The Ottawa Civics were a professional ice hockey team based out of Ottawa that played in the World Hockey Association . The team, which hastily adopted its identity in midseason when the Denver Spurs announced plans to sell the team and relocate to Ottawa, existed for approximately two weeks, folding after only seven games.
38-638: The Denver Spurs began play in the Western Hockey League in 1968, and had been modestly successful in the minors before moving to the WHA in 1975. However, fans in Denver had been expecting a National Hockey League team after Spurs owner Ivan Mullenix won a conditional NHL expansion franchise to begin play in 1976-77, only to see those plans fizzle out. The Spurs were plagued by financial difficulties and poor attendance (fewer than 3,000 per game), widely attributed to
76-545: A partnership with the USL organization which began formal affiliation between some USL teams and MLS teams. The partnership continued to deepen through the 2010s; by the end of that decade, most MLS teams fielded their reserve teams in the USLC, while a few had their reserve sides in USL1 instead of the USLC. For several years, MLS nominally required all of its teams to either field a reserve team in
114-631: Is a North American indoor soccer league that serves as the developmental league of the Major Arena Soccer League . Minor league baseball is almost as old as the professional game itself, and at first consisted of attempts to play baseball in smaller cities and towns independent of the National League , the first true major league. Soon, scouts for the National League were traveling to watch minor league teams play and attempting to sign
152-535: Is not used, although teams have been informally "promoted" from lower leagues up to Major League Soccer. The United Soccer League operates the USL League Two (formerly the Premier Development League, or PDL), a semi-professional league that has some age restrictions. The National Premier Soccer League operates at approximately the same level as USL League Two. In 2013 Major League Soccer announced
190-544: Is the most prominent of the minor hockey leagues in North America. Minor League Cricket (MiLC) is a developmental league of Major League Cricket that began play in 2021. Other sports organizations considered to be minor leagues are golf's Korn Ferry Tour and Epson Tour , respectively affiliated with the PGA Tour and LPGA ; NASCAR 's Xfinity Series , Camping World Truck Series and Whelen All-American Series (and to
228-584: Is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in various sports. They generally have lesser fan bases, much smaller revenues and salaries, and are used to develop players for bigger leagues. The minor league concept is a manifestation of the franchise system used in North American sports , whereby the group of major league teams in each sport is fixed for long periods between expansions or other adjustments, which only take place with
266-595: The Atlantic Coast Football League , and most recently, the league owned-and-operated NFL Europe . In modern times, the NFL has developed players not ready for the active roster through each team's practice squad . Several NFL owners had purchased teams in the Arena Football League in the mid-2000s, prior to its bankruptcy and restructuring. Arena football is played under very different conditions, and
304-541: The ECHL . On "the farm", the NHL team will develop young players, occasionally rehabilitate older players who are injured or whose quality of play has slumped. These teams, in turn, have lower-level minor leagues to draw players from and pass players down to. Minor professional ice hockey leagues should not be confused with Junior (amateur players) or Senior (semi-professional to amateur) ice hockey leagues. The American Hockey League
342-584: The New Jersey Devils . Major league hockey would ultimately return to Ottawa when the reborn Senators joined the NHL as an expansion team in the 1992-93 season. The last active Spurs/Civics player in the NHL was Ron Delorme , who retired after the 1984-85 season. The Civics' 7-game, two-week existence made them easily the shortest-lived team in the WHA's seven-year history, and one of the shortest-lived teams in North American major league history. Only
380-998: The Tonawanda Kardex Lumbermen , who played only one week in the American Professional Football Association, forerunner of the National Football League , in 1921, are known to have a shorter existence. Combined with the 34 games played as the Spurs, the Spurs/Civics were also easily the shortest-lived franchise in WHA history. This listing includes 34 games played as the Denver Spurs. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes Western Hockey League (1952%E2%80%931974) The Western Hockey League ( WHL )
418-546: The United Football League and both the 2001 and 2020 incarnations of the XFL, have sought to maintain independence and maintain a national profile while acknowledging the lack of funds (particularly from television, which is by far the NFL's largest revenue stream) that would be needed to compete for NFL-caliber talent. The UFL during its existence was recognized and accepted as the second tier of professional football behind
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#1732851568448456-668: The United States Soccer Federation , but through the affiliated United States Adult Soccer Association . The USL organization has announced plans to create a full women's developmental pathway, establishing the semi-professional third-level USL W League (USLW; not to be confused with its former W-League) in 2022 and planning to launch the USL Super League (USLS) in 2023. The USL has applied for U.S. Soccer sanctioning of USLS; it has not yet announced its sanctioning plans for USLW. The Major Arena Soccer League 2 (M2)
494-523: The Western Canada Senior Hockey League . In 1952, it adopted the WHL name. In the late 1950s, Ron Butlin and Arthur Ryan Smith hosted a hot stove league on radio broadcasts of the league. The Western Hockey League was managed for most of its history by Al Leader . During the 1960s, the WHL moved into a number of large west coast markets including Los Angeles and San Francisco. There
532-464: The "NBA D-League") and NBA Summer League . The now-defunct Continental Basketball Association (CBA) served some of the purposes of a minor league for the NBA for many years. However, there were no direct developmental agreements between CBA and NBA teams the way that there are between Major League Baseball and National Hockey League teams and their minor league affiliates. Pro Semi-Pro The sport with
570-568: The AFL had its own minor league, af2 , until 2009. Several other independent indoor football leagues that play a similar game exist. Similarly, the Canadian Football League , though it has developed ties with the NFL in recent years and has moved away from competing with the NFL for talent, plays a visibly different game than the American game, and the two sports favor different types of skills;
608-558: The CFL arguably holds major league status in its home territory of Canada . Several minor or developmental leagues, independent of the NFL, have come and gone. Some, such as the Alliance of American Football and Fall Experimental Football League (along with the FXFL's successor, the still extant but non-paying The Spring League ), have explicit minor league and developmental aspirations. Others, such as
646-675: The Denver fanbase rejecting the WHA as a major league. However, they were also dogged by rumours that the NHL was planning to move either the Kansas City Scouts or the league-owned California Golden Seals to Denver; the Scouts would indeed eventually move to Denver as the Colorado Rockies in the 1976 offseason. Mullenix knew that he could not possibly compete with an NHL team. The team unofficially folded in December when Mullenix wanted out, and
684-567: The Founders Club was not willing to meet Mullenix' asking price for the team, and Mullenix was not interested in operating a team in Ottawa. After the first home game, he gave the Founders Club an ultimatum–come up with $ 1.5 million within 10 days, or he would fold the team. When the Founders Club only offered $ 1 million, the Civics folded on January 17, 1976 after only playing 7 games as Ottawa. Because of
722-516: The NFL, with several former NFL stars playing in the UFL near the ends of their careers. High-level Low-level High-level Mid-level Low-level Below Major League Soccer several lower-level leagues operate on both sides of the U.S.–Canada border as part of the American and Canadian soccer pyramids. As is standard for sports in both countries , the formal promotion and relegation system
760-563: The NHL announced in June 1974 that the owners of both the Denver Spurs and Seattle Totems had been granted "conditional" NHL franchises (neither of which came to fruition), the WHL announced the same day that it was folding. A few of its surviving teams were absorbed into the Central Hockey League (CHL). The Phoenix Roadrunners franchise jumped to the WHA for the 1974–75 season, while
798-500: The Short-Season A level eliminated from the minor leagues, and all leagues above Rookie level in the affiliated system renamed. Also, four independent leagues were officially designated as "MLB Partner Leagues". In 2022, the leagues renamed in 2021 reverted to their traditional names. The National Basketball Association has affiliated minor leagues: the NBA G League (formerly called
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#1732851568448836-660: The Spurs jumped from the CHL to the WHA for the 1975–76 season (but folded mid-season). The championship trophy of the WHL was the Lester Patrick Cup , which is currently on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame . Championships by team Minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports . Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term
874-411: The USL or officially affiliate with a separately owned USL team, but this was never strictly enforced. No formal relationship existed between NASL and the other leagues; NASL's commissioner had said he believed it would "stay that way for some time". However, MLS clubs started withdrawing their reserve sides from the USL system in 2020 amid rumors that MLS would relaunch its former MLS Reserve League in
912-413: The WHL's decision to cease operations after the 1973–74 season. The Vancouver Canucks , who had earlier applied for the 1967 NHL expansion, were finally accepted into the league as an expansion team for the 1970–71 season. The NHL and World Hockey Association had moved into many of its traditional markets, and the talent pool had become strained by the fast growth in the number of professional teams. When
950-458: The advent of television; minor league clubs only survived in many markets because their major league affiliations included financial support. The trend began to reverse in the 1990s, as new independent minor leagues began for the first time in decades and have become successful to varying levels. In 2021, a major reorganization of the minor leagues saw the number of affiliated teams (i.e., those with formal links to MLB teams) reduced from 160 to 120,
988-603: The coming years; these rumors were proved correct by the 2022 establishment of MLS Next Pro . MLS Next (stylized in all caps) is a system of youth soccer leagues that are managed, organized and controlled by Major League Soccer . It was introduced by the league in 2020. Semi-professional and amateur leagues sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association are USL League Two , National Premier Soccer League , NISA Nation and United Premier Soccer League . The system, introduced in mid-2020,
1026-416: The consent of the major league owners. In Europe , and many other parts of the world, association football (soccer), basketball, american football, baseball, handball, hockey, etc. leagues have many divisions below the top-flight level as part of the football pyramid . In other parts of the world there is usually either a system of annual promotion and relegation , meaning that clubs have no fixed status in
1064-481: The hierarchy, or there is only one professional league per country in each sport, rendering the major/minor distinction irrelevant. While there are various semi-professional football leagues, none have any affiliation with the National Football League (NFL). The NFL and its teams have had working relationships with several independent leagues in the past, including the Association of Professional Football Leagues ,
1102-488: The large number of American-based teams is that minor league franchises will frequently move from city to city, and even between leagues. In contrast, Canadian cities more commonly host major junior teams, which develop teenage prospects prior to their move to the professional leagues. All National Hockey League teams have a farm team in the American Hockey League and often have a secondary affiliated team in
1140-468: The league stepped in to broker a deal with an Ottawa group called the Founders Club. In an unusual move, the Founders Club insisted that Mullenix move the Spurs to Ottawa immediately as a condition of beginning negotiations. While the Spurs were on a road trip in January 1976, the team was quietly moved to Ottawa without even a press release and renamed the Civics. The players had heard talk a move out of Denver
1178-475: The more talented ones away. Soon Major League Baseball began formal developmental agreements with some minor league teams, while others remained independent . Since it was first developed in the 1920s by St. Louis Cardinals executive Branch Rickey , the formal developmental affiliations have come to dominate minor league baseball, and the majority of minor leagues are part of the affiliated system. A general decline in minor league attendance occurred following
Ottawa Civics - Misplaced Pages Continue
1216-552: The next most extensive system of minor league teams other than baseball is ice hockey . In North America, between 1988 and 2005, 233 minor league ice hockey teams played in a total of 160 cities in 13 minor professional leagues. The vast majority of these teams played in the United States, with only 21 of these teams based in Canadian cities. 123 of these minor professional teams played in the southern United States. One reason given for
1254-578: The rushed nature of the move, the Civics did not adopt a logo or colours, and continued to wear the Spurs' orange road uniforms for all 7 of their games including their two home games. However, the NHL's first foray in Colorado did not fare much better. An ownership group in Ottawa made a serious bid to move the Colorado Rockies to the Canadian capital, however the Rockies eventually moved to New Jersey and became
1292-751: The season was over) in Minnesota, 5-2, on January 4. It would be the only victory in the Civics' short life. With the move to Ottawa, the league moved the team from the Western Division to the Canadian Division. The Civics played two home games at the Ottawa Civic Centre in front of sellout crowds–against the New England Whalers on January 7, and against Gordie Howe 's Aeros on January 15. However,
1330-572: Was a minor professional ice hockey league based in Western Canada that operated from 1952 to 1974. The league was managed for most of its history by Al Leader , and had roots in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League . The championship trophy of the WHL was the Lester Patrick Cup . The league was founded in 1948 as the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL). In 1951, it absorbed three teams from
1368-531: Was active for the first time during the 2020–21 season. It is a successor to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy . The system covers the under-13, under-14, under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-19 age groups. The developmental pathway for players outside the collegiate system has so far been mostly an ad hoc affair, with semi-professional and amateur leagues including the former USL W-League . The current United Women's Soccer , UWS League 2 and Women's Premier Soccer League not being sanctioned directly through
1406-630: Was imminent, but only learned of move at their next road game that night in Cincinnati , when they took the ice in their Denver jerseys, saw the name "Civics" on the scoreboard at Riverfront Coliseum , and heard O Canada being played before a game they believed was still between two American teams. They lost that night and again the following night in Houston , then knocked off the Minnesota Fighting Saints (another squad headed for oblivion before
1444-443: Was speculation that the WHL could grow into a major league capable of rivalling even the long-entrenched National Hockey League (NHL). In the 1965–66 and 1967–68 seasons, the WHL played an interlocking schedule with the American Hockey League . Fears that the WHL (or a WHL/AHL merger) could become a rival major league was among the factors that finally convinced the NHL to expand for the 1967–68 season . Several factors led to
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