1972-1973  Coaches: John McKenzie (1-6-0), (34-33-4) PHILADELPHIA  Record: 38-40-0, 76 points. BLAZERS  Finish: 3rd, Eastern Division  Playoffs: Lost in first round to Cleveland.

The Blazers were the joke of the league at first. Its first home game was cancelled when the ice-surfacer tore up the ice. A near- riot ensued as fans threw their commemorative orange hockey pucks at Derek Sanderson, who bravely stood at center ice to announce the cancellation of the game. Sanderson himself was openly unhappy being in Philadelphia, and lasted just eight games before getting injured and eventually being bought out from his contract and released. Meanwhile, the Blazers’ other stars, goaltender and forward Johnny “Pie” McKenzie, were out with injuries. All this conspired to give the Blazers a 4- 16-0 start, and it looked like a long season for the Philadelphia skaters. It would be a relatively obscure centerman and his winger who would save the season for the Blazers: ex-Flyer Andre Lacroix, who had never scored above 24 goals in the NHL, erupted for 50 goals, 74 assists and a league-leading 124 points. Many of his assists went to his slick right-winger, , whose 61 goals led the league. John McKenzie did come back to score 28 goals, and Bernie Parent was a workhorse in goal, leading the league with 33 wins. McKenzie was a player-coach, but veteran coach Phil Watson would assume most of the coaching duties for the season. The reward: the Blazers finished on a 16-9-0 run, good for third place in the Eastern Division. Alas, the playoffs went quickly, as the Blazers lost in four straight to Cleveland, after Bernie Parent had left the team when his contract was voided. After a rocky year in Philadelphia, Parent stayed in Philly, now tending goal again for the Flyers, while the Blazers had moved across the continent to Vancouver.

Summary of Games (@ Away, * Overtime)

date opponent score record pts gf-ga date opponent score record pts gf-ga 1. Oct 12 @ New England 3-4 L 0-1-0 0 3-4 40. Jan 10 New York 1-4 L 15-25-0 30 138-182 2. Oct 15 @ New York 0-5 L 0-2-0 0 3-9 41. Jan 12 Ottawa 4-3 W 16-25-0 32 142-185 3. Oct 19 @ Los Angeles 2-4 L 0-3-0 0 5-13 42. Jan 13 Québec 9-4 W 17-25-0 34 151-189 4. Oct 20 @ Alberta 1-4 L 0-4-0 0 6-17 43. Jan 16 Cleveland 3-4 L 17-26-0 34 154-193 5. Oct 22 @ Winnipeg 3-6 L 0-5-0 0 9-23 44. Jan 19 Ottawa 4-2 W 18-26-0 36 158-195 6. Oct 24 @ Winnipeg 3-5 L 0-6-0 0 12-28 45. Jan 20 Houston 3-4 L 18-27-0 36 161-199 7. Oct 25 Cleveland 2-8 L 0-7-0 0 14-36 46. Jan 24 @ Québec 6-4 W 19-27-0 38 167-203 8. Oct 27 Los Angeles 5-4 W 1-7-0 2 19-40 47. Jan 25 @ Cleveland 7-4 W 20-27-0 40 174-207 9. Oct 28 Ottawa 3-5 L 1-8-0 2 22-45 48. Jan 27 @ Alberta *1-0 W 21-27-0 42 175-207 10. Nov 1 @ Cleveland 7-5 W 2-8-0 4 29-50 49. Jan 28 @ Alberta 2-4 L 21-28-0 42 177-211 11. Nov 2 @ Québec 3-6 L 2-9-0 4 32-56 50. Jan 30 @ Ottawa *5-4 W 22-28-0 44 182-215 12. Nov 4 @ New England 4-8 L 2-10-0 4 36-64 51. Feb 2 @ Cleveland 3-5 L 22-29-0 44 185-220 13. Nov 5 @ Minnesota 1-3 L 2-11-0 4 37-67 52. Feb 6 @ Ottawa 3-5 L 22-30-0 44 188-225 14. Nov 12 @ Ottawa 1-2 L 2-12-0 4 38-69 53. Feb 7 @ Québec 0-3 L 22-31-0 44 188-228 15. Nov 14 @ Chicago 4-3 W 3-12-0 6 42-72 54. Feb 10 Québec *5-4 W 23-31-0 46 193-232 16. Nov 18 Minnesota *4-5 L 3-13-0 6 46-77 55. Feb 11 Cleveland 6-1 W 24-31-0 48 199-233 17. Nov 19 @ New York 0-5 L 3-14-0 6 46-82 56. Feb 13 New England 5-4 W 25-31-0 50 204-237 18. Nov 22 Alberta *5-4 W 4-14-0 8 51-86 57. Feb 14 Cleveland 6-5 W 26-31-0 52 210-242 19. Nov 24 Minnesota 4-6 L 4-15-0 8 55-92 58. Feb 16 New York 9-2 W 27-31-0 54 219-244 20. Nov 25 Chicago 3-4 L 4-16-0 8 58-96 59. Feb 18 Los Angeles 1-4 L 27-32-0 54 220-248 21. Nov 28 Los Angeles 4-3 W 5-16-0 10 62-99 60. Feb 20 New England 4-2 W 28-32-0 56 224-250 22. Dec 1 New England 5-3 W 6-16-0 12 67-102 61. Feb 22 @ Ottawa 6-5 W 29-32-0 58 230-255 23. Dec 2 @ Cleveland 2-8 L 6-17-0 12 69-110 62. Feb 25 @ Winnipeg 3-5 L 29-33-0 58 233-260 24. Dec 5 Cleveland *3-4 L 6-18-0 12 72-114 63. Feb 27 @ Minnesota 0-3 L 29-34-0 58 233-263 25. Dec 8 New York 3-1 W 7-18-0 14 75-115 64. Mar 4 @ New York 4-2 W 30-34-0 60 237-265 26. Dec 9 Ottawa 7-1 W 8-18-0 16 82-116 65. Mar 6 @ Chicago *1-2 L 30-35-0 60 238-267 27. Dec 12 @ Québec 2-5 L 8-19-0 16 84-121 66. Mar 8 Minnesota 2-1 W 31-35-0 62 240-268 28. Dec 13 Winnipeg 7-4 W 9-19-0 18 91-125 67. Mar 9 Québec 11-3 W 32-35-0 64 251-271 29. Dec 15 Winnipeg 6-4 W 10-19-0 20 97-129 68. Mar 11 Houston 2-4 L 32-36-0 64 253-275 30. Dec 16 New England 6-10 L 10-20-0 20 103-139 69. Mar 12 Québec 4-6 L 32-37-0 64 257-281 31. Dec 17 @ New England 6-3 W 11-20-0 22 109-142 70. Mar 13 Houston 4-3 W 33-37-0 66 261-284 32. Dec 19 New York 2-7 L 11-21-0 22 111-149 71. Mar 17 @ New England 0-4 L 33-38-0 66 261-288 33. Dec 20 Chicago 8-5 W 12-21-0 24 119-154 72. Mar 19 @ Houston 1-5 L 33-39-0 66 262-293 34. Dec 23 @ Houston 3-7 L 12-22-0 24 122-161 73. Mar 21 @ Houston 7-3 W 34-39-0 68 269-296 35. Dec 25 @ Cleveland 0-8 L 12-23-0 24 122-169 74. Mar 23 @ Los Angeles 7-3 W 35-39-0 70 276-299 36. Dec 26 @ Minnesota 6-2 W 13-23-0 26 128-171 75. Mar 28 Alberta 1-2 L 35-40-0 70 277-301 37. Dec 28 @ Chicago 3-6 L 13-24-0 26 131-177 76. Mar 29 Alberta 2-1 W 36-40-0 72 279-302 38. Dec 31 @ Los Angeles 3-1 W 14-24-0 28 134-178 77. Mar 31 Chicago 5-1 W 37-40-0 74 284-303 39. Jan 1 @ New York 3-0 W 15-24-0 30 137-178 78. Apr 1 Winnipeg 4-2 W 38-40-0 76 288-305

Transactions: Rights to Andre Lacroix acquired from Québec, Mar 1972 • Rights to Bryan Campbell acquired from Chicago, May 1972; signed to contract, Jun 1972 • Bernie Parent, Jim Cardiff, Don Burgess signed to contracts, Jun 1972 • Don Herriman, Irv Spencer signed to contracts, Jun 1972 • Rights to Don O’Donoghue acquired from New England, Jun 1972 • , Danny Lawson signed to contracts, Jul 1972 • John McKenzie, Derek Sanderson, Don O’Donoghue signed to contracts, Aug 1972 • John Migneault signed to contract, Sep 1972 • Wayne Mosdell signed to contract, Oct 1972 • Frank Golembrosky and Michel Rouleau traded to Québec for Jean Gravel and , Nov 1972 • purchased from Los Angeles, Oct 1972, sold to Chicago, Nov 1972 • Brit Selby traded to New England for Bob Brown, Nov 1972 • Derek Sanderson released, Jan 1973 • Bob Brown sold to New York, Feb 1973

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