Miami Screaming Eagles
Encyclopedia
The Miami Screaming Eagles were Miami
's first attempt at a professional ice hockey
team.
Businessman Herb Martin bought a franchise in the World Hockey Association
in 1972. The Eagles were the first to sign players from NHL
clubs, such as Bernie Parent
from the Toronto Maple Leafs
and Boston Bruins
standout Derek Sanderson
. However, the team could not find a suitable arena to play in and was running out of money from the signings, so it moved to Philadelphia and became the Philadelphia Blazers
. After one season, the franchise was moved to Vancouver
and then to Calgary
in 1975 before folding in 1977.
Two decades later, Miami was awarded the National Hockey League
's Florida Panthers
franchise.
Although they never iced a team, replicas of the projected Screaming Eagles jersey continue to sell along with those of actual WHA teams.
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
's first attempt at a professional ice hockey
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.
Businessman Herb Martin bought a franchise in the World Hockey Association
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...
in 1972. The Eagles were the first to sign players from 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...
clubs, such as Bernie Parent
Bernie Parent
Bernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
from the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and 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...
standout Derek Sanderson
Derek Sanderson
Derek Michael Sanderson, nicknamed "Turk", , is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is now a bank executive and restaurateur....
. However, the team could not find a suitable arena to play in and was running out of money from the signings, so it moved to Philadelphia and became the Philadelphia Blazers
Philadelphia Blazers
The Philadelphia Blazers were an ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association for the 1972–73 WHA season that was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
. After one season, the franchise was moved to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and then to Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
in 1975 before folding in 1977.
Two decades later, Miami was awarded the National Hockey League
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...
's Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
franchise.
Although they never iced a team, replicas of the projected Screaming Eagles jersey continue to sell along with those of actual WHA teams.
See also
- Calgary CowboysCalgary CowboysThe Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami...
- Vancouver BlazersVancouver BlazersThe Vancouver Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1973-75. The Blazers played at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, sharing the facility with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League. The Blazers were owned by...
- Philadelphia BlazersPhiladelphia BlazersThe Philadelphia Blazers were an ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association for the 1972–73 WHA season that was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
- List of Blazers/Cowboys (WHA) players
- List of WHA seasons