlLjDU'VTi RRANTYNATIONWIOEtn Johnston had two hits for Armak. Huron St. Clair scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh but still lost lo Port Huron Paper No. 3.

Fred Hupp and Dick Artman powered the winners with home runs. Ed Evans and Brent Taylor added three hits each. Five players had two hits each for Huron St. Clair. Grand Trunk Car Shop's 5-run rally in the bottom of the seventh defeated Detroit Edison-St.

Clair. The winners were out-hit 18-11 but received the help of five errors. Ken Campbell singled home the winning run. Jim Porte added a 3-run homer and 2-run single. Bill Baldwin and Bob Campbell had two hits each.

Bryon Hazley and Bill Koch had three hits each for the losers. Inmont had no trouble with Boddy thanks to 14 hits and eight errors committed by the losers. Mike Conlan had two hits for the winners. Wirtz No. 2 built a 9-0 lead and coasted against Bindicator.

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John Suchin and Dale Lohr raced home with the deciding and clinching runs thanks to an error in the top of the 11th. Lohr, Suchin and Ben Davey Jr. each had three of the winners' 17 hits. Larry DesJardin, Ed McCabe and Stu Kilbourn each had two hits for the losers. In other games, Eugene Welding edged St.

Clair Rubber 3-2, Kroger 5:15 defeated Mueller Brass All-Stars 4-2, Prestolite No. 2 defeated Armak Tape 7-3, Port Huron Paper No. 3 out-slugged Huron St. Clair 12-10, Grand Trunk Car Shop nipped Detroit Edison-St. Clair 12-11, Inmont Corp.

routed Boddy Construction 17-1 and Wirtz No. 2 beat Bindicator 11-5. Eight games are scheduled tonight in the double elimination tournament, three at Knox No. 1, three at Pine Grove Park, one at Knox No. 2 and one at North River Road.

First games are at 6 p.m. The tournament concludes Sunday at Pine Grove. Championship game is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Eugene Welding scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to nip St. Clair Rubber which had scored twice in the top of the inning.

Randy Piotter had two hits for the winners. Vic Parman and Tom Sly had two hits for the losers. Kroger scored three runs in the first inning and held on to win despite three errors. Karl Graham had three singles for the winners. Dick Hartman had two hits for Mueller.

Prestolite No. 2 rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Armak as Ray Cornwall had two doubles. Bob Harrington and Eugene Smith added two hits each. Jim Front-End Alignment and FREE tire rotation. Paris and additional services extra if US88 needed.

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