1974 NLL Finals Game 6: Rochester Griffins vs Philadelphia Wings

Hey Bench Warmers, have I got a treat for you this week!
This is the 6th and final game of the 1974 NLL Championship Series, the Nation's Cup Finals between the Griffins and the Wings! The Griffins would play a stellar defensive game and hold off the Wings to win Rochester's first pro lacrosse championship. Unfortunately due to poor attendance, this would be the last Griffins game ever played. Gene Hart mentions multiple times during the broadcast that the attendance for the 3 games in Rochester put together couldn't match any one finals game played in Philadelphia. A stark contrast to the 8-10,000 per game crowds that the Knighthawks have enjoyed for much of their history since returning to pro lax in the mid 90s.
For the Wings, they would continue to be the NLL's standard bearer at the box office in 1975 averaging between 7-12,000 per game in spite of the league falling apart around them. This was a glorious time for indoor sports in Philadelphia as the Flyers were coming off their second straight Stanley Cup during the Broad Street Bullies era. To say the Wings benefitted greatly from this is a massive understatement considering the fact that Philadelphia didn't have a rich lacrosse background previously. While the Wings only played one more season, (as the league itself folded after the 1975 season,) this team still holds a special place in the hearts of Philadelphia sports fans which carried over to the current incarnation of the Wings which have operated with the same levels of success at the gate since 1987.
On the field, it would be 15 years before the Wings would get this close to a championship again as they missed the playoffs in 1975, original NLL's final season. The revived Wings share no history with the original team but former Wings' star John Grant returned for the new Wings' first season in 1987.
Things to watch for in this game: The NLL played 3 periods rather than 4 quarters. This was done to further entice NHL fans in US cities to buy into the idea of the NLL was "the NHL for the summer".
The Griffins' home floor is concrete. Only the Wings played on "turf board", (a wooden floor with artificial turf on top which is standard today,) back then. In fact there were a number of experimental surfaces used in the original NLL as I'll cover in future videos.
Watch for John Grant Sr., father of current NLL superstar John Grant Jr. playing for the Wings.
Doug Favell, the Flyers' backup goaltender backed up Wayne Platt for the Wings in this game as well.
And last but not least, Gene Hart, the longtime voice of the Flyers is the play by play man for the Wings in this contest. (As he was throughout the 70s Wings' history.)

[@Erinp-lz3mv]

I was 5 years old at this game! What memories!

[@girthfromPerth]

Wow, Rick Bisson gave his lacrosse stick to my cousin after Griffs won championship! Rick Dudley of NHL fame, was a world class box lacrosse player for the Griffins in 1974. Dudley had a world class temper as well. I was at the Rochester War Memorial when Dudley went after Montreal lacrosse coach - and former NHL tough guy John Ferguson - in between periods of a Griffins lacrosse game when teams were heading off to locker room.

[@elvicare35]

In the 1974 season, Doug Favell played 18 games and had 9 goals, 7 assists for 16 points... and 23 penalty minutes...

[@viniskiy955]

Rick Bisson is My grandpa hes still got it!

[@airwalkam8442]

My friends and I never missed a Griffins game. Hello to Mitchell, Dusty and Pam Laffin. Thanks for introducing Lacrosse to me. These are some great memories of mine in the 70's. Love you guys , Barb B.

[@MARILYN19481]

It is great to see this . Sad that when the Quebec City Caribous won the 1975 championship in game 6 at home there was NO TV or Radio coverage. However I can say I was there.

[@GetBenched2010]

+MARILYN19481 Sweet! Was there any TV coverage of the Quebequois and/or the Caribous in 74-75?

[@MARILYN19481]

+GetBenched A local TV station did televise a few games. Usually on Sunday evenings . I did not see any as I was at the games. After the first period they asked all people in the upper levels to take a seat in the lower bowl(Les Lodges) as the crowd was sparse. It is true there were 14 K for the first home game (the Colisee only held 10 K)and 8 K for game 2 (their first win)and about 5 K for game 3 . After that people found other things to do on the short summer months. During the middle of the summer attendance under 1000 was common.

[@MARILYN19481]

+anthony garcia Had a t shirt from Montreal and Quebec. Should have bought a Jersey one of my life's regrets that I did not. Do have a ball signed by a few players. On the final regular home game (August 26 my B day) I caught a ball in the stands and they allowed those in attendance to meet the players after the game and a few autographed the ball.

[@timsharkey1993]

These two seasons of the original NLL were so much fun. We went to as many Maryland Arrows games as we could. I was so sorry when the league folded.

[@MARILYN19481]

Wondering why the Quebec Caribou Nations Cup 1975 Champions flag presented and displayed for the special game last summer 2015 is not hanging from the Centre Videotron rafters. I have been to two games there and no banner.

[@dougmphilly]

luv this stuff!!

[@GetBenched2010]

So do I! :D

[@Rockhound6165]

Great to hear the late, great Gene Hart.

[@sessionscoat]

very awesome video and you have probably the retro lax channel out there! keep it up!

[@GetBenched2010]

Thanks so much! I noticed a serious lack in vintage lax games on youtube and decided to post my VHS collection. I figured there had to be other indoor lax fans out there too.

[@Rottenrocker]

GetBenched Just finished watching this gem of a game! I recently got hooked on box lacrosse during the 2012-13 NLL season and can't believe how great it is. Thanks again for uploading these great old school games!

[@vintagenllwingslacrosse7830]

+Rottenrocker check out the new website vintagenllwings.com. Some intereteing stuff.

[@Gachain]

I am an original Philadelphia WINGS fan. Went to Games at The Spectrum. I Live in Brooklyn now and traveled back to see later WINGS Games. Still Follow the NLL, NCAA, MSL AND WLA. BRING BACK THE WINGS!!!

[@lacrosseratt1595]

Gachain they are

[@ccjjpp1966]

Do you have the 1995 MILL championship game between Philadelphia-Rochester?

[@GetBenched2010]

+ccjjpp1966 Unfortunately I do not at the moment. But I am getting tapes on a semi-regular basis from people who would like to see them featured to I'm sure it will end up on the channel sooner than you think.

[@spacerazer]

If only Quebec had cared as much as there is no known footage of thier championship winnning game.

[@davidparsons5691]

Great Lacrosse Makes the game senior A & the NLL of the2000 and newer pretty sad wouldnt pay anything to watch it

[@Futureknight144]

Just wondering, before Tom Marechek and of course the most skilled of them all Mikey Powell became well-known were there any older players from this era (70's-80's) that were comparable to them in terms of showmanship, skills, tricks and entertainment value? I'm thinking along the lines of a Pete Maravich in basketball, but in the outdoor or indoor lacrosse game. Thanks.

[@GetBenched2010]

Future Knight John Grant Sr., Paul Suggate and the Lloyd Brothers had a great combo of tremendous skill as well as a lot of flash. John Grant in particular was the total package and the size to back it up.

[@dougmphilly]

Future Knight grant sr was the hollywood of his day, johnny davis was the john tavares of his day. a great league by those of us who watched it. btw paul suggate was like no one else. imagine andy ogilvie, mark steenhuis and colin doyle all rolled up in one - the total package.

[@dougmphilly]

Future Knight but nobody was a captain like carm collins. he had your back, your side, your front..nobody touched you with carm in the floor.

[@Gachain]

JOHN GRANT Sr. was fantastic!! Hence the monicker JR. for his son playing for the MAMMOTH!