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Gretzky-signing startsBy ihe Canadian pressThe palaee revolt that Ben Matskln seemed to be expecting has taken place with the signing of 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky by Indianapolis Racers’ owner Nelson Skalbania.Skaibania announced Monday he has signed Gretzky, a scoring star last season with Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, to a personal services contract. .The contract was reported worth $1.75 million for seven years.Hatskin, World Hockey Association Chief executive officer, has spoken recently against signing of such . under-age juniors but he has hinted he feared such a ' . move by some of the league owners.Hatskin met last month with Iona Campagnolo, federal minister of fitness and amateur sport, and was warned the government would object to any such signings.Campagnolo said then: “Mr. Hatskin Indicated to me that the league has no intention of signing any underage juniors. However, he also said that member clubs may have other ideas.”Last week, WHA president Howard Baldwin told a news conference following a league meeting in Toronto the owners were unable to resolve the question.Normally, junior players are not signed until they reach 20. But Skalbania isn’t the first major league owner to sign exceptional under-age junior players.The latest case involved John Bassett of the WHA’s Birmingham Bulls who last year signed Ken Linseman, then 18, from Kingston Canadians of the OMJHL, an act which incurred the wrath of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and the WHA brass as well.Skalbania’s move is likely to again stir up the CAHA, especially the major junior team operators whose box offices suffer when their star juniors are signed away by the pros.• Jim McAuley, president of the SaUlt Greyhounds, said Monday his first reaction was to shut down the club.“In Wayne’s contract with us there is a clause that he has to pay us $20,000 should he turn professional before his junior eligibility Is over,” said McAuley. “So, we get $20,000. Look what we stand to lose in gate receipts with the likes of him gone.“There is going to have to be some kind of govern-, ment intervention on this type of conduct or junior hockey operators just won’t be able to operate because of lost revenue.”CAHA president Gord Renwick said Monday there seemed little the association could do about the signing but Ontario Hockey Association president Larry Belisle said steps must be taken against the WHA.“I don’t think there’s much the CAHA or federal government can do,” Renwick said in a telephone interview with the London Free Press.But Belisle told the Free Press there are three things that must be done immediately to prevent further signings of junior stars which reduce the box-office appeal of the junior clubs.Belisle said a $150,000 bond posted by the WHA after the dispute over the signing of Linseman should be retained.He said the CAHA also should attempt to persuade the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to halt approval of international games the WHA has arranged with European teams.Belisle also suggested Campagnolo be asked to intervene on the CAHA’s behalf.In Montreal, National Hockey League president John Ziegler would offer no comment on Gretzky’s signing.Asked if the NHL might draft under-age players in Its amateur draft on Thursday, Ziegler said there was nothing before the board of governors on the matter.— CP pholoWayne Gretzky.. .hockey’s newest millionaire
Newspaper Details
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Tue, Jun 13, 1978
Page 196
Full Page
Clipped by
Jason P.
USA 14 Dec 2018
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