Philadelphia Blazers

World Hockey Association (1972-1973)

Tombstone

Born: May 31, 1972 – The WHA’s planned Miami franchise shifts to Philadelphia¹
Moved: May 11, 1973 – (Vancouver Blazers)²

First Game: October 12, 1972 (L 4-3 @ New England Whalers)
Last Game: April 11, 1973 (L 6-2 vs. Cleveland Crusaders)

WHA Championships: None

Arena

Philadelphia Civic Center
Opened: June 8, 1931³
Demolished: March, 2005

Marketing

Team Colors: Orange, yellow, and white ⁴

Ownership

Owners: Bernard Brown & James Cooper

Attendance

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Source: HockeyDB.com

Background

The Philadelphia Blazers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) were established in the spring of 1972. The franchise was originally awarded to Florida businessman Herbert Martin and was going to be called the Miami Screaming Eagles. The team, still planning to play in South Florida, was the first to sign a star player from the established National Hockey League (NHL) when it inked Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Bernie Parent to a deal worth 750,000 in February of 1972.⁵

Former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Bernie Parent minding the net for the WHA’s Philadelphia Blazers

However, Martin failed to come up with a $100,000 bond required by the league, and it was purchased by two New Jersey businessmen, James L. Cooper of Atlantic City and Bernard Brown of Vineland, on May 31, 1972. They renamed the franchise the Philadelphia Blazers. Parent came as part of the deal, though a new contract had to be drawn up.

Signing more stars away from the NHL

In June, the Blazers announced John McKenzie, whom they had signed away from the Boston Bruins, as player-coach.⁶ On August 3, the team signed Derek Sanderson, also of the Boston Bruins, to a contract worth $2.6 million, making him, according to his attorney, the richest athlete in America.⁷

Despite the high-profile talent, the Blazers got off to a rocky start. McKenzie was unable to take the ice to start the season after suffering an injury in an exhibition game. They opened their inaugural, and only, campaign with a six-game road trip. They returned to Philadelphia 0-6 and proceeded to drop their home opener 8-2 to the Cleveland Crusaders in front of 5,075 fans in Philadelphia’s Convention Hall Arena.⁸

Puck from the Philadelphia Blazers’ inaugural home game

During the game, Parent was removed after suffering an ankle injury.⁹ However, they were able to notch their first win two nights later, topping the Los Angeles Sharks 5-4 in Convention Hall, with 4,529 in attendance.¹⁰¹¹ The win was all the more remarkable considering the team was without the services of McKenzie, Parent, and Sanderson. The latter sat out the game with a sore shoulder. Four nights later, in Cleveland, he strained his back and missed several games.

Losing money

By the time Sanderson was okayed to return a few weeks later, the Blazers were rumored to be shopping him and his massive salary.¹² With no takers, the team bought out his contract for $1,000,000 in January. A month later, he was back with the Bruins.¹³¹⁴

The end

The Blazers, meanwhile, were able to turn things around and finished the season 38-40-0, good for third place and a spot in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they were swept by the Crusaders 4-0. The series wrapped up on April 11, and exactly one month later, the team was sold to industrialist Jim Pattison, who announced the team’s immediate relocation to Western Canada, where they became the Vancouver Blazers.¹⁵

The WHA hockey returned to the area 20 games into the following season when the New York Golden Blades escaped from New York. The team wound up across the river from Philadelphia in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where they became the Jersey Knights. A year later, they moved to California and became the San Diego Mariners.