1979–80 Colorado Rockies season

The 1979–80 Colorado Rockies season was the franchise's fourth season in Colorado and their sixth in the NHL. The Rockies finished last in the Smythe Division and did not qualify for the playoffs.
==Off-season==
Trying to jolt the fan base and create some excitement for the club, the team hired Don Cherry away from the Boston Bruins as installed him as the new head coach. In addition, a major mid-season trade netted the Rockies legendary goal-scorer and future Hall-of-Famer Lanny McDonald from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
With the first pick overall in the draft, the Rockies selected offensive-minded defenseman Rob Ramage. It was the first time that the Rockies had the first pick overall.
===Draft Picks===
Round	#	Player 	Position	Nationality	College/Junior/Club Team
1. 	1	Rob Ramage	(D) 	 	London Knights (OHL)
==Regular Season==
===Final Standings===
===Game Log===
No.	R	Date 	Score	Opponent 	Record
1 	T	October 11, 1979 	3–3 	St. Louis Blues (1979–80) 	0–0–1
2 	L	October 13, 1979 	1–2 	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80) 	0–1–1
3 	L	October 14, 1979 	2–4 	@ Winnipeg Jets (1979–80) 	0–2–1
4 	L	October 18, 1979 	2–5 	Quebec Nordiques (1979–80) 	0–3–1
5 	W	October 20, 1979 	4–1 	Winnipeg Jets (1979–80) 	1–3–1
6 	L	October 23, 1979 	4–7 	Los Angeles Kings (1979–80) 	1–4–1
7 	T	October 26, 1979 	2–2 	Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80) 	1–4–2
8 	L	October 28, 1979 	2–4 	@ Buffalo Sabres (1979–80) 	1–5–2
9 	L	October 30, 1979 	1–3 	@ Atlanta Flames (1979–80) 	1–6–2
10 	L	October 31, 1979 	2–4 	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80) 	1–7–2
11 	W	November 3, 1979 	7–2 	New York Rangers (1979–80) 	2–7–2
12 	L	November 6, 1979 	2–7 	Hartford Whalers (1979–80) 	2–8–2
13 	L	November 9, 1979 	5–6 	Minnesota North Stars (1979–80) 	2–9–2
14 	W	November 11, 1979	5–3 	@ Buffalo Sabres (1979–80) 	3–9–2
15 	L	November 13, 1979	1–4 	@ Los Angeles Kings (1979–80) 	3–10–2
16 	L	November 15, 1979	1–4 	Montreal Canadiens (1979–80) 	3–11–2
17 	L	November 17, 1979	1–4 	Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80) 	3–12–2
18 	T	November 20, 1979	3–3 	Washington Capitals (1979–80) 	3–12–3
19 	W	November 23, 1979	5–2 	Detroit Red Wings (1979–80) 	4–12–3
20 	L	November 24, 1979	3–4 	@ St. Louis Blues (1979–80) 	4–13–3
21 	W	November 28, 1979	7–4 	New York Islanders (1979–80) 	5–13–3
22 	L	December 1, 1979 	4–5 	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80) 	5–14–3
23 	W	December 2, 1979 	5–3 	@ Boston Bruins (1979–80) 	6–14–3
24 	W	December 4, 1979 	3–1 	@ Quebec Nordiques (1979–80) 	7–14–3
25 	L	December 7, 1979 	3–5 	Buffalo Sabres (1979–80) 	7–15–3
26 	W	December 9, 1979 	7–5 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1979–80) 	8–15–3
27 	L	December 12, 1979	3–5 	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80) 	8–16–3
28 	L	December 14, 1979	3–5 	@ Vancouver Canucks (1979–80) 	8–17–3
29 	W	December 15, 1979	6–5 	Hartford Whalers (1979–80) 	9–17–3
30 	L	December 18, 1979	2–3 	@ New York Islanders (1979–80) 	9–18–3
31 	L	December 19, 1979	3–6 	@ Quebec Nordiques (1979–80) 	9–19–3
32 	W	December 21, 1979	5–4 	Edmonton Oilers (1979–80) 	10–19–3
33 	L	December 26, 1979	3–4 	@ Edmonton Oilers (1979–80) 	10–20–3
34 	W	December 27, 1979	4–3 	Minnesota North Stars (1979–80) 	11–20–3
35 	L	December 29, 1979	2–3 	Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80) 	11–21–3
36 	W	December 31, 1979	5–3 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1979–80) 	12–21–3
37 	L	January 2, 1980 	2–5 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80) 	12–22–3
38 	L	January 4, 1980 	2–4 	Vancouver Canucks (1979–80) 	12–23–3
39 	T	January 8, 1980 	2–2 	Boston Bruins (1979–80) 	12–23–4
40 	L	January 11, 1980 	3–4 	Buffalo Sabres (1979–80) 	12–24–4
41 	L	January 13, 1980 	2–6 	@ Boston Bruins (1979–80) 	12–25–4
42 	T	January 14, 1980 	6–6 	@ New York Rangers (1979–80) 	12–25–5
43 	L	January 16, 1980 	1–5 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1979–80) 	12–26–5
44 	L	January 17, 1980 	1–4 	Atlanta Flames (1979–80) 	12–27–5
45 	L	January 19, 1980 	1–3 	St. Louis Blues (1979–80) 	12–28–5
46 	W	January 22, 1980 	5–3 	@ Vancouver Canucks (1979–80) 	13–28–5
47 	W	January 24, 1980 	4–1 	Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80) 	14–28–5
48 	T	January 26, 1980 	4–4 	@ St. Louis Blues (1979–80) 	14–28–6
49 	T	January 27, 1980 	3–3 	New York Rangers (1979–80) 	14–28–7
50 	L	January 30, 1980 	2–3 	Montreal Canadiens (1979–80) 	14–29–7
51 	T	February 2, 1980 	2–2 	Winnipeg Jets (1979–80) 	14–29–8
52 	L	February 3, 1980 	2–6 	@ Minnesota North Stars (1979–80)	14–30–8
53 	L	February 7, 1980 	3–4 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1979–80) 	14–31–8
54 	T	February 8, 1980 	4–4 	@ Hartford Whalers (1979–80) 	14–31–9
55 	L	February 10, 1980	1–6 	Atlanta Flames (1979–80) 	14–32–9
56 	L	February 14, 1980	3–5 	New York Islanders (1979–80) 	14–33–9
57 	L	February 16, 1980	3–5 	Boston Bruins (1979–80) 	14–34–9
58 	W	February 19, 1980	8–6 	Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80) 	15–34–9
59 	W	February 22, 1980	3–1 	Edmonton Oilers (1979–80) 	16–34–9
60 	T	February 24, 1980	1–1 	Washington Capitals (1979–80) 	16–34–10
61 	L	February 27, 1980	3–4 	Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80) 	16–35–10
62 	L	March 1, 1980 	1–4 	@ Atlanta Flames (1979–80) 	16–36–10
63 	W	March 2, 1980 	3–1 	@ Washington Capitals (1979–80) 	17–36–10
64 	L	March 4, 1980 	1–4 	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80) 	17–37–10
65 	L	March 7, 1980 	2–4 	Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80) 	17–38–10
66 	T	March 9, 1980 	4–4 	Vancouver Canucks (1979–80) 	17–38–11
67 	L	March 11, 1980 	1–4 	@ New York Islanders (1979–80) 	17–39–11
68 	L	March 12, 1980 	0–6 	@ New York Rangers (1979–80) 	17–40–11
69 	L	March 15, 1980 	1–4 	@ Hartford Whalers (1979–80) 	17–41–11
70 	T	March 16, 1980 	4–4 	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80) 	17–41–12
71 	L	March 18, 1980 	1–4 	@ Washington Capitals (1979–80) 	17–42–12
72 	L	March 20, 1980 	2–6 	Quebec Nordiques (1979–80) 	17–43–12
73 	W	March 22, 1980 	5–1 	Detroit Red Wings (1979–80) 	18–43–12
74 	L	March 23, 1980 	1–7 	@ Minnesota North Stars (1979–80)	18–44–12
75 	L	March 25, 1980 	2–5 	Los Angeles Kings (1979–80) 	18–45–12
76 	W	March 28, 1980 	5–0 	Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80) 	19–45–12
77 	T	March 30, 1980 	2–2 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80) 	19–45–13
78 	L	April 1, 1980 	3–4 	@ Los Angeles Kings (1979–80) 	19–46–13
79 	L	April 4, 1980 	2–6 	@ Edmonton Oilers (1979–80) 	19–47–13
80 	L	April 6, 1980 	2–3 	@ Winnipeg Jets (1979–80) 	19–48–13
==Playoffs==
*The Rockies did not qualify for the post season.
==Player Stats==
===Regular Season===
;Scoring
Player	Pos	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM	+/-	PPG	SHG	GWG
 	RW 	69	28	35	63 	79 	-20	10 	0 	0
 	D 	67	11	40	51 	33 	-13	5 	1 	1
 	C 	77	25	25	50 	8 	-7 	6 	0 	2
 	RW 	46	25	20	45 	43 	-15	8 	0 	3
 	C 	70	24	19	43 	36 	-18	4 	0 	1
 	C 	75	19	24	43 	76 	-24	5 	0 	4
 	RW 	75	16	23	39 	100	-11	0 	0 	1
 	C 	75	7 	23	30 	16 	-23	0 	1 	1
 	D 	75	8 	20	28 	135	-40	4 	0 	3
 	RW 	34	10	16	26 	41 	-6 	2 	2 	1
 	D 	74	1 	17	18 	78 	-30	0 	0 	0
 	RW 	51	8 	8 	16 	23 	-17	0 	0 	0
 	LW 	24	7 	9 	16 	10 	-2 	0 	0 	0
 	D 	41	4 	11	15 	23 	-6 	2 	0 	1
 	RW 	20	9 	4 	13 	53 	-10	2 	1 	1
 	D 	35	5 	7 	12 	26 	-21	1 	0 	0
 	D 	62	3 	8 	11 	45 	-17	1 	0 	0
 	LW 	40	4 	5 	9 	22 	-18	1 	0 	0
 	D 	46	0 	9 	9 	10 	-4 	0 	0 	0
 	C 	30	3 	4 	7 	2 	-7 	1 	0 	0
 	C 	22	2 	5 	7 	6 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	D 	42	1 	6 	7 	25 	-10	0 	0 	0
 	C 	10	2 	4 	6 	2 	-1 	0 	0 	0
 	D 	10	1 	5 	6 	8 	-2 	0 	0 	0
 	C 	13	5 	0 	5 	2 	-5 	0 	0 	0
 	C 	33	2 	3 	5 	4 	-11	0 	1 	0
 	LW 	15	1 	4 	5 	4 	-4 	1 	0 	0
 	C 	17	0 	4 	4 	2 	-14	0 	0 	0
 	RW 	7 	1 	1 	2 	0 	-5 	0 	0 	0
 	D 	10	1 	0 	1 	2 	-3 	0 	0 	0
 	D 	27	1 	0 	1 	51 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	C 	2 	0 	1 	1 	0 	1 	0 	0 	0
 	LW 	5 	0 	1 	1 	4 	-1 	0 	0 	0
 	D 	8 	0 	1 	1 	2 	-3 	0 	0 	0
 	C 	11	0 	1 	1 	4 	-2 	0 	0 	0
 	C 	2 	0 	0 	0 	0 	-2 	0 	0 	0
 	LW 	2 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	LW 	5 	0 	0 	0 	2 	-1 	0 	0 	0
 	LW 	10	0 	0 	0 	19 	-5 	0 	0 	0
 	G 	6 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	G 	12	0 	0 	0 	4 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	G 	26	0 	0 	0 	2 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	G 	49	0 	0 	0 	6 	0 	0 	0 	0
;Goaltending
Player	MIN 	GP	W 	L 	T 	GA 	GAA 	SO
 	2574	49	9 	27	6 	161	3.75	0
 	1342	26	9 	12	3 	78 	3.49	1
 	557 	12	1 	6 	2 	39 	4.20	0
 	327 	6 	0 	3 	2 	26 	4.77	0
Team: 	4800	80	19	48	13	304	3.80	1
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes; PPG=Power-play goals; SHG=Short-handed goals; GWG=Game-winning goals 
MIN=Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; SO = Shutouts 
==Awards and Records==
*The Rockies did not win any awards this season.
==Transactions==
On December 29, 1979, the Maple Leafs traded Lanny McDonald and Joel Quenneville to the Colorado Rockies for Wilf Paiement and Pat Hickey.[http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/spot_oneononep199204.htm Legends of Hockey - Spotlight - One on One with Lanny McDonald
==Farm Teams==
Affiliations included: Flint Generals, Fort Worth Texans A to Z Encyclopaedia of Ice Hockey - Co
==References==
==External Links==
*Rockies on Hockey Database
Colorado Rockies (NHL)season, 1979–80
Colorado Rockies (NHL)season, 1979–80
1979–80