Colorado Rockies (NHL)
NHL franchise in Denver from 1976 to 1982, later the New Jersey Devils.
The Colorado Rockies were an NHL team based in Denver from 1976 to 1982. The franchise began as the Kansas City Scouts, an expansion team that joined the league for the 1974–75 season. After six seasons in Colorado, the team moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, for the 1982–83 season and became the New Jersey Devils. Denver would not have another NHL team until the Quebec Nordiques relocated there after the 1994–95 season, becoming the Colorado Avalanche. The MLB team also called the Colorado Rockies, which started play in 1993, took its name from the earlier hockey franchise.
The team’s origins in Denver trace back to Ivan Mullenix, owner of the CHL’s Denver Spurs, who had been granted a conditional NHL franchise for 1976–77. With McNichols Sports Arena already built by 1975, Mullenix sought to enter the NHL a year early. The league tried to broker a deal where he would buy the struggling California Golden Seals and move them to Denver, while the Pittsburgh Penguins would be sold to a Seattle group with a conditional franchise. That plan fell through, and the NHL canceled its 1976–77 expansion. The Spurs then joined the WHA for the 1975–76 season, but Denver fans rejected the WHA as a major league, and attendance was poor. By December, rumors that the NHL would move either the Seals or the Kansas City Scouts to Denver convinced Mullenix he could not compete, and he moved the Spurs to Ottawa midseason. The renamed Ottawa Civics folded after just two weeks.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Scouts were in deep trouble despite being only two years old. They had a 12-win season in 1975–76, but their on-ice record was actually better than expansion cousins the Washington Capitals. However, Capitals owner Abe Pollin had far more financial stability than the 37-member consortium that owned the Scouts, and he could endure the typical expansion struggles. The Scouts also suffered from a Midwest economic downturn. Facing nearly $1 million in debt, the owners put the team up for sale after a season ticket drive sold only 2,000 tickets. A Denver group led by Jack Vickers bought the Scouts, moved them to Denver, and renamed them the Colorado Rockies. The team stayed in the Smythe Division of the Campbell Conference and kept the Scouts’ blue, red, and gold colors, which matched the Colorado state flag.
The Rockies’ situation did not improve much in Denver.
- Seasons in denver
- 1976–77 to 1981–82
- Division
- Smythe Division, Campbell Conference
- Stanley cup playoff appearances
- 1 (1977–78)
- Best finish
- Second in Smythe Division (1977–78)
- Head coaches
- 7 in 4 years
- Ownership changes
- 2 in 4 years
- Average attendance (1979–80)
- 9,787
Lore & Background
The Colorado Rockies were born from the relocation of the struggling Kansas City Scouts, who were purchased by a Denver-based group headed by Jack Vickers and moved for the 1976–77 season. The team retained the Scouts' colors of blue, red and gold, as they matched the Colorado state flag. Despite a new name and city, the Rockies continued to struggle, making the Stanley Cup playoffs only once, in 1977–78, when they finished with the sixth-worst record in the league but won the second-place spot in a weak Smythe Division. They were swept in the first round by the Philadelphia Flyers.
One notable period came during the 1979–80 season under head coach Don Cherry, a former Jack Adams Award winner. Cherry adopted the motto 'Come to the fights and watch a Rockies game break out!', which was displayed on billboards across Denver. The team finished with 51 points, tied for the worst record in the league, but achieved its highest average attendance of 9,787. Cherry's outspokenness and feuding with general manager Ray Miron led to his departure after one season; in his final game, a 5–0 home win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Cherry wore a cowboy hat and boots, and his players formed an arch of sticks for him to walk under.
The franchise faced constant instability, with seven coaches in four years and ownership changing hands twice. After Vickers' petroleum business failed, he sold the team to Arthur Imperatore Sr., who intended to move it to New Jersey. Imperatore later sold to Peter Gilbert, who promised to keep the team in Denver, but financial hardships persisted. In May 1982, the franchise was sold to John McMullen, who moved it to New Jersey for the 1982–83 season, renaming it the New Jersey Devils.
Reader's Guide
The Colorado Rockies' significance lies in their role as a transitional franchise that bridged the Kansas City Scouts and the New Jersey Devils, and as the last NHL team in Denver before a 13-year absence. Despite never finishing less than 20 games below .500 in six seasons, the team had brief moments of star power, including rookie defenseman Barry Beck's goal-scoring record and the presence of Hall of Fame right winger Lanny McDonald. The franchise's instability—seven coaches in four years, two ownership changes, and a constant lack of depth—prevented sustained success. The Rockies' legacy is also tied to the eventual return of the NHL to Denver when the Quebec Nordiques relocated to become the Colorado Avalanche following the 1994–95 season. The last active NHL player who had played for the Rockies was Joe Cirella, who retired after the 1995–96 season. The Colorado Rockies name was later adopted by a Major League Baseball team that began play in Denver in 1993.
Did You Know?
- The Colorado Rockies were originally the Kansas City Scouts, an expansion team that began play in the 1974–75 season.
- Under coach Don Cherry in 1979–80, the team used the motto 'Come to the fights and watch a Rockies game break out!' on billboards.
- The franchise moved to New Jersey for the 1982–83 season and was renamed the New Jersey Devils.
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