Cougars of Chicago

The Cougars of Chicago were one of the franknesses founders from the Worldwide association of hockey. Cougars disputed their matches local in old and obsolete the International Amphitheater of Chicago, in Illinois (the United States).

Right before their third (and last) season, Cougars were sold to their own players Ralph Backstrom, Dave Dryden and Pat Stapleton after the owners of origin, Walter and Jordon Kaizer, were found unable to advance the required funds with the construction of a new skating rink. The ground originally indicated for this project was sold at the village of Rosemount (Illinois) and one built there the Rosemount Horizon , today the Allstate Arena. Ironically, this masonry nowadays accommodates the Wolves of Chicago of the American Ligue of hockey.

History

Regular seasons

; 1972-73 Cougars finish last Western division of the AMH with 54 points. Defense finished 8th on the whole, granting 295 goals, while the attack finished good last with 245 goals. The only positive point is Bob Sicinski, which finished 5th frontier runner of the league with 63 assistances.

; 1973-74 Cougars finish 4th division Is with 81 points, 7th in very for the goals for with 271 and 6th for the goals against, with 273. Pat Stapleton finishes 9th league with 52 master keys and Ralph Backstrom follows in tenth place with 50. Larry Mavety finishes 10th league for the minutes of punishment with 157. Cougars made their first and last appearance in series this year. They surprised in semi-final of the East the champions defendants, the Whalers of New England, 4 victories against 3. Then, they demolished the Toros of Toronto, 4 victories against 3, with Cougars gaining the decisive match with Toronto by the mark of 5-2. They were however irremediably outclassed by the Aeros of Houston finally of the Coupe AVCO, which counted among its rows legendary the Gordie Howe and its sons Mark Howe and Marty Howe. Aeros swept the series, crushing Cougars 22-9 on the whole marked goals.

; 1974-75 Cougars finish 3rd in the East and 12th on the whole with 61 points. It finished 12th league for the goals for with 261 and for the goals counter, with 261. Larry Mavety finishes 10th league with its 150 minutes of punishment, but was exchanged with Toronto after 57 matches.

Eliminatory series

Cougars took share with the eliminatory Séries only once in their transitory existence and this only participation was animated enough.

The first round of the series against the Whalers of New England proceeds without hitch even if seven matches are necessary for the qualification. But for the second turn, a problem is quickly raised: the International Amphitheater is reserved for a production of Peter Pan, putting in the high-speed motorboat old the gymnaste Olympic Cathy Rigby as a principal high-speed motorboat. The team then tries to negotiate the hiring of the Chicago Stadium, skating rink of the Blackhawks of Chicago of the National league of hockey. Unfortunately for Cougars, the neighbors and rivals of the LNH are also qualified for the series 1974 against the Bruins of Boston and no date is available.

The frankness then considers briefly the possibility of playing Cleveland Arena before choosing a shopping mall of the suburbs, the Randhurst , which has a public skating rink. Although the skating rink can only accommodate: 2000 no other solution was found and Cougars disputed there their three matches in residence vis-a-vis Toros.

When Cougars had eliminated Toronto, the spectacle of Peter Pan was finished and the amphitheater was theoretically again available. Theoretically, because for a still nebulous reason today, the personnel had dissolved the ice. Worse still, the amphitheater had a portable cold surface, in other words, the pipes of Cuivre used to make take the ice were buried in a hole filled with sand, with the top of the floor itself. Piping had been unearthed and dismantled for estival storage when Cougars gained their series. The club did not have the choice: it was necessary to turn over to Randhurst! Cougars never recovered really from this disaster of the public relations, and a written journalist on this subject that Cougars were beaten by smallest of the featherweights: Peter Pan.

Season per season

Foot-note: PJ: played parts, V: victories, D: defeats, NR: ties,
BP: goals for, BC: goals against, Pts: points

Players

These players carried the colors of Cougars:

See too

Random links: