1972–73 NBA season, Season recap, Western Conference
The Lakers got another rebounding title from Wilt Chamberlain, the eleventh of his colossal career. Wilt also sank an unreal 72.7% of his shots, though he continued to shoot less and less. Chamberlain averaged 13.2 points per game, a far cry from his 50 points per game twelve years  before. However, Wilt knew he was part of a team concept that was a proven winner. Jerry West and Gail Goodrich were the scorers again, with Jim McMillian the ready third threat. The Lakers lost key rebounder Happy Hairston after 28 games, but brought over rebounding legend Bill Bridges from crumbling Philadelphia. The Lakers eventually won 60 games.


1972–73 NBA season, Season recap, Western Conference
Milwaukee got another huge year from Abdul-Jabbar, who looked again to be the NBA's top player. His 30.2 points per game were second in the league, and he was fourth in rebounds. Only one player, Kansas City's Nate Archibald, scored more points. Only two, Archibald and Seattle's Spencer Haywood, tried more shots. But Abdul-Jabbar sank 55% of his shots, tops among high-scoring NBA shooters, and likely again blocked more shots than any big man in the league. The seven footer also added five assists per game.


1972–73 NBA season, Season recap, Western Conference
A balanced cast of Bucks supported Abdul-Jabbar en route to another 60-win campaign, their third straight. But both teams were showing some gray streaks as West, Chamberlain, and Oscar Robertson, all all-time greats, were each clearly approaching the end of remarkable careers. The three 60-win monsters drew most of the attention as playoff time arrived, which again rigidly followed the NBA's four divisions. All of the NBA's eight winning teams neatly made the field.


1972–73 NBA season, Season recap, Western Conference
Los Angeles would again turn away a solid Dick Motta coached Chicago club. The series went the full seven games, which showed the Lakers had clearly dropped a couple notches. Game one had been an overtime affair, while LA needed their fourth home game to win Game Seven 95-92. Chicago, like Baltimore and Atlanta, had become the solid second-tier team that could not get past the giants.


1972–73 NBA season, Season recap, Western Conference
Milwaukee looked to be that fourth giant as they met the 47-win Golden State Warriors. Nate Thurmond wanted to prove he could defend the league's best center and he surely did, dropping Abdul-Jabbar's scoring by eight points and shooting by 12% in the series. Rick Barry had finally rejoined his NBA team from five years ago also, and Clyde Lee starred as well helping Thurmond to a 4–2 series win that wasn't really very close. Game Six ended 100–86. Milwaukee's Robertson saw a solid series fall short.


1972–73 NBA season, Season recap, Western Conference
Meanwhile, Los Angeles was resting, having used three 20-point scorers and Chamberlain's dominance inside to brush off Golden State 4-1. Al Attles' Warriors may still have been celebrating their win over Milwaukee. Game Three was a huge 126-70 Laker win in Oakland. The Warriors won Game Four, but all it did was force the series back to Southern California, where the Lakers clinched in Game Five.


1972–73 NBA season, Season recap, The NBA Finals
The NBA had their third New York – Los Angeles matchup in four years, which marked this remarkable period in media attention. Chamberlain was the giant favorite again at age 36, a role which rarely suited him. Meanwhile, New York used a tandem at center. Thick Willis Reed, sore knees and all, had been kept fresh for the playoffs thanks to Jerry Lucas, primarily a center once again. The two had come to be known as 'Willis Lucas'  averaging 22 points and 15 rebounds a game combined during the year. Neither were great shot blockers but both were smart, tough and unselfish, a trait also shared by forward Dave DeBusschere, who was still a very key part of the Knicks success.


1972–73 NBA season, Season recap, The NBA Finals
Like Robertson, Jerry West reached for the greatness of years past and found some of it gone forever. Earl Monroe eagerly gave Gail Goodrich a better match this time as well. Chamberlain chose not to shoot again, scoring just 10.4 per game in the playoffs for another enigmatic performance that again gave his opponents their opening.


1972–73 NBA season, Season recap, The NBA Finals
Los Angeles edged out a win in Game One at home. After that, the team concept of New York took over to win the remaining four games. It was clearly revenge for the year before. In a year highlighted by the graying of some of the game's greatest players, New York's three big men had keyed an impressive title run past tough rivals and two 60-win teams to cap impressive careers. For Chamberlain and West, it was one more runner-up finish for the road.


1972–73 NBA season, NBA awards
Note: All information on this page were obtained on the History section on


1972–73 NCAA College Division men's ice hockey season
The 1972–73 NCAA College Division men's ice hockey season began in November 1972 and concluded in March of the following year. This was the 9th season of second-tier college ice hockey.


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings
The 1972–73 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings was made up of two human polls, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various other preseason polls.


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's basketball season
The 1972–73 NCAA University Division men's basketball season began in November 1972, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1973 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament Championship Game on March 26, 1973, at St. Louis Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. The UCLA Bruins won their ninth NCAA national championship with an 87–66 victory over the Memphis State Tigers.


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's basketball season, Season outlook, Pre-season polls
The Top 20 from the AP Poll and Coaches Poll during the pre-season.


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's basketball season, Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's ice hockey season
The 1972–73 NCAA University Division men's ice hockey season began in November 1972 and concluded with the 1973 NCAA University Division Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on March 17, 1973 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. This was the 26th season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 78th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team.


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's ice hockey season
After the season Denver's participation in the NCAA tournament was vacated due to violations of NCAA regulations.


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's ice hockey season
After the season Army was classified as a Division II squad as part of the NCAA's numerical classification system.


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's ice hockey season
Lake Superior State began to sponsor their ice hockey program and the team was promptly admitted into the CCHA.


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's ice hockey season, Regular season, Season tournaments
†Boston University won the tournament but was forced to forfeit each of the three games played after the conclusion of the season.


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's ice hockey season, 1973 NCAA Tournament
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)Note: † Denver's participation was later vacated due to NCAA violations


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of the season.


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Scoring leaders
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Leading goaltenders
The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average at the end of the regular season while playing at least 33% of their team's total minutes.


1972–73 NCAA University Division men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Leading goaltenders
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average


1972–73 NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs for the 1972 season began on December 23, 1972. The postseason tournament concluded with the Miami Dolphins defeating the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII, 14–7, on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, becoming the only NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied.


1972–73 NFL playoffs
Like the previous NFL seasons, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly divisional rotation, excluding the wild card teams who would always play on the road and would not play against their own division champion in the playoffs unless they both made it to the Conference Championship, they would not be paired with each other in the first round.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Participants
Within each conference, the three division winners and one wild card team (the top non-division winner with the best overall records of all remaining teams in the conference) qualified for the playoffs. The NFL did not use a seeding system until the 1975 season, and instead home teams during the first two rounds of the playoffs alternated by division. Thus it was possible for a team to host another club with a better regular season record. For the Super Bowl, the third and final round played at a neutral site, the designated home team was based on an annual rotation by conference.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Schedule
In the United States, CBS televised the NFC playoff games, while NBC broadcast the AFC games and Super Bowl VII.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Oakland Raiders 7
Steelers fullback Franco Harris scored the winning touchdown on what became known as the Immaculate Reception. In a game that was mostly dominated by defense, the contest remained scoreless throughout the first half. On the opening drive of the second half, Pittsburgh drove 67 yards to take a 3–0 lead on Roy Gerela's 18-yard field goal.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Oakland Raiders 7
Following two Raiders drives that were shut down by Jack Ham's interception and a fumble recovery by Glen Edwards,  Steelers defensive back Mike Wagner fell on a fumble by quarterback Ken Stabler (who had replaced injured starter Daryle Lamonica earlier in the game) at the Oakland 35. Five plays later, Gerela kicked a 29-yard field goal that gave Pittsburgh a 6–0 lead in the fourth quarter. Stabler responded by leading his team 80 yards to score on a 30-yard touchdown run with 1:13 left in the game.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Oakland Raiders 7
Facing fourth and ten on their own 40-yard line with 22 seconds left, Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw the ball toward running back John "Frenchy" Fuqua. But the pass bounced off Raiders safety Jack Tatum and was caught by Harris, who then ran the rest of the way downfield to score a 60-yard touchdown that gave the Steelers a 12–7 lead with five seconds left in the game. The play was controversial, as Tatum insisted the ball had bounced off Fuqua, not himself, which would have made the reception illegal under the rules of the time. Replays showing the play are inconclusive as to which player touched the ball (or if both of them did)


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Oakland Raiders 7
Harris was the sole offensive star of the game, rushing for 64 yards and catching 4 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. The Raiders managed just 216 yards and started 8 of their 12 drives inside their own 22-yard line, mainly due to excellent punting from Pittsburgh's Bobby Walden, who averaged over 48 yards per punt on his 6 kicks and set AFC playoff records with punts of 62 and 59 yards.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Oakland Raiders 7
This was the first postseason meeting between the Raiders and Steelers.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 28
Backup quarterback Roger Staubach led the Cowboys to score 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 28–13 San Francisco lead and five turnovers. This was the third consecutive year Dallas eliminated San Francisco from the playoffs.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 28
The 49ers jumped to a 7–0 early lead when Vic Washington returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. Dallas cut the deficit to 7–3 with kicker Toni Fritsch's 37-yard field goal. In the second quarter, 49ers receiver Gene Washington's 52-yard reception moved the ball deep into Dallas territory, only to have Cowboys cornerback Charlie Waters end the drive with an interception on the 1-yard line. But shortly after the turnover, Dallas quarterback Craig Morton lost a fumble while being hit by Windlan Hall and Tommy Hart, which linebacker Ed Beard recovered on the Cowboys 15-yard line.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 28
This led to Larry Schreiber's 1-yard touchdown run, making the score 14–3. Later in the quarter, Morton was intercepted by linebacker Skip Vanderbundt on the Dallas 32, setting up Schreiber's second rushing touchdown that increased the lead to 21–3. But Morton rallied his team back with 10 unanswered points, Fritsch's 45-yard field goal and Lance Alworth's 28-yard touchdown reception, cutting the deficit to 21–13.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 28
In the second half, the Niners blew a chance to increase their lead when Bruce Gossett missed a 40-yard field goal attempt, but then got the ball back on Vanderbundt's second interception. Dallas managed to force a punt, which Jim McCann sent out of bounds at the Cowboys 5-yard line. A few plays later, defensive tackle Charlie Krueger stripped the ball from running back Calvin Hill on the 1 and the 49ers recovered, leading to Schreiber's third 1-yard touchdown run giving his team a commanding 28–13 lead.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 28
Shortly before the end of the third quarter, coach Tom Landry replaced Morton with Roger Staubach, but it didn't seem to help. On his first drive, Staubach lost a fumble while being tackled by Bob Hoskins. San Francisco was in prime position to put the game away with another score, but they couldn't get the ball into the end zone and Gossett missed a 32-yard field goal attempt, causing a huge reversal of momentum. Now with the ball, Hill ripped off a 48-yard gain on a draw play to set up Fritsch's 27-yard field goal, trimming the lead to 28–16.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 28
Later in the quarter, a poor punt from McCann gave Dallas the ball at the 49ers 45-yard line. Staubach then led the team to the end zone, completing two passes to fullback Walt Garrison for 16 yards and two more to Billy Parks, the second a 20-yard touchdown completion to cut the score to 28–23 with less than two minutes left.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 28
With time running out, Dallas had to attempt an onside kick. 49ers receiver Preston Riley briefly handled the ball, but couldn't hang on and it was recovered by Cowboys defensive back Mel Renfro. On the first play after the recovery, Staubach gained 21 yards on a quarterback scramble. Then he found Parks for a 19-yard gain before running out of bounds at the San Francisco 10-yard line. On the next play, Staubach threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to receiver Ron Sellers, giving Dallas a 30–28 lead with just 52 seconds left.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 28
However, the 49ers were not quite out of the game. Needing only a field goal to win, Brodie completed three consecutive passes, but a 23-yard completion to Riley that would have put the 49ers in field goal range was eliminated by a holding penalty, and Brodie was intercepted by Waters on the next play.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 28
This game would mark the end of the four-year battle for the starting quarterback position on Dallas between Morton and Staubach. With his outstanding performance of 12/20 completions for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns, with no interceptions and 23 rushing yards in just over one quarter of play, Staubach became the Cowboys' permanent starter and would not relinquish the position until the end of his career after the 1979 season, while Morton was traded to the New York Giants in 1974 and later became the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos. Morton and Staubach would later meet again and face off against each other in Super Bowl XII. The 49ers would not return to postseason play until 1981.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 28
Dallas' comeback from an 18-point deficit was the second largest comeback in NFL postseason history at the time. The Cowboys outgained the 49ers in total yards 402–255, and first downs 22–13, although they lost five turnovers and their quarterbacks were sacked five times. Brodie was not sacked at all. Hill finished the game with a career postseason high 125 rushing yards, and one reception for six yards. Parks caught 7 passes for 136 yards. Vic Washington had 200 all-purpose yards (3 KR for 136 yards, 56 rushing yards, 1 rec for 8 yards) Defensive end Cedrick Hardman had 3.5 sacks.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 23, 1972, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 28
This was the third overall postseason meeting, and third such meeting in as many years between the Cowboys and 49ers. Both previous meetings had been in the NFC Championship Game, and were both won by Dallas.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1972, NFC: Washington Redskins 16, Green Bay Packers 3
Using a five-man defensive line, the Redskins limited the Packers to only a field goal and held Green Bay running back John Brockington (who rushed for 1,027 yards during the season) to just 9 yards on 13 carries. Meanwhile, Washington kicker Curt Knight scored 3 field goals, while running back Larry Brown, who had missed the last two games of the season with a knee injury, returned to rush for 101 yards, his 7th 100-yard game of the year.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1972, NFC: Washington Redskins 16, Green Bay Packers 3
The Packers scored first on Chester Marcol's 17-yard field goal in the second quarter. But then Redskins quarterback Billy Kilmer threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Roy Jefferson. With 33 seconds left in the first half, Knight kicked a 42-yard field goal to give Washington a 10–3 halftime lead. The Redskins then dominated the second half, with Knight adding two more field goals.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1972, NFC: Washington Redskins 16, Green Bay Packers 3
This was the second postseason meeting between the Packers and Redskins. Green Bay won the only prior meeting when the Redskins were based in Boston.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 20, Cleveland Browns 14
Despite being 13-point favorites, Miami found themselves trailing 14-13 midway through the 4th quarter due to a Browns touchdown drive. The Dolphins proved up to the challenge, as they responded by driving 80 yards to retake the lead on an 8-yard rushing touchdown by Jim Kiick with less than 5 minutes left in regulation to keep the Dolphins' hopes alive for an undefeated season.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 20, Cleveland Browns 14
After punting on their opening drive, Miami got an early scoring opportunity when linebacker Doug Swift intercepted a pass from Browns quarterback Mike Phipps, giving the Dolphins a first down on the Browns 40-yard line. But Miami could only gain 1 yard over the next three plays and failed to score when Garo Yepremian missed a 46-yard field goal attempt. Their first score would come later, when Charlie Babb blocked a Cleveland punt, picked it up, and returned it for a touchdown.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 20, Cleveland Browns 14
Following another Cleveland punt, Miami increased their lead to 10-0 by driving 51 yards, featuring a 21-yard run by receiver Paul Warfield on an end around play, and scoring on Yepremian's 40-yard field goal. Cleveland responded with a pair of runs for 32 total yards by Bo Scott and a 25-yard scramble by Phipps, giving the team a first down on the Dolphins 25-yard line. But once again they failed to score as the drive ended with an interception by Dolphins cornerback Curtis Johnson, who returned the ball 33 yards.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 20, Cleveland Browns 14
Ultimately, there would be no scoring in the second quarter, despite numerous chances for Miami. All the Dolphins got out of Johnson's interception return was a missed 53-yard field goal attempt by Yepremian. Later on, Browns punter Don Cockroft fumbled a high snap and was downed on the Cleveland 39 after he recovered the ball. But after a 15-yard holding penalty, a 9-yard loss on a sack by Browns lineman Walter Johnson, and a 12-yard loss on a run by Mercury Morris, the Dolphins found themselves pushed well out of scoring range. Miami defensive back Dick Anderson later intercepted a pass from Phipps, but Yepremian's eventual field goal attempt was eliminated by a penalty on the last play of the first half.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 20, Cleveland Browns 14
Cleveland finally got on the board on their second drive of the third quarter, following a 38-yard punt return by Thom Darden that gave the team a first down on the Dolphins 44-yard line. Phipps completed a 21-yard pass to tight end Milt Morin on the first play, and eventually finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, making the score 10–7. Kiick racked up 26 yards on 4 carries on Miami's ensuing drive, but on his 5th carry, he lost a fumble that was recovered by Browns linebacker Charlie Hall. Following a Browns punt, Kiick picked up 12 yards on two carries, while Morris rushed twice for 24 yards to set up Yepremian's 46-yard field goal, increasing Miami's lead to 13–7.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 20, Cleveland Browns 14
On the Browns ensuing drive, Phipps picked up 14 yards on a scramble and then completed an 18-yard pass to receiver Fair Hooker on a drive to the Dolphins 38. Anderson initially shut down the drive with an interception, but he fumbled the ball during the return, and Hooker recovered it for Cleveland on the Miami 30-yard line. Two plays later, Phipps completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to Hooker, giving the Browns their first lead of the game, 14–13, just under seven minutes into the fourth quarter.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 20, Cleveland Browns 14
With their undefeated season on the line, Miami responded by driving 80 yards in six plays for the game winning score. Quarterback Earl Morrall completed passes to Warfield for gains of 15 and 35 yards, while Morris added a 12-yard carry. A pass interference penalty on linebacker Bill Andrews gave the Dolphins a first down on Cleveland's 8-yard line, and Kiick scored the go-ahead touchdown run on the next play, giving Miami a 20–14 lead with 4:49 left in the game. Cleveland had two more chances to mount a comeback, but their first drive resulted in a punt, and on their final drive, Doug Swift recorded his second interception of the game, enabling Miami to run out the clock.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 20, Cleveland Browns 14
Miami intercepted 5 of Phipps' passes and amassed 198 rushing yards. Neither team's quarterback had much success. Phipps completed just 9 of 23 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown, while Morrall completed only 6/13 passes for 88 yards. Scott was the Browns top performer with 94 rushing yards and 4 receptions for 30. “The best thing for us was to get behind,” said Miami fullback Larry Csonka after the game. “It got very quiet and somebody said ‘If we’re gonna get anything done, now’s the time to do it’. It got done.”


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 20, Cleveland Browns 14
This was the first postseason meeting between the Browns and Dolphins.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 21, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
The Dolphins continued their unbeaten streak as quarterback Bob Griese, who had not started a game since week 5, took over the starting spot and led the team to two touchdowns in the second half.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 21, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Things started well for Pittsburgh as safety Glen Edwards intercepted a pass from Earl Morrall on the opening drive and returned it 28 yards to the Dolphins 48. Steelers running back Franco Harris subsequently gained 35 yards on 7 carries as the team drove to a third and 2 on the Miami 3-yard line. On the next play,  Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw fumbled the ball as he tried to run into the end zone, but offensive lineman Gerry Mullins recovered it for a touchdown, giving the Steelers an early 7–0 lead.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 21, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Unfortunately for the Steelers, Bradshaw was injured on the play and did not return until the fourth quarter. The Dolphins tied the game after punter Larry Seiple's 37-yard run on a fake punt set up Morrall's 9-yard touchdown pass to fullback Larry Csonka. The score would remain tied 7–7 at the end of the first half.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 21, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
On the opening drive of the third quarter, Steelers quarterback Terry Hanratty completed passes to John McMakin and Ron Shanklin for gains of 22 and 24 yards, while John Fuqua added 24 yards on a draw play as the team drove to a 14-yard field goal by Roy Gerela, putting them up 10–7. At this point, Bob Griese, who had been sidelined with a broken leg for 10 weeks, replaced Morrall and threw a 52-yard completion to Paul Warfield on his first pass attempt.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 21, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Miami also caught a break on the drive when an offsides penalty against Pittsburgh wiped out an interception by linebacker Jack Ham. Eventually, Jim Kiick finished the 11-play, 80-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, giving the Dolphins their first lead at 14–10. Near the end of the third quarter, Seiple's 33-yard punt gave Pittsburgh a first down on the Miami 48. Harris ran for 7 yards on the first play, but this was followed by two incompletions and Gerela's 48-yard field goal attempt was blocked.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 21, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Taking over on the Steelers' 49 after the blocked field goal, the Dolphins drove 49 yards on an 11-play drive that only had one pass play. Kiick finished it off with a 3-yard touchdown run, giving Miami a 21-10 fourth quarter lead. However, Bradshaw returned to the game for the Steelers' next drive and quickly led them to a score. He started the drive with a 9-yard pass to tight end Larry Brown, and followed it up with consecutive 25-yard completions to Al Young and Shanklin. On the fourth play of the possession, he threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Young, cutting the score to 21–17. But on Pittsburgh's last two drives, he threw interceptions to Miami linebackers Nick Buoniconti and Mike Kolen, enabling the Dolphins to run out the rest of the clock.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, AFC: Miami Dolphins 21, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
This was the first postseason meeting between the Dolphins and Steelers.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, NFC: Washington Redskins 26, Dallas Cowboys 3
Charley Taylor led the Redskins to the victory by recording 7 receptions for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns. Washington massively outgained Dallas in total yards (316–169), first downs (16–8), and third-down conversions (10/18–3/12), while holding them to a single field goal and shutting them out in the second half.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, NFC: Washington Redskins 26, Dallas Cowboys 3
However, the game seemed close before the final period. Washington took the opening kickoff and drove to the Cowboys 31-yard line, but Larry Brown lost a fumble there and safety Cliff Harris recovered the ball. However, Dallas fared no better, and ended up running just six plays in the entire quarter. Following a punt, Washington scored on a 13-play, 9-minute drive, with Brown rushing for 31 yards and catching a pass for 9. Curt Knight finished the drive with an 18-yard field goal in the second quarter.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, NFC: Washington Redskins 26, Dallas Cowboys 3
Later on, Redskins quarterback Billy Kilmer smoked the Cowboys with a 51-yard completion to Taylor, and eventually scored on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Taylor that gave his team a 10–0 lead. Near the end of the half, Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach's 29-yard run set up a Toni Fritsch field goal from 35 yards, cutting the score to 10–3. Fritsch later got another attempt on the last play before halftime, but missed a 23-yard attempt, his first miss of the season from under 30 yards.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, NFC: Washington Redskins 26, Dallas Cowboys 3
The third quarter was scoreless, with Dallas unable to move the ball past their own 30-yard line, but they still had a few chances to score. At one point, Kilmer fumbled the ball at his own 32-yard line, and it rolled all the way back to the 18, but Washington recovered it. Mike Bragg's ensuing punt went 36 yards to the Dallas 44, but defensive back Charlie Waters lost five yards while attempting a return and a clipping penalty cost them another 15, pushing the Cowboys all the way back to the 24. To make matters worse, Waters (who was a starter on defense) suffered a broken arm on the play and had to miss the rest of the game.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, NFC: Washington Redskins 26, Dallas Cowboys 3
Taylor had already had an excellent game while being covered by Waters, and now that he was matched up against second stringer Mark Washington, Kilmer sensed a huge opportunity to break the game open. On their next drive, he completed four passes, the last a 45-yard touchdown bomb to Taylor on the second play of the fourth quarter, increasing Washington's lead to 17–3. The Redskins then dominated the rest of the game, scoring with field goals from Knight on each of their next three drives to make the final score 26–3.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, NFC: Washington Redskins 26, Dallas Cowboys 3
Knight had a dismal season, making just 14 of 30 field goal attempts, but he had proven to be unusually effective in the playoffs, making all three of his kicks against Green Bay in the divisional round. On this day, he came through with another big performance, finishing a perfect 4/4 by making his final three field goals from 39, 46, and 45 yards. Kilmer also had one of the best performances of his career, completing 14 of 18 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, while also rushing for 15 yards. Brown was the top rusher of the game with 88 yards, and caught 2 passes for 16. Staubach completed just 9 of 20 passes for 98 yards, and was the Cowboys leading rusher with 5 carries for 59 yards.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, December 31, 1972, NFC: Washington Redskins 26, Dallas Cowboys 3
This was the first postseason meeting between the Cowboys and Redskins.


1972–73 NFL playoffs, Super Bowl VII: Miami Dolphins 14, Washington Redskins 7
This was the first Super Bowl meeting between the Dolphins and Redskins.


1972–73 NHL season
The 1972–73 NHL season was the 56th season of the National Hockey League. Sixteen teams each played 78 games. Two new teams, the New York Islanders and the Atlanta Flames, made their debuts. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup by beating the Chicago Black Hawks four games to two in the Stanley Cup Final.


1972–73 NHL season, Pre-season
Prior to the start of the season, the 1972 Summit Series took place. It was the first ever meeting between Soviet Union and NHL calibre Canadian ice hockey players. Canada expected to easily beat the Soviets, but were shocked to find themselves with a losing record of one win, two losses, and a tie after four games in Canada. In game four, which Canada lost 5–3, Vancouver fans echoed the rest of Canada's thoughts of Team Canada's poor performance by booing them off the ice. The final four games were played in the Soviet Union. Canada lost game five, but won the last three for a final record of four wins, three losses, and a tie.


1972–73 NHL season, Pre-season
For the first time since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926, the National Hockey League had serious competition. A new professional hockey league, the World Hockey Association, made its season debut with 12 new teams, half of which were based in cities with existing NHL teams. Unlike the Western Hockey League, though, the new World Hockey Association would not challenge for the Stanley Cup. In response to the new league, the NHL hastily added two new teams in an unplanned expansion, the New York Islanders and Atlanta Flames, in an attempt to exclude the WHA from newly constructed arenas in those markets.


1972–73 NHL season, Pre-season
In February 1972, the Miami Screaming Eagles of the WHA signed Bernie Parent to a contract, and when Bobby Hull was signed on June 27, 1972, to play with the Winnipeg Jets, the Chicago Black Hawks sued, claiming a violation of the reserve clause in NHL contracts. Others soon followed Hull to the WHA, including, J. C. Tremblay, Ted Green, Gerry Cheevers and Johnny McKenzie. In the expansion draft, the New York Islanders and Atlanta Flames made their picks and eleven Islander players skipped off to the WHA. The California Golden Seals, chafing under the unorthodox ownership of the unpopular Charlie Finley, were also a victim of the WHA, losing eight key players.


1972–73 NHL season, Regular season
The Montreal Canadiens took over first place in the East Division and the league from the Boston Bruins while for the third consecutive season the Chicago Black Hawks dominated the West Division.


1972–73 NHL season, Playoffs
No teams in the playoffs swept their opponents, the last time this would happen until 1991, and no series required the maximum number of games, the last time this has happened to date. In addition, the Chicago Black Hawks reached the Stanley Cup Finals without a captain, the last time this would happen until 2014.


1972–73 NHL season, Playoffs, Quarterfinals, (E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E4) Buffalo Sabres
The Montreal Canadiens finished first in the league with 120 points. The Buffalo Sabres finished fourth with 88 points. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. This was the Buffalo Sabres' first playoff appearance in their third season since entering the league in the 1970–71 NHL season. Montreal won the five-game regular season series earning six of ten points.


1972–73 NHL season, Playoffs, Quarterfinals, (E2) Boston Bruins vs. (E3) New York Rangers
The Boston Bruins finished second in the East Division with 107 points. The New York Rangers finished third in the East Division with 102 points. This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams with Boston winning six of the eight previous series. They last met in the previous year's Stanley Cup Finals which Boston won in six games. The teams split this year's six-game regular season series.


1972–73 NHL season, Playoffs, Quarterfinals, (W1) Chicago Black Hawks vs. (W4) St. Louis Blues
The Chicago Black Hawks finished first in the West Division with 93 points. The St. Louis Blues finished fourth in the West Division with 76 points. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. The teams split this year's six-game regular season series.


1972–73 NHL season, Playoffs, Quarterfinals, (W2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (W3) Minnesota North Stars
The Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota North Stars finished tied for second in the West Division each with 85 points (Philadelphia won the tiebreaker in total goals for 296–254). This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Philadelphia won three of the five games in this year's regular season series.


1972–73 NHL season, Playoffs, Semifinals, (E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (W3) Philadelphia Flyers
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. The teams split this year's five-game regular season series.


1972–73 NHL season, Playoffs, Semifinals, (W1) Chicago Black Hawks vs. (E3) New York Rangers
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams with Chicago winning three of the four previous series. They last met in the previous year's Stanley Cup Semifinals which New York won in a four-game sweep. The teams split this year's five-game regular season series.


1972–73 NHL season, Playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals
It was the 16th playoff meeting between these two teams. Montreal lead 10–5 in their previous meetings. This was a rematch of the 1971 Stanley Cup Finals, which Montreal won in seven games. Chicago won three of the five games in this year's regular season series.


1972–73 NHL season, Player statistics, Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts


1972–73 NHL season, Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1972–73 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):


1972–73 NHL season, Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1972–73 (listed with their last team):


1972–73 NHL season, Last games
NOTE: Plante, Stapleton, Backstrom, Howell and Balon would finish their major professional careers in the World Hockey Association.


1972–73 NK Hajduk Split season
The 1972–73 season was the 62nd season in Hajduk Split’s history and their 27th season in the Yugoslav First League. Their 10th place finish in the 1971–72 season meant it was their 27th successive season playing in the Yugoslav First League.


1972–73 NTFL season
The 1972/73 NTFL season was the 52nd season of the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL).


1972–73 NTFL season
Darwin have won there 19th premiership title while defeating St Marys in the grand final by 30 points.


1972–73 National Basketball League season
The 1972–73 National Basketball League season was the inaugural season of the newly formulated National Basketball League.


1972–73 National Basketball League season
By 1972, the Scots had their own thriving National League, though also competing in the "Rose Bowl", but when a London team, Sutton, defeated Edinburgh's Boroughmuir Barrs in the 1972 Final, the Basketball Association decided that it was time to relaunch the idea of an English National League. Therefore, the National Basketball League was inaugurated.


1972–73 National Basketball League season
Liverpool were formed by a flamboyant owner called Vaughan Thomas who ran the Sports Education Department at Liverpool Polytechnic and they were the first club to incorporate a sponsor's name into their title, Bruno Roughcut tobacco from WD & HO Wills. They were also the first club to import an American, Larry Meek, specifically to play basketball. They played their home games at the Deeside Leisure Centre.


1972–73 National Football League (Ireland)
The 1972–73 National Football League was the 42nd staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.


1972–73 National Football League (Ireland)
Kerry beat Offaly in the final to complete a three-in-a-row, captain Brendan Lynch scoring 2-3.


1972–73 National Football League (Ireland), Format, Round-Robin Format
Each team played every other team in its division (or group where the division is split) once, either home or away.


1972–73 National Football League (Ireland), Format, Points awarded
2 points were awarded for a win and 1 for a draw.


1972–73 National Football League (Ireland), Format, Knockout phase structure
The final match-up is: Winner Semi-final 1 v Winner Semi-final 2.


1972–73 National Hurling League
The 1972–73 National Hurling League was the 42nd season of the National Hurling League.


1972–73 National Hurling League, Division 1
Cork came into the season as defending champions of the 1971-72 season.


1972–73 National Hurling League, Division 1
On 13 May 1973, Wexford won the title following a 4-13 to 3-7 win over Limerick in the final. It was their fourth league title overall and their first since 1966-67.


1972–73 National Hurling League, Division 1
Tipperary's Francis Loughnane was the Division 1 top scorer with 5-55.


1972–73 Nationalliga A, Overview
14 teams contested in the 1972–73 Nationalliga A. These were the top 12 teams from the previous 1971–72 season and the two newly promoted teams Chiasso and Fribourg. The championship was played in a double round robin. The champions would qualify for the 1973–74 European Cup, the second and third placed teams were to qualify for 1973–74 UEFA Cup and the last two teams in the table at the end of the season were to be relegated. Basel won the championship four points ahead of Grasshopper Club and six ahead of the Sion. Basel won 17 of their 26 league games, drew five and lost four. They scored a total of 57 goals conceding 30. Ottmar Hitzfeld (Basel) was joint leagues top goal scorer with Ove Grahn of Lausanne-Sports both with 18 league goals.


1972–73 Nationalliga A season
The 1972–73 Nationalliga A season was the 35th season of the Nationalliga A, the top level of ice hockey in Switzerland. Eight teams participated in the league, and HC La Chaux-de-Fonds won the championship.


1972–73 New England Whalers season
The 1972–73 New England Whalers season was the Whalers' first season (based in Boston). The Whalers were competitive from the start, placing first in the Eastern Division to qualify for the playoffs. They then won three playoff series to become the first winner of the Avco World Trophy.


1972–73 New York Islanders season
The 1972–73 New York Islanders season was the first season in the franchise's history. At the beginning of 1972, Gordie Howe was offered the job as first head coach of the New York Islanders, but turned it down. The Islanders were coached by Phil Goyette (6–38–4) and Earl Ingarfield (6–22–2). Overall, the team finished in last place with an appalling 12–60–6 record, unable to qualify for the playoffs.


1972–73 New York Islanders season, Regular season
With the impending start of the World Hockey Association in the fall of 1972, the upstart league had plans to place its New York team in the brand-new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County. However, Nassau County officials did not consider the WHA a professional league and wanted nothing to do with the upstart New York Raiders.


1972–73 New York Islanders season, Regular season
The only legal way to keep the Raiders out of the Coliseum was to get an NHL team to play there, so William Shea, who had helped bring the New York Mets to the area a decade earlier, was pressed into service once again. Shea found a receptive ear in league president Clarence Campbell, who did not want the additional competition in the New York area. So, despite having expanded to 14 teams just two years before, the NHL hastily awarded a Long Island-based franchise to clothing manufacturer Roy Boe, owner of the American Basketball Association's New York Nets. A second expansion franchise was awarded to Atlanta (the Flames) at the same time to balance the schedule. The new team was widely expected to take the Long Island Ducks name used by an Eastern Hockey League franchise; the more geographically expansive "New York Islanders" came largely as a surprise.


1972–73 New York Islanders season, Regular season
The fledgling Islanders, who were soon nicknamed the Isles by the local newspapers, had an extra burden to pay in the form of a $4 million territorial fee to the nearby New York Rangers. True to their name, the New York Islanders officially represent New York (city and state), with their nickname and logo denoting their current arena location and fan heartbed; but their support has also naturally come from the boroughs, upstate, Connecticut, and elsewhere in the metro area. This geographical backdrop set the stage for one of the NHL's fiercest and most celebrated regional rivalries.


1972–73 New York Islanders season, Regular season
While the Islanders secured veteran forward Ed Westfall from the Boston Bruins in the 1972 NHL Expansion Draft, junior league star Billy Harris in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft, and a few other respectable players, several other draftees jumped to the WHA. Unlike most other expansion teams' general managers, Islanders' GM Bill Torrey didn't make many trades for veteran players in the early years. Rather than pursue a "win now" strategy of getting a few veterans to boost attendance (a tactic which proved disastrous for many teams in the long run), Torrey was committed to building through the draft.


1972–73 New York Islanders season, Regular season
In the team's first season, young players such as goaltender Billy Smith (the team's second pick in the expansion draft) and forwards Bob Nystrom and Lorne Henning were given chances to prove themselves in the NHL. However, this young and inexperienced expansion team posted a record of 12–60–6, one of the worst in NHL history. The lone highlight of the season came on January 18, when the lowly Islanders upset the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins on the road 9–7.


1972–73 New York Islanders season, Regular season
Phil Goyette was fired midway through the season, and replaced with Earl Ingarfield.


1972–73 New York Islanders season, Player statistics, Forwards
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes


1972–73 New York Islanders season, Player statistics, Defencemen
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes


1972–73 New York Islanders season, Player statistics, Goaltending
Note: GP= Games played; MIN = Minutes; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average


1972–73 New York Knicks season
The 1972–73 New York Knicks season was the 27th season of NBA basketball in New York City. The Knicks captured their second NBA title as they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, four games to one, which was exactly the same count the Knicks lost to the Lakers a year earlier. To date this is the last Knicks' championship.


1972–73 New York Knicks season
Besides being the last Knicks team to win a championship, the team is also remembered for the deep roster of future Hall of Fame players, which included Dave DeBusschere, Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Jerry Lucas, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, Willis Reed, Future U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, and future Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson.


1972–73 New York Knicks season, Draft picks
Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first and second rounds, and any other players picked by the franchise that played at least one game in the league.


1972–73 New York Knicks season, Media, Local TV
Some New York Knicks TV Games never aired on WOR-TV because of broadcast conflict with the New York Rangers (NHL).


1972–73 New York Knicks season, Media, Local radio
Some New York Knicks radio games never aired on WNBC–AM because of broadcast conflict with the New York Rangers (NHL).


1972–73 New York Knicks season, 24th NBA All-Star Game
New York Knicks NBA All-Star representatives at the 1973 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago, Illinois at Chicago Stadium.


1972–73 New York Knicks season, Transactions
Transactions listed are from July 1, 1972 to June 30, 1973.


1972–73 New York Nets season
The 1972–73 New York Nets season was the sixth season of the franchise.


1972–73 New York Raiders season, Player stats
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts;


1972–73 New York Rangers season
The 1972–73 New York Rangers season was the 47th season for the team in the National Hockey League (NHL).


1972–73 New York Rangers season, Player statistics
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Rangers. Stats reflect time with Rangers only. ‡Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Rangers only.


1972–73 New York Rangers season, Transactions
The Rangers defense lost their gifted-defenseman, Brad Park due to a knee injury that occurred on 11/15/72 against the Flyers, which forced him out of the lineup for the next 18 games. Looking to plug that hole, they searched around the league for another talented-defenseman but prospects were sparse. So, on 11/28/72, they settled on veteran defenseman Ron Harris of the Flames who had minimal offensive skills but played a physical checking game.


1972–73 New York Rangers season, Transactions
A 26-year-old forward, by the name of Curt Bennett was still scoreless with the Rangers while mostly sitting on the bench, so he was sent to the Flames in exchange. Both guys ultimately paid dividends for their new teams.


1972–73 New York Rangers season, Transactions
Harris was instrumental in winning key games for the Rangers in different ways such as: against the rival-Bruins in game #2 of the 1973 playoffs, he threw a legal, rolling, hip-check at Phil Esposito which injured him, thus, sinking the hopes of the Bruins since they lost that playoff series; plus then, in a key 1974 playoff game against the Canadians, Harris scored the game-winning goal in overtime which eventually sparked the Rangers in winning that playoff series. Likewise, the Flames cashed in on Curt Bennett since he finally and quickly matured with them by becoming an excellent goal-scorer and their toughest fighter.


1972–73 New York Rangers season, Draft picks
New York's picks at the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.


1972–73 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America
The 1972–73 New Zealand rugby union tour of the Britain, Ireland, France and North America was a collection of rugby union test match games undertaken by the All Blacks against England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France. The tour also took in several matches against British, Irish, French and North American club, county and invitational teams. This was the seventh tour of the Northern Hemisphere. It was also the first time the All Blacks lost to the invitational Barbarians team.


1972–73 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America
In the club matches, the team only lost to Llanelli, North-Western Counties, Midland Counties (West), and the Barbarians, and drew with Munster. In the tests played the team won against Wales, Scotland and England, drew with Ireland and lost to France. This was their fifth "Grand Slam tour" after 1905–06 (Lost to Wales), 1935–36 (Lost to Wales and England), 1953–54 (Lost to Wales), 1963–64 (Drew with Scotland). They had to wait until 1978 for a "Grand Slam".


1972–73 Newport County A.F.C. season
The 1972–73 season was Newport County's 11th consecutive season in the Football League Fourth Division since relegation at the end of the  1961–62 season and their 45th overall in the Football League. County missed out on promotion by the narrowest of margins: their goal average of 1.46 being inferior to that of Aldershot's 1.58 – both teams having finished level on points.


1972–73 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
The 1972–73 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 1972–73 men's college basketball season.


1972–73 Northern Football League
The 1972–73 Northern Football League season was the 75th in the history of Northern Football League, a football competition in England.


1972–73 Northern Football League, Clubs
Division One featured 20 clubs which competed in the league last season, no new clubs joined the division this season.


1972–73 Northern Premier League
The 1972–73 Northern Premier League was the fifth season of the Northern Premier League, a regional football league in Northern England, the northern areas of the Midlands and North Wales. The season began on 12 August 1972 and concluded on 4 May 1973.


1972–73 Northern Premier League, Overview
The League featured twenty-four teams for the second consecutive season.


1972–73 Northern Premier League, Overview, Team changes
The following two clubs left the League at the end of the previous season:


1972–73 Northern Premier League, Overview, Team changes
The following two clubs joined the League at the start of the season:


1972–73 Northern Premier League, Overview, League table
The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season.


1972–73 Northern Premier League, Cup results, Northern Premier League Shield
Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.


1972–73 Northern Premier League, Cup results, FA Cup
Out of the twenty-four clubs from the Northern Premier League, only three teams reached the second round:


1972–73 Northern Premier League, Cup results, FA Trophy
Out of the twenty-four clubs from the Northern Premier League, five teams reached the fourth round:


1972–73 Northern Premier League, End of the season
At the end of the fifth season of the Northern Premier League none of the teams put forward for election received enough votes to be promoted to the Football League. Ellesmere Port Town resigned the league.


1972–73 Northern Premier League, End of the season, Football League elections
Alongside the four Football League teams facing re-election, a total of ten non-League teams applied for election, two of which were from the Northern Premier League. All four Football League teams were re-elected.


1972–73 Northern Premier League, End of the season, Promotion and relegation
The following club left the league at the end of the season:


1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season
The 1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season was the 78th season of rugby league football played in England. It would also be the last season whereby the British championship was decided by a play-off system until Super League III in 1998. Dewsbury were crowned champions after defeating Leeds in the Final. The 1972-73 season was also punctuated by the 1972 Rugby League World Cup which was played in France in October and November. At the end of this season the league re-formed into two divisions. The top 16 in the championship would form Division 1 and the bottom 14 Division 2.


1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season, Season summary
Salford's David Watkins set the record for most goals (including drop goals) in a season with 221. Also, on 19 August 1972, Watkins started his record scoring streak which lasted until 25 April 1974. He totalled 929 points from 41 tries and 403 goals in 92 consecutive matches for one club.


1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season, Season summary
1972-73 also saw the Wigan club celebrate its centenary, having been formed as Wigan F.C. on 21 November 1872. During the season they played a special Centenary Celebration match against an "Australians" side.


1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season, Season summary
Hunslet disbanded at the end of the season, reforming as New Hunslet for the 1973–74 season.


1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season, Season summary
Salford beat Swinton 25–11 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Leeds beat Dewsbury 36–9 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.


1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season, Championship, Final
The 1973 Final was to be the last time a play-off system would be used to determine the British champions until 1998's Super League season. The match was played on 19 May 1973 at Bradford's Odsal Stadium between the previous season's champions, Leeds and first-time finalists, Dewsbury. Dewsbury had suffered a county cup record defeat 36-9 at the hands of Leeds in the Yorkshire County Cup Final earlier in the season. Also Leeds had finished 3rd on the ladder and Dewsbury 8th.


1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season, Championship, Final
However, Dewsbury opened up a 12-4 lead by the interval with tries by the hooker Mike Stephenson and Allan Agar and two goals and a drop-goal from the boot of centre Nigel Stephenson. Leeds captain Alan Hardisty was sent off for the first time in his career for a high tackle on John Bates.


1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season, Championship, Final
A second try from Mike Stephenson on 44 minutes extended Dewsbury's lead and though Leeds hit back with tries by Graham Eccles, Phil Cookson and Les Dyl, it was not to be with Nigel Stephenson converting his own try to complete a resounding 22-13 success. Leading journalist Jack Winstanley wrote at the time: "Dewsbury's win sprung from a superb team effort that paid ample tribute to the coaching and inspiration of (coach) Tommy Smales.


1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season, Championship, Final
They bewildered a jaded Leeds outfit with a series of scissors moves and dummy passes that might have looked grossly over-elaborate had they not worked to such perfection." The Harry Sunderland Trophy for man-of-the-match went to Mike Stephenson. Greg Ashcroft, Jeff Grayshon and Alan Bates also played in the champion Dewsbury side.


1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season, Challenge Cup
The 1973 Challenge Cup Final was won by Featherstone Rovers who beat Bradford Northern 33-14 at Wembley Saturday 12 May 1973 before a crowd of 72,395. Featherstone Rovers' Great Britain scrum half-back, Steve Nash put in a man-of-the-match performance to win the Lance Todd Trophy. Cyril Kellett scored 8-conversions for Featherstone Rovers, the most in a Challenge Cup Final (equalled by Iestyn Harris in 1999).


1972–73 Norwegian 1. Divisjon season
The 1972–73 Norwegian 1. Divisjon season was the 34th season of ice hockey in Norway. Eight teams participated in the league, and Valerenga Ishockey won the championship.


1972–73 OB I bajnoksag season
The 1972–73 OB I bajnokság season was the 36th season of the OB I bajnokság, the top level of ice hockey in Hungary. Five teams participated in the league, and Ferencvarosi TC won the championship.


1972–73 Ottawa Nationals season
The 1972–73 Ottawa Nationals season was the Nationals' only season, as they were one of the original teams in the newly created WHA. The Nationals played most of the season in Ottawa, but transferred their playoff games to Toronto. Due to low attendance in Ottawa, an arena lease dispute, and much better attendance in their two playoff games in Toronto, where they averaged over 5000 fans per game, the Nationals relocated to Toronto permanently beginning in the next season. The club was renamed the Toronto Toros.


1972–73 Ottawa Nationals season, Offseason
The Nationals were originally owned by Doug Michel, with rumours he would place the team in either Hamilton or Toronto, however, and he placed the club in Ottawa. After the team was placed to play in Ottawa, Nick Trbovich became the majority owner, with Michel running hockey operations. The club was placed in the six team Eastern Division, with the top four clubs earning a playoff berth.


1972–73 Ottawa Nationals season, Offseason
The Nationals hired former Toronto Maple Leaf Billy Harris to coach the team. Ottawa's most significant signing was Wayne Carleton, who had previously played with the Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and California Golden Seals in the NHL.


1972–73 Ottawa Nationals season, Regular season
The first game in WHA history was a match between the Nationals and the Alberta Oilers at the Civic Centre, which Alberta won 7-4, on October 11, 1972. Ottawa recorded their first victory in their fourth game, a 6-2 decision over the Chicago Cougars. The Nationals reached a season high two games over .500 with a 12-10-1 record, before falling into a long slump in which the club won only seven games in their next 31, and dropped into last place in the Eastern Division. Ottawa would play very good hockey down the stretch, winning two-thirds of its remaining games, and finished the season at 35-39-4, earning 74 points and the fourth and final playoff position.


1972–73 Ottawa Nationals season, Regular season
Attendance was an issue for the club, as they drew an average of just over 3000 fans per game, competing against the very popular Ottawa 67's OHA team.


1972–73 Ottawa Nationals season, Regular season
Offensively, Ottawa was led by Carleton, who scored a team high 42 goals and 49 assists for 91 points, which ranked him tenth in league scoring. Twenty-year-old Gavin Kirk earned 68 points in 78 games, while Bob Charlebois earned 64 points. Brian Gibbons had 42 points to lead the team's defencemen, while Rick Cunningham had a team high 121 penalty minutes.


1972–73 Ottawa Nationals season, Regular season
In goal, Gilles Gratton had the majority of playing time, winning 25 games and posting a 3.71 GAA. Veteran Les Binkley backed him up, earning 10 wins and a GAA of 3.72.


1972–73 Ottawa Nationals season, Playoffs
The Nationals would open the playoffs with a best of seven series against the New England Whalers, who had a league high 94 points. The series opened up with two games in New England, and the Whalers took advantage of their home ice, defeating Ottawa 6-3 and 4-3 to take a two game series lead. The series moved to Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, as the Nationals ownership decided to move their playoff games from Ottawa due to attendance problems.


1972–73 Ottawa Nationals season, Playoffs
The Nationals use their "home ice" advantage in the third game, defeating the Whalers 4-2 to get back into the series, however, New England easily defeated Ottawa in the fourth game 7-3 to take a 3-1 series lead. The Whalers would close out the series in the fifth game back in New England, as they beat Ottawa 5-4 in overtime to eliminate the Nationals.


1972–73 PAOK FC season
The 1972–73 season was PAOK Football Club's 47th in existence and the club's 14th consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. The team entered the Greek Football Cup in first round, and also faced Rapid Wien in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round.


1972–73 PAOK FC season, Players, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1972–73 PAOK FC season, Statistics, Squad statistics
Appearances denote players in the starting lineup, with the numbers in parentheses denoting appearances as substitute.


1972–73 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season
The 1972–73 season was Paris Saint-Germain's 3rd season in existence. PSG played their home league games at the Stade Municipal Georges Lefèvre in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, registering an average attendance of 679 spectators per match. The club was presided by Henri Patrelle and the team was managed by Robert Vicot. Camille Choquier was the team captain.


1972–73 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season
The club split on June 1, 1972. Paris FC remained in Division 1, while Paris Saint-Germain kept their name but were administratively relegated to Division 3, thus losing professional status. Bound by professional contracts with PFC, most of the club's stars, including team captain Jean Djorkaeff and Bernard Guignedoux, continued playing in Division 1. Since only top-tier pro clubs could have a reserve team, PSG took the spot of their development side in the third tier and rebuilt their squad with many upcoming academy players.


1972–73 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season
As a result, Paris Saint-Germain began the new season with a young but talented squad that would star in the club's forthcoming back-to-back promotions. Some of these gifted youngsters included Christian André, Éric Renaut, Othniel Dossevi, Michel Marella and Jacques Laposte. PSG would finish second in Group West, six points behind Quevilly, missing out on promotion by little. Quevilly had to dissolve due to financial problems shortly after the end of the season and PSG took their place in Division 2 by default.


1972–73 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Players, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1972–73 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Transfers, Arrivals
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1972–73 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Transfers, Departures
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1972–73 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Kits
Canadian grocery store chain Montreal was the shirt sponsor. French sportswear brand Le Coq Sportif was the kit manufacturer.


1972–73 Partick Thistle F.C. season
The 1972–73 season was Partick Thistle's 2nd consecutive season in the top division of Scottish football after being promoted from the Scottish Second Division in 1971.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season
The 1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season was their 24th season in the NBA and tenth in Philadelphia. Coming off a 30–52 record in the previous season, the 76ers lost their first 15 games of the season and a few months later, went on a then-record 20 game losing streak in a single season.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season
Their record following the 20 game losing streak was 4–58, and the team at that point had just lost 34 of 35 games. The 76ers finished the season with a 9–73 record, earning the nickname from the skeptical Philadelphia media of the "Nine and 73-ers." The 76ers finished an NBA-record 59 games behind the Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season
These 9 wins by this 1972–73 squad is the 4th fewest in NBA history (to the 6 games won by the Providence Steamrollers in the 48-game 1947–48 season, the 7 games won by the Charlotte Bobcats in the lockout-shortened 66-game 2011–12 season and the 8 games won by the Vancouver Grizzlies in the lockout-shortened 50-game 1998–99 season.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season
The 73 losses, although threatened many times (including by the 2015–16 Sixers, who themselves lost 72 that season), remains the all-time low-water mark for any NBA franchise in an 82-game non-lockout season. The 76ers .110 winning percentage was the all-time worst mark in the NBA until the 2011–12 Charlotte Bobcats finished with a .106 winning percentage, whilst their −12.1 points per game point differential has been underdone only by the 2011–12 Bobcats (−13.9 points per game) and the 1992–93 Dallas Mavericks (−15.2 points per game). Only six seasons earlier, the 76ers had set the NBA record for most wins in a season and the highest winning percentage.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, Offseason
The Sixers ownership offered the head coaching job to Marquette University head coach Al McGuire, and former University of Kentucky head coach Adolph Rupp, who was seventy years old at the time. Both refused the job. Only Hal Greer remained on the roster from the 1966–1967 NBA Championship Team. The 1972–73 season would be his last in the NBA.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, Season
By the start of the 1972–73 season, most of the core of the 76ers 1966-67 championship team was gone. In the 1972 offseason, coach Jack Ramsay left to coach the Buffalo Braves, while a court order allowed All-Star forward Billy Cunningham to bolt to the ABA. Only Hal Greer, who was 36 years old, remained. Poor trades and draft selections over the years left the team with only a few quality players.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, Season
The 76ers finished the 1971–72 season with a 30–52 record and could not find a coach for the upcoming season. In desperation, management placed an ad in The Philadelphia Inquirer for a head coach. A friend of Irv Kosloff recommended Roy Rubin, the head coach at LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds. While Rubin had 11 years coaching in college basketball, he had no professional or major college experience to draw on.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, Season
The Sixers, whose roster included the likes of Manny Leaks, Jeff Halliburton, Mike Price, John Q. Trapp and Dave Sorenson, started the season 0–15 and later lost 20 consecutive games. Players criticized Rubin for his sloppy practices and the lack of meaningful comments during time-outs and breaks. Dave Wohl, who was traded to Portland, called Rubin a ‘con man’. With the club record at 4–47, Rubin was fired and replaced by Sixers player Kevin Loughery. The team’s performance improved slightly, going 5–26 with a .161 winning percentage, compared with Rubin's .078 mark.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, Season
In their 1st win of the season (a 114–112 victory over Houston), coach Rubin actually injured himself by pulling a leg muscle. The top statistical leaders were Fred Carter (who led the team with 20 points per game), Tom Van Arsdale (with 17.7 points per game), and Leroy Ellis (with 13.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game).


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, Season
As bad as their season was, it would have been far worse if not for a 5–2 run the team put together in the last two weeks of February 1973. By Valentine's Day 1973 the 76ers' record stood at 4–58 or a .065 winning percentage which actually put on a pace to finish with an unimaginable 5–77 record. However, the team surprisingly won 5 of their next 7 games against some of the best competition in the league.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, Season
3 of those 5 wins came against teams that would eventually win fifty or more games that year – Baltimore, the 60-win Milwaukee Bucks and the 57–25 eventual NBA Champion New York Knicks. They improved to 9–60 and actually doubled their winning percentage (up from .065 to .130 during that run.) However, the 76ers lost their remaining 13 games to finish 9–73. Before the 1972–73 season the previous mark for fewest wins in an 82-game schedule was 15, and no subsequent NBA team won fewer than 22 until the 1979–80 Detroit Pistons who finished 16–66.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, Season, Anatomy of a demise
Two and a half months after Philadelphia's collapse against the Boston Celtics in the 1968 NBA Playoffs, Wilt Chamberlain was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Sixers received Darrall Imhoff, Archie Clark and Jerry Chambers.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, Season, Anatomy of a demise
The background of the deal can be traced back to Sixers owners Ike Richman and Irv Kosloff. Chamberlain indicated that Richman promised him part ownership of the club, but Richman died before the deal was completed. When Kosloff became sole owner, he refused to honor the agreement Chamberlain had reached with Richman. This infuriated Chamberlain, and he contemplated retirement or bolting to the ABA. Chamberlain then expressed a desire to play in Los Angeles and suggested a trade. On paper, the deal made some sense from the Sixers' perspective, since general manager Jack Ramsay was not willing to risk letting Chamberlain get away for nothing. In the long run, however, the Sixers didn't get nearly enough in return.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, Season, Anatomy of a demise
After the 1967–68 season, head coach Alex Hannum bolted to the ABA, and Ramsay named himself head coach. He decided that Clark, Imhoff and Chambers would be part of a smaller, quicker, fast-breaking team. This plan had never truly materialized. Imhoff spent only 2 seasons with the 76ers, Clark spent three, while Chambers never played for Philadelphia after spending two years in the military before being traded. Luke Jackson, Chamberlain's intended successor, suffered a major injury in the 1968-69 season and was never the same player after that. Chet Walker was dealt to the Chicago Bulls for Jim Washington, a role player.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, Season, Anatomy of a demise
Another contributing factor to the poor season was Philadelphia's first-round draft choices from 1967 through 1972. Selections such as Craig Raymond, Shaler Halimon, Bud Ogden, Harris Ahmad, Al Henry, Dana Lewis and Fred Boyd made no impact with the club, while Philadelphia passed on drafting future stars such as Nate Archibald and Calvin Murphy.


1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, Season, Anatomy of a demise
Ramsay did coax 55 victories out of the 1st 76ers team he coached in 1968–69. That number dipped into the 40s for the next 2 seasons, and sunk even further to 30 in 1971–72—the 1st time they had missed the playoffs in franchise history (dating back to their tenure as the Syracuse Nationals).


1972–73 Philadelphia Blazers season
The 1972–73 Philadelphia Blazers season was the first season of the Blazers' franchise in the World Hockey Association. It would also be the only season of the Blazers in Philadelphia, as the team relocated to Vancouver for the following season. The Blazers finished third and qualified for the playoffs losing in the first round to the Cleveland Crusaders.


1972–73 Philadelphia Blazers season, Player stats
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts;


1972–73 Philadelphia Blazers season, Draft picks
Philadelphia's picks at the WHA General Player Draft, which was held in Anaheim, California on February 12–13, 1972. The team participated in the draft as the Miami Screaming Eagles.


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season
The 1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' sixth season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers earned the nickname "Broad Street Bullies" en route to their first winning season and first playoff series victory, beating the Minnesota North Stars, before losing in the semi-finals to the Montreal Canadiens.


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
It was during the 1972–73 season that the Flyers shed the mediocre expansion team label by recording their first winning season and becoming known as the intimidating "Broad Street Bullies", a nickname coined by Jack Chevalier and Pete Cafone of the Philadelphia Bulletin on January 3, 1973 after a 3–1 brawling victory over the Atlanta Flames that led Chevalier to write in his game account, "The image of the fightin' Flyers spreading gradually around the NHL, and people are dreaming up wild nicknames. They're the Mean Machine, the Bullies of Broad Street and Freddy's Philistines." Cafone wrote the accompanying headline, "Broad Street Bullies Muscle Atlanta".


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
That same month Bobby Clarke was the youngest player (at that time) in NHL history to be named team captain, replacing Ed Van Impe who had stepped aside in favor of Clarke. Rick MacLeish became the first Flyer to score 50 goals in a season.


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
After the season, Clarke was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player.


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Playoffs
An overtime goal by Gary Dornhoefer in Game 5 turned the tide of their first round series with the Minnesota North Stars in the Flyers' favor, as the Flyers got their first playoff series win in six games. The goal was later immortalized as a bronze statue on the south side of the Spectrum. They were outmatched in the semi-finals by the Montreal Canadiens, however, losing in five games.


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions
The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from May 12, 1972, the day after the deciding game of the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals, through May 10, 1973, the day of the deciding game of the 1973 Stanley Cup Finals.


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Signings, Free agency
The following players were signed by the Flyers via free agency.


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Signings, Internal
The following players were either re-signed by the Flyers or, in the case of the team's selections in the NHL Entry Draft, signed to contracts.


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Drafts, Intra-League
The 1972 NHL Intra-League Draft was held on June 5, 1972. Each NHL team placed 18 players on a protected list from which the other teams could not select. It cost $40,000 to make a claim. The Flyers were not involved in any selections during the draft.


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Drafts, Expansion
The 1972 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 6, 1972. It featured two expansion teams, the Atlanta Flames and New York Islanders, selecting players from the 14 existing NHL teams. Each NHL team placed 15 skaters and 2 goaltenders on a protected list from which the two expansion teams could not select. The Flyers were one of four teams exempted from protecting goaltenders since they lost a goaltender in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft.


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Drafts, Reverse
The 1972 NHL Reverse Draft was held on June 8, 1972. The Reverse Draft featured American Hockey League (AHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL) teams selecting unprotected players from NHL teams. It cost $15,000 to make a claim.


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Departures
The following players left the team via free agency, release, or retirement. Players who were under contract and left the team during the season are marked with an asterisk (*).


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Draft picks
Philadelphia's picks at the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft, which was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, on June 8, 1972. The Flyers traded their tenth round pick, 148th overall, to the Minnesota North Stars for cash during the draft.


1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season, Farm teams
The Flyers were affiliated with the Richmond Robins of the AHL, the San Diego Gulls of the WHL, and the Jersey Devils of the EHL.


1972–73 Phoenix Suns season
The 1972–73 Phoenix Suns season was the fifth for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. The season began under head coach Butch Van Breda Kolff for the first seven games, before Jerry Colangelo finished coaching duties for the team. All home games were played at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.


1972–73 Phoenix Suns season
Charlie Scott had played in six games for the Suns one season ago, after a late-season switch to the NBA from the ABA, and his first full season with the Suns was arguably his best. Scott was named to his first NBA All-Star Team, joining teammate Connie Hawkins, who was selected to his fourth and final All-Star Game of his NBA career. In addition to Scott leading the Suns with his 6.1 assist per game average, his 2,048-season-point total was fifth in the league (and the only 2,000+-point season of his career).


1972–73 Phoenix Suns season
His average of 25.3 points per contest was sixth-best in the NBA. Center Neal Walk averaged career-bests in both points and rebounds, averaging 20.2 and 12.5 on the season. Walk's rebounding average was just shy of Paul Silas's franchise record of 12.5. Dick Van Arsdale averaged 18.4 points on the season, while Connie Hawkins contributed 16.1 per contest.


1972–73 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 1972–73 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the franchise's sixth season in the National Hockey League.


1972–73 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Player statistics
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only. ‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.


1972–73 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Transactions
The Penguins were involved in the following transactions during the 1972–73 season:


1972–73 Polska Liga Hokejowa season
The 1972–73 Polska Liga Hokejowa season was the 38th season of the Polska Liga Hokejowa, the top level of ice hockey in Poland. 10 teams participated in the league, and Podhale Nowy Targ won the championship.


1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1972–73 season was Port Vale's 61st season of football in the Football League, and their third successive season (ninth overall) in the Third Division. Their promotion efforts ended with a sixth-place finish, whilst in the two cup competitions they lost out to Newcastle United and West Ham United. Opposition managers condemned the players as overly physical, whilst off the pitch there were sporadic scenes of violence as football hooliganism gripped the club, and the sport in general.


1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Third Division
The pre-season saw Gordon Lee make a number of big signings. The most significant was the signing of Ray Williams from Stafford Rangers, who had scored 47 goals for the non-league club the previous season. Williams cost Vale £3,000 and was on a wage of £40 a week (plus incentives). Also arriving was midfielder Freddie Goodwin (Southport); 'controversial' goalkeeper Alan Boswell (Bolton Wanderers); young midfielder Colin Tartt (Alsager College); and trialist goalkeeper Reg Edwards (Nuneaton Borough). Ticket prices were raised to between 40 and 60 pence, whilst season tickets were priced between £8 and £10.


1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Third Division
The season opened with six victories in eight league games, though the third match was a huge 7–0 defeat at Millmoor to Rotherham United – the defeat was blamed on Boswell. After mid-September the "Valiants" struggled to score, and recorded six draws in eight games, though they remained in the top three. The club spent £8,500 on new floodlights and a public address system, however attendances dropped off from the crucial 6,000 break-even number. Lee complained about the lack of support, and said "the people here are not genuinely interested in league football".


1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Third Division
Offered the management position at Shrewsbury Town, he rejected the offer as he believed the club 'lacked potential' and that he had a 'feeling of loyalty towards the [Vale] players'. Going into the Christmas period Brian Horton was struck by injury, and the team struggled, heading down the league with inconsistent play. In January, Lee sold John James to Chester for £5,000, Ray Harford to Colchester United for £1,750, and Keith Lindsey to Gillingham for £750. To keep up the promotion bid, in February he spent £2,250 to bring 'pacey' striker John Woodward from Walsall.


1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Third Division
Vale began to pick up wins, though their 2–1 win over Blackburn Rovers led to them being branded by Rovers manager Ken Furphy as 'a brutal and physical side'. Vale lifted themselves into third place, though were out of the race after a 'shattering' 5–0 defeat to Southend United at Roots Hall. Their final home game of the season was a 2–2 draw with champions Bolton Wanderers, in which 'frenzied scenes' included police dogs separating the two sets of fans at the Bycars End, two attempted pitch invasions, and the referee kicked to the ground at the final whistle.


1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Third Division
They finished in sixth spot with 53 points, four short of promoted Notts County. The 69 goals conceded tally was higher than that of all but the bottom two clubs.


1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Finances
On the financial side, a £14,304 profit was made after donations of £16,029 from the Sportsmen's Association and the Development Fund. Gate receipts had risen massively from £36,323 to £67,202. The wage bill stood at £59,663, whilst the club's debt was at £44,721, along with £57,860 owed to the directors. At the end of the season Freddie Goodwin was let go, and he joined Macclesfield Town.


1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
In the FA Cup, Vale progressed past Fourth Division Southport and then Third Division Wrexham with home victories. In the Third Round they faced  West Ham United at Vale Park, where the "Hammers" won 'an epic battle' 1–0 in front of a season-best crowd of 20,619. The match raised £8,600, but also the issue of violence, as two Londoners were stabbed, two policemen seriously assaulted, and thirty fans ejected from the stadium. West Ham manager Ron Greenwood claimed that the Vale players attempted 'the most blatant calculated intimidation I have ever seen anywhere in the world'.


1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
In the League Cup, the club recorded their first ever away victory in the competition with a 1–0 win over Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park. The Second Round held a home tie with First Division Newcastle United, and the "Magpies" left Stoke-on-Trent having won 3–1 in front of 10,370 spectators.


1972–73 Portland Trail Blazers season
The 1972–73 season was the third season of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After finishing the previous season at 18–64, the Blazers earned the first overall selection in the 1972 NBA Draft, and infamously picked LaRue Martin over future Hall-of-Famer Bob McAdoo. LaRue would average seven points per game over a four-season NBA career. The Blazers finished at 21–61, a marginal three-game improvement from the previous season.


1972–73 Portland Trail Blazers season, Draft picks
Note:  This is not a complete list; only the first two rounds are covered, as well as any other picks by the franchise who played at least one NBA game.


1972–73 Primeira Divisão
The 1972–73 Primeira Divisão was the 39th season of top-tier football in Portugal.


1972–73 Primeira Divisão, Overview
It was contested by 16 teams. S.L. Benfica won the championship, with 28 victories, 0 losses and 2 draws.


1972–73 Providence Friars men's basketball team
The 1972–73 Providence Friars men's basketball team represented Providence College in the 1972–73 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Friars, led by fourth-year head coach Dave Gavitt, played their home games at the Providence Civic Center. They finished the season 27–4.


1972–73 Providence Friars men's basketball team
They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where they defeated Saint Joseph's in the East Region first round to advance to the East Regional Semifinals where they defeated Penn advanced to the East Regional Finals where they defeated Maryland to advance to the Final Four for the first time in school history, where they lost to Memphis State in the National Semifinals and lost to Indiana in the National Third Place game.


1972–73 QMJHL season
The 1972–73 QMJHL season was the fourth season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The summer of 1972 saw the departure of the Saint-Jérôme Alouettes and the Verdun Maple Leafs from the league, reducing the circuit to eight teams. In an off-season lawsuit between the QMJHL and the OHA, the QMJHL gained a team, when the Montreal Junior Canadiens transferred leagues.


1972–73 QMJHL season
Michel Brière Memorial Trophy is first awarded to the league's most valuable player in honour of Michel Brière, who was killed in a car accident. Nine teams played 64 games each in the schedule. The Quebec Remparts finished first place in the regular season, and won the President's Cup, defeating the Cornwall Royals in the finals.


1972–73 QMJHL season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; Pts = Points; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against


1972–73 QMJHL season, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes


1972–73 QMJHL season, Playoffs
Andre Savard was the leading scorer of the playoffs with 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists).


1972–73 Quebec Nordiques season
The 1972–73 Quebec Nordiques season was the Nordiques' first season, as they were one of the original teams in the newly created WHA. The Nordiques franchise was originally awarded to a group in San Francisco, California, and was named the San Francisco Sharks, however, funding collapsed prior to the start of the season, and the WHA sold the organization to a Quebec City group led by Marcel Aubut and Paul Racine. They named the club the Nordiques due to the northern location of the team.


1972–73 Quebec Nordiques season, Regular season
The Nordiques would name former Montreal Canadiens great Maurice Richard the head coach of the club, and played their first ever game on October 11, 1972, losing 2–0 on the road to the Cleveland Crusaders. The Nordiques would win their home opener, shutting out the Alberta Oilers 6–0 at Le Colisée. After the game, Richard would step down from head coaching duties, as he was not comfortable doing the job, and Maurice Filion would take over. The Nords would end up just missing the playoffs, finishing the year with a 33–40–5 record, earning them 71 points, 3 behind the Ottawa Nationals for the final playoff position in the Eastern Division.


1972–73 Quebec Nordiques season, Regular season
Offensively, Quebec was led by defenceman J. C. Tremblay, who led the WHA in assists with 75 and led the Nordiques with 89 points. Alain Caron would score a team high 36 goals. Michel Parizeau and Andre Gaudette would each break the 70 point barrier, recording 73 points and 71 respectively. Pierre Roy would lead the club with 169 penalty minutes, while Michel Rouleau would get 142 in 52 games after being acquired by the Philadelphia Blazers.


1972–73 Quebec Nordiques season, Regular season
In goal, Serge Aubry would get the majority of playing time, earning a club high 25 wins and a team best 3.60 GAA along with 2 shutouts.


1972–73 RFU Knockout Cup
The 1972–73 RFU Knockout Cup was the second edition of England's premier rugby union club competition at the time. Coventry won the competition defeating Bristol in the final. In the final John Pullin was stretchered off after only a few minutes with a leg injury that resulted in Bristol playing most of the  match with 14 men. The final was held at Twickenham Stadium.


1972–73 Rangers F.C. season
The 1972–73 season was the 93rd season of competitive football by Rangers.


1972–73 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
Rangers played a total of 53 competitive matches during the 1972–73 season. The season was the club's centenary year. After a stuttering start to the league campaign, three defeats and a draw from the first six matches, the sides fortunes greatly improved. From October to the end of the season Rangers suffered only one league defeat, at home to Hearts on 2 December 1972, and went on a run of sixteen wins. However this run was not enough to become league champions as the side finished second, one point behind Celtic.


1972–73 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
In the cup competitions, the Scottish Cup campaign was to culminate in a 3–2 win over Celtic. The final was attended by Princess Alexandra along with 122,714 other spectators. It was Rangers first Scottish Cup win in seven years. The League Cup run was ended in the semi-finals at the hands of Hibernian after a 1–0 defeat.


1972–73 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
This season also saw Rangers compete in the first ever European Super Cup. The side played the European Cup holders Ajax in January 1973. The Dutch side were the only continental opposition the side faced that season due to the club's European competition ban. In the end Ajax proved too strong and recorded a 6–3 aggregate win, with Rangers losing 1–3 at Ibrox and 3–2 in Amsterdam.


1972–73 Ranji Trophy
The 1972–73 Ranji Trophy was the 39th season of the Ranji Trophy. Bombay won their 15th title in a row defeating Tamil Nadu in the final.


1972–73 Ranji Trophy, Knockout stage
(T) - Advanced to next round by spin of coin.


1972–73 Real Madrid CF season
The 1972–73 season is Real Madrid Club de Fútbol's 70th season in existence and the club's 41st consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football.


1972–73 Real Madrid CF season, Summary
The club finished a disappointing fourth in the league five points behind champions Atlético Madrid. Meanwhile, in the Copa del Generalísimo the team was eliminated early in the eightfinals by Sporting Gijón, losing the away game 0–1 and achieving a miserable draw 1–1 at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.


1972–73 Real Madrid CF season, Summary
During February Santiago Bernabeu visited Israel and gave a medal to Moshe Dayan a gesture which severed relations with Francisco Franco and becoming crutial to deny Governmente support for a new stadium project.


1972–73 Real Madrid CF season, Summary
The squad reached the semi-finals of the European Cup where it was defeated twice by the defending champions and future winners Ajax Amsterdam who would go on to repeat their success in the following season, making it three in a row. President Santiago Bernabéu attended the Final himself expecting to sign Ajax starplayer Johan Cruyff who instead was ultimately signed by archrivals CF Barcelona during the summer transfer window.


1972–73 Real Madrid CF season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1972–73 Regionalliga
The 1972–73 Regionalliga  was the tenth season of the Regionalliga, the second tier of the German football league system. The league operated in five regional divisions, Berlin, North, South, Southwest and West. The five league champions and all five runners-up, at the end of the season, entered a promotion play-off to determine the two clubs to move up to the Bundesliga for the next season. Both promotion spots went to the Regionalliga West with Rot-Weiß Essen and Fortuna Köln promoted.


1972–73 Regionalliga, Regionalliga Nord
The 1972–73 season saw two new clubs in the league, VfB Oldenburg and SV Meppen, both promoted from the Amateurliga, while no club had been relegated from the Bundesliga to the league.


1972–73 Regionalliga, Regionalliga Berlin
The 1972–73 season saw two new clubs in the league, BFC Preussen and Rot-Weiß Neukölln, both promoted from the Amateurliga Berlin, while no club had been relegated from the Bundesliga to the league. The league played a home-and-away round, after which it was split into a championship and relegation round. Former Bundesliga club Tasmania 1900 Berlin became insolvent at the end of the 1972–73 season and folded.


1972–73 Regionalliga, Regionalliga West
The 1972–73 season saw four new clubs in the league, 1. FC Mülheim and Sportfreunde Siegen, both promoted from the Verbandsliga, while Arminia Bielefeld, as part of the Bundesliga scandal, and Borussia Dortmund had been relegated from the Bundesliga to the league. Eintracht Gelsenkirchen merged at the end of the 1972–73 season with STV Horst-Emscher to form Eintracht Gelsenkirchen-Horst.


1972–73 Regionalliga, Regionalliga Südwest
The 1972–73 season saw two new clubs in the league, VfB Theley and Sportfreunde Eisbachtal, both promoted from the Amateurliga, while no club had been relegated from the Bundesliga to the league.


1972–73 Regionalliga, Regionalliga Süd
The 1972–73 season saw three new clubs in the league, SV Waldhof Mannheim, VfR Oli Bürstadt and FC Wacker München, all three promoted from the Amateurliga, while no club had been relegated from the Bundesliga to the league.


1972–73 Rheinlandliga
The 1972–73 Rheinlandliga was the 21st season of the highest amateur class of the Rhineland Football Association under the name of 1. Amateurliga Rheinland. It was a predecessor of today's Rheinlandliga.


1972–73 Rheinlandliga, Results
Last years relegation team from the Regional League, SpVgg Andernach, became Rhineland champion. SC Oberlahnstein represented Rhineland in the 1973 German Soccer Amateur Championship  and lost in the second round to the amateurs of 1. FC Kaiserslautern (Südwest). All three newcomers, Eintracht Höhr-Grenzhausen, Ahrweiler BC and SV Ehrang moved down 2. Amateur league. For the following 1973–74 season, SV Speicher, TuS Mayen and SV Ellingen came up from the 2. Amateur League, as well as a descendant from the Regional league, Eintracht Trier.


1972–73 Rheinlandliga, Results
SC Oberlahnstein and SV Niederlahnstein merged after the season to become SG Eintracht Lahnstein.


1972–73 Rochdale A.F.C. season
The 1972–73 season saw Rochdale compete for their 4th consecutive season in the Football League Third Division.


1972–73 Roller Hockey Champions Cup
The 1972–73 Roller Hockey Champions Cup was the 8th edition of the Roller Hockey Champions Cup organized by CERH.


1972–73 Roller Hockey Champions Cup, Teams
The champions of the main European leagues, and Reus Deportiu as title holders, played this competition, consisting in a double-legged knockout tournament. As Reus Deportiu was also the Spanish league champions, Barcelona also joined the tournament.