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WHA -- World Hockey Association

Avco Cup

Year    Winner                     Finalist                   Games

1979    Winnipeg Jets              Edmonton Oilers             4-2
1978    Winnipeg Jets              New England Whalers         4-0
1977    Quebec Nordiques           Winnipeg Jets               4-3
1976    Winnipeg Jets              Houston Aeros               4-0
1975    Houston Aeros              Quebec Nordiques            4-0
1974    Houston Aeros              Chicago Cougars             4-0
1973    New England Whalers        Winnipeg Jets               4-1
 
 

                            WHA all-time standings

                          YRS    GP    W    L    T    GF    GA    PTS
Winnipeg Jets             7      555   302  227  26   2270  1959  630
Quebec Nordiques          7      556   295  237  24   2274  2121  614
New England Whalers       7      555   281  236  38   2046  1938  600
Houston Aeros             6      474   285  170  19   1928  1541  589
Edmonton Oilers           7      556   259  273  24   1954  2033  542
Minnesota Fighting Saints 5      335   173  145  17   1237  1164  363
Cleveland Crusaders       4      314   150  144  20   1062  1040  320
Cincinnati Stingers       4      321   142  164  15   1211  1259  299
Indianapolis Racers       5      344   118  202  24   1082  1373  260
San Diego Mariners        3      239   119  106  14   913   841   252
Phoenix Roadrunners       3      238   106  114  18   883   935   230
Toronto Toros             3      237   108  118  11   988   974   227
Birmingham Bulls          3      241   99   129  13   862   930   211
Chicago Cougars           3      234   94   132  8    777   880   196
Calgary Cowboys           2      161   72   78   11   559   578   155
Vancouver Blazers         2      156   64   89   3    534   615   131
Los Angeles Sharks        2      156   62   88   6    498   589   130
Philadelphia Blazers      1      78    38   40   0    288   305   76
Ottawa Nationals          1      78    35   39   4    279   301   74
New York Raiders          1      78    33   43   2    303   334   68
New York - New Jersey     1      78    32   42   4    268   313   68
Michigan - Baltimore      1      78    21   53   4    205   341   46
Denver - Ottawa           1      41    14   26   1    134   172   29
 

                        ALL-TIME SCORERS

                                GP    G    A    PTS
1- Andre Lacroix, Phi. NY-NJ.   551   251  547  798
   San D. Hou. New E.
2- Marc Tardif, LA. Mic-Bal.    446   316  350  666
   Que.
3- Bobby Hull, Winnipeg         411   303  335  638
4- Real Cloutier, Quebec        369   283  283  566
5- Serge Bernier, Quebec        417   230  336  566
6- Robbie Ftorek, Pho. Cin.     373   216  307  523
7- Gordie Howe, Hou. New E.     419   174  334  508
8- Mark Howe, Hou. New E.       426   208  296  504
9- Chris Bordeleau, Win. Que.   412   179  325  504
10- Ulf Nilsson, Winnipeg       300   140  344  484

 WHA Yearly standings 1972-1979
 
 

Watch "The 7 Year Wonder" a look back at the World Hockey Association.

WHA - An odd league

 Overall, however, the WHA was nothing to sneer at, say
the players who had careers in the circuit. Toward the end,
it was as good in quality as any league on earth.
Greig concurs.
"By the mid-'70s, the Winnipeg Jets were as good or
better than any NHL team outside of Boston or Montreal.
"The WHA had some top former NHL players like
Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, J.C. Tremblay and there was
real parity in the league.
 "And a lot of fans forget that when teams from the two leagues
played against one another from 1974 to 1978, the WHA teams won
33, lost 27 and tied seven.
"For people to dismiss the league as weaker is ludicrous."

 --Author Murray Greig - who's just completed a book on the league
                   called "Big Bucks & Blue Pucks"
 

             ------------------------------------<

 * For a time, the league used red pucks and blue pucks
   believing they'd show up better on TV. It didn't work.

             ------------------------------------->

  In hockey circles, the stories are legendary. Like the time
  the sheriff came to arrest Frankie Beaton, and the
  Edmonton Oilers smuggled him out of their dressing room
  in an equipment bag.

  Or the time a fan in Winnipeg called Steve Durbano out of
  the Birmingham Bulls dressing room, took a swing at him, and
  a horde of naked Bulls poured in the Winnipeg Arena
  concourse to defend their teammate.

  Or maybe you remember the time Durbano -- or was it
  Dave Hanson? -- pulled off Bobby Hull's toupee in a fight.
  Or how Ottawa Nationals goalie Gilles Gratton believed
  he'd been a Spanish conquistador in a previous life.

  --Ed Willes, Ottawa Citizen Dec.30/97

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