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The Expansion was brought on by fears of a competing league taking hold on the west coast, and by the want for a new TV contract in the US, much like the ones Major League Baseball and the National Football League recieved. All the cities, except for the Pennsylvania ones, were outside the Northeastern grid of the Original Six, and locations were chosen specifically to broaden the appeal of the league.
Many were upset over the expansion. Canadian fans were irate that no Canadian teams were added, even though Vancouver put forward a bid ( Baltimore was also a favourite that did not recieve a slot). Many traditionalists did not like the idea of expansion, saying it would dilute the talent in the league. Even proponents of expansion worried at the idea of immediately adding 6 teams, instead of easing teams in gradually (like baseball).
Most experts agreed that the new owners paid a heavy price to join the league: expansion fees were high (around $2 million US, a very hefty sum then), players in the very strict expansion draft were a hefty $50,000, and most teams had no hope of competing in the near future. One advantage of the expansion, however, was that the teams were all lumped into the newly-formed West Division, and after the playoffs, one of the Expansion teams got to play in the Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup originally titled the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup is awarded each year by the National Hockey League to the champion of its playoff tournament. History The Stanley Cup, originally a decorative bowl purchased from a London silversmith wor finals.
The new teams offered a big change to the league. After seeing virtually the same red/blue/black uniforms for over 20 years, purple, green, Sky blue, and orange were introduced. Players on the expansion teams were obviously outclassed by the older teams, and some games were not pretty.
The Blues, featuring former legends Doug HarveyFor the article on the baseball umpire, see: Doug Harvey (umpire Douglas Norman Harvey ( December 19, 1924 December 26, 1989) was a star player in the National Hockey League. Harvey played minor league hockey in his native Montreal, Quebec, Canada, then b, Jacques PlanteJoseph Jacques Plante ( January 17, 1929 February 27, 1986) was a Canadian ice hockey player. Born in Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, Canada, he served as a goalie for a variety of teams, most notably for the Montreal Canadiens. He also played for New York Rang, and future coaching legend Scotty BowmanWilliam Scott "Scotty" Bowman (born September 18, 1933 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a former National Hockey League head coach, considered among the greatest coaches in NHL history. Bowman became the league's most successful coach over his 30 years of, were definitely the class of the group, and were the first Expansion Six team to make it to the finals. They would repeat as the West division's representative twice, being swept all three times they made it. The Flyers would be the first team from the expansion group to win the Cup in 19741974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). Events January-February January 5 Dungeons & Dragons officially released. February 4 Patricia Hearst, the 19 year old granddaughter of publisher William Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped.
The expansion of 1967 was the end of an era, and the begining of a new one. The 6 owners of the NHL, who ruled the game with an iron fist, now had new company, with "radical" ideas for league growth. The expansion, Bobby OrrRobert Gordon Orr (born March 20, 1948) is a Canadian ice hockey player. He is thought of by many as the greatest hockey player ever. Born in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, his ice hockey talents were evident at a very early age. As a 14-year-old he played's record contract, and the World Hockey AssociationThe World Hockey Association (French: Association Mondiale de Hockey was a professional ice hockey league in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League forever changed the landscape of the North American professional game.