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WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1968Regals Sign Japanese Staraccept the boy for the season.i By MIKE O’SHALGHNESSY1 Winnipeg Monarchs, look-K mg to capture first place in| the Manitoba Junior HockeyLeague for the secondstraight year, have signed a5,6M, 143-pound defenceman — from Japan.Hiroshi H o r i , a high school all-star in his homeland, will spend a year withMonarchs and then return home to pass on what he has learned here to other Japanese pucksters.“We’ll try him out ondefence for a while,” said Monarch coach Muzz McPherson, “but I think he’ll be too small to stick there, in which case we’ll move him to right wing/’Hiroshi, who speaks little English and spoke mostlythrough an interpreter, said he was small for defence at home_Howeverl that did not stop him from leading his Hokkaido, Tomakomai City High School team to the All Japan High School championship two years running.IHiroshi will celebrate his 19th birthday today by practicing with his new club at the Arena at 8 p.m. There may be complications however, as McPherson doubts if the . club has equipment small enough for the new arrival.The plan that sent him to Canada was formed at the Grenoble Olympics last winter when a Canadian missionary to Japan, father Moran, stopped for a chat with Canadian Amateur Hockey Association president Fred Page and CAHA executive - director Gordon Juckes.Father Moran returned to Japan will full approval of the idea from the CAHA and convinced the Japanese Skating Union tb sponsor one youngster to a year In Canada.The CAHA chose Winnipeg as the site because of the added experience the boy would get from watching the National team, and Monarchs volunteered toMcPherson said he h§s no idea of Hiroshi’s ability but that he has been guaranteed a spot on the club’s 19-man roster for the entire season.At a reception Tuesday Hiroshi said he was happy to be in Canada and not at all nervous.McPherson expects his confidence to be shaken severely tonight however as he gets his first taste of the Canadian style of hockey.The boy has played only under international ruleB and has never even seen a Canadian game,”' said the coach. “He will have to learn to keep his head up pretty quick or . A” ■ i ' Despite McPherson’s cau- | tious appraisal Hiroshi could turn out to be a respectable | member of the team with- 1 out too much help. He said ' he was small for defence even in his own country and for any small man to make a national all-star team takes exceptional ability.He is also in excellentphysical condition and should have ad advantage over his team mates in that department for the first month at least.Hiroshi started playing hockey at age 12 and had signed to play for a commercial league team before he came to Canada, a position which would leave him to concentrate strictly on hockey all winter and , still receive a regular paycheck.He will he with the club for this season only because he would be ineligible for junior . hockey next yearwith Mr. Kowada, a Winnipeg contractor and sponsor of next year's Canadian tour by the Japanese National Hockey Team.MAJOR PROJECT PORTAGE LA FRABUERequire Immediately Forming CarpentersSteady employment through Winter -• Winnipeg rat»»• Travelling allowance• Over time availableunder the new CAHA junior age limit.W'hile here he will stayPhone Collect 157-5361BRAND NEWCHEVROLET PICKUPSVa Ton Long Wheelbase-5 YEAR-50*000 Mile,-----u/..
Newspaper Details
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Thu, Sep 19, 1968
Page 48
Full Page
Clipped by
Jason P.
USA 15 Mar 2019
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