Vancouver Blazers
Encyclopedia
The Vancouver Blazers were a professional ice hockey
team that played in the World Hockey Association
from 1973-75. The Blazers played at the Pacific Coliseum
in Vancouver, British Columbia, sharing the facility with the Vancouver Canucks
of the National Hockey League
. The Blazers were owned by local businessman Jim Pattison
. The franchise moved to Vancouver after a single season in Philadelphia
. Unable to establish a strong fan base in Vancouver, the team was moved again in 1975 to become the Calgary Cowboys
.
. Originally the franchise was to be based out of Miami, Florida
, called the Miami Screaming Eagles
. But due to financial problems and a lack of a suitable arena, the franchise was moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
and debuted as the Philadelphia Blazers
. After only one season in Philadelphia, the team relocated to Vancouver
, British Columbia
and became the Vancouver Blazers in 1973–74. After two seasons, the team was again relocated to Calgary
, Alberta
as the Calgary Cowboys
for 1975–76. Two years later, the franchise folded.
who moved the team north of the border to Vancouver
, British Columbia
where it was named Vancouver Blazers.
Pattison knew that in order to compete with the Vancouver Canucks
of the NHL, who shared the same arena, he needed to attract a major star to the team, as Andre Lacroix
, who had led the league in scoring the previous year, left to join the New York Golden Blades. Pattison tried to sign Boston star Phil Esposito
, offering him $2.5 million over five years. Esposito decided to stay with the Bruins for less money.
The team performed poorly in their first year, finishing with a record of 27-50-1. The next season, 1974–75, brought back some respectability as they finished only two games below .500. But that wasn't enough to keep the team in Vancouver. After only two seasons in Vancouver, the team once again packed up and was moved to Calgary, Alberta, where they were renamed Calgary Cowboys. The Cowboys would be the WHA's second attempt at Calgary, as the Calgary Broncos
were slated to start playing there for the inaugural WHA season. After the Broncos' owner died, the franchise was instead placed in Cleveland
.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team that played in the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
from 1973-75. The Blazers played at the Pacific Coliseum
Pacific Coliseum
Pacific Coliseum is an indoor arena, at Hastings Park, in Vancouver, British Columbia.Completed in 1968, at the former site of the Pacific National Exhibition, the arena currently holds 16,281, for ice hockey, though capacity at its opening was 15,713....
in Vancouver, British Columbia, sharing the facility with the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. The Blazers were owned by local businessman Jim Pattison
Jim Pattison
James Allen "Jim" Pattison, OC, OBC is a Vancouver-based Canadian entrepreneur who is the president, managing director, chief executive officer, chairman and sole owner of the Jim Pattison Group, the third largest privately held company in Canada...
. The franchise moved to Vancouver after a single season in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Unable to establish a strong fan base in Vancouver, the team was moved again in 1975 to become the Calgary Cowboys
Calgary Cowboys
The Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami...
.
History
The Blazers were one of the founding members of the World Hockey AssociationWorld Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
. Originally the franchise was to be based out of Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, called the Miami Screaming Eagles
Miami Screaming Eagles
The Miami Screaming Eagles were Miami's first attempt at a professional ice hockey team.Businessman Herb Martin bought a franchise in the World Hockey Association in 1972. The Eagles were the first to sign players from NHL clubs, such as Bernie Parent from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins...
. But due to financial problems and a lack of a suitable arena, the franchise was moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and debuted as the Philadelphia Blazers
Philadelphia Blazers
The Philadelphia Blazers were an ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association for the 1972–73 WHA season that was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
. After only one season in Philadelphia, the team relocated to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and became the Vancouver Blazers in 1973–74. After two seasons, the team was again relocated to Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
as the Calgary Cowboys
Calgary Cowboys
The Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami...
for 1975–76. Two years later, the franchise folded.
Vancouver Blazers
After the 1972–73 WHA season ended, the Philadelphia Blazers' owners sold the team to Jim PattisonJim Pattison
James Allen "Jim" Pattison, OC, OBC is a Vancouver-based Canadian entrepreneur who is the president, managing director, chief executive officer, chairman and sole owner of the Jim Pattison Group, the third largest privately held company in Canada...
who moved the team north of the border to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
where it was named Vancouver Blazers.
Pattison knew that in order to compete with the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
of the NHL, who shared the same arena, he needed to attract a major star to the team, as Andre Lacroix
Andre Lacroix
André Lacroix is the name of:*André Lacroix , French businessman, former president of Burger King International and Euro Disney, Paris, current CEO of Inchcape plc...
, who had led the league in scoring the previous year, left to join the New York Golden Blades. Pattison tried to sign Boston star Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
, offering him $2.5 million over five years. Esposito decided to stay with the Bruins for less money.
The team performed poorly in their first year, finishing with a record of 27-50-1. The next season, 1974–75, brought back some respectability as they finished only two games below .500. But that wasn't enough to keep the team in Vancouver. After only two seasons in Vancouver, the team once again packed up and was moved to Calgary, Alberta, where they were renamed Calgary Cowboys. The Cowboys would be the WHA's second attempt at Calgary, as the Calgary Broncos
Calgary Broncos
The Calgary Broncos were an original World Hockey Association franchise founded November 1, 1971. In the first WHA draft, the Broncos chose: Barry Gibbs, Jim Harrison, Dale Hoganson and Jack Norris. The team folded prior to the start of the first WHA season when team owner Bob Brownridge died...
were slated to start playing there for the inaugural WHA season. After the Broncos' owner died, the franchise was instead placed in Cleveland
Cleveland Crusaders
The Cleveland Crusaders were a professional ice hockey team from Cleveland, Ohio. The Crusaders were founded by Nick Mileti, and played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1976...
.
Season-by-season record
- See 1973–74 Vancouver Blazers season1973–74 Vancouver Blazers seasonThe 1973–74 Vancouver Blazers season was the first year of operation of the Vancouver Blazers of the World Hockey Association . It was the second season of the franchise, which had operated in Philadelphia the season before...
- See 1974–75 Vancouver Blazers season1974–75 Vancouver Blazers seasonThe 1974–75 Vancouver Blazers season was the Vancouver Blazers' second season of operation in the World Hockey Association . The Blazers failed to make the playoffs-Game log:-Player stats:...
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team Name | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1972–73 | Philadelphia Blazers | 78 | 38 | 40 | 0 | 76 | 288 | 305 | 1260 | 3rd, Eastern | Lost Quarterfinals (Cleveland Cleveland Crusaders The Cleveland Crusaders were a professional ice hockey team from Cleveland, Ohio. The Crusaders were founded by Nick Mileti, and played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1976... ) |
| 1973–74 | Vancouver Blazers | 78 | 27 | 50 | 1 | 55 | 278 | 345 | 1047 | 5th, Western | Did not qualify |
| 1974–75 | Vancouver Blazers | 78 | 37 | 39 | 2 | 76 | 256 | 270 | 1075 | 4th, Canadian | Did not qualify |
| 1975–76 | Calgary Cowboys | 80 | 41 | 35 | 4 | 86 | 307 | 282 | 1064 | 3rd, Canadian | Won Quarterfinals (Quebec Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League... ) Lost Semifinals (Winnipeg Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets were a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They began play in the World Hockey Association in 1972, moving to the National Hockey League in 1979 following the collapse of the WHA... ) |
| 1976–77 | Calgary Cowboys | 81 | 31 | 43 | 7 | 69 | 252 | 296 | 832 | 5th, Western | Did not qualify |
| Franchise totals | 395 | 174 | 207 | 14 | 362 | 1381 | 1498 | 5278 |
See also
- Calgary CowboysCalgary CowboysThe Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami...
- List of Blazers/Cowboys (WHA) players
- List of ice hockey teams in British Columbia
- List of WHA seasons
- Miami Screaming EaglesMiami Screaming EaglesThe Miami Screaming Eagles were Miami's first attempt at a professional ice hockey team.Businessman Herb Martin bought a franchise in the World Hockey Association in 1972. The Eagles were the first to sign players from NHL clubs, such as Bernie Parent from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins...
- Philadelphia BlazersPhiladelphia BlazersThe Philadelphia Blazers were an ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association for the 1972–73 WHA season that was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....