| 1978 Training Camp Notes |
|---|
| For the second straight season, the Wings held a huge pre-camp for tryouts, draft choices, college players, and minor leaguers. 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 56 players to the 1978 pro camp, 5 goalies, 16 blueliners and 35 forwards. 1978 first rounder's Willie Huber and Brent Peterson both earned spots on the NHL roster with strong camps. Camp tryouts Lorry Gloeckner and Mal Davis played well enough to earn contracts with both seeing the NHL by the end of the season. Players were split between three clubs, the parent Wings, the primary affiliate Kansas City (CHL), and the Kalamazoo Wings (IHL). |
| # | Pos | Player | HT | WT | D.O.B. | 1977-78 Club | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | 1978-79 Club | Draft Notes |
|---|
| 12 | LW | Errol Thompson | 5'9 | 195 | 5/28/50 | Toronto/Detroit (NHL) | 73 | 22 | 23 | 45 | 12 | Detroit (NHL) | Tor 3/13/78 |
| 14 | LW | Nick Libett | 6' | 195 | 12/9/45 | Detroit (NHL) | 80 | 23 | 22 | 45 | 46 | Detroit (NHL) | Signed 3/22/66 |
| 18 | LW | Rob Plumb | 5'10 | 170 | 8/29/57 | Detroit (NHL)
Kansas City (CHL) | 7
55 | 2
18 | 1
11 | 3
29 | 0
34 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | 1977 draft 11th rnd, 163rd |
| 19 | LW | Dennis Hull | 5'11 | 192 | 11/19/44 | Detroit (NHL) | 55 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 6 | Retired | Chi 12/2/77 |
| | LW | Danny Gruen | 5'11 | 190 | 1/26/52 | Kansas City (CHL) | 30 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 40 | Kansas City (CHL) | Free Agent 1977 |
| | LW | Clark Hamilton | 6'4 | 215 | 1/12/55 | Kansas City (CHL) | 50 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 34 | Kansas City (CHL) | 1975 draft 3rd rnd, 50th |
| | LW | Danny Bolduc | 5'9 | 180 | 4/6/53 | Springfield (AHL)
New England (WHA) | 35
41 | 14
5 | 9
5 | 23
10 | 35
22 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | Free Agent 1978 |
| | LW | Fern LeBlanc | 5'11 | 180 | 1/12/56 | Kansas City (CHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 69
2 | 29
0 | 21
0 | 50
0 | 39
0 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | 1976 draft 7th rnd, 111th |
| | LW | Mike Bloom | 6'3 | 210 | 4/12/52 | Kansas City (CHL) | 76 | 23 | 54 | 77 | 155 | Released from Camp | Was 3/9/75 |
| | LW | Bob Ritchie | 5'11 | 178 | 2/20/55 | Kansas City (CHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 52
11 | 15
2 | 21
2 | 36
4 | 16
0 | Retired | Phi 2/17/77 |
| 11 | RW | Rick Bowness | 6' | 185 | 1/25/55 | Detroit (NHL) | 61 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 76 | Stl 10/10/78 | Purchased from Atl 8/18/77 |
| 21 | RW | Dan Labraaten | 6' | 190 | 6/9/51 | Winnipeg (WHA) | 47 | 18 | 16 | 34 | 30 | Detroit (NHL) | Free Agent 1978 |
| 23 | RW | Bill Lochead | 6'1 | 190 | 10/13/54 | Detroit (NHL) | 77 | 20 | 16 | 36 | 47 | Detroit (NHL) | 1974 draft 1st rnd, 9th |
| | RW | Dean Willers | 5'11 | 175 | 12/28/57 | Union College (NCAA)
Kalamazoo (IHL) | 5
40 | 2
13 | 1
14 | 3
27 | 2
30 | Kalamazoo (IHL) | 1977 draft 13th rnd, 175th |
| | RW | Kevin Schamehorn | 5'9 | 180 | 7/28/56 | Kansas City (CHL)
Kalamazoo (IHL) | 36
39 | 5
18 | 3
14 | 8
32 | 113
146 | Kalamazoo (IHL) | 1976 draft 4th rnd, 58th |
| | RW | Tom Milani | 5'6 | 165 | 4/13/52 | Kalamazoo (IHL) | 79 | 44 | 41 | 85 | 41 | Kalamazoo (IHL) | Free Agent 1977 |
| | RW | * Mal Davis | 5'11 | 180 | 10/10/56 | St Marys University (AUAA) | 20 | 23 | 13 | 36 | 8 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | Camp Tryout 1978 |
| | RW | Sean Shanahan | 6'3 | 210 | 2/8/51 | Boston (NHL)
Rochester (AHL) | 6
66 | 0
20 | 0
23 | 0
43 | 7
156 | Released | Free Agent 1978 |
| | RW | Steve Coates | 5'9 | 172 | 7/27/50 | Kansas City (CHL)/Maine (AHL) | 63
15 | 14
3 | 20
2 | 34
5 | 83
11 | Released | Phi 2/17/77 |
| | RW | * Ed Hill | 6'2 | 194 | 11/21/57 | Vermont (ECAC) | | | | | | Released from Camp | 1977 draft 15th rnd, 181st |
| | RW | Al McDonough | 6' | 175 | 6/6/50 | Detroit (NHL)
Kansas City (CHL) | 13
52 | 2
18 | 2
24 | 4
42 | 4
14 | Retired | Free Agent 1977 |
| 8 | C | Dennis Polonich | 5'6 | 170 | 12/4/53 | Detroit (NHL) | 79 | 16 | 19 | 35 | 254 | Detroit (NHL) | 1973 draft 8th rnd, 123rd |
| 15 | C | Paul Woods | 5'10 | 175 | 4/12/55 | Detroit (NHL) | 80 | 19 | 23 | 42 | 52 | Detroit (NHL) | Claimed from Mon in Waiver draft 10/10/77 |
| 16 | C | Andre St Laurent | 5'8 | 178 | 2/16/53 | New York Islanders/Detroit (NHL) | 79 | 31 | 39 | 70 | 108 | Detroit (NHL) | NYI 10/20/77 |
| 20 | C | Vaclav Nedomansky | 6'2 | 205 | 3/14/44 | Birmingham (WHA)
Detroit (NHL) | 12
63 | 2
11 | 3
17 | 5
28 | 6
2 | Detroit (NHL) | Birm (WHA) 11/15/77 |
| 22 | C | Dennis Hextall | 6' | 175 | 4/17/43 | Detroit (NHL) | 78 | 16 | 33 | 49 | 195 | Detroit (NHL) | Min 2/27/76 |
| 25 | C | Larry Wright | 6' | 180 | 10/8/51 | Detroit (NHL) | 66 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 13 | Kansas City (CHL) | Free Agent 1977 |
| 27 | C | * Brent R. Peterson | 6' | 190 | 2/15/58 | Portland (WCHL) | 51 | 33 | 50 | 83 | 95 | Detroit (NHL) | 1978 draft 1st rnd, 12th |
| | C | Jean-Paul Leblanc | 5'9 | 175 | 10/20/46 | Kansas City (CHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 65
3 | 20
0 | 35
2 | 55
2 | 42
4 | Detroit (NHL)/Kansas City (CHL) | Chi 11/20/75 |
| | C | Fred Berry | 5'9 | 175 | 3/26/56 | Kansas City (CHL) | 65 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 79 | Kalamazoo (IHL) | 1976 draft 3rd rnd, 40th |
| | C | Kip Churchill | 5'11 | 170 | 2/16/57 | Union College (NCAA)
Kalamazoo (IHL) | 5
39 | 3
14 | 6
11 | 9
25 | 0
4 | Kalamazoo (IHL) | 1977 draft 9th rnd, 141st |
| | C | Mike Wong | 6'3 | 210 | 1/14/55 | Kalamazoo/Muskegon (IHL) | 66 | 23 | 19 | 42 | 63 | Kalamazoo (IHL) | 1975 draft 5th rnd, 77th |
| | C | * Bjorne Skaare | 6' | 180 | 10/29/58 | Ottawa (OHA) | 38 | 12 | 30 | 42 | 72 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | 1978 draft 4th rnd, 67th |
| | C | Roland Cloutier | 5'9 | 160 | 10/6/57 | Detroit (NHL)/Kansas City (CHL) | 1
70 | 0
18 | 0
38 | 0
56 | 0
13 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | 1977 draft 14th rnd, 178th |
| | C | Fred Williams | 5'11 | 185 | 7/1/56 | Kansas City (CHL)
Philadelphia | 32
35 | 0
5 | 6
11 | 6
16 | 12
22 | Released | 1976 draft 1st rnd, 4th |
| 2 | D | Terry Harper | 6' | 197 | 1/27/40 | Detroit (NHL) | 80 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 85 | Detroit (NHL)/Kansas City (CHL) | LA 6/23/75 |
| 3 | D | Perry Miller | 6'1 | 194 | 6/24/52 | Detroit (NHL) | 62 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 120 | Detroit (NHL) | Free Agent 1977 |
| 4 | D | Thommie Bergman | 6'2 | 200 | 12/10/47 | Winnipeg (WHA)
Detroit (NHL) | 62
14 | 5
1 | 28
6 | 33
7 | 43
16 | Detroit (NHL) | Free Agent 1978 |
| 5 | D | Jean Hamel | 5'11 | 195 | 6/6/52 | Detroit (NHL)
Kansas City (CHL) | 32
28 | 2
2 | 6
10 | 8
12 | 34
29 | Detroit (NHL) | Stl 2/14/74 |
| 7 | D | * Willie Huber | 6'5 | 228 | 1/15/58 | Hamilton (OHA) | 61 | 12 | 45 | 57 | 168 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | 1978 draft 1st rnd, 9th |
| 17 | D | Dave Hanson | 6' | 190 | 4/12/54 | Kansas City (CHL)
Hampton (SHL)
Birmingham (WHA) | 15
5
42 | 0
0
7 | 0
3
16 | 0
3
23 | 41
8
241 | Birmingham (WHA)/Detroit (NHL) | Free Agent 1977 |
| 24 | D | Greg Joly | 6'1 | 180 | 5/30/54 | Detroit (NHL) | 79 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 73 | Detroit (NHL) | Was 11/30/76 |
| 26 | D | Al Cameron | 6' | 205 | 10/21/55 | Detroit (NHL)
Kansas City (CHL) | 63
6 | 3
14 | 13
6 | 16
7 | 112
4 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | 1975 draft 3rd rnd, 37th |
| 28 | D | Reed Larson | 6' | 188 | 7/30/56 | Detroit (NHL) | 75 | 19 | 41 | 60 | 95 | Detroit (NHL) | 1976 draft 2nd rnd, 22nd |
| 29 | D | John Hilworth | 6'4 | 208 | 5/23/57 | Kansas City (CHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 63
5 | 3
0 | 8
0 | 11
0 | 119
12 | Detroit (NHL)/Kalamazoo (IHL)/KC (CHL) | 1977 draft 4th rnd, 55th |
| | D | Larry Giroux | 6' | 205 | 8/28/51 | Kansas City (CHL)
Detroit (NHL) | 73
5 | 11
0 | 49
3 | 60
3 | 256
4 | Claimed by Stl in Waiver Draft | KC 12/14/74 |
| | D | Rick Vasko | 6' | 200 | 1/12/57 | Detroit (NHL)
Kansas City (CHL) | 3
70 | 0
11 | 0
30 | 0
41 | 7
72 | Detroit (NHL)/Kansas City (CHL) | 1977 draft 3rd rnd, 37th |
| | D | John Taft | 6'2 | 190 | 3/8/58 | Kansas City (CHL) | 71 | 5 | 22 | 27 | 25 | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | 1974 draft 5th rnd, 81st |
| | D | * Lorry Gloekner | 6'2 | 210 | 1/25/56 | Did Not Play | | | | | | Kansas City (CHL)/Detroit (NHL) | Camp Tryout 1978 |
| | D | Dwight Schofield | 6' | 192 | 3/25/56 | Kalamazoo (IHL)
Kansas City (CHL) | 3
22 | 3
3 | 6
7 | 9
10 | 21
58 | Kansas City (CHL)/Kalamazoo (IHL) | 1976 draft 5th rnd, 76th |
| | D | Jack Rankin | 5'11 | 190 | 5/23/53 | Kalamazoo (IHL)
Kansas City (CHL) | 39
5 | 3
0 | 8
2 | 11
2 | 21
0 | Released from Camp | Free Agent 1977 |
| 1 | G | Jim Rutherford | 5'8 | 160 | 2/17/49 | Detroit (NHL) | 43 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Detroit (NHL) | Pit 1/18/74 |
| 30 | G | Ron Low | 6' | 200 | 6/21/50 | Detroit (NHL) | 32 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Kansas City (CHL) | Was 8/17/77 |
| 31 | G | Jim Baxter | 5'10 | 160 | 4/15/58 | Kalamazoo/Fort Wayne (IHL) | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Kalamazoo (IHL) | 1977 draft 6th rnd, 91st |
| 35 | G | * Al Jensen | 5'10 | 180 | 11/27/58 | Hamilton (OHA) | 43 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | Kalamazoo (IHL) | 1978 draft 2nd rnd, 31st |
| 40 | G | Rogie Vachon | 5'7 | 165 | 9/8/45 | Los Angeles (NHL) | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Detroit (NHL) | Free Agent 1978 |
* - Amateur Player.
