36:
219:
Pike's biggest impact on the Blades came when he shifted O'Ree - who'd lost the vision in his right eye to a puck during his junior hockey days – from left wing to right. O'Ree went on to become one of the WHL's most exciting players and prolific scorers, improving from 17 goals in 1963–64 to 38 in
220:
1964–65 and scoring 30 or more goals in three consecutive seasons in Los
Angeles. But the Blades were unable to match O'Ree's artistry, failing to make the playoffs in their final three seasons in the WHL.
216:
took over as coach. While Los
Angeles finished at .500 (31-31-8), the Blades would make it all the way to the WHL finals, where the San Francisco Seals defeated Los Angeles in six games.
250:
from 1993 to 1997; as well, in 1985, a team called the Los
Angeles Blades was organized as the first gay hockey team in the United States. The last link to the Los Angeles Blades is the
171:
general manager Bill
Nicholas revealed that he intended to affiliate with the WHL if he could not gain an NHL franchise. As a result, the WHL evaluated both the Sports Arena and the
209:, the NHL's first black player. Los Angeles won its playoff opener over San Francisco, only to lose the next two games and the best-of-three series to the Seals.
341:
346:
331:
183:
336:
326:
231:– awarded expansion franchises to Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and San Francisco for the 1967–68 season.
321:
258:, founded as a feeder team for Los Angeles in 1964; the Saskatoon club wore hand-me-down Los Angeles Blades uniforms into the 1970s.
100:
53:
72:
277:
79:
144:
235:
was awarded the Los
Angeles franchise, which would be called the Kings; the Blades played their final game in April 1967.
267:
86:
272:
316:
119:
195:
179:
68:
57:
201:
After finishing 25-39-6 in their inaugural season, the Blades improved to 35-32-3 in 1962–63, led by coach
247:
20:
93:
168:
46:
228:
224:
191:
255:
239:
8:
243:
24:
251:
187:
159:
owner Mel Smith informed the WHL that he was considering moving his team to either
232:
206:
194:. The WHL also approved a conditional expansion franchise on the same day, the
156:
310:
164:
202:
137:
238:
The Blades name was used again – once for a short-lived franchise in the
160:
198:, creating an all-California rivalry that would begin in October 1961.
175:
near San
Francisco to evaluate their readiness for possible expansion.
172:
140:
35:
213:
178:
On April 23, 1961, the WHL approved the transfer of the
227:– sensing a possible merger between the WHL and the
60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
182:to a Los Angeles–based ownership group headed by
308:
212:The Blades' breakout year came in 1963–64, when
342:Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1967
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
16:Hockey team in Los Angeles, United States
347:Western Hockey League (1952–1974) teams
332:Defunct ice hockey teams in California
309:
337:Ice hockey clubs established in 1961
327:1967 disestablishments in California
58:adding citations to reliable sources
29:
13:
242:from 1978 to 1979 and again for a
14:
358:
322:1961 establishments in California
34:
45:needs additional citations for
300:, 2020, www.bladeshockey.com/.
290:
278:Ice hockey teams in California
155:Following the 1960–61 season,
1:
283:
69:"Los Angeles Blades" WHL
7:
261:
248:Roller Hockey International
21:Roller Hockey International
10:
363:
268:Los Angeles Blades players
150:
18:
273:Ice hockey in Los Angeles
143:team which played in the
317:Los Angeles Blades (WHL)
169:Los Angeles Sports Arena
229:American Hockey League
225:National Hockey League
256:Western Hockey League
240:Pacific Hockey League
223:On Feb. 9, 1966, the
145:Western Hockey League
254:of the major junior
205:and fleet left wing
167:. At the same time,
54:improve this article
196:San Francisco Seals
147:from 1961 to 1967.
298:Los Angeles Blades
134:Los Angeles Blades
25:Los Angeles Blades
130:
129:
122:
104:
354:
301:
294:
252:Saskatoon Blades
188:Los Angeles Rams
180:Victoria Cougars
125:
118:
114:
111:
105:
103:
62:
38:
30:
362:
361:
357:
356:
355:
353:
352:
351:
307:
306:
305:
304:
295:
291:
286:
264:
233:Jack Kent Cooke
153:
126:
115:
109:
106:
63:
61:
51:
39:
28:
19:For the 1990's
17:
12:
11:
5:
360:
350:
349:
344:
339:
334:
329:
324:
319:
303:
302:
288:
287:
285:
282:
281:
280:
275:
270:
263:
260:
157:Spokane Comets
152:
149:
128:
127:
42:
40:
33:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
359:
348:
345:
343:
340:
338:
335:
333:
330:
328:
325:
323:
320:
318:
315:
314:
312:
299:
293:
289:
279:
276:
274:
271:
269:
266:
265:
259:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
236:
234:
230:
226:
221:
217:
215:
210:
208:
204:
199:
197:
193:
189:
185:
184:James Piggott
181:
176:
174:
170:
166:
165:San Francisco
162:
158:
148:
146:
142:
139:
135:
124:
121:
113:
102:
99:
95:
92:
88:
85:
81:
78:
74:
71: –
70:
66:
65:Find sources:
59:
55:
49:
48:
43:This article
41:
37:
32:
31:
26:
22:
297:
296:“About Us.”
292:
237:
222:
218:
211:
207:Willie O'Ree
203:Jack Bownass
200:
177:
154:
138:minor league
133:
131:
116:
107:
97:
90:
83:
76:
64:
52:Please help
47:verification
44:
161:Los Angeles
311:Categories
284:References
192:Dan Reeves
173:Cow Palace
110:March 2023
80:newspapers
23:team, see
244:franchise
262:See also
214:Alf Pike
151:History
136:were a
94:scholar
190:owner
141:hockey
96:
89:
82:
75:
67:
101:JSTOR
87:books
186:and
132:The
73:news
246:in
163:or
56:by
313::
123:)
117:(
112:)
108:(
98:·
91:·
84:·
77:·
50:.
27:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
