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Donnie Hockey
(Loves To Post!)
USA
1514 Posts |
 Posted - 06/14/2014 : 10:42:15 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Cyclonesdiehard
The NHL gave team owners two options. Either join the NHL or take 2.5 million dollars. The owners of the Stingers who were bleeding money at the time took the money and ran.
The Stingers weren't offered the opportunity to join the NHL after the 1978-79 season. They (and Birmingham) were paid an indemnification fee of a little over $3 million as a result of being left without a league.
After the 1976-77 season, the Stingers were part of initial merger talks with the NHL. In fact, it was so close to being a done deal that the phones at the Coliseum were answered, "Cincinnati Stingers of the National Hockey League" for a couple days. There was a lot of excitement but it quickly turned to disappointment when the merger vote fell short of being approved by the NHL Board of Governors.
The 1977-78 season was a struggle on and off the ice, with financial problems mounting and popular players being traded to reduce payroll. The team almost folded after the season and had a ticket drive to sell 5,000 season tickets to save the team. In August the goal was reached but the uncertainty put the team at a competitive disadvantage in signing players.
The Stingers knew they weren't going to be back after the 1978-79 season regardless of what happened to the WHA, so they didn't do much in the way of marketing and promotions the last season. They spent the season trying to find investors to field a team in the American or Central Hockey League the following season (they ended up going the CHL route).
Had the Stingers ownership not brought a WHA franchise to town in 1975, Cincinnati would have had an NHL team in 1976. The Kansas City Scouts would have relocated to Cincinnati instead of Colorado and subsequently New Jersey where they've won Stanley Cups as the Devils.
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WHA Impact
