In June 1972, businessmen Bernard Brown and James Cooper were granted the rights to the Miami Screaming Eagles, along with the players who were under contract with the team (including goaltender Bernie Parent), from businessman Herb Martin.

[7] They also signed Derek Sanderson to a five-year contract for $2.6 million, which at the time was the highest salary ever paid to a professional sports player.

[8] The signing produced a great deal of publicity, but it was controversial as well, since many hockey pundits felt that Sanderson's prior career and ability did not warrant such a salary.

[9] The Blazers had high hopes going into the inaugural WHA season with such stars as Parent, Sanderson, and John McKenzie, who was named the team's player-coach.

[11] Also, Sanderson left the team; after only eight games (in which he scored three goals and three assists) and considerable controversy, the owners paid him $500,000 to void the remainder of his contract, and he returned to the Boston Bruins.

Despite making a decent account of themselves on the ice, the Blazers were no match at the box office for the Flyers of the established National Hockey League (NHL), who played at the then-state-of-the-art Spectrum.