Boston Braves (AHL)
Encyclopedia
The Boston Braves were a professional ice hockey
team in Boston, Massachusetts. They were a member of the American Hockey League
from 1971 to 1974.
The early 1970s saw an unprecedented boom in the popularity of hockey in the greater Boston area, fuelled by the success of the Bobby Orr
and Phil Esposito
-led Boston Bruins
. The Bruins had sold out all of their home games at the Boston Garden
for years, and the team owners thought that placing their minor-league affiliate in the same arena, made sense on several levels. Previously, the Bruins affiliate was the Oklahoma City Blazers
of the Central Hockey League
.
The team was named after the eponymous National League
baseball team that had played in Boston until 1953 — which had been owned by Charles F. Adams, founder of the Bruins, during the 1920s. The first season of the AHL Braves, under coach Bep Guidolin
, was wildly successful. Behind a powerful club led by future big league stars Dan Bouchard
and Rich Leduc
, and with other veteran minor-leaguers and future NHL
players such as Doug Roberts
, Ross Brooks
, Nick Beverley
, Garry Peters
and Dan Tannahill, the club tied for first place in its division with the powerful Nova Scotia Voyageurs
with a 41-21-14 mark, while proving popular enough in Boston to set league records for single-game and single-season attendance that survived for decades.
In its second season, however, competition from the WHA
's New England Whalers served to saturate the market. Furthermore, NHL expansion cost the team its best player, Bouchard, who had been picked by the Atlanta Flames
, while WHA defections caused the recall of Brooks to the parent club and Roberts and Peters to the rival league. While scoring declined only slightly, the defense was notably poorer. The team still finished second in the division with a 34-29-13 mark, but attendance had nearly halved.
In the Braves' third and final season, the defense collapsed to the point where the team finished out of the playoffs after a 23-40-13 record. With attendance dwindling further and the ebbing of the hockey boom itself in New England, Bruins' management decided to suspend the team; the next season saw the Bruins affiliating with the Rochester Americans
.
The Bruins maintained the franchise's existence for many years, paying a nominal fee to the league to keep it dormant, finally selling its rights to the Winnipeg Jets in 1987 so that the Jets could move it to the Maritimes to become the Moncton Hawks
.
Career
Playoffs
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team in Boston, Massachusetts. They were a member of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
from 1971 to 1974.
The early 1970s saw an unprecedented boom in the popularity of hockey in the greater Boston area, fuelled by the success of the Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
and Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
-led Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
. The Bruins had sold out all of their home games at the Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
for years, and the team owners thought that placing their minor-league affiliate in the same arena, made sense on several levels. Previously, the Bruins affiliate was the Oklahoma City Blazers
Oklahoma City Blazers
The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Northwest Division of the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Their colors were burgundy, gold and white...
of the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
.
The team was named after the eponymous National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
baseball team that had played in Boston until 1953 — which had been owned by Charles F. Adams, founder of the Bruins, during the 1920s. The first season of the AHL Braves, under coach Bep Guidolin
Bep Guidolin
Armand "Bep" Guidolin was a Canadian National Hockey League player. He was born in Thorold, Ontario. He and Eleanor, his wife of 62 years, had four children....
, was wildly successful. Behind a powerful club led by future big league stars Dan Bouchard
Dan Bouchard
Daniel Hector "Bouch" Bouchard is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League with the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets.-Career:...
and Rich Leduc
Rich Leduc
Richard Henri Leduc is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 130 games in the National Hockey League and 394 games in the World Hockey Association. He played for the Boston Bruins, Cleveland Crusaders, Cincinnati Stingers, Indianapolis Racers, and Quebec Nordiques.- External links :...
, and with other veteran minor-leaguers and future NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
players such as Doug Roberts
Doug Roberts (ice hockey)
Douglas William Roberts is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 419 games in the National Hockey League and 140 games in the World Hockey Association between 1966 and 1977....
, Ross Brooks
Ross Brooks
Donald Ross Brooks is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played three seasons with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League...
, Nick Beverley
Nick Beverley
Nicholas Gerald Beverley is a former hockey player in the NHL and former head coach in the NHL and AHL.He played for the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars, and Colorado Rockies. His NHL career totals are 18 goals, 94 assists for 112 total points in 501...
, Garry Peters
Garry Peters
Garry Lorne Peters is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre and head coach who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins...
and Dan Tannahill, the club tied for first place in its division with the powerful Nova Scotia Voyageurs
Nova Scotia Voyageurs
The Nova Scotia Voyageurs were a professional ice hockey team, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They played in the American Hockey League, from 1971 to 1984. The Voyageurs played their first two seasons , as the Montreal Voyageurs....
with a 41-21-14 mark, while proving popular enough in Boston to set league records for single-game and single-season attendance that survived for decades.
In its second season, however, competition from the WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated 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 in 1926...
's New England Whalers served to saturate the market. Furthermore, NHL expansion cost the team its best player, Bouchard, who had been picked by the Atlanta Flames
Atlanta Flames
The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
, while WHA defections caused the recall of Brooks to the parent club and Roberts and Peters to the rival league. While scoring declined only slightly, the defense was notably poorer. The team still finished second in the division with a 34-29-13 mark, but attendance had nearly halved.
In the Braves' third and final season, the defense collapsed to the point where the team finished out of the playoffs after a 23-40-13 record. With attendance dwindling further and the ebbing of the hockey boom itself in New England, Bruins' management decided to suspend the team; the next season saw the Bruins affiliating with the Rochester Americans
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
.
The Bruins maintained the franchise's existence for many years, paying a nominal fee to the league to keep it dormant, finally selling its rights to the Winnipeg Jets in 1987 so that the Jets could move it to the Maritimes to become the Moncton Hawks
Moncton Hawks
The Moncton Hawks were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick. They played in the American Hockey League between 1987 and 1994 operated as a minor league affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets. Home games were played at the Moncton Coliseum...
.
Team records
Single season- Goals: Ron Anderson, 41, 1973
- Assists: Doug Gibson, 51, 1974
- Points: Gibson, 82, 1974
- Penalty minutes: Fred O'DonnellFred O'DonnellFrederick James O'Donnell is a retired professional ice hockey player, and a retired professional ice hockey coach. During his professional playing career, he played 115 games in the National Hockey League and 155 games in the World Hockey Association, mainly at left wing...
, 161, 1972
Career
- Career games: Neil Murphy, 214
- Career goals: Bob GrypBob GrypRobert Douglas Gryp is a retired Canadian ice hockey player.Originally selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1970 NHL Entry Draft, Gryp played for the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.-External links:*...
, 68 - Career assists: Rich LeducRich LeducRichard Henri Leduc is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 130 games in the National Hockey League and 394 games in the World Hockey Association. He played for the Boston Bruins, Cleveland Crusaders, Cincinnati Stingers, Indianapolis Racers, and Quebec Nordiques.- External links :...
, 80 - Career points: Leduc, 144
- Career penalty minutes: Leduc, 227
Season-by-season results
Regular season| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Goals for | Goals against | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–72 1971–72 AHL season The 1971–72 AHL season was the 36th season of the American Hockey League. Major changes occurred in the off-season. The league welcomed four expansion teams, and lost both Quebec-based teams. Eleven teams played 76 games each in the schedule. The Boston Braves finished first overall in the regular... |
76 | 41 | 21 | 14 | 96 | 260 | 191 | 1st, East |
| 1972–73 1972–73 AHL season The 1972–73 AHL season was the 37th season of the American Hockey League. Twelve teams played 76 games each in the schedule. The Cincinnati Swords finished first overall in the regular season, and won the Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:... |
76 | 34 | 20 | 13 | 81 | 248 | 256 | 2nd, East |
| 1973–74 1973–74 AHL season The 1973–74 AHL season was the 38th season of the American Hockey League. The league renamed its divisions, and the "East" Division became the "North" Division, and the "West" Division became the "South" Division. Twelve teams played 76 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished... |
76 | 23 | 30 | 13 | 59 | 239 | 297 | 5th, North |
Playoffs
| Season | 1st round | 2nd round | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–72 1971–72 AHL season The 1971–72 AHL season was the 36th season of the American Hockey League. Major changes occurred in the off-season. The league welcomed four expansion teams, and lost both Quebec-based teams. Eleven teams played 76 games each in the schedule. The Boston Braves finished first overall in the regular... |
W, 4-1, Providence Providence Reds The Providence Reds were a hockey team that played in the Canadian-American Hockey League between 1926–1936 and the American Hockey League from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The team won the Calder Cup in 1938, 1940, 1949, and 1956... |
L, 0-4, Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Voyageurs The Nova Scotia Voyageurs were a professional ice hockey team, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They played in the American Hockey League, from 1971 to 1984. The Voyageurs played their first two seasons , as the Montreal Voyageurs.... |
— |
| 1972–73 1972–73 AHL season The 1972–73 AHL season was the 37th season of the American Hockey League. Twelve teams played 76 games each in the schedule. The Cincinnati Swords finished first overall in the regular season, and won the Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:... |
W, 4-2, Rochester Rochester Americans The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial... |
L, 0-4, Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Voyageurs The Nova Scotia Voyageurs were a professional ice hockey team, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They played in the American Hockey League, from 1971 to 1984. The Voyageurs played their first two seasons , as the Montreal Voyageurs.... |
— |
| 1973–74 1973–74 AHL season The 1973–74 AHL season was the 38th season of the American Hockey League. The league renamed its divisions, and the "East" Division became the "North" Division, and the "West" Division became the "South" Division. Twelve teams played 76 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished... |
Out of playoffs | ||