Vancouver Blazers

The Philadelphia Blazers were an ice hockey team from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1972 to 1973 was active in the North American World Hockey Association (WHA ). The franchise was originally founded in 1971 as the Miami Screaming Eagles. 1973 the team moved to Vancouver and played there for three years as Vancouver Blazers.

History

Founding in Miami

Dennis Murphy was one of the founders of the WHA. He had passed with the Miami Floridians in Miami a basketball team in the American Basketball Association and wanted to place an ice hockey team in Florida. On November 1, 1971 Herb Martin was awarded a franchise. As the name had Miami Screaming Eagles selected. In the plans of the functionaries should be in Florida, where hockey was a sport not yet represented, held the opening game of the WHA. They wanted to use an orange puck. It was all those responsible realize that you only with a sensational team could position itself accordingly the new sport. So did you look at the search for stars that you wanted to undertake for the new team. The first success was possible with Bernie Parent, the goalkeeper of the Toronto Maple Leafs, recorded. The Leafs had not believed in the ability to pay the WHA and wanted to be set by any of their players under pressure. Next, Derek Sanderson came in the crosshairs of the Screaming Eagles. He was an ever-present in the media player, who could never escape the shadow of Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito with the Boston Bruins. When it became clear, however, in April 1972, that the proposed stadium would not be built, you had to give up the location of Miami.

Moving to Philadelphia

In June 1972, you could win with Bernard Brown and James Cooper, two new owners, who settled in Philadelphia as the team competition with the Philadelphia Flyers. As the new name was chosen Philadelphia Blazers. The Blazers took over the contract with Parent and intensified their efforts to Sanderson. For $ 2.6 million, the most expensive contract at this time, you could tear ourselves away him from Boston. With John McKenzie they picked a player-coach, who had also been standing at the Bruins under contract. It was played at the Philadelphia Civic Center, which offered 8,000 spectators.

The start of the 1972/73 season not proceeded according to the expectations of the owner, as Parent, McKenzie and Sanderson were injured. Especially when Sanderson was seen due to its lucrative contract problems and paid him already shortly after start of the season from his contract. In the course of the season it was better for the Blazers. Especially Danny Lawson, who was top scorer in the league with 61 goals, and the top scorer of the league André Lacroix, who brought it to 124 points, succeeded in gaining the playoffs. Here the team failed in four games to the Cleveland Crusaders. The two home games have seen just about 3,600 spectators, about 600 less than the average of the regular season.

Brown and Cooper had the pleasure of her team lost, and sold it to the Canadian Jim Pattison, who moved it to Vancouver.

Game times: 1972/73 | 1973/74 | 1974/75 | 1975/76 | 1976/77 | 1977/78 | 1978/79

Franchises: Alberta Oilers (1972-1973), Edmonton Oilers (1973-1979) | Chicago Cougars (1972-1975) | Cincinnati Stingers (1975-1979) | Cleveland Crusaders (1972-1976) | Denver Spurs (1975 ), Ottawa Civics (1976 ) | Houston Aeros (1972-1978) | Indianapolis Racers (1974-1979) | Los Angeles Sharks (1972-1974), Michigan Stags (1974-1975), Baltimore Blades ( 1975) | Minnesota Fighting Saints ( 1972-1977 ) | New England Whalers (1972-1979) | New York Raiders (1972-1973), New York Golden Blades ( 1973), Jersey Knights ( 1973-1974 ), San Diego Mariners ( 1974-1977 ) | Ottawa Nationals ( 1972-1973 ), Toronto Toros (1973-1976), Birmingham Bulls (1976-1979) | Philadelphia Blazers (1972-1973), Vancouver Blazers (1973-1975), Calgary Cowboys (1975-1977) | Phoenix Roadrunners (1974-1977) | Quebec Nordiques (1972-1979) | Winnipeg Jets (1972-1979)

• Hockey Association (World Hockey Association )
• Sports (Philadelphia )
• Established in 1971
• Organization ( Philadelphia )