1972-73 Chicago Cougars
Record: 26-50-2, 54 pts
Game Log
Chicago Cougars, 1972-73 (Click to enlarge)
Finish: 6th, West
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Coach: Marcel Pronovost
| no. | Date | Opponent | Score | w-l-t | pts | gf-ga | no. | Date | Opponent | Score | w-l-t | pts | gf-ga | ||
| 1. | Oct 12 | @ Houston | 2-3 | L | 0-1-0 | 0 | 2-3 | 40. | Jan 13 | @ Houston | 2-6 | L | 13-26-1 | 27 | 116-153 |
| 2. | Oct 15 | @ Minnesota | 2-3 | L | 0-2-0 | 0 | 4-6 | 41. | Jan 15 | @ Houston | 4-5 | L | 13-27-1 | 27 | 120-158 |
| 3. | Oct 16 | @ New England | 1-4 | L | 0-3-0 | 0 | 5-10 | 42. | Jan 17 | New England | 2-4 | L | 13-28-1 | 27 | 122-162 |
| 4. | Oct 19 | @ Ottawa | 2-6 | L | 0-4-0 | 0 | 7-16 | 43. | Jan 18 | Houston | 3-8 | L | 13-29-1 | 27 | 125-170 |
| 5. | Oct 22 | @ Los Angeles | 4-2 | W | 1-4-0 | 2 | 11-18 | 44. | Jan 20 | @ Alberta | 6-4 | W | 14-29-1 | 29 | 131-174 |
| 6. | Oct 24 | @ Alberta | 3-3 | T | 1-4-1 | 3 | 14-21 | 45. | Jan 22 | @ Alberta | 1-6 | L | 14-30-1 | 29 | 132-180 |
| 7. | Oct 27 | @ Winnipeg | 2-4 | L | 1-5-1 | 3 | 16-25 | 46. | Jan 23 | Quebec | 7-1 | W | 15-30-1 | 31 | 139-181 |
| 8. | Oct 31 | Winnipeg | 3-1 | W | 2-5-1 | 5 | 19-26 | 47. | Jan 25 | New York | 9-2 | W | 16-30-1 | 33 | 148-183 |
| 9. | Nov 1 | @ New England | 2-4 | L | 2-6-1 | 5 | 21-30 | 48. | Jan 27 | Cleveland | 1-2 | L | 16-31-1 | 33 | 149-185 |
| 10. | Nov 4 | Los Angeles | *2-3 | L | 2-7-1 | 5 | 23-33 | 49. | Jan 28 | @ Houston | 3-4 | L | 16-32-1 | 33 | 152-189 |
| 11. | Nov 5 | @ Quebec | 2-3 | L | 2-8-1 | 5 | 25-36 | 50. | Jan 30 | Minnesota | 4-2 | W | 17-32-1 | 35 | 156-191 |
| 12. | Nov 7 | Houston | 2-3 | L | 2-9-1 | 5 | 27-39 | 51. | Feb 2 | Ottawa | 4-1 | W | 18-32-1 | 37 | 160-192 |
| 13. | Nov 11 | Cleveland | 1-4 | L | 2-10-1 | 5 | 28-43 | 52. | Feb 3 | New York | 4-2 | W | 19-32-1 | 39 | 164-194 |
| 14. | Nov 14 | Philadelphia | 3-4 | L | 2-11-1 | 5 | 31-47 | 53. | Feb 5 | @ Cleveland | 5-7 | L | 19-33-1 | 39 | 169-201 |
| 15. | Nov 17 | @ Alberta | 1-3 | L | 2-12-1 | 5 | 32-50 | 54. | Feb 8 | Quebec | 5-2 | W | 20-33-1 | 41 | 174-203 |
| 16. | Nov 19 | @ Minnesota | 4-3 | W | 3-12-1 | 7 | 36-53 | 55. | Feb 10 | Houston | 3-0 | W | 21-33-1 | 43 | 177-203 |
| 17. | Nov 23 | @ Ottawa | 8-1 | W | 4-12-1 | 9 | 44-54 | 56. | Feb 13 | @ Los Angeles | 6-1 | W | 22-33-1 | 45 | 183-204 |
| 18. | Nov 25 | @ Philadelphia | 4-3 | W | 5-12-1 | 11 | 48-57 | 57. | Feb 15 | Winnipeg | 2-7 | L | 22-34-1 | 45 | 185-211 |
| 19. | Nov 28 | @ Quebec | 2-6 | L | 5-13-1 | 11 | 50-63 | 58. | Feb 17 | Ottawa | 1-3 | L | 22-35-1 | 45 | 186-214 |
| 20. | Dec 1 | Los Angeles | 3-5 | L | 5-14-1 | 11 | 53-68 | 59. | Feb 18 | @ Minnesota | 5-7 | L | 22-36-1 | 45 | 191-221 |
| 21. | Dec 2 | Los Angeles | 2-4 | L | 5-15-1 | 11 | 55-72 | 60. | Feb 20 | @ Quebec | 4-2 | W | 23-36-1 | 47 | 195-223 |
| 22. | Dec 5 | @ Minnesota | *3-2 | W | 6-15-1 | 13 | 58-74 | 61. | Feb 24 | @ Cleveland | 5-2 | W | 24-36-1 | 49 | 200-225 |
| 23. | Dec 6 | @ Winnipeg | 1-7 | L | 6-16-1 | 13 | 59-81 | 62. | Feb 27 | @ Winnipeg | 1-5 | L | 24-37-1 | 49 | 201-230 |
| 24. | Dec 8 | Minnesota | *4-3 | W | 7-16-1 | 15 | 63-84 | 63. | Mar 4 | @ Ottawa | 4-6 | L | 24-38-1 | 49 | 205-236 |
| 25. | Dec 9 | Quebec | 2-4 | L | 7-17-1 | 15 | 65-88 | 64. | Mar 5 | @ New York | 4-4 | T | 24-38-2 | 50 | 209-240 |
| 26. | Dec 11 | @ New York | 3-8 | L | 7-18-1 | 15 | 68-96 | 65. | Mar 6 | Philadelphia | *2-1 | W | 25-38-2 | 52 | 211-241 |
| 27. | Dec 13 | New England | 6-3 | W | 8-18-1 | 17 | 74-99 | 66. | Mar 8 | Alberta | *2-3 | L | 25-39-2 | 52 | 213-244 |
| 28. | Dec 14 | Minnesota | 3-6 | L | 8-19-1 | 17 | 77-105 | 67. | Mar 10 | Alberta | *4-5 | L | 25-40-2 | 52 | 217-249 |
| 29. | Dec 17 | @ Minnesota | 2-4 | L | 8-20-1 | 17 | 79-109 | 68. | Mar 12 | @ New York | 7-8 | L | 25-41-2 | 52 | 224-257 |
| 30. | Dec 19 | Cleveland | 6-1 | W | 9-20-1 | 19 | 85-110 | 69. | Mar 13 | New England | *3-4 | L | 25-42-2 | 52 | 227-259 |
| 31. | Dec 20 | @ Philadelphia | 5-8 | L | 9-21-1 | 19 | 90-118 | 70. | Mar 15 | Minnesota | 4-7 | L | 25-43-2 | 52 | 231-266 |
| 32. | Dec 22 | Winnipeg | 3-2 | W | 10-21-1 | 21 | 93-120 | 71. | Mar 17 | New York | 6-3 | W | 26-43-2 | 54 | 237-269 |
| 33. | Dec 23 | Alberta | 3-2 | W | 11-21-1 | 23 | 96-122 | 72. | Mar 22 | Minnesota | *1-2 | L | 26-44-2 | 54 | 238-271 |
| 34. | Dec 25 | Alberta | 3-2 | W | 12-21-1 | 25 | 99-124 | 73. | Mar 23 | @ New England | 1-3 | L | 26-45-2 | 54 | 239-274 |
| 35. | Dec 26 | @ Winnipeg | 2-3 | L | 12-22-1 | 25 | 101-127 | 74. | Mar 25 | @ Los Angeles | 0-1 | L | 26-46-2 | 54 | 239-275 |
| 36. | Dec 28 | Philadelphia | 6-3 | W | 13-22-1 | 27 | 107-130 | 75. | Mar 27 | @ Los Angeles | 1-4 | L | 26-47-2 | 54 | 240-276 |
| 37. | Dec 30 | Ottawa | 2-4 | L | 13-23-1 | 27 | 109-134 | 76. | Mar 28 | Winnipeg | *3-4 | L | 26-48-2 | 54 | 243-280 |
| 38. | Jan 10 | Los Angeles | 5-8 | L | 13-24-1 | 27 | 114-142 | 77. | Mar 31 | @ Philadelphia | 1-5 | L | 26-49-2 | 54 | 244-285 |
| 39. | Jan 11 | Houston | 0-5 | L | 13-25-1 | 27 | 114-147 | 78. | Apr 1 | @ Cleveland | 1-5 | L | 26-50-2 | 54 | 245-295 |
Player Scoring
| pos. | Player | |||||||||||||
| D | Anderson, Ron F. | |||||||||||||
| D | Barber, Butch | |||||||||||||
| RW | Benzelock, Jim | |||||||||||||
| RW | Blanchette, Bernie | |||||||||||||
| D | Cahan, Larry | |||||||||||||
| LW | Fleming, Reggie | |||||||||||||
| G | Gill, Andre | |||||||||||||
| LW | Glenwright, Brian | |||||||||||||
| RW | Hatoum, Ed | |||||||||||||
| RW | Knibbs, Darrel | |||||||||||||
| LW | Liddington, Bob | |||||||||||||
| LW | Lodboa, Dan | |||||||||||||
| D | Mavety, Larry | |||||||||||||
| D | McGlynn, Dick | |||||||||||||
| G | McLeod, Jim | |||||||||||||
| G | Menard, Paul | |||||||||||||
| LW | Morris, Rick | |||||||||||||
| RW | Paiement, Rosaire | |||||||||||||
| LW | Popiel, Jan | |||||||||||||
| D | Proceviat, Dick | |||||||||||||
| RW | Sarrazin, Dick | |||||||||||||
| C | Sicinski, Bob | |||||||||||||
| C | Trooien, Jerry | |||||||||||||
| D | Viau, Pierre | |||||||||||||
| C | Whitlock, Bobby | |||||||||||||
| C | Zaine, Rod |
Goaltending
| Goaltender | ||||||||||||||
| Gill, Andre | ||||||||||||||
| McLeod, Jim | ||||||||||||||
| Menard, Paul |
Transactions
• Rights to Jan Popiel acquired from Ottawa, May 1972
Splits versus opposing teams, home and away, and by month
Quite A Year • by Reid Grosky • The Hockey Spectator, April 20, 1973.
Aside from the Philadelphia Blazers, who paid Derek Sanderson one millions dollars not to play for them, the Chicago Cougars can stand up and take a bow as the World Hockey Association's flakiest franchise. No one quite matched them for a bizarre birth in the new league.
The New York Raiders, to be sure, played without an owner most of the season while subsidized by the league. While this surely is worth an asterisk, the Cougars deserve at least a few exclamation points.
The day before the season started, for crying out loud, Swedish star Ulf Sterner walked into the office of a Chicago paper holding his Cougar contract on which he claimed his signature was forged.
The fact that Sterner, an avowed teetotaler, had been cut from training camp the previous day, for among other things, drinking, almost left the Cougars with an international incident on their hands. Sterner left in a huff for Sweden and never returned. He missed a heck of a season.
Before it ended, disgruntled forward Rod Zaine said he wanted to return to the National Hockey League. coach Marcel Pronovost charged some of his players with less than complete effort on the ice. Some of the players charged Pronovost with less than complete effort behind the bench. General manager Ed Short was excused. The team canceled its television contract over lack of advertising. And two previous ownerships of the franchise sued the present owners Jordon and Walter Kaiser for illegally purchasing the team.
The players, in accord with the above, lost more games on the ice than anyone else in the WHA - 50 - and earned the title as the World's worst team.
What more can go wrong? Probably nothing. The Cougars completed the season with a seven game losing streak.
The Kaisers and Pronovost, neither of whom were around for the first WHA draft but who also suffered from it, must have been happy to see the season end.
As Rosaire Paiement, who jumped from the Vancouver Canucks to the Cougars, so succinctly says "It's no fun playing for a loser all the time"
"I think we'll be better next year. We just need a few players that's all - a couple of defensemen a center maybe a couple of forwards."
Yes the Cougars will rebuild. And if you think the price of meat is high just guess what the Kaisers will be paying for it at the hockey market this summer. Around $700 a pound in some cases.
They'll be out for the established NHLers and the young juniors while negotiating for TV rights and blueprinting plans for a new stadium in Chicago's suburbs for the 1974-75 season.
They just might make it. You have to think the hardest part is behind them.
"It's been a rough season for us," says Walter Kaiser, team president. "We came in with nothing and we didn't know anything about the business. But if we didn't have the guts, Chicago probably wouldn't have a franchise. Nobody else wanted it."
"Now we'll do things the way they should be done. Next year, if we don't win games, it's our fault."
"What happened with Sterner, that was a crazy thing. I'll probably wind up suing the independent agent who brought him to us."
"But Jordon and I are really enthusiastic about the way things went. The fans came out even though we were losing. We had lots of things against us at the beginning but the only negative thing is we didn't have a winning team."
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• Article: Color of Hockey: Alton White (The Hockey News), by William Douglas — March 8, 2020
(c) Scott Surgent
• Rights to Darrel Knibbs purchased from Cleveland, Jun 1972
• Rosaire Paiement, Rick Morris, Reg Fleming signed to contracts, Jun 1972
• Rights to Bob Liddington, Larry Cahan and Bobby Whitlock acquired in trade with Los Angeles for Bill Young, Jul 1972
• Darrel Knibbs, Dan Lodboa, Dick Proceviat, Rod Zaine signed to contracts, Jul 1972
• Dick McGlynn, Jan Popiel, Bob Sicinski, Bobby Whitlock signed to contracts, Aug 1972
• Pierre Viau, Paul Menard, Andre Gill, Ron F. Anderson, Brian Glenwright, Bob Liddington signed to contracts, Sep 1972
• Ed Hatoum released, Oct 1972
• Larry Mavety purchased from Philadelphia, Nov 1972
• Bernie Blanchette traded to Alberta for Jim Benzelock, Dec. 1972
• Dick Sarrazin purchased from New England, Jan 1973
opponent
overall
gf-ga
home
gf-ga
away
gf-ga
Alberta 3-4-1 23-28 2-2-0 12-12 1-2-1 11-16
Cleveland 2-4-0 19-21 1-2-0 8-7 1-2-0 11-14
Houston 1-7-0 19-34 1-3-0 8-16 0-4-0 11-18
Los Angeles 2-6-0 23-28 0-4-0 12-20 2-2-0 11-8
Minnesota 4-6-0 32-39 2-3-0 16-20 2-3-0 16-19
New England 1-5-0 15-22 1-2-0 11-11 0-3-0 4-11
New York 3-2-1 33-27 3-0-0 19-7 0-2-1 14-20
Ottawa 2-4-0 21-21 1-2-0 7-8 1-2-0 14-13
Philadelphia 3-3-0 21-24 2-1-0 11-8 1-2-0 10-16
Quebec 3-3-0 22-18 2-1-0 14-7 1-2-0 8-11
Winnipeg 2-6-0 17-33 2-2-0 11-14 0-4-0 6-19
October 2-5-1 19-26 1-0-0 3-1 1-5-1 16-25
November 3-8-0 31-37 0-4-0 8-14 3-4-0 23-23
December 8-10-0 59-71 7-5-0 43-39 1-5-0 16-32
January 4-9-0 47-57 3-5-0 31-32 1-4-0 16-25
February 7-5-0 45-39 4-2-0 19-15 3-3-0 26-24
March 2-12-1 43-60 2-6-0 25-29 0-6-1 18-31
April 0-1-0 1-5 0-0-0 0-0 0-1-0 1-5
• 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