Jersey Knights

Lore & Background

The Jersey Knights were created when the WHA moved the financially struggling New York Golden Blades to Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on November 21, 1973. The team had already undergone a name change from the New York Raiders to the New York Golden Blades at the start of the 1973–1974 season, but after only twenty games and a 6–12–2 record, owner Ralph Brent returned the team to the league. Veteran player Harry Howell was elevated to player-coach and ordered the team's white skates painted black. Having been locked out of Madison Square Garden just prior to the move, the players were unable to take their Blades jerseys with them; the team reverted to the previous Raiders uniforms, with the original crest replaced with the new Knights logo.

The Knights played at Cherry Hill Arena, which had a slope in the ice surface that forced visiting teams to skate uphill two out of three periods. Pucks would sometimes shoot upwards unexpectedly; one Knight was knocked cold when a would-be pass jumped up and nailed him between the eyes. The arena was cramped, with no plexiglass around the playing surface; the boards from face-off circle to face-off circle at each end were bordered with chicken-wire, and the rest of the arena had no protection above the boards. Visiting teams had to dress at their hotel. The press box was so small that one could not stand up. Despite these conditions, the Knights played over-.500 hockey and were in playoff contention before losing their last six games to finish 32–42–4, last in the Eastern Division.

Reader's Guide

The Jersey Knights represent the final chapter of a franchise that was originally intended to be the WHA's flagship in New York but was unable to compete with the NHL's New York Rangers and New York Islanders. The team's move to Cherry Hill marked a return of sorts to the Philadelphia metropolitan area for the WHA, which had seen the Blazers move to Vancouver after only one season. WHA trustee Howard Baldwin expressed hope that the league would return to New York the following season with a strong owner, but the WHA never did. The Knights' tenure in Cherry Hill was brief; within five weeks of the move, reports indicated the franchise would not stay beyond the season, as Cherry Hill Arena was inadequate even for temporary use. Local interest evaporated as the nearby Philadelphia Flyers en route to their first of two consecutive Stanley Cup championships. Baltimore businessman Joe Schwartz purchased the team in January 1974, fueling speculation of a move to Baltimore or reincarnation as an expansion franchise in Cincinnati or Indianapolis. Instead, at the end of the 1974 season, Schwartz moved the Knights to San Diego, California, and renamed them the San Diego Mariners. The last active player from the Raiders/Golden Blades/Knights was Bobby Sheehan, who last played in the NHL in 1981–82 and played his final professional season in the American Hockey League in 1983.

Did You Know?

• One Knight was knocked cold when a puck jumped up and hit him between the eyes due to the uneven ice.
• The arena had no plexiglass; the boards at each end were bordered with chicken-wire, and the rest had no protection above the boards.
• Visiting teams had to dress at their hotel because the arena lacked adequate changing facilities.