Buffalo Norsemen personnel (and personalities).htm
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Tim also recalls some of the players stayed at the Anchor Motel out on River Road, and he and others often drove them to and from practice.
Kim Turecki-Chiodo recalls some staying at apartments on Nash, and hanging at 9th and Oliver, where she grew up with father Dudley. Place owned by dad's parents, Ukrainian.
Buffalo Norsemen Officers
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President: Dr. Dudley Turecki
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1st Vice President: Paul R. Pellittieri
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Secretary: Joseph A. Cassetta
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Treasurer: Richard A. DiVita
Board of Directors
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Joseph Cassetta
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Richard DiVita
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Jack Fortune
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Peter Gambino
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Barnard Hewitt
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Ray Kissel
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Willie Marshall
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Paul Pellittieri
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Paul Rumbold
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Dr. Syde Taheri
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Dr. Dudley Turecki
Personnel
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General Manager: Willie Marshall
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Coach: Guy Trottier
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Trainer: Gary Stevens
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Director of Public Relations: Rick Veit
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Assistant Director of Public Relations: Wayne Decker
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Statistician: Dennis Kapsiak
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Office Secretaries: Stephanie Chriss, Mary Jane Markovich
Minor Officials
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Scorer: Dennis Kapsiak
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PA: Don Brock
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Timer: Larry Hempel
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Penalty Timer: Russ Collier
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Penalty Box: Chuck Henry, Ed Van Volkenburg, Keith Knoph, John Celmer
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Goal Judges: Jim Craig, Dick Westphal
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Stats: Bill Morrissey
Players
* = Team photo
Guy Trottier (#16?,)
- Player / coach
- Bad back
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Steve Atkinson (#11, RW)
- Captain
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Denis Anderson* (#20)
Paul Crowley (#19, RW)
- Another small guy
- Assigned to Buffalo by WHA Houston Aeros
From Norsemen Magazine (1976-02):
PAUL CROWLEY … PLENTY OF DESIRE
One of the most pleasant surprises of the Norsemen’s first season in the NAHL has been the play of Paul Crowley.
At the start of the season he was assigned here by the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association who drafted him last year after playing for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHA after scoring 29 goals and 45 assists in 68 games.
Norsemen General Manager, Willie Marshall and Player-Coach Guy Trottier feel the diminutive right winger has an excellent chance of making the major leagues. Trottier says “If every player on our team had his desire to go along with their talent, we would have been in first place all—”
Dave Given* (#12)
Larry Gould* (#8 LW)
- Captain after Atkinson departure halfway through season, also on team photo the captain
- Leading scorer, team MVP
- Heart throb
- Free agent, wants NHL, wants to get what he needs in Buffalo
From Norsemen Magazine (1975-11, in Ton News too):
LARRY GOULD
He know what he must learn to get back to the big time
Larry Gould of the Buffalo Norsemen has become the early favorite of females who attended the club’s first game and can be found at most of the practice sessions.
But, the mustachioed left-winger has a surprise for the area sweethearts. “I am married and have a four-year-old daughter,” Larry bragged.
When asked about his female following, Gould commented, “I can’t wait for my lovely wife Jeanine and my daughter Lisa to get here.”
But, for the time being, Larry’s mind is on hockey, not on the blondes in the stands. “I know what it takes to make it to the National Hockey League and I hope to get it here,” Larry added.
Gould came to the Norsemen as a free agent. He called General Manager Willie Marshall and asked for a tryout and has done nothing but impress the brass since he’s been here. He is a sure bet to be one of the team’s leaders when it opens the North American Hockey League season Oct. 17.
Marshall was ecstatic when Gould called for a tryout. “I was very surprised to here from him. John Anderson, director of scouting for the Buffalo Sabres couldn’t believe that Gould was coming here, either,” Marshall said amidst a smile.
“Larry is not only a good team player, but one of the best complete hockey players we have,” he added. “Players of his caliber are hard to find.”
Norsemen player-coach Guy Trottier also speaks highly of Gould’s talents. “It’s good to have a good two-way hockey player around,” Guy commented. “He is a very intelligent skater who handles the puck well and plays his position very well.”
From Norsemen Magazine (1976-03-20):
LARRY GOULD
Most Valuable Norseman
Larry Gould, the Norsemen’s leading scorer this season, has been selected the most valuable player by a vote of his teammates and was presented an award by the Norsemen Booster Club prior to the final regular season game last Thursday night.
Larry, in his fourth professional season, has enjoyed his most productive season as a pro with 32 goals and 65 assists (both personal highs) for 97 points in 72 games as of this writing.
The most amazing thing about Gould’s highly productive season is that it has virtually gone unnoticed. Larry is not a flashy player who makes spectacular end to end rushes nor is he a spectacular stickhandler or shooter. He is, however, a remarkably consistent hockey player who has the knack for making the right plays at the right times. He is an excellent penalty killer and has been a valuable member of the Norsemen power play.
The 23 year old Gould was made captain midway through the season after the departure of Steve Atkinson. Under his leadership, the Norsemen have made the playoffs in their first season, and it seemed fitting that Larry scored the game winning goal against Syracuse to finally clinch a playoff position.
Derek Harker* (#4)
Charlie Labelle* (#14)
Reg Lahey* (#7)
Jim Mackey*
Shane McConvey*
Wayne Morin* (#2)
Keke Mortson* (#)
Greg Neeld* (#5, #10 in team photo, D)
- Billoni piece in news articles
- Stayed with Dan D. ("Wanna see the ring?" "Keep an eye on this")
- Joined team later
- Sabre rookie
- Lost eye, NHL rules against, sues NHL
- Develops shield w dad
- Target of final brawl
Claude Noel* (#15, C)
- Assistant captain
- Voted most popular by Booster club
- "Bones"
- Cutie pie
- Free agent (undrafted, just 20, small)
- Formerly a defensemen, transitioned to C
- Tim Lynch (former assistant rink manager) tells a story that Willie Marshall had asked him and some other guys (not players just good skaters) to get on the team bus and go to Johnstown to film some insert skating shots for the film Slap Shot. He was getting ready to get on the bus when someone called the team office. His wife's water had broke, and he was having twins. He didn't make it to Johnstown. But he did give one of the girls the middle name "Noel," after his favorite Norseman, Claude Noel.
From Norsemen Magazine 1976-03-20:
CLAUDE NOEL
Most Popular Norseman
Claude Noel, a 20 year old center with classy moves, has been selected the most popular Norseman player by the Norsemen Booster Club. He received the award prior to the final regular season home game this past Thursday.
Claude almost did not get a chance to play professional hockey. He was a defenseman for Kitchener in junior hockey and despite his impressive statistics, he was not drafted by a major league team because he was considered to be too small to make it as a defenseman. A friend of his convinced Norsemen General Manager Willie Marshall to invite Claude to training camp. Willie did and liked what he saw.
“Bones,” as he is known to his teammates, proved his durability in the hard hitting North American Hockey League by being the only Norseman to play in every game this season, and his hard work and clutch play have made him one of the big favorites with Norsemen fans. He scored two goals in the two victories that clinched a playoff spot, a 10-4 win over Erie and a 5-2 victory against Syracuse.
A classy stickhandler and playmaker, Noel has made the transition to center amazingly well and his steady improvement shows in his scoring statistics. His 58 points have him tied with Coach Guy Trottier for the second highest point total on the team, and his 40 assists are also the second highest on the team.
One year ago, it appeared Claude Noel had no future in pro hockey. One season later, it seems the most popular Norseman is a young man with a bright future.
Jim Mackey* (#30, G)
Keke Mortson
From Norsemen magazine (1975-09):
KEKE MORTSON
BOLSTERS NORSEMEN PLAYOFF DRIVE
Tonight marks the return of Cleland “Keke” Mortson to Memorial Auditorium, this time wearing Buffalo colors for the first time in his long professional hockey career.
Keke will be remembered quite well by long time Buffalo Hockey Fans for his hustling, chippy style of play during his years with Cleveland, Hershey, Quebec, Rochester and Baltimore of the American Hockey League. Some of Buffalo’s newer hockey fans will remember him as the captain of the Buffalo Sabres farm team, the Cincinnati Swords, that won a Calder Cup playoff game here at the Aud a few years ago.
Buffalo Norsemen General Manager Willie Marshall, one of the top players in the AHL for nearly 20 years, and a former team mate of Mortson says, “Keke is one of the best team players I ever played with. He is a tremendous competitor on the ice, and knows how to pick a team up when they’re down. We have a very young team, said Willie, and Keke is exactly the type of experienced veteran forward we have needed right along to help settle the kids down in our battle for a playoff position.”
Keke didn’t take very long to make his presence felt in the North American Hockey League. In his very first game with the Norsemen on February 4th in Erie, he led the Norsemen to a 4-3 victory with two goals (one on a power play) and one assist, and also started the play which led to the winning Buffalo goal with five minutes remaining to play. The victory moved Buffalo 6 points ahead of fifth place Binghamton in the race for the final playoff berth, and also moved the Norsemen to within 5 points of third place Erie.
Dave Peace
Bill Steele* (#9, ASS.)
Jim Stanfield
Mario Viens (G)
Wayne Morin