The Denver Invaders were a minor pro ice hockey team that played in Denver, Colorado in the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
(WHL) during the 1963–1964 season. In June 1963, the
Spokane Comets WHL franchise was purchased by a group led by the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
which relocated them to Denver to act as their farm team.
Though the league did not acknowledge that the Maple Leafs had an ownership stake in the team,
[ they held a majority position with the Denver partners only owning roughly 36%.]Denver Coliseum
Denver Coliseum is an indoor arena, owned by thCity and County of Denver operated by itsDenver Arts & Venuesand located in Denver, Colorado. The arena holds 10,200 people and was built from 1949 to 1951. The coliseum is located in Denver's Elyria ...
, and their playoff games at the arena at the University of Denver
The University of Denver (DU) is a private university, private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Mountain States, Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is ...
. The head coach was Rudy Pilous
Rudolph Pilous (August 11, 1914 – December 5, 1994) was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Pilous won the Stanley Cup coaching the Chicago Black Hawks in 1960–61, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame ...
, who had been fired the year before from the head coaching job with the NHL Chicago Black Hawks
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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.
In the 1963–64 season the Invaders won the regular season championship with the best record in the Western Hockey League, and as such was awarded the WHL Governor's Trophy. The Invaders would lose to the Los Angeles Blades in the playoffs.[
Following reported losses of $150,000 in their first season, ]Stafford Smythe
Conn Stafford Smythe (March 15, 1921 – October 13, 1971) was the son of Conn Smythe and president of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. and the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team from 1961–1969 and from 1970 until his death.
Early years
Born in Toronto, S ...
, owner of the Maple Leafs, announced that the team would be relocated after the city failed to reach a 2,000 season ticket target before the June 19 deadline the league had imposed.[ The team became the ]Victoria Maple Leafs
The Victoria Maple Leafs were a minor pro ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL) that played three seasons in Victoria, British Columbia, beginning in 1964. They were the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The previous season the te ...
for the following season.
Sources
External links
Pictures of Denver Invaders Pucks
Ice hockey teams in Colorado
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Toronto Maple Leafs minor league affiliates
Western Hockey League (1952–1974) teams
{{Denver-stub