The Ottawa Nationals were a professional men's ice hockey team out of Ottawa that played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) during the 1972–73 WHA season.
| Ottawa Nationals | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Ottawa, Ontario |
| League | World Hockey Association |
| Operated | 1972–73 |
| Home arena | Ottawa Civic Centre |
| Media | TVOntario CKOY |
| Franchise history | |
| 1972–1973 | Ottawa Nationals |
| 1973–1976 | Toronto Toros |
| 1976–1979 | Birmingham Bulls |
History
editThe WHA had originally granted a franchise to Doug Michel for "Ontario." Original plans called for the team to play at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, but Michel couldn't get a favourable lease. Afterward, it was expected that Hamilton would be the team's home, but it was eventually placed in Ottawa. Nick Trbovich became majority owner before the season began, with Michel running hockey operations.
They were coached by Billy Harris and led on the ice by Wayne Carleton, who scored 42 goals and 92 points during the season. They hosted the first-ever WHA game, on October 11, 1972, losing 7–4 to the Alberta Oilers.
Their home arena was the Ottawa Civic Centre, but they were a flop at the box office, averaging about 3,000 fans per game. Before the season ended, the City of Ottawa demanded a payment of $100,000 to secure dates for the following season.[citation needed] Rather than agree, the Nationals opted to move elsewhere for the next season and play its playoff dates in Toronto. During this playoff series, the team was referred to as the Ontario Nationals. After the season, the team was sold to John F. Bassett and became the Toronto Toros.
The last Ottawa Nationals player active in North American major professional hockey was Mike Amodeo, who played one season in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets in the 1979-80 NHL season, before moving to Sweden, then Italy, before his retirement in 1983.
Season-by-season record
editNote: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Season | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1972–73 | 78 | 35 | 39 | 4 | 74 | 279 | 301 | 1067 | 4th, Eastern | Lost quarter-final (Whalers) |