1975-1976  Coach:  Record: 41-35-4, 86 points COWBOYS  Finish: 3rd, Canadian Division  Playoffs: Lost in Second Round to Winnipeg

Three years after the Broncos were forced to drop out of the WHA, Calgary was again a member of the , now host to the Cowboys, late of . The old Blazers had given up their fight in Vancouver and moved across the Rocky Mountains to Calgary, playing out of the tiny yet raucous . The move seemed to be a tonic, as the Cowboys skated to the best record of the four-year old franchise, finishing 41-35-4 and a third-place finish in the Canadian Division. Joe Crozier’s boys broke through for 307 goals, led by the talented ’s 44 goals and 96 points. Sophomore Ron Chipperfield scored 42, while tough-guy Butch Deadmarsh scored 26, apart from his 196 minutes spent in the box. A trio of 25-goal scorers—George Morrison, and Dick Sentes—rounded out the offense. The defense was led by veterans Duane Rupp, and Paul Terbenche, with Francois Lacombe joining the Cowboys for this season. Unheralded John Miszuk made the team as a spare and eventually worked his way to a spot in the all-star game. Don McLeod handled goaltending, and even assisted on an impressive 13 goals during the season, while failing in his bid to be the first goaltender in major-league hockey to score a goal, going 0 for 6 on the season in shot attempts. The Cowboy were well-suited for the smaller rink dimensions of the Corral, often stifling speedier teams against the boards. In the playoffs, the Cowboys faced off against Québec. In the second game at Québec, the Cowboys’ Rick Jodzio cross-checked Nordiques’ , severely injuring Tardif and touching off perhaps the worst brawl in WHA history, a free-for-all that was only quelled by the presence of police. The Cowboys would defeat Québec in the series, then lose to Winnipeg in the semifinals. However, Jodzio’s hit and the ensuing brawl would be the low-point of the overly- violent brand of goon hockey that had become popular in the middle 1970s. The Cowboys, whether fairly or not, would be viewed as the league’s villains as a result, and many rule-changes would be adopted for 1976-77, directly as a result of this brawl.

Summary of Games (@ Away, * Overtime)

date opponent score record pts gf-ga date opponent score record pts gf-ga 1. Oct 12 Minnesota 0-2 L 0-1-0 0 0-2 41. Jan 15 @ Québec 3-5 L 23-16-2 48 165-134 2. Oct 14 Indianapolis 5-3 W 1-1-0 2 5-5 42. Jan 17 Houston 4-2 W 24-16-2 50 169-136 3. Oct 17 Cincinnati 2-6 L 1-2-0 2 7-11 43. Jan 20 @ 10-3 W 25-16-2 52 179-139 4. Oct 22 Denver 1-2 L 1-3-0 2 8-13 44. Jan 21 @ Winnipeg 1-4 L 25-17-2 52 180-143 5. Oct 24 Phoenix 3-4 L 1-4-0 2 11-17 45. Jan 23 @ Houston 0-2 L 25-18-2 52 180-145 6. Oct 26 @ New England 1-3 L 1-5-0 2 12-20 46. Jan 25 @ Houston 3-5 L 25-19-2 52 183-150 7. Oct 29 @ Cleveland 3-1 W 2-5-0 4 15-21 47. Jan 28 @ Phoenix 0-5 L 25-20-2 52 183-155 8. Oct 30 @ Indianapolis 7-5 W 3-5-0 6 22-26 48. Jan 29 @ San Diego 0-1 L 25-21-2 52 183-156 9. Nov 1 @ Cincinnati 2-3 L 3-6-0 6 24-29 49. Feb 3 Cincinnati 3-2 W 26-21-2 54 186-158 10. Nov 2 New England *4-3 W 4-6-0 8 28-32 50. Feb 5 New England 4-6 L 26-22-2 54 190-164 11. Nov 4 San Diego 4-4 T 4-6-1 9 32-36 51. Feb 7 Québec 4-4 T 26-22-3 55 194-168 12. Nov 5 Québec 4-2 W 5-6-1 11 36-38 52. Feb 8 @ Winnipeg 4-8 L 26-23-3 55 198-176 13. Nov 7 Cleveland 5-2 W 6-6-1 13 41-40 53. Feb 10 Toronto 4-3 W 27-23-3 57 202-179 14. Nov 11 Edmonton 6-3 W 7-6-1 15 47-43 54. Feb 13 @ Indianapolis *4-3 W 28-23-3 59 206-182 15. Nov 13 Winnipeg 2-4 L 7-7-1 15 49-47 55. Feb 15 @ Cincinnati *4-5 L 28-24-3 59 210-187 16. Nov 16 Houston 5-3 W 8-7-1 17 54-50 56. Feb 18 @ Cleveland 0-4 L 28-25-3 59 210-191 17. Nov 18 San Diego 2-6 L 8-8-1 17 56-56 57. Feb 20 Minnesota 3-6 L 28-26-3 59 213-197 18. Nov 21 @ Denver 6-2 W 9-8-1 19 62-58 58. Feb 22 Toronto 4-2 W 29-26-3 61 217-199 19. Nov 22 @ Minnesota 6-4 W 10-8-1 21 68-62 59. Feb 24 @ Edmonton 3-3 T 29-26-4 62 220-202 20. Nov 27 @ Phoenix 5-1 W 11-8-1 23 73-63 60. Feb 25 Edmonton 5-2 W 30-26-4 64 225-204 21. Nov 29 @ San Diego 5-4 W 12-8-1 25 78-67 61. Feb 27 Cleveland 5-4 W 31-26-4 66 230-208 22. Nov 30 @ Edmonton 2-4 L 12-9-1 25 80-71 62. Feb 29 Phoenix 2-5 L 31-27-4 66 232-213 23. Dec 3 Toronto 3-4 L 12-10-1 25 83-75 63. Mar 2 Edmonton 6-3 W 32-27-4 68 238-216 24. Dec 5 Edmonton 8-3 W 13-10-1 27 91-78 64. Mar 3 @ Edmonton 4-6 L 32-28-4 68 242-222 25. Dec 7 @ Edmonton 5-4 W 14-10-1 29 96-82 65. Mar 4 Québec 4-1 W 33-28-4 70 246-223 26. Dec 9 Québec 4-1 W 15-10-1 31 100-83 66. Mar 6 @ Toronto 2-5 L 33-29-4 70 248-228 27. Dec 11 Edmonton 2-3 L 15-11-1 31 102-86 67. Mar 7 @ Winnipeg 1-3 L 33-30-4 70 249-231 28. Dec 12 @ Winnipeg 2-4 L 15-12-1 31 104-90 68. Mar 9 Québec 7-4 W 34-30-4 72 256-235 29. Dec 14 @ Toronto 3-3 T 15-12-2 32 107-93 69. Mar 11 Edmonton 2-0 W 35-30-4 74 258-235 30. Dec 16 @ Québec 3-7 L 15-13-2 32 110-100 70. Mar 16 @ Edmonton *4-3 W 36-30-4 76 262-238 31. Dec 19 @ Toronto 5-3 W 16-13-2 34 115-103 71. Mar 17 @ Winnipeg 2-3 L 36-31-4 76 264-241 32. Dec 20 @ Québec 7-8 L 16-14-2 34 122-111 72. Mar 20 @ Québec 8-7 W 37-31-4 78 272-248 33. Dec 23 Toronto 10-1 W 17-14-2 36 132-112 73. Mar 23 @ Toronto 5-6 L 37-32-4 78 277-254 34. Dec 26 @ Winnipeg 5-4 W 18-14-2 38 137-116 74. Mar 24 @ New England 7-6 W 38-32-4 80 284-260 35. Dec 28 Winnipeg 6-4 W 19-14-2 40 143-120 75. Mar 26 @ New England 1-4 L 38-33-4 80 285-264 36. Jan 1 Edmonton 5-1 W 20-14-2 42 148-121 76. Mar 27 @ Québec 4-6 L 38-34-4 80 289-270 37. Jan 2 @ Edmonton 3-1 W 21-14-2 44 151-122 77. Mar 28 @ Toronto 5-4 W 39-34-4 82 294-274 38. Jan 3 Winnipeg 3-6 L 21-15-2 44 154-128 78. Mar 30 Toronto 6-2 W 40-34-4 84 300-276 39. Jan 6 Winnipeg 5-0 W 22-15-2 46 159-128 79. Apr 2 Winnipeg 4-1 W 41-34-4 86 304-277 40. Jan 7 Indianapolis 3-1 W 23-15-2 48 162-129 80. Apr 6 Winnipeg 3-5 L 41-35-4 86 307-282

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