New York Golden Blades Fan Shop

The New York Golden Blades Collection — Royal Retros New York Golden Blades Fan Shop

Authentic 1973–1974 WHA Throwbacks. Custom Names & Numbers. Sizes S–5XL. The Madison Square Garden Rebrand Era.

Royal Retros carries the deepest New York Golden Blades throwback collection on the open web — authentic 1973–1974 World Hockey Association-era jerseys, T-shirts, and New York hockey fan apparel honoring the rebranded second incarnation of the WHA's New York franchise. The Golden Blades played roughly half of the 1973–74 season at Madison Square Garden before relocating to Cherry Hill, NJ as the Jersey Knights — making the Golden Blades one of the shortest-lived major-league hockey franchises ever. Custom name and number on most jerseys. Sizes S–5XL.

What You Can Shop in the New York Golden Blades Collection

New York Golden Blades Jerseys — Throwback hockey jerseys mirroring the 1973–74 WHA-era look — purple, gold, and white were the signature colors. Twill construction, period-correct sleeve striping, color-matched crests. Custom name and number available on most styles.

New York Golden Blades T-Shirts — Premium pre-shrunk soft-blend tees featuring the Golden Blades wordmark and franchise history graphics.

Customization — Most Golden Blades jerseys can be personalized with your name and number. Free customization on eligible items. Custom items are final sale and made to order.

Sizes — Small through 5XL on virtually every product. We don't upcharge for big & tall sizes.

Why Royal Retros Is the Home of New York Golden Blades Throwback Gear

• WHA-era authenticity. Period-correct color values, proportions, and stitching for the 1973–1974 Golden Blades.
• Genuinely rare cult-status throwback. The Golden Blades only existed for a partial season — the merchandise is a true deep-cut WHA collector's piece.
• Free customization on most jerseys. Name and number at no extra cost.
• Sizes Small through 5XL. No big & tall upcharge.
• Cross-shop the broader WHA collection for the full New York → New Jersey → San Diego franchise lineage and the rest of the league.

Quick Buying Questions

What sizes do New York Golden Blades jerseys come in?

Small through 5XL on virtually every jersey style.

Can I customize my jersey?

Yes — most styles offer free customization. Custom items are final sale and made to order. Allow 7–10 business days for production.

What materials are jerseys made from?

Heavyweight twill on most replica jerseys, sublimated polyester on custom and remix styles.

How accurate is the design?

Color palettes, lettering style, sleeve striping, and crest detail match 1973–1974 game-worn references.

How fast does it ship?

Standard products ship within 3–5 business days. Custom items ship within 7–10 business days.

What Were the New York Golden Blades?

The New York Golden Blades (1973–1974) were the rebranded second incarnation of the World Hockey Association's New York franchise. After the inaugural New York Raiders season failed at the gate during 1972–73, the franchise was sold to a new ownership group that rebranded the team as the Golden Blades for 1973–74 — new name, new logo, new color palette (purple, gold, white), same Madison Square Garden home. The hope was that a fresh identity could escape the Raiders' first-year stigma and finally establish a viable second pro hockey team in Manhattan.

It didn't work. The Golden Blades drew sparse crowds at MSG through the fall of 1973 while the financial pressure mounted. By midseason the league was effectively running the franchise, and ownership made the call to move the team across the Hudson to Cherry Hill, New Jersey — where the same roster finished the 1973–74 season as the Jersey Knights. The next season the franchise relocated again, this time across the country to become the San Diego Mariners (1974–77) before folding when the WHA contracted in 1977.

The Golden Blades' brief mid-1973–74 existence makes them one of the deepest-cut WHA chapters and a beloved cult-rarity for collectors. The purple-and-gold palette is genuinely distinctive — no other major-league hockey franchise has used quite that color combination — and the in-arena MSG era of WHA hockey is its own peculiar slice of New York sports history.

The Greatest New York Golden Blades Players

Andre Lacroix — Star center who continued his WHA career with the Golden Blades / Jersey Knights / San Diego Mariners franchise lineage and would become one of the WHA's all-time leading scorers.

Norm Ferguson — Forward who played for the franchise across the New York Raiders → Golden Blades → Jersey Knights → San Diego Mariners chain.

Other notables. Many of the Raiders' inaugural-season players continued under the Golden Blades banner before the move to New Jersey midseason.

Venue

Madison Square Garden (Manhattan) — the Golden Blades shared MSG with the NHL Rangers, just as the Raiders had the prior season. The venue was the Golden Blades' only home before the franchise relocated mid-1973–74 to Cherry Hill Arena as the Jersey Knights.

How to Identify Authentic New York Golden Blades Throwback Apparel

• Verify the WHA-era color values. Authentic Golden Blades colors (royal purple, gold, white) have specific Pantone-matched values — the purple/gold combo is the franchise's defining visual signature.
• Check for the WHA-era logo. The 1973–74 Golden Blades used a specific stylized crest distinct from the prior Raiders crest.
• Era-specific design matters. The throwback should represent the actual 1973–74 Golden Blades-era look, not the Raiders or Knights.
• Royal Retros standard: Every product in this collection is reviewed for period accuracy.

More Frequently Asked Questions

When did the New York Golden Blades exist?

The Golden Blades played a partial 1973–1974 WHA season before relocating to Cherry Hill, NJ as the Jersey Knights midseason. Roughly the first half of 1973–74.

What league did the Golden Blades play in?

The World Hockey Association (WHA) — the upstart major league that ran 1972–1979.

Where did the Golden Blades play home games?

Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, sharing the building with the NHL Rangers.

Why didn't the Golden Blades survive in New York?

The same MSG-tenancy problems that doomed the Raiders the prior year — high rent, off-hours scheduling, head-to-head NHL Rangers competition, and thin attendance — only worsened during 1973–74. The franchise relocated to Cherry Hill midseason as the Jersey Knights.

What happened to the franchise?

New York Raiders (1972–73) → New York Golden Blades (1973–74) → Jersey Knights (1973–74 mid-season) → San Diego Mariners (1974–77) → folded.

Where can I find related Royal Retros collections?

The Golden Blades connect to multiple Royal Retros collections: the broader WHA collection, the Legacy Hockey collection, and our broader hockey collection.

WHA Cross-Shop

• The full New York → San Diego franchise lineage: New York Raiders · Jersey Knights · San Diego Mariners.
• The WHA collection — for fellow WHA franchises including Winnipeg Jets, Houston Aeros, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and the rest of the league.
• The Legacy Hockey collection — for fans of other defunct franchises.

New York Golden Blades at Royal Retros — Authentic 1973–1974 WHA Throwbacks. Custom Names & Numbers. Sizes S–5XL. The Madison Square Garden Rebrand Era.