Michigan Stags
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The Michigan Stags were an ice hockey team based out of Detroit, USA that played in the World Hockey Association. The team only played part of one season, 1974. On January 18, 1975, the franchise moved to Baltimore to become the Baltimore Blades. Before being in Detroit, the franchise was known as the Los Angeles Sharks. While in Detroit, the team played at Cobo Arena.
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Founded: April 11, 1974 Charles Nolton and Peter Shagena bought the Los Angeles Sharks from Dennis A. Murphy and re-named them the Michigan Stags. The Michigan Stags began play in the 1974-75 season. The owners Nolton and Shagena believed the Stags would and could be an alternative to Red Wings fans. With the Wings struggling and the WHA gaining popularity the Stags opportunity would be great. Unfourtunately the Stags were a disaster. The team was composed of mostly journeymen, with the exception of ex-Canadien Marc Tardif. They also had problems with attendance. The team usually averaged under 3,000 people crowds. The team later were forced to trade Marc Tardif to Quebec and never booked the return of Gordie Howe to Detroit till early February. With all the problems the Stags had they eventually folded on January 18, 1975.
The Baltimore Blades were created a week after the demise of the Stags. The Blades played out of the Baltimore Arena, but like the Stags attendance was a major problem. Also it never helped when the team finished out the season with a 3-13-1 record. The Blades at the end of the season were planning to move to Seattle, but the move never materialized and the Baltimore Blades later folded in May of 1975.
