By JOHN DELL Inquirer Staff Writer
The Wings are sure they’ll have all-star Wayne Platt in goal when they open the National Lacrosse League season in April, but they don’t know who will be coaching him.
Most likely the coach will not be Bobby Allan. The man who hand-picked the Wings and led them to the regular-season championship will not be back unless he agrees to move permanently to the Philadelphia area.
Allan has 17 years tenure in the Peterborough (Ont.) school system and doesn’t want to resign as vice-principal of the Thomas A. Stewart Secondary (high) School to risk his future with the new league that is still in its formative seasons.
Allan’s position was revealed Wednesday, when Platt signed a new, multi-year contract.
“I’m still negotiating with Bobby Allan,” his close friend, Jack Bionda, the Wings general manager, said. “He’s still not out of the picture and he definitely will be associated with the club, maybe as a scout.”
Bionda said all league teams, including the Wings, now require all personnel, including players, to live in league cities. Last summer, the league’s first season, players on most teams were flown in from Canada on game nights.
“No more rides on the Big Sea Gull,” Platt said, relieved that the Wings’ chartered DC-3 is being done away with.
With little hope that Allan will risk his financial future, Bionda has been talking to two other men about becoming the Wings’ coach.
Bionda would not reveal the men’s names. He said neither one was in the league last season.
Meanwhile, Ed Tepper, Wings president, revealed a big, known name. He’s been talking to Morley Kells, who coached the Rochester Griffins to the Nations Trophy playoff championship.
“I received permission from the league to talk to Morley. He had a one-year contract with I plan to meet with him again next week, hut I think he’s inclined to follow his team wherever it goes,” Tepper said.
The Rochester franchise may be moved to Indianapolis, Boston. or Long Island under realignment plans being considered.
Long Island (Nassau Coliseum) definitely will have a team. The question is, will the Rochester team be moved in there or will it be an expansion team.
Tepper said that holdover franchises held by the Wings, Maryland and Montreal will be joined by at least three new “big cities” and possibly five. The Syracuse team has been moved to Quebec. Boston is “90 percent sure” coming in, according to Tepper. Indianapolis and Buffalo are possibilities.
Originally, the Toronto team was to be moved Long Island but the picture has become somewhat clouded. Jim Bishop, of the team and founder of the league, has left and signed as Montreal coach and general manager, replacing John Ferguson. who will be Toronto’s president.
Meanwhile, Bionda is trying to sign his players as well as a coach. Capt. Carm Collins and Platt, the Wing MVP, are the first two announced signees.
Five Wings — Larry and Terry Lloyd, Joe Krasnaj, Jim Hinkson and Bob Goulding — are being represented by Ed Lehun, an Oshawa (Ont.), lawyer.
He told Inquirer Tuesday that his clients have not been paid bonus money promised them. Tepper answered that payments have been delayed,
because the Wings themselves hadn’t decided exactly who should get full shares. He said the matter has not been worked out and checks sent out. Lehun called back on Thursday to say that he had checked with the players he represents and they had received checks.
Tepper announced that league player draft will held Jan. 19-20 at the Marriott.
