Cincinnati Stingers

From 1975 through 1979, the Cincinnati Stingers competed in the World Hockey Association at Riverfront Coliseum. They entered the WHA as an expansion club, which was perilous given how frequently the league's franchises moved and folded. The Stingers did, however, remain in the WHA until the league's dissolution, earning compensation rather than entry into the NHL. They were quite steady on the ice, winning between 33 and 39 games each season. They made the playoffs in two of those three seasons, but lost in the first round in both. Mike Gartner and Mark Messier are two prominent players who spent time in the Queen City.