The New York Rangers yesterday made it official that they have traded four players to the Providence Reds of the American Hockey League for goalkeeper Ed Giacomin.

Ed Giacomin: Rangers traded four players for him.

The Rangers sent goalie Marcel Paille, defenceman Aldo Guidolin, forward Don McGregor and a player to be named later to the Reds.

Giacomin, 25, is considered to be one of the brightest netminding prospects in the AHL.  He played 59 games for Providence last season, compiling a 3.84 goals-against average for a very poor Providence club. He has been with the Reds for five years and has a lifetime average of 3.65 with them.

General Manager Emile Francis said, “Ed has been one of the top prospects outside the NHL for some time now.  It’s no secret that three other NHL clubs have also been after him.”

It is known for sure that both Toronto and Detroit made substantial offers to the Reds for Giacomin.  The Detroit offer was said to be in the neighbourhood of $70,000. Toronto was apparently dangling a couple of juniors and some cash as well.

Paille played 39 games with the Rangers last year, splitting duties with Jacques Plante.  Now 32, he has spent the bulk of his career in the AHL. He has played 107 NHL games, all with the Rangers, to this point.  He played for Providence in 1957-58 when it was a Ranger farm club.

Marcel Paille

Guidolin will be 33 next month.  The 6-foot, 200 pound defenceman has played 182 NHL games, all with the Rangers.  His last NHL appearance was in the 1955-56 season.  He was with the Baltimore Clippers last season.

McGregor, 26, was also with Baltimore last season, scoring 23 goals.  He is a career minor-leaguer, except for a cup of coffee with the Rangers in 1963-64.

The player to be named later is thought be forward Jim Mikol, 26.  He split the past season between New York and St. Paul of the CPHL.

Pierre Pilote wins Norris

Pierre Pilote of the Chicago Black Hawks has been named the winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded to the top defenceman in the NHL.  This is the third consecutive year Pilote has won the award.

Pierre Pilote s

The ten-year NHL veteran finished 14 points ahead of second-place finisher Jacques Laperriere of Montreal.  Both Pilote and Laperriere were named to the NHL first all-star team this season.

Pilote receives $1,000 for winning the award, plus $25o for leading the second-half voting.  Bill Gadsby of Detroit finished third, followed by Tim Horton of Toronto, Marcel Pronovost of Detroit and Carl Brewer of the Leafs.

Pilote set a record for points in a season by a defenceman this season with 59.  His 14 goals was a career high.

Notes

• Al Arbour of the Rochester Americans has been named the winner of the Eddie Shore Plaque as outstanding defenceman in the American Hockey League.

Al Arbour

• Toronto forward Andy Bathgate says that he isn’t sure what the future holds for him.  He says it all depends on how his broken left thumb heals over the summer.
• A crowd of over 15,000 lined the streets of Niagara Falls to cheer on the Memorial Cup-winning Niagara Falls Flyers.