1972–73 New England Whalers season

1972–73 New England Whalers
Avco Cup champions
Division1st East
1972–73 record46–30–2
Home record30–8–1
Road record16–22–1
Goals for318
Goals against263
Team information
General managerJack Kelley
CoachJack Kelley
CaptainTed Green
Alternate captainsTommy Williams
Jim Dorey
Larry Pleau
ArenaBoston Arena (18 games)
Boston Garden (21 games and playoffs)
Average attendance6,981 (67.2%)
Team leaders
GoalsTom Webster (53)
AssistsTerry Caffery (61)
PointsTom Webster (103)
Penalty minutesBrad Selwood (114)
WinsAl Smith (31)
Goals against averageAl Smith (3.17)

The 1972–73 New England Whalers season was the Whalers' first season (based in Boston). The Whalers were competitive from the start, placing first in the Eastern Division to qualify for the playoffs. They then won three playoff series to become the first winner of the Avco World Trophy.[1][2]

Offseason

Regular season

Final standings

Eastern Division
GP W L T GF GA PIM Pts
78 46 30 2 318 263 858 94
Cleveland Crusaders 78 43 32 3 287 239 1095 89
Philadelphia Blazers 78 38 40 0 288 305 1260 76
Ottawa Nationals 78 35 39 4 279 301 1067 74
Quebec Nordiques 78 33 40 5 276 313 1354 71
New York Raiders 78 33 43 2 303 334 900 68

Schedule and results

1972–73 regular season[3]
October: 5–4–0 (home: 3–2–0; road: 2–2–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts
1 October 12 Philadelphia 3–4 New England 1–0–0 2
2 October 16 Chicago 1–4 New England 2–0–0 4
3 October 18 New England 4–1 Houston 3–0–0 6
4 October 19 Quebec 4–3 New England 3–1–0 6
5 October 21 New England 4–6 Quebec 3–2–0 6
6 October 23 Minnesota 1–5 New England 4–2–0 8
7 October 24 New England 3–2 Cleveland OT 5–2–0 10
8 October 26 New England 6–7 New York 5–3–0 10
9 October 28 Alberta 4–1 New England 5–4–0 10
November: 8–4–1 (home: 8–0–1; road: 0–4–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts
10 November 1 Chicago 2–4 New England 6–4–0 12
11 November 4 Philadelphia 4–8 New England 7–4–0 14
12 November 6 Winnipeg 2–6 New England 8–4–0 16
13 November 11 New York 5–6 New England 9–4–0 18
14 November 13 Houston 4–4 New England TIE 9–4–1 19
15 November 17 New England 0–3 Cleveland 9–5–1 19
16 November 18 Ottawa 2–3 New England 10–5–1 21
17 November 20 Ottawa 5–7 New England 11–5–1 23
18 November 22 New England 1–3 New York 11–6–1 23
19 November 24 Alberta 2–7 New England 12–6–1 25
20 November 26 New England 1–3 Minnesota 12–7–1 25
21 November 27 Cleveland 0–3 New England 13–7–1 27
22 November 29 New England 6–7 New York 13–8–1 27
December: 11–7–0 (home: 5–3–0; road: 6–4–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts
23 December 1 New England 3–5 Philadelphia 13–9–1 27
24 December 2 Quebec 2–7 New England 14–9–1 29
25 December 4 Ottawa 2–7 New England 15–9–1 31
26 December 6 New York 3–4 New England 16–9–1 33
27 December 7 New England 4–2 Ottawa 17–9–1 35
28 December 9 New York 2–4 New England 18–9–1 37
29 December 11 Winnipeg 3–4 New England 19–9–1 39
30 December 13 New England 3–6 Chicago 19–10–1 39
31 December 14 New England 5–2 Los Angeles 20–10–1 41
32 December 16 New England 10–6 Philadelphia 21–10–1 43
33 December 17 Philadelphia 6–3 New England 21–11–1 43
34 December 19 New England 5–7 New York 21–12–1 43
35 December 21 New England 4–5 Quebec 21–13–1 43
36 December 24 Los Angeles 5–3 New England 21–14–1 43
37 December 25 New England 8–2 New York 22–14–1 45
38 December 28 New England 5–3 Quebec 23–14–1 47
39 December 29 New York 4–2 New England 23–15–1 47
40 December 31 New England 3–0 New York 24–15–1 49
January: 6–4–0 (home: 3–1–0; road: 3–3–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts
41 January 9 New England 5–7 Houston 24–16–1 49
42 January 13 New York 3–4 New England 25–16–1 51
43 January 17 New England 4–2 Chicago 26–16–1 53
44 January 19 New England 2–6 Winnipeg 26–17–1 53
45 January 21 New England 7–2 Winnipeg 27–17–1 55
46 January 24 Winnipeg 1–6 New England 28–17–1 57
47 January 25 New England 4–2 Ottawa 29–17–1 59
48 January 27 Quebec 3–1 New England 29–18–1 59
49 January 29 New England 2–3 Cleveland 29–19–1 59
50 January 31 Cleveland 1–4 New England 30–19–1 61
February: 5–6–1 (home: 2–1–0; road: 3–5–1)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts
51 February 1 New England 5–4 Houston OT 31–19–1 63
52 February 2 New England 1–3 Los Angeles 31–20–1 63
53 February 4 New England 3–4 Los Angeles 31–21–1 63
54 February 6 New England 4–2 Alberta 32–21–1 65
55 February 7 New England 1–3 Alberta 32–22–1 65
56 February 9 Ottawa 7–4 New England 32–23–1 65
57 February 11 New England 2–2 Quebec TIE 32–23–2 66
58 February 13 New England 4–5 Philadelphia 32–24–2 66
59 February 15 Los Angeles 5–6 New England 33–24–2 68
60 February 17 New England 6–4 Quebec 34–24–2 70
61 February 20 New England 2–4 Philadelphia 34–25–2 70
62 February 23 Alberta 2–4 New England 35–25–2 72
March: 10–5–0 (home: 8–1–0; road: 2–4–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts
63 March 4 New England 2–4 Minnesota 35–26–2 72
64 March 7 Cleveland 0–1 New England OT 36–26–2 74
65 March 9 Cleveland 4–5 New England 37–26–2 76
66 March 10 Minnesota 1–3 New England 38–26–2 78
67 March 13 New England 4–3 Chicago OT 39–26–2 80
68 March 14 New England 7–5 Winnipeg 40–21–2 82
69 March 16 Minnesota 4–7 New England 41–26–2 84
70 March 17 Philadelphia 0–4 New England 42–26–2 86
71 March 20 Los Angeles 1–4 New England 43–26–2 88
72 March 22 New England 2–4 Ottawa 43–27–2 88
73 March 23 Chicago 1–3 New England 44–27–2 90
74 March 26 New England 5–7 Cleveland 44–28–2 90
75 March 27 Houston 6–1 New England 44–29–2 90
76 March 29 New England 2–5 Ottawa 44–30–2 90
77 March 30 New York 4–5 New England OT 45–30–2 92
April: 1–0–0 (home: 1–0–0; road: 0–0–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts
78 April 1 Quebec 3–8 New England 46–30–2 94

Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)

Playoffs

1973 Avco Cup playoffs[3]
Eastern Division Semifinals vs. Ottawa Nationals – Whalers win 4–1
Game Date Visitor Score Home Series
1 April 7 Ottawa Nationals 3–6 New England Whalers 1–0
2 April 8 Ottawa Nationals 3 – 4 OT New England Whalers 2–0
3 April 10 New England Whalers 2–4 Ottawa Nationals 2–1
4 April 12 New England Whalers 7 – 3 OT Ottawa Nationals 3–1
5 April 14 Ottawa Nationals 4–5 New England Whalers 4–1
Eastern Division Finals vs. Cleveland Crusaders – Whalers win 4–1
Game Date Visitor Score Home Series
1 April 18 Cleveland Crusaders 2–3 New England Whalers 1–0
2 April 19 Cleveland Crusaders 2–3 New England Whalers 2–0
3 April 21 New England Whalers 5–4 Cleveland Crusaders 3–0
4 April 22 New England Whalers 2–5 Cleveland Crusaders 3–1
5 April 26 Cleveland Crusaders 1–3 New England Whalers 4–1
Avco World Trophy Finals vs. Winnipeg Jets – Whalers win 4–1
Game Date Visitor Score Home Series
1 April 29 Winnipeg Jets 2–7 New England Whalers 1–0
2 May 2 New England Whalers 7–4 Winnipeg Jets 2–0
3 May 3 New England Whalers 3–4 Winnipeg Jets 2–1
4 May 5 Winnipeg Jets 2–4 New England Whalers 3–1
5 May 6 Winnipeg Jets 6–9 New England Whalers 4–1

Legend:   Win   Loss

Player statistics

Regular season

Skaters
Goaltenders
Regular Season
Player GP W L T GA GAA SO MIN
Al Smith 51 31 19 1 162 3.18 3 3,059
Bruce Landon 30 15 11 1 100 3.59 1 1,671
Total 78 46 30 2 262 3.32 4 4,730

Playoffs

Playoffs
Player GP G A Pts PIM
Tom Webster 15 12 14 26 6
Tim Sheehy 15 9 14 23 13
Larry Pleau 15 12 7 19 15
Jim Dorey 15 3 16 19 41
Tommy Williams 15 6 11 17 2
John French 15 3 11 14 2
Mike Byers 12 6 5 11 6
Rick Ley 15 3 7 10 24
Terry Caffery 8 3 7 10 0
Brad Selwood 15 3 5 8 22
Paul Hurley 15 0 7 7 14
Brit Selby 13 3 4 7 13
Ted Green 12 1 5 6 25
Tommy Earl 15 2 3 5 10
Kevin Ahearn 14 1 2 3 9
John Cunniff 13 1 1 2 2
Guy Smith 11 2 0 2 4
Al Smith 15 0 1 1 12
Ric Jordan 4 0 0 0 0
John Danby 8 0 0 0 0
Total 15 70 120 190 220
Goaltenders
Playoffs
Player GP W L SH SV SO
Al Smith 15 12 3 430 381 0
Total 15 12 3 430 381 0

Awards and records

1973 WHA All-Star Game (January 6, 1973)

Transactions

Draft picks

See also

References

  1. ^ World Hockey Association (1972). WHA 1972-73 Media Guide. World Hockey Association.
  2. ^ World Hockey Association (1973). WHA 1973-74 Media Guide. World Hockey Association.
  3. ^ a b "1972-73 New England Whalers Schedule". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
  4. ^ "Standard Stats". Hockey Reference.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.