1973–74 Cleveland Crusaders season

The 1973–74 Cleveland Crusaders season was the Cleveland Crusaders' second season of operation in the World Hockey Association. The Crusaders placed second in the Eastern Division, qualifying for the playoffs. The Crusaders lost in the first round to the Toronto Toros.

Regular season

Final standings

Schedule and results

|1||T||October 6, 1973||2–2 || align="left"| New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74) ||0–0–1

|2||W||October 13, 1973||6–3 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1973–74) ||1–0–1

|3||W||October 14, 1973||3–2 OT|| align="left"| Chicago Cougars (1973–74) ||2–0–1

|4||W||October 20, 1973||6–4 || align="left"| Toronto Toros (1973–74) ||3–0–1

|5||W||October 21, 1973||2–0 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1973–74) ||4–0–1

|6||L||October 23, 1973||3–4 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74) ||4–1–1

|7||W||October 26, 1973||3–1 || align="left"| Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74) ||5–1–1

|8||T||October 27, 1973||2–2 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1973–74) ||5–1–2

|9||W||October 31, 1973||6–4 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1973–74) ||6–1–2

|10||L||November 3, 1973||4–7 || align="left"| Chicago Cougars (1973–74) ||6–2–2

|11||L||November 4, 1973||5–7 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1973–74) ||6–3–2

|12||W||November 10, 1973||4–2 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1973–74) ||7–3–2

|13||L||November 11, 1973||4–6 || align="left"| @ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74) ||7–4–2

|14||W||November 13, 1973||5–2 || align="left"| @ Chicago Cougars (1973–74) ||8–4–2

|15||W||November 16, 1973||4–3 OT|| align="left"| @ Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74) ||9–4–2

|16||L||November 18, 1973||2–8 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Blazers (1973–74) ||9–5–2

|17||L||November 20, 1973||3–5 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1973–74) ||9–6–2

|18||L||November 21, 1973||2–6 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1973–74) ||9–7–2

|19||L||November 23, 1973||2–3 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1973–74) ||9–8–2

|20||W||November 24, 1973||2–1 || align="left"| Toronto Toros (1973–74) ||10–8–2

|21||T||November 29, 1973||4–4 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1973–74) ||10–8–3

|22||W||December 1, 1973||4–2 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1973–74) ||11–8–3

|23||W||December 2, 1973||3–0 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1973–74) ||12–8–3

|24||L||December 6, 1973||2–3 || align="left"| @ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74) ||12–9–3

|25||W||December 8, 1973||2–1 OT|| align="left"| New England Whalers (1973–74) ||13–9–3

|26||L||December 9, 1973||2–3 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1973–74) ||13–10–3

|27||L||December 12, 1973||2–4 || align="left"| New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74) ||13–11–3

|28||L||December 13, 1973||1–3 || align="left"| @ Toronto Toros (1973–74) ||13–12–3

|29||W||December 15, 1973||4–3 || align="left"| Toronto Toros (1973–74) ||14–12–3

|30||T||December 16, 1973||2–2 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1973–74) ||14–12–4

|31||W||December 22, 1973||2–1 || align="left"| Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74) ||15–12–4

|32||W||December 23, 1973||4–2 || align="left"| @ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74) ||16–12–4

|33||L||December 26, 1973||3–5 || align="left"| Vancouver Blazers (1973–74) ||16–13–4

|34||L||December 27, 1973||2–4 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1973–74) ||16–14–4

|35||W||December 29, 1973||3–0 || align="left"| New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74) ||17–14–4

|36||L||December 30, 1973||2–6 || align="left"| @ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74) ||17–15–4

|37||L||January 1, 1974||0–3 || align="left"| @ Toronto Toros (1973–74) ||17–16–4

|38||W||January 5, 1974||1–0 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1973–74) ||18–16–4

|39||W||January 6, 1974||11–3 || align="left"| Vancouver Blazers (1973–74) ||19–16–4

|40||T||January 8, 1974||0–0 || align="left"| @ Chicago Cougars (1973–74) ||19–16–5

|41||W||January 12, 1974||5–4 || align="left"| Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74) ||20–16–5

|42||W||January 13, 1974||4–2 || align="left"| Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74) ||21–16–5

|43||L||January 18, 1974||3–7 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1973–74) ||21–17–5

|44||L||January 20, 1974||2–5 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1973–74) ||21–18–5

|45||L||January 23, 1974||3–6 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Blazers (1973–74) ||21–19–5

|46||W||January 24, 1974||5–3 || align="left"| @ Toronto Toros (1973–74) ||22–19–5

|47||L||January 26, 1974||0–4 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1973–74) ||22–20–5

|48||L||January 27, 1974||3–4 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1973–74) ||22–21–5

|49||W||January 30, 1974||5–1 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1973–74) ||23–21–5

|50||L||February 2, 1974||2–4 || align="left"| Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74) ||23–22–5

|51||W||February 3, 1974||3–1 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1973–74) ||24–22–5

|52||L||February 5, 1974||1–4 || align="left"| @ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74) ||24–23–5

|53||L||February 8, 1974||2–4 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1973–74) ||24–24–5

|54||W||February 9, 1974||4–3 || align="left"| Toronto Toros (1973–74) ||25–24–5

|55||L||February 15, 1974||2–6 || align="left"| @ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74) ||25–25–5

|56||W||February 16, 1974||5–2 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1973–74) ||26–25–5

|57||W||February 17, 1974||6–5 || align="left"| Chicago Cougars (1973–74) ||27–25–5

|58||L||February 19, 1974||5–6 OT|| align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1973–74) ||27–26–5

|59||W||February 23, 1974||7–3 || align="left"| Vancouver Blazers (1973–74) ||28–26–5

|60||L||February 24, 1974||1–2 || align="left"| Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74) ||28–27–5

|61||T||February 28, 1974||6–6 || align="left"| @ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74) ||28–27–6

|62||L||March 1, 1974||4–7 || align="left"| @ Chicago Cougars (1973–74) ||28–28–6

|63||T||March 3, 1974||3–3 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1973–74) ||28–28–7

|64||W||March 5, 1974||6–3 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74) ||29–28–7

|65||W||March 7, 1974||4–2 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Blazers (1973–74) ||30–28–7

|66||W||March 8, 1974||4–1 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1973–74) ||31–28–7

|67||L||March 10, 1974||3–8 || align="left"| @ Toronto Toros (1973–74) ||31–29–7

|68||W||March 13, 1974||4–3 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1973–74) ||32–29–7

|69||T||March 16, 1974||4–4 || align="left"| New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74) ||32–29–8

|70||L||March 17, 1974||3–4 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1973–74) ||32–30–8

|71||W||March 19, 1974||7–4 || align="left"| @ Chicago Cougars (1973–74) ||33–30–8

|72||L||March 20, 1974||4–5 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1973–74) ||33–31–8

|73||W||March 23, 1974||3–1 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1973–74) ||34–31–8

|74||T||March 24, 1974||3–3 || align="left"| Chicago Cougars (1973–74) ||34–31–9

|75||W||March 27, 1974||5–4 OT|| align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1973–74) ||35–31–9

|76||L||March 28, 1974||2–3 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1973–74) ||35–32–9

|77||W||March 30, 1974||5–4 OT|| align="left"| Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74) ||36–32–9

|78||W||March 31, 1974||4–2 || align="left"| @ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74) ||37–32–9

Legend:

Playoffs

| 1 || April 7 || Cleveland Crusaders || 0–4 || Toronto Toros || 0–1

| 2 || April 9 || Cleveland Crusaders || 3–4 || Toronto Toros || 0–2

| 3 || April 12 || Toronto Toros || 4–2 || Cleveland Crusaders || 0–3

| 4 || April 13 || Toronto Toros || 2–3 OT || Cleveland Crusaders || 1–3

| 5 || April 15 || Cleveland Crusaders || 1–4 || Toronto Toros || 1–4

Legend:

Player statistics Players + Regular season Player Position LW 75 31 39 70 6801104 C 76 23 35 58 260407 LW 73 23 33 56 900313 C 69 20 36 56 940503 LW 78 23 27 50 260325 C 49 18 27 45 20603 D 78 13 31 44 1650300 D 76 7 31 38 260100 D 68 12 23 35 470301 RW 69 15 18 33 140632 RW 76 15 14 29 1170102 C 23 19 7 26 70404 D 44 5 21 26 370100 LW/C 30 13 9 22 130101 LW 67 4 14 18 40101 C 43 8 9 17 300101 LW 53 8 9 17 700000 D 76 3 7 10 390100 C 13 3 5 8 60100 D 66 1 7 8 510000 LW 17 2 2 4 160000 RW 10 0 2 2 60000 D 13 0 2 2 60000 LW 4 0 1 1 70000 G 22 0 1 1 20000 C 2 0 0 0 00000 D 25 0 0 0 40000 G 59 0 0 0 300000 D 9 0 0 0 40000 D 4 0 0 0 00000

+ Avco Cup playoffs Player Position D 5 0 4 4 31000 C 5 3 0 3 2000 D 5 1 2 3 0000 LW 5 1 1 2 13000 LW 5 0 2 2 0000 RW 5 1 0 1 0000 LW 2 1 0 1 0000 D 5 1 0 1 0001 RW 5 1 0 1 11000 LW/C 5 0 1 1 2000 LW 5 0 1 1 2000 D 4 0 1 1 0000 C 5 0 1 1 39000 C 5 0 1 1 0000 C 5 0 0 0 2000 G 5 0 0 0 6000 D 5 0 0 0 2000 D 5 0 0 0 16000 C 5 0 0 0 4000 LW 1 0 0 0 0000

Goaltending Player 3562 59 30 20 6 180 3.03 4 1232 22 7 12 3 80 3.90 1 Team: 4794 78 37 32 9 260 3.25 5

+Avco Cup playoffsPlayer 303 5 1 4 18 3.56 0 Team: 303 5 1 4 18 3.56 0

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals       MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts;

Draft picks Cleveland's draft picks at the 1973 WHA Amateur Draft.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)110Lanny McDonald (F)Medicine Hat Tigers (WCHL)224George Pesut (D)Saskatoon Blades (WCHL)336Robbie Neale (F)Brandon Wheat Kings (WCHL)449Russ Walker (RW)Saskatoon Blades (WCHL)562Rich Latulippe (F)Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)675Bob Smulders (F)Peterborough Petes (OHA)788Ron Serafini (D)St. Catharines Black Hawks (OHA)8100Michel Latrielle (D)Montreal Red White and Blue (QMJHL)9111Bruce Greig (LW)Vancouver Nats (WCHL)10120Henry Durkin (G)Swift Current Broncos (WCHL)

See also 1973–74 WHA season

References