The 1972–73 Cleveland Crusaders season was the first season of operation of the new Cleveland Crusaders in the new World Hockey Association. The team qualified for the playoffs and won its first series, before losing in the Division semi-final.
Regular season
Final standings
Schedule and results
|1||W||October 11, 1972||2–0 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1972–73) ||1–0–0
|2||W||October 14, 1972||3–2 || align="left"| Alberta Oilers (1972–73) ||2–0–0
|3||W||October 15, 1972||7–5 || align="left"| @ Ottawa Nationals (1972–73) ||3–0–0
|4||W||October 17, 1972||4–3 OT|| align="left"| New York Raiders (1972–73) ||4–0–0
|5||W||October 19, 1972||3–1 || align="left"| @ New York Raiders (1972–73) ||5–0–0
|6||L||October 21, 1972||3–5 || align="left"| Ottawa Nationals (1972–73) ||5–1–0
|7||L||October 24, 1972||2–3 OT|| align="left"| New England Whalers (1972–73) ||5–2–0
|8||W||October 25, 1972||8–2 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73) ||6–2–0
|9||W||October 27, 1972||6–0 || align="left"| Alberta Oilers (1972–73) ||7–2–0
|10||T||October 29, 1972||2–2 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1972–73) ||7–2–1
|11||L||November 1, 1972||5–7 || align="left"| Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73) ||7–3–1
|12||W||November 4, 1972||5–3 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1972–73) ||8–3–1
|13||W||November 11, 1972||4–1 || align="left"| @ Chicago Cougars (1972–73) ||9–3–1
|14||W||November 12, 1972||3–1 || align="left"| @ Alberta Oilers (1972–73) ||10–3–1
|15||L||November 14, 1972||3–5 || align="left"| @ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972–73) ||10–4–1
|16||W||November 16, 1972||6–3 || align="left"| Ottawa Nationals (1972–73) ||11–4–1
|17||W||November 17, 1972||3–0 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1972–73) ||12–4–1
|18||L||November 19, 1972||2–4 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1972–73) ||12–5–1
|19||W||November 21, 1972||5–2 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73) ||13–5–1
|20||W||November 24, 1972||3–2 OT|| align="left"| Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73) ||14–5–1
|21||L||November 25, 1972||1–3 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1972–73) ||14–6–1
|22||L||November 27, 1972||0–3 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1972–73) ||14–7–1
|23||L||November 28, 1972||1–3 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1972–73) ||14–8–1
|24||L||November 30, 1972||2–3 || align="left"| @ Ottawa Nationals (1972–73) ||14–9–1
|25||W||December 2, 1972||8–2 || align="left"| Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73) ||15–9–1
|26||L||December 3, 1972||2–5 || align="left"| @ New York Raiders (1972–73) ||15–10–1
|27||W||December 5, 1972||4–3 OT|| align="left"| @ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73) ||16–10–1
|28||W||December 7, 1972||3–1 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1972–73) ||17–10–1
|29||L||December 9, 1972||2–3 OT|| align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1972–73) ||17–11–1
|30||L||December 10, 1972||3–4 OT|| align="left"| @ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972–73) ||17–12–1
|31||W||December 15, 1972||6–3 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1972–73) ||18–12–1
|32||L||December 17, 1972||2–3 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1972–73) ||18–13–1
|33||L||December 19, 1972||1–6 || align="left"| @ Chicago Cougars (1972–73) ||18–14–1
|34||W||December 21, 1972||6–2 || align="left"| New York Raiders (1972–73) ||19–14–1
|35||W||December 23, 1972||3–1 || align="left"| Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972–73) ||20–14–1
|36||W||December 25, 1972||8–0 || align="left"| Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73) ||21–14–1
|37||W||December 29, 1972||5–3 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1972–73) ||22–14–1
|38||W||December 30, 1972||4–3 OT|| align="left"| Houston Aeros (1972–73) ||23–14–1
|39||W||January 11, 1973||4–3 || align="left"| @ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972–73) ||24–14–1
|40||L||January 12, 1973||3–5 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1972–73) ||24–15–1
|41||L||January 14, 1973||1–3 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1972–73) ||24–16–1
|42||W||January 16, 1973||4–3 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73) ||25–16–1
|43||W||January 17, 1973||5–0 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1972–73) ||26–16–1
|44||W||January 19, 1973||4–1 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73) ||27–16–1
|45||L||January 21, 1973||2–3 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73) ||27–17–1
|46||W||January 23, 1973||5–4 OT|| align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1972–73) ||28–17–1
|47||L||January 25, 1973||4–7 || align="left"| Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73) ||28–18–1
|48||W||January 27, 1973||2–1 || align="left"| @ Chicago Cougars (1972–73) ||29–18–1
|49||W||January 29, 1973||3–2 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1972–73) ||30–18–1
|50||L||January 31, 1973||1–4 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1972–73) ||30–19–1
|51||T||February 1, 1973||2–2 || align="left"| Ottawa Nationals (1972–73) ||30–19–2
|52||W||February 2, 1973||5–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73) ||31–19–2
|53||W||February 4, 1973||3–2 || align="left"| @ Ottawa Nationals (1972–73) ||32–19–2
|54||W||February 5, 1973||7–5 || align="left"| Chicago Cougars (1972–73) ||33–19–2
|55||W||February 10, 1973||8–4 || align="left"| New York Raiders (1972–73) ||34–19–2
|56||L||February 11, 1973||1–6 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73) ||34–20–2
|57||W||February 12, 1973||8–2 || align="left"| New York Raiders (1972–73) ||35–20–2
|58||L||February 14, 1973||5–6 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73) ||35–21–2
|59||L||February 17, 1973||3–7 || align="left"| Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972–73) ||35–22–2
|60||W||February 20, 1973||5–4 || align="left"| Alberta Oilers (1972–73) ||36–22–2
|61||L||February 24, 1973||2–5 || align="left"| Chicago Cougars (1972–73) ||36–23–2
|62||L||February 25, 1973||5–9 || align="left"| @ New York Raiders (1972–73) ||36–24–2
|63||L||February 27, 1973||1–2 || align="left"| @ Ottawa Nationals (1972–73) ||36–25–2
|64||W||March 3, 1973||4–3 || align="left"| @ New York Raiders (1972–73) ||37–25–2
|65||L||March 7, 1973||0–1 OT|| align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1972–73) ||37–26–2
|66||L||March 9, 1973||4–5 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1972–73) ||37–27–2
|67||W||March 11, 1973||11–2 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1972–73) ||38–27–2
|68||L||March 13, 1973||2–4 || align="left"| @ Alberta Oilers (1972–73) ||38–28–2
|69||L||March 14, 1973||2–4 || align="left"| @ Alberta Oilers (1972–73) ||38–29–2
|70||L||March 17, 1973||0–2 || align="left"| Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73) ||38–30–2
|71||T||March 19, 1973||5–5 || align="left"| Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73) ||38–30–3
|72||L||March 20, 1973||1–4 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1972–73) ||38–31–3
|73||L||March 24, 1973||1–2 OT|| align="left"| Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972–73) ||38–32–3
|74||W||March 25, 1973||4–2 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1972–73) ||39–32–3
|75||W||March 26, 1973||7–5 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1972–73) ||40–32–3
|76||W||March 30, 1973||4–2 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1972–73) ||41–32–3
|77||W||March 31, 1973||4–2 || align="left"| Ottawa Nationals (1972–73) ||42–32–3
|78||W||April 1, 1973||5–1 || align="left"| Chicago Cougars (1972–73) ||43–32–3
Legend:
Playoffs
| 1 || April 4 || Philadelphia Blazers || 2–3 OT || Cleveland Crusaders || 1–0
| 2 || April 7 || Philadelphia Blazers || 7–1 || Cleveland Crusaders || 2–0
| 3 || April 8 || Cleveland Crusaders || 3–1 || Philadelphia Blazers || 3–0
| 4 || April 11 || Cleveland Crusaders || 6–2 || Philadelphia Blazers || 4–0
| 1 || April 18 || Cleveland Crusaders || 2 – 3 || New England Whalers || 0–1
| 2 || April 19 || Cleveland Crusaders || 2 – 3 || New England Whalers || 0–2
| 3 || April 21 || New England Whalers || 5 – 4 || Cleveland Crusaders || 0–3
| 4 || April 22 || New England Whalers || 2 – 5 || Cleveland Crusaders || 1–3
| 5 || April 26 || Cleveland Crusaders || 1 – 3 || New England Whalers || 1–4
Legend:
Player statistics Players + Regular season Player Position C 75 37 44 81 200605 LW 77 40 39 79 790807 C 70 28 43 71 240403 LW 78 30 36 66 1210733 RW 66 21 30 51 120700 C 72 17 33 50 800100 D 73 5 43 48 1690010 D 78 11 36 47 410100 LW 77 15 29 44 230210 LW 77 21 20 41 450500 RW 74 15 23 38 930200 LW/C 73 15 11 26 60200 D 66 6 20 26 680300 C 26 9 10 19 610200 D 74 2 17 19 550000 C 72 8 8 16 80160 D 67 2 13 15 620000 D 29 4 5 9 440000 D 74 1 7 8 370000 RW 7 0 2 2 00000 G 52 0 1 1 300000 G 26 0 0 0 50000
+ Avco Cup playoffs Player Position LW 9 8 3 11 19301 C 9 3 8 11 13101 LW 9 2 9 11 30100 C 9 7 3 10 0101 RW 9 2 8 10 2100 LW 9 3 5 8 11100 RW 9 1 3 4 13100 D 9 1 3 4 14000 D 8 1 3 4 19000 LW 9 2 1 3 2001 D 9 1 2 3 8000 C 9 1 2 3 27001 C 7 0 2 2 0000 C 9 1 0 1 0010 D 8 0 1 1 6000 D 9 0 1 1 10000 D 9 0 1 1 6000 D 2 0 0 0 0000 LW/C 9 0 0 0 6000 G 9 0 0 0 4000
Goaltending Player 3144 52 32 20 0 149 2.84 5 1609 26 11 12 3 88 3.28 0 Team: 4753 78 43 32 3 237 2.99 5
Playoffs Player 548 9 5 4 22 2.41 Team: 548 9 5 4 22 2.41
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;
See also 1972–73 WHA season
References