A brief history of the WHA merger and Cincinnati and Houston.
Cincinnati was a leading candidate for the 1974 expansion. Kansas City, to be owned by son of Rangers owner, beat them out for last spot. Cincinnati were allegedly promised a spot in proposed 1976 expansion. The NHL later disputed that and planned to expand to Seattle and Denver.
August 77 - NHL led by Harold Ballard in Toronto reject merger with 6 WHA teams including Cincinnati and Houston. Bitter, New England and Cincinnati lead the charge to sign underage players. SPorts Illustrated list those 2 teams as most likely to join the NHL. Harold Ballard has a really good day.
November 77 - Houston goes into bankruptcy and sold.
February 78 - WHA gives teams permission to seek individual entry into NHL without fear of lawsuit - Houston, Edmonton, Cincinnati and New England express interest. Quebec and Winnipeg soon express interest.
April 78 - Houston announce season ticket drive (7,000) for NHL, Cincinnati announces season ticket drive (5,000) to stay alive.
May 78 - Houston ticket drive falls short. Announce they will withdraw from WHA and focus on buying and merging with a struggling NHL team, likely Cleveland or Colorado.
June 78 - Cincinnati meets its season ticket goal to survive.
June 78 - Merger proposal has Edmonton Quebec and New England at first and Winnipeg joining two years later. Cincinnati also wants in. Aetna Insurance (largest shareholder in Hartford) presents plan to NHL for 4 or 5 teams to join NHL. Can't get deal done before WHA agreement (allowing teams to join NHL without indemnifying remaining WHA teams) expires. No merger.
July 78 - Cincinnati owner reveals Of the 26 professional teams operating at the time Cincinnati had the lowest gate receipts, worse than Cleveland.
Dec 78 - Aetna Insurance of Hartford agreed to underwrite the merger costs of all the WHA clubs and save NHL harmless from future liabilities as a result of the merger (ie anti-trust lawsuit from remaining WHA teams).
Dec 78 - NHL President Ziegler says 5 teams including Cincinnati still possible. All present to NHL expansion committee.
Jan 79 - Cincinnati let it be known they were no longer interested in a merger. Houston seeks to buy Atlanta Flames. Later lose out to Calgary.
Mar 79 - Bill DeWitt of Cincinnati said was not interested in NHL on terms they were offering. Salary escalation and cost of entry no longer made it a viable proposition.
Mar 79 - NHL rejects merger with Edmonton, Winnipeg, Quebec and Hartford. Ballard in Toronto and Molson Breweries in Montreal largely blamed. Vancouver, Boston and LA also voted no. Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver stood to lose TV revenue. Boston didn't want a market invasion. Not sure what LA's issue was.
Mar 79 - Beer protests, gunshots and bomb threats lead Montreal (Molson Breweries) to change vote. Vancouver also changes vote with scheduling concessions given by NHL. Harold Ballard has a really bad day.