Good Gvoth!

"As Bobby Hull goes, so go the Black Hawks," runs an old Chicago saying. ICE HOCKEY

But Hull always goes just fine--he has won the National Hockey League scoring title three times--while the Chicago Black Hawks got nowhere. In 40 years, they have never finished first in the N.H.L. There is always a first time though. As of last week, the Black Hawks had won or tied 15 of their last 16 games, led the second-place New York Rangers by 14 points with only 19 games to play.

Hull, as might be expected, is still going well: he already has scored 37 goals this season. So, for that matter, are Chicago's two goalies, Glenn Hall and Denis DeJordy, who between them have allowed just 121 goals--lowest total in the league. Yet the man most responsible for the Black Hawks' surge is a pint-sized Czechoslovakian refugee named Stanislav Gvoth.

At 5 ft. 9 in. and 162 Ibs., Stanislav Gvoth, alias Stan Mikita (the family name of his aunt and uncle in Ontario, with whom he went to live in 1948), is one of the smallest centers in the N.H.L. --and the best. An acrobatic skater and a slick stickhandler who plays on what Chicago Coach Billy Reay calls his "Scooter Line," Mikita was the league's No. 1 scorer (based on goals and assists) for two seasons running before losing the title last year to his teammate Hull. Mikita should have no trouble winning it back this year. Against the Detroit Red Wings last week, he scored one goal and an assist to run his league-leading point total to 76, a good 20 more than his closest competitor.

Although Mikita has been demoralizing enemy goalies for seven years with his deft wrist shots and whistling slap shots, he was widely regarded until this season as a "chippy"--a loudmouth who goaded opponents and officials, deliberately picked fights on the ice. The reputation was costly both to Stan and the Black Hawks: through last season, he averaged 106 minutes a year in the penalty box. Now Mikita has reformed. He has collected only twelve minutes in penalties this year, which accounts in large part for his increased scoring output and the Black Hawks' new success.

"Call it maturity if you want," says Mikita. "Or call it a savings plan. Penalties cost money--$25 for a misconduct penalty. They hurt, and they're stupid. I haven't changed my game all that much. I still talk to the referees. I just don't swear at them any more."

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