1978–79 New England Whalers season

1978–79 New England Whalers
Division 4th WHA
1978–79 record 37–34–9
Goals for 298
Goals against 287
Team information
General Manager Jack Kelley
Coach Bill Dineen (33-29-9)
Don Blackburn (4-5-0)
Captain Rick Ley
Team leaders
<1977–78

1979–80 >

The 1978–79 New England Whalers season was the seventh season of the Whalers' franchise. This was the final season in the World Hockey Association, which ceased operations after the season. Fortunately, the Whalers (along with the Winnipeg Jets, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Quebec Nordiques) were admitted to the National Hockey League as expansion teams. The Whalers (as part of the agreement suggested by the Boston Bruins) changed their name to the Hartford Whalers. Meanwhile, the Whalers made the playoffs once again, with only five teams participating in the postseason. Don Blackburn took over the team as coach before the season ended, and he would become the first coach of the team in the NHL.

Regular season

Final standings

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points

WHA Team GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM
Edmonton Oilers 80 48 30 2 98 340 266 1220
Quebec Nordiques 80 41 34 5 87 288 271 1399
Winnipeg Jets 80 39 35 6 84 307 306 1342
New England Whalers 80 37 34 9 83 298 287 1090
Cincinnati Stingers 80 33 41 6 72 274 284 1651
Birmingham Bulls 80 32 42 6 70 286 311 1661
xIndianapolis Racers 25 5 18 2 12 78 130 557
#Soviet All-Stars 6 4 1 1 9 27 20 77
#Czechoslovakia 6 1 4 1 3 14 33 107
#Finland 1 0 1 0 0 4 8 2

x-team folded during season #-played limited schedule

Schedule and results

No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1WOctober 15, 19786–5 @ Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 1–0–0
2WOctober 17, 19782–1 @ Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 2–0–0
3TOctober 18, 19784–4 @ Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 2–0–1
4WOctober 21, 19787–1 Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 3–0–1
5WOctober 22, 19786–3 @ Indianapolis Racers (1978–79) 4–0–1
6WOctober 24, 19782–1 @ Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 5–0–1
7LOctober 26, 19785–8 @ Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 5–1–1
8LOctober 27, 19784–6 Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 5–2–1
9LOctober 29, 19784–7 Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 5–3–1
10WNovember 3, 19786–3 Indianapolis Racers (1978–79) 6–3–1
11TNovember 4, 19786–6 @ Indianapolis Racers (1978–79) 6–3–2
12LNovember 5, 19784–5 @ Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 6–4–2
13WNovember 9, 19786–1 Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 7–4–2
14WNovember 11, 19782–1 Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 8–4–2
15TNovember 14, 19785–5 @ Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 8–4–3
16TNovember 15, 19784–4 @ Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 8–4–4
17LNovember 17, 19781–7 @ Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 8–5–4
18LNovember 18, 19782–3 Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 8–6–4
19WNovember 22, 19785–2 Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 9–6–4
20WNovember 25, 19785–2 Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 10–6–4
21WNovember 26, 19789–3 Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 11–6–4
22LNovember 29, 19782–4 @ Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 11–7–4
23LDecember 1, 19782–8 @ Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 11–8–4
24WDecember 3, 19787–0 @ Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 12–8–4
25TDecember 5, 19782–2 @ Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 12–8–5
26WDecember 7, 19785–3 Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 13–8–5
27LDecember 9, 19784–7 Soviet All-Stars (1978–79) 13–9–5
28WDecember 12, 19787–4 @ Indianapolis Racers (1978–79) 14–9–5
29WDecember 16, 19782–1 Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 15–9–5
30TDecember 17, 19784–4 @ Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 15–9–6
31WDecember 23, 19784–3 Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 16–9–6
32WDecember 27, 197810–4 Czechoslovakia (1978–79) 17–9–6
33WDecember 29, 19785–0 Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 18–9–6
34LDecember 30, 19781–2 @ Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 18–10–6
35WJanuary 7, 19795–4 Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 19–10–6
36LJanuary 13, 19790–3 Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 19–11–6
37LJanuary 14, 19792–4 Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 19–12–6
38LJanuary 18, 19792–4 Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 19–13–6
39WJanuary 20, 19793–1 Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 20–13–6
40LJanuary 23, 19791–5 @ Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 20–14–6
41LJanuary 26, 19794–5 @ Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 20–15–6
42WJanuary 28, 19798–6 Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 21–15–6
43WJanuary 30, 19795–2 Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 22–15–6
44WFebruary 2, 19794–1 Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 23–15–6
45TFebruary 3, 19792–2 @ Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 23–15–7
46WFebruary 6, 19795–3 @ Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 24–15–7
47WFebruary 10, 19797–2 Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 25–15–7
48LFebruary 11, 19792–5 @ Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 25–16–7
49LFebruary 14, 19794–7 Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 25–17–7
50LFebruary 16, 19792–4 Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 25–18–7
51WFebruary 17, 19794–1 Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 26–18–7
52WFebruary 18, 19797–1 @ Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 27–18–7
53LFebruary 20, 19792–8 @ Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 27–19–7
54LFebruary 21, 19792–5 @ Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 27–20–7
55WFebruary 23, 19795–4 OT Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 28–20–7
56LFebruary 24, 19790–6 @ Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 28–21–7
57LFebruary 25, 19795–7 Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 28–22–7
58TFebruary 27, 19791–1 @ Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 28–22–8
59WMarch 2, 19794–1 @ Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 29–22–8
60LMarch 4, 19793–4 OT Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 29–23–8
61LMarch 9, 19791–3 Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 29–24–8
62WMarch 11, 19792–1 @ Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 30–24–8
63WMarch 13, 19794–3 @ Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 31–24–8
64LMarch 15, 19793–4 OT Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 31–25–8
65TMarch 16, 19795–5 @ Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 31–25–9
66LMarch 18, 19791–4 Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 31–26–9
67WMarch 20, 19797–6 OT @ Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 32–26–9
68WMarch 23, 19795–3 Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 33–26–9
69LMarch 24, 19793–4 Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 33–27–9
70LMarch 27, 19791–3 @ Birmingham Bulls (1978–79) 33–28–9
71LMarch 30, 19791–3 Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 33–29–9
72LApril 1, 19793–5 Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 33–30–9
73WApril 4, 19794–2 @ Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 34–30–9
74LApril 6, 19792–7 @ Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 34–31–9
75LApril 8, 19794–6 @ Winnipeg Jets (1978–79) 34–32–9
76WApril 10, 19795–2 @ Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 35–32–9
77WApril 12, 19794–0 Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 36–32–9
78LApril 14, 19790–4 Cincinnati Stingers (1978–79) 36–33–9
79LApril 15, 19791–4 Edmonton Oilers (1978–79) 36–34–9
80WApril 17, 19793–2 @ Quebec Nordiques (1978–79) 37–34–9

Playoffs

New England Whalers 3, Cincinnati Stingers 0 - Preliminary Round

Game Date Visitor Score Home Series
1 April 21 Cincinnati Stingers 3 – 5 New England Whalers 1–0
2 April 22 New England Whalers 3 – 6 Cincinnati Stingers 1–1
3 April 24 New England Whalers 2 – 1 Cincinnati Stingers 2–1

Edmonton Oilers 4, New England Whalers 3 - Semifinals

Game Date Visitor Score Home Series
1 April 26 New England Whalers 2 – 6 Edmonton Oilers 0–1
2 April 27 New England Whalers 5 – 9 Edmonton Oilers 0–2
3 April 29 Edmonton Oilers 1 – 4 New England Whalers 1–2
4 May 1 Edmonton Oilers 4 – 5 New England Whalers 2–2
5 May 3 New England Whalers 2 – 5 Edmonton Oilers 2–3
6 May 6 Edmonton Oilers 8 – 4 New England Whalers 3–3
7 May 8 New England Whalers 3 – 6 Edmonton Oilers 3–4

Player statistics

Regular season

Scoring
Player GP G A Pts PIM
Howe, MarkMark Howe 77 42 65 107 32
Lacroix, AndreAndre Lacroix 78 32 56 88 34
Rogers, MikeMike Rogers 80 27 45 72 31
Keon, DaveDave Keon 79 22 43 65 2
Roberts, GordieGordie Roberts 79 11 46 57 113
Miller, WarrenWarren Miller 77 26 23 49 44
Antonovich, MikeMike Antonovich 69 20 27 47 35
McKenzie, JohnJohn McKenzie 76 19 28 47 115
Howe, GordieGordie Howe 58 19 24 43 51
Lyle, GeorgeGeorge Lyle 59 17 18 35 54
Hangsleben, AlanAlan Hangsleben 77 10 19 29 148
Ley, RickRick Ley 73 7 20 27 135
Howe, MartyMarty Howe 66 9 15 24 31
Plumb, RonRon Plumb 78 4 16 20 33
Douglas, JordyJordy Douglas 51 6 10 16 15
Selwood, BradBrad Selwood 42 4 12 16 47
Warner, JimJim Warner 41 6 9 15 20
Stoughton, BlaineBlaine Stoughton 36 9 3 12 2
Pleau, LarryLarry Pleau 28 6 6 12 6
Carlson, JackJack Carlson 34 2 7 9 61
Inkpen, DaveDave Inkpen 41 0 7 7 15
Smith, AlAl Smith 40 0 3 3 35
Brubaker, JeffJeff Brubaker 12 0 0 0 19
Garrett, JohnJohn Garrett 41 0 0 0 6
Roy, PierrePierre Roy 1 0 0 0 2
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L T GA GAA SA SV SV% SO
Garrett, JohnJohn Garrett 2496 41 20 17 4 149 3.58 1180 1031 .874 2
Smith, AlAl Smith 2396 40 17 17 5 132 3.31 1124 992 .883 1
Team: 4892 80 37 34 9 281 3.45 2304 2023 .878 3

Playoffs

Scoring
Player GP G A Pts PIM
Keon, DaveDave Keon 10 3 9 12 2
McKenzie, JohnJohn McKenzie 10 3 7 10 10
Antonovich, MikeMike Antonovich 10 5 3 8 14
Lacroix, AndreAndre Lacroix 10 4 4 8 0
Lyle, GeorgeGeorge Lyle 9 3 5 8 25
Rogers, MikeMike Rogers 10 2 6 8 2
Miller, WarrenWarren Miller 10 0 8 8 28
Stoughton, BlaineBlaine Stoughton 7 4 3 7 4
Howe, MarkMark Howe 6 4 2 6 6
Douglas, JordyJordy Douglas 10 4 0 4 23
Howe, GordieGordie Howe 10 3 1 4 4
Plumb, RonRon Plumb 9 1 3 4 0
Ley, RickRick Ley 9 0 4 4 11
Roberts, GordieGordie Roberts 10 0 4 4 10
Pleau, LarryLarry Pleau 10 2 1 3 0
Hangsleben, AlAl Hangsleben 10 1 2 3 12
Howe, MartyMarty Howe 9 0 1 1 8
Inkpen, DaveDave Inkpen 5 0 1 1 4
Brubaker, JeffJeff Brubaker 3 0 0 0 12
Garrett, JohnJohn Garrett 8 0 0 0 0
Smith, AlAl Smith 4 0 0 0 0
Warner, JimJim Warner 1 0 0 0 0
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L T GA GAA SA SV SV% SO
Garrett, JohnJohn Garrett 447 8 4 3 32 4.30 0
Smith, AlAl Smith 153 4 1 2 12 4.71 0
Team: 600 10 5 5 44 4.40 0

[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "1978-79 New England Whalers Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com". hockey-reference.com. Retrieved 2009-05-27.

External links

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