Cleveland Vintage Blog — Hockey

The World Hockey Association came into being in September of 1971, beginning play with 12 original teams. Thanks to Nick Mileti, Cleveland was one of the fortunate 12 teams for that inaugural 1972-73 season, as the Cleveland Crusaders took to the ice at the old Cleveland Arena for the first time. The goal of the World Hockey Association was the same as any upstart league: to become a viable rival to the already well-established league of their sport, the National Hockey League. One of the primary objectives was to establish immediate credibility as a viable alternative and gain fan support...

Ken Dryden, Bernie Parent, Gerry Cheevers, Roger Crozier, and Tony Esposito are just a few of the names that come to mind when discussing NHL goaltenders that shined during the 1970s. Not only did their distinct playing styles get showcased, but their personalities were reflected in their mask designs that really began to catch fans' attention throughout the league. There is one name, however, that rarely gets mentioned in this top-tier list of vintage netminders. It's a goalie that here in Cleveland we had an all-too-brief yet enduring relationship with to this day: Gilles Meloche. Gilles Meloche: A Bright Spot...

The American Hockey League’s Cleveland Barons are arguably one of the most interesting, history-rich professional hockey stories that not many fans outside of, and quite frankly those native to, Cleveland know much about. The Barons played at the Cleveland Arena, considered at the time to be one of the largest and most beautiful facilities in the country. Located at the corner of E. 36th and Euclid Avenue, now the site of the Red Cross, the building literally came to electrified life each and every time the Barons took to the ice to do battle with their AHL foes. So successful was...

The NHL's Cleveland Barons had a blink-and-you'll miss it existence in the league in the 1970s, but we assure you it happened. And maybe, someday, the NHL will rise again in a city with such a storied hockey history.