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CaptainCrunch · 05-12-2024, 12:09 PM

1978-79

When the former powerhouse Houston Aero's folded up shop before the 1978-79 season, the WHA was down to 7 teams and struggling to stay afloat, however those who thought the league would just fade away misjudged the league's creativity and the NHL's obtuseness.

While the NHL twiddled its thumbs over what to do about 17 year old generational player Wayne Gretzky, NHL rules didn't allow teams to sign a player under the age of 18, but the WHA didn't have those rules and jumped on the future Great One. He started out in Indianapolis, but was dealt to Edmonton 8 games into the season. Gretzky established him as pure gold for the WHA and his presence in the WHA inspired the NHL to speed up peace talks.

With this in mind meetings happened throughout the 1978-79 season.
In the NHL the Canadians were driving for their 4th straight Stanley Cup, but a new threat was rising in the East as the New York Islanders were emerging. Built around a imposing squad featuring Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith, Mike Bossy and Clark Gilles.

In the WHA the Edmonton Oilers featuring Gretzky topped the WHA, but faced strong competition from the Quebec Nordiques who were lead by Real Cloutier.

The Islanders finished first overall a point ahead of the Canadians, but the Islanders had to learn to win first and suffered a shocking upset to their cross town rivals when the Rangers upset them and according to pundits the wrong New York team made the finals to face the Canadians. While the games were close, the result was expected as the Canadians beat the Rangers in 5 games to claim their 4th straight cup.

In the WHA Gretzky paced all playoff scorers with 10 goals and 20 points, but the Jets won the Avro Cup as they upset the Oilers in 6 games in the finals.
With all of this happening merger talks had progressed so far that consolidation seemed likely. The NHL and WHA set a deadline of June 15th to sign a merger agreement.

The NHL hoped to gain a huge influx of players and cash and labor peace for a decade. All that remained was approval by the players and the league received that on June 9, 1979 as the NHLPA ratified the merger which for legal and ego reasons was called and Expansion.

Quebec, Winnipeg, Edmonton and New England (changed to Hartford) were accepted for the 1979-80 season. Cincinnati, Birmingham and Indianapolis were left to find minor-league affiliations for themselves. Meanwhile the NHL received $24 million in expansion fees. The Rebel league was no more. Meanwhile the NHL stood alone.

Trivia

The failing Cleveland Barons merge with the North Stars who were also in financial difficulties. The new team remains in Minnesota. The Hall of Fame inducts 6 players including Andy Bathgate, Jaques Plant and Marcel Pronovost.
The North Start draft Bobby Smith from Ottawa with the first overall pick.
Don Murdoch of the Rangers is suspended for the season (later reduced to 40 games) when Border Guards find cocaine in his clothing.
Buffalo's Tony McKegney becomes the NHL's first full time black player as he starts his 11 year career.
On Dec 23rd Bryan Trottier scores 8 points including 5 goals against the Rangers and sets a record with 6 points in one period.
On Jan 15th North Star's Tim Young scores 5 goals against the Rangers.
On Oct 11th, Kings defenceman receives 1 minor, 3 majors, 2 10 minute misconducts, and 3 game misconducts for a record 67 PIM.
The Islanders go 51-15-14 to lead the NHL
The Flyers GM replaces coach Bomb McCammon after a 22-17-11 start, he guides the Flyers to a second place finish in the Patrick.
The Rangers are lead by the "Mafia" line of Phil Esposito and his two Dons (Don Murdoch and Don Maloney).
The Atlanta Flames get their first 50 goal scorer in Guy Chouinard.
Chicago captures the Smythe Division, Stan Mikita at 38 picks up 55 points.
The Canadians take the Norris Division with a 52-17-11 record 30 points ahead of the Penguins.
Ken Dryden leads the league with a 2.30 gaa.
The LA Kings roll of the Triple Crown line of Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and rookie Charlie Simmer.
The Bruins take the Adams Division crown as 8 bruins score 20 or more goals.
Mike Bossy leads the league with 69 nice goals.
Bryan Trottier leads the league with 134 points.
In February a team of NHL allstars faaace off against the Soviet National team in a 3 game series in New York. The Soviets win 2 games to 1.
In the WHA the Houston Aero's fold leaving the league with 7 teams, accelerating the merger talks.
Wayne Gretzky debuts in the WHA with Indianapolis but is sold to Edmonton after 8 games. The Oilers win the league regular season title.
Wayne Gretzky scores 46 goals and 110 points as a 17 year old.
Edmonton's goalie Dave "I'm Ken's brother" Dryden leads the league with a 2.89 gaa.
Real Cloutier of the Nordiques leads the league with 75 goals and 129 points.
In the final WHA Championship the Jets beat the Oilers in 6 games despite being outscored 32-12.
The WHA ceases to exist as New England, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Quebec join with the NHL.
In the first round of the NHL playoffs Philly beats Vancouver in 3 gameds. Toronto sweeps Atlanta, Pittsburgh beats Buffalo in 3 games, and the Rangers sweep the Kings.
In the quarterfinals, Montreal sweeps the Leafs, Boston sweeps the Pens, The Islanders crush the Hawks in 4 games, the Rangers beat the Flyers in 5 games.
In the semis the Habs beat the Bruins in overtime in game 7.
The Rangers pull off the huge upset beating the Islanders in 6 games.
The Habs win their 4th straight cup beating the Rangers in 5 games.
Bob Gainey wins the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Bryan Trottier beats Guy LaFleur for the Hart Tophey.
Atlanta's Bobby MacMillan wins the Lady Byng.
Marcel Dionne of LA wins the Lester B. Pearson.
Ken Dryden shares the Vezina Trophy with his house keeper Bunny Laroque. Its Dryden's 4th straight Vezina.
Bob Gainey wins his second straight Selke Trophey.
Bobby Smith of the North Stars wins the Calder Trophey.
Denis Potvin wins his second straight Norris Trophy.
The Jack Adams trophy goes to Al Arbour of the Islanders.
Montreal's Serge Savard takes the Masterton Award.
Bbby Orr whose career ends at the age of 31 due to knee injuries is the lone recipient of the Lester Patrick Award.
Pierre Lacroix of Trois Rivieres wins the CMJ Player of the year Award.
The Peterborough Petes of the OHL win their first Memorial Cup.
Minnesota beats North Dakota for the NCAA title.

Debuts

Joel Quenneville, Toronto Maple Leafs
Brad Marsh, Atlanta Flames
Reggie Lemelin, Atlanta Flames
Al Secord, Boston Bruins
Bobby Smith, Minnesota North Stars
Steve Payne, Minnesota North Stars
Rod Langway §, Montreal Canadiens
John Tonelli §, New York Islanders
Anders Hedberg §, New York Rangers
Ulf Nilsson §, New York Rangers
Ken Linseman §, Philadelphia Flyers
Pete Peeters, Philadelphia Flyers
Greg Millen, Pittsburgh Penguins
Wayne Babych, St. Louis Blues
Curt Fraser, Vancouver Canucks
Thomas Gradin, Vancouver Canucks
Stan Smyl, Vancouver Canucks
Ryan Walter, Washington Capitals

Players marked with § began their major professional career in the World Hockey Association.

Last Games

Bobby Orr, Chicago Black Hawks
Joe Watson, Colorado Rockies
Danny Grant, Los Angeles Kings
J. P. Parise, Minnesota North Stars
Jacques Lemaire, Montreal Canadiens
Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens
Yvan Cournoyer, Montreal Canadiens
Ed Westfall, New York Islanders
Bernie Parent, Philadelphia Flyers
Garry Monahan, Toronto Maple Leafs
Pit Martin, Vancouver Canucks

05-12-2024, 12:09 PM	#180
CaptainCrunch Norm! Join Date: Jun 2002 Exp:	1978-79 When the former powerhouse Houston Aero's folded up shop before the 1978-79 season, the WHA was down to 7 teams and struggling to stay afloat, however those who thought the league would just fade away misjudged the league's creativity and the NHL's obtuseness. While the NHL twiddled its thumbs over what to do about 17 year old generational player Wayne Gretzky, NHL rules didn't allow teams to sign a player under the age of 18, but the WHA didn't have those rules and jumped on the future Great One. He started out in Indianapolis, but was dealt to Edmonton 8 games into the season. Gretzky established him as pure gold for the WHA and his presence in the WHA inspired the NHL to speed up peace talks. With this in mind meetings happened throughout the 1978-79 season. In the NHL the Canadians were driving for their 4th straight Stanley Cup, but a new threat was rising in the East as the New York Islanders were emerging. Built around a imposing squad featuring Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith, Mike Bossy and Clark Gilles. In the WHA the Edmonton Oilers featuring Gretzky topped the WHA, but faced strong competition from the Quebec Nordiques who were lead by Real Cloutier. The Islanders finished first overall a point ahead of the Canadians, but the Islanders had to learn to win first and suffered a shocking upset to their cross town rivals when the Rangers upset them and according to pundits the wrong New York team made the finals to face the Canadians. While the games were close, the result was expected as the Canadians beat the Rangers in 5 games to claim their 4th straight cup. In the WHA Gretzky paced all playoff scorers with 10 goals and 20 points, but the Jets won the Avro Cup as they upset the Oilers in 6 games in the finals. With all of this happening merger talks had progressed so far that consolidation seemed likely. The NHL and WHA set a deadline of June 15th to sign a merger agreement. The NHL hoped to gain a huge influx of players and cash and labor peace for a decade. All that remained was approval by the players and the league received that on June 9, 1979 as the NHLPA ratified the merger which for legal and ego reasons was called and Expansion. Quebec, Winnipeg, Edmonton and New England (changed to Hartford) were accepted for the 1979-80 season. Cincinnati, Birmingham and Indianapolis were left to find minor-league affiliations for themselves. Meanwhile the NHL received $24 million in expansion fees. The Rebel league was no more. Meanwhile the NHL stood alone. Trivia The failing Cleveland Barons merge with the North Stars who were also in financial difficulties. The new team remains in Minnesota. The Hall of Fame inducts 6 players including Andy Bathgate, Jaques Plant and Marcel Pronovost. The North Start draft Bobby Smith from Ottawa with the first overall pick. Don Murdoch of the Rangers is suspended for the season (later reduced to 40 games) when Border Guards find cocaine in his clothing. Buffalo's Tony McKegney becomes the NHL's first full time black player as he starts his 11 year career. On Dec 23rd Bryan Trottier scores 8 points including 5 goals against the Rangers and sets a record with 6 points in one period. On Jan 15th North Star's Tim Young scores 5 goals against the Rangers. On Oct 11th, Kings defenceman receives 1 minor, 3 majors, 2 10 minute misconducts, and 3 game misconducts for a record 67 PIM. The Islanders go 51-15-14 to lead the NHL The Flyers GM replaces coach Bomb McCammon after a 22-17-11 start, he guides the Flyers to a second place finish in the Patrick. The Rangers are lead by the "Mafia" line of Phil Esposito and his two Dons (Don Murdoch and Don Maloney). The Atlanta Flames get their first 50 goal scorer in Guy Chouinard. Chicago captures the Smythe Division, Stan Mikita at 38 picks up 55 points. The Canadians take the Norris Division with a 52-17-11 record 30 points ahead of the Penguins. Ken Dryden leads the league with a 2.30 gaa. The LA Kings roll of the Triple Crown line of Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and rookie Charlie Simmer. The Bruins take the Adams Division crown as 8 bruins score 20 or more goals. Mike Bossy leads the league with 69 nice goals. Bryan Trottier leads the league with 134 points. In February a team of NHL allstars faaace off against the Soviet National team in a 3 game series in New York. The Soviets win 2 games to 1. In the WHA the Houston Aero's fold leaving the league with 7 teams, accelerating the merger talks. Wayne Gretzky debuts in the WHA with Indianapolis but is sold to Edmonton after 8 games. The Oilers win the league regular season title. Wayne Gretzky scores 46 goals and 110 points as a 17 year old. Edmonton's goalie Dave "I'm Ken's brother" Dryden leads the league with a 2.89 gaa. Real Cloutier of the Nordiques leads the league with 75 goals and 129 points. In the final WHA Championship the Jets beat the Oilers in 6 games despite being outscored 32-12. The WHA ceases to exist as New England, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Quebec join with the NHL. In the first round of the NHL playoffs Philly beats Vancouver in 3 gameds. Toronto sweeps Atlanta, Pittsburgh beats Buffalo in 3 games, and the Rangers sweep the Kings. In the quarterfinals, Montreal sweeps the Leafs, Boston sweeps the Pens, The Islanders crush the Hawks in 4 games, the Rangers beat the Flyers in 5 games. In the semis the Habs beat the Bruins in overtime in game 7. The Rangers pull off the huge upset beating the Islanders in 6 games. The Habs win their 4th straight cup beating the Rangers in 5 games. Bob Gainey wins the Conn Smythe Trophy. Bryan Trottier beats Guy LaFleur for the Hart Tophey. Atlanta's Bobby MacMillan wins the Lady Byng. Marcel Dionne of LA wins the Lester B. Pearson. Ken Dryden shares the Vezina Trophy with his house keeper Bunny Laroque. Its Dryden's 4th straight Vezina. Bob Gainey wins his second straight Selke Trophey. Bobby Smith of the North Stars wins the Calder Trophey. Denis Potvin wins his second straight Norris Trophy. The Jack Adams trophy goes to Al Arbour of the Islanders. Montreal's Serge Savard takes the Masterton Award. Bbby Orr whose career ends at the age of 31 due to knee injuries is the lone recipient of the Lester Patrick Award. Pierre Lacroix of Trois Rivieres wins the CMJ Player of the year Award. The Peterborough Petes of the OHL win their first Memorial Cup. Minnesota beats North Dakota for the NCAA title. Debuts Joel Quenneville, Toronto Maple Leafs Brad Marsh, Atlanta Flames Reggie Lemelin, Atlanta Flames Al Secord, Boston Bruins Bobby Smith, Minnesota North Stars Steve Payne, Minnesota North Stars Rod Langway §, Montreal Canadiens John Tonelli §, New York Islanders Anders Hedberg §, New York Rangers Ulf Nilsson §, New York Rangers Ken Linseman §, Philadelphia Flyers Pete Peeters, Philadelphia Flyers Greg Millen, Pittsburgh Penguins Wayne Babych, St. Louis Blues Curt Fraser, Vancouver Canucks Thomas Gradin, Vancouver Canucks Stan Smyl, Vancouver Canucks Ryan Walter, Washington Capitals Players marked with § began their major professional career in the World Hockey Association. Last Games Bobby Orr, Chicago Black Hawks Joe Watson, Colorado Rockies Danny Grant, Los Angeles Kings J. P. Parise, Minnesota North Stars Jacques Lemaire, Montreal Canadiens Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens Yvan Cournoyer, Montreal Canadiens Ed Westfall, New York Islanders Bernie Parent, Philadelphia Flyers Garry Monahan, Toronto Maple Leafs Pit Martin, Vancouver Canucks YouTube Video YouTube Video YouTube Video YouTube Video __________________ My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!