Oilers, Stanley Cup champs" By John Korobanik ~ EDMONTON (CP) There's a sign in the Edmonton Coliseum that boasts: ‘On the elghth day God created the Oilers,” Well, it didn't exactly happen that way. Building the Oilers into the i984 Stanley Cup , champions — a title they ‘claimed by beating New York Islanders 5-2 . Saturday to take the Cup in ‘five games — was a long, ‘painstaking process that : began 10 years ago. _ Although many will argue the first five years :were wasted in the now- defunct World Hockey Association, those early -years provided the fran- chise with the organization ‘that enabled it to enter the National Hockey League in 1979 as the strongest of the four surviving WHA teams. That, however, wasn't very strong. The WHA teams — Edmonton, Winnipeg, Quebee and Hartford — were only allowed to protect two goalies and two skaters. - Fortunately for the Oilers one of those skaters was Wayne Gretzky, whom owner Peter Pocklington had purehased from Nelson Skalbania during the WHA's final year. Pocklington was so impressed with Gretzky's talents and had the con- fidence in coach Glen Sather and scout Barry Fraser to brazenly predict, * on the day Edmonton was accepted into the NHL: "In five years we will win the Stanley Cup.” He was right, but it wasn't easy. The Oilers began with Page 4, The Herald, Tuesday, nae 22, '9a4 Gretzky and goaltenders Dave Dryden and Eddie Mic. They lost their fourth player, Bengt-Ake Gustafson through a ‘technicality. , The Oilers built through the draft, concentrating on speed, offence and puck handling, skills needed to play the freewheeling offensive style Sather wanted, He believed in the European style after watching Winnipeg Jets, led by Bobby Hull and Europeans Anders Hed- berg, Ulf Nilsson and Kent. Nilsson, constantly romp past the Oilers. “That team was as good as any team I've ever seen,” ‘Sather once said. “You steal ideas from everyone... . and I stole ideas from thal hockey club.” 1ni379 «= Edmonton drafied defenceman Kevin Lowe in the first round, centre Mark Messier in the third and winger Glenn Anderson in the fourth. In the expansion draft that summer the Oilers claimed . forwards Dave Hunter, Dave Semenko and Dave Lumiey — all were on their WHA roster — and defenceman Lee Fogolin. Then they signed defenceman Charlie Huddy as a free agent. - So, although they began with only three protected players, by the time the Qilers skated in the NHL they had nine players who played roles in winning the Cup this weekend, In 1980 they drafted defenceman Paul Coffey in the first round, right- winger Jari Kurri in the fourth and goaltender Andy Moog in the seventh. @ 112 DIFFERENT STYLES AND COLOURS « 12,000 GARMENT. SELECTION *B.C.'s LOWEST PRICES GRADUATION SPECIAL | my $ VANCOUVER PRICES weeny sf GV‘S MENE WAG 445 Lakelne Ave., Terrace, B.C. VEG 19 O3r-s420 THE BAY WC ity Contre Kitimat, 6.€. Vic 1Té 632-2113 ; Additional smal abipping charge to Associated Sterns, STARA AGNES LADIES’ 6616 Greig Ave, Terrace, 6.6, VEG IVE apine MANTIQUG MGN'S WEAR. 4741 Lakele Ave. - Terrace, B.C, VEG IRS Led del YOKOHAMA RADIAL 360 A Premium Steel Belted Radial Tire at a Reasonable Price! FAOM {53* = Save from ‘19 to #37 a Pair EACH 155/80R13 INSTALLED Goaltender Grant Fuhr was thelr first pick in 1981. “OF the seven (Edmonton) players chosen for the all-star game in New Jersey, six were drafts," said Fraser, the man largely Tespon- sible for the drafting. “You build a championship team through the draft and {ill with trades.” Sather made the key trades, usually in March, just before the trading deadline. - Trades brought Pat Hughes from Pittsburgh in 1981, Don Jackson from Minriesota and - Kenny Linseman >. from Philadelphia in 1982, Willy Lindstrom from. Winnipeg and Kevin McClelland - from Pittsburgh in 1983. Along the way they signed defenceman Randy Gregg as a free agent and got Jaroslav Pouzar fram Czechoslovakia =. after drafting him in 1982. - MOOG’ GAVE FIDENCE Three years ago Moog gave them the confidence to believe in themselves when his brilliant playoff play helped them upset Montreal Canadiens and take New York to six games. ‘CON. The last two seasons they: have owned the Campbell Conference, and their offence, led by NHL’s summaries EDMONTON (cP) — Stanley Cup final Saturday Night: SUMMARY FIRST PERIOD 1, Edmonton, Gretzky $2 Ckurri) 12:08 a Edmonton, Gretzky. ig [kerri fa “a : 3 PENALTIES. (served by Linds! ear nen ae NY4. 4:09)! ‘Perskon NY. Pade: Sutter NY 18:47, SECOND PERIOD . 3. ‘Edmonton, Linseman 10 (Gretzky, Huddy) 0:38 (pp}" 4, Edmonton, Kurrl 14 (Coffey, Anderson) 4:59 (pp) + PENALTIES — ©. Sutter N'Y1 4:49, Semenko Edm 10:22, *“ THIRD PERIOD 5. NY Islanders, LaFontaine 2 (Flatley, Glilles) 0.13 & NY Islanders, LaFontaine 3 (Gililes) ras 7 Edmonton, Lumbley 2 19:47 PENALTY ~~ Flatley NYI 14:45, SHOTS ON GOAL BY NY Istanders 8-6 11:25 Edmonton 9-5 9-23 Goal - Smith, Melanson, Islanders; Moog, Edmonton; Attendance + 17,496. NY fa Ni, Gretzky, has - shattered NHL records, But they weren't champions. The aequisition of McClelland and the shif- ting of Messier to centre from left wing in mid- “season were the final minor adjustments that made them champions.: “We knew we would need four strong centres if we were to beat the Islandets,” Sather said of - the moves. “We knew we had to do something to olfset Bryan Trottier. We knew McClelland was the type of tough, hard worker who could do that job. And . then we. shifted Mark to centre and he gave us the advantage down the middle.” . Five years after entering the NHL the Oilers are a tough, hard-hitting, powerful . skating team with excellent - young goaltenders and the highest scoring offence in league history. ; And,- as . Pocklington predicted, they are also Stanley ‘Cup. champions. Kitimat Lacrosse teams met sume com- petition from Prince George over the weekend in a five division lacrosse .tour- nament held at Tamltik arena. Shown in the picture Is action from Saturday’s bantam game when Kitimat Elks defeated Prince George Carlbow Stucco 18-1. Memorial cup _-Rangers stumble at finish line - By “David Jensen KITCHENER, Ont. (CP) — The year: Jong ‘rivalry between Ottawa 673 and Kitchener ended Saturday when the Rangers stum- bled and fell at the finish line, Ck Ottawa caplured its firat ever Memorial © Cup, draining ‘© Kitchener ‘Rangers’. powerful offence — not with their superb _ defence — but with two bizarre goals, “Those two goals told me that we were somehow destined to win,” said coach. Oltawa Brian Kilrea, whose 67s rolled to a 7-2 victory over the Rangers. “I think the guy aera wanted to give us The “Rangers had» won the ‘Ontario | Hockey League regular. season title, needing the. final weekend to beat out the 67s 106 points to 102 — giving Kitchener the home-team berth in the Memorial Cup.: But then Ottawa defeated Kitchener 8-2 in the eight- point OHL playoff final to - advance to the national championships for the second time — the first YOKOHAMA RADIAL 360 P155/20R13 963.99 3 P165/80813 PI76/75R13 P176/80A13 | PIB5/80R13 P175/76R 14 P195/75A74 P195/75A14 P205/75R14 P195/75A 16 P205/75R16 Mee P2I5/76R16 a P225/76R1B P235/76R16 ALL PASSENGER TIRES COVERED BY XAL TIRE'S OWN ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY FOR AS LONG AB YOU OWN THEM. A Bias Belt Summer Tire FROM *45% EACH Ajax13 INSTALLED TUNTTVTTYTT ITV TVTTTTY 7 CET ays A7BK1Z B7Ext3 O7ax14 EVaat4 F78ui4 Greald Grats 7801S 4786 GUMMER GIAS HILT i FROM iy CEDARLAND TIRED i SERVICE LTD. 49729 Keith 635.6170 Fb sahdldcc hed lehildacild 4 Coupon Expires May 7 Zth, 1984 § being in 1977 — as the OHL champion. The Rangers dumped the 675 7-2 last Wednesday night to gain a bye into the final — and tying the head- to-head season record at 4- 4-2. It had turned into a best-of-11 series with the _rubber match Saturday. BARRETT BITTER No wonder Kitchener coach Tom Barrett was so bitter at the outcome. “T don't want to cry about bad bounces, - but what can you say?” said Barrett, OHL coach of the. year in his rookie season. “The thing is we could have leading 3-0 after the first five minutes. “(Defenceman) Scott MacLellan comes up with ;/an.unopposed giveaway “and .then, there were the two fluke goals.” After John Tucker had given Kitchener a 1-0 lead, Adam Creighton, a Buifalo Sabres’draft choice and the tcurnament’s - most valuable player, tied it 1-1, alter MacLellan’'s defensive lapse. Then Kitchener goaltender Ray LeBlanc gave up the puck in the corner to Ottawa’s Phil Patterson who swung around and scored from a sharp angle. Bruce _ Cassidy, a Chicage Black Hawks draft cholce, followed by ricocheting the puck off the glass and beatIng LeBlanc who had ‘left the net in anticipation of stopping it along. the boards. . Instead of leading after the first period as they had throughout theirfirst’ three wins in the tournaments, the Rangers were behind 3- 1. eat just. took. the,- heart right. ont of:-them,”: aaid ; ’ Barrett, . had outscored the op- \whase Rangers position 24-1 in their three round-robin games. With the lead, the 67s’ stalwart defence tightened as Cassidy and Patterson added their second Boals of the game with olhers coming [ram Brad Shaw and Gary Roberts. IN THE HUNT ‘Greg Puhalski got the other goal for the Rangers, who Were appearing in their third Memorial’ Cup final during the last four years — they won in 1982 at Hull, Que. “What .a relief — 10 years is too long,’’ said Kilrea, who during those seasons has made the 67s contenders but never champions. “If I didn’t have such a good owner (Howard Darwin), I wouldn’t have been around to enjoy this,” And Kilrea, who earlier in the week dismissed rumors that he was after Toronto’ « Maple: - are my plans? “Well, next week I'm going to the OHL draft and stock up this team.”. As many as il players may not be returning to the 67s in 1964-85 with Roberts Olympic basketball eats’. coaching job, said: ‘‘What- ‘a possible f ticet-round drait choice in June and Bill ’ Bennett another possible selection. The 67s had finished second with a 2-1 record in round-rabin play, beating Kamloops Junior Qilers of the Western Hockey League, 1-2, in the semifinal by a score of 7-2 Thursday night. The 67s ended up losing just one of thelr 18 post- season games.. The fourth- participating team in the 66th Memorial Cup, Laval Voisins of the Quebee Major Junior Hockey League, were eliminated after finishing 0-3, ; It was a disappointing ‘finish ‘Saturday for ‘tHe 2,241 ‘fang --at.. Kitchener - /Memoriat:: Auditorium. Their overwhelming support ied to elght straight sellouts with the overall: attendance of 53,207 falling just short of the record 54,090 — set in 1983 at Portland, Ore. Uruguay upsets Canadians SAO PAULO, Brazil (CP) — Canada’s drive for a berth in. the men’s basketball competition al the Summer Olympics was slowed Monday night when Uruguay took a 91-39 upset viclory at the Americas’ zone qualifying tour- nament. : The defeat was Canada’s first in six games at the nine-country, single round: : robin _ competition. Uruguay improved to 4-1. Horacio Lopez, who led all scorers with 27 points, gave Uruguay the triumph . -by scoring the final three points of the game in the last two seconds of ‘play. ‘ Canada, which led 17-4 after four minutes of play and 50-42 at the half, was in foul trouble for much of the game, Uruguay went to the free-throw line 23 times, compared with seven for the Canadians. But it was an inability to control the boards that hurt the Canadians most when it counted. - Guard Tony Simms of Toronto, who scored 20 points, gave Canada an 89- 88 lead with eight seconds left, Uruguay brought the ball back down court and missed a shot, bul Lopez got the rebound and was fouled, He tied the game with his first shot and missed his second free throw, but got the rebound and sank the winning points as time ran out, ‘A FLAT GAME’ “We played their game, not ours,” said head ceach Jack Donohue of Ottawa. “An indication was the last. two points they got on us because of missed box-outs (rebounds) right in front of Us. , “The foula early affected how our people could play. Already by halftime, they had 10 points on foul shota. We can't afford to play like that. But that’s how we played the second half, too, They: were silly fouls. It was a flat game.” Jay Triano of Niagara Falls, Ont,,° paced the Canadian offence with di _ points and fellow guard Eli added 18, 4 Pasquale of Sudbury,.Ont., tallest players on the team managed a total of just 18 points between them, — ‘We had ‘avoided that kind of game so far in the Indy INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Roberto Guetrero, one of. six drivers qualified to start the Indianapolis 500: for the first time on Sun-. day, has learned the. $2.5: million race has no equal, "YT feel. like the race should have been two or three weeks ago,”’ he said Monday. “And we still have a week to go. I've enjoyed it, but it is very, different. f Guerrero, 25, joined. the . Bignotti-Cotter ‘team .this year, taking over the ride that Tom Sneva had last year when he scored his firat victory at the 24-mlle oval, Guerrero moved into © , Indy cars this year after two years of struggling on the Formula One circuit. “It’s impossible to avoid it," Guerrero sald of the atmosphere -at Indianapolis, “Just looking at the place and looking at- those big stands is ex-, citing.” The Colombian placed his March-Cosworth on the inside of the third row with a qualifying speed af 205.717 miles an hour — the 10th fastest in the field. He is the second fastest Indy rookle in the 33-car field, topped only by Michael Andretti at 207.467. The other newcomers, in what may be the moat experienced crop of Indy rookies to start here, are Jacques Villeneuve of St- But the five. tournament,” Triano sald. “Once you get into a close game wilh Latin. teams, anything can happen. . “They really wanted it and we fell asleep.” ” On Saturday, Canada won its fifth straight with . an . 89-76. vietory over Puerto Rico, Simms was top scorer in that game with 27 points, . while Triano and Pasquale each added 14. There were no games Sunday, Puerto Hico rebounded Monday night with a 93-92 win aver winless Argentina ' toimprove its record to 3-2, Canada has two games remaining, - against Panama tonight and Brazil ‘on Wednesday night. A victory in either game clinches a berth in the Los Angeles Olymples. rookie excited Cuthbert, Que., Tom Gloy, Al Holbert. and Emerson Fittipaldi, the two-time world driving champion from Brazil. DOESN'T KNOW Villeneuve, the slowest ‘of the rookie qualifiers at . 200.013, won't know until Wednesday whether he'll be able to race. He suf- ‘fered aconcussion when he crashed his backup racer ° » during practice Thursday, and he’ was still feeling soreness In his neck and ° shoulders, - “Eye got'to have more teats on Wednesday; J'll find out then,'' he said. fhe is allowed to drive, Villeneuve will be starting from the middle of the ninth row. Guerrero, who began racing go-karts in his native land when he was 12, doesn’t hide his am- bition. “T want to become the best. I don’t just want to be a winner, I want to be a champion.” He has no plans to make an early dash for the lead. “It’s a very long race. Five hundred miles is a long distance and your starting position isn’t thal critical, If the car ig gaing well, 1 think we have as __ Good a chance as anybody, Sport Shorts: a a as FRANKFURT, West Germany (Reuter) — Weat Germany plans to increase the size of its Olympic team by about 30 per cent because of the Soviet bloc : boycott of the Los Angeles Games, a West German official said Monday. Kern said the Soviet bloc boycott probably meang West Germany now will qualify teams in soccer, men's snd women’s handball, men’s basketbelt and women's volleyball. TOKYO (Reuter) Japan. will send a 325- member team, Ita largest ever to be sent overseas, to the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, an official of the Japan Olymple Committee an- nounced Monday. The official said the size of the team, which is to include 218 track and field athletes, is subject to approval by the com- mittee’s ties meeting on Wednesday. _ ole NN Oo