When people refer to someplace as a “Hockey Town”, it often refers to the sport embedding itself into the culture or its historical achievements in such location. Often thought of being a northern market phrase, deep in the heart of Texas, there is a city that is often forgotten as a hockey town. Houston, Texas, has a rich history in the game. Moreover, it has consistently endeared itself to the community.
Professional ice hockey first appeared in Houston after World War II. Albeit the largest city in Texas, Houston in the late 1940s ranked in the low teens in city population density in the United States.
In 1946, the Houston Skippers, a year later to be renamed the Huskies, arrived in Houston, playing their games at the Sam Houston Coliseum. The team was an affiliate of the Buffalo Bisons of the American Hockey League. Their parent affiliate: the National Hockey League’s Montreal Canadiens.
Houston hockey history changed in 1947. After breaking his ankle while playing for the Montreal Canadiens, Hector “Toe” Blake becam the coach of the Houston Huskies while still on crutches. In his lone season as coach of the Huskies, Blake led the Huskies to the United States Hockey League championship. It was the first step toward catapulting a legendary career behind the bench. Subsequently, he won eight Stanley Cup championships.
As the demands of minor league hockey changed, the three Texas-based teams in the USHL tried to form their own league, and
in 1949, the Huskies ceased operations.
Enter the Apollos… briefly
It took 17 additional ice hockey seasons before the Houston Apollos, a Central Hockey League affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, emerged in South-east Texas for the 1965-66 season. Hockey Hall of Famers Serge Savard, Tony Esposito, Pat Quinn, and Rogie Vachon were just some of the future National Hockey League players to have spent time in Houston during the 1960s.
The team established a small but rabidly loyal following despite modest success. Unfortunately, due to the cost of travel and lack of available practice ice, the Canadiens were compelled to relocate their minor league affiliate after four seasons of play. Although legendary names came through the city, the Apollos did not enjoy the same success their parent franchise did in the 1960s.
70s boom: The WHA comes to Houston
In the 1970s, Houston experienced nearly 45% population growth. The explosion was largely driven by the oil boom and investment into the medical field. By 1972, Houston, Texas, had the sixth largest population in the United States. Only existing National Hockey League cities New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Detroit had larger populations.
With the upstart World Hockey Association forming, this southern city was nearly passed over.Dayton, Ohio, received a franchise instead.
However, due to unforseen complications for operating in Dayton, the franchise relocated to Houston before it ever played a game for the 1972-1973 inaugural WHA season.
Playing in the Sam Houston Coliseum, the same arena where the Houston Skippers, Huskies, and Apollos played, the Aeros sat in the middle of league-average attendance in their first season. They finished with the fourth-best regular season record. The Aeros won their first-round playoff series. However, they lost in the semifinals to the future AVCO World Trophy champions, the Winnipeg Jets.
Welcome to HOWE-ston, Texas
As the WHA sought a foothold to compete with NHL, Aeros general manager Jim Smith and coach Bill “Foxy” Dineen made a bold statement during the WHA draft. In 1973, the NHL had a minimum draft age of 20 years old for players.
After meeting with “Mrs. Hockey”, Colleen Howe — a pioneer for women in sports — Dineen and Smith selected 18-year-old prodigy Mark Howe in the first round of the 1973. Later, in the third round, the Aeros selected Mark’s older brother, 19-year-old Marty Howe. Both brothers were underage for the NHL Draft. However, using the notion that both Howe brothers received stipends to play in the Ontario Hockey Association, the Aeros argued that the Howe boys already technically qualified as pros rather than amateurs.
To say the least, this was a highly controversial tactic. However, WHA President Gary L. Davidson supported the Aeros decision by drafting the brothers in the professional draft. As other teams in the league protested the decision, they all privately admitted they’d love to have the Howe brothers on their team.
Colleen Howe, hockey’s first female agent, had an even bolder idea in mind when she went to negotiate her sons’ contracts. If the two teenage Howe boys were already coming, how about their legendary father, Gordie?
Gordie and Dineen were old teammates with the Detroit Red Wings. They were also the closest of friends. Gordie did not want to overshadow his sons but he was intruiged by the idea of coming out of retirement to play on the same team as Mark and Marty.
Dineen agreed. Shortly after, Houston become known as “Howeston”.
Houston becomes a bonafide “Hockey Town”
WHA Houston Aeros alumni credit Bill Dineen and assistant coach Doug Harvey, a Hockey Hall of Famer inductee, for transforming hockey culture in the city. They created a united environment, which was evident on and off the ice. In the process, they honored the history of — and made new history in — the city they played.
A watershed moment occurred at training camp for the 1973-1974 season. A 45-year-old Gordie Howe appeared to be struggling to keep pace. Was it due to his two-year absence from professional hockey when he retired from the National Hockey League? Maybe it was was it due to Houston’s heat and humidity while adjusting to a drastic climate change compared to Detroit?
No matter the obstacle, Gordie Howe was determined to succeed as optional practices became mandatory. Gordie never missed one,he Aeros players followed suit.
The belief in family supporting one another was instilled from the start of the season. As born and raised Houstonians, along with the city’s influx of transplants would make their way during the fall and winter months to see their Aeros play, they often passed the legendary banner that hung in downtown Houston on the way to the Sam Houston Coliseum: “Welcome to Howeston!”
Hockey had a place in Houston.
Creating a legacy
The Aeros average attendance grew by 2,400 per game from their inaugural season, finishing third in the league, leading the way for WHA American cities. Hockey in the deep South became an identity, not only due to hockey’s greatest player and his sons coupled with a team with the best record in the league, but also due to how the players and organization became ingrained into the Houston market and its culture.
When you hear stories of the Maurice “Rocket” Richard-led Montreal Canadiens, the big, bad Boston Bruins, or the Broad Street Bullies era Philadelphia Flyers, you quickly learn that these teams were not only close on the ice but also endeared themselves into the localcommunity. Mark Howe often states upon his return to Houston that the teams during his days in Houston were some of the closest on and off the ice that he ever was a part of, and some of his best friends were made in Houston.
Former WHA goaltender Peter Donnelly, who proudly states that he gave up Gordie Howe’s 800th professional goal and Mark Howe’s 1st professional goal and later relocated to Houston after his playing days, added, “Walking into the Sam Houston Coliseum was just different! You not only had to adjust to climate change, but you knew you were going to be playing a relentless team that stood up for one another.
The Aeros were by far the tightest-knit team in the WHA, and all the other teams knew it.It’s not just Aeros Alumni who said that. Players from around the World Hockey Association sensed it, too, even envied it.
The 1973-1974 Houston Aeros would become the first WHA franchise to cross the century mark in regard to points in a season and would bring Houston its first major league hockey championship while becoming the second major league sports franchise in Houston to win a championship thirteen years after the Houston Oilers won the AFL championship in 1961.
Jack Stanfield, an original Houston Aeros player who retired after the 1973-1974 season and would later become coach, broadcaster, and executive with the team before becoming a pioneer in sports broadcasting, stated, “Houston gravitated to the Aeros! The ownership ensured that the team became ingrained into the town; the coaches set the culture of the organization, the veterans (Ted Taylor, Larry Lund, and Poul Popiel) led the way, and the young guys followed the part. We were a team on the ice and a family off, but most importantly, we loved playing in Houston.”
Champions of Space City
With WHA teams opening new arenas and entering new markets, the Aeros slipped to 11th in average attendance for the 1974-1975 season while maintaining the same average attendance from the prior season. However, with a new arena set to open for the 1975 season, the outlook for hockey in Houston was favorable.
The vision in Houston was for long-term success, and they just happened to have the right person scouting new talent. Barry Fraser, a man often credited for building the NHL Edmonton Oilers dynasty in the 1980’s through its scouting department, was an upbeat and eager young scout with the Aeros. Sharing the vision of Bill Dineen, Fraser sought out new and young talent.
The 1974-1975 Aeros saw the team add a couple highly regarded rookies, including Rich Preston, a future NHLer; and Terry Ruskowski, who would later become the only major league athlete to captain four different organizations (Houston Aeros, Chicago Black Hawks, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins). During return trips to Houston, both Ruskowski and Preston have stated that the lure of playing on a team with Gordie Howe, along with the family feel of the Aeros, was a driving influence in signing in the WHA over the NHL.
The Aeros saw a five-game improvement in terms of wins from their prior season and cross the century mark in points for a second consecutive season. It was in the playoffs that saw the team’s true dominance, as they lost only one game on their run to a second consecutive Avco World Championship.
The Summit Era
After back-to-back championship seasons, the Aeros would move into their new 15,000 state-of-the-art arena, The Summit. Jack Stanfield noted that “It was the Aeros successthat served as the catalyst for the success of the new arena!”
On November 5, 1975, the Aeros opened the building with a 6-4 win over the Minnesota Fighting Saints in front of the largest attendance to watch a professional hockey game in Houston at the time. Barry Fraser and the Aeros added another prolific rookie in John Tonelli, who later became a two-time NHL All-Star and had his #27 retired by the New York Islanders. The Aeros would finish atop the WHA for the third consecutive season, amassing 106 points, but this year they were joined by the Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques, crossing the century mark.
After two tough series in the quarter and semifinals, the defending champions lost in the 1976 Avco World Championship Finals to the Winnipeg Jets. In a season that saw the Aeros finish third in the league in attendance, rumors of financial troubles from the league and several organizations leaked.
Entering the 1976-1977 season, the Aeros would add a future two-time NHL All-Star in rookie Morris Lukowich. For the fourth consecutive season, the Aeros would capture he WHA regular season title while amassing 106 points for the third consecutive season and being the only team to cross the century mark while transitioning to its youth, with their top three point scorers being 24 years of age or younger.
Aeros attendance remained steady, finishing third in the WHA for the season. The Aeros would succumb for the second consecutive season to the Winnipeg Jets, this time in the semifinals.
The Final WHA Season
In 1977, the Aeros encountered its fourth ownership change as Kenneth Schnitzer, a developer of Greenway Plaza, nearby where The Summit sits, purchased the team. As potential merger talks between the WHA and NHL commenced, John Ziegler, who became president of the NHL in 1977, didn’t believe the NHL owners would vote to admit six teams into the league after a proposal to add Cincinnati, Edmonton, Houston, New England (Hartford, Connecticut), Quebec, and Winnipeg. As expected, NHL owners voted down the six-team proposal.
Faced with financial concerns and future uncertainty, the Aeros would trade Gordie, Mark, and Marty Howe to the New England Whalers during the summer of 1977. In addition to the shock trade, goaltender Ron Grahame, who backstopped the Aeros to their two championships, left to join the Boston Bruins in the NHL. To remain competitive, the Aeros added Andre Lacroix, the WHA’s all-time leader in games played and points scored.
Without the Howes, in their final WHA season of 1977-1978, the Aeros saw a decline in attendance. On the ice, the Aeros remained successful as they finished with the third-best record in the league.
Subsequently, talks resumed between the WHA and NHL. Leaders from the WHA pushed for all three Canadian franchises — Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets — to join the NHL along with a fourth team based in the United States. The U.S. based choice came down to the New England Whalers or the Houston Aeros.
However, it soon became apparent that Houston would lose out in the battle. The current NHL owners had major concerns with adding teams in the Sun Belt. They already saw a struggling NHL franchise, the California Seals, recently relocate to Cleveland and the Atlanta Flames were struggling financially. With the potential to challenge for the Avco World Championship, the Aeros got eliminated by the Quebec Nordiques. A very successful era for ice hockey and sports in Houston quietly came to a close on the national level.
Locally, however, the legacy lived on. John McClain, a Texas native and hall of fame reporter who covered the Aeros for the Houston Chronicle, stated the following:
“Led by coach Bill Dineen and ignited by Gordie Howe and one of the toughest and most talented rosters in professional hockey, the Aeros experienced a kind of success unprecedented in Houston sports history. During their six-year existence, they stirred passion and created excitement in winning four division titles, including hoisting the AVCO Trophy two times (1973-74 and 1974-75) as champions of the World Hockey Association. The Aeros finished second in their first season (1972-73) and third in their last (1977-78) and advanced to the playoffs in each of their six seasons.
When Howe, “Mr. Hockey,” came out of retirement with the Detroit Red Wings to play with sons Mark and Marty in the 1973-74 season, it was an extraordinary story that transcended sports. The Howes helped catapult the Aeros to consecutive titles and a 24-3 playing record during that championship run. Whether they were playing at the Sam Houston Coliseum or The Summit, the Aeros’ six years in Houston were a monumental success that generated memories to last a lifetime for the devoted hockey fans who’ll never forget them.”
End of an Era
During the merger discussions, Kenneth Schnitzer was determined to get an NHL franchise for Houston. After the four teams were announced, he applied to the NHL independently with the Houston Aeros. After being rejected, Schnitizer made an offer to
purchase the NHL’s Cleveland Barons, formerly the California Seals, in an effort to relocate the franchise for the third time in three years.
However, the NHL opted for a current franchise, the Minnesota North Stars, to purchase the Barons and merge the two teams. Having exhausted all options, the Houston Aeros did not attend the 1978 WHA meetings On July 9th, 1978, the Houston Aeros ceased operations.
The Aeros demise was not caused by lack of attendance or local interest. Rather, it was a matter of getting caught in the wrong climate to maintain the WHA franchise as an NHL entry.
Nevertheless, in the bigger picture, the Aeros became a blueprint for providing pro hockey’s viability in a large southern market. The impact of the Howe family coming to the city along with the on-ice results was evident in attendance figures. Historical records show that that Aeros outdrew the NBA’s Houston Rockets and averaged only a couple thousand less per game than Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros, who played in massive Astrodome. Meawhile, the NFL’s Houston Oilers average four timesmore attendees per game than the Astros.
Hockey was never the marquee sport in the United States’ sixth largest market in the 1970s. However, the fan base was stable — more stabile than quite a few NHL franchises of the time. Houstonians and those who relocated to the city fell in love with a sport thatwas not readily accessible, such as the other sports. In this era, there were only two communitycice rinks in the city.
Nevertheless hockey made an impact. James Johns, a born and raised Houstonian, was invited to skate with the Aeros as they came back to town each season.
Through relationships, including a friendship with Gordie Howe, Johns was invited to play for the Traverse City Bays, a semi-professional team in the USHL for the 1976-1977 season.
As amateur hockey in Houston continued to grow, others would follow suit, including Shelly Pottorf, a Houston-raised woman who became the first NCAA Division 1 hockey player from Houston while attending Princeton University; and Chie Chie Sakuma, who became the first born-and-raised Houstonian to play NCAA Division 1 hockey at Brown
University while later becoming the first born-and-raised ice hockey Olympian while playing for Japan in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
Often regarded as the most successful on-ice franchise during the WHA era, the Houston Aeros left their mark on the city!
Jack Stanfield would close with, “When you look at hockey and Houston together, the sport grew in popularity as Houston grew in population. Fans were drawn to the grit of the game and the family-like culture set by the coaches and staff; it’s similar to the rodeo. I played in numerous cities, including another stop in Texas, but to us who played in the 70s and those prior, Houston was a town when we arrived, and when you see the numerous Hall of Famers or those who once called Houston home, along with the fan support, Houston is truly a hockey town, a phrase that our alumni believe they are proud to still use to this day!”
In our next segment, we will share the story of Houston hockey post the WHA days and how the community would continue to embrace the sport.
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