The 1974 Memorial Cup belonged to Dennis Sobchuk and his Regina Pats.

In early June 1973, Sobchuk, an 18-year-old centre, visited Las Vegas and San Diego as he and his father, Harry, negotiated with the World Hockey Association’s Los Angeles Sharks. Dennis, a farm boy from Milestone, Sask., was looking at a four-year deal worth $350,000.

“We played it cool . . . we stayed cool,” Harry said, after negotiations ended without a contract being signed.

Sobchuk went on to put up 146 points, including 68 goals, as he became the first WCHL player to total more than 400 points over three seasons.

The Pats were coached by Bob Turner, a former defenceman who had won five Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens. Regina was joined at the 1974 round-robin affair by the Quebec Remparts, under head coach Marc Picard, and St. Catharines Black Hawks, with all games at the Calgary Corral.

Hap Emms had sold the Niagara Falls Flyers and purchased the Black Hawks after the 1971-72 season. He was the GM; his son, Paul, was the coach.

It began on May 5 with St. Catharines posting a 4-1 victory over Quebec before 6,577 fans. Rick Hampton, the 17-year-old centre who captained the team, scored twice for the Black Hawks, who won it with three goals in the third period.

The next night, before 7,415 fans, goaltender Ed Staniowski blocked 29 shots and defenceman Greg Joly scored twice as the Pats beat St. Catharines, 4-0.

Following a day off for all teams, the Remparts dumped Regina, 5-3, in front of 7,140 fans. That left each team at 1-1. Regina went through to the final on goals differential; the other two were tied so met in a semifinal game where the Remparts whipped St. Catharines, 11-3. The Remparts got three goals from Real Cloutier and two each from Jacques Locas and Daniel Beaulieu in front of 6,745 fans. Guy Chouinard had a goal and four assists.

There were 7,382 fans in the Corral for the final on May 12. They watched Quebec take a 3-0 lead before the first period was 12 minutes old.

Trailing 3-1 after the first period, Turner walked into the dressing room prepared to try to fire up his boys.

“Sobchuk got up and said, ‘You don’t have to say a word’,” Turner said. “He said, ‘We’re going to win this game,’ so I just turned around and walked out. They went out and played like gangbusters.”

Sobchuk promised some offence and came through, scoring two goals and setting up another in the second period, and adding another goal in the third as the Pats won, 7-4.

“This,” said Turner, “means more to me than anything else in hockey . . . even five Stanley Cups.”
Sobchuk would later sign a 10-year, $1.7-million deal with the WHA’s Cincinnati Stingers.

1974 Regina Pats:

Bill Bell, Glen Burdon, Drew Callender, Dave Faulkner, Clark Gillies, Jon Hammond, Mike Harazny, Greg Joly, Rob Laird, Bob Leslie, Kim McDougal, Jim Minor, Dennis Sobchuk, Dave Thomas, Rob Tudor, Ed Staniowski, Rick Uhrich, Mike Wanchuk, Mike Wirchowski, Del Wilson (general manager), Bob Turner (coach)

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