At the end of the 1941-42 National Hockey League season, the Brooklyn American Hockey team folded. The NHL was left with only 6 clubs. These clubs were the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadians, New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Although the nickname was not entirely accurate these clubs became known as "The Original Six". In truth only two of those clubs are really originals dating back to the time when the league was played entirely in Canada. For the 1924-25 season, the league accepted its first American Club, the Bruins. Two seasons later, the Blackhawks, Detroit Cougars and the Rangers joined in. For 24 seasons, major league hockey was these six clubs and no one else.
On February 8, 1966 it all changed when the league approved the teams that would fill in the six expansion slots the league had offered for the 1967-68 season. Most Hockey fans will tell you who the six new kids on the block were at that point: California (Oakland) Seals; Los Angeles Kings; Minnesota (Minneapolis-Saint Paul) North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers; Pittsburgh Penguins and the Saint Louis Blues. Most fans however might not be able to tell you that the Blues were given a conditional franchise as the league felt the city was ready, in a great location and had the perfect arena just no owner. The city was given until April 5th to find a suitable ownership group, otherwise the Baltimore, Maryland group would then get a team.
We know now who got teams at this point, but the question before us now is who did not. As one could probably guess one of the three cities vying for a team that did not get one was; that would be Baltimore, Maryland. The other two cities that were shutout of the league were Buffalo, New York and Vancouver, British Columbia. Both of those cities were awarded teams in the next round of expansion, which put them in the league in time for the 1970-71 season. I do find it strange that the one city of the three that seemed closest to getting in the league at the time remains out of the league to this day. I also find it strange that one of the two cities that did make into the league for the next round is also the only Continental Baseball League franchise of the eight proposed in July of 1959 that never received a team, that city being Buffalo. Studying this stuff long enough and you will see little oddities like this one.
As for tomorrow, we will look at a very long minor league baseball record.
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