Denver Spurs

Lore & Background

The Denver Spurs joined the World Hockey Association for the 1975–76 season after an attempt to enter the NHL fell through. Owner Ivan Mullenix had been awarded a conditional NHL franchise for 1976–77, and the NHL tried to broker a deal for him to acquire the California Golden Seals and move them to Denver, but the arrangement collapsed. Mullenix then accepted an offer from the WHA. The Spurs claimed most of their players in a dispersal draft from the folded Chicago Cougars, retaining some players from their CHL roster. A Sports Illustrated preview noted that it was Gordie Howe's 28th year in major league hockey and the Spurs' first, and predicted they would finish last in the WHA's Western Division, adding that unless the Spurs drew well immediately, 'Denver's stay in big-league hockey could be exactly 27 years shorter than Gordie Howe's.'

The Spurs' first exhibition game, against Howe's Houston Aeros, foreshadowed their struggles: no beer was available due to a lack of a liquor license, there was no flag for the national anthem, the scoreboards didn't work, and only 5,000 fans attended. During the regular season, they averaged only 3,000 fans in a 16,800-seat arena, largely due to hard feelings over being spurned by the NHL; Denver-area fans had expected an NHL team after three years of advertising and did not consider the WHA major league. On the ice, veteran Ralph Backstrom led the team with 50 points in 41 games, but the roster was filled with cast-offs and career minor-leaguers; one goaltender ran up a 15.00 goals against average. The Spurs played their first regular-season home game against the Indianapolis Racers before only 5,000 fans, scoring first but losing 7-1. By December 30, they were in the Western Division cellar with a 13–20–1 record.

Rumors that the NHL planned to move either the California Golden Seals or the Kansas City Scouts to Denver circulated even before the Spurs' first game. By late December, Mullenix learned the Scouts were in serious discussions to move to Denver for the following season. Knowing he could not compete with an NHL team, he began selling the team to the 'Founders Club,' a group of Ottawa businessmen, on New Year's Eve. The Founders Club insisted the team move to Ottawa immediately. In the middle of a road trip, Mullenix quietly moved the Spurs to Ottawa on January 2, 1976, where they were renamed the Ottawa Civics. Players learned of the move at their next road game in Cincinnati, when they saw 'Civics' on the scoreboard. Despite sellout crowds at two home games in Ottawa, the Founders Club could not meet Mullenix's asking price of $1.5 million, offering only $1 million. Negotiations were called off on January 15, and the team folded two days later.

Reader's Guide

The Denver Spurs' significance lies in their status as the shortest-lived franchise in WHA history, lasting only 41 games. Their abrupt departure proved prescient: the Kansas City Scouts indeed moved to Denver for the following season, becoming the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies lasted only six seasons before relocating to become the New Jersey Devils. Denver would not enjoy lasting success in major league hockey until the relocation of the Quebec Nordiques (a former WHA franchise) as the Colorado Avalanche in 1995. The Spurs' failure highlighted the challenges of competing with the NHL for market loyalty; Denver-area fans had been banking on an NHL team after three years of advertising and did not consider the WHA major league. The team's ownership saga—from a conditional NHL franchise to a failed merger attempt to a WHA move and a botched sale to Ottawa—illustrates the instability of professional hockey in the 1970s. The last active Spurs player in the NHL was Ron Delorme, who retired after the 1984–85 season and also played with the Colorado Rockies. Spurs draft pick Mel Bridgman never played in the WHA but played in the NHL until 1989 and became the first general manager of the new Ottawa Senators NHL franchise in 1992.

Did You Know?

• The Denver Spurs were the first professional sports team in Colorado to win a championship, doing so in the WHL in 1971–72.
• The Spurs' first exhibition game had no beer, no flag for the national anthem, and non-working scoreboards.
• The team moved to Ottawa mid-road trip on January 2, 1976, and players only learned of the move when they saw 'Civics' on the scoreboard in Cincinnati.
• The Spurs/Civics folded after 41 games, making them the shortest-lived franchise in WHA history.