The Harvard men's hockey team will get a small boost next week when Greg Chalmers '85-'87 returns to school and to the ice for the Crimson.

The boost will be smaller than previously expected, however, because Alan Bourbeau '87-'88, who is also returning to school, apparently is ineligible to play because of an NCAA rule.

Harvard had already granted Bourbeau permission to play hockey this semester, and most expected the former Massachusetts Schoolboy Player of the Year to join the team in February.

However, Harvard Director of Athletics John P. Reardon Jr. '60 said yesterday that Bourbeau probably will not meet an NCAA eligibility rule.

It appears now, pending clarification of the rule from the NCAA, that Bourbeau will return to school Wednesday but not to the ice until next November.

Bourbeau, who in 1983 entered Harvard as one of the most highly touted recruits in the school's history, played only one game last season. The center scored a goal against Colgate in the contest during intersession.

Two days later, the Administrative Board declared Bourbeau, who had been ineligible to play during the first semester because of disciplinary reasons, also ineligible for the second semester.

He withdrew from school in March and subsequently began playing hockey for the United States Junior National Team.

Chalmers, meanwhile, will return after a year and a half absence. As a sophomore, he was the eighth leading scorer (12-15 27) on the Crimson squad that advanced to the NCAA finals.

At the end of that year, Chalmers returned to his home in Alberta. He continued to play some hockey until he injured his retina while working on an oil rig in western Canada.

Chalmers has been working out in full equipment in Bright Center and is, despite his injury and absence, apparently in good shape.

Chalmers will not be able to play against Dartmouth Monday night at Bright, but he will join the team for games at Yale and Brown the following weekend.

Speculation on new line arrangements had centered on Bourbeau. It seemed that he and Chalmers would be on the second line, perhaps with sophomore Tim Barakett.

Now only Chalmers will have to be inserted into the line-up, perhaps on a revamped second line.

However, the new lines are arranged, it is imperative that Coach Bill Cleary find offense from somewhere other than his first line.