1972–73 Cleveland Crusaders season

The 1972–73 Cleveland Crusaders season was the first season of operation of the new Cleveland Crusaders in the new World Hockey Association. The team qualified for the playoffs and won its first series, before losing in the Division semi-final.

1972–73 Cleveland Crusaders
Division2nd East
1972–73 record43–32–3
Home record26-11-2
Road record17-21-1
Goals for287
Goals against239
Team information
General managerChuck Catto (Director of Player Personnel)
CoachBill Needham
CaptainPaul Shmyr
Alternate captainsJohn Hanna
Skip Krake
Wayne Muloin
ArenaCleveland Arena
Average attendance5,287 (55.7%)
Team leaders
GoalsGary Jarrett (40)
AssistsRon Buchanan (44)
PointsRon Buchanan (81)
WinsGerry Cheevers (32)
Goals against averageGerry Cheevers (2.83)

Regular season

Final standings
Eastern Division
GP W L T GF GA PIM Pts
New England Whalers784630231826385894
Cleveland Crusaders7843323287239109589
Philadelphia Blazers7838400288305126076
Ottawa Nationals7835394279301106774
Quebec Nordiques7833405276313135471
New York Raiders783343230333490068

Game log
Regular season schedule
No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1WOctober 11, 19722–0Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)1–0–0
2WOctober 14, 19723–2Alberta Oilers (1972–73)2–0–0
3WOctober 15, 19727–5@ Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)3–0–0
4WOctober 17, 19724–3 OTNew York Raiders (1972–73)4–0–0
5WOctober 19, 19723–1@ New York Raiders (1972–73)5–0–0
6LOctober 21, 19723–5Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)5–1–0
7LOctober 24, 19722–3 OTNew England Whalers (1972–73)5–2–0
8WOctober 25, 19728–2@ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)6–2–0
9WOctober 27, 19726–0Alberta Oilers (1972–73)7–2–0
10TOctober 29, 19722–2@ Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)7–2–1
11LNovember 1, 19725–7Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)7–3–1
12WNovember 4, 19725–3Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)8–3–1
13WNovember 11, 19724–1@ Chicago Cougars (1972–73)9–3–1
14WNovember 12, 19723–1@ Alberta Oilers (1972–73)10–3–1
15LNovember 14, 19723–5@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972–73)10–4–1
16WNovember 16, 19726–3Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)11–4–1
17WNovember 17, 19723–0New England Whalers (1972–73)12–4–1
18LNovember 19, 19722–4@ Houston Aeros (1972–73)12–5–1
19WNovember 21, 19725–2@ Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73)13–5–1
20WNovember 24, 19723–2 OTLos Angeles Sharks (1972–73)14–5–1
21LNovember 25, 19721–3Houston Aeros (1972–73)14–6–1
22LNovember 27, 19720–3@ New England Whalers (1972–73)14–7–1
23LNovember 28, 19721–3Houston Aeros (1972–73)14–8–1
24LNovember 30, 19722–3@ Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)14–9–1
25WDecember 2, 19728–2Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)15–9–1
26LDecember 3, 19722–5@ New York Raiders (1972–73)15–10–1
27WDecember 5, 19724–3 OT@ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)16–10–1
28WDecember 7, 19723–1@ Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)17–10–1
29LDecember 9, 19722–3 OTWinnipeg Jets (1972–73)17–11–1
30LDecember 10, 19723–4 OT@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972–73)17–12–1
31WDecember 15, 19726–3Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)18–12–1
32LDecember 17, 19722–3@ Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)18–13–1
33LDecember 19, 19721–6@ Chicago Cougars (1972–73)18–14–1
34WDecember 21, 19726–2New York Raiders (1972–73)19–14–1
35WDecember 23, 19723–1Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972–73)20–14–1
36WDecember 25, 19728–0Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)21–14–1
37WDecember 29, 19725–3Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)22–14–1
38WDecember 30, 19724–3 OTHouston Aeros (1972–73)23–14–1
39WJanuary 11, 19734–3@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972–73)24–14–1
40LJanuary 12, 19733–5@ Winnipeg Jets (1972–73)24–15–1
41LJanuary 14, 19731–3@ Winnipeg Jets (1972–73)24–16–1
42WJanuary 16, 19734–3@ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)25–16–1
43WJanuary 17, 19735–0@ Houston Aeros (1972–73)26–16–1
44WJanuary 19, 19734–1@ Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73)27–16–1
45LJanuary 21, 19732–3@ Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73)27–17–1
46WJanuary 23, 19735–4 OTWinnipeg Jets (1972–73)28–17–1
47LJanuary 25, 19734–7Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)28–18–1
48WJanuary 27, 19732–1@ Chicago Cougars (1972–73)29–18–1
49WJanuary 29, 19733–2New England Whalers (1972–73)30–18–1
50LJanuary 31, 19731–4@ New England Whalers (1972–73)30–19–1
51TFebruary 1, 19732–2Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)30–19–2
52WFebruary 2, 19735–3Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)31–19–2
53WFebruary 4, 19733–2@ Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)32–19–2
54WFebruary 5, 19737–5Chicago Cougars (1972–73)33–19–2
55WFebruary 10, 19738–4New York Raiders (1972–73)34–19–2
56LFebruary 11, 19731–6@ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)34–20–2
57WFebruary 12, 19738–2New York Raiders (1972–73)35–20–2
58LFebruary 14, 19735–6@ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)35–21–2
59LFebruary 17, 19733–7Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972–73)35–22–2
60WFebruary 20, 19735–4Alberta Oilers (1972–73)36–22–2
61LFebruary 24, 19732–5Chicago Cougars (1972–73)36–23–2
62LFebruary 25, 19735–9@ New York Raiders (1972–73)36–24–2
63LFebruary 27, 19731–2@ Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)36–25–2
64WMarch 3, 19734–3@ New York Raiders (1972–73)37–25–2
65LMarch 7, 19730–1 OT@ New England Whalers (1972–73)37–26–2
66LMarch 9, 19734–5@ New England Whalers (1972–73)37–27–2
67WMarch 11, 197311–2@ Winnipeg Jets (1972–73)38–27–2
68LMarch 13, 19732–4@ Alberta Oilers (1972–73)38–28–2
69LMarch 14, 19732–4@ Alberta Oilers (1972–73)38–29–2
70LMarch 17, 19730–2Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73)38–30–2
71TMarch 19, 19735–5Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73)38–30–3
72LMarch 20, 19731–4@ Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)38–31–3
73LMarch 24, 19731–2 OTMinnesota Fighting Saints (1972–73)38–32–3
74WMarch 25, 19734–2@ Houston Aeros (1972–73)39–32–3
75WMarch 26, 19737–5New England Whalers (1972–73)40–32–3
76WMarch 30, 19734–2Winnipeg Jets (1972–73)41–32–3
77WMarch 31, 19734–2Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)42–32–3
78WApril 1, 19735–1Chicago Cougars (1972–73)43–32–3

[1]

Playoffs

Cleveland Crusaders 4, Philadelphia Blazers 0 - Semifinals
#DateVisitorScoreHomeRecord
1April 4Philadelphia Blazers2–3 OTCleveland Crusaders1–0
2April 7Philadelphia Blazers7–1Cleveland Crusaders2–0
3April 8Cleveland Crusaders3–1Philadelphia Blazers3–0
4April 11Cleveland Crusaders6–2Philadelphia Blazers4–0

New England Whalers 4, Cleveland Crusaders 1 - Division Finals
#DateVisitorScoreHomeRecord
1April 18Cleveland Crusaders2 – 3New England Whalers0–1
2April 19Cleveland Crusaders2 – 3New England Whalers0–2
3April 21New England Whalers5 – 4Cleveland Crusaders0–3
4April 22New England Whalers2 – 5Cleveland Crusaders1–3
5April 26Cleveland Crusaders1 – 3New England Whalers1–4

Player stats
Regular season
Scoring
Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG
Ron BuchananC75374481200605
Gary JarrettLW77403979790807
Jim WisteC70284371240403
Gerry PinderLW783036661210733
Paul AndreaRW66213051120700
Joe HardyC72173350800100
Paul ShmyrD73543481690010
Ray ClearwaterD78113647410100
Grant EricksonLW77152944230210
Rich PumpleLW77212041450500
Ted HodgsonRW74152338930200
Doug BrindleyLW/C7315112660200
John HannaD6662026680300
Skip KrakeC2691019610200
Bill HortonD7421719550000
Bob DillaboughC72881680160
Wayne MuloinD6721315620000
Ralph HopiavuoriD29459440000
Jim McMastersD74178370000
Al RycroftRW702200000
Gerry CheeversG52011300000
Bob WhiddenG2600050000
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L T GA GAA SO
Gerry Cheevers314452322001492.845
Bob Whidden16092611123883.280
Team:475378433232372.995
Playoffs
Scoring
Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM PPG SHG GWG
Gary JarrettLW9831119301
Jim WisteC9381113101
Gerry PinderLW9291130100
Ron BuchananC973100101
Paul AndreaRW928102100
Rich PumpleLW935811100
Ted HodgsonRW913413100
Wayne MuloinD913414000
Paul ShmyrD813419000
Grant EricksonLW92132001
Ray ClearwaterD91238000
Skip KrakeC912327001
Joe HardyC70220000
Bob DillaboughC91010010
Ralph HopiavuoriD80116000
Bill HortonD901110000
Jim McMastersD90116000
Blake BallD20000000
Doug BrindleyLW/C90006000
Gerry CheeversG90004000
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L GA GAA SO
Gerry Cheevers548954222.410
Team:548954222.410

[2][3][4]

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts;

See also

References
  1. "1972–73 Cleveland Crusaders Games". Hockey-reference.com. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  2. "1972-73 Cleveland Crusaders Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com". hockey-reference.com. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  3. World Hockey Association (1972). WHA 1972-73 Media Guide. World Hockey Association.
  4. World Hockey Association (1973). WHA 1973-74 Media Guide. World Hockey Association.
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