The Indianapolis Racers suspended operations 25 games into the season. They traded Gretzky to the Oilers after 8 games. On his 18th birthday in 1979 he signed his 21 year personal services contact with the Oilers.
The 70's really were fascinating with the rival league really disrupting the NHL and how quickly expansion teams were granted as a reaction.
The Canadiens run that comes to an end here was largely helped out by Sam Pollack pillaging the expansion teams like the Seals and Kings to accumulate draft picks. I believe Lafleur, Shutt, and Robinson picks all were acquired for past their prime names. These future picks went on to become the new core that won 5 cups.
__________________ "Some guys like old balls"
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The expansion draft was rough on the WHA teams who lost most of their stars back to the NHL teams with their rights. Then the WHA was given access to absolute riff raff.
Power house teams like Quebec and Winnipeg became overnight among the worst teams in the NHL.
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Its time to depart from the NHL for a moment, and head over to Lake Placid New York. The American's chances of winning a gold medal were between slim and you have to be kidding me right?
The Soviet Union had dominated the Olympics and World Championship squad. Known for their creative high speed hockey based on 5 man units and the disputed best goalie in the world in Tretiak the Soviets were expected to take the Gold. Its not like the rest of the teams filling out the Olympic tournament were weak. Sweden, Czechoslovakia and Finland all had strong squads stocked with future NHL players. Team USA was predicted to be the 7th best of 12 teams even though this was a home team tournament for team USA.
The United States opened up against Sweden and trailed 2-1 with 41 seconds left, but came back to earn the tie when Herb Brooks pulled Jim Craig and Bill Baker beat Pelle Lindbergh off the draw.
The American's then went into face Czechoslovakia and the fans got into team USA as they bombed the Czech's 7-3. Team USA then routed weaker sisters Norway, Romanian and West Germany to finish with a 4-0-1 record earning a spot in the 4 team medal round.
Unfortunately for the Americans' they faced off against the Soviet Union in the first round, two weeks earlier in an exhibition game the Soviet Bear mauled the American's 10-3, on top of that the Soviets had racked up a perfect 5-0 record outscoring their opponents 51-11. Nobody was taking the American's to do anything.
Just to put this into perspective. Since 1956, the Soviets had won 7 gold medals and 1 bronze in the Olympics, and won 14 World Championships. They boasted a lineup that included Tretiak, future Detroit defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov, Valeri Karlamov, Russia's Wayne Gretzky Boris Mikalov Future Flame Sergei Makarov and lead by coach Victor Tikhonov.
Ten thousand Lake Placid fans filled the arena waving their flags and chanting "USA USA" and hoping against hope. But they saw the Soviets take a 1-0 lead at 9:12 of the first period. But Buzz Schneider fired a routine slapshot that beat Tretiak. The Soviets went up 2-1, but the American's got a fluke goal against a uncharacteristically shaky Tretiak from Mark Johnson. The Soviets went up 3-2 and held that lead until the third period. But Tikhonov who had gambled and replaced his star goalie at the start of the 3rd period with backup Vladimir Myshkin saw his move backfire when Mark Johnson tied the game. Then Mike Eruzione beat a screened Myshkin to complete the miracle on ice as the American's held on and the crowd chanted USA USA and Al Michael's screamed "Do you believe in Miracles? YES".
This should be where the fairy tale ends and the American's collect their gold medal and get pictures on cereal boxes. But the American's still needed to beat Finland's dangerous team two days later.
The American's trailed after 2 2-1 but got a goal from Phil Verchota to tie it, then Rob McCLanahan put the American's ahead and then Johnson sealed the 4-2 win and the gold medal.
People forget how energizing this win was the United States was still recovering from the Vietnam War, was in a economic doldrums. The Miracle on ice began a a re-enegization of the United States.
Trivia
The NHL goes to 17 teams as four WHA teams Edmonton, Harford, Winnipeg and Quebec join the NHL.
The Hall of Fame inducts 4 including Harry Howell, Henri Richard and Bobby Orr.
Colorado picks Rob Ramage of London of the OHA with the first overall pick.
Philadelphia loses Bernie Parent who retires as he continues to suffer from an eye injury from several years back.
Scotty Bowman with 4 straight Stanley Cups leaves Montreal to become Buffalo's head coach.
The Flyers weave together a 15 game undefeated streak to finish first in the NHL and a record of 48-12-20.
Kent Nilsson joins the Atlanta Flames and scores 40 goals and 93 points.
The Black Hawks finish first in the Smythe Division being strengthened by former WHA stars Rich Preston and Terry Ruskowski. Stan Mikita plays his last NHL season after 22 years.
NHL rookie Wayne Gretzky leads the league in assists with 86 and ties for the tops in points.
The Winnipeg Jets winners of the last Avro cup, crumble and tie Colorado as the worst team in the NHL with 51 points.
The Canadians fire Bernie Geoffrion and is replaced by Claude Ruel. but the Canadians win the Norris Division with a 47-20-13 record.
After 8 brilliant seasons Ken Dryden retires at the age of 27. The Canadians go with a goaltending duo of Bunny Laroque and Denis Herron.
Pierre Larouche becomes the first player to score 50 goals in two different leagues as he ties Montreal team mate Guy Lafleur with 50 goals.
LA's triple Crown Line combines for an unbelievable 146 goals and 328 points.
Gordie Howe skates for the Whalers at the age of 51 as he returns to the NHL.
Scotty Bowman's Sabres go 47-17-16 to take the Adams division. Goalie Bob Sauve leads the league with a 2.36 gaa.
Toronto slides to fourth place as they trade Lanny McDonald to the Rockies for Wilf Paiment.
Quebe a WHA powerhouse missing the playoffs despite 42 goals from Real Cloutier and 33 from Marc Tardiff.
Atlanta's Gary Unger see's his consecutive game stream end at 914 games.
Islanders goalie Billy Smith is credited with a goal against Colorado when a rebound from a save is cleared into the Rockies empty net by one of their players.
The NHL's leading goal scorers are Charlie Simmer, Blaine Stoughton and Danny Gare who all score 56 goals.
Marcel Dionne and Wayne Gretzky tie for the scoring lead with 137 points.
The new playoff format see's 16 teams make the playoffs with 1 playing 16, 2 playing 15 etc.
On the best of 5 preliminaries the Flyers crush Edmonton in 3, Minnesota sweeps Toronto, Montreal sweeps Hartford, and Boston beats Pittsburgh in 5. Chicago ends a 16 game playoff leasing streak by seeping St Louis, The Islanders beat LA in 4 games, The Rangers beat Atlanta in 4, and Buffalo beats the Canucks in 4.
In the quarter finals, Buffalo brooms Chicago, the Islanders beat the Bruins in 5 games, the Flyers beat up the Rangers in 5 and Montreal's dynasty ends as Minnesota upsets them in 7.
Philly handles the North Stars in 5 games in the first semi, The Islanders eliminate the Sabres in 6 games to advance to the Finals.
Bobby Nystrom scores in overtime of game 6 as the Islanders win their first Stanley Cup.
Bryan Trottier sets an NHL record with 29 points in the playoffs to win the Conn Smythe.
Marcel Dionne beats out Wayne Gretzky for the Art Ross Trophy by virtue of more goals (33 to 31).
Wayne Gretzky wins his first of 8 straight Hart Trophies, he also wins the Lady Byng. At the age of 19 he's the youngest to win either award.
Marcel Dionne captures his second straight Lester B. Pearson Award.
Ray Bourque of Boston wins the Calder Trophy.
Bob Sauve and Don Edwards of Buffalo win the Vezina Trophy.
Larry Robinson of the Habs wins his second straight Norris Trophy.
Flyers coach wins the Jack Adam's trophy.
Bob Gainey wins his second straight Selke Trophy.
Minnesota winger Al MacAdam wins the Masteron trophy based on his years of playing for awful Cleveland and California teams.
Herb Brooks leads team USA to the gold medal at the Lake Placid Olympics.
Regina's Doug Wickenheiser wins the Canadian Major Junior player of the year. Dale Hawerchuk powers Cornell to the Memorial Cup.
North Dakota beats Northern Michigan to win the NCAA Title.
With the dawn of the 80’s, the advent of pastel, the decade of consumption, big shoulder pads, bigger hair, and tight jeans and the Hair Metal evolution, I could talk about Mike Bossy’s 50 goals in 50 games. I could talk about the 2nd straight cup by the awesome Islanders. Or I could talk about what was important to us that season.
The 1972 expansion was a direct response to the WHA, the NHL wanted to block the WHA from establishing itself in the New York market and quickly granted Long Island a expansion franchise. The Islanders immediately had the screws to them by the Rangers, but persevered, the WHA still tried and failed in New York. The other expansion franchise, the Atlanta Flames were a bolt on, the NHL wanted to keep a balanced schedule and hastily granted a team to Atlanta despite all of the red flags. The NBA’s Atlanta Hawks ownership group stepped up to take ownership lead by Tom Cousins a local real estate developer.
The owners immediately showed their sense of humor as they named the team after the fire resulting from General William Sherman’s march to the sea in the American Civil War. The Flames selected yellow and red as their primary colors.
The Flames played their games out of the Omni, a combination arena and shopping mall and took to the ice in 1972.
Initially the Flames were the more successful franchise. They made the playoffs in 6 of their 8 seasons in Atlanta accumulating a 268-260-108 record. But they could never get over the hump in the playoffs as the Flames never won an opening round, winning a total of 2 playoff games in 8 years.
In their time in Atlanta though they were never a financially successful team. They had averaged about 10,000 fans in a 15,000 arena. They couldn’t draw a large TV deal and were broadcast locally. By the 1979-80 season the Flames were in deep financial trouble and Cousins was facing bankruptcy. He initially tried to keep the Flames in Atlanta by finding new local ownership, but nobody was interested, so Cousins was receptive to a offer from former Oilers owner Nelson Skalbania who had built an ownership group that included Ralph Scurfield, Norman Green, Doc and Bryon Seaman, Normie Kwong and Harley Hotchkiss. Skelbania bought the team for a record $16 million dollars US and announced at the end of the 1979-80 NHL season that he would be moving the team to Calgary.
Of course there were problems, the Flames didn’t have a modern facility and the Flames would have to play in the venerable Calgary Corral. A aged building that had been built in the 1950’s and had a seating capacity of 7475, a new building would come later. The Flames were embraced right away as Calgary caught NHL fever and they quickly sold 10,000 full time and part time season tickets.
With the Flames, Calgary was getting a solid hockey team. A good mix of scoring and toughness. Lead by Kent Nilsson and Gut Chouinard and Eric Vail up front, with bruising Willi Plett providing a spark, and offensively gifted defensemen like Paul Reinhart, Ken Houston on the back end while Phill Russell and Brad March clearing the front of the net. The Flames featured Pat Riggins and Reggie Lemelin in net.
The Flames would spend their first year in the Patrick Division with the Islanders, Rangers, Flyers and Capitals.
The Flames opened their first season with a home game in front of a raucous Calgary Crowd as they played to a 5-5 tie against the Nordiques. NHL hockey had arrived.
The Flames had a good regular season finishing third in the Patrick Division with a 39-17-14 record. Lead by Kent Nilson’s 48 goals and 131 points and bolster by two 30 goal scorers in Willi Plett and Gut Chouinard, the Flames featured 6 20 goal + scorers.
However, the Flames were heading into the playoffs, where they had never had any success. The Flames shook off their playoff curse as they stomped on the Black Hawks sweeping them 3-0, scoring 15 goals and allowing 9.
The Flames second round opponent were the vaunted Flyers, and The Flyers stomped all over the Flames 4-0 in game 1, but the Flames rebounded to win the next 3 games to take a 3-1 lead. However, it’s never easy with the Flames and they got drubbed 9-4 in game 5 and lost 3-2 in game 6, forcing a game 7 on the road in Philadelphia. The Flames shocked the Flyers and skated to a 4-1 win to book their tickets to the semi-finals.
Their opponents the North Stars had finished 3rd in the Adams division with 87 points and had upset the Bruins and Buffalo. The Flames and Stars spit the first two games in Calgary, and Calgary dropped the two games in Minnesota before forcing a game 6 with a 3-1 win on Corral ice, but it wasn’t met to be as the Stars finished off the Flames in game 6 skating off with a 5-3 win.
But for Flames fans, the NHL had arrived, they had a good team with a lot of upside that had clawed their way to the Stanley Cup Semifinals. There were all kinds of reasons to be excited about the future.
Trivia
Four men join the Hall of Fame as Harry Lumley, Lynn Patrick and Gump Worsley are inducted.
Using the first round pick the Montreal Canadians pick up Doug Wikenheiser.
Gordie Howe hangs up the blades after 32 years of pro hockey. He leaves with NHL records in seasons (26) games (1,767), goals (801) assists (1,049) and points (1,850).
Quebec becomes involved in a hockey-based spy story as they sign Czech defectors Peter and Anton Stastny.
After 41 games Phil Esposito abruptly retires.
On Jan 7th Marcel Dionne joins the 1000-point club.
On Jan 24th Mike Bossy of the Islanders becomes the second player in history to score 50 goals and 50 games when he scores with a 1.29 left against Quebec.
On Feb 22, The Stasny brothers Peter and Anton combine for 7 goals and 16 points in a route of the Capitals.
On Feb 26th the North Stars and Bruins brawl to an NHL record 406 penalty minutes.
On March 4th Guy LaFleur joins the 1000 point club, Bobby Clarke joins 2 weeks later.
On March 19th Buffalo scored a record 9 goals in one period in a 14-4 beatdown of the Leafs.
The Islanders finish first in the NHL with a 48-18-14 record lead by Mike Bossy’s 68 goals.
Calgary gets 49 goals from Kent Nilsson and a surprising 38 goals from Willi Plett as the Flames finish 3rd in the Patrick.
St Louis wins the Smythe Division.
Darryl Sutter one of the six Sutter brothers who will play in the NHL leads the Hawks with 40 goals.
The Oilers add Finish sensation Jari Kurri to Wayne Gretzky’s line.
Gretzky sets an NHL record 164 points.
Winnipeg sets an NHL record going winless in 30 games and finishes with a 9-57-14 record.
The Canadians finishes first in the Norris Division, but Guy LaFleur’s streak of 6 50 goal season ends as he scores just 27.
Montreal goalie Richard Sevigny leads the league with a sparkling 2.40 gaa.
The Kings finish send in the Norris as NHL rookie Larry Murphy sets and NHL record 76 points as a rookie blueliner.
Mark Howe of the Whalers narrowly avoids a career-ending injury as he’s checked into the net and the spike holding the cage spears him in the buttocks missing his spine by a half inch. He misses 17 games.
Buffalo powers it way to the Adams division title.
Mike Bossy leads the league in goals with 68.
Wayne Gretzky wins the scoring title with 164 points.
Tiger Williams of the Canucks leads the league with 343 pim.
The first round of the players see’s 5 sweeps as Buffalo sweeps Vancouver, the Stars beat the Bruins, Calgary brooms Chicago, the Oilers shock the Canadians and the Isles murder the Leafs.
St Louis sneaks by Pittsburgh in 5 games, Philly outlasts Quebec in 5, and the Rangers beat LA in 4 games.
In the quarterfinals Minnesota upsets the Sabres 4-1, The Islanders beat Edmonton 4-2, The Rangers skate past St Lousi 4-2 and Calgary edges the Flyers in 7 games.
In the semi finals the Stars stun Calgary 4-2 and the Islanders brutalize the Rangers 4-0 outscoring them 22-8.
The Islanders walk past the Stars in 5 games in the finals to win their second straight cup.
Butch Goring wins the Conn Smythe trophy.
Wayne Gretzky wins his second straight Hart Trophy.
Rick Kehoe of the Pens wins the Lady Byng.
Pet Stastny wins the Calder Trophy.
The Pens Randy Carlyle wins hens the Norris.
Mike Liut of the blues wins the Lester B, Pearson, while his coach Red Berenson wins the Jack Adams.
Montreal’s Bob Gainey wins his 4th and last Selke.
Blue’s Forward Blake Dunlop carries off the Masterton.
Dale Hawerchik wins the SMJ player of the year and helps the Cornwall Royals to their second straight Memorial Cup.
Wisconsin wins the NCAA title beating Minnesota in the finals.
Neal Broten on Minnesota wins the first Hobey Baker award.
Heading into the 1981-82 season, the idea of a player ever scoring at over a goal a game pace was ludicrous, there was no way it would happen. That is until this season when Wayne Gretzky finally arrived at his scoring maturity. A year earlier he had scored 164 points to go with his 55 goals. Some figured that he would someday break 60 goals at his height. But in 1981-82 things came together, Gretzky had been paired with Jari Kurri to form one of the most dangerous lines in NHL history, and Gretzky also had an intensely hot start, leaving even Mike Bossy who would score 64 goals far behind. Gretzky's scoring pace was based in shear lunacy,by game 39 he'd scored his 50th goal making a mockery of Maurice Richard's and Mike Bossy's standards.
Gretzky didn't have a rocket of a shot, most of the time his slap shop wobbled on the way to the net. He wasn't a physical monster, he wasn't the fastest player in the league, but he had a superb hockey intellect, and a unseen before sense of anticipation, and not to take anything away, but with the rapid expansion of the league, most teams really didn't have deep rosters. It was the perfect storm for Gretzky.
When Gretzky scored 5 goals in game 39 against the Flyers to hit 50 goals, Gretzky knew he was going to break Phil Esposito's 76 goal record, and he did in game 66 in Buffalo. Gretzky went on to set a NHL record 212 points to go with his 92 goals, but he still aspired to score 100 goals in a season.
But the Oilers learned a hard lesson, after finishing first in the NHL with a 48-17-15 record, while scoring a NHL record 417 goals. But the cocky Oilers didn't have the maturity to translate their success to the playoffs. In the first round the Oilers faced off against the Kings who had finished 21-41-15 on the year, but the Oilers were victimized by the Miracle on Manchester as the Kings came back from a 5-0 deficit in game 5 to throw the Oilers out of the playoffs in overtime.
With Gretzky and the Oilers out, there was no threat to the Islanders as the pummelled the Canucks in a sweep in the finals to win their 3rd straight cup, but it was clear that the Oilers were a team on the rise.
Trivia
The NHL realigns its division as Minnesota goes from the Adam's to the Norris. Winnipeg, Chicago and St Louis move from the Smythe to the Norris, and Toronto goes from the Adam's to the Norris.
Calgary moves from the Patrick to the Smythe, LA from the Norris to the Smythe, Pittsburgh from the Norris to the Patrick and Montreal and Hartford from the Norris to the Adams.
Four men join the Hall of Fame including Johnny Bucyk, Allan Stanley and Frank Mahovlich.
With the first overall pick Winnipeg drafts Dale Hawerchuk from Cornwall.
With the third overall pick, Washington chooses high schooler Bobby Carpenter from Massachusetts making him the highest drafted U.S. player ever.
The Soviets win the 6 country Canada cup with a 8-1 beating of Canada in the finals.
On Dec 20, Winnipeg's Doug Smail scores 5 seconds into a 5-4 win over St Louis to set the record for the fastest opening goal ever.
In a one month span Chicago's Grant Mulvey, Islanders Brian Trottier and Winnipeg's Willy Lindstom all score 5 goals in a game.
On April 3rd Buffalo's Gil Perreault joins the 1000 points club.
Lanny McDonald's career changes as he's aquired from the Colorado Rockies by the Calgary Flames. McDonald leads the Flames with 34 goals, but the Flames finish a disappointing 3rd in the Smythe division.
The Islanders set an NHL record with a 15 game win streak and finish first in the Patrick Division.
The Canadians capture the Adam's division ith a 46-17-17 record as they are lead by rookie goalie Rick Wamsley who posts a 23-7-7 record.
The Nordiques feature a all brother line as Peter, Anton and Marian Stastny combine for 107 goals and 300 points.
The North Stars win the Norris dvision lead by Dino Ciccarelli's 55 goals.
Wayne Gretzky leas the NHL in scoring with 212 points, Mike Bossy finishes in second with 147 points.
Wayne Gretzky scores a league leading 92 goals, Mike Bossy finishes second with 64.
Although he only plays 27 games Montreal's Denis Herron wins the gaa title (2.64).
The NHL roles out a new playoff formats. each Divisions top 4 teams play down to a division champion. Then the Norris Champ faces the smythe winner for the Campbell Conference championship, while the Adams champion meets the Patrick Champion for the Wales Conference title.
In the Adam's division Boston beats Montreal in 4 games and Quebec upsets the Habs in 5.
In the Patrick the Rangers smoke the flyers in 4 and the Islanders squeek past the Pens in 5 as Brian Trottier sets a record by scoring in 27 straight playoff games.
In the Norris Chicago beats the Stars in 4 and St. Louis beats Winnipeg in 4.
In the Smyth the Kings shock the world beating the Oilers in 5 games. The dissapointing and fractured Flames lose to Vancouver in 3.
Quebe beats Boston in the Adam's final. Chicago beats St. Louis in 6 in the Norris. Vancouver beats an emotionally exhausted Kings in 5 games and the Islanders beat the Rangers in 6 in the Patrick.
The Islanders sweep the Nordiques in the Whales conference final. Vancouver continues its Cinderella season beating the Hawks in 5 games.
In game 1 of the finals, Mike Bossy scores with 2 seconds left in the first overtime to beat the Canucks 6-5.
The Canucks take a 3-2 lead into the third period of game two, but the Islanders said screw this and scored 5 goals to win 6-4.
Billy Smith shows his money side blanking the Canucks 3-0 in game 3.
The Islanders break a 1-1 tie in the second period as the Islanders beat the Canucks 3-1 in game 4 to win their 3rd straight cup.
Brian Trottier leads all playoff scorers with 29 points to win the Conn Smythe.
Wayne Gretzky wins his 3rd straight Hart and also takes the Lester B. Pearson award.
Boston's Rick Middleton wins the Lady Byng.
Boston's Steve Kasper takes home the Selke Trophy.
Billy Smith wins his first and only Vezina Trophy.
Dale Hawerchuk beats Boston's Barry Pederson for the Calder Trophy.
Doug Wilson of Chicago wins the Norris Trophy.
Colorado goalie Chico Resch wins the Masterton Trophy.
Tom Watt of the Jets wins the Jack Adam's award.
Dave Simpson of the London Knights wins the CMJ Player of the year.
The Kitchener Rangers win their first Memorial Cup.
North Dakota beats Wisconsin for the NCAA title.
George McPhee of Bowling Green wins the Hobey Baker Award.
