Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
Shoot: R
Born: 9 May 1947, Port Arthur ON (d. 2018)
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Regular Season & Playoff Scoring Record (key)
| year | team | |||||||||||
| 1972-73 | Houston | |||||||||||
| 1973-74 | Houston | |||||||||||
| 1974-75 | Houston | |||||||||||
| 1975-76 | Houston | |||||||||||
| 1976-77 | Houston | |||||||||||
| 1977-78 | Houston | |||||||||||
| Totals: |
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Excerpts from Pro Hockey, WHA 1975-76 (by Dan Proudfoot)
His age is only 28. It only seems as though John Schella has been around forever and, actually, it wasn't until the past three years that he's really got the opportunity to play. "Schella has learned so much, just through playing regularly for us," says Aero manager Bill Dineen. "He really has improved a great deal. His puck handling has come along and, simultaneously, he has matured as a person so he doesn't take the bad penalties he used to get. "Still, it's his aggressiveness that makes him so important to us. He's hard nosed. He keeps things stirred up. You'll notice he got 176 penalty minutes, which is a lot. But they're penalties he got for aggressiveness, not for losing his temper like in the old days." |
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Excerpts from Zander Hollander Complete Hockey Handbook, 1975-76 (by Reyn Davis)
Anchors Aeros' defense when he's on the ice ... always spends his share of time in the penalty box ... "Shell's" share is usually about 180 minutes a year ... Houston's goaltenders are blessed to have his muscle in front of them ... Has a hard shot ... Takes an active role in dressing room banter ... Is not especially popular in rinks outside of Houston when he attempts to exert his authority physically ... The defense tandem of him and Poul Popiel is certainly the best in the league ... Had an amazing +43 efficiency rating ... A comedian who keeps his teammates loose with his razzing. |
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We Believe In Ourselves Aeros' Schella Declares • by Joey LeBourgeois • The Hockey Spectator • February 9, 1973
It's not hard to picture John Schella standing proudly on the deck of a Viking vessel bellowing out a song as he leans into the wind. The Houston Aeros defenseman, who happens to lead the World Hockey Association in penalty minutes, has the same air of enthusiasm and aggressiveness that a Nordic explorer may have possessed. The biggest difference would be the fact that Schella's not all a barbarian. He is, in fact, a civil 26-year-old father of two who plays hockey for a living. Like any young executive, he has definite ideas about the way he should do his job. Leading the league in penalty minutes is just a side effect of his way. "I guess you could say I'm overly aggressive," he says, "but being aggressive is my style. I don't think I'm effective unless I'm aggressive. I've always accumulated a few penalty minutes because of that, but I think that's the way the game should be played. Let's face it: it's a physical sport with a lot of body contact." At 6 feet, 180 pounds, Schella can dish it out as well as take it. He also thinks that's important: "You can't expect to hit somebody and not get hit back," he says, "but it's just part of the game. I don't hold any grudges off the ice." "I think some people who have come out of junior hockey try to change their styles. They think they should forget about being aggressive and start being more fundamental." "I just continue to be aggressive like I was taught to be in the juniors. I think what I'm mostly concentrating on now is moving the puck getting it to the forwards as fast as I can." "I feel like I'm in good shape right now and I feel strong on the ice, so there's times when I carry the puck too long. But most of the time I just try to do my job." Shella does it well. As Paul Popeil's defensive partner, the native of Port Arthur, Ontario, has played at least as consistently as the rest of the Aeros. That's been good enough for a 13-3-3 record since late December. "We've got a great hockey team," he says. "We're not only scoring a lot of goals but we're also proving that we can play good defensive hockey. And that takes us back to the old 'line a defenseman is only as good as his forwards'. We've got a lot of good forwards on this team and we're all defense minded. Now that we've gotten to know each other's moves we're in good shape. Being on a winning hockey team is a new experience for Schella, one that keeps him a happy man. After professionally playing for five years and never making the playoffs, he looks forward to the first WHA post season series. Before he made the jump to the WHA, Schella didn't know what that feeling was like. He was signed by the Montreal Canadiens in 1967 and spent the year with the Houston Apollos of the Central Hockey League. They finished last. After two years on loan to the Denver Spurs, where he got his first substantial experience, he was drafted by the new Vancouver Canucks. Half a season was spent in Rochester, then Schella was called up to the Canucks, where he finished that season and lasted one more. At that point in his career, he had never been with a contending team, and then he was drafted by the New York Islanders. When an offer came from the Aeros, he was ready to sign. Now that he's played half a year with them, he's glad he did: "We believe in ourselves now. I don't want to sound flamboyant but when we go out on the ice we know we're going to win. I don't want to go out on a limb, but I don't think we'll finish any worse than second in our division. First place is not out of reach, but I don't want to say anymore because a lot of things can happen before the end of the season. I do think we're one of the best teams in the league." |
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