1974–75 Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades season



The 1974–75 Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades season was the 3rd season of the former Los Angeles Sharks franchise. Prior to the season, the team relocated to Detroit, and then relocated to Baltimore partway through the season. The team finished 5th in the Western Division and did not qualify for the playoffs.

Off-season
Having made their fortunes in industrial chemicals, Detroiters Charles Nolton and Peter Shagena bought the Los Angeles Sharks from Dennis Murphy and relocated the club to Detroit as the Michigan Stags. Coached by former Red Wing player and coach Johnny Wilson, the Stags began play in the 1974–75 season.

The Stags jersey colours for their only (partial) season were red, white and black with a primarily white home jersey and a primarily red away jersey, the same as the Los Angeles Sharks. The numbers were outlined but the names weren't. Five stripes on the arms and body completed the design. The logo was a profile of a gold stag against a circle.

Michigan Stags
Unfortunately, the Stags were even more of a disaster than the Detroit Red Wings. The team was composed of journeymen at best, with the exceptions of star left winger Marc Tardif, veteran Western Hockey League star Gary Veneruzzo and beleaguered ex-NHL goaltender Gerry Desjardins (who found his way back to the NHL in mid-season and helped lead the Buffalo Sabres to the Stanley Cup finals). The only notable Stags draft pick to actually sign with Michigan was Ed Johnstone, a future 30-goal scorer with the New York Rangers (he would score four times in 23 games for the Stags, including the first regular-season goal in club history). The club also had problems drawing crowds. Despite playing over .500 (12-8-2) at Cobo Arena, attendance was not nearly enough to break even. Only 2,522 were at their first home game (it didn't help that Michigan had to play their first five games on the road, as the circus was in town), and subsequent gates weren't much better. The club would average an anemic 2,959 for its 22 home games. Additionally, the Stags were unable to secure a television deal (except for a one-off broadcast), rendering them practically invisible. Bleeding money, Michigan was eventually forced to trade Tardif to Quebec for Pierre Guite, Michel Rouleau and famed league sniper Alain Caron.

The only shutout in Stags history occurred on December 19, 1974 in a 1-0 victory over the Cleveland Crusaders. In a game marred by multiple brawls, Stags goalie Paul Hoganson out-dueled All-Star goalie Gerry Cheevers and made 32 saves.

The Stags hoped they could at least draw fans for the highly anticipated return of Gordie Howe to Detroit, but Howe's Houston Aeros weren't scheduled to play at Cobo until February 2. The Aeros did come to town to play two exhibition games: the first, across the river in Windsor on October 8; the other, two days later at Cobo Arena. (Howe and his sons missed the first game, as they were in Czechoslovakia with Team Canada; Gordie scored twice in the second contest, before a crowd of 5,536.) As it turned out, Howe and company would never meet Michigan in regular-season contest in Detroit, as the Stags had folded before then.

The last win in Stags history was on January 9, 1975, a 5-4 overtime victory against the Winnipeg Jets. Steve West scored the game winner. The Stags played their last game, a 2-1 loss, on January 18, 1975 against the Cleveland Crusaders.

Baltimore Blades
The Baltimore Blades were created out of the remains of the Stags (retaining coach Johnny Wilson, although he was unenthusiastic about the shift) and were operated by the league. The move caused the American Hockey League's Baltimore Clippers, already in financial trouble, to promptly close up shop. After playing seven straight road games (all losses), the Blades debuted at the Baltimore Civic Center on February 2 (ironically against the Howe-led club from Houston) in front of 9,023 fans. Attendance went flat soon thereafter, however, as the Blades averaged only 3,568 for 17 home dates (which was actually an improvement over Detroit, even though the Blades were an awful 3-13-1 in Baltimore.) At season's end, the league contemplated moving the franchise to Seattle (which would have marked the franchise's fourth home in less than a year), but instead the club was terminated. Players from the Michigan/Baltimore team, along with those of the defunct Chicago Cougars, were put into a dispersal draft to be claimed by other WHA teams.

The team's final record was 21-53-4, the second-worst in the WHA and far out of a playoff spot. Veneruzzo was the leading scorer for the team with a 33-27-60 mark, nearly twice as much as anyone else save for Jean-Paul LeBlanc. The infamous enforcer Bill Goldthorpe also signed on for seven games, piling up 26 penalty minutes. The last active Stags/Blades player in major professional hockey was Ed Johnstone, who last played in the 1986-87 NHL season.

Game Log

 * Last game for the Michigan Stags.

Playoffs

 * The Stags / Blades did not qualify for the post season.

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 Stags / Blades did not win any awards this season.