The Complete World Hockey Association
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1974-75Franchise

1974-75 Michigan Stags - Baltimore Blades


Baltimore Blades, 1975 (Click to enlarge)

 

WHA Media Release, May 21, 1974 • Walt Marlow

"Our objective is to put excitement into the game. We certainly don't want to move to Detroit and say we are going to win everything in sight. We want to put a good show on. Give the people something for their money."

And with that, Charles Nolton — co-owner of the Los Angeles Sharks with Pete Shagena — announced the transfer of the two-year-old franchise to Detroit.

The Sharks officially became the Michigan Stags on April 11.

The Stags, presently in negotiation for four and possibly more National League expired contract players, will play at 10,000 capacity Cobo Hall.

"We'll have a representative club," said Shagena. "With some rebuilding here and there, it could be an excellent team. We'll do all in our power to put a solid, hard-hitting club on the ice."

First new player to sign with the Stags was Detroit Red Wing-owned Danny Gruen, a fourth-round 1972 draft choice. He led the Central League in scoring and penalties as a first year pro, and was up with the Red Wings this past season.

"We have more player announcements in the works, and we'll be naming a first rank general manager and coach before the May meetings in Toronto," added Shagena.

Shagena and Nolton, co-owners of a Detroit-based chemical manufacturing firm, are both Michigan natives, Nolton of Detroit and Shagena of Flint.

They originally purchased the Sharks on February 5 from Leonard Bloom, owner of the San Diego Conquistadors of the American Basketball Association.

Gary Morrell, director of player personnel who doubled as the club's radio play-by-play man in Los Angeles, will continue to serve the club in Detroit.

 

Record: 21-53-4, 46 pts
Finish: 5th, West
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Coach: John Wilson

Game Log ... (@ away game, * overtime)

no. Date Opponent Score w-l-t pts gf-ga no. Date Opponent Score w-l-t pts gf-ga
1Oct 17@ Indianapolis4-2W1-0-024-240Jan 7Quebec*2-3L12-25-32799-168
2Oct 19@ New England1-2L1-1-025-441Jan 9Winnipeg*5-4W13-25-329104-172
3Oct 20@ Toronto3-4L1-2-028-842Jan 10@ Chicago2-5L13-26-329106-177
4Oct 23@ Quebec2-6L1-3-0210-1443Jan 18@ Cleveland1-2L13-27-329107-179
5Oct 27@ Winnipeg2-5L1-4-0212-1944Jan 25@ Cleveland1-2L13-28-329108-181
6Oct 29Minnesota*4-3W2-4-0416-2245Jan 26@ Minnesota1-2L13-29-329109-183
7Oct 31Cleveland2-4L2-5-0418-2646Jan 29@ New England3-4L13-30-329112-187
8Nov 2@ Minnesota3-6L2-6-0421-3247Jan 31@ New England2-4L13-31-329114-191
9Nov 3@ Winnipeg3-11L2-7-0424-4348Feb 1@ Phoenix1-8L13-32-329115-199
10Nov 5Toronto2-5L2-8-0426-4849Feb 2Houston2-5L13-33-329117-204
11Nov 10Indianapolis1-6L2-9-0427-5450Feb 4Edmonton*0-1L13-34-329117-205
12Nov 12Quebec4-5L2-10-0431-5951Feb 6Cleveland0-4L13-35-329117-209
13Nov 14Chicago4-2W3-10-0635-6152Feb 8@ Houston6-4W14-35-331123-213
14Nov 16@ Quebec3-4L3-11-0638-6553Feb 11Houston2-5L14-36-331125-218
15Nov 17New England1-6L3-12-0639-7154Feb 13San Diego1-6L14-37-331126-224
16Nov 21Phoenix2-1W4-12-0841-7255Feb 15Chicago3-5L14-38-331129-229
17Nov 22@ Chicago3-5L4-13-0844-7756Feb 18Winnipeg3-5L14-39-331132-234
18Nov 24Minnesota3-2W5-13-01047-7957Feb 20Vancouver4-3W15-39-333136-237
19Nov 26Vancouver1-5L5-14-01048-8458Feb 22Phoenix1-3L15-40-333137-240
20Nov 29@ Winnipeg6-7L5-15-01054-9159Feb 25Indianapolis4-6L15-41-333141-246
21Dec 3New England2-1W6-15-01256-9260Feb 28@ Edmonton2-6L15-42-333143-252
22Dec 5San Diego5-3W7-15-01461-9561Mar 2@ Edmonton2-7L15-43-333145-259
23Dec 7@ Vancouver2-4L7-16-01463-9962Mar 4@ Toronto4-6L15-44-333149-265
24Dec 8@ Edmonton0-7L7-17-01463-10663Mar 5Indianapolis2-5L15-45-333151-270
25Dec 10@ San Diego4-4T7-17-11567-11064Mar 7@ Indianapolis*5-4W16-45-335156-274
26Dec 12Winnipeg5-3W8-17-11772-11365Mar 8Toronto4-7L16-46-335160-281
27Dec 14@ Chicago0-6L8-18-11772-11966Mar 9@ Toronto2-8L16-47-335162-289
28Dec 15Toronto2-7L8-19-11774-12667Mar 10Edmonton5-3W17-47-337167-292
29Dec 17New England2-2T8-19-21876-12868Mar 12@ Cleveland2-0W18-47-339169-292
30Dec 19Cleveland1-0W9-19-22077-12869Mar 15@ Indianapolis3-7L18-48-339172-299
31Dec 20@ Phoenix2-7L9-20-22079-13570Mar 25@ Minnesota4-5L18-49-339176-304
32Dec 22Quebec*3-2W10-20-22282-13771Mar 26San Diego2-5L18-50-339178-309
33Dec 26@ Vancouver1-8L10-21-22283-14572Mar 27Edmonton2-2T18-50-440180-311
34Dec 28@ Quebec1-4L10-22-22284-14973Mar 30@ Vancouver3-4L18-51-440183-315
35Dec 29Chicago4-3W11-22-22488-15274Apr 1@ San Diego4-3W19-51-442187-318
36Dec 31Phoenix1-1T11-22-32589-15375Apr 3@ San Diego2-9L19-52-442189-327
37Jan 2@ Houston3-6L11-23-32592-15976Apr 5@ Phoenix*7-6W20-52-444196-333
38Jan 4@ Houston2-5L11-24-32594-16477Apr 6Minnesota*5-6L20-53-444201-339
39Jan 5Vancouver3-1W12-24-32797-16578Apr 7Houston4-2W21-53-446205-341

As Michigan (October 17, 1974 to January 18, 1975): 13-27-3, 29 pts, 107 gf, 179 ga
As Baltimore (January 25 to April 7, 1975): 8-26-1, 17 pts, 98 gf, 162 ga.

Player Scoring

pos.
#
Player
gp
g
a
pts
pim
+/-
ppg
shg
sog
sc%
gp
g
a
pts
pim
RW
17
Andrascik, Steve
57
4
7
11
42
-18
0
0
118
0.034
-
-
-
-
-
RW
6
Bredin, Gary
67
15
21
36
29
-37
1
0
113
0.133
-
-
-
-
-
D
4
Brown, Arnie
50
3
4
7
27
-32
1
0
63
0.048
-
-
-
-
-
RW
19
Caron, Alain
47
8
5
13
4
-15
5
0
98
0.082
-
-
-
-
-
C
-
Chartre, Claude
1
0
0
0
0
-
0
0
2
0.000
-
-
-
-
-
D
15
Curtis, Paul
76
4
15
19
32
-63
1
0
110
0.036
-
-
-
-
-
G
88/1
Desjardins, Gerry
41
0
1
1
13
-
0
0
0
-
-
-
-
-
-
RW
14/7
Evo, Bill
49
13
9
22
32
-25
-
-
99
0.131
-
-
-
-
-
C
11
Fontaine, Len
21
1
8
9
6
-
-
-
28
0.036
-
-
-
-
-
LW
9
Goldthorpe, Bill
7
0
0
0
26
-
0
0
6
0.000
-
-
-
-
-
LW
8
Gruen, Danny
34
10
16
26
73
-12
3
0
92
0.109
-
-
-
-
-
LW
22
Guite, Pierre
13
5
4
9
11
-
-
-
36
0.139
-
-
-
-
-
G
33/30
Hoganson, Paul
32
0
0
0
12
-
0
0
0
-
-
-
-
-
-
D
3
Johnston, Larry
49
0
9
9
93
-
0
0
51
0.000
-
-
-
-
-
RW
22
Johnstone, Ed
23
4
4
8
43
-
-
-
43
0.093
-
-
-
-
-
LW
11
Jones, Bob
5
0
1
1
8
-
0
0
10
0.000
-
-
-
-
-
RW
8
Larose, Paul
5
1
1
2
2
-2
0
0
5
0.200
-
-
-
-
-
C
10
Leblanc, J.P.
78
16
33
49
100
-52
3
3
207
0.077
-
-
-
-
-
D
14
Legge, Barry
36
3
18
21
20
-19
3
0
66
0.045
-
-
-
-
-
D
2
Legge, Randy
78
1
14
15
69
-40
0
0
73
0.014
-
-
-
-
-
C
12
Locas, Jacques
12
1
4
5
4
-
-
-
18
0.056
-
-
-
-
-
RW
17
McDonald, Brian
18
3
5
8
15
-11
2
0
39
0.077
-
-
-
-
-
G
30/1
McLeod, Jim
16
0
0
0
0
-
0
0
0
-
-
-
-
-
-
D
5
Miszuk, John
66
2
19
21
56
-29
0
0
98
0.020
-
-
-
-
-
D
4/20
Reed, Bill
11
0
0
0
12
-
0
0
14
0.000
-
-
-
-
-
LW
26
Reichmuth, Craig
16
0
2
2
23
-
0
0
18
0.000
-
-
-
-
-
C
12/9
Richardson, Steve
47
8
18
26
58
-16
-
-
107
0.075
-
-
-
-
-
C
9
Rouleau, Michel
7
0
3
3
25
-
0
0
14
0.000
-
-
-
-
-
RW
25/22
Serviss, Tom
61
12
17
29
18
-35
2
0
134
0.090
-
-
-
-
-
D
-
Sittler, Gary
5
1
1
2
14
-
0
0
10
0.100
-
-
-
-
-
C
20/23
Speck, Fred
30
4
8
12
18
-
-
-
-
0.062
-
-
-
-
-
LW
19
Sutherland, Steve
22
1
5
6
37
-10
0
0
25
0.040
-
-
-
-
-
LW
9
Tardif, Marc
23
12
5
17
9
-1
2
0
79
0.152
-
-
-
-
-
LW
21
Thomas, Reg
50
8
13
21
42
-23
2
0
147
0.054
-
-
-
-
-
RW
14
Trottier, Guy
17
5
4
9
2
-
0
-
34
0.147
-
-
-
-
-
LW
18
Veneruzzo, Gary
77
33
27
60
57
-45
9
0
244
0.135
-
-
-
-
-
C
16
West, Steve
50
15
18
33
4
-5
5
0
116
0.129
-
-
-
-
-
RW
12
White, Alton
27
9
12
21
8
-15
4
0
52
0.173
-
-
-
-
-
D
23/24
Zrymiak, Jerry
49
3
9
12
53
-23
0
0
45
0.067
-
-
-
-
-

Goaltending

Goaltender
gp
min
ga
en
so
w-l-t
gaa
sog
sv%
gp
min
ga
w-l
gaa
Desjardins, Gerry
41
2282
162
3
0
9-28-1
4.26
1391
0.884
-
-
-
-
-
Hoganson, Paul
32
1776
121
1
2
9-19-2
4.09
1010
0.880
-
-
-
-
-
McLeod, Jim
16
694
53
1
0
3-6-1
4.58
421
0.874
-
-
-
-
-

Transactions

• Daniel Gruen signed to contract, Apr 1974
• Len Fontaine, Gerry Desjardins signed to contracts, May 1974
• Rights to Bill Evo acquired from Edmonton, May 1974
• Steve West signed to contract, Jun 1974
• Paul Curtis, Barry Legge, Larry Johnston signed to contracts, Jul 1974
• Brian McDonald and Jacques Locas traded to Indianapolis for Steve Andrascik and Steve Richardson, Nov. 1974
• Bill Horton to Indianapolis for Gary Bredin, Nov. 1974
• Guy Trottier purchased from Toronto, Nov. 1974
• Marc Tardif and Steve Sutherland traded to Quebec for Alain Caron, Pierre Guite and Michel Rouleau, Dec. 1974
• Michel Rouleau traded to San Diego for Craig Reichmuth, Dec. 1974
• Danny Gruen traded to Winnipeg for future considerations, Feb. 1975. Returned to Baltimore end of season
• Arnie Brown and Gary Desjardins made free agents, Mar. 1975; Brown signed by Vancouver, Mar. 1975
• Pierre Guite sold to Cincinnati, Mar 1975

Splits versus opposing teams, home and away, and by month

opponent overall gf-ga home gf-ga away gf-ga
Chicago2-4-016-262-1-011-100-3-05-16
Cleveland2-4-07-121-2-03-81-2-04-4
Edmonton1-4-111-261-1-14-60-3-04-20
Houston2-4-019-271-2-08-121-2-011-15
Indianapolis2-4-019-300-3-07-172-1-012-13
Minnesota2-4-020-242-1-012-110-3-08-13
New England1-4-111-191-1-15-90-3-06-10
Phoenix2-3-114-261-1-14-51-2-010-21
Quebec1-5-015-241-2-09-100-3-06-14
San Diego2-3-118-301-2-08-141-1-110-16
Toronto0-6-017-370-3-08-190-3-09-18
Vancouver2-4-014-252-1-08-90-3-06-16
Winnipeg2-4-024-352-1-013-120-3-011-23
 

October2-5-018-261-1-06-71-4-012-19
November3-10-036-653-5-018-320-5-018-33
December6-7-335-626-1-225-220-6-110-40
January2-9-025-382-1-010-80-8-015-30
February2-11-029-611-9-020-431-2-09-18
March3-9-140-631-3-115-222-6-025-41
April3-2-022-261-1-09-82-1-013-18

 

_______________________________________

HomeCredits & Legal Stuff

 

Reviews, Podcasts and Media

Article: Color of Hockey: Alton White (The Hockey News), by William Douglas — March 8, 2020
Review: US Sports History, by Rick Macales — Feb 6, 2021
Podcast: Good Seats Still Available, by Tim Hanlon — Feb 28, 2021
Podcast: Digital to Dice (Youtube), by Dave Gardner — July 3, 2022

 


WHA Fact Book, 2nd ed

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Complete WHA, 11th ed

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(c) Scott Surgent