Friday, May 24, 2024
Los Angeles Kings
NHL expansion and the "Forum Blue and Gold" year (1967 - 1975)
When the NHL decided to expand for the 1967 – 1968 season amid rumblings that the Western Hockey League (WHL) was proposing to turn itself into a major league and compete for the Stanley Cup, Canadian entrepreneur Jack Kent Cooke paid the NHL $2 million to place one of the six expansion teams in Los Angeles(1). Following a fan contest to name the team, Cooke chose the name Kings because he wanted his club to take on “an air of royalty,” and picked the original team colors of purple (or “Forum Blue”, as it was later officially called) and gold because they were colors traditionally associated with royalty. This color scheme, first popularized by the NCAA’s LSU Tigers and later on by the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL), was then adopted by the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), which Cooke also owned(2). Cooke wanted his new NHL team to play in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, home of the Lakers, but the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission, which managed the Sports Arena (and still manages the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum today), had already entered into an agreement with the WHL’s Los Angeles Blades (whose owners had also tried to land the NHL expansion franchise in Los Angeles) to play their games at the Sports Arena(3). Frustrated by his dealing with the Coliseum Commission, Cooke said, “I am going to build my own arena…I’ve had enough of this balderdash.”(3)
Construction of Cooke’s new arena, the Forum, was not yet complete when the 1967-1968 season began, so the Kings opened their first season at the Long Beach Arena in the neighboring city of Long Beach on October 14th, 1967, defeating another expansion team, the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-2(4). The “Fabulous Forum” finally opened its doors on December 30th, 1967, with the Kings being shut out by the Flyers, 2-0(5). While the first two seasons had the Kings qualifying for the playoffs, (6) afterward poor management led the Kings into hard times. The general managers established a history of trading away first-round draft picks, usually for veteran players(7), and attendance suffered during this time. Eventually, the Kings made a few key acquisitions to resurge as a contender. By acquiring Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bob Pulford, who would later become the Kings’ head coach, in 1970(8), Finnish center Juha Widing in a trade from the New York Rangers(9), and Montreal Canadiens goaltender Rogie Vachon in 1971(10), the Kings went from being one of the worst defensive teams in the league to one of the best, and in 1974 they returned to the playoffs(6).
Marcel Dionne and the "Triple Crown Line" (1975 - 1988)
After being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in both 1973-1974 and 1974-1975, the Kings moved to significantly upgrade their offensive firepower when they acquired center Marcel Dionne from the Detroit Red Wings(11). Behind Dionne’s offensive prowess, the strong goaltending of Rogie Vachon, and the speed and scoring touch of forward Butch Goring(12), the Kings played two of their most thrilling seasons yet, with playoff matchups against the then-Atlanta Flames in the first round, and the Boston Bruins in the second round, both times being eliminated by Boston.
Bob Pulford left the Kings after the 1976-1977 season after constant feuding with then-owner Jack Kent Cooke, and General Manager Jake Milford decided to leave as well. This led to struggles in the 1977-1978 season, where the Kings finished below .500 and were easily swept out of the first round by the Maple Leafs. Afterward, Vachon became a free agent and signed with the Red Wings. The following season, Kings coach Bob Berry tried juggling the line combinations, and Dionne found himself on a new line with two young, mostly unknown players: second-year right winger Dave Taylor and left winger Charlie Simmer, who had been a career minor-leaguer(8). Each player benefited from each other, with Simmer being the gritty player who battled along the boards, Taylor being the playmaker, and Dionne being the natural goal scorer. This line combination, known as the “Triple Crown Line”, would go on to become one of the highest-scoring line combinations in NHL history(8)(13). During the first three seasons of the Triple Crown Line, a period where Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Kings, the Lakers, and the Forum for $67.5 million(5), the Kings were eliminated in the first round. The Kings regressed in 1981-1982 finishing 17th overall, but this was nevertheless good enough to make the 1982 Stanley Cup playoffs under the new format put in place that year as they were still fourth in their division with 63 points, the lowest total of any playoff team but ahead of the Colorado Rockies, the worst team in the league that season. However, Los Angeles managed to upset the second-overall Edmonton Oilers, who finished 48 points ahead of them during the season and were led by the young Wayne Gretzky(14). With two victories in Edmonton and one at the Forum – dubbed “Miracle on Manchester”, where the Kings managed to erase a 5-0 deficit at the period and eventually win in overtime – the Kings upset the vaunted Oilers, but they wound up eliminated by eventual finalists Vancouver Canucks in five games(15).
The Kings managed to record a winning record in 1984-1985 under coach Pat Quinn, although it was still only good enough for fourth place. This time, the Kings were quickly swept out of the playoffs by the Oilers on their way to capturing their second straight Stanley Cup championship(16). After a losing season in 1985-1986, the Kings saw two important departures in 1986-1987, as Quinn signed a contract in December to become coach and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks with just months left on his Kings contract – eventually being suspended by NHL President John Ziegler for creating a conflict of interest (17) – and Dionne left the franchise in March in a trade to the New York Rangers (18). Despite these shocks, a young squad that would lead the Kings in the next decade, including star forwards Bernie Nicholls, Jimmy Carson, Luc Robitaille, and defenseman Steve Duchesne, (15) started to flourish under head coach Mike Murphy, who played thirteen seasons with the Kings and was their captain for seven years, and his replacement Robbie Ftorek (19,20). The Kings made the playoffs for two seasons, but they were unable to advance to the second round given the playoff structuring forced them to play either the Oilers or the equally powerful Calgary Flames en route to the Conference Finals. In all, the Kings faced either the Oilers or the Flames in the playoffs four times during the 1980’s(21).
Resources:
1. Los Angeles Kings Media Relations Department
(1993). 1993–94 Kings Media Guide. Los
Angeles Kings. p. 115.
2. Donovan, Michael Leo (1997). The Name Game:
Football, Baseball, Hockey & Basketball How
Your Favorite Sports Teams Were Named.
Toronto: Warwick Publishing. ISBN 1-895629-
74-8.
3. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007
-nov-30-sp-crowe30-story.html
4. Los Angeles Kings Media Relations Department
(1997). Los Angeles Kings 1997–98 Media
Guide. Los Angeles Kings. p. 3.
5. Los Angeles Kings Media Relations Department
(1997). Los Angeles Kings 1997–98 Media
Guide. Los Angeles Kings. p. 4.
6. Los Angeles Kings Communications Department.
2007–08 Los Angeles Kings Media Guide. p.
202.
7. Los Angeles Kings Communications Department.
2007–08 Los Angeles Kings Media Guide. pp.
178–187.
8. Los Angeles Kings Communications Department
(2007). 2007–08 Los Angeles Kings Media
Guide. Los Angeles Kings. p. 4.
9. https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/50-forgotten-
stories-remembering-juha-widing-284945118
10. https://web.archive.org/web/20170805060802/
https://frozenroyalty.net/2010/11/08/former-la
-kings-and-montreal-canadiens-great-rogie-
vachon-still-on-the-outside-looking-in/
11. Los Angeles Kings Communications Department.
2007–08 Los Angeles Kings Media Guide. p.
114.
12. https://frozenroyalty.net/2010/02/24/butch-
goring-was-the-la-kings-first-star-fan-favorite/
13. Miller, Bob; Schultz, Randy (2006). Bob
Miller's Tales From The Los Angeles Kings.
Champaign, Illinois: Sports Publishing,
LLC. pp. 105–109. ISBN 1-58261-811-9.
14. McCarthy, Dave, ed. (2007). National Hockey
League Official Guide & Record Book 2008.
Triumph Books. p. 152. ISBN 978-1-
60078-037-0.
15. Los Angeles Kings Communications Department.
2007–08 Los Angeles Kings Media Guide. p. 5.
16. Los Angeles Kings Communications Department.
2007–08 Los Angeles Kings Media Guide. p. 202.
17. "SPORTS PEOPLE; 'Intolerable Position'". The
New York Times. October 7, 1987. Retrieved
March 20, 2008
18. Los Angeles Kings Communications Department.
2007–08 Los Angeles Kings Media Guide. p. 180.
19. Crowe, Jerry (December 7, 1987). "Murphy Is
Fired by Kings : Poor Record Cited;
New Haven Coach May Get the Job". Los
Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
20. Dodds, Tracy (May 3, 1989). "Kings' Success
Doesn't Save Ftorek's Job : With Lack of
Players' Support, Controversial Coach Is Fired".
Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
21. "Playoff Games 1980s". Los Angeles Kings.
Retrieved March 20, 2008.
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Chicago Bulls
1966-1975: Team creation and early success
On January 16th, 1966, Chicago was granted a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise to be called the Bulls. The Chicago Bulls became the third NBA franchise in the city, after the Chicago Stags (1946-1950) and Chicago Packers/Zephyrs (1961-1963, now the Washington Wizards). The Bulls’ founder, Dick Klein, was the Bulls’ only owner to ever play professional basketball (for the Chicago American Gears). He served as the Bulls’ general manager and president in their initial years.
After the 1966 NBA Expansion Draft, the newly founded Chicago Bulls were allowed to acquire players from the previously established teams in the league for the upcoming 1966-67 season. They would be coached by Chicagoan and former NBA All-Star Johnny “Red” Kerr(1). That season, the team played their first game in franchise history on October 15th (1). Played on the road, their first game was an upset victory over the St. Louis Hawks(1). They went on to post a 33-48 record, the best by an expansion team in NBA history. Led by guards Guy Rodgers and Jerry Sloan, and forward Bob Boozer, the Bulls qualified for the playoffs, the only NBA team to do so in their inaugural season(1). Kerr received Coach of the Year honors for the season(1). Rodgers and Sloan were named All-Stars during the season, with the former leading the league in assists.
In their first season, the Bulls played their home games at the International Amphitheatre, before moving to Chicago Stadium.
Fan interest was diminishing after four seasons, with one game in the 1967-68 season having an official attendance of 891 and some games being played in Kansas City. In 1969, Klein dropped out of the general manager job and hired Pat Williams, who as the Philadelphia 76ers’ business manager created promotions that helped the team become third in attendance the previous season. Williams revamped the team roster, acquiring Chet Walker from Philadelphia in exchange for Jim Washington and drafting Norm Van Lier – who was traded to the Cincinnati Royals and only joined the Bulls in 1971 – while also investing in promotion, with actions such as creating mascot Benny the Bull. The Bulls under Williams and head coach Dick Motta qualified for four straight playoffs and had attendances grow to over 10,000(2). In 1972, the Bulls set a franchise win-loss record at 57 wins and 25 losses. During the 1970’s, the Bulls relied on Jerry Sloan, forwards Bob Love and Chet Walker, point guard Norm Van Lier, and centers Clifford Ray and Tom Boerwinkle. The team made the conference finals in 1975 but lost to the eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors, 4 games to 3.
After four 50-win seasons, Williams returned to Philadelphia, and Motta decided to take on the role of general manager as well. The Bulls ended up declining, winning only 24 games in the 1975-76 season. Motta was fired and replaced by Ed Badger(2).
1976-1984: Gilmore and Theus duo
Klein sold the Bulls to the Wirtz family, longtime owners of the Chicago Blackhawks. Indifferent to NBA basketball, the new ownership group infamously implemented a shoestring budget, putting little time and investment into improving the team.
Artis Gilmore, acquired in the ABA dispersal draft in 1976, led a Bulls squad that included guard Reggie Theus, forward David Greenwood, and forward Orlando Woolridge.
In 1979, the Bulls lost a coin flip for the right to select first in the NBA draft (Rod Thorn, the Bulls’ general manager, called “heads”). Had the Bulls won the toss, they would have selected Magic Johnson; instead, they selected David Greenwood with the second pick. The Los Angeles Lakers selected Johnson with the pick acquired from the New Orleans Jazz, who traded the selection for Gail Goodrich. After Gilmore was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for center Dave Corzine, the Bulls employed a high-powered offense centered on Theus, and which soon included guards Quintin Dailey and Ennis Whatley. However, with continued dismal results, the Bulls decided to change direction, thus trading Theus to the Kansas City Kings during the 1983-84 season. Attendance started to dwindle, with the Wirtz family looking to sell to ownership groups interested in moving the team out of Chicago, before selling to local ownership.
Bob “Butterbean” Love
1, https://www.nba.com/bulls/history/the-one-that-
started-it-all.
2. https://www.nba.com/bulls/history/pat-williams
-helped-save-pro-basketball-chicago.
Monday, May 20, 2024
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