From The Archives: Per Capita Kings Best Draw in AHL

By Chuck Santaniello

The hockey season is all over for the Springfield Kings but fans here have expressed nothing but praise for their fallen heroes.

Making the playoffs in four of their last five seasons and bringing back the Calder Cup to boot last season is an accomplishment the loyal followers of the Kings like to remember best and they’ve shown it at the box office this year.

In fact, the Kings operated at the highest per capita capacity in the whole league, including Boston, since the seating is only 5934 here. 

The team broke all existing records for a local hockey club in attendance this season although final figures have not been made public. They’ll do even better next season when they play in the new 7,800 seat Civic Center.

On the ice, the leading scorer on the club was the ageless, 35-year-old Ed Hoekstra who popped 16 goals and an amazing 69 assists for 85 points. In second place was Wayne Rivers, the 10-year veteran with 58 goals, tops in the league, and 33 assists for 81 total points.

Rookie Brian Carlin finished third with 35 goals and 31 assists for a tremendous rookie season good for 66 points. He is a top NHL prospect who fitted in well with Hoekstra and Rivers on a line. Carlin gave that good, steady game all season long.

Fourth leading scorer on the club was another good rookie, Wayne Chernecki, who finished with 60 points on 24 goals and 36 assists. The kid had some rough going and hit a few slumps during the course of the season but finished the year in top style. He is a good rookie who can do it all.

In fact, Carlin and Chernecki are the continued fine, first-year rookie pros that scout George McGuire has been drafting and sending here every season. They both come from the highly-productive Western Canada Junior League.

Center Jim Stanfield finished fifth in scoring this season with 30 goals, 26 assists in a hot and cold season. He started and ended well, once hitting for four goals in one game! Rounding out the top five, Wayne Schultz produced 24 goals and 12 assists for 56 points. 

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