_ Major league umpires [ get substantial raise PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Major league baseball | -umpires have won sub- stantial salary Proved per dieva ¢ expenses which phould ond’ thelr work stoppage as early as Saturday, o the Associated Press learned Wednesday. The 62 2 umpires, who have refused tor work alnee before spring training, meet here Briday to announce an agreement. The umpires’ represen- tative; Richie Phillips, is scheduled to complete the ‘settlement with Leagua president Lea’ MacPhail and National League president Chub Feeney. 4 A source told The Associated Press the um- pires have been dlrected to : over the season vacations and ye ; oa travel -. “receive their , bring thelr equipment and | thelr travelling bags for the Friday mi when they'll ails of the settlement. It .is expected they'll first assign. ments of the season, and iy be on the job the y. While _— the umpires soage whe ai work major lea sey ee alot and minor league umpires to work oe ee since season atarted last month. - Jim Evans, an American League umpirg, said in Beaumont, Tex,, that he and his colleagues had been summoned to a Friday meeting in. Philadelphia. Ron Luclano of the _ American League, president of the Major League Um- pires’ Association, and Paul ng League unt eae a 8, Me are will conduct the meeting The source sald the major impetus in forging’ the agreement came from c ncinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox and Kansas Clty Royals who in letters to their ’ Jeague offices criticized the minor league and sandiot - ciflelals for bad calla that were affecting the outcome of games: Players, managers and coaches tried to go easy on the. subsHtute umpires, but seasoo)6=—shaass have progrested, tempers flared and ejections from the games increased, There have been bench clearing in- “Steal ‘and in some cases disregard, OT IRCE © knowledge of the rules. Alberta Gas Line is" _ funding Skate Canada ' OTTAWA (CP) — The financially refusiled by a large oll and gas company, the Canadian Figure Skating Association announced Wednesday. , spokesman, said the Alberta Gas Line Company will provide $176,000 over five years, commencing next year in Calgary, to keep the event running, The company will also companies involved in the construction of the northern SHORT TAKES ON SPORT with Chris Porter tural natural gas pipeline and Is Rining coats and reduced Ucket sales since its in- ception in 1978 have resulted in losses of $42,000 in Van- couver Jast year and $14,000 in Moncton in 1977. Skate Canada is an in vitational senior. cham- plonship ranked after the world and European events. Organizers were relieved when Skate Canada 1979, antes conflicted with the. pre- Olympic tournament this September Placid, NY. i TheW garena wasto - be expanded and the owners were reluctant to sign a The Stanley Cup race has been narrowed down to the best.of five’ series betwoon the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers, with fhe two teams aplitting the first two games in Montreal. The third game, slated for tonight in New York's Madison Square Garden, could be the pivotal match of the entire series. By gaining asplit of the first two games, .the Rangers have swung “home ice advantage over to their side, The Canadiens now find themselves in a position of having to win a luring the . entire playoffs, that won't be “Though : the Rangers started t the season slowly, they improved as they went along, and now. find them- selves on the Stanley Cup finals, a placea experts gave them no chance of getting to at the season's lot of credit for the: Rangers’ success has to goto their coach Fred Shero. One. of the best movea the Rangers management ever made, though it was somewhat controversial at the time, was to hire him as coach, Much the way he did in sing te Fives while . coaching Flyers to two Stanley Cups, he's im- plemented a system that the Rangers have been working on and improving all season long. They've been getting consistently better at ying Shero’s system, ani the results are showing now, as they battle the mighty Canadiens for the NHL's oat honor, the Stanley he Rangers have indeed made it to the finals the hard way, oa they finished third {n . @ tough divislon. To start with, they had to get by the Los Angeles Kings, whom they! polished off two straight. After eliminating Loe Angeles, they found them- selves up against the Philadelphia Flyers, Shero’s old team. Even in that dro the first ame, in pl tm they roared back to take the next oun int surpris ingly easy fashion, ellminate Flyers from _ pote wits Thou lewere a surprised at this turn of events, yeote, it was thought that when came U the New York ‘sanders in the semi-finals, it would be t the end of the road for the The Islanders, with: the” best regular scason record in the entire leajue, | the top scoring line of Clark - Gillies, Mike Bossy, and Bryan Trotter, backed up by Denis Potvin on defence and Chico Resch in goal, were supposed to make min- cemeat of them. It wasn't to be, however, as right from the first the Rangers emp oyed Shero’s system almost to perfection. The Islanders gave them more trouble than the Flyers, even winning two games, but the Rangers iled in the end to win It six games and advance to the Stanley Cup finals. Montreal, on the other hand, were having a hard time beating the Boston Bruins, as it came within a minute and a half of being a Bruins- Rangers final, The Habs were forced to seven games, and had to win the final In overtime, while the Rangers awaited the outcome. Then came the finals between the Rangers and the Canadiens. The Rangers were In uo way intimidated on 8 reputation, and came out fl in the first game; as they defeated the Canadiens 41 right in their own backyard. even scored two early goals in the second game to lead 2- Oat one point, but Montreal suddenly found their form, and bounced back to take the game 6-2 and even the series. series, and be in a position to wrap the whole thing up when the teams return to Montreal. The same for the Canadiens, If teamea split the gamnen, it wil narrow the series down to a best of three affair, with bome ice advantage again to the Canadiens, Thou it’s hard to predict for certain just what will happen, lf Montreal con- Hnues to play the way they did Tucbaty night, the tard time coping them 8 stopp m1. The New ty didn’t pe ic when cat a game two to the Istanders, pa winning (he series, and the Teation is, can the Cin- rella New York Rangers ceatinue, and go all the way tobecome the 1978-79 Stanley Cup champions? contract not knowing if the construction work would be finished on tlme. About 60 of the world’s top competitors are expected in Calgary. el . HARTFORD, Conn, “TY (CP) — Rookle centre Wayne Gretzky was star teams announced Wednesday by the World Hockey, Associatlon, ‘ Edmonton goaltender ‘Dave Dryden was a double winner — named to the ft team and be- ae first 2 to ‘most rem operation ‘ after this season with four of its members joining the rival National Hockey League for the 1976-80 schedule. Cloutier of Nordiques. Robbie Ftorek of Cincinnati Stingers, last year’s MVP winner, The 37-year-old Dryden, Hamilton, Jed the league in five departments — goals against, 2.60; a pear- ances (63), utes played (3,631) and win- ning percentage (.700) — among five. -players . league | champlon Ed- . monton Oilers placed on: the first and second all- . native of goaltending, "FIVE OILERS ON ALL-STAR TEAM . | and shared the lead in another — victories (41) with Joe Daley. of.. Win nipeg Jeta. Quebec's Richard Brodeur set the record for victories with 44 in 1976-76.- The voting was done iby the sports writers and broadcasters who cover ‘games in the six league cities. FIRST TEAM Goal: Dave Dryden, Edmonton Ollers. Defence: Rick Ley, New England Whalers -- Rob Ramage, Bir-. Centre: Robbie Forek, Cloutler, Quebec Nor- diques. Left winger: © Mark ' Howe, New England, SECOND TEAM Goal: Richard Brodeur, brea Paul Shmyr Defence: Pa ’ Edmenton; Dave | Langevin, Edmonton, Centre: Wayne Gret- zky, Edmonton, Right winger: Blair Y , Edmonton. Left winger: Morris Lukowich, Winnipeg Jets. Gretzky, the precocious 18-year-old fram Brant- ford, Ont., was a landslide winner in balloting for outstanding rookie in a category where voters from the league cities are not allowed to select the team After moving to Ed- monton from Indianapolis Racers early in the third place in the final oints race with 110, luding 48 goals, and a plus-20 rating. The only other rookie to make the WHA all-star Bulls, named to the firat England Whalers. Ley was named the. out- standing defenceman for 1978-78. Winnipeg Jets sophomare Kent Nilsson ona most gei- yp yer award, wnestng sguare from ew 's Dave Keon, why who had won it the two pr revious years. Brophy's firat cand d only) year as coach Jacque Demers and Glen Sather of Edmonton in voting for coach of the year. DONALD J. HENFREY RECEIVER MANAGER GENERAL FURN ITURE | OR REFUNDS Cash, Chargex, Masteroharge,