Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. In 1967 the NHL doubled in size by creating the Oakland Seals, LA Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars, and St. Louis Blues. They were all put in the newly created Western Division, guaranteeing an expansion team would progress to the finals. The St. Louis Blues reached the finals in the first 3 seasons of their existence (1968-69-70) but failed to win a single game. Which team in this expansion group were the first to win the Stanley Cup?
2. Three years after the 1967 expansion, the NHL expanded once again in 1970, adding the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks. They added two more teams in 1972. One was the Atlanta Flames. Who was the other?
3. MLB expanded three times in the last three decades of the 20th century: 1977 (Toronto Blue Jays & Seattle Mariners), 1993 (Colorado Rockies & Florida Marlins) and 1998 (Tampa Bay Devil Rays (they became the Rays in 2008) & Arizona Diamondbacks). Who was the first of these expansion teams to win it all?
4. In 1976 the NFL expanded by two teams when they added the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Although it took 26 years, the Bucs were the first of this expansion class to win the Super Bowl, in 2002. Who did they defeat in that Super Bowl?
5. In the 1980s the NBA expanded by 5 teams: Dallas Mavericks (1980), Charlotte Hornets (they became the New Orleans Pelicans in 2013) & Miami Heat (1988), and the Minnesota Timberwolves & Orlando Magic (1989). Which team was the first to win the NBA title?
6. In 1979 the NHL and WHA (World Hockey Association) agreed to a merger and the NHL agreed to take 4 of the 6 surviving teams but instead of treating this as an absorbing of teams, these four teams were treated as expansion teams. Those teams were: New England Whalers (who became the Hartford Whalers when they were absorbed by the NHL), Quebec Nordiques, Winnipeg Jets, and Edmonton Oilers. Three of the four franchises went on to win the Stanley Cup. Which franchise was the only of the four to *not* win the Cup?
7. In 1969 MLB expanded by four, adding two teams in each league: Montreal Expos (they became the Washington Nationals in 2004) and San Diego Padres going to the National League; and the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots (they became the Milwaukee Brewers after one season) going to the American League. By 2019, fifty years later, all four of these franchises had finally played in a World Series. Which one was the last to progress to, and play in, a World Series?
8. In 1967 the NBA expanded by adding two teams: the San Diego Rockets (the Houston Rockets from 1971) and the Seattle SuperSonics (who became Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008). Both franchises have gone on to win the NBA Championship.
9. In 2017 the NHL became the first of the 4 major leagues to expand into Las Vegas with the creation of the Vegas Golden Knights. In their inaugural season they did the near impossible and made it all the way to the finals before falling to the Washington Capitals in 5 games. This was the first time an expansion team made it to the finals in the NHL since the St. Louis Blues in the 1967-68 season. Undaunted, the Golden Knights reached the finals again 5 years later in the 2022-23 season, this time bringing home Lord Stanley's Cup. Which team did they beat to win their first Cup?
10. In 1960 the American Football League was founded and one of the charter franchises were the Dallas Texans (they became the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963). The NFL, not to be outdone, expanded into Dallas with the creation of the Cowboys. After 12 seasons the Cowboys finally made it to the Super Bowl. Did the Cowboys win their first Super Bowl appearance?
Source: Author
Rockhound6165
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
gtho4 before going online.
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