Page 10, The Herald, Thursday, January 8, 1981

‘Who is Mike Rogers
and why is he doing such
wonderful things with
hockey pucks?

If Rogers's name isn't
immediately ,
recognizable, perhaps
it’s because he plays for
Hartford Whalers,
hardly the media hub of
the sporting world. And,
until last season, the
speedy centre toiled in
the World Hockey

ization the media
refused to embrace with
open arms,

In‘ 1979-80, his first --
and the Whalers first —
in the National Hockey

* League,Rogers scored
44 goals and 105 points,
finishing fifth in the
scoring race, Linemate
Blaine Stoughton tied

’ for the league goal-
scoring lead with 56.
‘To prove it was no
fluke, Rogers, a 5-foot-7,

for the scoring “lead
again this year. He
scored at least a point in
18 straight games, an-

MIKE ROGERS, the forgotten hero

WHO IS THIS
MIKE ROGERS?

-- Assoctation;- an. Orga: -

175-pounder, has battled.

" NHL high this season, In
that span, Rogers had 19
goals and 20 assists and
was named the league's
top. player for”
‘December,

"[ averaged about a
point a game for the
first 40 or 50 games last
season,'* said Rogers,
26. “Then I really took
off in the second half
and I've continued from
that. second half this

“A lot of it is that our
line — Blaine, Pat
Boutette and myself —
has been together for
longer. We know what to
expect and what we can
do, We get more and
more ice time and
(coach) Don Blackburn
shows confidence in us .
during any situation.”

_The Whalers have
proven to be the best of
the four former WHA
teams absorbed by the
NHL last season. They
are in the middle of the
Standings this season

and lookting up!

Penguins drub

N.Y. Islanders

One game doesn't make
a hockey season, much to
the delight of goaltender
Billy Smith and New York
Islanders,

But one game gave Pitts-
burgh Penguins a much-
needed morale hit Wed-
nesday night when they
opened the second haif of

. the National Hockey
League season with a 7-3
drubbing of the defending

Stanley Cup champion

Islanders.

Pittsburgh is 16th in the
‘overall NHL standings with
33 points, but the Penguins
are unbeaten in their last
eight’ games with tie
Islanders.

Kings 5 Whalers 3

Dionne, who leads the
league in scoring this year
with 73 points, now has 413
career goals. Dave Taylor,
Billy Harris and Steve
Jensen also scored for Los
Angeles. Mike Rogers, with
two, and Pat Baulette were
the Hartford marksmen.

Jets 3 Maple Leafs 2

Winnipeg Jets posted
their first road win of the
season and their first ever
‘over Toronto since coming
over from the World

Hockey Association. Doug *

Smail, Dave Christian and
Hick Bowness each scored
two goals for Winnipeg.
Tim Trimper and Willy
Lindstrom scored the

pee

" others, Rick Vaive and Wilf
‘Palement shared the
Toronte goals.

Sabres 5 Nordiques 1 .

Derek Smith scored two
goals and Buffalo con-
tinued its mastery of
Quebec this year. Buffalo
also got goals from Craig
Ramsay, Richard Martin
and Ric Seiling, Robbie
Fiorek tallied for the
Nordiques,

Black Hawks 6 Rockies 2

Recent acquisitions Al
Secord and Glen Sharpley
scored 51 seconds apart in
the first period to stake
Chicago to a two-goal lead
and the visiting Rockies
were forced ta play catch-
up after that.

After Walt McKechnie
and Rob Ramage. sand-
wiched a, second-period
seore by' Denis Savard,

Chicago ' sealed the ' win -

with late goats from Reg
Kerr,- Tom Lysiak and
Darryl Sutter,

Dilers 6 Capliats 3

Wayne Gretzky scored '

two goals and assisted on
two others to lead the
Oilers to thelr third
straight, win, Stan Weir,
Doug Hicks, Kevin Lowe
and Peter Driscoll also
edanted for Edmonton.
Washington got goals from
Paul Mulvey, Wes Jarvis
and Mike Gartner.

Bordeur
holds

in it

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.
_(AP). — ~~ Vancouver
Canucks matched Min-
nesota at its own game
Wednesday night, shunning
the penalty box and skating
stride for stride with the

North Stars to a 1-2 -

Natlonal Hockey League
tle.

. The Canucks have mot

- been considered a skating

team. Their physical play

has been dominant in

games al the Met Centre.

- Last year, they were

second only to Philadelphia

Flyers in penalty minutes.

All of the North Stars’
team penalty records have
heen set against Van-
couver.

On Oct, 18, 1978, the two
clubs battled through 41
penalties good for 185
minutes, including 169 in
one period. The two teams

- fied the record with 185
- penalty minutes again Rast
February.

Brodeur made 39 saves
— 15-in the second period
when the North Stars

MIKEEAVES, S, spoiled Brodeur effort .

outshot Vancouver 163 —

to earn No.1 star for the.

game. He stopped Steve

Payne twice from closed -
. quarters in (he first period

and two more times in the
second period when

Minnesota lied the game 1-

1 on a goal by Mike Eaves. -
, ‘Richard's been terrific

for us," said Neale. “He's

‘had a lot of very excellent
games and very few poor

ones."

The Canucks, playing
their fourth of five straight
road games, look a 1-0 lead
on a goal by Curt Fraser,
his 20th of the year at 14:32
of the first period. Eaves

.got the equalizer.

./ stalemate.

Earl’s im

HOUSTON tap)’ :
Campbell’s . aggnt’ Witt
Stewart Worries; that his

client's public image will
be painted as /that ofa
spoiled and ecdy pro

footbali player : in. his.
eurrént contract , dispaite :

* with Houston ilers;

But there jas ‘nothing,

tarnished about Camp-
bell’s image ‘in: the: voting

for the Associated Press -
Offensive Player of the .
Year, Campbell was the
runaway winner, earning:

votes from 43. of the :84
ballots cast by a coun-
trywide jury of sports
writers and sportscasters
from National Football
League cities.
Cleveland, Browns
quarterback Brian Sipe
was a distant .secorid with
26 . votes.; San. Diego
quarterback Dan Fouts got
seven votes and Chargers
teammate, receiver John
‘Jefferson, had six. No other

‘player ‘Got more than two .

votes,
: “We didn't want to have

' fa family feud or air our
i wash in the press,” Stewart.

: said of the - contract
It's hard for
the fellow making $15,000

or $19,000 a’ year and

paying $12 to see an Oilers .

game {o understand that
Ear! wants more. .

“We understand and

respect that.”
Stewart. said Campbell,

' who.wants a -$1-million-a-

year salary over six years,
is only trying to Protect his
family.

“Running backs in the

National. Football League
have a short career span,"
Stewart said. “Earl tas:

case, fz

tops) offence |

- Bet

Tushed.a near-record 1,54
-yards to win the NFL.

‘came within 70 yards ‘of |

‘exploits were made more’

been unhappy - with his:
contract and he feels he bats.-:

to make a stand for, his."
featy.

Stewart's attempts ta -
renegotiate Campbell's
contract were.made edsier |
by “his client's 1960 pes -
formance, Campbell

rushing title tor the third
straight year.’

After running 1,450 yards ;
and 1,097 yards in bis first’.
two pro seasons, Campbell :

breaking 0.J.. Simpson's -
single-season rushing

100 in a game 10 ‘dimes .
during the seagon and. has :

200-plus yards ‘in four | ;
games, an NFL record, :.
Campbell's 373 rushes also.
established a league.
standard, .

The former Helsman:
Trophy winner’s rushing

yards in the season opener .
against Pittsburgh
Steelers. The groli injury.’ "
allowed Campbell only 11 Pp
yards against . Baltimore’
Colts and he sat out!
Houston's first game,
against Cincinnatl ‘
Bengals...
Campbell's 2obyard t
games were 208 against;

nale against Minnesota ‘

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