1973–74 Chicago Cougars season
World Hockey Association team season
The 1973–74 Chicago Cougars season was the Chicago Cougars ' second season of operation in the World Hockey Association . The team qualified for the playoff and won two playoff series to make it to the Avco Cup Final before losing to the Houston Aeros .[ 1] [ 2]
Offseason
The Chicago Cougars revamped their lineup during the off-season in hopes of escaping the cellar.
The Cougars strengthened their defense by signing National Hockey League all-star defenceman Pat Stapleton from the Chicago Blackhawks as a player-coach, Darryl Maggs from the California Golden Seals and goaltender Cam Newton from the Pittsburgh Penguins .
To the forward line, the Cougars signed Ralph Backstrom , also from the Blackhawks, Eric Nesterenko , who had spent a season in Switzerland after a long career with the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs , and junior all-star Frank Rochon from the Sherbrooke Beavers , and acquired Joe Hardy from the Cleveland Crusaders and Duke Harris from the Houston Aeros .[ 3]
Regular season
The Cougars scored 26 more goals than the previous season and reduced the goals against by 22 to post a 50% improvement in points and secure the final playoff spot in the East Division by a single point over the Quebec Nordiques .
Final standings
Game log
Regular season schedule
No.
R
Date
Score
Opponent
Record
1
T
October 7, 1973
4–4
@ Toronto Toros (1973–74 )
0–0–1
2
W
October 11, 1973
4–3
@ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74 )
1–0–1
3
L
October 13, 1973
4–6
@ New England Whalers (1973–74 )
1–1–1
4
L
October 14, 1973
2–3 OT
@ Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74 )
1–2–1
5
W
October 18, 1973
7–2
@ Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74 )
2–2–1
6
L
October 20, 1973
3–4
@ Vancouver Blazers (1973–74 )
2–3–1
7
L
October 21, 1973
1–4
@ Edmonton Oilers (1973–74 )
2–4–1
8
W
October 25, 1973
4–2
@ Quebec Nordiques (1973–74 )
3–4–1
9
W
October 28, 1973
3–2
@ Toronto Toros (1973–74 )
4–4–1
10
W
October 30, 1973
4–1
Winnipeg Jets (1973–74 )
5–4–1
11
W
November 3, 1973
7–4
@ Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74 )
6–4–1
12
W
November 6, 1973
5–4 OT
Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74 )
7–4–1
13
W
November 10, 1973
3–2
Toronto Toros (1973–74 )
8–4–1
14
L
November 13, 1973
2–5
Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74 )
8–5–1
15
W
November 15, 1973
3–2
Houston Aeros (1973–74 )
9–5–1
16
W
November 17, 1973
5–2
Toronto Toros (1973–74 )
10–5–1
17
L
November 18, 1973
3–5
@ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74 )
10–6–1
18
W
November 22, 1973
4–3
@ Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74 )
11–6–1
19
L
November 24, 1973
3–5
@ Houston Aeros (1973–74 )
11–7–1
20
L
December 1, 1973
4–5 OT
Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74 )
11–8–1
21
L
December 2, 1973
3–4
@ New England Whalers (1973–74 )
11–9–1
22
L
December 4, 1973
0–2
Edmonton Oilers (1973–74 )
11–10–1
23
L
December 8, 1973
1–3
New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74 )
11–11–1
24
L
December 9, 1973
1–6
@ Quebec Nordiques (1973–74 )
11–12–1
25
L
December 11, 1973
3–5
Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74 )
11–13–1
26
W
December 15, 1973
5–2
Houston Aeros (1973–74 )
12–13–1
27
W
December 16, 1973
3–2
@ New England Whalers (1973–74 )
13–13–1
28
T
December 18, 1973
3–3
Winnipeg Jets (1973–74 )
13–13–2
29
L
December 21, 1973
1–5
@ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74 )
13–14–2
30
W
December 23, 1973
6–5
@ Toronto Toros (1973–74 )
14–14–2
31
L
December 26, 1973
2–4
@ Winnipeg Jets (1973–74 )
14–15–2
32
W
December 28, 1973
6–4
Quebec Nordiques (1973–74 )
15–15–2
33
L
December 29, 1973
0–3
@ Houston Aeros (1973–74 )
15–16–2
34
W
December 30, 1973
5–3
@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74 )
16–16–2
35
W
January 1, 1974
5–4
Vancouver Blazers (1973–74 )
17–16–2
36
L
January 5, 1974
5–6
Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74 )
17–17–2
37
L
January 6, 1974
0–4
@ Quebec Nordiques (1973–74 )
17–18–2
38
T
January 8, 1974
0–0
Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74 )
17–18–3
39
L
January 13, 1974
1–3
@ Winnipeg Jets (1973–74 )
17–19–3
40
W
January 17, 1974
5–2
@ New England Whalers (1973–74 )
18–19–3
41
W
January 19, 1974
5–2
Quebec Nordiques (1973–74 )
19–19–3
42
W
January 22, 1974
5–3
New England Whalers (1973–74 )
20–19–3
43
L
January 25, 1974
2–6
@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74 )
20–20–3
44
W
January 30, 1974
4–2
@ Vancouver Blazers (1973–74 )
21–20–3
45
L
February 1, 1974
2–3
@ Edmonton Oilers (1973–74 )
21–21–3
46
L
February 3, 1974
2–4
@ Winnipeg Jets (1973–74 )
21–22–3
47
W
February 5, 1974
3–1
Winnipeg Jets (1973–74 )
22–22–3
48
L
February 6, 1974
2–7
@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74 )
22–23–3
49
W
February 9, 1974
5–2
New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74 )
23–23–3
50
W
February 10, 1974
4–2
@ Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74 )
24–23–3
51
W
February 12, 1974
3–2
Edmonton Oilers (1973–74 )
25–23–3
52
L
February 14, 1974
3–5
Quebec Nordiques (1973–74 )
25–24–3
53
L
February 16, 1974
4–5
Toronto Toros (1973–74 )
25–25–3
54
L
February 17, 1974
5–6
@ Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74 )
25–26–3
55
L
February 18, 1974
3–4
@ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74 )
25–27–3
56
W
February 21, 1974
5–4
Vancouver Blazers (1973–74 )
26–27–3
57
L
February 23, 1974
0–3
New England Whalers (1973–74 )
26–28–3
58
L
February 24, 1974
1–3
@ Winnipeg Jets (1973–74 )
26–29–3
59
W
February 26, 1974
4–2
Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74 )
27–29–3
60
L
February 28, 1974
4–9
Houston Aeros (1973–74 )
27–30–3
61
W
March 1, 1974
7–4
Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74 )
28–30–3
62
L
March 3, 1974
4–5
Toronto Toros (1973–74 )
28–31–3
63
L
March 5, 1974
2–3
New England Whalers (1973–74 )
28–32–3
64
W
March 7, 1974
3–2
@ Quebec Nordiques (1973–74 )
29–32–3
65
W
March 9, 1974
5–4 OT
Winnipeg Jets (1973–74 )
30–32–3
66
W
March 12, 1974
5–3
New England Whalers (1973–74 )
31–32–3
67
W
March 14, 1974
7–4
Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74 )
32–32–3
68
W
March 16, 1974
4–3 OT
Quebec Nordiques (1973–74 )
33–32–3
69
W
March 17, 1974
4–2
@ Toronto Toros (1973–74 )
34–32–3
70
L
March 19, 1974
4–7
Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74 )
34–33–3
71
T
March 21, 1974
5–5
Vancouver Blazers (1973–74 )
34–33–4
72
W
March 23, 1974
4–1
New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74 )
35–33–4
73
T
March 24, 1974
3–3
@ Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74 )
35–33–5
74
W
March 26, 1974
4–2
Edmonton Oilers (1973–74 )
36–33–5
75
W
March 29, 1974
5–2
@ Vancouver Blazers (1973–74 )
37–33–5
76
L
March 31, 1974
1–4
@ Edmonton Oilers (1973–74 )
37–34–5
77
W
April 2, 1974
7–3
New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74 )
38–34–5
78
L
April 3, 1974
1–3
@ Houston Aeros (1973–74 )
38–35–5
[ 4]
Playoffs
Chicago Cougars 4, New England Whalers 3 - Division Quarterfinals
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
Record
1
April 6
Chicago Cougars
4 – 6
New England Whalers
0–1
2
April 7
Chicago Cougars
3 – 4 OT
New England Whalers
0–2
3
April 9
New England Whalers
6 – 8
Chicago Cougars
1–2
4
April 10
New England Whalers
1 – 2 OT
Chicago Cougars
2–2
5
April 12
Chicago Cougars
4 – 2
New England Whalers
2–3
6
April 14
New England Whalers
2 – 0
Chicago Cougars
3–3
7
April 16
Chicago Cougars
3 – 2
New England Whalers
4–3
Chicago Cougars 4, Toronto Toros 3 - Semifinals
Houston Aeros 4, Chicago Cougars 0 - Avco Cup Finals
Player stats
Regular season
Scoring
Goaltending
Player
MIN
GP
W
L
T
GA
GAA
SO
Cam Newton
2732
45
25
18
2
143
3.14
1
Rich Coutu
1207
20
9
10
1
75
3.73
0
Andre Gill
803
13
4
7
2
46
3.44
0
Team:
4742
78
38
35
5
264
3.34
1
Playoffs
Scoring
Goaltending
Player
MIN
GP
W
L
GA
GAA
SO
Andre Gill
614
11
6
5
38
3.71
0
Cam Newton
486
10
2
5
34
4.20
0
Team:
1100
18
8
10
72
3.93
0
[ 5]
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;
Awards and records
This section is empty. You can help by
adding to it .
(July 2010 )
Transactions
Trades
Farm teams
This section is empty. You can help by
adding to it .
(July 2010 )
See also
References
External links