OT: Vancouver Blazers

[crobro]

I was always under the impression that the Blazers were not well attend ended and were a bust and forced to relocate.they played 2 seasons in Vancouver 1st season they led the league in attendance. At 9300 per game.they were fifth the next season at 8000

Why did they close shop so fast and head to Calgary?

Click to read more...

 

[JA]

This may help:

Renamed Cowboys, Blazers in Calgary
The Globe and Mail (1936-Current) [Toronto, Ont] 08 May 1975: 48.

CALGARY (CP) -- Vancouver Blazers of the World Hockey Association have shifted to Calgary and will play the 1975-76 season as Calgary Cowboys.

The franchise, owned by Jim Pattison, president of Neonex International Ltd., has negotiated a lease to play its 40-game home schedule in the 6,000-seat Stampede Corral. Calgary Exhibition and Stampede president Jerry D'Arcy told a news conference yesterday that work will begin almsot immediately on enlargement of the corral to 16,000 seats, at a cost of about $8-million.

...

The Blazers missed the playoffs in each of their two seasons in competition for fans with Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League.

The move by the Blazers is their third. Born as Miami Screaming Eagles, they moved to Philadelphia when Florida arena plans fell through. Then the franchise was shifted to Vancouver two years ago, still seeking greener pastures.

Pattison said the Blazers drew an average attendance of 9,500 during the 1973-74 season at home games in the 15,570-seat Pacific Coliseum. Attendance dropped to an average 8,300 in 1974-75.

The decision to move the franchise was reached after an assessment of response to the 1975-76 season-ticket offer. The ticket drive started March 14, much earlier than in past seasons, but the latest figures showed deposits placed on only 1,505 tickets for the coming season.

He said the Cowboys gave up WHA rights to Seattle to acquire the Calgary rights from the league but had retained franchise control of Vancouver. Pattison said that although his club had negotiated with Phil Esposito of Boston Bruins, he doubted that such negotiations would continue in Calgary.

"I don't think Calgary will continue negotiations because of the size of the rink. In Vancouver we needed him to fill the rink. In Calgary we expect the demand to be more than the supply."

Bill Pratte, Stampede Board general manager, said: "One of the reasons we were interested in the Blazers, was that franchises in Chicago and Baltimore... wanted commitments on a new building and we weren't in a position for that, while the Blazers are willing to work with us to create a building suitable for pro hockey."

Works Cited

"Renamed Cowboys, Blazers in Calgary." The Globe and Mail (1936-Current): 48. May 08 1975. ProQuest. Web. 27 Apr. 2014 .

The 1974-75 NHL season was also the first time the Canucks qualified for the postseason. The Canucks, at this point, were more popular than the Blazers. Pattison decided to move the team to Calgary; he remained the owner until the franchise folded in 1977.

 

[crobro]

Even in the mid seventies hockey support for 2 teams in the city simultaneously was a success

 

[SgtToody]

Even in the mid seventies hockey support for 2 teams in the city simultaneously was a success

i remember seeing one game, blazers v Chicago i think (backstrom?)... the bright coloured unis seemed kind of circus like, and i had the distinct feeling that, despite a handful of familiar names, i wasn't watching the best league in the world (and remember, the Canucks weren't exactly world-beaters back then, but began to turn it around...) I also thought i heard that the PNE did them no favours with the $ cost of ice.

 

[Biggest Canuck Fan]

I found some old programs at a value village a few years back... I should have bought them.

 

[Barney Gumble]

Vancouver Canucks actually showed some signs of life during this critical period where in the 74-75 season they managed to be a legit .500 club (eg., no circus time/shootout points back then). They followed up this progress by being .500 the following season.

This probably had a negative impact (I'm talking only of the 74-75 season obviously) on the ticket sales of the Vancouver Blizzard.

I was too small to be very aware of the economic conditions but there was a notable recession going in around this period as well. I'm guessing this had an impact as well.

 

[nutbar]

Even in the mid seventies hockey support for 2 teams in the city simultaneously was a success

Even more impressive for the time if you consider the fact that the Blazers weren't exactly world beaters.

 

[Tim McCracken]

i remember seeing one game, blazers v Chicago i think (backstrom?)... the bright coloured unis seemed kind of circus like, and i had the distinct feeling that, despite a handful of familiar names, i wasn't watching the best league in the world (and remember, the Canucks weren't exactly world-beaters back then, but began to turn it around...) I also thought i heard that the PNE did them no favours with the $ cost of ice.

I went to a decent amount of games and remember seeing names like Bobby Hull, Frank Mahovlich, JC Tremblay, Paul Henderson, Gordie Howe, Dave Keon and ex Canucks like Rosie Paiement, Murray Hall come to town. Blazers even had John McKenzie, Andy Bathgate (for a bit) Bryan Campbell (had a bit of a run with the Blackhawks), Mike Pelyk (Leafs who were really negatively impacted player wise by the WHA) and guys who went on to play in the NHL like Colin Campbell (yes, THAT guy), Jimmy Jones, Pat Price, and Dave Hutchison.

 

[Hi-wayman]

My father-inlaw's (at the time) radio station CJJC was the official broadcast station for the Blazers. I didn't go to many games (mostly only when I got the tickets free) as I had season tickets to the Canucks plus i went to alot of New West Bruins games.

I still have a Blazers souvenir puck mixed in with my early souvenir Canucks pucks and other Canuck stuff. My ex, her parents and myself also were part of the Canadian contingent that flew to Moscow for the 1974 Summit series.

Additionally, my business partner was the nephew of Nelson Skabania. Though I never met Nelson and his wife, I'd get the odd tidbit from my partner as he used to have the Skabania's over for bar-b-ques quite often (used to see their Rolls parked out in front). My partner's son was actually drafted by the Canucks, but failed his medical so never was in the system.

 

[JA]