1978-79 Cincinnati Stingers
Record: 33-41-6, 72 pts
The Cincinnati Stingers picked up where they left off the 1976-77 season, on a losing note. Two years ago, they finished second in the Eastern Division of the World Hockey Association after building an offensive powerhouse. But when it came time for the playoffs, the Stingers were nothing to buzz about. They were wiped out in four straight by the Indianapolis Racers.
So they lured Racers coach Jacques Demers over to give their team a defensive system and what happens. The club struggles to a 35-42-3 record, is caught in the stretch by Birmingham, finishes 7th and doesn't even qualify for the playoffs. Along the way, the offense scored 56 fewer goals, the defense allowed 29 more goals and Demers quit as coach at the end of the season to try his hand in Quebec.
New coach Floyd Smith, who coached in this city when it was a member of the American League and is said to be popular among Cincinnati fans, will hopefully not have to face some of the scoring difficulties experienced by the Stingers' scorers, who led the club two years ago and suddenly lost all their touch last year.
We're talking about Richie Leduc, who did manage good statistics in each of those two years, but has been dealt to Indianapolis, along with Blaine Stoughton, a 51-goal scorer two years ago, who slumped to 19 last year, and Dennis Sobchuk, who had 94 points two years ago and only 23 last year in 36 games. He's now with Edmonton.
Rising young stars such as Dennis Abgrall and Jacques Locas also had disappointing seasons last year. Abgrall, who had 62 points two years ago, produced only 24 last time around. Locas played in only 17 contests in 1977-78, did not score a goal and managed just two assists.
In addition, Smith comes to a Stingers squad minus the defense leader Pat Stapleton, who will be coaching in Indianapolis, and Darryl Maggs, who is playing in Europe. Stapleton led the Stingers defense corps in scoring with 49 points in only 65 games.
But there are some bright spots for Smith.
To begin with, he's got superstar Robbie Ftorek, coming off his best season ever a 59-50-109 campaign. In addition to scoring over 100 points for the third season in a row, Ftorek became the first American-born player to score fifty goals in a Major League.
Captain Rick Dudley appears to have settled his problems with management and should be able to better his 30-41-71 statistics of a year ago, while right wingers Jamie Hislop and Peter Marsh are solid after 24-43-67 and 25-25-50 campaigns, respectively.
Center Greg Carroll (15 goals, 42 points) has returned from New England, while other relative newcomers in the forward ranks include Hugh Harris and Reg Thomas from Indianapolis.
Promising centerman Dave Debol was signed off the Michigan University campus and the club also acquired a pair of left wingers, Jim Troy and Steve Sutherland (23 goals) in the interleague draft. Paul Stewart (241 penalty minutes and only 40 games) provides muscle up front.
The main strength of the Stingers, somewhat surprisingly, may lie with their goaltending. Michel Dion is only 24 and led the WHA in shutouts last year with four, despite a 3.57 goals-against average in 45 games. Mike Liut was the major backup man with 4.25 mark in 27 appearances and he's only 22.
The goaltender-rich Stingers also have Norm Lapointe and Paul Hoganson, who each saw service last year, and Cap Raeder, who once started for the New England Whalers and was picked up in the interleague draft. With such an overload of netminders, it is obvious the Stingers will be looking to make a trade once they decide which of the goalers best fit in their plans.
Defense is the most likely spot for the club to try and improve after the losses of Stapleton and Maggs, plus Ron Plumb, who went to New England in exchange for Carroll.
Craig Norwich (7-23-30), Barry Legge, Barry Melrose, and young Floyd Lahache will make up the nucleus of the defense, and will be joined by Al McLeod over from Houston, and Bryon Baltimore, who was injured much of last season, appearing in only 50 games, 28 with the Stingers.
A more settled team with strong goaltending should get the Stingers back into the playoff scene once again but reaching .500 could be a struggle. Look for the Stingers to finish fifth, well back of the teams in the WHA First Division.
Game Log ... (@ away game, * overtime)
Player Scoring
Goaltending
Transactions
• Mike Gartner signed to contract, May 1978
Splits versus opposing teams, home and away, and by month
_______________________________________
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• Article: Color of Hockey: Alton White (The Hockey News), by William Douglas — March 8, 2020
(c) Scott Surgent
Finish: 5th, League
Playoffs: Lost in quarterfinal to New England
Coach: Floyd Smith
Stingers Preview, 1978-79 • The Hockey News 1979 Yearbook
no.
Date
Opponent
Score
w-l-t
pts
gf-ga
no.
Date
Opponent
Score
w-l-t
pts
gf-ga
1 Oct 13 @ Edmonton 2-3 L 0-1-0 0 2-3 41 Jan 12 Quebec 1-2 L 16-21-4 36 141-149
2 Oct 15 @ Winnipeg 4-3 W 1-1-0 2 6-6 42 Jan 14 Birmingham 4-2 W 17-21-4 38 145-151
3 Oct 17 @ Quebec 5-5 T 1-1-1 3 11-11 43 Jan 17 Birmingham 8-5 W 18-21-4 40 153-156
4 Oct 20 Birmingham 5-2 W 2-1-1 5 16-13 44 Jan 19 @ Winnipeg 7-2 W 19-21-4 42 160-158
5 Oct 21 Edmonton 4-3 W 3-1-1 7 20-16 45 Jan 20 @ New England 1-3 L 19-22-4 42 161-161
6 Oct 24 New England 1-2 L 3-2-1 7 21-18 46 Jan 24 Winnipeg 5-5 T 19-22-5 43 166-166
7 Oct 25 @ Quebec 3-4 L 3-3-1 7 24-22 47 Jan 26 @ Edmonton 5-2 W 20-22-5 45 171-168
8 Oct 28 Quebec *4-3 W 4-3-1 9 28-25 48 Jan 28 @ Edmonton 0-3 L 20-23-5 45 171-171
9 Oct 29 @ New England 7-4 W 5-3-1 11 35-29 49 Feb 4 @ Winnipeg 1-8 L 20-24-5 45 172-179
10 Nov 1 Birmingham *3-4 L 5-4-1 11 38-33 50 Feb 7 @ Edmonton 5-8 L 20-25-5 45 177-187
11 Nov 5 New England 5-4 W 6-4-1 13 43-37 51 Feb 9 Winnipeg 4-0 W 21-25-5 47 181-187
12 Nov 8 Indianapolis 4-0 W 7-4-1 15 47-37 52 Feb 11 New England 5-2 W 22-25-5 49 186-189
13 Nov 10 Winnipeg 3-2 W 8-4-1 17 50-39 53 Feb 14 Winnipeg 1-5 L 22-26-5 49 187-194
14 Nov 11 @ New England 1-2 L 8-5-1 17 51-41 54 Feb 17 Winnipeg 6-4 W 23-26-5 51 193-198
15 Nov 12 Edmonton 5-3 W 9-5-1 19 56-44 55 Feb 18 Quebec 2-4 L 23-27-5 51 195-202
16 Nov 15 New England 4-4 T 9-5-2 20 60-48 56 Feb 20 Winnipeg 5-2 W 24-27-5 53 200-204
17 Nov 17 @ Winnipeg 6-10 L 9-6-2 20 66-58 57 Feb 23 @ Edmonton 1-3 L 24-28-5 53 201-207
18 Nov 19 @ Edmonton 3-6 L 9-7-2 20 69-64 58 Feb 25 @ Quebec 1-1 T 24-28-6 54 202-208
19 Nov 22 Birmingham *6-5 W 10-7-2 22 75-69 59 Mar 2 @ Edmonton 2-5 L 24-29-6 54 204-213
20 Nov 23 @ Birmingham 4-3 W 11-7-2 24 79-72 60 Mar 3 Edmonton 4-6 L 24-30-6 54 208-219
21 Nov 24 Indianapolis 8-5 W 12-7-2 26 87-77 61 Mar 4 @ New England *4-3 W 25-30-6 56 212-222
22 Nov 25 @ Indianapolis 3-6 L 12-8-2 26 90-83 62 Mar 7 Winnipeg 3-5 L 25-31-6 56 215-227
23 Dec 1 @ Winnipeg 6-5 W 13-8-2 28 96-88 63 Mar 10 Quebec 5-2 W 26-31-6 58 220-229
24 Dec 2 @ Quebec 0-2 L 13-9-2 28 96-90 64 Mar 11 New England 1-2 L 26-32-6 58 221-231
25 Dec 3 @ Indianapolis 4-2 W 14-9-2 30 100-92 65 Mar 13 Edmonton 5-1 W 27-32-6 60 226-232
26 Dec 5 New England 2-2 T 14-9-3 31 102-94 66 Mar 16 @ Winnipeg 3-5 L 27-33-6 60 229-237
27 Dec 7 @ Birmingham 2-4 L 14-10-3 31 104-98 67 Mar 18 @ New England 4-1 W 28-33-6 62 233-238
28 Dec 9 @ Quebec 3-4 L 14-11-3 31 107-102 68 Mar 20 Birmingham 5-2 W 29-33-6 64 238-240
29 Dec 10 @ Birmingham 0-1 L 14-12-3 31 107-103 69 Mar 23 @ Birmingham 1-2 L 29-34-6 64 239-242
30 Dec 12 Edmonton 2-5 L 14-13-3 31 109-108 70 Mar 24 Quebec 2-5 L 29-35-6 64 241-247
31 Dec 16 Birmingham 2-2 T 14-13-4 32 111-110 71 Mar 25 Edmonton 5-6 L 29-36-6 64 246-253
32 Dec 17 @ Winnipeg 3-6 L 14-14-4 32 114-116 72 Mar 28 @ Winnipeg 3-6 L 29-37-6 64 249-259
33 Dec 20 Soviet All-Stars 3-5 L 14-15-4 32 117-121 73 Mar 30 @ Birmingham 3-2 W 30-37-6 66 252-261
34 Dec 23 Quebec 6-2 W 15-15-4 34 123-123 74 Mar 31 @ Birmingham 3-6 L 30-38-6 66 255-267
35 Dec 26 @ Birmingham 2-4 L 15-16-4 34 125-127 75 Apr 3 Edmonton 1-5 L 30-39-6 66 256-272
36 Dec 28 Birmingham 5-6 L 15-17-4 34 130-133 76 Apr 7 Quebec 6-2 W 31-39-6 68 262-274
37 Dec 30 New England 2-1 W 16-17-4 36 132-134 77 Apr 11 @ Quebec 6-2 W 32-39-6 70 268-276
38 Jan 6 Czechoslovakia 1-4 L 16-18-4 36 133-138 78 Apr 12 @ New England 0-4 L 32-40-6 70 268-280
39 Jan 7 @ New England 4-5 L 16-19-4 36 137-143 79 Apr 14 @ New England 4-0 W 33-40-6 72 272-280
40 Jan 9 Quebec 3-4 L 16-20-4 36 140-147 80 Apr 15 @ Quebec 2-4 L 33-41-6 72 274-284
pos.
Player
D Baltimore, Bryon
RW Clark, Gordie
D Davis, Kelly
C Debol, Dave
G Dion, Michel
D Dornseif, Dave
LW Dudley, Rick
LW Forbes, Dave
C Ftorek, Robbie
RW Gartner, Mike
C Gilbert, Ed
C Gilligan, Bill
RW Hislop, Jamie
D Legge, Barry
G Liut, Mike
D Luksa, Chuck
D Maggs, Darryl
RW Marsh, Peter
C Meehan, Gerry
D Melrose, Barry
C Messier, Mark
D Norwich, Craig
C Parizeau, Michel
LW St. Sauveur, Claude
LW Shanahan, Sean
LW Shutt, Byron
LW Stewart, Paul
LW Thomas, Reg
D Watson, Bryan
Goaltender
Dion, Michel
Liut, Mike
• Gordie Clark signed to contract, Aug 1978
• Bryon Baltimore purchased from Indianapolis, Nov 1978
• Gerry Meehan signed to contract, Dec 1978
• Mark Messier, Michel Parizeau and Claude St. Sauveur signed as free agents from defunct Indianapolis, Dec 1978 and Jan 1979
• Rick Dudley's contract purchased by Buffalo (NHL), Feb 1979
• Bryan Watson signed to contract, Mar 1979
opponent
overall
gf-ga
home
gf-ga
away
gf-ga
Birmingham 7-7-1 53-50 5-2-1 38-28 2-5-0 15-22
Edmonton 4-10-0 44-59 3-4-0 26-29 1-6-0 18-30
Indianapolis 3-1-0 19-13 2-0-0 12-5 1-1-0 7-8
New England 7-6-2 45-39 3-2-2 20-17 4-4-0 25-22
Quebec 5-8-2 49-46 4-4-0 29-24 1-4-2 20-22
Winnipeg 7-7-1 60-68 4-2-1 27-23 3-5-0 33-45
Touring Teams 0-2-0 4-9 0-2-0 4-9 0-0-0 0-0
October 5-3-1 35-29 3-1-0 14-10 2-2-1 21-19
November 7-5-1 55-54 6-1-1 38-27 1-4-0 17-27
December 4-9-2 42-51 2-3-2 22-23 2-6-0 20-28
January 4-6-1 39-37 2-3-1 22-22 2-3-0 17-15
February 4-5-1 31-37 4-2-0 23-17 0-3-1 8-20
March 6-10-0 53-59 3-5-0 30-29 3-5-0 23-30
April 3-3-0 19-17 1-1-0 7-7 2-2-0 12-10
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WHA Fact Book, 2nd ed
Complete WHA, 11th ed