1975–76 Denver Spurs/Ottawa Civics season



The 1975–76 Denver Spurs/Ottawa Civics season was the ill-fated single season of operation of the Denver Spurs/Ottawa Civics in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Spurs began the season in Denver, Colorado but relocated to Ottawa, Ontario before disbanding after 51 games.

Off-season
The Spurs inaugural jersey colours were dark orange, white and black with a primarily white home jersey and a primarily dark orange away jersey. Three stripes on the arms and body of the home jersey and five stripes on the away jersey completed the design. The numbers and names were outlined. The logo was the same as the 1973-74 Denver Spurs that played in the CHL, a white cowboy boot with a blade and gold spurs on a circle background.

Regular Season
The Spurs, not unlike most of the other teams to have played in the WHA, had financial difficulties. The home games drew poor attendences and there were ongoing reports that the National Hockey League was going to establish a team in Denver. Two teams were candidates for relocation there, the Kansas City Scouts and the California Golden Seals. All of those factors led to a legendary hasty mid-season move of the Spurs to Ottawa on January 2, 1976. Allegedly, nobody bothered telling the players that the team had moved, and they learned of it when, standing on the ice before their next game in Cincinnati against the Cincinnati Stingers, heard the O Canada being played. The team lost that night, they also lost on the next against the Houston Aeros. On January 4, the team defeated the Minnesota Fighting Saints, who wouldn't survive the season either, 5-2. This win was the first and last win of the Civics history.

On January 7, 1976, the team played its first home game in Ottawa, the first WHA game in the Canadian capital since the departure of the Ottawa Nationals two years and a half before. The players found themselves playing in front of a crowd not much bigger than that they had been accustomed to in Denver and lost to the New England Whalers 3-2. The team returned on the road for two more losses and went back to the Ottawa Civic Centre on January 15, 1976 for another match against Houston. The Civics fought hard and brought the game in overtime. The Aeros however scored the game winner, ending the game, and the franchise history it turned out, as the team officially declared it ceased activities the next day.

The Civics lasted only seven games and played in the Spurs' uniform. Reports that the jerseys had been stripped bare of its logo are untrue. All Civics players were declared free agents by the league and a dispersal draft was held. Several players found a new address, including leading scorer Ralph Backstrom, who at 37, moved to the New England Whalers. Many of the other players, however, would sit the remainder of the season out before coming back in another league the next season. Others like Brian Lavender retired.

Game Log

 * Last game for the Denver Spurs.

Playoffs

 * The Spurs/Civics ceased operations after 51 games.

Player Stats
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals

MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts

Awards and Records

 * The Spurs/Civics did not win any awards this season.

Draft Picks
Denver's draft picks at the 1975 WHA Amateur Draft.