1975-1976  Coach: John Wilson  Record: 35-40-5, 75 points CRUSADERS  Finish: 2nd, Eastern Division  Playoffs: Lost in Preliminary Round to New England

In its first three years the Crusaders were a low-scoring defensive club built around . The results were middling records and early playoff exits. In 1974, moved the team to the brand-new , a state-of-the-art arena built in the suburbs of Cleveland. Despite the arena’s attractions, the move may have hastened the demise of the Crusaders as a franchise. The crowds simply didn’t materialize as Mileti would have liked, and the team found itself on shaky financial footing. In 1975, he sold a sizable portion of the team to Jay Moore, and the two went about running the Crusaders hockey club. Now coached by John Wilson, the Crusaders were able to increase their goal scoring behind Richie Leduc’s 36 goals, with Jim Harrison rebounding for 34 goals. Ron Ward scored 32 and led the team with 82 points. However, the Crusaders started poorly, sporting a 10-18-2 mark in mid-December. Gerry Cheevers was released from his contract about this time and bid the WHA farewell, returning to his old haunts in Boston. With their star gone and the team faltering financially, the Crusaders actually had a stronger second half to finish 35-40-5, but by the end of the season it was clear the team’s days in Cleveland were over. The Crusaders made the playoffs, but lost again in the first round, losing in three straight to New England. And so it was, the end of the line for the Crusaders in Cleveland. For part of the summer of 1976 the Crusaders sat in limbo, Mileti intent on placing the team somewhere. Florida looked like a possibility, but since the Minnesota Fighting Saints had folded, Mileti was induced to move his team to St. Paul and become the second incarnation of the Fighting Saints for 1976-77. Alas, Mileti’s new Fighting Saints would be history by January 1977. The NHL would try its luck in Richfield, housing the Barons there through 1978.

Summary of Games (@ Away, * Overtime)

date opponent score record pts gf-ga date opponent score record pts gf-ga 1. Oct 11 Cincinnati 0-1 L 0-1-0 0 0-1 41. Jan 15 @ Indianapolis 3-1 W 17-22-2 36 138-145 2. Oct 15 @ Minnesota 8-4 W 1-1-0 2 8-5 42. Jan 16 New England 4-3 W 18-22-2 38 142-148 3. Oct 19 Houston 5-6 L 1-2-0 2 13-11 43. Jan 17 @ San Diego 4-5 L 18-23-2 38 146-153 4. Oct 25 Edmonton 5-2 W 2-2-0 4 18-13 44. Jan 21 @ Cincinnati 2-8 L 18-24-2 38 148-161 5. Oct 29 Calgary 1-3 L 2-3-0 4 19-16 45. Jan 23 New England 2-2 T 18-24-3 39 150-163 6. Oct 31 Québec 6-2 W 3-3-0 6 25-18 46. Jan 25 @ Indianapolis 2-4 L 18-25-3 39 152-167 7. Nov 2 Phoenix 5-2 W 4-3-0 8 30-20 47. Jan 28 @ Cincinnati 6-4 W 19-25-3 41 158-171 8. Nov 4 @ Denver 2-2 T 4-3-1 9 32-22 48. Jan 30 @ Phoenix 4-4 T 19-25-4 42 162-175 9. Nov 6 @ Calgary 2-5 L 4-4-1 9 34-27 49. Feb 1 @ Minnesota 6-5 W 20-25-4 44 168-180 10. Nov 9 @ Edmonton 1-4 L 4-5-1 9 35-31 50. Feb 4 @ Phoenix 1-5 L 20-26-4 44 169-185 11. Nov 11 @ Winnipeg 3-2 W 5-5-1 11 38-33 51. Feb 5 @ San Diego 2-3 L 20-27-4 44 171-188 12. Nov 13 @ San Diego 1-3 L 5-6-1 11 39-36 52. Feb 7 Winnipeg 4-4 T 20-27-5 45 175-192 13. Nov 15 @ Denver *4-5 L 5-7-1 11 43-41 53. Feb 8 @ New England 6-1 W 21-27-5 47 181-193 14. Nov 16 @ Phoenix 4-4 T 5-7-2 12 47-45 54. Feb 11 Cincinnati 4-2 W 22-27-5 49 185-195 15. Nov 19 Minnesota *4-3 W 6-7-2 14 51-48 55. Feb 15 New England 2-3 L 22-28-5 49 187-198 16. Nov 22 Winnipeg 6-3 W 7-7-2 16 57-51 56. Feb 18 Calgary 4-0 W 23-28-5 51 191-198 17. Nov 25 @ Toronto *4-3 W 8-7-2 18 61-54 57. Feb 19 @ Houston 3-5 L 23-29-5 51 194-203 18. Nov 26 Denver 0-3 L 8-8-2 18 61-57 58. Feb 21 Indianapolis 3-2 W 24-29-5 53 197-205 19. Nov 28 Indianapolis 1-3 L 8-9-2 18 62-60 59. Feb 22 Houston 2-1 W 25-29-5 55 199-206 20. Nov 30 Toronto 10-9 W 9-9-2 20 72-69 60. Feb 25 @ Winnipeg 2-5 L 25-30-5 55 201-211 21. Dec 2 @ Québec 2-9 L 9-10-2 20 74-78 61. Feb 27 @ Calgary 4-5 L 25-31-5 55 205-216 22. Dec 3 Cincinnati 3-5 L 9-11-2 20 77-83 62. Feb 29 @ Edmonton 5-2 W 26-31-5 57 210-218 23. Dec 6 @ Indianapolis 2-3 L 9-12-2 20 79-86 63. Mar 3 @ Cincinnati *3-4 L 26-32-5 57 213-222 24. Dec 7 @ Cincinnati 1-3 L 9-13-2 20 80-89 64. Mar 6 @ Houston 5-4 W 27-32-5 59 218-226 25. Dec 9 @ Denver 3-6 L 9-14-2 20 83-95 65. Mar 7 @ Indianapolis 5-1 W 28-32-5 61 223-227 26. Dec 12 Minnesota 1-0 W 10-14-2 22 84-95 66. Mar 10 Cincinnati 5-2 W 29-32-5 63 228-229 27. Dec 13 @ New England 4-5 L 10-15-2 22 88-100 67. Mar 12 @ New England 2-8 L 29-33-5 63 230-237 28. Dec 14 Houston 3-4 L 10-16-2 22 91-104 68. Mar 14 Phoenix *2-3 L 29-34-5 63 232-240 29. Dec 17 Edmonton 2-3 L 10-17-2 22 93-107 69. Mar 16 @ Toronto 0-6 L 29-35-5 63 232-246 30. Dec 19 @ Indianapolis *4-5 L 10-18-2 22 97-112 70. Mar 19 @ Phoenix *6-5 W 30-35-5 65 238-251 31. Dec 20 Indianapolis 5-3 W 11-18-2 24 102-115 71. Mar 20 Toronto 5-6 L 30-36-5 65 243-257 32. Dec 22 New England 1-4 L 11-19-2 24 103-119 72. Mar 21 Cincinnati 4-1 W 31-36-5 67 247-258 33. Dec 27 Toronto 5-0 W 12-19-2 26 108-119 73. Mar 23 @ Québec 3-1 W 32-36-5 69 250-259 34. Dec 28 @ New England 0-4 L 12-20-2 26 108-123 74. Mar 24 Houston 2-3 L 32-37-5 69 252-262 35. Jan 2 Québec *5-4 W 13-20-2 28 113-127 75. Mar 26 Indianapolis 2-3 L 32-38-5 69 254-265 36. Jan 3 @ New England 2-3 L 13-21-2 28 115-130 76. Mar 31 New England 5-1 W 33-38-5 71 259-266 37. Jan 4 Phoenix 3-2 W 14-21-2 30 118-132 77. Apr 2 @ Cincinnati 2-5 L 33-39-5 71 261-271 38. Jan 7 San Diego 8-3 W 15-21-2 32 126-135 78. Apr 3 San Diego 4-2 W 34-39-5 73 265-273 39. Jan 9 @ Houston 5-6 L 15-22-2 32 131-141 79. Apr 4 Cincinnati 6-3 W 35-39-5 75 271-276 40. Jan 11 Indianapolis 4-3 W 16-22-2 34 135-144 80. Apr 6 San Diego *2-3 L 35-40-5 75 273-279

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