Now that the UHA has been revealed and teams set, we're back to our regularly scheduled programming with the Torland Hockey League.

1975 THL OFFSEASON (continued)

Coaching Carousel

Al Weatherford, longtime coach of the Captains, and a former Falcons and Whales coach, retired. He won two Cups and went to 11 playoffs and was known as a fiery personality.

Lynette thanked Wayne Hooper for his help in a rough year but decided to start afresh, hiring young upcoming coach Blaine Burchette to helm the Falcons. She brought back Dave McEwen to be GM and Kris Fitts was hired as assistant coach for a revamped Falcons staff that has a lot of work to do to resurrect the franchise.

Notable Retirements

The biggest name to retire was Whales legend, defenseman Anton O'Reilly at 37 years old and 15 THL seasons. The 12-time All Star also won Best Defenseman 5 times and ended his career with a League MVP trophy in spectacular fashion. He was part of two Cup wins in 1960 and 1963, including a Finals MVP, and saw 10 playoff seasons. Known as a quiet leader, he was a captain for all 15 seasons. The Whales immediately announced they would be retiring his #9 sweater in the upcoming season and O'Reilly is a surefire Hall of Fame candidate as soon as he is eligible.

Another longtime defenseman and fan favorite, Carey Waggoners officially retired at age 38 and 15 THL seasons. Starting with the original Kirlow squad, he was traded to Port Alrene where he anchored the blue line for 10 years before being traded back to the Kodiaks to finish his career. “Wags” was a big personality and popular among fans and players, winning two Marcotte Cups with the Anchors. He was a 5-time All Star and also won Best Defenseman in 1971. The Hemhall native saw the playoffs 12 times and it is likely his #25 sweater will be retired by both teams.

Former Whales and Captains forward Cole Nieto retired at 37 and 10 pro seasons. Known as a fantastic center and passer, Nieto helped anchor the top lines for both teams, winning two Cups with Kirkenport. Fellow Captains defenseman and vicious enforcer Edison Hillis also hung up his skates. He played 15 years for Kirkenport and was a fan favorite for his massive hits. Former Heralds, Kodiaks and Pioneers forward Morton Geary put in his papers at 15 years as well. Never an All Star but always a top-line starter, Geary helped establish the Pioneers after being selected in the expansion draft.

THL Hall of Fame Inaugural Class of 1975

The first official panel was collected to vote on inaugural THL HOF candidates and they came away with a varied list of players, a coach and two builders for the initial class.

Stan Massey – Coach
Massey led the Heralds for 13 seasons, booking 9 playoff berths and hoisting the Marcotte Cup twice. He was Coach of the Year three times and was known as a great tactician and player mentor.

F – Byron Peachey (#2) (Captains)
Peachey only played 5 seasons in the THL but made a huge impact as a player in a short span, being named an All-Star every season he played. As a natural leader, Peachey never saw a playoff win but was still considered one of the best players in the league during his career.

D – Colly Lehman (#9) (Anchors)
Another player to make a big impact in a relatively short period of time, Lehman was known as a tenacious defenseman and captained the Anchors blue line for 9 years. He notched four All-Star berths and helped Port Alrene to 8 playoff appearances and two Marcotte Cups. Lehman's #9 has been out of circulation in Port Alrene since his retirement in 1969.

F – Marlin Parr (#11) (Whales, Electrics)
Parr was known as a silent killer, both in his personality and style of play as a two-way center for the Whales. An 8-time All-Star, Parr could score with ease and play relentless defense up and down the middle of the ice. He won Best Forward in 1965 and helped the Whales to 7 playoff appearances and two Marcotte Cups. A 13-year pro, he played his final season with Kavalos as an expansion draftee before retiring due to a failing body and joined the coaching ranks. Parr's #11 sweater has been retired in Portarra since his retirement.

F – Stefan Ostrowski (#13) (Saints/Neptunes)
The Big Pole played 13 years for the Lecayne/Narva franchise after initially being an international signing by Port Alrene in 1961. He was traded to Lecayne before the season began and he ended up playing his whole career with the franchise. Highly respected around the league for his solid play and leadership, Ostrowski notched four All-Star selections and carried the C-patch on his sweater most of his career. He was named as a 60's All-Decade player and thought be often overlooked and underrated.

G – Nat Marchant (#29) (Heralds)
Something of a controversial selection, Marchant played 7 seasons with Chasonne, helping lead them to a pair of Marcotte Cups. The Kavalos native was a 3-time All-Star.

Rey Marcotte – League Founder
The founder of the league needs no introduction and his name graces the prestigious championship trophy of the league. Marcotte's work in establishing professional hockey in Torland is legendary.

Bernard Willard – Owner (Kodiaks/Saints), Commissioner
The man who followed in Marcotte's shoes was a former Indy League player, owner of the Kirlow Kodiaks/Lecayne Saints for 5 seasons, and eventual League Commissioner for 8 years and helped grow the THL into an internationally known commodity with fans all over the world. He also spearheaded league expansion which saw exponential growth and navigated through many issues as the league grew. Willard was known as a leader who understood the player's viewpoint. One of the THL's division was also named after him.


Trades and Signings

With Lynette Rankin and GM Dave McEwen now tasked with rebuilding the Falcons, they made a tough decision to trade longtime All-Star defenseman Shane Galbraith. The Whales offered their 1975 1st-round draft pick and former Falcons forward Allen Consbruck, who will return to the team who drafted him. It was considered a win-win for both teams. Galbraith is 35 and wants to make another run at the Cup and the Whales were looking for a veteran presence after Anton O'Reilly's retirement. Galbraith still has plenty in the tank while the Falcons can find a prospect with the 12th overall pick and bring back Consbruck who was well-liked in the city and can anchor the second line.

1975 THL Amateur Player Draft

With rosters gutted from the UHA, the THL extended the amatuer draft to three rounds in hopes of bolstering depth around the league.

1st-Round 1975

1 – YBG – F Pekka Jokinen (Finland)
The Glaciers should thank Barry Boyle that he scared off several international prospects the previous year and allowed them to draft first. The “Joker” is just that-- an extremely versatile two-way forward with a mean streak who can score from anywhere and isn't afraid to throw a shoulder or hip into the boards. Jokinen will immediately invigorate a underachieving Glaciers squad and allow star Peter Isaksson to focus on shooting.

2 – YUB – F Karolis Kazlauskas (Lithuania)
The Falcons are in desperate need of new blood after a grueling two years which gutted the team. Kazlauskas is undersized but carries a chip on his shoulder along with a magnetic personality and leadership skills to help fill the immense void of Geno Pasternak and now Shane Galbraith. “Kaz” is an extremely fast skater but pairs speed with hockey sense and is always in the right spot.

3 – NAR – F Andy Fausett
A very un-flashy player, Fausett is a good passing center and should pair nicely with the Neptunes' current top line.

4 – KRK – F/D Joe Bonder
Bonder is a very unique prospect who played heavy minutes on both ends of the ice on two different lines in school due to lack of roster depth and developed a rare skillset as a player who can play forward or defense well.

5 – CHA – D John Schmoldt
Schmoldt is a big-bodied bruiser with a developing aptitude for passing and scoring. Given time to mature, he could be a real force.

6 – KAV – D Frank Lambrou
Lambrou is exactly what the Electrics have needed on the blue: toughness and grit.

7 – PA – F Jake Makarski
With an already very balanced roster, the Anchors had their choice of direction to go and decided on the rising Makarski who is tough and can pass.

8 – TRO – D Gene Schlattman
The man known as “Splat” for his devastating hits on the boards is exactly the wild brand of toughness that the Herons have been looking for. Schlattman has a chance to be an All-Star talent.

9 – PTP – D Josh Beckes
With not many top-level forward prospects, the Pioneers elected to go with Beckes to add some speed to their blue line.

10 – FTB – G Kenny Ratliff
The former Youth Leaguer and Howerton State standout finally finds a place in the THL with Fort Bevin where he has an early chance to earn a backup job. Good well-rounded goaltender.

11 – KIR – D Kenny Charry
In a draft heavy with defenseman, Charry is a nice prospect from Perna and excellent value at the end of the first round. Kirlow hopes he can jump right in and solidify the second line.

12 – YUB (via POR) – D Nolan Kaminski
With their pick from the Whales from the Shane Galbraith trade, the Falcons chose rising Youth League star Kaminski who was a standout player on a bad team.


Team Identity Changes

A handful of teams made changes to their looks, some based on fan reaction to previous designs or just time for a change.

1975 Yubay Glaciers


After the fans voiced their displeasure at the introduction of the Glaciers' new look in 1974 which included purple and a new logo, team owner Sterling Aquino stepped in and decided to get more involved in the process. Having once made the brash statement that became the infamous "Clown Suits" in their inaugural year, Aquino dubbed this more classically styled look as a "New Era" for the Clown Suit. He immediately ditched the purple and and replaced it with a red primary look with teal pants, since the Falcons had indicated they were going back to black. Aquino kept the new logo but simplified the whole look, removing the hems and sleeve caps. He hopes this will be a look that the Glaciers can wear proudly for a long time.

1975 Yubay Falcons


In Sava Side, with the Barry Boyle debacle finally over, Lynette Rankin decided a fresh start in the uniform department was in order, and took inspiration from the Falcons' original duds with full primary black and simpler stylings while keeping some of the more recent elements which were tied to winning the Cup before Boyle. In honor of Leo Rankin being still in a coma and his health on a severe decline, a circular patch with his initials was added to the right shoulder.

1975 Kirkenport Captains


Despite winning a pair of Cups in their blue duds, owner Don Giordano wanted to see the midnight return to the Isle, particularly with the team needing to switch to a more classic bruising Isle of Kirk style of heavy defensive play due to roster changes. He's still confident the team can contend but he hopes the return to midnight will be a signal of their new team identity on the ice. The new look sends blue to a very minimal status, with simplified Northwestern striping between both sets, and ditches the outlines in favor of a flat look. Despite most teams beginning to add NOB's, Don G wanted to hold off in favor of a more nameless team mentality. 

1975 Kirlow Kodiaks


Some teams set the bar and some teams follow the bar, with the Kodiaks deciding to switch to a blue primary after hearing that the Captains went back to midnight. The drastic new look combines several features from their previous sets in 1967 with brown being relegated to the striping and pants. A half-yoke on the shoulders is made continuous with the TV numbers being moved to inside the yoke. The striping has been completely stripped down to a single stroked wide stripe throughout the set. The Standing Bear makes a return, a logo that had seen mixed reviews previously, while outlines have been added to the numbers. NOB's make an appearance.

1975 Portarra Pioneers (NOB)

Not pictured, the Pioneers simply added NOB's to their previous set.


What's the temperature on these new looks? C&C appreciated!

New seasons coming up soon.

Big fan of all these updates, particularly happy to see my Falcons in black again!

With my Falcons down, I'm happy to see that at least the Wolves are doing well!

Last edited by Section30 (2/18/2020 7:52 pm)

1975 UHA PLAYOFFS

Quarterfinals

3 Prestonburg Blazers vs 6 Alko Wildcats
The first playoff series in UHA history was a good one as it went the distance and saw a fine battle between young Rodrigo Redden and the veteran Gary Wisniewski. Eventually the younger legs prevailed in seven games as Prestonburg pulled it out in overtime. (PRE wins 4-3)

4 Trowburgh Eagles vs 5 Reto Bay Marauders
The Eagles were the better seed but the Marauders showed some grit and determination following Evan Starling to a close series win in six games. (RB wins 4-2)

Semi-Finals

1 Vensessor Swans vs 5 Reto Bay Marauders
In the first-round bye format, the Swans nearly squandered their standing as Reto Bay again showed toughness and forced a Game 7. Jerry Haake scored the series winner though for Vensessor to propel them to the first UHA Championship. (VEN wins 4-3)

2 Podangrad Wolves vs 3 Prestonburg Blazers
Chris Daniau had a very see-saw series as the Wolves saw F Chris Wydra come alive and show his electric scoring abilities as Podangrad dispatched the Blazers in six games to book a Championship berth. (POD wins 4-2)




UHA Championship Series

1 Vensessor Swans vs 2 Podangrad Wolves
Although officially called the “Championship Series” fans and pundits immediately dubbed it the “Boyle Bowl” much to Barry's displeasure. The series started with Podangrad notching three-straight wins over the Swans who looked out of sync and out of sorts. A series-saving OT goal by Jerry Haake in Game 4 launched an incredible comeback as Vensessor proceeded to tie up the series to force a Game 7 decider at home in Vensessor. The game was extremely tight and dramatic as both teams battled back and forth to a 1-1 tie for overtime. Late into the OT period a one-timer from Jerry Haake clinched the series for Vensessor in a comeback for the ages that helped drive the UHA's flagging TV ratings and stamp the league as a contender.

1975 UHA Champions: Vensessor Swans (1)

Up next: THL Season

Well, here I am, waiting for the inevitable merger between these two leagues. Can’t wait for things to start falling apart in the UHA!