Calgary Cowboys

Lore & Background

The franchise began in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles but never played in Miami due to money problems and lack of a suitable arena. It debuted as the Philadelphia Blazers in 1972, moved to Vancouver as the Blazers for 1973–74, then two years later relocated to Calgary to become the Cowboys in 1975–76. Owner Jim Pattison moved the team from Vancouver after failing to take the market from the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. The Cowboys played at the 6,500-seat Stampede Corral, hoping strong attendance would spur expansion to 15,000 seats, but no timeline or financing commitment existed. In their first season, the Cowboys finished 41–35–4, surprising observers by placing third in the Canadian division. In the 1976 playoffs, the Cowboys met the Quebec Nordiques in the first round. Calgary defeated the Nordiques but lost to the Winnipeg Jets in the second round. Attendance fell below 4,500 per game in 1976–77. Rumors of a move to Ottawa circulated, but the team completed the season in Calgary. Pattison hoped to join an NHL merger, but the Corral's capacity was barely half the NHL's minimum of 12,500 seats. After only 2,000 season tickets were sold for 1977–78, Pattison folded the franchise on August 18, 1977.

Reader's Guide

The Calgary Cowboys represent a brief but notable chapter in the WHA's attempt to establish hockey in Calgary. The franchise's nomadic path—from Miami to Philadelphia to Vancouver to Calgary—illustrates the instability of the early WHA. The Cowboys' tenure was marked by a single playoff run highlighted by one of hockey's most legendary brawls, which drew criminal investigation and a guilty plea for assault. The team's inability to secure a larger arena ultimately doomed it: the Stampede Corral's 6,500 seats were insufficient for NHL standards, and without a new building, the franchise folded. The Cowboys' failure left Calgary without major-league hockey for three years, until the Atlanta Flames relocated to the city in 1980–81, becoming the Calgary Flames. The last active player from the Cowboys was Warren Miller, who retired in the 1982–83 NHL season; the last active former Cowboy was George Pesut, who played in Germany until 1994. One Hockey Hall of Famer, Harry Howell, finished his career with the Cowboys in 1975–76.

Did You Know?

• The 1976 playoff brawl against Quebec Nordiques lasted 20 minutes and ended only when police escorted teams off the ice.
• Rick Jodzio pleaded guilty to assault in a Quebec court for his cross-check on Marc Tardif during that brawl.
• The Cowboys folded after only 2,000 season tickets were sold for the 1977–78 season.