Ralph Baer sent me the following message regarding Dick Decloe, the BU
player who was ruled ineligible in 1972-73 which resulted in the
Terriers forfeiting 11 games.  This is a topic which has come up here
many times, and here we have actual published reports from the time it
happened.  Thanks to Ralph for taking the time to type it in, and for
allowing me to forward his mail to HOCKEY-L for everyone's benefit.
 
 
Date:    Fri, 8 Apr 1994 4:48:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: [log in to unmask] (Ralph N. Baer)
Subject: Dick Decloe situation
To: <[log in to unmask]>
 
Mike,
 
I went through old issues of the Intercollegiate Hockey Newsletter
to find out more about the Dick Decloe story.
 
A few notes 1) probably the reason that this did not come out until
Decloe's sophomore season was that freshman were not eligible at the
time (except for those at non-Div I schools playing in Div-I).  2) It
is interesting that Cornell was the one that blew the whistle
considering that they ended up with the #1 seed.  3) BU lost to Penn in
the first round of the playoffs.
 
 
>From January 30, 1973:
 
BU Player Ruled Ineligible by the ECAC
 
Boston University sophomore Dick Decloe, one of the Terrier's top
forwards, was declared ineligible last week by the ECAC reputedly for
having some of his secondary school educational expenses paid for him
while playing for the London, Ontario Knights (OHA) for a two month
period in 1970 prior to his matriculation at BU in 1971.  Decloe played
in the Terrier's first 14 games this season and BU may be required to
forfeit their 11 wins during that period.  The ECAC has agreed to a
rehearing of the situation this week.
 
A wire service dispatch last week quoted Cornell athletic director Jon
T. Anderson as saying that he had filed a complaint with the ECAC over
Decloe's presence on the BU team.  (BU defeated Cornell 9-0 in
mid-December).  Anderson was reported as noting that a Cornell player,
Peter Titanic, had been lost to the Big Red as a freshman last season
under somewhat similar circumstances.  (The Ivies have a more stringent
rule relative to such things spelled out more clearly.)
 
In part the pertinent ECAC rule states that no one "shall receive
educational expenses directly or indirectly".  Apparently involved is
the fact that the OHA team paid some minimal form of non-resident
tuition (in lieu of school taxes) directly to the secondary school to
enable Decloe to attend school in London while living with friends and
playing for the Knights.
 
Decloe's short tenure with the Knights came about as the youth
relinquished playing Junior A in favor of Junior B when it became
apparent that the NCAA was favoring legislation to ban from competition
anyone who had played Major Junior Tier I hockey (such as the OHA).
Such a rule was later passed by the NCAA after Decloe had left the OHA
but, as for now, it would appear that the highly regarded youngster has
run afoul of a somewhat more vague situation and even vaguer ruling.
At any rate "the whistle has been blown" and the reverberation may be
far from over.
 
 
Then from the February 14 issue:
 
BU Loses Appeal to ECAC
 
On February 2nd, Boston University learned from the ECAC's Assistant to
the Commissioner, Clayton Chapman, that the conference's eligibility
committee has upheld its earlier ruling that BU sophomore Dick Decloe
was ineligible.  It marked the end of a brief collegiate career for
Decloe, who had been taken off the playing roster of the Terriers on
January 11 pending the ECAC determination, and it meant a forfeiture of
11 games won by BU during the time Decloe had played.  Decloe had
reputedly been benefited by "educational expenses" paid for him while a
member of the London Knights (OHA Junior A) for three months in 1970.
Specifically the OHA team had paid a provincial school tax of $189.33
directly to the secondary school attended by Decloe while the
Mississauga, Ont. youngster was living friends in London and playing
for the Knights.  Most observers of the college hockey scene feel the
situation to be, at best a "raw deal" for both Decloe and BU.  Although
the matter is apparently officially closed, the facts and potential
ramifications linger.  The big question is what effect the forfeiture
will have upon the deliberations of the ECAC playoff selection
committee chaired by Dartmouth Athletic Director, Seaver Peters, which
will meet in New York on February 21 to seed the Division I and
Division II playoffs.  The other committee members are Tom Cartmill
(St. Lawrence), Jack Riley (Army), Warren Schmakel (BU), Bob Kane
(Cornell), Ben McCabe (Amherst), Gus Sullivan (Boston St) and Ed
Donnely (Vermont).  Sources close to BU give some indication that there
still may be some avenue of relief from the forfeiture aspect of the
situation.
 
 
The following is an extract from a lengthy article from the
February 27th issue entitled "Cornell Top Pick for ECAC Playoffs!"
 
The Terriers, who had been required to forfeit their four Division wins
in which Dick Decloe played, presented a problem for the committee.
Their "adjusted" record of 9-7-1 ranks only seventh in the standings
but, without the forfeits, BU would have been 13-3-1 and top ranked.
Speaking for the committee, chairman Seaver Peters of Dartmouth said,
"We were unanimous that BU was one of the four strongest teams in the
east and deserved home ice in the first round."
 
Ralph