Height: 5-10
Weight: 175
Shoot: L
Born: 11 Aug 1958, Kingston ON
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Regular Season & Playoff Scoring Record (key)
| year | team | |||||||||||
| 1977-78 | Birmingham | |||||||||||
| Totals: |
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Bulls Boast Teenage Bearcat: Rookie Linseman • by Reyn Davis • The Sporting News • March 25, 1978
So innocently he sat there, dressed in antiseptic white, sipping coffee, speaking softly of life with the Birmingham Bulls. A four-stitch scar fresh above the left corner of his lip told the nature of his profession and the company he keeps. At 19, Ken Linseman leads major league hockey in premeditated agitation. He almost wrecked the World Hockey Association's relations with Europe, North America and Asia. South America, Africa and Australia have been spared, but remember, he's only 19. Already he has caused one owner (John Bassett, Jr.) to be suspended for two months, brought about a change in Birmingham that has surrounded him with notorious players and started two brawls that left teammates and opponents thousands of dollars poorer and suspended for dozens of games. One would suspect he's a loud, large beast of a man, but such is not the case. Linseman isn't heavy (167 pounds) nor is he tall (an exaggerated 5-10). But he's extremely cocky when he's in a hockey arena. "We have to tone him down at times," said Coach Glen Sonmor. Linseman plays chippy hockey. Dozens of guys would like to corner him somewhere and let some air out of his balloon. But they won't because he has more bodyguards than a mafia boss. Touch Kenny, guys, and you'll have the likes of Frankie (Beater) Beaton, Dave (Killer) Hanson, Gilles (Bad News) Bilodeau, Serge Beaudoin and Steve Durbano down your neck. Linseman's arrival in the WHA was heralded by a shouting match, injunctions, the threat of boycotts and pleas to governments. Sick and tired of junior hockey, and convinced that he was wasting his time, Linseman told his agent (Art Kaminsky of New York) to start looking for a pro team that would like to hire him right away, a year before his draft year. Kaminsky found John Bassett the rebel WHA owner who delights in challenging junior hockey's claim to young adults old enough to marry, fight wars and pay taxes. Now the WHA had been. famous for "stealing" juniors before their draft year, but the raids had stopped, everyone thought, mainly because WHA owners were beginning to grow resentful. of each other in the scramble for talent. It was no longer considered appropriate in the WHA to sign young men before they became eligible for the draft at age 20. Already the WHA had signed some of its best players as 18 and 19-year-olds. Among them were Gordie Roberts and Mark Howe of the New England Whalers, Mark Napier of Birmingham, John Tonelli of the Houston Aeros and Dennis Sobchuk of the Edmonton Oilers. Wayne Dillon (now with the New York Rangers) and Jim Turkiewicz of Birmingham were two more Bassett underage signees. The howls began anew when Linseman signed with Birmingham. The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association threatened to seek a boycott of the WHA by the countries belonging to the International Ice Hockey Federation. That meant dozens of exhibition games with the Russians, Czechs, Swedes and Finns could be canceled. Still, one is entitled to wonder why a Russian in Moscow should be upset if a Canadian kid gets a job playing professional hockey when he's 19 years old. Lord knows the Russians and Czechs and Swedes and Finns have been known to usher promising and talented 16-year-olds into their national leagues Living proof in the WHA is Anders Hedberg who, as a 16-year-old, accepted money to play for the Swedish elite league team Modo. "If somebody is willing to pay me, why shouldn't I be able to accept X number of dollars instead of $75 a week?" asked Linseman. A New England judge agreed. Suddenly, Linseman was free to play for Birmingham. Promptly, the league suspended Bassett to appease the CAHA and HHF. The year before in Kingston, Ont., Linseman had scored 53 goals and earned 74 assists for 127 points in 63 games. He also had 210 minutes in penalties. Now, as the Bulls enter the final quarter of their schedule, their leading scorer is Linseman with 32 goals and 33 assists. for 65 points. He has 118 minutes in penalties and shares the league lead for shorthanded goals with four. On the ice, he plays furiously. "He'll do anything to win," said Sonmor. "We keep comparing him with Bobby Clarke when he was younger. But I don't want to put any kind of load on the kid. However, Kenny's quicker than Clarke was at his age." "Not surprisingly, he's being touted as the WHA's Rookie of the Year. However, he has a battle on his hands with Winnipeg's high-scoring rookie, Kent Nilsson. Birmingham is far from Kingston and his family of four brothers, a sister and his mom and dad. His father, Ken, played hockey with St. Mike's juniors in Toronto on a line with Frank Mahovlich and Dick Duff. Now Mahovlich is his son's teammate in Birmingham. "So far, I've saved my whole signing bonus," said Linseman. "I've bought the things I've always wanted — a good car, television and stereo." "But I find I'm not using my brain enough. My memory's getting worse. I'm not sharp. I should be doing something with my mind. Next year I think I'll try to take a couple of classes, just to get my mind working." He loves the characters who play for the Bulls. "T haven't seen anyone tougher than Bilodeau or Hanson," he said. "You know Bilodeau takes a lot of guff, but he could be a good hockey player if someone gave him the chance to play a lot. He's got a great shot. All he needs is some time to get it off." Steve Durbano is something else, said Ken. "His hands bother him a lot," said Linseman "When they're feeling okay, some days you would swear he's Bobby Orr. He has given out some of the best checks I've ever seen. Bobby Hull and Anders Hedberg can attest to two of them." "And Durbie just loves to welcome new guys to the league." Linseman is a darting, jabbing kind of hockey player who annoys and frustrates his opponents. The toughest center in the league to play against, in his opinion, is the Houston Aeros' Terry Ruskowski. "He is by far the most underrated center in the league," said Linseman. "He would help any team anywhere. And is he ever tough!" To be named Rookie of the Year would be a great honor, said Linseman, but his first goal is seeing the Bulls make the playoffs. "But if I could be the Rookie of the Year, I think it would help prove I didn't make a mistake in turning pro," said Linseman. For all the fuss surrounding his signing, he has more than erased any notions about his ability to play this game professionally at the age of 19. |
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