Petes keep pace with the Generals
Petes and Generals both win games in shootouts to remain tied in points for first place in OHL Eastern Conference.
Looking back over the 61 seasons of the Petes, one particular season has a lot in common with the current Petes season.
The 1971-72 edition of the Petes had their previous year end in disappointment much like our current Petes team. The Roger Neilsoncoached 1970-71 team finished in first place but fell four games to one to the Toronto Marlies in the first round of the playoffs. The turning point of the upset was the Petes loss of their captain Craig Ramsay who sustained a concussion in a mugging from Marlies tough guy, Steve Durbano.
On the other hand Neilson didn’t help his rapport with the referees. In game three of the series, down 4-2 in the game, he picked up a delay of game penalty with 11 seconds remaining. The rule called for a penalty shot. Neilson pulled his goalie, John Garrett and sent in the backup, Paul Elford. Rules then allowed a full two minute warm-up which the Petes took. Then when Marlies player Dave Gardner skated in, Elford skated out of the net letting him shoot into the empty net.
Over that summer tragedy struck the Petes when Jim Mahon, a promising star and sure-bet NHL player, was killed in an accident on the family farm.
That fall coach Neilson invited 60 players to training camp because he had a lot of spots to fill. Besides the tragic loss of Mahon, eight players went overage including Ramsay and starting goalie Garrett.
Through the draft and invitees an outstanding group of rookies augmented the returnees. Paul McIntosh, Mike St. Cyr, Detroit native Bill Evo, Jim Turkiewicz and Neil Korzack all made the team as rookies. Also Neilson’s network of bird-dogs found a player in Holland, Bob Smulders.
Returning veterans included Ron Lalonde, appointed captain, Doug Gibson, Colin Campbell, Dan Gloor, Rick Chittick, Paul Raymer and goalie Paul Elford. Bob Gainey was brought up from the local junior B team and early in the season, Neilson dealt for goalie Rollie Kimble.
Oshawa somehow found out Smulders had picked up a twoyear suspension while playing in the Netherlands and told the OHA. Smulders sat until his family hired lawyer Allan Eagleson and in his notoriously inimical way, got the suspension lifted.
Early in December the Petes traded for two defencemen, bushy-haired Steve Lyon and very mobile Bob Neely. But soon after another potential tragedy hit the Petes. Four rookies, McIntosh, Evo, Turkiewich and St. Cyr, were involved in a multi-car pileup on Highway 401. McIntosh sustained a broken ankle and St. Cyr a concussion. The other two players had cuts and bruises.
Then in early January Neilson traded goalies, Elford for Hamilton’s Mike Veisor, and things started to mesh. The Petes finished the regular season in third place.
In the first round of the playoffs they defeated the St. Catharines Blackhawks in five games but lost Gainey with a broken arm. Next up were their nemeses, the Toronto Marlies. Neilson added Craig Brown from the Junior B’s to replace Gainey.
With the Petes up 2-1 in the series, one of hockey’s biggest crowds in the Memorial Centre, 4,663, saw the Petes take a 3-1 series lead. Two nights later, in the Gardens, the Petes fell behind 4-0 and then scored six straight goals to win the series.
After dispatching Ottawa in the OHL final, the Petes returned to the Nation’s Capital for the first ever round-robin Memorial Cup. After winning their two roundrobin games they lost the final 2-1 to the Quebec league champions, Cornwall, on a fluke goal.
Regardless of what more adversity the current team faces, they can take inspiration to fight through from that 71-72 team.