1979–80 Colorado Rockies season

The 1979–80 Colorado Rockies season was the franchise's fourth season in Colorado and their sixth in the NHL. Trying to jolt the fan base and create some excitement for the club, the team hired Don Cherry, who had been fired by the Boston Bruins, and installed him as the new head coach. In addition, a major mid-season trade netted the Rockies legendary goal-scorer and future Hall-of-Famer Lanny McDonald from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With the first pick overall in the draft, the Rockies selected offensive-minded defenseman Rob Ramage. It was the first time that the Rockies had the first pick overall.

Offseason

NHL draft

Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team1 1 Rob Ramage Defense London Knights (OHL)464Steve PetersCenterOshawa Generals (OMJHL)585Gary DillonCenterToronto Marlboros (OMJHL)6106Bob AttwellRight wingPeterborough Petes (OMJHL)

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

|1||T||October 11, 1979||3–3 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1979–80) ||0–0–1

|2||L||October 13, 1979||1–2 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80) ||0–1–1

|3||L||October 14, 1979||2–4 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1979–80) ||0–2–1

|4||L||October 18, 1979||2–5 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1979–80) ||0–3–1

|5||W||October 20, 1979||4–1 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1979–80) ||1–3–1

|6||L||October 23, 1979||4–7 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1979–80) ||1–4–1

|7||T||October 26, 1979||2–2 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80) ||1–4–2

|8||L||October 28, 1979||2–4 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1979–80) ||1–5–2

|9||L||October 30, 1979||1–3 || align="left"| @ Atlanta Flames (1979–80) ||1–6–2

|10||L||October 31, 1979||2–4 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80) ||1–7–2

|11||W||November 3, 1979||7–2 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1979–80) ||2–7–2

|12||L||November 6, 1979||2–7 || align="left"| Hartford Whalers (1979–80) ||2–8–2

|13||L||November 9, 1979||5–6 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1979–80) ||2–9–2

|14||W||November 11, 1979||5–3 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1979–80) ||3–9–2

|15||L||November 13, 1979||1–4 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1979–80) ||3–10–2

|16||L||November 15, 1979||1–4 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1979–80) ||3–11–2

|17||L||November 17, 1979||1–4 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80) ||3–12–2

|18||T||November 20, 1979||3–3 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (1979–80) ||3–12–3

|19||W||November 23, 1979||5–2 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1979–80) ||4–12–3

|20||L||November 24, 1979||3–4 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1979–80) ||4–13–3

|21||W||November 28, 1979||7–4 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1979–80) ||5–13–3

|22||L||December 1, 1979||4–5 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80) ||5–14–3

|23||W||December 2, 1979||5–3 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1979–80) ||6–14–3

|24||W||December 4, 1979||3–1 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1979–80) ||7–14–3

|25||L||December 7, 1979||3–5 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1979–80) ||7–15–3

|26||W||December 9, 1979||7–5 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1979–80) ||8–15–3

|27||L||December 12, 1979||3–5 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80) ||8–16–3

|28||L||December 14, 1979||3–5 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1979–80) ||8–17–3

|29||W||December 15, 1979||6–5 || align="left"| Hartford Whalers (1979–80) ||9–17–3

|30||L||December 18, 1979||2–3 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1979–80) ||9–18–3

|31||L||December 19, 1979||3–6 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1979–80) ||9–19–3

|32||W||December 21, 1979||5–4 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1979–80) ||10–19–3

|33||L||December 26, 1979||3–4 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1979–80) ||10–20–3

|34||W||December 27, 1979||4–3 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1979–80) ||11–20–3

|35||L||December 29, 1979||2–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80) ||11–21–3

|36||W||December 31, 1979||5–3 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1979–80) ||12–21–3

|37||L||January 2, 1980||2–5 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80) ||12–22–3

|38||L||January 4, 1980||2–4 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1979–80) ||12–23–3

|39||T||January 8, 1980||2–2 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1979–80) ||12–23–4

|40||L||January 11, 1980||3–4 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1979–80) ||12–24–4

|41||L||January 13, 1980||2–6 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1979–80) ||12–25–4

|42||T||January 14, 1980||6–6 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1979–80) ||12–25–5

|43||L||January 16, 1980||1–5 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1979–80) ||12–26–5

|44||L||January 17, 1980||1–4 || align="left"| Atlanta Flames (1979–80) ||12–27–5

|45||L||January 19, 1980||1–3 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1979–80) ||12–28–5

|46||W||January 22, 1980||5–3 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1979–80) ||13–28–5

|47||W||January 24, 1980||4–1 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80) ||14–28–5

|48||T||January 26, 1980||4–4 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1979–80) ||14–28–6

|49||T||January 27, 1980||3–3 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1979–80) ||14–28–7

|50||L||January 30, 1980||2–3 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1979–80) ||14–29–7

|51||T||February 2, 1980||2–2 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1979–80) ||14–29–8

|52||L||February 3, 1980||2–6 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1979–80) ||14–30–8

|53||L||February 7, 1980||3–4 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1979–80) ||14–31–8

|54||T||February 8, 1980||4–4 || align="left"| @ Hartford Whalers (1979–80) ||14–31–9

|55||L||February 10, 1980||1–6 || align="left"| Atlanta Flames (1979–80) ||14–32–9

|56||L||February 14, 1980||3–5 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1979–80) ||14–33–9

|57||L||February 16, 1980||3–5 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1979–80) ||14–34–9

|58||W||February 19, 1980||8–6 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80) ||15–34–9

|59||W||February 22, 1980||3–1 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1979–80) ||16–34–9

|60||T||February 24, 1980||1–1 || align="left"| Washington Capitals (1979–80) ||16–34–10

|61||L||February 27, 1980||3–4 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80) ||16–35–10

|62||L||March 1, 1980||1–4 || align="left"| @ Atlanta Flames (1979–80) ||16–36–10

|63||W||March 2, 1980||3–1 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (1979–80) ||17–36–10

|64||L||March 4, 1980||1–4 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80) ||17–37–10

|65||L||March 7, 1980||2–4 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80) ||17–38–10

|66||T||March 9, 1980||4–4 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1979–80) ||17–38–11

|67||L||March 11, 1980||1–4 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1979–80) ||17–39–11

|68||L||March 12, 1980||0–6 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1979–80) ||17–40–11

|69||L||March 15, 1980||1–4 || align="left"| @ Hartford Whalers (1979–80) ||17–41–11

|70||T||March 16, 1980||4–4 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80) ||17–41–12

|71||L||March 18, 1980||1–4 || align="left"| @ Washington Capitals (1979–80) ||17–42–12

|72||L||March 20, 1980||2–6 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1979–80) ||17–43–12

|73||W||March 22, 1980||5–1 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1979–80) ||18–43–12

|74||L||March 23, 1980||1–7 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1979–80) ||18–44–12

|75||L||March 25, 1980||2–5 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1979–80) ||18–45–12

|76||W||March 28, 1980||5–0 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80) ||19–45–12

|77||T||March 30, 1980||2–2 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80) ||19–45–13

|78||L||April 1, 1980||3–4 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1979–80) ||19–46–13

|79||L||April 4, 1980||2–6 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1979–80) ||19–47–13

|80||L||April 6, 1980||2–3 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1979–80) ||19–48–13

Legend:

Player statistics

Regular season Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG RW 69 28 35 63 79-201000 D 67 11 40 51 33-13511 C 77 25 25 50 8-7602 RW 46 25 20 45 43-15803 C 70 24 19 43 36-18401 C 75 19 24 43 76-24504 RW 75 16 23 39 100-11001 C 75 7 23 30 16-23011 D 75 8 20 28 135-40403 RW 34 10 16 26 41-6221 D 74 1 17 18 78-30000 RW 51 8 8 16 23-17000 LW 24 7 9 16 10-2000 D 41 4 11 15 23-6201 RW 20 9 4 13 53-10211 D 35 5 7 12 26-21100 D 62 3 8 11 45-17100 LW 40 4 5 9 22-18100 D 46 0 9 9 10-4000 C 30 3 4 7 2-7100 C 22 2 5 7 60000 D 42 1 6 7 25-10000 C 10 2 4 6 2-1000 D 10 1 5 6 8-2000 C 13 5 0 5 2-5000 C 33 2 3 5 4-11010 LW 15 1 4 5 4-4100 C 17 0 4 4 2-14000 RW 7 1 1 2 0-5000 D 10 1 0 1 2-3000 D 27 1 0 1 510000 C 11 0 1 1 4-2000 LW 5 0 1 1 4-1000 D 8 0 1 1 2-3000 C 2 0 1 1 01000 G 49 0 0 0 60000 LW 10 0 0 0 19-5000 G 26 0 0 0 20000 G 12 0 0 0 40000 G 6 0 0 0 00000 C 2 0 0 0 0-2000 LW 2 0 0 0 00000 LW 5 0 0 0 2-1000 Goaltending PlayerMINGPW LTGAGAA SO 2574 49 9 27 6 161 3.75 0 1342 26 9 12 3 78 3.49 1 557 12 1 6 2 39 4.20 0 327 6 0 3 2 26 4.77 0 Team: 4800 80 19 48 13 304 3.80 1

Note: 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;

Transactions On December 29, 1979, the Maple Leafs traded Lanny McDonald and Joel Quenneville to the Colorado Rockies for Wilf Paiement and Pat Hickey.Legends of Hockey – Spotlight – One on One with Lanny McDonald

Farm teams Affiliations have included: Flint Generals, Fort Worth Texans

References

External links Rockies on Hockey Database