Height: 5-11
Weight: 175
Shoot: L
Born: 13 Nov 1946, Toronto ON
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Regular Season & Playoff Scoring Record (key)
| year | team | |||||||||||
| 1972-73 | Chicago | |||||||||||
| 1973-74 | Chicago | |||||||||||
| 1974-75 | Indianapolis | |||||||||||
| 1975-76 | Indianapolis | |||||||||||
| 1976-77 | Indianapolis | |||||||||||
| Totals: |
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Chicago Was In His Future • by Reid Grosky • The Hockey Spectator • January 27, 1973
Bob Sicinski always figured he'd be playing major league hockey in Chicago. But for the Cougars? "Well, the Black Hawks always were my favorite team," Sicinski says. "It's funny the way things worked out." Understandably, Cougar opponents are not laughing. Sicinski has taken over as playmaker for the Chicagoans, centering a line flanked by All-Star Jan Popiel on left wing and ex-Canuck Rosaire Paiement on the right. The line has provided nearly a goal a game since its formation in December, when Coach Marcel Pronovost replaced Dan Lodboa with Paiement. "He made a big difference," Sicinski says of Paiement. "He's very aggressive and seems to get the puck more. I'm not knocking Danny. He was playing the wrong side, and it's rough for somebody who's been playing left wing two or three years to all of a sudden play right wing." The aggressiveness of Popiel and Paiement complement Sicinski's style of play. "It's a break for the three of us," Sicinski says. "I like forwards who go into the corner, while I'll lay back and look at what's going on and pick my spots." Pronovost was impressed by Sicinski ever since he first saw him inthe minors, from a rather uncomfortable position. "He does tricks with the puck," says the Cougar coach. "The kid played against us when he was at Dallas and I was coaching Tulsa and he always killed us. When I saw his name on the Cougars' negotiation list I told (general manager) Ed Short to go all out for him." The decision to leave Dallas, Sicinski admits, was a difficult one. "I didn't know what to do. I had a very good year last year and all that. I thought that this year I might have a good chance with the Hawks. But the WHA seemed to come on so strong and seemed so persistent they finally got to me." Sicinski grew up in the Black Hawk organization, playing first for the Hawk-sponsored Dixie Beehives near Toronto and then for St. Catherines. He scored 40 goals and 75 assists one year with Greensboro of the Eastern League, then last year with Dallas totaled 23 goals and 63 assists. The Cougars are impressed with all those assists, but at times think Sicinski could be a more prolific goal-scorer. "Marcel mentions to me a lot that I should shoot the puck more, and I guess he's right," says the 26-year-old center. "But I'm so used to passing off to my wingers." Sicinski admits that if he has a weakness on the ice, it might be lack of aggressiveness. His reluctance to shoot is one manifestation, So is the fact it took him more than 30 games to pick up any kind of a penalty this season. But his finesse with the puck makes the Punch Line click and Sicinski finished the first half of the season with 11 goals and 29 assists, Popiel with 16 and 19, and Paiement with 11 and 12. "It may be the Hawks were not too impressed with Bob as a skater," wonders Pronovost. "He's not fancy. But he gets where he has to be, he's got a good shot, and he's awfully smart." |
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Excerpts from Zander Hollander's Guide to Pro Hockey, 1975-76 (by Reyn Davis)
Derisively nicknamed "Boom Boom" by his teammates after drilling a slapshot behind Jacques Plante late in 1974-75 ... Has an excellent wrist shot but, until then, his slapper was considered soft ... Valued as the Racers' best stickhandler and skater ... Has been known to take tumbles when his skates have barely been nicked by opponents' sticks ... Led Racers in assists with 34 ... Fine forechecker ... Suffered a broken jaw in the 1973-74 season with Chicago |
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