Los Angeles Sharks

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Los Angeles Sharks
Los Angeles Sharks logo
founding 1st November 1971
resolution 1974
history Los Angeles Sharks
1972 - 1974
Michigan Stags
1974 - 1975
Baltimore Blades
1975
Stadion Los Angeles Sports Arena
Long Beach Arena
Location Los Angeles , California
Team colors dark red, black, white
Avco World Trophies no
Division title no

The Los Angeles Sharks were an ice hockey team from Los Angeles , California that was active in the North American World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 to 1974 . In 1974 the team moved to Detroit and played as Michigan Stags there .

history

Los Angeles was one of the cities that were planned as a location when the WHA was founded. The franchise was supposed to be called Aces . With a second team in San Francisco they wanted to stand up to the two California-based NHL teams. When the team scheduled for San Francisco was relocated to Quebec before the game began , the closest WHA teams were in Houston and Edmonton . The team name was changed to Sharks . The 14,700-seat Los Angeles Sports Arena served as the stadium . Four games in the first season were played in the Long Beach Arena , which had 11,325 spectators.

If you looked at the competitor from the NHL, the Los Angeles Kings , who had come to the city five years earlier, you could guess how difficult it was to inspire fans for a new team at this location. The management around the league co-founder Dennis Murphy was the first that on January 7, 1972 with Terry Slater a coach and with Steve Sutherland in February a player could sign. At the beginning of the season, a team had been put together that had to do without any star. None of the players could look back on noteworthy successes in the NHL. With an average attendance of just under 6,000, they were in the top of the league and only around 1,000 behind the Kings in the NHL. A game against the Ottawa Nationals on a Sunday morning in March 1973 even reached 12,000 spectators. The best scorer in the first 1972/73 season was Gary Veneruzzo , who scored 73 points. Third place and qualification for the playoffs was more than the team had expected. It was noticeable that the team had a better record away than at home.

The 1973/74 season got off to a hopeful start . With Marc Tardif , the Montreal Canadiens signed a strong attacker who was also the team's best scorer with 70 points. By the end of January, the performance was mixed, but still acceptable. The victory at the Jersey Knights on January 27th was the last away win of the season but not only the last 13 away games were lost, but also 10 of 14 games on home ice. The result was only 50 points, less than any other team this season. Towards the end of the season, the team was sold to the Detroit native Charles Nolton and John Shagena . Just seven days after the last game day, while the other teams were in the playoffs, the new owners announced the move to Detroit. The team was to be called Michigan Stags in the future .

Team records

Surname number
Most games Gary Veneruzzo 156 (in two seasons)
Most goals Gary Veneruzzo 82
Most templates Jean-Paul LeBlanc 96
Most of the points Gary Veneruzzo 141 (82 goals + 59 assists)
Most penalty minutes Steve Sutherland 280
Most games by a goalkeeper Russ Gillow 56
Most wins by a goalkeeper Russ Gillow 21st
Most shutouts Russ Gillow 3

Known players

Web links