After two failed seasons in Kansas City, the Scouts moved to Denver, taking up the void left by the Denver Spurs of the WHA who had moved to Ottawa in the middle of the previous season. The newly renamed Colorado Rockies got off to a terrific start, beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 in their first game at McNichols Arena on October 6th.

Early in the season, the Rockies picked up wins by either the goon tactics of wild man Steve Durbano, after losing three in a row, Durbano did what he did best to get the Rockies going. It worked a few times, including one game against the Chicago Black Hawks, where he took out star Stan Mikita igniting a fight, which helped provide the spark for a comeback win.

As February began, the Rockies were in playoff position. A scoring slump would expose the team's faults as they struggled over the final six weeks to finish in last place with a record of 20-46-14.