North American Hockey League (1973-1977)
Tombstone
Born: 1973 – NAHL founding franchise
Folded: 1977
First Game: October 13, 1973 (W 6-1 @ Cape Cod Cubs)
Last Game: April 10, 1977 (L 5-1 vs. Syracuse Blazers)
Lockhart Cup Championships: None
Arena
Central Maine Youth Center (2,798)
Marketing
Team Colors: Blue, Red & White
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners: William Rocheleau, Jr. et al.
WHA Affiliation: Quebec Nordiques
Trophy Case
Background
The Maine Nordiques were a minor league hockey team that played for four seasons at Lewiston’s tiny Central Maine Youth Center, which offered seats for just 2,800 fans. The Nordiques were part of the North American Hockey League (1973-1977) which provided farm clubs for the World Hockey Association, a 1970’s rival to the National Hockey League. Maine was the top farm club of the WHA’s Quebec Nordiques. During the mid-1970’s, the Nords were the only professional sports franchise in the state of Maine.
Notable Names
The club’s all-time leading scorer was Paul Larose, who tallied 179 goals and 248 assists for Maine between 1973 and 1977. Larose was one of only two players to appear in all four seasons for the Nords, along with defenseman Alan Globensky. Notable future NHL players who saw action for Maine included defenseman Paul Baxter and goaltender Richard Brodeur.
Former Lewiston Mayor Bill Rocheleau led a group of area businessmen that backed the Nordiques. During the NAHL’s final season in the winter of 1976-77, he also served as league President. The NAHL’s Syracuse Blazers club folded in the summer of 1977, reducing the league to just five clubs. The shrinking of the NAHL mirrored the declining fortunes of the WHA, which itself was in contraction mode and would fold in 1979.
Demise
The NAHL tried to plug ahead with just five clubs as the 1977-78 campaign approached, but when the Mohawk Valley Comets club ran into financial problems and was going to require subsidy from the remaining four teams, the owners decided to call it a day.
Rocheleau announced the demise of the four-year old North American Hockey League on September 26, 1977.
In 2019, a junior hockey expansion team from Lewiston revived the Maine Nordiques name. The modern day Nords continue to play in the old Central Maine Youth Center, now known as “The Colisee”. In another example of history repeating itself, the junior league that the Nordiques play in today is also known as the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
In Memoriam
Nordiques owner Bill Rocheleau passed away on February 19, 2000 at the age of 74.
Links
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One Response
I am proud to see my fathers name In Memoriam above. As league president and attorney, he represented the NAHL in signing the agreement with producers to use the league as the backdrop for Slap Shot.