Syracuse Blazers

Syracuse Blazers
CitySyracuse, New York
LeagueEHL and NAHL
Operated1967-1977
Home arenaOncenter War Memorial Arena
Championships
Regular season titles3

The Syracuse Blazers were a minor league professional ice hockey team that played in the Onondaga County War Memorial and State Fair Coliseum in Syracuse, New York. The team played in the Eastern Hockey League from 1967 to 1973 and the North American Hockey League from 1973 to 1977.

The Blazers won the final Walker Cup championship of the Eastern Hockey League during the 1972–73 season,[1] compiling a 63–9–4 regular season record and beating the Roanoke Valley Rebels 4 games to 2 in the Walker Cup finals. Ray Adduono was the leading scorer on the team (54 goals, 116 assists in 76 games) and five other players scored 100 points or more. Ron Ingram was the coach and general manager on the team.

The Blazers also won the first Lockhart Cup of the North American Hockey League,[2] compiling a 54–16–4 record and sweeping the Long Island Cougars in the playoff finals. The Blazers won the NAHL championship again in 1976–77, sweeping the Maine Nordiques in the finals. The Blazers and the NAHL ceased operations before the start of the 1977–78 season.

Paul Newman's film Slap Shot was filmed in part at the Onondaga County War Memorial during the Blazers' 1976 season.

Season-by-season results[3][4]

[edit]
Season League Games Won Lost Tied Points Winning % Goals
for
Goals
against
Result
1967–68 EHL 72 12 57 3 27 0.188 277 583 Out of playoffs
1968–69 EHL 72 9 59 4 22 0.153 178 401 Out of playoffs
1969–70 EHL 74 23 37 14 60 0.405 292 350 Lost in round 1
1970–71 EHL 74 36 30 8 80 0.541 302 284 Lost in round 1
1971–72 EHL 75 38 27 10 86 0.573 340 276 Lost in finals
1972–73 EHL 76 63 9 4 130 0.855 453 190 Won championship
1973–74 NAHL 74 54 16 4 112 0.757 359 219 Won championship
1974–75 NAHL 74 46 25 3 95 0.642 345 232 Lost in round 2
1975–76 NAHL 74 38 33 3 79 0.534 284 278 Lost in round 2
1976–77 NAHL 74 48 22 3 99 0.678 372 261 Won championship

References

[edit]
  1. ^ http://www.wtvh.com/sports/16372086.html [dead link]
  2. ^ Mancuso, Jim (2005). Hockey in Syracuse - Jim Mancuso - Google Books. ISBN 9780738538983. Retrieved 2013-12-01.
  3. ^ "Syracuse Blazers Statistics and History [EHL]". hockeydb.com.
  4. ^ "Syracuse Blazers Statistics and History [NAHL]". hockeydb.com.