The Minnesota Fighting Saints -- A Colorful Franchise That Lived Up To It's Name
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Gordie "Machine Gun" Gallant gets the short end of this brawl with Pheonix Roadrunner Peter McNamee in 1975
The first team was one of the WHA's original twelve franchises. They played four seasons, beginning in the inaugural 1972-73 season. The Fighting Saints' first game was played Friday, Oct. 13, 1972, at the St. Paul Auditorium, best remembered for its unique clear plexiglas boards. The Saints lost 4-3 to the Winnipeg Jets. Partway through their first season, the new St. Paul Civic Center opened in January 1973. Their first game in the new arena was Jan. 1, 1973, a 4-4 overtime tie with the Houston Aeros.
The team colors were royal blue, white and new gold. The name was taken from the St. Paul Saints of the Central Hockey League, who had used the nickname "The Fighting Saints" in promotional material.
The roughhousing Saints caught the fancy of Minnesota hockey market, often out-drawing the cross town North Stars. When they added Dave Keon prior to the 1975-76 campaign, they become one of the WHA's elite teams. In fact, the team had a winning record, 30-25-4, when it ceased operations on February 28, 1976, due to its financial struggles.
Their last game was played Wednesday, Feb. 25, 1976, at the Civic Center, a 2-1 overtime loss to the San Diego Mariners.
After the NHL's California Golden Seals moved to Cleveland to become the Cleveland Barons, the WHA's Cleveland Crusaders moved to Saint Paul for the 1976-77 season. Like their predecessors, this second version of the Saints (sometimes called the "New Fighting Saints") had a winning record through their first 42 games (19-18-5), but when owner Nick Mileti was unable to sell the team to local buyers, he elected to fold the franchise on January 20, 1977. The team's logo and uniform design were identical to the first team's, but with scarlet replacing blue in the color scheme.
The "New" Fighting Saints played their final game on Friday, Jan. 14, 1977, a 9-5 home win over the Indianapolis Racers.
Ted Hampson was the Saints' captain in their first four seasons. In the final season, Ron Ward was the team captain, replaced in mid-season by John Arbour.
Among the Saints' notable players in their brief history were Wayne Connelly (the team's career scoring leader), Mike Walton, Mike Antonovich (the team's career games leader), Ted Hampson, Dave Keon, John McKenzie and Rick Smith, tough guys Jack Carlson, Gord Gallant, Curt Brackenbury, Bill Butters and Paul Holmgren and goalies Mike Curran and John Garrett. Wikepedia
Mike "Shakey" Walton was the Minnesota Fighting Saints top all-time player
Bill Butters (2) get a fistful of Kevin Devine's afro while Jack Carlson pummels a San Deigo Mariner in the background
Curt Brackenbury keep stabs on Nick Fotiu in this 1975 Whalers-Saints playoff duel. Nick's two black eyes are courtesy of Jack Carslon two nights prior.
"We are without merit. We are in free fall. We are a generation of guys with no statistics - only stories. We are WHA guys living in a WHA world." - Al Smith, goaltender New England Whalers
