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