THE MICHIGAN STAGS World Hockey Association (1972 - 1979)

The Michigan Stags joined the WHA in 1974 when two Detroiters bought the Los Angeles Sharks from Dennis Murphy, one of the founders of the WHA. They renamed the club and moved it to Detroit, where the Stags played their home games out of Cobo Arena.

Believing the Stags could be an exciting alternative to the ailing Detroit Red Wings, the owners hired former Red Wings player and coach Johnny Wilson to coach the team and planned on bringing NHL legend Gordie Howe to the ice.

However, the Stags could never quite get their act together. Comprised mostly of journeyman players, the franchise suffered major attendance problems, averaging only 3,000 spectators - not nearly enough to break even. Scheduling conflicts held up Gordie Howe’s start with the team until February of 1975, but by then it was too late.

The Michigan Stags folded in January of 1975 and moved to Baltimore to become the Baltimore Blades. The WHA continued on for a few more years and debuted many future NHL superstars such as Wayne Gretzky, Ken Linseman, and Mike Gartner. In the end, 4 of the remaining 6 teams of the WHA merged with the NHL and the league was terminated.

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