The palace revolt that Ben Hatskin seemed to be expecting has taken place with the signing of 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky by Indianapolis Racers owner Nelson Skalbania.
Skalbania announced Monday he has signed Gretzky, the scoring star last season with Sault -Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, to a personal services contract.
The contract was reported worth $1.75 million for seven years.
Hatskin, World Hockey Association chief executive officer, has spoken recently against signing of such underage juniors but he has hinted he feared such a move by some of the league owners.
Hatskin met last month with Iona Campagnolo, federal minister of fitness and amateur sport, and was warned that the government would object to any such signings.
Campagnolo said then: “Mr. Hatskin indicated to me that the league has no intention of signing any under-age juniors. However, he also said that member clubs may have other ideas.”
Last week, WHA president Howard Baldwin told a news conference following a league meeting in Toronto that the owners were unable to resolve the question.
“Some people feel strongly one way and some people feel strongly the other way,” said Baldwin. “I'm sorry we can't resolve it.” Hatskin added: “As of today we will not be signing any 18-year-olds.”
Normally, junior players are not signed until they reach 20. But Skalbania isn't the first major league owner to sign exceptional under-age junior players.
The latest case involved John Bassett of the WHA's Birmingham Bulls who last year signed Ken Linseman, then 18, from Kingston Canadians of the OMJHL, an act which incurred the wrath of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and the WHA brass as well.
Skalbania's move is likely to again stir up the CAHA, especially the major junior team operators whose box offices suffer when their star juniors are signed away by the pros.
Jim McAuley, president of the Sault Greyhounds, said Monday his first reaction was to shut down the club.
“In Wayne's contract with us there is a clause that he has to pay us $20,000 should he turn professional before his junior eligibility is over,” said McAuley. “So, we get $20,000. Look what we stand to lose in gate receipts .with the likes of him gone.
“There is going to have to be some kind of government intervention on this type of conduct or junior hockey operators just won't be able to operate because of lost revenue.”
CAHA president Gord Renwick said Monday there seemed little the association could do about the signing but Ontario Hockey Association president Larry Belisle said steps must be taken against the WHA.
“I don't think there's much the CAHA or federal government can do,” Renwick said in a telephone interview.
But Belisle said there are three things that must be done immediately to prevent further signings of junior stars which reduce the box-office appeal of the junior clubs.
Belisle said a $150,000 bond posted by the WHA after the dispute over the signing of Linseman should be retained.
He said the CAHA also should attempt to persuade the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to halt approval of international games the WHA has arranged with European teams.
Similar pressure was applied by the CAHA through the IIHF last year in the Linseman case.
Belisle also suggested Campagnolo be asked to intervene on the CAHA's behalf.
Howard Darwin, co-owner of the Ottawa 67s, London Knights, said he had heard that the WHA plans to attempt signing another 16 underage juniors, including two from his own club.
“It's a bad situation,” said Darwin “A sick situation. I'm very disturbed.”
Darwin said he was present at the meeting in Winnipeg when Campagnolo told Hatskin the government did not want the WHA signing underage players.
“She didn't make any bones about it. Obviously, they ignored her but I can't blame the boys, not when it's a chunk of dough like that. What boy's going to turn it down?”
In Montreal, National Hockey League president John Ziegler would offer no comment on Gretzky's signing.
Asked if the NHL might draft underage players in its amateur draft on Thursday, Ziegler said there was nothing before the board of governors on the matter.
Gretzky, who scored 70 goals and had 112 assists with Sault Ste. Marie last season, arrived in Indianapolis Sunday night with Skalbania and with his agent, Gus Badali of Toronto.
Both Badali and Skalbania said the contract makes Gretzky the richest junior player ever.
Skalbania, a millionaire businessman who once owned the WHA's Edmonton Oilers, declined to specify the exact amount of money that Gretzky will get but said: “It's a bundle … at least $1 million for the first four years.”
At five-foot-eight and 150 pounds, Gretzky was considered small even by major junior hockey standards and will have his work cut out for him in the professional league.
“I know I'll have to be in good shape when I arrive at camp,” Gretzky said Monday, “I feel I'm ready. I'll run, work with weights and play baseball this summer just like I always do to keep in condition.”
Gretzky, who first came to the attention of Canadian scouts at age eight when he scored 378 goals in 68 games, will report to the Racers training camp in Indianapolis on Sept. 11.
He still has one year to go in high school but is expected to move to Indianapolis soon from his home in Brantford, Ont., and enroll in summer school.
By The Canadian Press