Whalers ‘defeat’ Kings

July 22, 1980

By Charlie Jaworski

The Evening Press

The National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings have been unsuccessful in their bid to prevent the sale of the Broome Dusters to the NHL’s Hartford Whalers – to no one’s great astonishment.

“We were denied the injunctive relief we sought,” said Springfield, Mass., attorney Jim Krumsiek, who represents the Kings. “So the Hartford group is the lawful owner of the franchise. The Kings action is against the Dusters and the former owner, and that is proceeding in New York.”

The Kings last month filed suit in Springfield Superior Court to stop the sale of the Dusters to Hartford which has since renamed the American Hockey League team the Binghamton Whalers. The basis of the contention was that former Duster owner Andre Veilleux owed the Los Angeles $57,900 for players assigned to his AHL team according to a formal working agreement.

However, the suit was filed days after the AHL’s Board of Governor’s formally approved the April 30 sale of the team for a speculated $325,000.

“It would now be a money action in New York,” said Krumsiek, meaning that the Kings are pursuing the suit-against AVX Sports, Inc., and owner Veilleux. “The action was dismissed here without prejudice.”

Veilleux said, “Our lawyers are working on that (the suit). It will die by the roadside sooner or later. If it goes to court, we are going to win.”

Veilleux indicated he would be willing to settle, but refused to say for how much. He claims the Kings did not send qualified professionals to play for the Dusters, and thus violated the contract to supply a 19-man roster of pros along with the Boston Bruins of the NHL.