World Hockey Association
In 1971, a fledgling operation known as the World Hockey Association announced its intention to compete against the NHL as North America's second major league. Among the original franchises announced for the league was the Calgary Broncos, who were to play out of the Stampede Corral and were expected to form a strong rivalry with the Edmonton Oilers. Although the Broncos participated in the first WHA draft, the franchise never played, folding prior to the WHA's inaugural season. Following the demise of the Broncos, the Oilers were renamed the Alberta Oilers, with the intention of splitting their home games between Calgary and Edmonton. Likewise, this plan failed to materialize and 'Alberta' was quickly dropped from the Oilers' name.
In 1975, the WHA finally did arrive in Calgary, as the Vancouver Blazers relocated to the Stampede City to become the Calgary Cowboys. The Cowboys finished the 1975–76 season with a respectable 41-35-4 record, upsetting the Quebec Nordiques in the playoffs before losing to the eventual Avco Cup champion Winnipeg Jets.
The Cowboys second season was the franchise's last, as dismal attendance and a team that missed the playoffs led to the franchise folding following the season. The entire league itself would follow two years later, with four teams merging into the NHL.
Read more about this topic: Ice Hockey In Calgary
Famous quotes containing the words world and/or association:
“The world is never the same as it was.... And that’s as it should be. Every generation has the obligation to make the preceding generation irrelevant. It happens in little ways: no longer knowing the names of bands or even recognizing their sounds of music; no longer implicitly understanding life’s rules: wearing plaid Bermuda shorts to the grocery and not giving it another thought.”
—Jim Shahin (20th century)
“They that have grown old in a single state are generally found to be morose, fretful and captious; tenacious of their own practices and maxims; soon offended by contradiction or negligence; and impatient of any association but with those that will watch their nod, and submit themselves to unlimited authority.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)