Those wild Hounds of ’75-76

Um, could this really have been a half a century ago? As in the 1975-1976 season? Yep, it truly was 50 years ago this season that the Soo Greyhounds first made the playoffs as members of the Ontario Hockey League.

After years of championship dominance at the Northern Ontario Hockey Association level, the Greyhounds had missed the playoffs in each of their first three seasons as members of the Ontario Hockey League — which was then known as the Ontario Hockey Association — and fans and supporters of the Red and White were becoming restless and impatient.

With attendance declining and mumbles turning into grumbles and having gone through two coaches in three seasons — local residents Abbie Carricato and Jim Farelli — Hounds president Jim McAuley and general manager Angelo Bumbacco went on a mission to western Canada and returned with a flamboyant, fast talking showman as their new coach for the ’75-76 season.

His name was Murray “Muzz” MacPherson — and he arrived in Sault Ste. Marie from Winnipeg in a style of his own prior to the start of the ’75-76 campaign.

Neatly dressed, with a handshake for all and a mouth that wouldn’t shut, MacPherson quickly won over the assembled local media in his introductory press conference in what was a small banquet room upstairs in the old New Marconi Restaurant on Albert St. in the west end of Sault Ste. Marie.

Boastful, but in a friendly sort of way, MacPherson declared that the losing was over for the Greyhounds and that he personally would lead them to the playoffs for the first time in their OHL history. “I am here to tell you that we will be going to the playoffs. Mark that down … I have a plan and it is going to happen!”

To be sure, MacPherson easily took to Sault Ste. Marie — and once the season started, Greyhound fans easily took to the fedora wearing coach.

Before 5,000 fans in his Memorial Gardens, regular season debut of ’75-76, MacPherson didn’t make it to the end of the game. Theatrically disputing a call by referee Doug Robb, MacPherson threw his hat onto the ice in the direction of the official and was ejected from the contest — while the capacity crowd roared and went wild.

The Muzz-less Hounds would blow a 4-2 lead and settle for a 4-4 tie with the visiting Hamilton Fincups — who were coached by Bert Templeton — but the legend of MacPherson was born.

MacPherson crafted a top line of centre Mike Kaszycki (who had been acquired in an off season trade with the Toronto Marlboros) left winger John Tavella (a Wawa native) and holdover right winger Doug Patey — while relying heavily on overage goalie David Legree.

And there were good secondary forwards such as Tony Cuomo, Randy Borbely and Romano Carlucci and a solid defense led by veteran Mike Hordy and youngsters David Mancuso and rookie no. 1 draft pick Craig Hartsburg. (Hartsburg, a blond haired, skinny 16 year old, would eventually develop into a franchise defenseman for the Hounds and return to coach the team years later after an outstanding National Hockey League career with the Minnesota North Stars.)

But while Kaszycki would lead the OHL in scoring with 51 goals, 119 assists, 170 points and while Tavella would score 67 goals and win league rookie of the year honours as a 19 year old and while Patey would pot 45 goals of his own and while Legree would be a standout workhorse between the pipes, it was the Hounds notorious goon squad that kept the other 11 OHL teams in check.

Featuring forwards Tim Coulis and Billy Roach (both from the wilds of northwestern Ontario) and defensemen Mike Rusin, Tony Horvath and local lad Tim Rose, the Greyhounds struck fear and terror into the hearts of all opponents except the aforementioned Bert Templeton-coached Fincups of Hamilton, who could handle themselves rather well. (Ironically, Horvath was obtained by the Greyhounds from the Fincups at the insistence of MacPherson, who told me that he needed “another goon on defense.”)

To be sure, the Hounds of ’75-76 started fast and furious and were challenging the Sudbury Wolves for first place in the six team Leyden Division before multiple suspensions left the Soo shorthanded and reeling. A late season tailspin toppled the Hounds into fifth place in the Leyden Division and they finished the regular campaign with 67 points from a record of 27-26-13.

The first round of the playoffs was a best of five back then and the Hounds were up against the fourth place Oshawa Generals, who would hold home ice advantage. Recovering from their late season swoon, the Hounds took the Generals to the fifth and deciding game and won it on the road in Oshawa in dramatic fashion.

With a mouth that roared, MacPherson quickly took to the CKCY Radio airwaves in the aftermath of the series win over Oshawa and shouted via play by play man Harry Wolfe to all who were listening: “You tell (owner) Bud Burke and (general manager) Joe Drago in Sudbury that the Hounds are coming … and that they better duck for cover!”

That’s right, the next round of the playoffs would be between the northern Ontario rivals, the upstart Hounds and the powerful Wolves, who had finished in first place during the regular season, some 35 points ahead of the Soo.

Undaunted, the Hounds battled the powerful Wolves — who were led by 72 goal scorer and future NHL star Ron Duguay — through seven games before finally losing out.  But while the Hounds may have lost, MacPherson’s marauders won over the fans of the Soo in a sort of cult, mass hysteria.

MacPherson would last another season and a half in the Soo as his novelty eventually wore off and Greyhound ownership and management began to tire of his womanizing ways. (One of his escapades came on the road in Windsor, in which my Windsor girl friend at the time and I were accidental witnesses to a sexual encounter between Muzz and a lady of the night in the stairwell of the Ouellette Ave. hotel where the Greyhounds were staying.)

Still, it was MacPherson who finally put the Hounds on the OHL map and paved the way for future successes that the franchise has gone on to enjoy.

And while the Hounds have since won OHL and Memorial Cup championships under coaches Terry Crisp and Ted Nolan, MacPherson remains an iconic figure in the minds and hearts of a number of long time supporters of the Red and White, including life long fan Chris Sierzputowski, who often tells me that he can still hear Muzz’s voice — from behind the Greyhound bench — ringing in his ears.

It was 50 years ago this coming spring that the Hounds first made the OHL playoffs. And I remember highlights of that ’75-76 season in splendid detail from what was my first year as a member of the Sault Ste. Marie media with erstwhile radio station CKCY 920.

Muzz MacPherson. My oh my.