Denver Spurs



Ralph Backstrom in a Spurs uniform.

Spurs/Civics-in-brief

  • Home Ice: McNichols Sports Arena (16,800) 1975, Ottawa Civic Centre (10,500) 1976
  • Colors: Orange, Black and White


The Denver Spurs were probably the least successful team in the World Hockey Association to ever take the ice. They were a "hurry-up" franchise to join the league in 1975. After the Chicago Cougars and Baltimore Blades folded in 1975, the league was left with an awkward 13 clubs; the remaining survivors and expansion Cincinnati Stingers. So, the WHA granted a franchise to St. Louis businessman Ivan Mullenix in May 1975. The franchise would be located in Denver and adopted the Spurs nickname. Stocked primarily with ex-Cougar players, the team played at McNichols Sports Arena. For the team to survive, they needed to win fast and fill the stands.

Denver lost its first eight home games, and attendance lagged near the 3000 mark. So, on January 2, 1976, the Spurs became the Ottawa Civics.

Ottawa Civics


The Civics, who never formally adopted a new logo, were the WHA's second go around in Ottawa. Upon seeing the Civics, many fans wished the Ottawa Nationals were still around. The idea was to move the club, and then it would be sold to an Ottawa group known as the Founders Club. The Founders Club was unable to meet its down payment, however, and the Civics folded on January 17, 1976, playing its last game at home on January 15th, losing 5-4 in overtime to the Houston Aeros. The WHA decided against taking over the club to play out the schedule, instead allowing it to fold. The WHA dedided it was a bad decision to begin with, and placed its hopes on the remaining clubs. Several weeks later, when the Minnesota Fighting Saints folded, the league was left in a bad position, and it decided to never expand again, instead placing its hopes on a merger with the NHL. All Spurs players were declared free agents upon the club's demise.

Spurs year-by-year

Year      W     L     T     pts.     Finish      Playoffs
1975-76  14    26     1     29       folded      

Information on this page is from The Complete Historical and Statistical Reference to the World Hockey Associaltion 1972-1979; by Scott Adam Surgent.