Here is my pick for all-time Penguins team during their era of wearing the various powder blue/navy blue uniforms, from 67-68 through 78-79.
Forwards
Pierre Larouche - Ron Schock - Jean Pronovost
Syl Apps - Ab McDonald - Rick Kehoe
Keith McCreary - Greg Polis - Ken Schinkel
sub: Eddie Shack!
Defense
Ron Stackhouse - Bryan Watson
Darryl Edestrand - Dave Burrows
Bob Woytowich - Dunc McCallum
you need a 4th line. Penalty killing specialist Val Fonteyne would be a start. Greg Malone played just 3 years in this period but was an excellent all-around player who would ake a good 4th liner for this squad.
Also, I would take Duane Rupp over Edestrand, Wotowich, and McCallum. Rupp got some huge ice time for them back then.
Also, Burrows was an all-star caliber player. He needs to be on the 1st pairing with Stackhouse.
Also, switch McDonald and Apps; Apps is a center, McDonald was both.
Excellent choices. Lil' Jimmy was a Goalie Coach of mine one summer, while Les Binkley was an interesting guy who caught my attention that first year in Pittsburgh, partnered with Hank Bassen. Yep, Binkley & Bassen. Sounds like a fishin tackle shop or somethin huh?...
interesting side bar, Les Binkley wound down his career with the Buffalo Norseman of the old NAHL. During his final year, the Norseman were playing the Johnstown Jets in the playoffs, racial epitaphs were hurled at a black player on the Jets at a game in Buffalo, the three Carlson brothers with Johnstown instigating a full on brawl before the game even started during the warmup. Buffalo skated off & refused to play, conceding the game & series. This was of course featured in the movie Slapshot with Paul Newman, the Hanson Brothers replacing the real life version of Steve, Jeff & Jack Carlson.
Excellent choices. Lil' Jimmy was a Goalie Coach of mine one summer, while Les Binkley was an interesting guy who caught my attention that first year in Pittsburgh, partnered with Hank Bassen. Yep, Binkley & Bassen. Sounds like a fishin tackle shop or somethin huh?...
interesting side bar, Les Binkley wound down his career with the Buffalo Norseman of the old NAHL. During his final year, the Norseman were playing the Johnstown Jets in the playoffs, racial epitaphs were hurled at a black player on the Jets at a game in Buffalo, the three Carlson brothers with Johnstown instigating a full on brawl before the game even started during the warmup. Buffalo skated off & refused to play, conceding the game & series. This was of course featured in the movie Slapshot with Paul Newman, the Hanson Brothers replacing the real life version of Steve, Jeff & Jack Carlson.
I believe the player that was the target of the slurs was Henry Taylor, who was leading the Jets in scoring that season.
Also on that 1975-76 Jets team: former Capitals and current Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau and Flyers GM Paul Holmgren
I believe the player that was the target of the slurs was Henry Taylor, who was leading the Jets in scoring that season.
Yepp. Henry Taylor (interesting player, 20yr minor-league career with a break in the early 80's for several seasons, then a "comeback") had a 50G season in 75-76, obviously the Jets star player, targeted by the crowd in Tonawanda Im assuming because of it in Game 2. Enmities engendered & carrying over to Johnstown for Game 3, all Hell breaking loose before the puck was even dropped. The Norseman appear to have had quite the revolving door of players & goalies that season, only Binkley really standing out, some brothers or relatives Id assume of a few guys who played in the NHL; one or two others who were up for a cup of coffee; the odd headcase.. Sure was a lot of fun (not the racism of course) stuff going on at the minor league levels during that era. Can you imagine something like that happening today? I sure cant.
