1972-73 Cleveland Crusaders Statistics
Team Record: 43-32-3 - 89 points
Finishing 2nd in the WHA's WHA East Division
Postseason: 5-4
Lost AVCO Cup semi-finals
Division Semi-Finals - Defeated Philadelphia Blazers 4-0
Division Finals - Lost to New England Whalers 4-1
Coach: Bill Needham (43-32-3)
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
1972-73 Cleveland Crusaders Results
The Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association ended the 1972-73 season with a record of 43 wins and 32 losses and 3 ties for 89 points, finishing second in the WHA's WHA East Division. The team compiled a postseason mark of 5-4.
The Crusaders gave up 239 goals, the lowest total in the circuit. Cleveland netted 287 goals. Gary Jarrett scored 40 goals for the team, while Ron Buchanan and Gerry Pinder tallied 30 or more as well. Ron Buchanan contributed 44 assists. Gerry Cheevers earned 32 wins in front of the net for the squad and a team-best 2.84 goals against average, pacing goaltenders with enough qualifying appearances.
Bill Needham coached the team. The 1972-73 Cleveland Crusaders lost in the AVCO Cup semi-finals.
Click on column headings to sort.
Scoring:
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | PPA | SHG | SHA | GWG | GTG | SOG | SG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ron Buchanan | C | 75 | 37 | 44 | 81 | 20 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Gary Jarrett | L | 77 | 40 | 39 | 79 | 79 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jim Wiste | C | 70 | 28 | 43 | 71 | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Gerry Pinder | R | 78 | 30 | 36 | 66 | 121 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Paul Andrea | R | 66 | 21 | 30 | 51 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Joe Hardy | C | 72 | 17 | 33 | 50 | 80 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Paul Shmyr | D | 73 | 5 | 43 | 48 | 169 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ray Clearwater | D | 78 | 11 | 36 | 47 | 41 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Grant Erickson | L | 77 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Rich Pumple | L | 77 | 21 | 20 | 41 | 45 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ted Hodgson | R | 74 | 15 | 23 | 38 | 93 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Doug Brindley | C | 73 | 15 | 11 | 26 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| John Hanna | D | 66 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 68 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Skip Krake | C | 26 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bill Horton | D | 74 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bob Dillabough | C | 72 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wayne Muloin | D | 67 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ralph Hopiavouri | D | 29 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jim McMasters | D | 74 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Al Rycroft | R | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Gerry Cheevers | G | 52 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bob Whidden | G | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 1383 | 287 | 470 | 757 | 1083 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
Goaltenders:
| Player | GP | Min | W | L | T/OL | ENG | SHO | GA | GAA | Shts | SVS | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerry Cheevers | 52 | 3144 | 32 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 149 | 2.84 | 1695 | 1546 | .912 |
| Bob Whidden | 26 | 1609 | 11 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 3.28 | 886 | 798 | .901 |
| Totals | 78 | 4753 | 43 | 32 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 237 | 2.99 | 2818 | 2581 | .916 |
Postseason - Scoring:
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | PPA | SHG | SHA | GWG | GTG | SOG | SG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ron Buchanan | C | 9 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Gary Jarrett | L | 9 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Jim Wiste | C | 9 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Gerry Pinder | R | 9 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Paul Andrea | R | 9 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Joe Hardy | C | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Paul Shmyr | D | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Ray Clearwater | D | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Grant Erickson | L | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Rich Pumple | L | 9 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Ted Hodgson | R | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Doug Brindley | C | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Skip Krake | C | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Bill Horton | D | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Bob Dillabough | C | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Wayne Muloin | D | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Ralph Hopiavouri | D | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Jim McMasters | D | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Gerry Cheevers | G | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Blake Ball | D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Totals | 169 | 33 | 55 | 88 | 190 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Postseason - Goaltenders:
| Player | GP | Min | W | L | T | ENG | SHO | GA | GAA | Shts | SVS | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerry Cheevers | 9 | 548 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2.41 | 278 | 256 | .921 |
| Totals | 9 | 548 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2.41 | 300 | 278 | .927 |
