Ottawa Nationals
The Ottawa Nationals were a professional men's ice hockey team based out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada that played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) during the 1972–73 WHA season.
| Ottawa Nationals | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Ottawa, Ontario |
| League | World Hockey Association |
| Operated | 1972–73 |
| Home arena | Ottawa Civic Centre |
| Media | TVOntario CKOY |
| Franchise history | |
| 1972–1973 | Ottawa Nationals |
| 1973 playoffs | Ontario Nationals |
| 1973–1976 | Toronto Toros |
| 1976–1979 | Birmingham Bulls |
The WHA had originally granted a franchise to Doug Michel for "Ontario." Original plans called for the team to play at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. However, Michel couldn't get a favourable lease for the Gardens. Afterward, it was expected that Hamilton would be the team's home, but they were eventually placed in Ottawa. Nick Trbovich became majority owner before the season began, with Michel running hockey operations.
They were coached by Billy Harris and led on the ice by Wayne Carleton, who scored 42 goals and 92 points during the season. They hosted the first game in the WHA, held on October 11, 1972, when they played as the home team at the Civic Centre versus the Edmonton Oilers, known as the Alberta Oilers, who defeated the Nationals 7-4.
Their arena was the Ottawa Civic Centre, but they were a flop at the box office, averaging about 3,000 fans per game. Before the season ended, the City of Ottawa demanded a payment of $100,000 to secure dates for the following season. Rather than agree to this demand, the Nationals opted to move elsewhere for the next season and play its playoff dates in Toronto. During this playoff series, the team was referred to as the Ontario Nationals. After the end of the season, the team was sold to John F. Bassett and became the Toronto Toros.
The last Ottawa Nationals player active in North American major professional hockey was Mike Amodeo, who left the NHL after the 1979-80 season, which was his only season in the NHL. He would play hockey in Sweden and Italy until his retirement in 1983.
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Season | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1972–73 | 78 | 35 | 39 | 4 | 74 | 279 | 301 | 1067 | 4th, Eastern | Lost Quarter-final (Whalers) |