North American Hockey League (1975-1976)
Tombstone
Born: 1975
Folded: December 22, 1976
First Game: October 18, 1975 (W 8-4 @ Maine Nordiques)
Last Game: December 19, 1976 (L 8-2 vs. Syracuse Blazers)
Lockhart Cup Championships: None
Arena
Marketing
Team Colors:
Ownership
Owner: Andre Veilleux
Background
The Beauce Jaros were a Quebec-based franchise in the North American Hockey League, the mid-1970’s minor league hockey loop that inspired the Paul Newman hockey comedy Slap Shot. The Jaros played at the tiny Palais Des Sports in the small city of Saint-Georges.
First 200-Point Season in Pro Hockey
The Jaros player-coach was Jocelyn Hardy, who had a journeyman career in both the NHL and the World Hockey Association during the early 1970’s. Hardy was never a prolific scorer – his career high was 28 goals with New Haven of the Eastern League back in the 1966-67 season. But he went wild in Beauce, scoring 60 goals and adding a ridiculous 148 assists in 72 games during the 1975-76 season. Hardy won the NAHL’s MVP award that year and became the first pro hockey player to score 200 points in a season, six years before Wayne Gretzky accomplished the feat in the NHL.
The 1975-76 Jaros were a juggernaut, featuring four players who scored more than 60 goals. Hardy (208 pts.), Richard Grenier (160 pts.), Luc Simard (149 pts.) and Alain Caron (137 pts.) were the top four scorers in the league.
Beauce had the best record in the league at 54-18-2 but were upset in the Lockhart Cup championship series by the Philadelphia Firebirds in six games.
Doomed Sophomore Season
The following year was a different story. Grenier, Simard and Caron departed. Through 29 games, the Jaros were the worst team in the league at 6-21-2. Attendance was poor in Saint-Georges and by December 1976 Beauce owner Andre Veilleux had lost a reported $300,000 on the team.1Dossin, Kurt. “Beauce Folds Up Franchise”. The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY). December 23, 1976 On December 22, 1976 the Jaros failed to show up and forfeited a home game against the Mohawk Valley Comets. Veilleux announced the same night that he was folding his club.
The NAHL itself folded in September 1977.
Trivia
The night of October 17th, 1975 was supposed to be the expansion Jaros’ debut in the NAHL against the Cape Codders. But it ended up in a postponement when the ice making equipment at the Cape Cod Coliseum malfunctioned.
Beauce Jaros Shop
Downloads
October 19, 1975 Jaros vs. Maine Nordiques Game Program (complete)
10-19-1975 Beauce Jaros vs. Maine Nordiques Program
December 11, 1975 Jaros vs. Johnstown Jets Game Program (complete)
January 4, 1976 Jaros vs. Mohawk Valley Comets Game Program (complete)
February 15, 1976 Jaros vs. Syracuse Blazers Game Program (complete)
October 29, 1976 Jaros vs. Philadelphia Firebirds Game Program (complete)
November 2, 1976 Jaros vs. Syracuse Blazers Game Program (complete)
November 9, 1976 Jaros vs. Erie Blades Game Program (complete)
November 12, 1976 Jaros vs. Broome Dusters Game Program (complete)
Links
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3 Responses
i went to a few philly firebird games but i missed the 40+ goal marathon between the two. that was not 40 goals in a series but for one game.
@ Syracuse Blazers game. Syracuse fans taunting the jaro. Jaros lost their minds, jumped on the board swinging sticks at the fans and busted the head of an off-duty police officer.
Paddy wagon was backed up to the door, and the players were escorted straight to the Poke still wearing their uniforms including skates!!
FREDDY FREELOADER , YOU are full of Shit. Does it make you feel like a big shot ?
Re:Syracuse / BEAUCE RIOT / THE REAL STORY
2 off duty Syracuse cops were watching the game behind the penalty box next to “SUSPENDED” BILODEAU AND WEIR, the Leagues 2 toughest fighters.
Both Men were over at least 6’2″ 210, Gilles Bilodeau (RIP) WAS 230 LBS OF PURE MUSCLE, both had WHA /NHL CAREERS afterwards.
Busniuk beat up some guy and was in the box, Wally Weir leaned over the penalty box glass and said NICE JOB BUZ, And THEN it started.
UnderCover COP grabs Wally by the neck and the other grabs Bilodeau. On the bench we could see everything and when Wally knocked out the cop, Bilodeau threw the other one about 3 rows away. Seeing this, our team left the bench and upon reaching the boards Wally had 2 or 3 cops on him. So, Wally being my best friend, I was # 14, jumped up on the glass and took care of the cops with my stick and got Wally onto the ice. Bilodeau beat up 6-8 cops before we got him on the ice Protected by the team as the riot squad came in. NO ONE touched ANY of our TEAMMATES.
AFTER the game the cops came to the dressing room door much like in the movie Slap Shot ( where Newman followed and Stole a bunch of our ideas )
THEN, AFTER we were all dressed we were hauled to the cop shop. We were all in Suits and ties as was one of our rules, so Freddy is a BULLSHITTER.
NO ONE was in uniform or had skates on, cops requested that because skates are sharp weapons with a hard toe that could kick through glass.
another rule was No one loses a fight, 3rd man must do as much damage to opposition as possible because you know you’re gone for 3rd man in. No one wanted to fight with us after that rule was implemented. It helped that we had 6 of the top 10 goons in the League on our team.
LESSON # 1: NEVER FUCK WITH NYS COPS, Wally came back to the hotel with only 1 shoe, no shirt, ripped pants, No coat ( in winter), HIS Whole back was blue. They supposedly used a WET PHONE BOOK and a BAT on him. He still played right after the suspensions.
We went to Court and the judge let everyone off with a fine ( SLAP SHOT ) and 2 years probation in NYS. I had my own lawyer and with the photo of me on the glass swinging the stick at the cop, I pleaded Innocent and the Judge Laughed. But all charges were dismissed.
DWANE BYERS BEAUCE # 14 1975.