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Hartford, Connecticut January 18, 1977 Louis Levasseur, a man without a team after his Minnesota Fighting Saints folded a day earlier, backstopped the East to a 4-2 win, despite the West's 51 shots on goal. For his heroics, Levasseur was named the game's co-MVP, with Winnipeg's Willy Lindstrom, who had a goal and an assist. The game was played at Hartford's new Civic Center Arena, which would collapse exactly one year to the day later. |
1st period: 1. East: Tremblay (Leduc, Sobchuk) 11:17; 2. West: Shmyr (Lindstrom, Lacroix) 11:58; 3. East: Tardif (Stapleton, Bernier) 14:56.
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Coach: Bobby Kromm (Winnipeg) Goaltenders: Wayne Rutledge (Houston), Joe Daley (Winnipeg). Defensemen: Thommie Bergman (Winnipeg), Paul Shmyr, Kevin Morrison (San Diego), Barry Wilkins (Edmonton), Poul Popiel (Houston), Paul Terbenche (Calgary). Forwards: Bobby Hull, Ulf Nilsson, Anders Hedberg, Willy Lindstrom (Winnipeg), Robbie Ftorek, Del Hall (Phoenix), Cam Connor, Gordie Howe (Houston), Joe Noris, Andre Lacroix, Norm Ferguson (San Diego), Danny Lawson (Calgary). |
Coach: Jacques Demers (Indianapolis). Goaltenders: Louis Levasseur (Minnesota), John Garrett (Birmingham). Defensemen: Pat Stapleton (Indianapolis), J. C. Tremblay (Quebec), Ron Plumb, John Hughes (Cincinnati), Gordie Roberts, Thommie Abrahamsson (New England). Forwards: Serge Bernier, Real Cloutier, Marc Tardif (Quebec), Richie Leduc, Dennis Sobchuk (Cincinnati), Michel Parizeau, Hugh Harris, Blair MacDonald (Indianapolis), Mike Rogers, George Lyle, Ralph Backstrom (New England), Mark Napier (Birmingham). |
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WHA East Goalies Halt West Stars • no byline • The Sporting News • February 5, 1977
Louie Levasseur combined with Birmingham goalie John Garrett to stop 49 shots, highlighting the East All-Stars' 4-2 victory over the West in the World Hockey Association All-Star Game January 18. The total of 51 shots on goal by the West was an All-Star Game record. The East had only 27 shots. Levasseur was the East's Most Valuable Player and WHA's leading goalie — 2.73 with two shutouts in 30 games. He said he was thrilled playing in the game, but had something else on his mind. A 27-year-old goalie, Levasseur was one of seven players recently sold by the Minnesota Fighting Saints to the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton is in the West Division of the WHA, but for All-Star purposes, Levasseur remained in the East. "All I was thinking about was what's going to happen next," said Levasseur. "I'm not sure I'm going to go to Edmonton. I have no objections to playing there, but I didn't like the way things happened, especially what is happening to the other Minnesota players." Levasseur was pleasantly surprised at being selected the East's MVP, but he felt the award should have been shared with Garrett, his goaltending partner. The West Division MVP was Winnipeg's Willy Lindstrom. Defenseman J.-C. Tremblay scored the first of three goals by Quebec players to give the East a 1-0 lead at the 11:17 mark of the first period. After San Diego's Paul Shmyr tied the contest 41 seconds later, Marc Tardif of Quebec again put the East in front. The go-ahead goal came with 5:04 left in the opening period. The East led, 2-1, but the West held an 18-7 shooting advantage in the first 20 minutes. Levasseur sparkled in the second period, too. Playing just over half the game, he kicked out 27 of 28 shots. Garrett stopped 22 of 23. "We must have had at least 30 shots from in close," Shmyr said. "But it was like they had plexiglass in front of the net." Lindstrom, who assisted on Shmyr's goal, pulled the West into a 2-2 deadlock at 4:07 of the third period. He was set up by Edmonton's Barry Wilkins. At 7:57 of the final period, Quebec's Real Cloutier put the East ahead to stay. Cloutier, the MVP in last year's All-Star Game, whipped a shot behind Winnipeg goalie Joe Daley after assists by Tardif and Cincinnati's John Hughes. New England's George Lyle, playing before a near-capacity crowd of 10,337, provided his hometown fans with a thrill when he scored at the 8:35 mark. Lyle was the only rookie to play in the game. Said winning Coach Jacques Demers of Indianapolis: "We knew we had good goaltending. That's why we gave them so many shots — to see just how good it was." Phoenix center Robbie Ftorek wondered: "How do you lose when you get 50 shots? Phoenix doesn't get 50 shots in a week." |
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