Evening star., 1952-10-24
Winning Hockey Team
Promised When Lions.
Reach Full Strength
By Brion Bell. Jr.

Ducky Skinner is not accus-
toned to coaching losing hockey
teams and says he doesn't intend
to start doing so with the Wash
Iington Lions in the Eastern League
this season.
SINNERS club is not at full
strength for the opener with the
Champion JohnstoWn Jets at $780,
ppm. tomorrow in Uline Arena, but
IDucky thinks the Lions will have
a good team when their final com.
pination is set. Ducky expects
quite few additions in the next
flew weeks to bolster the club,
which at present has only 10 play
ers ready for the ice.
Another change Skinner hopes
to bring to Uline Arena in addi-
ton to a winning hockey team
lis increased attendance. He
coached at New Haven last year
and the rink had it's best year at
the gate-in fact it was the first
season in Is that hockey made
money there.
Lost in Finals.
Ducky coached his New Haven
club into the Eastern League play
offs and after beating Boston, Al,
in the semif1nal best-of-seven-
games series, SINNERS team lost
to Johnstown by the same score
in the finals.
The Lions are farm team for
the Boston Bruins of the National
League this year and Skinner ex-
poets some top-f1ight players as
soon as the Bruins and their
American League affiliate, the
Hershey Bears, start cutting to
meet their player limits.
Ducky also hopes to bring back
Larry Archambeault, All-Star de-
|fenseman for Johnstown last sea-
son. Archambeault was the Lions
best player until the Washington
club folded in midseason and he
continues to shine for the Jets.
Skinner is hoping Johnstown will
release Archambeault who works
in Washington and can play with
the Jets only on week ends.
Crowds Small at Start.
"At New Haven last year we
started out with, crowds Of under
1000" Skinner continued" but
gradually they increased to 1900, |
1000 and the last few weeks we
we're sold out with $500 in the
stands. We were either in first,
second or third place most of the
season after we got squared away
and the people liked the hockey
we were playing. All Washing
ton needs is winning team and
hockey will draw here, too"
Ready for action tomorrow is a |
good first line of Center Sandy Air |
and Right Wing Gordon Warner
from the Boston Olympics and
Left Wing Stan Warecki who
played at New Haven last year.
Other wingmen are Bibber |
O'Hearn who led New Haven in
scoring last season with 80 goals
and with rs points was fifth in the
Eastern League; Art Dorrington
Negro wingman with New Haven,
Washington and Boston in 1851,
and Bob Zero from the Olympics.
At defense Skinner has Ed Tur-
land, former Springfield player
who was signed yesterday: Dave
Lucas also from Springfield, Joe
Medyski from Vancouver of the
Pacific Coast League, and mex
Iperienced Ed Birchall. Dennis
Moody. goal keeper for Atlantic
City and New Haven last season,
will be in the nets.
This years Eastern League is a
f1ve-team circuit with Washing
ton. Johnstown, New Haven,
Springfield. Mass, and Troy, N. Y.
The home schedule to jan
uary /:
October 25. Johnstown: go. Troy.
November !, Troy: 5. New Haven: 2,
springfield; IA. Johnstown; 26. Springfield;
90. New Haven.
December s. Springfield; 10, New Haven:
l3. Johnstown: II. Troy; "a, New Haven.