Denver Spurs/Ottawa Civics

1975-76

Founded: May 19,1975 by St.Louis businessman Ivan Mullenix as the Denver franchise of the World Hockey Association. (Later adopted the name the Spurs.)

---

The Denver Spurs and Ottawa Civics had a very short and confused history. The close of the 1974-75 season saw the Chicago Cougars and the Baltimore Blades fold. The folds left the league with only 13 teams so to spark the situation the World Hockey Association granted Ivan Mullenix a St.Louis businessman a WHA franchise. Expectations were high for the franchise, with only five months before the season started and these could have affected the demise of the team. The team adopted the Spurs nickname, which the Central Hockey League team in Denver used. The team played in a brand new McNicols Arena. The arena was a positive, but the owner Mullenix new that if the team was to survive in Denver that the team would have to not only win on the ice, but fill the arena where the games should be won. The team did the total opposite. They averaged only 3,000 fans and even with the ex-Cougar players on the team they carried a losing record. Mullenix was losing money and decided to move the team to Ottawa and sell the team to the Founders Club. Known now as the Civics the team was averaging over 9,500 fans for 2 games. Unfortunately the Founders Club hadn’t meet the payment on the team ,so Mullenix was forced to fold the team. The remaining of the Civics players were sold too other teams around the league.

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

---

Other Team Facts