Cape Cod Cubs
Starting play for the 1972-73 season, the Cape Cod Cubs became the first professional hockey team in the Cape. They played in the Cape Cod Coliseum in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). The EHL was a rough and tumble league a couple levels below the big league, which was the inspiration for the movie Slapshot.
The Cubs were immediately given credibility by their off-ice hires. The team's GM was Jack Crawford who played for Boston for many years, later coached the Providence Reds to an AHL title, and spent time behind the bench of other prominent minor league teams. They also picked up Bronco Horvath as coach, who had also played for Boston and was coming off a season as the London Knights' head coach.
The Cubs would have a successful first season, with a 36-29-11 record and good enough for the central division title. Unfortunately, Crawford collapsed at a Cubs game in January 1973 and passed away shortly thereafter. The Cubs would beat the Long Island Ducks in the first round of the playoffs, but faced a tough matchup against the Syracuse Blazers in the second round. The Blazers were a buzzsaw that year with a 63-9-4 record and would sweep the Cubs on their way to the EHL title.
The EHL would be shaken up in the off season, as the southern clubs in the league broke off to form the Southern Hockey League (SHL). The EHL would fold and in its wake many of the remaining teams formed the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
The Cubs went from the 12 team EHL to the seven team NAHL, and had a middling campaign, going 34-39-1. Both the record and attendance were disappointing, and the Cubs would can Horvath mid-season and bring in Nick Polano for his first head coaching gig. Polano would eventually go on to coach in the big show with Detroit. The Cubs would finish fourth and qualify for the playoffs, losing in the second round to the Long Island Cougars.
In an attempt to change their fortunes, the Cubs would rebrand to the Cape Codders and find different big league affiliation for the 1974-75 season.
