1982 Playoffs

Two teams who had been long absent from the playoffs made their return to the post-season in 1982. Winnipeg and Nova Scotia had missed the playoffs every year since 1976. Both teams’ return, however, would be short lived. The Pioneers lasted only six games against the California Nuggets. The Claymores put up a good fight, jumping to a 2-1 lead over Quebec with two shutouts. It appeared they would advance until Quebec salvaged the series in seven games thanks to dominant play from stars JC Girard and Ron Plunkett while John Gage rebounded from a tough start to the series with a strong performance in the last four games of the series. Meanwhile, the gritty Boston Bulldogs gave the Pittsburgh Stingers all they could handle in their first round series. After the Stingers won the first two games, Danny Stevenson went down with an upper body injury. Boston took advantage, bringing the series to seven games. Stevenson would return to the lineup for game seven and scored two goals as Pittsburgh took game seven 4-3 to advance. Washington’s post-season was cut short after two consecutive finals appearances as they lost to the New York Civics in six games, while veterans Casey Beckett and Jeff Grant led Ottawa to a tough seven-game win over Montreal.

In the Western Conference, St. Louis avenged their stunning loss to Calgary the previous year. David Appleby scored nine goals in the series as the Spirits won it in six games, while in a battle of ‘70s powerhouses, LA upset the Minnesota Lumberjacks in six games. Pressure was mounting in Chicago as fans became increasingly restless after a long string of second and third place finishes and playoff failures. The Shamrocks would face Denver in the first round, a team whose season had ended at the hands of the Shamrocks two out of the last three seasons. Chicago put in a valiant effort, but the determined Denver Bulls managed to jump to a 3-1 series lead. After the Shamrocks won a face-saver in game five, Jani Kaaleppi’s hat-trick in game six for the Bulls clinched the series as Denver moved on and Chicago went home early once again.

Denver went on to play the California Nuggets in the second round in what would be one of the most exciting series of the 1982 playoffs. After the Nuggets took game one 6-2, Denver won the next three games to lead the series 3-1. Facing elimination, the Nuggets got brilliant goaltending from Yvon Tremblay as they won the next two to force game seven. In game seven, Ken Gilbert proved to be the overtime hero as the Nuggets completed the comeback to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Danny Stevenson missed the first two games of Pittsburgh’s series against the Civics, still bothered by the injury he had suffered against Boston. By the time he returned for game three in New York, the series was tied 1-1. Stevenson put the Stingers on his back for the rest of the series, leading them to a six-game series victory. Elsewhere in the East, John Gage’s brilliant play continued as Quebec stunned the heavily favoured Ottawa Beavers in five games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals to face Pittsburgh.

The St. Louis Spirits would face the LA Wizards in the other Western Conference semifinal series as the PHL’s past met its future. Stuart Holly and David Appleby did not disappoint as Holly scored 11 points while Appleby scored ten. Ultimately, the Spirits won a tough seven-game series to advance.

In the conference final round, the St. Louis Spirits would face the California Nuggets, while the Pittsburgh Stingers would face the Quebec Nationale for the right to play for the Lewis Cup. The Spirits found themselves down 2-0 heading to San Francisco as it appeared the Nuggets were on their way back to the championship round. However, the Spirits managed to win the next two on the road including an overtime win in game four to tie the series. California took the lead once again in game five and had an opportunity to end it in game six, but Appleby would be the hero, scoring two goals in a 4-2 victory in game six to force seven. Jarri Pukki was the hero in game seven, scoring in double overtime for St. Louis as the Spirits advanced to the Lewis Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history. In the East, Quebec kept things close against Pittsburgh, but their magic finally ran out as the Stingers won the series in six to advance to the Lewis Cup Finals for the second time in their history.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3 

1981-82 Regular Season

There were more power shifts in the 1981-82 season. The Quebec Nationale rose from last place in the Northeast Division all the way to second. The 34-point improvement was thanks in large part to a breakout year from rookie goaltender John Gage, an undrafted 22-year-old the Nationale had signed to be Andy Poole’s backup.

Gage had not only taken the starter’s position, he ended up winning the Whyte Trophy as the league’s top goaltender. The Nova Scotia Claymores also enjoyed a breakout year, finishing third in the division and returning to the playoffs. Young forwards Dave Mack and Owen Kennedy were largely responsible for the Claymores success as the two players enjoyed breakout years. Meanwhile, the aging Montreal Royale dropped all the way to fourth in the division and seventh in the Eastern Conference. Toronto and Detroit both dropped out the playoffs.

Injuries were a common thread in the Atlantic Division. The Pittsburgh Stingers were enjoying a strong season when on February 12, 1982, in a game in Montreal, goaltender Gary Bowen took a hard shot to the collarbone, breaking it. Bowen would miss the remainder of the regular season as the Stingers called Ron Buckner up from the minors. Buckner did an admirable job filling in for Bowen, winning 13 of his 17 starts as the Stingers won the Atlantic Division. The New York Civics also had the division title in their sights when disaster struck on November 4 against Detroit. Civics’ star defenseman Claude Clark got caught in a race with Detroit’s Bobby Vail after Vail had iced the puck. Vail pushed Clark as the two approached the boards and Clark went flying feet first into the boards, shattering both legs. After three surgeries, doctors came to the conclusion that Clark would be unable to return to the ice. After just nine seasons, Clark’s career was over. The Civics struggled without their top defenseman and with morale problems in the wake of Clark’s injury. The Civics would salvage their season, however, finishing strong with 85 points, good enough for third in the division. Meanwhile, the Boston Bulldogs finally made their return to the post-season, finishing eighth in the Eastern Conference as second-year center Craig Bush led the team in scoring with 89 points.

Out west, the California Nuggets were back on top of their game, finishing first overall in the league. Dennis Yates was on fire, scoring 54 goals and 122 points to lead the league. St. Louis took the Central Division and second place in the League as David Appleby finished second in scoring with 118 points.  The Chicago Shamrocks enjoyed another strong year despite falling short of a division title once again. It was the younger players like Valdimir Gaganov and Rob Saskin who made the difference for the Shamrocks as aging stars like Don Newman and Dave Hawthorne began to take more of a background role. In LA, Stuart Holly was hampered by injury problems, but still managed to finish third in league scoring while the Wizards finished second in the Pacific Division with 88 points. Mike Wheeler and Theodore Gill enjoyed breakout season while Adam Hanson won defenseman of the year honours as the Winnipeg Pioneers returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1976.

Concordes Unveil New Uniforms

The Long Island Concordes unveiled their new uniforms on September 10, 1981. The logo would remain unchanged but the dark jersey is now blue instead of orange, and there have been some changes made to the stripes as well as a more traditional number font. The white home uniform now features contrasting blue pants, eliminating the "tracksuit" look. "We liked the crazy design of the other uniforms." said GM Garth Simmons, "but we felt that it's time for a more mature look, we're not an expansion team anymore and we want to wear uniforms that a championship team would wear."

1981 Off-Season

1981 Entry Draft

The 1981 PHL Draft was intriguing right from the start, when the Vancouver Bighorns traded superstar forward Archie Stone to the Winnipeg Pioneers for Winnipeg’s first overall pick. The Bighorns used the pick on junior superstar Brett Townsend, the player they hoped would turn the franchise around. The draft was dominated by Canadian players early on, the first non-Canadian selected was Andy Hicks, selected fifth by Vancouver. Swedish forward Jacob Lindholm was quite possibly the second-best player in the draft, but slipped to 7^th due to concerns that he may not leave Sweden. Lundholm did sign with Long Island a month later, relieving the Concordes concerns.

1.      Vancouver (from Winnipeg) – Brett Townsend, F, CAN

2.      Dallas – Travis Curry, F, CAN

3.      Quebec – Adrian Hubbard, D, CAN

4.      Boston – Dale Knight, D, CAN

5.      Vancouver – Andy Hicks, D, USA

6.      Nova Scotia – Owen Kennedy, F, CAN

7.      Long Island – Jacob Lundholm, F, SWE

8.      Edmonton – Gary Clayton, F, USA

9.      Philadelphia – Roy Jones, F, CAN

10.   Seattle – Jason Briggs, F, CAN

11.   Detroit – Jussi Moilanen, F, FIN

12.   Toronto – Scott Reese, D, CAN

13.   New York – Darrell Cross, F, USA

14.   Calgary – Lynn Sanders, D, CAN

15.   Pittsburgh – Ian Fox, D, CAN

16.   Ottawa – Eric Bridges, F, CAN

17.   Minnesota – Hindrik Hjertsson, F, SWE

18.   Denver - Jeff Murray, F, USA

19.   Nova Scotia (from Chicago) – Evan Flowers, D, USA

20.   LA – Luke Rhodes, F, CAN

21.   Washington – Chris Greene, F, CAN

22.   California – Rick Griffin, D, CAN

23.   St. Louis – Roni Laukanen, F, FIN

24.   Montreal – Carey Morrison, F, CAN

Notable Retirements:

Johnny Bedford, D, BOS, CGY, 1964-1981

For 16 seasons, Johnny Bedford was the face of the Boston Bulldogs franchise. Bedford served as Boston’s captain for over a decade, leading them to a Lewis Cup victory in 1971, and playing a huge role in their trip back to the finals in 1976, where they lost to the LA Wizards. Late in Bedford’s career, the Bulldogs began to rebuild and towards the end of his last season in 1980-81, Bedford was traded to the Calgary Wranglers. After helping the Wranglers to their first Lewis Cup title, Bedford signed with Boston once again for just one day to announce his retirement as a Bulldog.

Bjorn Rasmussen, F, CHI, VAN, DET, STL, 1958-1981

In 1958, Norway native Bjorn Rasmussen became the first-ever European-trained player to make it to the PHL. Rasmussen quickly became one of Chicago’s better players through the 1960s until he suddenly left the Shamrocks to join the Vancouver Bighorns of the rival Global league. In 1969, Rasmussen returned to the PHL with the Bighorns in the PHL/GHL merger but was traded to Detroit in 1972, where he won two consecutive Lewis Cups with the Mustangs before playing the final six years of his career alongside phenom David Appleby in St. Louis.

Don Banks, F, DET, 1961-1981

Almost everyone knew Don Banks would be good from the beginning of his 20-year career. In 1961-62, Banks scored 52 goals as a rookie as his Detroit Mustangs reached the Lewis Cup Finals. A year later, Banks’ Mustangs won the Lewis Cup for the first time. Don Banks would play a major role in Detroit’s dynasty throughout the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. He would then stay in Detroit through their rebuild immediately after and led the Mustangs to a few surprising playoff runs towards the end of his career. The Mustangs have said they will retire Banks’ number 13 on opening night in 1981-82.

Phil Halas, F, NYC, 1961-1981

Phil Halas was easily New York’s best forward throughout the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, a time when the Civics were best known for their defense. Halas led the team in scoring 13 out of the 20 years he played with the team and helped lead them to a Lewis Cup victory in 1975.

Gil Parsons, F, PHI, 1965-1981

One of the toughest players ever to play the game, Gil Parsons personified the nasty Philadelphia Redshirts teams of the 1970s. Parsons’ personal rivalry with Boston captain Johnny Bedford perfectly represented the intense rivalry between the Redshirts and Bulldogs. Although Parsons never won the Lewis Cup, he led Philly to the finals in 1968 and 1974.

Transactions

Vancouver trades F Archie Stone to Winnipeg in exchange for 1^st overall draft pick.

Winnipeg gets a superstar player who can take them from the basement to contention, Vancouver now has two top-five picks including number 1.

Chicago trades F Jim McCarthy and 1^st round draft pick to Nova Scotia in exchange for F Eddie Gibbs.

The Shamrocks add another superstar to their lineup in Gibbs as they continue to push for a title while the Claymores get a second pick in this years’ draft along with a solid prospect in McCarthy.

News

On July 16, 1981, Quebec Nationale owner and founder Jean Poulette passed away at the age of 80. Poulette’s daughter, Olivia, took control of the team, becoming the first female owner in the “big five” major sports leagues.

In other league news, the PHL decided to pull the plug on the long pants they had experimented with the previous two seasons. Both Denver and LA had already cast theirs aside in favor of the more traditional pants and socks, now Edmonton and Long Island would also revert back to the classic look. Long Island announced they would make other changes to their uniforms as well, which would be revealed just prior to the start of the season.

1981 Lewis Cup Finals

The 1981 Lewis Cup Finals featured a rather unexpected matchup between the Washington Generals and the Cinderella Calgary Wranglers. Washington was seeking its first title since 1955, when the team still played in Hamilton, while Calgary was hoping to win their first Lewis Cup in franchise history and become the first Canadian team to win the championship since the Montreal Royale did it in 1968.

Game one took place in Washington on May 13, 1981. Immediately, Calgary took the lead thanks to a goal from Bruce Ricketts. Washington responded with a goal from Gilbert Boudreau before the Wranglers jumped ahead 3-1. The Generals brought the game within a goal at the start of the third period but Calgary goaltender Dick Lentz stood on his head to preserve the win. After losing home ice advantage in game one, Washington came out with a sense of urgency in game two. Joe Tyler scored first before Archie Stone made it 2-0. It appeared the Generals were in control. Then, with just three minutes left in the second period, Calgary’s Pete Powell and Don Taylor each scored to tie the game. Washington would respond early in the third with a goal from Gerry Stokes to make it 3-2 Washington. The final minutes were intense as Don Lapin made save after save to maintain Washington’s lead. Finally, when Calgary pulled Lentz for the extra attacker, Jeff Leroy slid the puck into the empty net to seal the game for the Generals.

With the series tied 1-1 heading home, the Wranglers were a confident team. Meanwhile Washington was beginning to feel the pressure, knowing they now had to win at least a game in Calgary. Game three was another close one, another 2-2 tie until the third period when Warren Jensen scored two goals within a couple of seconds. That was all it took as Calgary skated to a 4-2 victory. After losing game four in overtime, Washington was in trouble. Game five was back in Washington and the Lewis Cup was in the building. The Generals dominated the play early on. Jeff Leroy opened the scoring for Washington and the Generals held on to the 1-0 lead for the remainder of the first period thanks in part to some big saves from Don Lapin. Just seconds into the second period, Johnny Bedford drilled it past Lapin to tie the game.  Just one minute later, Warren Jensen gave Calgary the lead with a beautiful run up the ice where he deked every Washington player on the ice to put the puck top shelf. Calgary tried to hold the lead but gave up a goal to Washington’s Gerry Stokes. Entering the third period, the game was tied 2-2. Both teams played a tight game the first several minutes into the third before the Wranglers began to attack. Don Lapin turned away shot after shot before Don Taylor finally found the back of the net. Calgary now led the game 3-2 and was just four minutes away from winning it all. Now it was Washington’s turn to turn on the pressure. Dick Lentz came up huge in the final minutes, stopping 13 quality shots in the last two minutes. With just 11 seconds left, Stokes had a wide open net but rung it off the post. As time wound down the Calgary players piled off the bench and mobbed Dick Lentz. Warren Jensen, the playoff MVP, accepted the Lewis Cup from Alan Garcia. For the first time in franchise history, the Calgary Wranglers were Lewis Cup Champions.

1981 Playoffs

If the battle of Ontario seemed to intensify during the regular season, it tension mounted exponentially when the Beavers and Racers met in the first round of the playoffs. Game one took place at the Capital Arena in Ottawa and Beavers supporters once again turned out mostly dressed as cavemen. Toronto would silence the boisterous crowd in game one with a 5-3 victory, but they would be back for game two as loud as ever. Ottawa would treat their fans to a 3-1 win in game two, as things predictably boiled over on the ice. Beavers’ tough guy Randy McCracken bumped Racers’ goalie Ralph Morello late in the third period and everybody jumped into the ensuing scrum. Within the final two minutes of the game, a total of 66 penalty minutes were handed out including four fighting majors. Although play remained tense and the rough stuff continued in Toronto for games three and four, things did settle down just a bit as the Racers jumped to a stunning 3-1 series lead. Toward the end of game four, Ottawa’s frustration came out once again as Jeff Grant was ejected for a sucker punch on Toronto’s Bruce Carson. Before being ejected, Grant also received a thorough beating from Toronto enforcer Rex Hull that left him bloodied while the two benches yelled threats and obscenities at each other throughout the final minutes. Heading back to Ottawa, the Racers had a chance to close out the Beavers and move on. Jeff Grant was suspended for three games and the Beavers knew they had an uphill climb. Thanks to goals from Derrick Rowe, Rob Ashley, Brad Tearney, and Tony Knight, the Beavers staved off elimination with a big 4-2 win. In game six, Rex Hull and Randy McCracken squared off in a heavyweight battle just seconds into the game which seemed to calm both teams down as Ottawa earned a gutsy 3-2 win to force game seven. In game seven, Toronto was simply outclassed once again as the Beavers showed just how deadly and offensive team they could be, winning the game 6-2 with captain Casey Beckett scoring a hat-trick. The Beavers were not the only team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the first round. The Pittsburgh Stingers found themselves facing elimination three times against the New York Civics before Danny Stevenson put the team on his back, leading them to a seven-game victory. Elsewhere in the East, Washington also took seven games to take down Detroit, and Philadelphia came back from a 2-0 deficit to shock Montreal in six games.

In the Western Conference, the Seattle Grey Wolves gave St. Louis a bigger challenge than expected, nearly taking a 3-2 series lead with a 3-2 lead in game five with the series tied 2-2. Dave Appleby proved to be the hero, however, scoring both the tying goal and the OT winner before scoring the winner in game six as well as the Spirits moved on. The defending champion California Nuggets appeared to be in control of their series with the Calgary Wranglers after taking a 2-0 series lead. However back-to-back overtime victories for the Wranglers at home tied the series 2-2. In game five Calgary captain Warren Jensen was the hero with a big two-goal night as Calgary moved ahead three games to two with a 4-2 win. Game six would go to overtime again this time with Gary Mendoza proving to be the hero for Calgary as the Wranglers completed the upset and moved on to the second round. Also in the Western Conference, Minnesota defeated LA 4-2, while the Denver Bulls ditched their long pants after a string of losses to finish the season. It wouldn’t help as they lost to the Chicago Shamrocks in seven games.

Round two would see two of the game’s biggest rivalries take center stage. The Chicago Shamrocks faced the Minnesota Lumberjacks in a matchup already filled with hate before the puck even dropped. The series was tied 2-2 after four games in an already fight-filled series before the ‘Jacks took a 3-2 series lead with a 3-2 win in game five. Facing elimination to their hated rivals in game six, Chicago came out swinging, literally, as two big line brawls took place early on. When the rough stuff began to spill over into the crowd, officials were afraid the benches would clear and so they sent both teams to the locker room for ten minutes to cool off while things were cleaned up on the ice. When the game resumed, Vladimir Gaganov scored his first career playoff hat-trick as the Shamrocks sent the series to seven with a 3-1 win. As the Chicago players went to celebrate with goaltender Tim Massey, some of the Lumberjacks got tangled up between the Chicago team and their goalie. Pushing and shoving ensued and before long gloves and helmets began flying as players began to pair off and swing at each other. When the dust settled, four players found themselves suspended for game seven. Chicago’s Rob Saskin and Lester Brooks and Minnesota’s Brett Flores and Jimmy Andrews would miss the deciding game. Chicago came out strong in game seven. Vlady Gaganov enjoyed another big night with two goals as the Shamrocks advanced with a 5-3 win. At the end of the game, which proved to be another fairly rough one, the officials decided to send both teams off the ice immediately, forgoing the traditional handshake and not even allowing the Shamrocks to celebrate the victory on the ice. It was a somewhat fitting end to one of the roughest series in a long time.

Although it was not quite as hate-filled as the Chicago-Minnesota series, Washington and Pittsburgh also played each other hard in a tough seven game series that was eventually won by Washington. The series was highlighted by injuries to star players on both sides, as Gerry Stokes went down in game two with a sprained wrist, while Danny Stevenson was knocked out for the remainder of the series in game three with a dislocated shoulder. Stokes would return in time for game seven to help Washington advance. In other second round action Ottawa defeated Philadelphia in five games, while the Calgary Wranglers pulled off another shocking upset over St. Louis in six games with Warren Jensen scoring an incredible eight goals in the series including a hat-trick in game four.

Jensen’s dominating play continued as the Wranglers entered the conference finals against Chicago. The Shamrocks took game one 3-1, but Jensen scored twice in game two to give his team a 3-2 win. In game three, Johnny Bedford’s point shot in OT gave Calgary a 2-1 series lead before another two-goal game from Jensen gave the Wranglers a 3-0 win in game four and a 3-1 series lead. In game five, it appeared Calgary would advance when they took an early 2-0 lead that lasted into the third period. However, the Shamrocks stormed back in the third with goals from Gaganov, Rob Saskin, and Don Newman as Chicago forced game six back in Calgary. Back home for game six, the Wranglers were nervous. They had Chicago on the ropes and had had a chance to pull off a third straight upset but let the Shamrocks back into the series. Once the game began, Warren Jensen stepped up once again with his third two-goal game of the series as Calgary skated to a 5-2 victory. After upsetting three powerhouse teams in the Western Conference, and flying under the radar all year long, the Calgary Wranglers were headed to the Lewis Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history. Meanwhile, it was the battle of the capital cities in the Eastern Conference Final as Ottawa took on Washington. The series would be a brief one as the Beavers simply could not muster the offense they had in previous series nor could they intimidate a very disciplined Generals team. Washington held Ottawa to only seven goals all series, eliminating them in five games to advance to the Lewis Cup Finals for the first time since 1955, when they were known as the Hamilton Kings.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

1980-81 Regular Season

Uniforms Worn in 1980-81:

1980-81 seemed to be characterized by shifts of power. Powerhouses from the ‘70s such as LA and Minnesota found themselves beginning to drop in the standings, while clubs like Washington, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and the defending champion California Nuggets found their way to the top. Now two years removed from their impressive dynasty, the LA Wizards dropped to second place in the Pacific Division for the first time since 1973, finishing just one point behind California, who took first place in the Pacific thanks to a 100-point effort from Captain Dennis Yates. Seattle returned to the post-season while Edmonton struggled, losing ten in a row in March to drop out of playoff contention. David Appleby enjoyed an incredible season that saw him score 63 goals thanks in large part to Niklas Ekberg’s 77 assists. On the strength of the dynamic duo, the Spirits won the league regular season title for the first time in franchise history, just edging out California by two points for the top spot. In Chicago, Vladimir Gaganov enjoyed a very successful sophomore year, scoring 48 goals to lead the club in scoring once again as the Shamrocks took second place in the Central. Denver also made a push for the division title as the Central Division proved to be arguably the toughest in the league. Minnesota keenly felt the loss of their longtime captain Guy Dupont. Despite a solid effort in goal from Bobby Sorel, the aging Lumberjacks dropped all the way to fourth place in the Central Division, while Dallas dropped back out of the playoffs after a disappointing 24-win season.

The 1980-81 season also saw a few big rivalries develop. After meeting in the playoffs twice in the previous three years, things were getting tense between the Pittsburgh Stingers and Washington Generals. Things boiled over in a home-and-home series on December 19 and 20 when Pittsburgh’s Nate Carroll delivered a vicious elbow to the head of Washington’s Tommy McGuire. Carroll was suspended for five games but the Generals still wasted no time going after the Stingers in Washington December 20. Several fights broke out and even Danny Stevenson got involved when he fought defenseman Joe Kelly in his first career fight. There would be more incidents like this between the two teams throughout the year, but the rivalry still would not equal the lengths the Ottawa Beavers and Toronto Racers rivalry escalated to. All year, as usual, the two teams played each other hard and nasty, even chirping each other off the ice and to the media. But on February 2, the intensity found a whole new level. Three nights earlier, Ottawa defenseman Ben Stewart caught Toronto’s Pasi Villanen with a devastating hit that knocked the young Fin out for three games. After a few more questionable hits from Ottawa players, Toronto coach Dave Mills called out the Beavers for their dirty play, calling them “a bunch of cavemen.” When the Racers visited the Beavers on February 2, much of the Ottawa crowd came dressed as cavemen, carrying plastic clubs and bones. When Toronto put the game out of reach, the fans began to litter the ice with the props while the on-ice officials struggle to maintain order on the ice as several fights broke out. Finally, afraid the benches would clear, the officials decided to end the game, giving it to the Racers. Needless to say, the decision was not a popular one with the Ottawa fans, who began to litter the ice even more. On March 1, the rivalry finally culminated with a heavyweight fight between Ottawa captain Casey Beckett and Toronto enforcer Rex Hull at the Queen Elizabeth Arena. Ottawa would eventually get the better of the Racers, finishing second in the Division with 91 points.

While the rest of the Eastern Conference teams were beating up on each other, the veteran-heavy Montreal Royal enjoyed another strong year. Most of the Royale’s success came from a big year from 12-year vet Emmett Husdson, who scored 44 goals and a total 128 points in his best season ever. In the Atlantic, Washington would need only 38 wins to claim the division, thanks mostly to their 14 ties. This made them the first team since the 1973 Calgary Wranglers to win a division with less than 40 wins. Philadelphia, after some disastrous seasons at the end of the 70s, finally returned to the playoffs, While Boston struggled once again as they continued their rebuild with a stunning move, trading longtime captain Johnny Bedford to Calgary in exchange for top prospect Justin Brady at the trade deadline. Although the fans were upset, Boston Management defended the move saying Brady would be an important piece in the rebuild and a player who could potentially play a full-time role the following season. Meanwhile Calgary now felt they had a veteran player in Bedford who gave them an enormous boost heading into what figured to be a very intriguing post-season.