SEPTEMBER 27, 1948
NAHC TRAINING CAMPS UNDERWAY
The six North American Hockey Confederation clubs began training camp last week and preseason games will start Wednesday as the defending champion Toronto Dukes and the rest of the NAHC prepare for the October 13th regular season opener. The Dukes, despite finishing 3rd in the standings a year ago, knocked off the second place Boston Bees in the semi-finals before downing the New York Shamrocks -who had surprised first place Chicago in the opening round- to win their 7th Challenge Cup in team history. The 7 Cups for the Dukes ties them with Boston for the most one by a single team and continues a stretch of dominance dating back to 1940 where only the Bees and Dukes have won the playoff title.
The Bees made a depth move last week, signing veteran minor league free agent center Ray Gustafson to add some depth to their organization. The 29-year-old has spent his entire pro career in the Hockey Association of American, including last season when he tallied 7 goals and 27 points for the Cleveland Eries. Gustafson has been part of a pair of HAA championship teams but was let go by the Eries organization last week in order to give him a NAHC opportunity with Boston.
PRESEASON SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 29
Montreal at Detroit
Boston at Chicago
New York at Toronto
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 30
Chicago at New York
Detroit at Boston
Toronto at Montreal
SATURDAY OCTOBER 2
Montreal at Chicago
Boston at Detroit
New York at Toronto
SUNDAY OCTOBER 3
Detroit at Boston
Toronto at New York
Chicago at Montreal
OTHER HEADLINES THIS WEEK
- A crucial showdown looms in baseball's Federal Association as the St Louis Pioneers, with a 3.5 game lead on second place New York, prepare for a 3-game set in the Big Apple with the Gothams to start the final week of the baseball season. The Philadelphia Sailors are trying to nurse home a 2-game lead on the Chicago Cougars in the Continental Association flag chase.
- Defending AIAA national champion St Blane blasted Whitney College 35-3 in its season opener with two-sport star Joe Fulgham, a likely FABL draft pick in January, leading the way with 121 yards rushing for the Fighting Saints.
- The defending American Football Association champion Cleveland Finches picked up exactly where they left off as the Finches, who won their final four games last season including the title tilt with Washington, opened their 1948 campaign with a 31-24 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Frigates.
- The Kansas City Cowboys and New Orleans Crescents are the only unbeaten teams at 4-0 in Continental Football Conference play. The two will meet in New Orleans a week from tomorrow.
- A posthumous report by the murdered Count Folke Bernadotte declares the UN must step in to end the Palestine war if the Arabs and Jews fail to make peace. The UN mediator was killed in Jerusalem last week.
- US Secretary of State Marshall and his British and French counterparts are meeting in Paris as part of a UN conference with a goal of difusing the tense situation in Berlin and the cold war between East and West. During his address Marshall warned the Russians not to take American patience as a sign of weakness.
- A 2-hour general strike in France of both Communist and non-Communist unions saw 7 million walk off the job, protesting low wages and high living costs.
- Hot on the campaign trail, both President Truman and Governor Dewey spent the week crisscrossing the west by train. Dewey calling for a new administration as the only way to achieve "national unity in these troubled times" while Truman focused his speeches on the prevention of another war and plans for curbing inflation.
Full national sports coverage is available in this week's edition of
THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL.