The New York Raiders were a charter franchise of the World Hockey Association and first hit the ice with the rest of the league in 1972. The team, however, could not compete for fans with the established New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL), or the expansion New York Islanders who also started in 1972. In 1973, the team, under new ownership, was nicknamed the Golden Blades and halfway through the season, moved to suburban Philadelphia to become the Jersey Knights. In 1974, the team moved to California and became the San Diego Mariners.