To those of us older fans of the Rochester Americans who remember 
when the team was sold to Vancouver in 1968 no one has yet told us 
the whole story behind the events that almost cost Rochester its 
hockey team four years later. So in an attempt to explain the sale to 
you I have written this article. It is my hope that you enjoy it and it 
makes you aware of just how fortunate we are to have an American 
Hockey League team and how that team could someday vanish. In 
view of recent news about the Amerks' future I feel the timing of this 
piece is especially important.

Our story begins in 1964 when Toronto Maple Leafs principal owner 
C. Stafford Smythe and his chief partner Harold E. Ballard visit 
Vancouver and make the offer to build in that city an NHL-quality 
arena. All that Smythe and Ballard wanted for this magnamamous 
gesture was free title to the land where to their palace was to be built. 
They would then incur all of the building's costs. Now why would the 
owners of the Stanley Cup Champion Maple Leafs want to build an 
arena in Vancouver, some 2,800 miles from 60 Carlton Street, the 
address of Maple Leaf Gardens?

The one word answer is of course, "money." But they already own the 
Maple Leafs and they aren't for sale. And you can't own two teams in 
the same league. So why would the Toronto boys be so willing to 
build Vancouver a new arena? That question is answered by using 
the Norris family as an example. The Norris family owned the Detroit 
Olympia, home of the Red Wings team, while the Wirtz family, 
relatives of the Norrises, owned Chicago Stadium, the Black Hawks 
home. Plus the Norrises were major stockholders of Madison Square 
Garden, home of the New York Rangers and held influence in the 
Boston Garden, the Bruins' home rink. By having the arenas own the 
teams rather than the other way around the Norris family had found a 
loophole around the "one team, one owner" rule in the NHL.

From the end of World War II until the first NHL expansion in 1967 
many hockey people jokingly said that "NHL" actually stood for 
"Norris House League." The Norris influence was never more evident 
than in the early 1950s when the NHL voted on admitting the AHL's 
Cleveland Barons as an "expansion franchise."  

Cleveland had long been sought after by the NHL as a member city. 
The Ohio city had a beautiful new arena that opened in the late 1930s 
and the Cleveland Barons were the American Hockey League's most-
successful city, both on and off the ice. The unaffiliated Barons were 
so strong that they had their own farm system with teams in 
Minneapolis, Ohio and  Texas. With the NHL suffering the effects of 
World War II the senior circuit asked Cleveland owner A. C. "Uncle 
Al" Sutphin to leave the AHL and join the NHL. If he had joined the 
NHL reasoned Sutphin, the even more-precarious AHL would surely 
collapse. During the war Eddie Shore had to move his Springfield 
Indians players to Buffalo because the Eastern States Coliseum had 
been turned into a war supplies warehouse. Washington, DC saw 
their arena become an induction center as did Philadelphia. No, 
Sutphin told the NHL, he couldn't desert the league that he had 
helped found in 1936.

Fast forward to the 1950s when Cleveland felt they were ready to join 
the NHL. The older league set up conditions for admission. Cleveland 
met every one of them. The Barons were met with friendly lip service 
during the presentation process. But when the final vote was taken it 
was 3 in favor, 3 opposed. Toronto, Montreal and Boston voted "yea" 
with Detroit, Chicago and New York voting "nay." Tie vote. You lose. 
Four votes were needed for passage. The Norrises got their revenge 
for 1943.

So by owning the arena it could be said that you didn't own the team, 
just the building and therefore as building owner you made the 
bookings, raked in the concession revenue and all related income. 
You won no matter how the team or an event turned out.

It was with this new revenue stream in mind that Smythe and Ballard 
sought to build the Vancouver venue. But the project never got off the 
ground. The Torontonians treated the Vancouver city fathers very 
poorly with their brash presentation and it was resoundingly rejected. 
Like a spurned suitor Smythe departed with these harsh words, 
"Vancouver will never get an NHL team in my lifetime" he bellowed. 
Unfortunately for Smythe his words proved to be prophetic. C. 
Stafford Smythe died at age 50 in 1971 from complications of a 
bleeding ulcer. At the time of his death he was facing trial in Toronto 
on income tax evasion charges connected to his position as the CEO 
of Maple Leaf Gardens, Ltd., the Leafs' parent company. Harold 
Ballard would later be convicted on similar charges and serve a year 
in jail at Canada's version of "Club Fed." Ballard actually was allowed 
to go to his Maple Leaf Gardens office during the day on "work 
release" providing he was back in jail at night. 

Moving on to 1965 legendary Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster 
Foster "He shoots, he scores!" Hewitt, Cyrus McLean and former 
Vancouver mayor Fred Hume lead a group of investors that buy the 
minor league Vancouver Canucks of the professional Western 
Hockey League. In 1966 the Hewitt/McLean/Hume (H/M/H) group 
makes their presentation to the NHL for one of the "Expansion Six" 
franchises that will begin play in 1967-68. Their bid is rejected by the 
NHL with McLean calling it "a cooked up deal" by stating that Smythe 
had killed the bid as payback for Vancouver's rejection of his plan to 
build an arena there. But league sources said that the Vancouver 
presentation was "weak" and never seriously considered. Another 
reason given was that Toronto and Montreal did not want to split the 
lucrative Hockey Night in Canada revenues with Vancouver. Shortly 
after their presentation was made to the NHL it was discovered that 
Hume was terminally ill. Hume sold his shares to the rest of the group 
and died in February of 1967.

Still interested in obtaining an NHL franchise for Vancouver the 
remaining partners were advised by NHL President Clarence 
Campbell to either sell out completely or find a way to amalgamate 
with a competing group headed by Vancouver oilman Frank 
McMahon. The two groups finally worked things out and by Christmas 
1967 they were united into the Hewitt/McLean/McMahon group 
(H/M/M).  

The City of Vancouver had begun construction of the Pacific 
Coliseum in 1966 in anticipation of an NHL expansion team. But they 
were disappointed when they were turned down. After a poor 
showing on the ice and with low attendance the expansion Oakland 
Seals were in trouble.  So the H/M/M group sought to buy the Seals 
and move them to Vancouver. Not wanting to admit that they had 
made a mistake in choosing Oakland over better hockey markets like 
Vancouver and Buffalo the NHL said "no" and helped the Seals 
struggle on in hopes of finding a new local owner. The league tried to 
appease Vancover by "vaguely" promising that they would indeed get 
a team in "the next round of expansion."

Later in 1968 reports began to surface that another round of NHL 
expansion was imminent. Not wanting to be left out of the bidding 
process the now-named Hewitt/McLean/McMahon group (H/M/M) 
gave the NHL a check for $25,000 as a deposit. Also hoping to 
enhance their position with the NHL on expansion, on August 13, 
1968 the H/M/M group paid $1 million to the Toronto Maple Leafs for 
the AHL franchise, player contracts and the contract of General 
Manager/Coach Joe Crozier of the Rochester Americans.

Joe Crozier immediately assumes the General Manager and Head 
Coach duties of the WHL Vancouver Canucks. He also reportedly 
buys a minority share of the Canucks. With his own financial interests 
at stake and a possible NHL coaching or managerial future on the 
line Crozier begins putting together a championship-calibre team in 
Vancouver. He builds his nucleus around nine members of the 1967-
68 American Hockey League regular season and Calder Cup 
Champion Rochester Americans. Forwards Bob Barlow, Bryan 
Hextall Jr., Murray Hall, Len Lunde, Ted Taylor, George "Duke" 
Harris and defensemen Darryl "Slip" Sly, Marc Reaume and Don 
Johns would each play the entire season in British Columbia. 
Rochester veterans Don Cherry and Les Duff along with youngster 
Jim McKenny would be returned to Rochester after short stays in the 
Pacific Northwest. Strengthened by veteran NHL sniper Andy 
Bathgate and former Rochester American favorite Pat Hannigan the 
Canucks finished second to Portland in the regular season race. But 
the playoffs would be a different story. With original Rochester 
Americans goaltender Charlie Hodge in net for the final 13 regular 
season games and all eight playoff games Vancouver swept their 
way to the Patrick Cup championship in the minimum eight games.

In January of 1969 the Oakland situation was continuing to 
deteriorate leading the Vancouver people to take another shot a 
buying the troubled team. Again the NHL said no. Now rumors of 
problems with the Pittsburgh Penguins began to surface but nothing 
ever came of it. On April 6, 1969 George "Punch" Imlach was fired as 
General Manager and Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He joined 
the H/M/M group almost immediately amidst rumors that Punch would 
act as General Manager of the expansion Canucks while Crozier 
served as Head Coach. The two had previously been together in the 
mid-1950s when they owned and ran the Quebec Aces of the 
Quebec Senior League.

In later 1969 the NHL announced that another expansion will take 
place for the 1970-71 season with a price tag of $6 million for one of 
two franchises. Taken aback by the high price the H/M/M group 
begins an unsuccessful search for additional investors. Not wanting 
to lose out on their chance to bid the group makes a counter proposal 
to the NHL. Suggesting that the NHL add four new teams at a price of 
$3 million each would still bring in the same $12 million in expansion 
fees and would make the divisions equal numbers. And the new 
teams would have less of a burden in raising the money. The NHL 
turned down the idea.

Unable to get any better terms from the NHL the H/M/M group 
reluctantly sold their assets in the Western Hockey League 
Vancouver Canucks, the American Hockey League Rochester 
Americans and the rights to the Vancouver territory to Minnesota-
based entrepreneur Tom Skellan, the CEO of Medicor Corporation, a 
medical insurance company for a payment of $2.85 million. 

Imlach, who was only with the Canucks for a few weeks, receives a 
payoff of $250,000. He is offered a job with any Vancouver expansion 
team but declines. Punch will be heard from later on.

Crozier receives an undisclosed amount for his share of the proceeds 
and remains with the WHL Canucks at the start of their final season. 
Hoping to impress the new owners and to build up his own stock by 
putting a strong team together for their final minor league season 
Crozier creates a powerhouse. With eight former Amerks still with the 
team and by adding former Rochester bad-boy defenseman Howie 
Young to the mix the Canucks win the WHL regular season title and 
repeat as Patrick Cup champions. But Joe Crozier isn't around to 
raise the Cup again. 

After it became apparant to him that he has no chance of getting one 
of the jobs with the expansion Canucks Crozier and Medicor part 
company with nine games remaining in the regular season. He is 
replaced by Bud Poile as General Manager and Hal Laycoe as Head 
Coach. Poile and Laycoe lead Vancouver to the WHL Championship. 
The pair would go on to reprise their roles with the NHL Canucks.

On May 22, 1970 the NHL officially awards expansion franchises to 
Vancouver and Buffalo at $6 million each. Tom Skellan makes a 
down payment of $2 million to the NHL with a promise to make five 
equal yearly payments of $800,000 each plus interest for the balance. 
He wouldn't be around to make the payments due in 1974 and 1975 
as he himself ended up in US Federal Prison in 1974 on a stock fraud 
conviction. 

Punch Imlach took his money and immediately signed on to be the 
General Manager and Head Coach of the Buffalo Sabres. He drafted 
several Leaf veterans that he was familiar with for the inaugural 
Sabres squad including Eddie Shack and Dick Duff as well as former 
Amerks Reggie Fleming and Larry Keenan. He even designed the 
Sabres' uniforms by using the template that the Maple Leafs had 
given up at the end of the 1969-70 season. Punch just replaced 
White or Royal Blue stripes with Gold in the Toronto pattern. 

The Sabres' first uniforms were late in coming in from Rawlings, the 
manufacturer. This forced the Sabres to wear the Buffalo Bisons Red 
"bottle cap" uniforms for their early exhibition games. When the 
jerseys finally arrived it was discovered that the hem striping on the 
White jerseys was reversed from the sleeve stripes. Rather than wait 
weeks for a new set of jerseys the Sabres kept the shirts and a jersey 
trivia question legend was born.

Buffalo won the toss for the first pick in the 1970 free agent draft and 
Imlach selected Gilbert Perreault. Punch assigned Gilbert #11 
because that was Imlach's favorite number. 

Joe Crozier also went to work for the Sabres. While he was coaching 
the AHL Cincinnati Swords in 1971-72 Crozier was promoted to be 
Buffalo's head coach after Punch suffered a heart attack. In two-and-
a-half seasons behind the Sabres' bench Crozier made the playoffs 
once and put the pieces together that Floyd Smith took to the Stanley 
Cup Finals when he took over at the start of the 1974-75 season.

Vancouver's hockey department ran the Amerks very badly for all 
four years and the relationship slowly deteriorated with each passing 
day. Following the end of the 1971-72 season the Vancouver owners 
had had enough and announced their intentions to either sell the 
franchise to the highest bidder or fold the team completely. Thankfully 
for Rochester hockey fans a group of eight Rochester businessmen 
led by Joe Fox and Sam Toth stepped up and saved the team and 
hired Don Cherry to run it. The rest is history.