Bobby Hull & Winnipeg Jets vs. Toronto Toros, Rare Photos


My pal, Doug Petepiece has shared with me few more great photos of his as he continues combing through his personal archives. These two show the legendary Bobby Hull (pre-hair plugs) and his Winnipeg Jets playing the Toronto Toros in WHA pre-season action. The game took place at the Ottawa Civic Centre, I haven't been able to find a boxscore but from the players shown, it has to be before the 1973/74 season. 
The first photo, above is a great one showing Hull and Toronto captain Wayne Carleton sprawled out on the ice battling for the puck. Jets defender Bob Woytowtich is at the right side. This was just prior to the second year of World Hockey Association play, Hull had scored 51 goals the previous year and would ripple the mesh 53 more times in the upcoming campaign. Carleton had scored 22 goals for Boston and 17 for California Golden Seals in the early 1970's. After jumping to the WHA he topped the Ottawa Nationals with 91 points in 1972/73, before the franchise moved to Toronto. He repeated the feat in 73/74 with 92 points. Woytowich was a veteran of 503 NHL games before jumping to Winnipeg, he would notch a career high 34 points in 73/74.
Below is another photo from the game, a great action shot filled with players. Left to right we have #7 Chris Bordeleau who had played four seasons in the NHL before joining Winnipeg in the inaugural WHA season. He scored 101 points that first year and would collect another 75 in this upcoming year.  The Winnipeg goaltender is one of two men. Both Ernie Wakely and Joe Daley had the same mask at this time and without a number visible, it's difficult to tell who it is.  
The first Toronto Toro is #8 Rick Sentes a Left Winger who would gather 56 points for the Toros in 73/74. His WHA career included stops with the San Diego Mariners and Calgary Cowboys. His 85 points with San Diego in 74/75 would prove to be a career high.


Winnipeg #3 is defenceman Bob Ash, a long-time minor pro who got the opportunity at the big time when the WHA started. Toronto's Wayne Carleton is shown once again on all fours and there even appears to be a Jet underneath him. Perhaps he had a bad sharpening job prior to this game. 
The helmeted Toro, #17 is Right Winger Tom Martin. He was a 5th overall selection by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1964 amateur draft and would play three games with them in 1967/68 scoring a lone goal. These would be his only three NHL games. Martin scored 57 points in the 73/74 season and would finish out his career with four years in Sweden.
The player on the far right appears to be #25 for Winnipeg, Fran Huck. The 5'7" Huck was a junior scoring sensation for the Regina Pats before playing five full seasons with the Canadian National team. Huck finally turned pro in 1969/70 and played four seasons in the Montreal and St.Louis organizations. He topped out at 36 points in 58 games for the Blues in 72/73. In this 73/74 season for Winnipeg, Huck produced 74 points in as many games.

Comments

dsd said…
Goalie looks like Wakely based on the number of holes (6) in the section between the eye and the ear. Daley's mask had only 4.
May 20, 2015 at 11:01 AM
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