WHA 1972-73

	P	W	L	T	Pts
Eastern Division
*New England Whalers	78	46	30	2	94
*Cleveland Crusaders	78	43	32	3	89
*Philadelphia Blazers	78	38	40	0	76
*Ottawa Nationals	78	35	39	4	74
Quebec Nordiques	78	33	40	5	71
New York Raiders	78	33	43	2	68
Western Division
*Winnipeg Jets	78	43	31	4	90
*Houston Aeros	79	39	35	4	82
*Los Angeles Sharks	78	37	35	6	80
*Minnesota Fighting Saints	78	38	37	3	79
Alberta Oilers	78	38	37	3	79
Chicago Cougars	78	26	50	2	54

Winners		Runners-Up
Western Division		1 Game Tie Breaker
Minnesota Fighting Saints	4	Alberta Oilers	2
First Round		Best of 7
Cleveland Crusaders	4	Philadelphia Blazers	0
New England Whalers	4	Ottawa Nationals	2
Winnipeg Jets	4	Minnesota Fighting Saints	2
Houston Aeros	4	Los Angeles Sharks	2
Second Round		Best of 7
New England Whalers	4	Cleveland Crusaders	2
Winnipeg Jets	4	Houston Aeros	0
AVCO Cup Final		Best of 7
New England Whalers	4	Winnipeg Jets	1

Franchise Moves During the Offseason:

1. The Blazers moved from Philadelphia to Vancouver.
2. The Ottawa Nationals moved to Toronto and became the Toros.
3. The New York Raiders remained in Manhattan, but became the Golden Blades.
4. The Alberta Oilers became permanent residents of Edmonton.

WHA 1973-74

	P	W	L	T	Pts
Eastern Division
*New England Whalers	78	43	31	4	90
*Toronto Toros	78	41	33	4	86
*Cleveland Crusaders	78	37	32	9	83
*Chicago Cougars	78	38	35	5	81
Quebec Nordiques	78	38	36	4	80
New York Golden Blades / New Jersey Knights	78	32	42	4	68
Western Division
*Houston Aeros	78	48	25	5	101
*Minnesota Fighting Saints	78	39	35	4	82
*Edmonton Oilers	78	37	35	6	80
*Winnipeg Jets	78	38	37	3	79
Vancouver Blazers	78	38	37	3	79
Los Angeles Sharks	78	26	50	2	54

Franchise Moves During the Season:

The New York Golden Blades moved mid-season to New Jersey and became the Knights.

Winners		Runners-Up
First Round		Best of 7
Houston Aeros	4	Winnipeg Jets	0
Minnesota Fighting Saints	4	Edmonton Oilers	2
Chicago Cougars	4	New England Whalers	3
Toronto Toros	4	Cleveland Crusaders	2
Second Round		Best of 7
Houston Aeros	4	Minnesota Fighting Saints	2
Chicago Cougars	4	Toronto Toros	3
AVCO Cup Final		Best of 7
Houston Aeros	4	Chicago Cougars	0

Offseason Franchise Moves:

1. The New Jersey Knights moved to San Diego and became the Mariners
2. The Los Angeles Sharks moved to Michigan and became the Stags
3. The League expanded, admitting Phoenix Roadrunners & Indianapolis Racers
4. The 2-Division alignment became a 3-Division one.

WHA 1974-75

	P	W	L	T	Pts
Eastern Division
*New England Whalers	78	43	30	5	91
*Cleveland Crusaders	78	35	40	3	73
Chicago Cougars	78	30	47	1	61
Indianapolis Racers	78	18	57	3	39
Western Division
*Houston Aeros	78	53	25	0	106
*San Diego Mariners	78	43	31	4	98
*Minnesota Fighting Saints	78	42	33	3	87
*Phoenix Roadrunners	78	39	31	8	86
Michigan Blades / Baltimore Blades	78	21	53	4	46
Canadian Division
*Quebec Nordiques	78	46	32	0	92
*Toronto Toros	78	43	33	2	86
Winnipeg Jets	78	38	35	5	81
Vancouver Blades	78	37	39	2	76
Edmonton Oilers	78	36	38	4	76

Franchise moves during the season:

1. The Michigan Blades moved during the season to Baltimore, becoming the Stars.

Winners		Runners-Up
First Round		Best of 7
Houston Aeros	4	Cleveland Crusaders	2
Quebec Nordiques	4	Phoenix Roadrunners	2
Minnesota Fighting Saints	4	New England Whalers	2
San Diego Mariners	4	Toronto Toros	2
Second Round		Best of 7
Quebec Nordiques	4	Minnesota Fighting Saints	2
Houston Aeros	4	San Diego Mariners	0
AVCO Cup Final		Best of 7
Houston Aeros	4	Quebec Nordiques	0

Franchise moves during the Offseason:

1. The Chicago Cougars folded.
2. The Vancouver Blazers moved to Calgary becoming the Cowboys
3. The League expanded again, adding the Cincinnati Stingers & Denver Spurs

WHA 1975-76

	P	W	L	T	Pts
Eastern Division
*Indianapolis Racers	80	35	39	6	76
*Cleveland Crusaders	80	35	40	5	75
*New England Whalers	80	33	40	7	73
Cincinnati Stingers	80	35	44	1	71
Quebec Nordiques	80	38	36	4	80
Western Division
*Houston Aeros	80	53	27	0	106
*Phoenix Roadrunners	80	39	35	6	84
San Diego Mariners	80	36	38	6	78
Minnesota Fighting Saints	59	30	25	4	64
Denver Spurs	41	14	26	1	29
Canadian Division
*Winnipeg Jets	81	52	27	2	106
*Quebec Nordiques	81	50	27	4	104
*Calgary Cowboys	80	41	35	4	86
*Edmonton Oilers	80	27	49	5	59
Toronto Toros	81	24	52	5	53

Franchise Moves during the Season:

1. Minnesota Fighing Saints folded after 59 games.
2. Denver Spurs became the Ottawa Civics after 18 games, then folded after 41.

Winners		Runners-Up
First Round		Best of 5
New England Whalers	3	Cleveland Crusaders	0
San Diego Mariners	3	Phoenix Roadrunners	2
Second Round		Best of 7
Winnipeg Jets	4	Edmonton Oilers	0
Calgary Cowboys	4	Quebec Nordiques	0
New England Whalers	4	Indianapolis Racers	3
Houston Aeros	4	San Diego Mariners	2
Third Round		Best of 7
Winnipeg Jets	4	Calgary Cowboys	2
Houston Aeros	4	New England Whalers	3
AVCO Cup Final		Best of 7
Winnipeg Jets	4	Houston Aeros	0

Franchise moves during the offseason:

1. Cleveland Crusaders moved to Minnesota and became the second incarnation of the Fighting Saints.
2. Toronto Toros moved to Birmingham, Alabama, becoming the Bulls.
3. The League reverted back to 2-Division alignment.

WHA 1976-77

	P	W	L	T	Pts
Eastern Division
*Quebec Nordiques	81	47	31	3	97
*Cincinnati Stingers	81	39	37	5	83
*Indianapolis Racers	81	36	37	8	80
*New England Whalers	81	35	40	6	76
Birmingham Bulls	81	31	46	4	66
Minnesota Fighting Saints	42	19	18	5	43
Western Division
*Houston Aeros	80	50	24	6	106
*Winnipeg Jets	80	46	32	2	94
*San Diego Mariners	81	40	37	4	84
*Edmonton Oilers	84	34	43	7	75
Calgary Cowboys	81	31	43	7	69
Phoenix Roadrunners	80	28	48	4	68

Franchise moves during the season:

1. Minnesota Fighting Saints folded (again) after 42 games.

Winners		Runners-Up
First Round		Best of 7
Quebec Nordiques	4	New England Whalers	2
Indianapolis Racers	4	Cincinnati Stingers	0
Houston Aeros	4	Edmonton Oilers	2
Winnipeg Jets	4	San Diego Mariners	3
Second Round		Best of 7
Quebec Nordiques	4	Indianapolis Racers	2
Winnipeg Jets	4	Houston Aeros	2
AVCO Cup Final		Best of 7
Quebec Nordiques	4	Winnipeg Jets	3

Franchise moves during the Offseason:

1. Phoenix Roadrunners, San Diego Mariners & Calgary Cowboys all folded.
2. The League adopts an 8-team 1-Division format.

WHA 1977-78

	P	W	L	T	Pts
*Winnipeg Jets	80	50	28	2	102
*New England Whalers	80	44	31	5	93
*Houston Aeros	80	42	34	4	86
*Quebec Nordiques	80	40	37	3	83
*Edmonton Oilers	80	38	39	3	79
*Birmingham Bulls	80	36	41	3	75
Cincinnati Stingers	80	35	42	3	73
Indianapolis Racers	80	24	51	5	53

Winners		Runners-Up
First Round		Best of 7
New England Whalers	4	Edmonton Oilers	2
Quebec Nordiques	4	Houston Aeros	2
Winnipeg Jets	4	Birmingham Bulls	2
Second Round		Best of 7
New England Whalers	4	Quebec Nordiques	2
Winnipeg Jets		(bye)
AVCO Cup Final		Best of 7
Winnipeg Jets	4	New England Whalers	1

Franchise moves during the Offseason:

1. Houston Aeros folded.

WHA 1978-79

	P	W	L	T	Pts
*Edmonton Oilers	80	48	30	2	98
*Quebec Nordiques	80	41	34	5	87
*Winnipeg Jets	80	39	35	6	84
*New England Whalers	80	37	34	9	83
*Cincinnati Stingers	80	33	41	6	72
Birmingham Bulls	80	32	42	6	70
Indianapolis Racers	25	2	18	2	12

Franchise moves during the season:

1. Indianapolis Racers folded after 25 games.

Winners		Runners-Up
First Round		Best of 3
New England Whalers	2	Cincinnati Stingers	1
Second Round		Best of 7
Winnipeg Jets	4	Quebec Nordiques	0
Edmonton Oilers	4	New England Whalers	3
AVCO Cup Final		Best of 7
Winnipeg Jets	4	Edmonton Oilers	2

Franchise moves during the Offseason:

1. The AVCO World Trophy was permanently awarded to the Winnipeg Jets after the League merger of the WHA with the National Hockey League. The Trophy was donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame after the Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1998.
2. The Winnipeg Jets, New England Whalers (as Hartford Whalers), Quebec Nordiques and Edmonton Oilers all joined the NHL after the merger.
3. The Winnipeg Jets are currently in Phoenix, and have been renamed the Coyotes.
4. The Hartford Whalers are now in Raleigh, North Carolina, and have been renamed the Carolina Hurricanes.
5. The Quebec Nordiques are currently in Denver, Colorado, and known as the Colorado Avalanche.

About

The World Hockey Association of 1972-1979 was a Major League rival to the National Hockey League. Three of the Leagues’ Champions – Winnipeg Jets 1975-76, 1977-78, 1978-79; New England Whalers 1972-73; and Quebec Nordiques 1976-1977 – joined the National Hockey League after the merger between the two Leagues in 1979. All three teams have since moved. The only other team to have won the AVCO World Trophy – the Houston Aeros – folded after the 1977-78 season.

The only other team to join the NHL after the merger – the Edmonton Oilers – is the only one still in its original hometown, and although the only one of the four to not have won the AVCO World Trophy, is the only one to have won the NHL’s Stanley Cup.

References

Websites

[1] World Hockey Association (2020) Yearly Standings [Internet] Available from: http://www.whahockey.com/whayearlystandings.html [Accessed 18 January 2020]

Images

[2] 1000 Logo (2020) WHA Logo [Internet] Available from: https://1000logos.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/WHA-logo.jpg [Accessed 18 January 2020]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Prof. Simon Perry (Trinity College Dublin)

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 18 January 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.Advertisements