Modified NCAA Rule Interpretation Grants Eligibility to Four Crimson Hockey Players

By relaxing its rules for hockey eligibility and professionalism, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has cleared the way for at least four of six implicated Harvard hockey players to be eligible for competition this year.

Steve Dagdigian, Mike Leckie, Kevin Burke, and freshman Ken Farrish were all cleared by the NCAA's ruling last week which states that certain payment benefits may be accepted by players performing in Canada.

Two other Crimson performers, however, have yet to be cleared by the NCAA. Captain Randy Roth and Steve Janicek are still among the several eastern players who have yet to be declared eligible for the upcoming season.

Roth received bonus playoff money after his first year in the Junior A Canadian program, while Janicek tried out for a Junior A team when he was only 17.

While most of the 49 eastern players, including the four Crimson players, were declared eligible as a result of the new interpretation of the rules, three were handed five-game suspensions for committing infractions which are not excused under these new guidelines.

Boston University forward Bill Bishop and forward Dave Lumley and defenseman Jim Harvie of the University of New Hampshire all received suspensions. Officials from their respective schools, however, said that they would not protest the NCAA rulings.

While most of the eastern players won back their eligibility, players for western schools who were under investigation face a different situation. Under the new rules, it appears that a good many more western players will be declared ineligible under the new ruling.

Harvard's concern now is the status of Roth and Janicek. The NCAA is waiting for letters from the managers of the Canadian teams on which these Crimson performers played. Once these letters are received, Roth and Janicek could be declared eligible under the same rule interpretation which cleared the way for the other Harvard players.

Confusing Case

Farrish's case is more confusing. Although he was cleared by the NCAA, the Harvard freshman has not as yet been cleared by the ECAC, whose rulings of a year ago do not apply to this year's class of freshmen.

Farrish received minimal room and board money while living at a friend's home 30 miles from where he played in the upper level Junior B Canadian program.