Bb y Jim Kearney

If you think the interminable hockey season is

grotesquely long; if your only wish is for it to go _away so you can turn-off the FV set at dinnertime,

try looking at it this way. It could be worse.

Had- the four teams -presently engaged in the Stanley Cup semi-finals needed more than the minimum number.of games to: wrap up last, month's quarter-finals, the playoffs conceivably could have lasted until May 31.

Now’, even if the current

series go the full seven games and the final does the same, the latest the playoffs

can go is May 24. Even. ‘though

that ridiculous,

may ‘it won't be a record. In ‘1975 it took Philadelphia Flyers -until May 27 to win-the Cup.

TRY FOR JUNE.

And next year, if the clubs really work at it, they'll ‘still be shooting hockey pucks in the sweltering indoors when the darling buds of May have become the lovely flowers of June.

This year a. paltry 12 teams—out of 17——made the playoffs. Next season, with four WHA cities included, 16 of 21 will. qualify for. post- season play.

So, if they really. bear down and. extend — every series to the limit, the declaration of the. Stanley Cup winner could coincide exactly with the arrival of the summer solstice.

This, in turn, could really confirm the myth, so widely believed abroad, that Canada doesn’t have a summer. Instead, it has 11 months of winter and one month of poor skating.

Hockey expansion has been with us for so long, we

open 7. 7 days a week

“Latest exercise equipt.

seem -

or 8° per mth (avr.

-tend to forget that in the pre-

expansion era of.a six-team NHL, the Stanley Cup was won and the players all were

out.on the golf course by no ©

later than April 20 each year. Usually, it was closer toAprilis. va

Of course there were only 70 league games, compared with -today’s 80, which permitted the regular schedule to end no later than

March 21, mstead of April 8,

as was the case this year.

‘FINISH WITH SPRING.

—

— And, with only four teams

in the playoffs, it was quite-

easy to fit in.a couple of best- of-seven series and be off the stage before: baseball arrived

- home from the south to open

the season. |

Ever since it got into the expansion business, the NHL

_ seems to have adopted for its

motto: “Nothing Succeeds Like Excess, There has been no move to cut. back the grind; only to extend it.

No other sport comes close to hockey for so overstaying its welcome, it becomes a bore. It can offer

up some of the finest hockey |

ever played in the final, but by the last week of May not tdo many people really care.

League play and playoffs, .

the hockey season now is closing in on eight months. Baseball, including the world series, lasts six and a

half months: the Canadian —

Football League andthe North American Soccer League five months, and the National Football League, including the Super Bowl, just four months.

Time, gentlemen please

- Players"

. season. by key’ members of .

_ trimming, accompanied by a. give the: Czechs. a fight for

‘on ‘the-. agenda when the

the players go for it, then it

‘

Riviera Swimming & Fitness Centre ~ 148 West 14th, N.V. 980-9358

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$66°° for 3. mths

| price) on reg. membership on a 2 for I special % ONE WEEK MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

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Two" representatives can say that the organization

‘forward nicely”, announced “B re en Athletics, “technical delegates Emanual - e ération (IAAF): . Rose of Denmark and Steve... - schave ‘announced they Wante of Belgium in.a joint ee ‘expect World Cup 1 in _ statement. : Montreal: to. be a great . .

* success... ne _ . World Cup II, which is. . being billed. as the athletic

“We received. satisfactory: SS nen “Feplies ‘to our questions ‘and |

oo, a vs = a Montreal’ s Olympic: While the club owners - quality players. ‘from. -the

don't .seem to think the “eliminated ‘teams _, in. ~ the °

season is too long, the. NHL ~ first—and: “possibly.” ‘the:

‘Association does..

“secohd—| layoff ds- There has been ® talk: all” a vay rewn

the performers’ union for.the’ need to cu / back ule. |

ey Suggest a 10 per cent

eae have. “won “a: gold - the r inedal:*: against’ the. Russians in. théir-hometown-rink,. ‘but it would, have: had time to

-become. Organized enough to © 10.per cent pay cut. Itwillbe the silver gong. association has its annual

So, let's hope the players meeting-next month. And if

(get their way. They, the |

‘game and’ the ‘fans all will” will become part of. the benefit. ~

bargaining when the NHLPA _ and the league go to the mat later in the summer on a new. collective agreement.

Your agent is pulling for | the players to get their way, not only because a shorter schedule should improve the show, but it could solve another problem, as well.

ONLY YOU CAN _. PREVENT. WILD FIRES!.

_A 10 per. cent cut would. . 3 oS mean 72 games. Had the just ended schedule gone only 72 games, it would have ended two weeks earlier—March 25, instead of April 8.

‘ON MAY 10

The playoffs would have started March 27, instead of April 10. And. on this Sunday, May 6, we'd be looking forward to the sixth game of the Stanley Cup final, not the sixth games of two semi-finals.

The other dividend would have been reaped on the international front, where | the hastily chosen Canadian team had only four days between the end of the schedule and the start of the World Championships in Moscow to put itself together.

Following a 72-game schedule, there would have been 18 days to get the act together and to add more

before the Legislature. TOTHILL’S INITIATIVES:

afford them

* Make BC Hydro accountable to the the Legistature

(e.q. Lion’s Gate Hospital)

Lift the freeze on hospital budgets working poor

”~

oN — IN SEYMOUR

from -the International ; of World Cup II is moving’

event of the year, will: take . place August 24, 25.and 26 in -

ELECT ALEADER ©

JEV TOTHILL

Don't waste your vote by sending an opposition or government back-bencher to Victoria - send a Party Leader who, by House rules, has the opportunity to speak on your behalf on every issue

¢ BCRIC dividends for all, not shares just for those who can

people who own it, through

Reduce BC Rall debt; the excessive amount of money spent on BCR debt Interest is needed for social and healthy costs

¢ Expand ‘people’ service - the aged, the handicapped, the

Stadium. - Bight” Then’s “and eight ‘women’s “teams, all consisting ‘of the ‘world’s best

‘athletes’ will . battle” in. a

competition consis ting only

of finals. . The: two waive delegates,, - . who. - “visited

‘Montreal early, ‘in’ March, agreed.in principle to ‘the use of a new material to cover the reception areas: ‘in the throwing events. Bo

ON THE NORTH SHORE

TOTHILL —INCAPILANO WARBURTON