The Syracuse Blazers were a minor league professional ice hockey team that played in the Onondaga County War Memorial and State Fair Coliseum in Syracuse, New York. The team played in the Eastern Hockey League from 1967 to 1973 and the North American Hockey League from 1973 to 1977.
The Blazers won the final Walker Cup championship of the Eastern Hockey League during the 1972–73 season,http://www.wtvh.com/sports/16372086.html compiling a 63–9–4 regular season record and beating the Roanoke Valley Rebels 4 games to 2 in the Walker Cup finals. Ray Adduono was the leading scorer on the team (54 goals, 116 assists in 76 games) and five other players scored 100 points or more. Ron Ingram was the coach and general manager on the team.
The Blazers also won the first Lockhart Cup of the North American Hockey League, compiling a 54–16–4 record and sweeping the Long Island Cougars in the playoff finals. The Blazers won the NAHL championship again in 1976–77, sweeping the Maine Nordiques in the finals. The Blazers and the NAHL ceased operations before the start of the 1977–78 season.
Paul Newman's film Slap Shot was filmed in part at the Onondaga County War Memorial during the Blazers' 1976 season.
Season-by-season results
SeasonLeagueGamesWonLostTiedPointsWinning %GoalsforGoalsagainstResult1967–68EHL721257 3270.188277583Out of playoffs1968–69EHL72959 4220.153178401Out of playoffs1969–70EHL74233714600.405292350Lost in round 11970–71EHL743630 8800.541302284Lost in round 11971–72EHL75382710860.573340276Lost in finals1972–73EHL76639 41300.855453190Won championship1973–74NAHL745416 41120.757359219Won championship1974–75NAHL744625 3950.642345232Lost in round 21975–76NAHL743833 3790.534284278Lost in round 21976–77NAHL744822 3990.678372261Won championship
References