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St. Paul, Minnesota January 3, 1974 Andre Lacroix scored twice as the East put in five first-period goals to coast to the win. For Lacroix, his performance erased last year's snub, in which the eventual league scoring leader was left off the team. Larry Pleau also had two goals for the East, while Mike Walton had the hat trick for the West, winning the game's MVP honor. |
1st period: 1. East: Houle (Bernier, Paiement) 2:11; 2. East: Backstrom (Carleton, Stapleton) 8:02; 3. East: Pleau 10:39; 4. West: Walton (Lawson) 14:55; 5. East: Pinder (Lacroix, Shmyr) 18:38; 6. East: Lacroix (Pinder, Jarrett) 19:12.
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Coach: Bobby Hull (Winnipeg) Goaltenders: Jack Norris (Edmonton), Ernie Wakely (Winnipeg), John Garrett (Minnesota). Defensemen: Poul Popiel (Houston), Al Hamilton (Edmonton), Rick Smith (Minnesota), Ralph MacSweyn (Vancouver), Larry Hornung (Winnipeg), Bart Crashley, Gerry Odrowski (Los Angeles). Forwards: Gordie Howe, Larry Lund, Frank Hughes (Houston), Mike Walton, Wayne Connelly (Minnesota), Marc Tardif (Los Angeles), Ron Climie, Jim Harrison (Edmonton), Fran Huck, Bobby Hull (Winnipeg), Danny Lawson, Bryan Campbell (Vancouver). |
Coach: Jack Kelley (New England). Goaltenders: Gilles Gratton (Toronto), Al Smith (New England), Gerry Cheevers (Cleveland). Defensemen: PaJim Dorey, Rick Ley, Brad Selwood (New England), J. C. Tremblay (Quebec), Paul Shmyr (Cleveland), Pat Stapleton (Chicago). Forwards: Andre Lacroix, Bobby Sheehan (Jersey), Tom Webster, Larry Pleau, Hugh Harris (New England), Serge Bernier, Rejean Houle (Quebec), Rosaire Paiement, Ralph Backstrom (Chicago), Wayne Carleton, Tom Simpson (Toronto), Gerry Pinder, Gary Jarrett (Cleveland). |
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Lacroix, Walton Star in 8-4 WHA East Victory • no byline • The Sporting News • January 19, 1974
Andre Lacroix of the New Jersey Knights was overlooked when they picked the World Hockey Association East Division All-Stars last year. The snub by rival players hurt Lacroix and he responded with a second-half spurt that carried the sturdy center to the league scoring title. Lacroix made the elite list this season and he further proved his point in the All-Star Game here January 3, scoring two goals and an assist in leading the East team to a second straight victory over the West, 8-4. "I had to prove that last year wasn't just luck, that I could play good hockey," said Lacroix. "I went into the game feeling more like it was a playoff and not an All-Star Game." Lacroix, despite his performance on the winning team, was upstaged by a homeowner in the voting to pick the most valuable player. That honor went to center Mike Walton of the Minnesota Fighting Saints, who had the first hat trick in WHA All-Star games on his 29th birthday. Lacroix was second and Chicago player-coach Pat Stapleton was third in the voting. "This game meant a lot to me because of the great players out there," Lacroix said. "I wanted to prove that I deserved to be in an All-Star Game." Winning Coach Jack Kelley, who tutored the East to a 6-2 victory in the first WHA All-Star Game, said the second performance was "a fantastic game and we really enjoyed winning. "I didn't my players to make a point of forechecking," he said. "They did it naturally. They are true All-Stars. They put it together themselves and, as coach, I just tried to balance it the best I could." The nationally televised game drew a crowd of 13,196 compared with last year's attendance of 5,435 at Quebec. Player-coach Bobby Hull of the West had no alibi for his squad's defeat. "They simply outplayed us," he said. "They got four quick unanswered goals and we were out of it. They moved the puck well and we weren't doing much." |
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