San Diego Mariners

The San Diego Mariners were an ice hockey team based in San Diego that played in the World Hockey Association. They played from 1974 to 1977. Their home ice was San Diego Sports Arena.[1] Previous to being in San Diego, the team was known as the New York Raiders, New York Golden Blades, and Jersey Knights. The San Diego Mariners' name was adopted the following season by an unrelated franchise in the low-level minor professional Pacific Hockey League (PHL).

San Diego Mariners
CitySan Diego, California
LeagueWorld Hockey Association (1974-77)
Operated1974–1977
Home arenaSan Diego Sports Arena
MediaKCST-TV
KOGO
Franchise history
1972–73New York Raiders
1973–74New York Golden Blades/Jersey Knights
1974–77San Diego Mariners

Notable alumni

Star players for the Mariners included defenseman Harry Howell, center Andre Lacroix, and goaltender Ernie Wakely. The Mariners were coached by Howell (as player-coach) during their first season and Ron Ingram the succeeding two seasons, qualifying for the WHA playoffs each year.

Demise

During the Mariners' final WHA season, the team was owned by San Diego Padres and McDonald's owner Ray Kroc. The team never drew well, and when they only managed to attract 5,000 fans per game, Kroc sold the team to a group who planned to move it to Melbourne, Florida, however, they could not find a suitable arena.[2] The team was then sold to former Philadelphia Flyers minority owner Bill Putnam, who changed the team's name to the "Florida Breakers"[3] and announced they would play at the Hollywood Sportatorium in Hollywood, Florida, between Miami and Fort Lauderdale.[4] After this deal fell apart Jerry Saperstein tried to buy the team and move them to the same area as the Florida Icegators.[5] However, this deal collapsed as well, and after three attempts by three different groups to move the team to Florida all failed, the Mariners folded just before training camp opened in the fall of 1977. Fans who put down deposits for season tickets never got their money back.[6] The last Mariners player active in major professional hockey was Kevin Devine, who played his last NHL game in the 1982-83 NHL season. Mariners' draft pick Don Edwards played in the NHL until 1986, but never played in the WHA.

Team colors

Team colors for the Mariners were orange and blue. The uniforms were the same design as the team wore as the New York Raiders and Jersey Knights, albeit with the jersey crest replaced with San Diego spelled out diagonally across the front. The color scheme was the same as it was for the San Diego Gulls of the old Western Hockey League. The color scheme was later adopted in the form of throwback jerseys for the now-defunct WCHL/ECHL San Diego Gulls.

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

SeasonGPWLTPtsGFGAPIMFinishPlayoffs
1974–7578433149032626810582nd, WesternWon quarterfinals (Toros)
Lost Semifinals (Aeros)
1975–768036386783032907163rd, WesternWon preliminaries (Roadrunners)
Lost Quarterfinals (Aeros)
1976–778140374842842838343rd, WesternLost quarterfinals (Jets)
Totals239119106142529138412608

Name reused in new league

After the WHA Mariners folded, San Diego Arena operator Peter Graham joined the idea for a new low-level minor professional hockey league on the West Coast, the Pacific Hockey League (PHL). Graham used the name of the defunct WHA team, founding an unrelated San Diego Mariners in the PHL in 1977. Those Mariners were sold in 1978 to Pittsburgh businessman Elmer Jonnet, and played in the PHL's second and final season as the "San Diego Hawks".[7]

gollark: Not if I get the copper first! And actually remember to visit on the 5-minute drops!
gollark: fkkku or something in volcano.
gollark: At least to the degree of paying for itself.
gollark: I mean, it's kind of a business anyway.
gollark: Link please?

See also

References
  1. Maffei, John (July 6, 2013). "Sports site No. 3: San Diego Sports Arena". U-T San Diego. San Diego, CA: MLIM Holdings. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  2. History page at WHAHockey.com
  3. "Florida Breakers Press Conference".
  4. "Breakers go looking for new team to buy". The Miami News. July 26, 1976. p. 2C. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  5. Sarni, Jim (May 7, 1986). "Daydream Believer Years Ago, Saperstein Almost Brought Hockey To Florida". Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
  6. Seiden, Henry (May 2, 1977). "Pro hockey coming this way". The Miami News. p. 1A. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  7. The Story of the Pacific Hockey League
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