| 1977 Training Camp Notes |
|---|
| 1977 Saw a change in the way the organization conducted training camp. The brainchild of new GM Ted Lindsay to infuse the barren farm system with talent, "pre-camp" was an opportunity for "off-the-radar" players to earn a shot at a pro job. This was followed up by the main "Pro Camp" which was made up of players under contract, and a few standouts from the pre-camp. Detroit invited 51 players to the 1978 pro camp, 5 goalies, 17 blueliners and 29 forwards. The "Kids" were the talk of camp with several young draft choices battling for jobs in the NHL. 1977 1st overall choice Dale McCourt may have been the most talented player in camp, but other 1977 draft picks John Hilworth, Rick Vasko, Roland Cloutier and Rob Plumb all earned NHL time with a strong camp showing. Players were split between four clubs, the parent Wings, the primary affiliate Kansas City (CHL), a shared affiliation in Philadelphia (AHL) and the Kalamazoo Wings (IHL). |
| # | Pos | Player | HT | WT | D.O.B. | 1976-77 Club | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | 1977-78 Club | Draft Notes |
|---|
| 7 | LW | Dan Maloney | 6'2 | 185 | 9/24/50 | Detroit (NHL) | 34 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 64 | Detroit (NHL) | LA 6/23/75 |
| 11 | LW | Rick Bowness | 6' | 185 | 1/25/55 | Tulsa (CHL)
Atlanta (NHL) | 39
28 | 15
0 | 15
4 | 30
4 | 72
29 | Detroit (NHL) | Purchased fromAtl 8/18/77 |
| 14 | LW | Nick Libett | 6'1 | 185 | 12/9/45 | Detroit (NHL) | 80 | 14 | 27 | 41 | 25 | Detroit (NHL) | Signed 3/22/66 |
| 18 | LW | * Rob Plumb | 5'8 | 166 | 8/29/57 | Kingston (OHA) | 64 | 20 | 31 | 51 | 73 | Detroit (NHL)/Kansas City (CHL) | 1977 draft 11th rnd, 163rd |
| 21 | LW | Danny Grant | 5'10 | 188 | 2/21/45 | Detroit (NHL) | 42 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 4 | Detroit (NHL) | Min 8/27/74 |
| 25 | LW | Mike Bloom | 6'3 | 205 | 4/12/52 | Detroit (NHL)
Rhode Island (AHL)
Kansas City (CHL) | 45
12
21 | 6
8
14 | 3
2
13 | 9
10
27 | 22
12
33 | Kansas City (CHL) | Was 3/9/75 |
| 27 | LW | Bob Ritchie | 5'10 | 170 | 2/20/55 | Springfield (AHL)
Philadelphia/Detroit (NHL) | 54
18 | 19
6 | 25
2 | 44
8 | 20
10 | Detroit (NHL)/Kansas City (CHL) | Phi 2/17/77 |
| | LW | * Clark Hamilton | 6'4 | 220 | 1/12/55 | Notre Dame (NCAA) | 33 | 20 | 32 | 52 | 46 | Kansas City (CHL) | 1975 draft 3rd rnd, 50th |
| | LW | Danny Gruen | 5'11 | 190 | 6/26/52 | Calgary/Minnesota (WHA)
Colorado (NHL) | 35
29 | 11
8 | 9
10 | 20
18 | 19
12 | Kansas City (CHL) | Free Agent 1977 |
| | LW | Steve Coates | 5'9 | 172 | 7/27/50 | Springfield (AHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 57
5 | 17
1 | 23
0 | 40
1 | 122
24 | Kansas City (CHL) | Phi 2/17/77 |
| | LW | Bob Krieger | 5'11 | 186 | 10/5/52 | Salt Lake (CHL) | 21 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 11 | Kansas City (CHL)/Philadelphia (AHL) | 1972 draft 3rd rnd, 42nd |
| 8 | RW | Dennis Polonich | 5'6 | 170 | 12/4/53 | Detroit (NHL) | 79 | 18 | 28 | 46 | 274 | Detroit (NHL) | 1973 draft 8th rnd, 123rd |
| 16 | RW | Michel Bergeron | 5'10 | 170 | 11/11/54 | Kansas City (CHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 4
74 | 3
21 | 5
12 | 8
33 | 4
98 | Detroit (NHL) | 1974 draft 4th rnd, 63rd |
| 17 | RW | Al McDonough | 6' | 185 | 6/6/50 | Minnesota (WHA) | 42 | 9 | 21 | 30 | 6 | Detroit (NHL)/Kansas City (CHL) | Free Agent 1977 |
| 23 | RW | Bill Lochead | 6'1 | 195 | 10/13/54 | Kansas City (CHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 10
61 | 8
16 | 8
14 | 16
30 | 0
39 | Detroit (NHL) | 1974 draft 1st rnd, 9th |
| 29 | RW | Brian McCutcheon | 5'10 | 177 | 8/3/49 | Detroit (NHL)
Kansas City (CHL) | 12
27 | 0
11 | 0
8 | 0
19 | 0
12 | Kansas City (CHL) | Free Agent 1971 |
| | RW | Tom Milani | 5'6 | 170 | 4/13/52 | Syracuse (NAHL)
Minnesota (WHA) | 72
2 | 56
0 | 65
0 | 121
0 | 15
0 | Kalamazoo (IHL) | Free Agent 1977 |
| | RW | Don Martineau | 6' | 190 | 4/25/52 | Kansas City (CHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 76
1 | 27
0 | 38
0 | 65
0 | 57
0 | Kansas City (CHL) | Min 11/25/75 |
| | RW | Kevin Schamehorn | 5'9 | 181 | 7/28/56 | Kalamazoo (IHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 77
3 | 27
0 | 32
0 | 59
0 | 314
9 | Kansas City (CHL)/Kalamazoo (IHL) | 1976 draft 4th rnd, 58th |
| | RW | Fred Harvey | 6' | 185 | 4/2/50 | Kansas City (CHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 15
54 | 4
11 | 12
11 | 16
22 | 4
18 | Philadelphia (AHL) | KC 1/14/76 |
| | RW | Dave Kelly | 6'2 | 205 | 9/20/52 | Springfield/Rhode Island (AHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 48
16 | 16
2 | 20
0 | 36
2 | 95
4 | Philadelphia (AHL) | Phi 2/17/77 |
| 10 | C | * Dale McCourt | 5'10 | 180 | 1/26/57 | St Catherines (OHA) | 66 | 60 | 79 | 139 | 26 | Detroit (NHL) | 1977 draft 1st rnd, 1st |
| 12 | C | Jean-Paul Leblanc | 5'10 | 170 | 10/20/46 | Detroit (NHL) | 74 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 40 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | Chi 11/20/75 |
| 15 | C | Fred Williams | 5'11 | 178 | 7/1/56 | Detroit (NHL)
Rhode Island (AHL) | 44
34 | 2
7 | 5
19 | 7
26 | 10
24 | Kansas City (CHL)/Philadelphia (AHL) | 1976 draft 1st rnd, 4th |
| 22 | C | Dennis Hextall | 5'11 | 175 | 4/17/43 | Detroit (NHL) | 78 | 14 | 32 | 46 | 158 | Detroit (NHL) | Min 2/27/76 |
| | C | * Roland Cloutier | 5'8 | 157 | 10/6/57 | Trois Rivieres (QMJHL) | 72 | 63 | 68 | 131 | 43 | Detroit (NHL)/Kansas City (CHL) | 1977 draft 14th rnd, 178th |
| | C | Mike Wong | 6'3 | 204 | 1/14/55 | Kalamazoo (IHL)
Rhode Island (AHL) | 24
18 | 12
3 | 10
5 | 22
8 | 22
6 | Kalamazoo (IHL) | 1975 draft 5th rnd, 77th |
| | C | Fred Berry | 5'9 | 170 | 3/26/56 | Kalamazoo (IHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 66
3 | 17
0 | 42
0 | 59
0 | 146
0 | Kansas City (CHL) | 1976 draft 3rd rnd, 40th |
| | C | Fern LeBlanc | 5'11 | 180 | 1/12/56 | Kalamazoo (IHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 77
3 | 39
0 | 32
0 | 71
0 | 57
0 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | 1976 draft 7th rnd, 111th |
| 2 | D | Terry harper | 6'1 | 197 | 1/27/40 | Detroit (NHL) | 52 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 28 | Detroit (NHL) | LA 6/23/75 |
| 3 | D | Perry Miller | 6' | 200 | 6/24/52 | Winnipeg (WHA) | 74 | 14 | 31 | 45 | 124 | Detroit (NHL) | Free Agent 1977 |
| 4 | D | Terry Murray | 6'2 | 190 | 7/20/50 | Philadelphia/Detroit (NHL) | 59 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 24 | Philadelphia (AHL) | Phi 2/17/77 |
| 5 | D | Jean Hamel | 5'11 | 185 | 6/6/52 | Detroit (NHL) | 71 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 63 | Detroit (NHL)/Kansas City (CHL) | Stl 2/14/74 |
| 19 | D | Rick Wilson | 6'1 | 195 | 8/10/50 | Detroit (NHL) | 77 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 56 | Philadelphia (AHL) | Stl 6/16/76 |
| 20 | D | Dwight Schofield | 6' | 187 | 3/25/56 | Kalamazoo (IHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 73
3 | 20
1 | 41
0 | 61
1 | 180
2 | Kalamazoo (IHL)/Kansas City (CHL) | 1976 draft 5th rnd, 76th |
| 24 | D | Greg Joly | 6'1 | 185 | 5/30/54 | Springfield (AHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 22
53 | 0
1 | 8
11 | 8
12 | 16
14 | Detroit (NHL) | Was 11/30/76 |
| 26 | D | Al Cameron | 6'1 | 190 | 10/21/55 | Detroit (NHL) | 80 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 112 | Detroit (NHL)/Kansas City (CHL) | 1975 draft 3rd rnd, 37th |
| 28 | D | * Reed Larson | 6' | 190 | 7/30/56 | U of Minnesota (NCAA)
Detroit (NHL) | 21
14 | 10
0 | 15
1 | 25
1 | 30
23 | Detroit (NHL) | 1976 draft 2nd rnd, 22nd |
| | D | * Rick Vasko | 6' | 185 | 1/12/57 | Peteborough (OHA) | 65 | 6 | 30 | 36 | 122 | Detroit (NHL)/Kansas City (CHL) | 1977 draft 3rd rnd, 37th |
| | D | Jerry Rollins | 6'3 | 195 | 3/22/55 | Phoenix/Birmingham (WHA) | 71 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 186 | Kalamazoo (IHL)/Philadelphia (AHL) | 1975 draft 2nd rnd, 23rd |
| | D | * John Taft | 6'2 | 185 | 3/8/58 | U of Wisconsin (NCAA) | 42 | 15 | 43 | 58 | 41 | Kansas City (CHL) | 1974 draft 5th rnd, 81st |
| | D | Dave Hanson | 6'1 | 200 | 4/12/54 | Johnstown (NAHL)
Hampton (SHL)
Rhode Island (AHL)
Minnesota/New England (WHA) | 6
28
27
8 | 0
5
2
0 | 3
7
10
2 | 3
12
12
2 | 27
188
98
44 | Kansas City (CHL)/Birminham (WHA) | Free Agent 1977 |
| | D | Larry Giroux | 6' | 190 | 8/28/51 | Kansas City (CHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 75
2 | 11
0 | 34
0 | 45
0 | 194
2 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | KC 12/14/74 |
| | D | * John Hilworth | 6'4 | 205 | 5/23/57 | Medicine Hat (WCHL) | 70 | 6 | 28 | 34 | 268 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | 1977 draft 4th rnd, 55th |
| | D | Jim Nahrgang | 6' | 185 | 4/17/51 | Kansas City (CHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 16
53 | 2
5 | 6
11 | 8
16 | 38
34 | Kansas City (CHL)/Philadelphia (AHL) | 1971 draft 7th rnd, 86th |
| | D | Steve Durbano | 6'1 | 210 | 12/12/51 | Colorado (NHL)
Rhode Island (AHL) | 19
9 | 0
1 | 2
2 | 2
3 | 129
55 | Loaned to Birm (WHA) | Free Agent 1977 |
| 1 | G | Jim Rutherford | 5'8 | 160 | 2/17/49 | Detroit (NHL) | 48 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Detroit (NHL) | Pit 1/18/74 |
| 30 | G | Ron Low | 6'1 | 205 | 6/21/50 | Washington (NHL) | 54 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | Detroit (NHL) | Was 8/17/77 |
| 31 | G | Ed Giacomin | 5'11 | 180 | 6/6/39 | Detroit (NHL) | 33 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Detroit (NHL) | Claimed on Waivers from NYR 10/31/75 |
| | G | * Jim Baxter | 5'10 | 160 | 4/15/58 | Union College (NCAA) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Kalamazoo (IHL) | 1977 draft 6th rnd, 91st |
| | G | Terry Richardson | 6'1 | 190 | 5/7/53 | Kalamazoo (IHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 65
5 | 0
0 | 2
0 | 2
0 | 14
2 | Kansas City (CHL) | 1973 draft 1st rnd, 11th |
* - Amateur Player.
