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| Ryan Mcnamee Toronto ON |
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Just wanted to ask for a little help. My father played for both the Mariners and the Roadrunners. His name is Peter Mcnamee. I was just wondering if anybody knew where I could find some videos of any of the games he would have played in. I'm really interested in seeing some of his scraps against a guy named Gallant who played for the Minnesota Fighting Saints. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. [Ryan, I think you're referring to Gord Gallant of the Fighting Saints... you may be able to find some photos or even videos via Google or eBay. Alex.] |
| Robert Tallarida San Diego CA |
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Just reminiscing when I was young listening to the Mariners on the radio — the only hockey team that I ever listened to and STILL like.
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| Jeff Knight Strathroy ON |
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Great site. I loved the WHA and was a big fan. Great to see the memories of this great unique league living on. Thanks. |
| Bill Piva Darien IL |
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I was in high school in the '70s and have great memories about the team! I especially remember the rivalry with the Phoenix Roadrunners (Ftorek, Hughes, Niekamp, Beaudoin, Seppo Repo)and how they were a worthy rival! I attended the road trip to Phoenix in the spring of 1976 and almost gagged on a piece of stainless steel that I found in my doughnut, courtesy of the Roadrunner Booster Club! :) I also remember the worthy efforts of Brad McLelland and his leadership in the SD Booster Club. And also Superfan, the blonde-headed guy that was indeed a Superfan! Thanks for leading the procession around the Coliseum! I think he was the only person that had a real Mariners jersey! |
| Mark S. Orange County CA |
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Thank you for the great site... it brings back tons of memories of my childhood. I was very fortunate to have lived next door to coach Ron Ingram growing up. He would always invite me to the games and hang out in the locker room, meeting the entire team. Of course my favorite players were Andre Lacroix and Kevin Morrison (for the body checks!) I also got to meet my heros — Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe (didn't he play on a team with all of his sons?) For a kid who lived in sunny SD, it was great to learn an "East coast" sport. We would skate at the ice rink in La Mesa off the 805 (now it's either a church or dentist office). Somewhere at my parents house, there are probably Mariner's ticket stubs, programs, pennants and broken hockey sticks. And thanks to Ron and his family for showing me a great sport, and to say "Eh" (way before the McKenzie brothers!) |
| Paul Straube Gloucester MA |
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Remember as a kid in Philly going to the Blazers first game and the Zamboni went through the ice. The WHA was the wild, wild, west. Alot of minor league players got a chance in that league and the games had quality hockey. Remember Andy Brown? He was the last pro goalie to play without a mask. |
| Timothy Gassen Tucson AZ |
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This is a fabulous website — thanks for keeping the memory of the WHA alive! The new site for the WHA's Indianapolis Racers is now up and running: whaRACERS.com There's a new team history, lots of photos and even a short video clip. Drop by and share your WHA stories in our guestbook!
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| Mark Lemon Vancouver BC |
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The Mariners had the best logo in the history of logos bar none — it's INSANE!! Look at it!! The Captain (minus Tenille) with a full-on 'stache smoking a freakin' pipe while skating in front of a ship's wheel? What can I say except PURE GENIUS. I just wish we had your designer here in Vancouver (check out the sad history of Blazers/Canucks hockey logos if you dare...) Anyway, can't recall if I saw the Mariners play — caught a couple of Toronto Toros games at Maple Leaf Gardens back in the day, but all I remember is seeing Eddie Shack skate miles around the rink to avoid getting his ass kicked in a bench-clearing brawl... and lining up FOREVER after a Jets game to get Bobby Hull's autograph — only to reach the front of the line and stare in disbelief at his glued-on rug! Great site — keep the faith!! Looks like the WHA will be back sooner than we thought! |
| Chris Brewer Boise ID |
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Holy crap for the good old days. I was in the San Diego Sports Arena the night the Mariners were eliminated from the playoffs in what was supposed to be their final season. That night, after what seemed like an eternal standing ovation for our guys, the PA announcer came on and said that Ray Kroc would be buying the team. OK, look, I was about 13 when this happened, so maybe all the details aren't all correct. Anyone remember this the same way as I did? Or, how about the old "chain-link" style fencing behind the net at the Arena in the old days of the original San Diego Gulls? |
| Perry San Diego CA |
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My favorite memories are of Ernie Wakely (my all-time favorite hockey player) and the play-by-play of Roy Storey. Roy would say, "there's a shot on goal and smothered and kicked away by Wakely", "The puck is Fro-o-o-o-o-o-zen by Ernie Wakely". And of course his sign-off at the end of each broadcast, "Win, lose, or draw, I hope the beautiful, colorful, exciting sounds of hockey abound in your home as they do in mine. Good night from San Diego..." |
| Dave Dobek Warren MI |
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My cousin Bob played for the Mariners. I never got the chance to see him play hockey for the Mariners, but this is great to learn something about the team.
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| Christina Soriano Sun City CA |
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I have fond memories of attending games as a child. My husband didn't believe you existed. I am so very happy to have found your site to prove that you did. Thank you. |
| Richard Duby MA |
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Great site. The effort is greatly appreciated.
Anyone interested in Goldie Goldthorpe's career should take a look at his site. Lots of good stuff. |
| Les Holmlund Regina SK |
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What an amazing website! I was/am a huge WHA fan, and lived in Calgary for the Cowboys first season there. I will always be indebeted to the league that brought pro hockey to western Canada, and allowed me to watch the likes of Bobby hull, Gordie Howe, Anders Hedberg and Jacques Plante play hockey. I think it's great that you have made this huge effort to keep the memories of the Mariners and the WHA alive. Thanks! |
| Marc Wetherington Oceanside CA |
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I never missed a Mariner's game. Great team, great league. Great to read notes from old time favorites like Gene Peacosh and Ted Scharf. I recently obtained an autographed puck from Joe Noris, he's coaching a junior league team locally in San Diego. I would love, love I say, to see a Mariner's reunion. I'd be there!! Great web page, thank you.
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| Sam Johnston Miramichi NB |
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Back in the 1970's I attended Sussex Valley Hockey Camp. Norm Ferguson was there as the head coach and called me "Sam the Man" — he was our hero! The trainer for the Mariners "Mitch" was also there — he was $@#%^! nuts!! LOL great memories.
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| Jack Riddell Burnaby BC |
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I only learned of this site very recently as I am now playing old timers hockey with Gene Peacosh in a 50+ old-timer's leaque. Gene is playing center and is one of the main supporters of our beer fund. I find your site to be of great information on the team. It would be very interesting if you had a page on where the players are now and what they are doing after their professional career. After the games, all of us who wished to play at the professional level sit and listen to some of the stories that Gene tells us. Of course, we all believe what Peco tells us. Some of the stories should be in a book sometime. |
| Gene Peacosh Pitt Meadows BC |
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This is quite a site for something that ended 25 years ago. I enjoyed looking through it and a lot of memories returned. I will check now and then to see what updates you may have. Regards, Gene Peacosh. |
| Token Youth Cripple Creek AK |
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I went to those games. My friend Ed used to go to Foggy's Notion after the game. Kevin Morrison and some of the other Mariners used to go there after the game. Morrison had a "hoodlum van". One time he scored with a couple ladies at the bar and Ed saw them go into Morrison's van. As he opened the back side door beer cans fell out into the parking lot. The three of them went into the van and it was rockin'! Thank you.
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| Angela Dolan Mississauga ON |
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I am looking for Don Herriman who played for the Jersey Knights... I was born 27 years ago and he is my father. I have a very good family and would just like to talk to him, or know about my background. Please contact me by email. Thank you.
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| Brian Isely Philadelphia PA |
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What a treasure. Just came accross this site while searching for some information on Ernie Wakely. I lived and breathed the Gulls and Mariners back in the 70's. Lots of fond memories back at the San Diego Sports Arena. I still have an autographed stick from the '74 team. I remember going to the Ice House to see them in traing camp. Keep up the GREAT work.
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| Ted Scharf Kitchener ON |
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Great site ... nice to remember... I just won the Memorial Cup in Canada as President of the OHL Kitchener Rangers. Can't get away from the game... What about an anniversary for the 30th year since the WHA moved to San Diego? I'm sure many would return... reception, golf, dinner, story telling ... |
| Nina Diamond San Diego CA |
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Kevin Devine, Ray Adduono, Joe Noris, Andre Lacroix: give Gus a call in San Diego!
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| John Boach Serra Mesa, since 1967, on and off |
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That's a logo I haven't seen in a long time... not since my childhood. Wasn't one of their billboard slogans "Mean, Mad, Menacing, Major League Mariners"? Whoa — talk about a flashback!! The ones that go back to pre-pubesence... whoa!! Good thing this chair has armrests. Hey, ya know what, I think I got a couple of autographed hockey sticks in the garage. In "never been street hockey'd" condition, which is more than I can say for my dad's golf clubs. |
| Sean Stuckey San Diego CA |
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Hey, thanks for the site! This one and the Gulls site rock!!! As a San Diegan, a player, one time coach (in the NECHA/ACHA) and fan of hockey history I'd just like to say "YOU HAVE PUT TOGETHER TWO OF THE BEST SITES EVER!!!" My first hockey game was here in San Diego in the late 60's/early 70's, so I'm told by my Father. Apparently there was a brawl that cleared both benches — so Pops says. In any case, this is great stuff and I'm glad somebody has managed to hold on to San Diego hockey history. |
| Wess Datis Leaky Falls |
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What a wonderful website. Please keep it up.
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| Luc WHA001 Quebec City QU |
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Wow! Great site! I'm really impressed. Great work! By the way, WHA was more interesting than NHL. NHL = business; WHA = passion. There is a huge difference. GO Mariners GO! GO Nordiques GO!
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| David Salter St. John's NL |
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Awesome. It's great that someone takes the time to do these websites so others can enjoy them. I never got to see the WHA in action but I collected the hockey cards as a kid in the late 1970s.
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| Jose A. Ortiz Saginaw MI |
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I grew up watching a few of the Mariners, when they played for either the New York Raiders or Golden Blades. My favorite player was Norm Ferguson. I just love your website and all the pictures and the information offered. As a true WHA fan, you have one of the best sites availble to us,the fans. Thank you.
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| OJ Edmonton AB |
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Hope the WHA comes back next year!
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| Kevin Boughton San Diego CA |
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One memory I have didn't take place at the Sports Arena: A group of booster club members took a bus trip to Phoenix to see the Mariners play the hated Roadrunners. Well it started off with green eggs. The place we were eating at on the trip over thought we were going to get there sooner. This caused the powdered eggs to turned green. When we get to the game, someone got the bright idea for all of us to walk around the seating area in a group yelling "We're Number 1, We're Number 1" Being only 13 at the time, I didn't know better and just joined the crowd! Well, it was so loud the Mariners heard it in the locker room and came out the tunnel to see what the racket was... it must have pumped up the team, because we won the game! Looking back, I am surprised the Phoenix fans didn't attack us!... |
| Jon Orange County CA |
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This is a most excellent site! The Mariners and Gulls were the great love of my youth. And you have brought it all back in living color! For two years, I delivered the San Diego Union to Joe Noris and Kevin Devine. They lived on the water in a gorgeous condo building in OB. I saved up my money and bought a game used Noris stick and left him a note with his paper asking him to sign it. He was most gracious and kind in his repsonse. I still have and treasure his stick. I actually ran into him at an Anaheim Mighty Ducks game last year and he was there with his son and was looking like he could suit up and skate. He was quite shocked that anyone would remember him. And his son got an earful about his dad: the white turtle neck wearing number 21. Thanks again for this site! |
| Icebunny Maine but from San Diego CA |
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I was a big WHA fan! Lets hear it for Section 11 Row 2! I always sat there... where did you sit? [Thanks, Icebunny! We always sat in Loge Section 12... Alex.] |
| John Goodman Lompoc CA |
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As a native San Diegan my first experience with hockey was watching the WHL Gulls.
They were a good, hardworking and fun-to-watch bunch. But the first game I saw the Mariners
play was vastly different: The skill! The speed! The intensity! I was hooked! I was a 25 year
old truck driver making $3.75 an hour but I scraped enough money together for 2 season tickets
for the next three glorious seasons. Most vivid memories?
Also, the Mariners-Roadrunner games were fierce competition, especially during the last season. The league had scheduled more games against division rivals to reduce travel costs... it seemed that every other game was against Phoenix. Needless to say, in short order, the two teams really developed a intense dislike for one another. My seats were in Loge Section 1, Row 6, Seats 1 and 2. I always sat on the aisle. These seats were behind the penalty boxes. I recall one game someone in the stands pissed-off one of the Phoenix players in the penalty box and he turned and started whacking away at the fans with his stick. This brought forth a barrage of beer, soft drinks, trash, souvenir pucks, etcetera. Soon a couple of Roadrunner players were over the glass mixing it up with some pretty tanked-up fans; including, shamefully, yours truly. I was standing behind a really huge guy who was playing hockey stick tug-of-war with one of the bigger Roadrunners. I was fired-up: yelling, cursing, when John Gray stepped around to help his teammate. Instantly we were nose-to-nose. Well, I was 26 years old, 6'3", 260 lbs. Looking down at the 5'9 (6'0" in skates), 175 lb. Gray. I was already running downhill, so my two-handed shove really sent him flying back into the penalty box, refs and Mariner players coming to the rescue. The last I saw of Johnny was his middle finger pointed at me as the Roadrunners exercised their better judgment and retreated back onto the ice. I really regretted my behavior, (especially after my wife got done with her 1/2 hour lecture on my incredible immaturity). Like a player in the box I thought about my transgression, reflected on my stupidity, and felt shame. I never misbehaved at a game again, vowing never to bring disrespect on my team or my city... or, most importantly, to never subject myself to that damn lecture ever again! |
| Kevin Prince Rupert BC |
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I really enjoyed your San Diego Mariners website. I learned alot of stuff about the team that I never knew before, like who was captain for the 1976/77 season: I would have guessed it was Norm Ferguson, not Andre Lacroix. I hope to see a 1974/75 team photo soon! [Thanks, Kevin! The 74/75 team photo has been located and is now on the site... Alex.] |
| Bob Davidoski Philadelphia PA |
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Cool site! Thanks for putting it together. The WHA lives on! Your description of the 70's is a riot!
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| Stewart Teaze San Diego CA |
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When I was 14 or 15, I used to take the bus to the games, and my Dad would pick me up at the Target across the street from the Arena (or whatever it was back then.) Harry Howell's son Dan was on my high school football team, and Dan once gave me some purple/white/gold New York Golden Blades socks of his Dad's... don't know what I ever did with 'em, though. Biggest memory I ever had was when I went down to see the Mariners play the Minnesota Fighting Saints and that goofy-looking guy Jack Carlson (one of the brothers they patterned the Hanson brothers after in the movie Slapshot)... this guy was more goofy-looking than the dudes in the movies, and he was bigger — I couldn't believe it, but he scored a goal... I mean, I'd snuck down right behind the goal in the lower section (there couldn't have been more than 4,000 in the stands that weeknight) and I got a real good closeup of this guy scoring with that BIG NOSE sticking out from those BLACK GLASSES and CCM helmet pulled down low — who else wore helmets in '76?! Nobody but the rookies, and kooks like Carlson. [Stewart, I remember there used to be a restaurant on the corner where Target's parking lot now is... I think it changed hands numerous times but some of the names I recall are "World's Finest" and "That Place Across The Street From The Sports Arena". Alex.] |
