1975-76 Cleveland Crusaders
Record: 35-40-5, 75 pts
Finish: 2nd, East
Playoffs: Lost in preliminary round to New England
Coach: John Wilson
|
Preview, 1975-76 • Pro Hockey 1975-76 WHA • by Dan Proudfoot
Jack Vivian pinpoints the major area of improvement in the 1975-76 version of the Cleveland Crusaders without fear of causing anyone any embarrassment. The problem last season, says general manager Vivian, was in coaching, which happens to be the other portfolio with which he was loaded down in 1974-75. "Our number one change is in coaching" says Vivian. "Johnny Wilson is going to affect a big change here. Frankly, I wasn't impressed at all with the coaching we got last year. Wilson is so effective, he will be able to improve our offensive play. We'll score many more goals. And, as you know, John is also respected as a good defensive coach." Vivian had good reason to praise Wilson. His wasn't the usual hot air that's puffed out any time a team changes coaches. Wilson is respected throughout professional hockey. The only reason he was available was because of an incredible series of bad breaks. Wilson's prominence developed when he moved into the troubled waters of the Detroit Red Wings several years ago. Suddenly, he made the Red Wings playoff contenders. When anyone asked a Wings player the reason behind the turnaround, Wilson got full credit. The average hockey player is not quick to praise a coach - he's someone to blame when things go badly. But the fact that Wilson's innovative practice technique and meticulously fair handling of his men won him full support should be remembered when assessing Crusaders' chances this season. Wilson eventually was fired when Wings just missed the playoffs in 1973. They haven't even come close in the years that followed Wilson's departure. Wilson's next major appointment was as coach of the Michigan Stags, the WHA team that didn't last a year in Detroit before moving to Baltimore for its final collapse. His was a position that called for diplomacy more than coaching, because the team didn't pay its bills, players didn't receive bonuses, and there was little that could be done when members of the crew began jumping ship. In Cleveland, at least, Wilson will be able to operate at full efficiency. Nothing is lacking in the Crusader organization except success. The team did finish second in the WHA Eastern division last season, but only because it was a decidedly weak grouping. In either of the other two divisions, the Crusaders would not have made the playoffs. "It was downright strange," says manager Vivian, "our whole season was keyed to moving to the new facility, The Coliseum. There was so much anticipation, on the part of the players, the fans and the league. Then, when we did try to make the move, it turned out badly from the start. Our opening had to be postponed because of a malfunction in the ice-making equipment. "Finally we did move in, and then we didn't play well. It turned out to be a disadvantage, not an advantage, to be playing in our new home. We got booed a lot at home. The people of Cleveland want a winner, they want one badly, and we didn't show much to encourage them. "Of course, we had our reasons for losing. For one thing, we had a lot of injuries. If you figure it out according to the numbers of games each player missed, it amounts to 178. That hurts your efforts to get things together. But surely we can't have two terrible years with injuries in a row. "And I know Johnny Wilson is going to help. There's a new, positive attitude already reflected in the season's ticket sales." |
Game Log ... (@ away game, * overtime)
Player Scoring
Goaltending
Transactions
• John A. Stewart rights acquired from Edmonton, signed to contract, Jun 1975
Splits versus opposing teams, home and away, and by month
_______________________________________
Home • Credits & Legal Stuff
Reviews, Podcasts and Media
• Article: Color of Hockey: Alton White (The Hockey News), by William Douglas — March 8, 2020
(c) Scott Surgent
no.
Date
Opponent
Score
w-l-t
pts
gf-ga
no.
Date
Opponent
Score
w-l-t
pts
gf-ga
1. Oct 11 Cincinnati 0-1 L 0-1-0 0 0-1 41. Jan 15 @ Indianapolis 3-1 W 17-22-2 36 138-145
2. Oct 15 @ Minnesota 8-4 W 1-1-0 2 8-5 42. Jan 16 New England 4-3 W 18-22-2 38 142-148
3. Oct 19 Houston 5-6 L 1-2-0 2 13-11 43. Jan 17 @ San Diego 4-5 L 18-23-2 38 146-153
4. Oct 25 Edmonton 5-2 W 2-2-0 4 18-13 44. Jan 21 @ Cincinnati 2-8 L 18-24-2 38 148-161
5. Oct 29 Calgary 1-3 L 2-3-0 4 19-16 45. Jan 23 New England 2-2 T 18-24-3 39 150-163
6. Oct 31 Quebec 6-2 W 3-3-0 6 25-18 46. Jan 25 @ Indianapolis 2-4 L 18-25-3 39 152-167
7. Nov 2 Phoenix 5-2 W 4-3-0 8 30-20 47. Jan 28 @ Cincinnati 6-4 W 19-25-3 41 158-171
8. Nov 4 @ Denver 2-2 T 4-3-1 9 32-22 48. Jan 30 @ Phoenix 4-4 T 19-25-4 42 162-175
9. Nov 6 @ Calgary 2-5 L 4-4-1 9 34-27 49. Feb 1 @ Minnesota 6-5 W 20-25-4 44 168-180
10. Nov 9 @ Edmonton 1-4 L 4-5-1 9 35-31 50. Feb 4 @ Phoenix 1-5 L 20-26-4 44 169-185
11. Nov 11 @ Winnipeg 3-2 W 5-5-1 11 38-33 51. Feb 5 @ San Diego 2-3 L 20-27-4 44 171-188
12. Nov 13 @ San Diego 1-3 L 5-6-1 11 39-36 52. Feb 7 Winnipeg 4-4 T 20-27-5 45 175-192
13. Nov 15 @ Denver *4-5 L 5-7-1 11 43-41 53. Feb 8 @ New England 6-1 W 21-27-5 47 181-193
14. Nov 16 @ Phoenix 4-4 T 5-7-2 12 47-45 54. Feb 11 Cincinnati 4-2 W 22-27-5 49 185-195
15. Nov 19 Minnesota *4-3 W 6-7-2 14 51-48 55. Feb 15 New England 2-3 L 22-28-5 49 187-198
16. Nov 22 Winnipeg 6-3 W 7-7-2 16 57-51 56. Feb 18 Calgary 4-0 W 23-28-5 51 191-198
17. Nov 25 @ Toronto *4-3 W 8-7-2 18 61-54 57. Feb 19 @ Houston 3-5 L 23-29-5 51 194-203
18. Nov 26 Denver 0-3 L 8-8-2 18 61-57 58. Feb 21 Indianapolis 3-2 W 24-29-5 53 197-205
19. Nov 28 Indianapolis 1-3 L 8-9-2 18 62-60 59. Feb 22 Houston 2-1 W 25-29-5 55 199-206
20. Nov 30 Toronto 10-9 W 9-9-2 20 72-69 60. Feb 25 @ Winnipeg 2-5 L 25-30-5 55 201-211
21. Dec 2 @ Quebec 2-9 L 9-10-2 20 74-78 61. Feb 27 @ Calgary 4-5 L 25-31-5 55 205-216
22. Dec 3 Cincinnati 3-5 L 9-11-2 20 77-83 62. Feb 29 @ Edmonton 5-2 W 26-31-5 57 210-218
23. Dec 6 @ Indianapolis 2-3 L 9-12-2 20 79-86 63. Mar 3 @ Cincinnati *3-4 L 26-32-5 57 213-222
24. Dec 7 @ Cincinnati 1-3 L 9-13-2 20 80-89 64. Mar 6 @ Houston 5-4 W 27-32-5 59 218-226
25. Dec 9 @ Denver 3-6 L 9-14-2 20 83-95 65. Mar 7 @ Indianapolis 5-1 W 28-32-5 61 223-227
26. Dec 12 Minnesota 1-0 W 10-14-2 22 84-95 66. Mar 10 Cincinnati 5-2 W 29-32-5 63 228-229
27. Dec 13 @ New England 4-5 L 10-15-2 22 88-100 67. Mar 12 @ New England 2-8 L 29-33-5 63 230-237
28. Dec 14 Houston 3-4 L 10-16-2 22 91-104 68. Mar 14 Phoenix *2-3 L 29-34-5 63 232-240
29. Dec 17 Edmonton 2-3 L 10-17-2 22 93-107 69. Mar 16 @ Toronto 0-6 L 29-35-5 63 232-246
30. Dec 19 @ Indianapolis *4-5 L 10-18-2 22 97-112 70. Mar 19 @ Phoenix *6-5 W 30-35-5 65 238-251
31. Dec 20 Indianapolis 5-3 W 11-18-2 24 102-115 71. Mar 20 Toronto 5-6 L 30-36-5 65 243-257
32. Dec 22 New England 1-4 L 11-19-2 24 103-119 72. Mar 21 Cincinnati 4-1 W 31-36-5 67 247-258
33. Dec 27 Toronto 5-0 W 12-19-2 26 108-119 73. Mar 23 @ Quebec 3-1 W 32-36-5 69 250-259
34. Dec 28 @ New England 0-4 L 12-20-2 26 108-123 74. Mar 24 Houston 2-3 L 32-37-5 69 252-262
35. Jan 2 Quebec *5-4 W 13-20-2 28 113-127 75. Mar 26 Indianapolis 2-3 L 32-38-5 69 254-265
36. Jan 3 @ New England 2-3 L 13-21-2 28 115-130 76. Mar 31 New England 5-1 W 33-38-5 71 259-266
37. Jan 4 Phoenix 3-2 W 14-21-2 30 118-132 77. Apr 2 @ Cincinnati 2-5 L 33-39-5 71 261-271
38. Jan 7 San Diego 8-3 W 15-21-2 32 126-135 78. Apr 3 San Diego 4-2 W 34-39-5 73 265-273
39. Jan 9 @ Houston 5-6 L 15-22-2 32 131-141 79. Apr 4 Cincinnati 6-3 W 35-39-5 75 271-276
40. Jan 11 Indianapolis 4-3 W 16-22-2 34 135-144 80. Apr 6 San Diego *2-3 L 35-40-5 75 273-279
pos.
Player
D Ball, Terry
D Baxter, Paul
D Bowles, Brian
G Caron, Jacques
G Cheevers, Gerry
RW Connelly, Wayne
LW Conroy, Mike
D Edur, Tom
RW Evo, Bill
LW Gruen, Danny
C Harrison, Jim
RW Holbrook, Terry
LW Jarrett, Gary
G Johnson, Bob
C Leduc, Richie
D Legge, Barry
D Legge, Randy
C MacGregor, Gary
D Maxwell, Bryan
RW McDonough, Al
D McKay, Ray
LW Moffat, Lyle
D Muloin, Wayne
G Newton, Cam
LW Pinder, Gerry
D Shmyr, Paul
LW Stewart, John A.
C Stewart, John C.
RW Tamminen, Juhani
RW Walker, Russ
C Ward, Ron
G Whidden, Bob
Goaltender
Caron, Jacques
Cheevers, Gerry
Johnson, Bob
Newton, Cam
Whidden, Bob
• Lyle Moffat signed to contract, Jul 1975
• Skip Krake traded to Edmonton for Ray McKay, Aug 1975
• Grant Erickson traded to Phoenix for Rick Newell and Rob Watt, Nov 1975
• Terry Ball traded to Cincinnati for future considerations, Jan 1976
• Wayne Muloin traded to Edmonton for Bill Evo, Jan 1976
• Gary MacGregor and Barry Legge purchased from Ottawa, Jan 1976
• Bob Johnson and Cam Newton signed as free agents from defunct Ottawa, Jan 1976
• Lyle Moffat traded to Winnipeg for Randy Legge, Jan 1976
• Gerry Cheevers released, Jan 1976
• Jacques Caron signed to contract, Feb 1976
• Wayne Connelly signed as free agent from defunct Minnesota, Mar 1976
opponent
overall
gf-ga
home
gf-ga
away
gf-ga
Calgary 1-3-0 11-13 1-1-0 5-3 0-2-0 6-10
Cincinnati 5-6-0 36-38 4-2-0 22-14 1-4-0 14-24
Denver-Ottawa 0-3-1 9-16 0-1-0 0-3 0-2-1 9-13
Edmonton 2-2-0 13-11 1-1-0 7-5 1-1-0 6-6
Houston 2-5-0 25-29 1-3-0 12-14 1-2-0 13-15
Indianapolis 5-5-0 31-28 3-2-0 15-14 2-3-0 16-14
Minnesota 4-0-0 19-12 2-0-0 5-3 2-0-0 14-9
New England 3-6-1 28-34 2-2-1 14-13 1-4-0 14-21
Phoenix 3-2-2 25-25 2-1-0 10-7 1-1-2 15-18
Quebec 3-1-0 16-16 2-0-0 11-6 1-1-0 5-10
San Diego 2-4-0 21-19 2-1-0 14-8 0-3-0 7-11
Toronto 3-2-0 24-24 2-1-0 20-15 1-1-0 4-9
Winnipeg 2-1-1 15-14 1-0-1 10-7 1-1-0 5-7
October 3-3-0 25-18 2-3-0 17-14 1-0-0 8-4
November 6-6-2 47-51 4-2-0 26-23 2-4-2 21-28
December 3-11-0 36-54 3-4-0 20-19 0-7-0 16-35
January 7-5-2 54-52 5-0-1 26-17 2-5-1 28-35
February 7-6-1 48-43 4-1-1 19-12 3-5-0 29-31
March 7-7-0 49-48 3-4-0 25-19 4-3-0 24-29
April 2-2-0 14-13 2-1-0 12-8 0-1-0 2-5
• 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
Complete WHA, 11th ed