1976 WHA playoffs

WHA postseason tournament August 2023 WHA playoffs 1976 1975–76 Houston Aeros April 9 – May 27, 1976 10 Winnipeg Jets 1 Houston Aeros 1975 1977 MVP Ulf Nilsson (Jets) Scoring leader(s) Ulf Nilsson (Jets) 26 points The 1976 WHA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the World Hockey Association's 1975–76 season. The fourth WHA tournament, it was the only one with ten teams in competition with each other. The Winnipeg Jets won the Avco Cup over the Houston Aeros for their first ever championship.https://www.surgent.net/wha/year/197576/playoffs.html The Complete World Hockey Association - 1975-76 Playoff Results Ulf Nilsson was named the WHA Playoff MVP.Surgent Scott 1990 The Complete World Hockey Association 11th Edition Surgent 222-223, 246-247 978-1727753424 Playoff seeds Houston Aeros, Western Division champions – 106 points Winnipeg Jets, Canadian Division champions – 106 points Quebec Nordiques – 104 points Calgary Cowboys – 86 points Phoenix Roadrunners– 84 points San Diego Mariners – 78 points Indianapolis Racers, Eastern Division champions – 76 points Cleveland Crusaders – 75 points New England Whalers – 73 points Edmonton Oilers – 59 points Bracket QuarterfinalsApril 9- April 30 SemifinalsApril 23 - May 16 Avco Cup May 20 - May 27 ' W1 Houston Aeros 4 W3 San Diego Mariners 2 E3 New England Whalers 4 E1 Indianapolis Racers 3 C3 Calgary Cowboys 4 C2 Quebec Nordiques 1 C1 Winnipeg Jets 4 C4 Edmonton Oilers 0 W1 Houston Aeros 4 E3 New England Whalers 3 C1 Winnipeg Jets 4 C3 Calgary Cowboys 1 C1 Winnipeg Jets 4 W1 Houston Aeros 0 Preliminary Round New England Whalers 3 Cleveland Crusaders 0 Preliminary Round San Diego Mariners 3 Phoenix Roadrunners 2 Preliminary Round San Diego Mariners vs. Phoenix Roadrunners Phoenix had gone 9–3 against San Diego in the regular season.https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1976-phoenix-roadrunners-vs-san-diego-mariners-preliminary-round.html 1976 WHA Preliminary Round: PHR vs. SDM Hockey Reference July 22, 2025 In Game 1, left winger Del Hall took a pass from Robbie Ftorek at the blue line and skated for a shot on the goalie that was partially stopped by goaltender Ernie Wakely but defenseman Brent Hughes accidentally collided with Wakely when trying to get back into the play that saw the puck slip into the net for the game-winner in overtime.https://newspaperarchive.com/scottsdale-progress-apr-10-1976-p-11/ Scottsdale Progress Jerry Ford April 10, 1976 Runners triumph on strange goal July 22, 2025 Apparently, in the pre-game session for Game 4, Mariners head coach Ron Ingram and the whole team was put under hypnosis by a local hypnotist; San Diego proceeded to dominate the matchup, taking the lead in the first two minutes of the game and never trailing.https://newspaperarchive.com/scottsdale-progress-apr-16-1976-p-11/ Associated Press April 16, 1976 Scottsdale Progress Runners return home July 22, 2025 Unusually, Game 5 had no penalties called for the duration of the game; Norm Ferguson gave the Mariners the go-ahead goal to win a game where Phoenix failed on all ten shots in the third period.https://newspaperarchive.com/las-vegas-sun-apr-18-1976-p-38/ April 18, 1976 Las Vegas Sun Mariners Knock Out Phoenix UPI July 22, 2025 It also was the last professional hockey playoff game played in the state of Arizona until the Phoenix Coyotes played in 1997. #f0f0f0 April 9 San Diego Mariners Phoenix Roadrunners 2–3 (OT) (1–2, 1–0, 0–0, 0–1) Box score Ernie Wakely Jack Norris 10:46 (1st) – Wayne Rivers16:24 (2nd) – Bob Falkenberg 2:51 (1st) – Gary Veneruzzo8:54 (1st) – Serge Beaudoin0:31 (OT) – Del Hall Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 6,945 25(10–9–6–0) 29(9–7–12–1) #d0d0d0 April 10 Phoenix Roadrunners San Diego Mariners 2–4 (1–1, 0–1, 1–2) Box score Ernie Wakely Jack Norris 13:36 (1st) – Jim Boyd6:34 (3rd) – Jim Boyd 5:05 (1st) – John French4:43 (2nd) – Joe Noris6:48 (3rd) – Norm Ferguson10:14 (3rd) – Andre Lacroix San Diego Sports Arena 5,966 24(7–13–4) 37(9–12–16) #f0f0f0 April 13 San Diego Mariners Phoenix Roadrunners 4–6 (4–1, 0–4, 0–1) Box score Ernie Wakely Jack Norris 6:29 (1st) – Brent Hughes8:00 (1st) – Gene Peacosh16:31 (1st) – Ray Adduono16:55 (1st) – John French 3:28 (1st) – Del Hall5:53 (2nd) – Jim Boyd12:05 (2nd) – Robbie Ftorek17:35 (2nd) – Gary Veneruzzo18:37 (2nd) – Ron Huston5:08 (3rd) – Lauri Mononen Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 6,374 24(10–6–8) 40(16–14–10) #d0d0d0 April 15 Phoenix Roadrunners San Diego Mariners 1–5 (0–2, 0–1, 1–2) Box score Ernie Wakely Jack Norris 3:05 (3rd) – Cam Connor 18:01 (1st) – Kevin Devine19:16 (1st) – Brian Morenz3:36 (2nd) – Andre Lacroix7:26 (3rd) – Alex Tidey19:39 (3rd) – Bob Wall San Diego Sports Arena 6,638 21(3–7–11) 33(11–15–7) #f0f0f0 April 17 San Diego Mariners Phoenix Roadrunners 2–1 (1–0, 1–1, 0–0) Box score Ernie Wakely Jack Norris 5:08 (1st) – Alex Tidey17:07 (2nd) – Norm Ferguson 16:02 (2nd) – John Gray Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 9,237 23(9–11–3) 30(10–10–10) New England Whalers vs. Cleveland Crusaders New England had gone 6–3–1 against Cleveland in the regular season.https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1976-cleveland-crusaders-vs-new-england-whalers-preliminary-round.html Hockey Reference 1976 WHA Preliminary Round: CLC vs. NEW July 22, 2025 Mike Rogers delivered the go-ahead goal in Game 3 with four minutes remaining to eliminate Cleveland.https://newspaperarchive.com/biddeford-journal-apr-12-1976-p-10/ Whalers eliminate Crusaders from playoffs, 3-2 Associated Press Biddeford Journal April 12, 1976 July 22, 2025 This was the final game played by the Crusaders in Cleveland, as they relocated to Minnesota in the offseason when the National Hockey League approved the move of the California Golden Seals to Cleveland. #f0f0f0 April 9 Cleveland Crusaders New England Whalers 3–5 (1–3, 1–1, 1–1) Box score Bob Johnson Bruce Landon 19:11 (1st) – Rich Leduc1:00 (2nd) – Wayne Connelly8:30 (3rd) – Danny Gruen 1:12 (1st) – Ralph Backstrom3:15 (1st) – Gordie Roberts9:57 (1st) – Nick Fotiu10:07 (2nd) – Larry Pleau6:23 (3rd) – Mike Rogers Hartford Civic Center 8,417 31(10–10–11) 33(10–16–7) #d0d0d0 April 10 New England Whalers Cleveland Crusaders 6–1 (1–1, 2–0, 3–0) Box score Bruce Landon Cam Newton 17:56 (1st) – Larry Pleau10:50 (2nd) – Fred O'Donnell12:02 (2nd) – Tom Webster5:36 (3rd) – Larry Pleau9:45 (3rd) – Brad Selwood13:05 (3rd) – Mike Rogers 5:40 (1st) – Rich Leduc Richfield Coliseum 4,243 4013–9–18) 30(11–11–8) #f0f0f0 April 11 New England Whalers Cleveland Crusaders 3–2 (0–2, 1–0, 2–0) Box score Bruce Landon Bob Johnson 18:15 (2nd) – Bob McManama15:05 (3rd) – Ralph Backstrom16:38 (3rd) – Mike Rogers 0:53 (1st) – Danny Gruen9:27 (1st) – Al McDonough Richfield Coliseum 3,584 36(12–11–13) 35(16–9–10) Quarterfinals (C1) Winnipeg Jets vs. (E4) Edmonton Oilers Winnipeg went 8–4–1 against Edmonton in the regular season.https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1976-edmonton-oilers-vs-winnipeg-jets-quarter-finals.html 1976 WHA Quarter-Finals: EDO vs. WNJ Hockey Reference July 22, 2025 In Game 2, goaltender Joe Daley was involved in a high-sticking incident with Oilers player Rusty Patenaude that saw Edmonton coach Bill Hunter demand for Daley to receive a suspension. Daley was suspended for Game 3, but backup goalie Curt Larsson held firm with a 3-2 victory.https://newspaperarchive.com/brandon-sun-apr-15-1976-p-6/ In wake of suspension, Jets supply Curt reply to the Edmonton Oilers Brandon Sun April 15, 1976 July 22, 2025 The Canadian Press #f0f0f0 April 9 Edmonton Oilers Winnipeg Jets 3–7 (1–3, 1–2, 1–2) Box score Dave Dryden Joe Daley 19:02 (1st) – Bob Russell19:03 (2nd) – Ken Baird19:58 (3rd) – Tim Sheehy 3:32 (1st) – Bobby Hull4:55 (1st) – Bob Guindon18:21 (1st) – Mats Lindh12:21 (2nd) – Veli-Pekka Ketola17:24 (2nd) – Thommie Bergman6:56 (3rd) – Norm Beaudin8:57 (3rd) – Peter Sullivan Winnipeg Arena 8,688 21(7–6–8) 48(18–13–17) #d0d0d0 April 11 Edmonton Oilers Winnipeg Jets 4–5 (OT) (1–1, 2–2, 1–1, 0–1) Box score Dave Dryden Joe Daley / Curt Larsson 11:15 (1st) – Dan Spring7:08 (2nd) – Ed Patenaude12:46 (2nd) – Ken Baird18:10 (3rd) – Tim Sheehy 9:41 (1st) – Lyle Moffat3:22 (2nd) – Ulf Nilsson17:10 (2nd) – Bobby Hull5:05 (3rd) – Willy Lindström0:54 (OT) – Ulf Nilsson Winnipeg Arena 9,436 24(10–11–3–0) 62(24–16–21–1) #f0f0f0 April 14 Edmonton Oilers Winnipeg Jets 3–2 (2–0, 0–2, 1–0) Box score Curt Larsson Dave Dryden 3:57 (1st) – Anders Hedberg9:34 (1st) – Peter Sullivan10:22 (3rd) – Bobby Hull 8:52 (2nd) – Bob McAneeley18:13 (2nd) – Ken Baird Northlands Coliseum 7,880 29(10–10–9) 29(12–12–5) #d0d0d0 April 16 Edmonton Oilers Winnipeg Jets 7–2 (1–1, 5–1, 1–0) Box score Joe Daley Chris Worthy 4:25 (1st) – Bobby Hull4:54 (2nd) – Veli-Pekka Ketola8:08 (2nd) – Bill Lesuk13:40 (2nd) – Mats Lindh15:27 (2nd) – Bobby Hull16:46 (2nd) – Norm Beaudin13:26 (3rd) – Freeman Asmundson 6:15 (1st) – Wayne Carleton6:43 (2nd) – Norm Ullman Northlands Coliseum 13,004 38(13–14–11) 20(5–13–2) (C3) Calgary Cowboys vs. (C2) Quebec Nordiques Calgary had gone 5–4–1 against Quebec in their regular season matchups.https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1976-calgary-cowboys-vs-quebec-nordiques-quarter-finals.html Hockey Reference 1976 WHA Quarter-Finals: CGC vs. QBN July 22, 2025 In a shocking upset, the Cowboys prevailed over the Nordiques. However, it mostly became known for an infamous brawl during Game 2 that saw eleven ejections, a coach suspended the rest of the series, and criminal matters. The incident began when Calgary's Rick Jodzio cross-checked Quebec's Marc Tardif in the head, causing both teams to leave their benches.Cowboys-Nordiques playoff brawl part of hockey history Todd Saelhof February 5, 2019 https://calgarysun.com/sports/hockey/cowboys-nordiques-playoff-brawl-part-of-hockey-history Calgary Sun https://web.archive.org/web/20210506170347/https://calgarysun.com/sports/hockey/cowboys-nordiques-playoff-brawl-part-of-hockey-history May 6, 2021Bilych George Cowboys, Nordiques brawl gives hockey a black eye Calgary Herald 1976-04-12 1 The brawl lasted 20 minutes, and ended only when Quebec police gathered at the players benches and escorted the teams back to their dressing rooms.Willes Ed 2004 The Rebel League McClelland & Stewart 0-7710-8947-3 registration https://archive.org/details/rebelleagueshort0000will 167-168 The game resumed following a 20-minute break to allow both teams to cool down, then resumed without eleven players who were ejected from the game. The incident caught the attention of Quebec's Solicitor General Fernand Lalonde, who had the incident investigated as a criminal matter. Tardif had a concussion and didn't play for the rest of the series while the team publicly stated their desire to boycott the rest of the series unless their demands were met: the lifetime suspension of Jodzio, a suspension for Calgary head coach Joe Crozier (who reportedly told Jodzio to "get" Tardif) and the firing of WHA vice-president of hockey operations Bud Poile (who the team felt had a bias against them). Jodzio was suspended indefinitely by the league and later pleaded guilty in a Quebec court to a charge of assault over the incident. Crozier was suspended for the rest of the series and Poile resigned in the wake of the suspensions.https://www.nytimes.com/1976/04/13/archives/nordiques-threaten-to-quit-playoff-nordiques-threaten-to-quit.html Nordiques Threaten to Quit Playoff The New York Times April 13, 1976 UPI Both teams were fined $25,000 while Quebec coach Jean-Guy Gendron was suspended for Game 3 (having stepped on the ice to challenge Crozier to a fight).https://newspaperarchive.com/brandon-sun-apr-15-1976-p-6/ Nordiques are winners - off the ice Brandon Sun April 15, 1976 July 22, 2025 The Canadian Press As for the hockey after the brawl, Calgary scored a litany of goals to win Game 2 before Calgary and Quebec then had close victories, but Calgary pulled away with the go-ahead goal in Game 5 by Danny Lawson with five minutes remaining to pull ahead and eliminate Quebec. #f0f0f0 April 10 Calgary Cowboys Quebec Nordiques 3–1 (1–0, 1–0, 1–1) Box score Don McLeod Richard Brodeur 16:05 (1st) – Chris Evans9:26 (2nd) – Ron Chipperfield17:59 (3rd) – Chris Evans 2:40 (3rd) – Real Cloutier Colisée de Québec 10,997 24(9–5–10) 28(10–7–11) #d0d0d0 April 11 Calgary Cowboys Quebec Nordiques 8–4 (2–2, 0–2, 6–0) Box score Don McLeod Richard Brodeur 12:12 (1st) – George Morrison17:51 (1st) – Don Tannahill3:27 (3rd) – George Morrison6:56 (3rd) – Gavin Kirk9:24 (3rd) – Bernie Lukowich10:16 (3rd) – Ron Chipperfield15:35 (3rd) – Gavin Kirk17:31 (3rd) – Lynn Powis 3:43 (1st) – Marc Tardif15:10 (1st) – Serge Bernier2:10 (2nd) – Bob Fitchner10:28 (2nd) – Serge Bernier Colisée de Québec 9,567 29(8–8–13) 25(8–8–9) #f0f0f0 April 14 Quebec Nordiques Calgary Cowboys 2–3 (0–1, 1–1, 1–1) Box score Don McLeod Richard Brodeur 6:49 (2nd) – Real Cloutier19:05 (3rd) – Dale Hoganson 1:06 (1st) – Lynn Powis6:14 (2nd) – Lynn Powis6:15 (3rd) – Bernie Lukowich Stampede Corral 7,201 20(5–8–7) 27(14–9–4) #d0d0d0 April 16 Quebec Nordiques Calgary Cowboys 4–3 (0–1, 4–0, 0–2) Box score Don McLeod Richard Brodeur 10:06 (2nd) – Real Cloutier11:13 (2nd) – Rejean Houle18:40 (2nd) – Real Cloutier19:14 (2nd) – Rejean Houle 13:27 (1st) – Ron Chipperfield8:26 (3rd) – Gavin Kirk12:27 (3rd) – Danny Lawson Stampede Corral 7,945 25(8–12–5) 29(8–9–12) #f0f0f0 April 18 Calgary Cowboys Quebec Nordiques 6–4 (2–0, 1–3, 3–1) Box score Don McLeod Richard Brodeur 4:57 (1st) – Peter Driscoll19:59 (1st) – George Morrison2:49 (2nd) – Chris Evans3:13 (3rd) – Bernie Lukowich14:53 (3rd) – Danny Lawson19:56 (3rd) – Chris Evans 4:36 (2nd) – Christian Bordeleau5:26 (2nd) – Pierre Roy18:12 (2nd) – Steve Sutherland 8:38 (3rd) – Steve Sutherland Colisée de Québec 12,675 28(11–6–11) 41(13–15–13) (E3) New England Whalers vs. (E1) Indianapolis Racers Indianapolis had gone 7–2–3 against New England in the regular season.https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1976-indianapolis-racers-vs-new-england-whalers-quarter-finals.html 1976 WHA Quarter-Finals: INR vs. NEW Hockey Reference July 22, 2025 In a stunning upset that saw four shutouts, the New England Whalers won three of the first four games before Indianapolis won two straight to force a Game 7. New England won the series on the road with a 6–0 shutout. As it turned out, this was the only WHA postseason series where a team forced a Game 7 after being down 3–1. #f0f0f0 April 16 New England Whalers Indianapolis Racers 4–1 (1–1, 1–0, 2–0) Box score Bruce Landon Michel Dion 2:36 (1st) – Larry Pleau2:03 (2nd) – Rosaire Paiement3:59 (3rd) – Doug Roberts19:20 (3rd) – Ralph Backstrom 16:34 (1st) – Michel Parizeau Market Square Arena 10,834 32(15–7–10) 24(8–8–8) #d0d0d0 April 17 New England Whalers Indianapolis Racers 0–4 (0–2, 0–1, 0–1) Box score Cap Raeder Jim Park No scoring 4:04 (1st) – Kerry Bond10:16 (1st) – Michel Parizeau12:46 (2nd) – Hugh Harris18:13 (3rd) – Rene LeClerc Market Square Arena 10,111 29(11–6–12) 25(11–6–8) #f0f0f0 April 21 New England Whalers Indianapolis Racers 0–3 (0–1, 0–1, 0–1) Box score Michel Dion Cap Raeder 13:45 (1st) – Al Hangsleben13:11 (2nd) – Garry Swain8:53 (3rd) – Al Hangsleben No scoring Hartford Civic Center 9,681 22(9–5–8) 34(10–14–10) #d0d0d0 April 23 Indianapolis Racers New England Whalers 1–2 (0–0, 0–1, 1–1) Box score Michel Dion Cap Raeder 3:01 (3rd) – Hugh Harris 8:14 (2nd) – Larry Pleau19:03 (3rd) – Mike Rogers Hartford Civic Center 10,507 33(9–14–10) 39(8–16–15) #f0f0f0 April 24 New England Whalers Indianapolis Racers 0–4 (0–1, 0–2, 0–1) Box score Cap Raeder Jim Park No scoring 13:17 (1st) – Reg Thomas5:59 (2nd) – Michel Parizeau18:26 (2nd) – Michel Parizeau10:11 (3rd) – Dave Keon Market Square Arena 11,811 30(13–5–12) 34(14–11–9) #d0d0d0 April 27 Indianapolis Racers New England Whalers 5–3 (0–0, 4–1, 1–2) Box score 10,507 Cap Raeder Jim Park 2:12 (2nd) – Darryl Maggs7:58 (2nd) – Nick Harbaruk18:02 (2nd) – Rene LeClerc19:00 (2nd) – Dave Keon8:35 (3rd) – Nick Harbaruk 15:35 (2nd) – Tom Webster11:32 (3rd) – Nick Fotiu14:04 (3rd) – Bob McManama Hartford Civic Center 31(10–12–9) 37(7–15–15) #f0f0f0 April 29 New England Whalers Indianapolis Racers 6–0 (1–0, 3–0, 2–0) Box score Cap Raeder Jim Park 17:45 (1st) – Danny Bolduc9:05 (2nd) – Tom Webster12:28 (2nd) – Fred O'Donnell14:34 (2nd) – Garry Swain5:38 (3rd) – Rosaire Paiement8:58 (3rd) – Ralph Backstrom No scoring Market Square Arena 16,040 29(10–9–10) 26(7–11–8) (W1) Houston Aeros vs. (W3) San Diego Mariners Houston had gone 7–5 against San Diego in the regular season.https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1976-houston-aeros-vs-san-diego-mariners-quarter-finals.html 1976 WHA Quarter-Finals: HSA vs. SDM Hockey Reference July 22, 2025 #f0f0f0 April 21 San Diego Mariners Houston Aeros 6–8 (2–6, 2–2, 2–0) Box score Ernie Wakely / Russ Gillow Ron Grahame 13:02 (1st) – John French17:09 (1st) – Andre Lacroix2:44 (2nd) – John French13:19 (2nd) – Brian Morenz2:15 (3rd) – Ray Adduono10:31 (3rd) – Wayne Rivers 4:52 (1st) – Rich Preston5:31 (1st) – Rich Preston11:48 (1st) – Gord Labossiere17:55 (1st) – Gord Labossiere19:29 (1st) – Terry Ruskowski19:59 (1st) – Terry Ruskowski0:42 (2nd) – Rich Preston2:15 (2nd) – Frank Hughes The Summitt 8,257 27(6–7–14) 39(14–6–19) #d0d0d0 April 23 San Diego Mariners Houston Aeros 1–3 (0–0, 0–2, 1–1) Box score Ernie Wakely Ron Grahame 17:12 (3rd) – Andre Lacroix 6:54 (2nd) – John Tonelli11:06 (2nd) – Frank Hughes1:03 (3rd) – Gordie Howe The Summitt 10,151 26(10–8–8) 27(8–8–11) #f0f0f0 April 25 Houston Aeros San Diego Mariners 8–4 (1–1, 4–2, 3–1) Box score 8,584 Ron Grahame Ernie Wakely 12:13 (1st) – Marty Howe4:50 (2nd) – John Schella11:47 (2nd) – John Tonelli17:14 (2nd) – Gordie Howe18:39 (2nd) – Don Larway1:34 (3rd) – Don Larway8:52 (3rd) – John Tonelli11:42 (3rd) – Don Larway 7:53 (1st) – Alex Tidey11:20 (2nd) – Kevin Morrison19:59 (2nd) – Ray Adduono9:37 (3rd) – Joe Noris San Diego Sports Arena 34(10–12–12) 32(10–10–12) #d0d0d0 April 27 Houston Aeros San Diego Mariners 2–3 (1–0, 0–1, 1–2) Box score Ron Grahame Ernie Wakely 3:15 (1st) – Don Larway19:28 (3rd) – John Tonelli 8:35 (2nd) – Wayne Rivers5:00 (3rd) – Bob Dobek6:47 (3rd) – Kevin Devine San Diego Sports Arena 5,861 36(10–15–11) 39(21–8–10) #f0f0f0 April 28 San Diego Mariners Houston Aeros 3–2 (1–0, 2–1, 0–1) Box score Ron Grahame Ernie Wakely 4:24 (1st) – Ray Adduono2:11 (2nd) – Gene Peacosh17:26 (2nd) – Kevin Devine 15:53 (2nd) – John Tonelli10:20 (3rd) – Gordie Howe The Summitt 7,622 27(7–8–12) 28(14–7–7) #d0d0d0 April 30 Houston Aeros San Diego Mariners 3–2 (1–0, 1–0, 1–2) Box score Wayne Rutledge Ernie Wakely 4:57 (1st) – Frank Hughes13:29 (2nd) – Rich Preston11:34 (3rd) – Murray Hall 12:20 (3rd) – Don Burgess19:29 (3rd) – Wayne Rivers San Diego Sports Arena 11,161 23(7–10–6) 43(12–17–14) Semifinals (C1) Winnipeg Jets vs. (C3) Calgary Cowboys Winnipeg had gone 8–4 against Calgary in the regular season.https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1976-calgary-cowboys-vs-winnipeg-jets-semi-finals.html 1976 WHA Semi-Finals: CGC vs. WNJ Hockey Reference July 22, 2025 In Game 3, Lynn Powis and Don Tannahill each recorded a goal three seconds apart from each other, the fastest in WHA history. #f0f0f0 April 23 Calgary Cowboys Winnipeg Jets 1–6 (0–3, 0–3, 1–0) Box score Don McLeod / Ed Humphreys Joe Daley 2:20 (3rd) – Chris Evans 4:50 (1st) – Willy Lindstrom11:51 (1st) – Ulf Nilsson15:46 (1st) – Peter Sullivan2:42 (2nd) – Bobby Hull7:06 (2nd) – Bob Guindon13:04 (2nd) – Veli-Pekka Ketola Winnipeg Arena 10,069 17(4–8–5) 29(9–11–9) #d0d0d0 April 25 Calgary Cowboys Winnipeg Jets 2–3 (1–2, 1–0, 0–1) Box score Don McLeod Joe Daley 3:09 (1st) – Ron Chipperfield3:09 (2nd) – Warren Miller 9:53 (1st) – Bobby Hull13:35 (1st) – Bobby Hull1:32 (3rd) – Anders Hedberg Winnipeg Arena 9,666 22(10–7–5) 45(15–15–15) #f0f0f0 April 28 Winnipeg Jets Calgary Cowboys 6–3 (1–0, 1–3, 4–0) Box score Joe Daley Don McLeod 19:26 (1st) – Bobby Hull8:26 (2nd) – Anders Hedberg1:39 (3rd) – Anders Hedberg11:07 (3rd) – Mike Ford14:42 (3rd) – Veli-Pekka Ketola17:38 (3rd) – Bill Lesuk 4:08 (2nd) – Lynn Powis4:11 (2nd) – Don Tannahill7:49 (3rd) – Peter Driscoll Stampede Corral 7,355 35(10–12–13) 32(6–17–9) #d0d0d0 April 30 Winnipeg Jets Calgary Cowboys 3–7 (1–3, 1–2, 1–2) Box score Joe Daley Don McLeod 4:04 (1st) – Anders Hedberg13:50 (2nd) – Ulf Nilsson17:36 (3rd) – Thommie Bergman 3:12 (1st) – Danny Lawson3:52 (1st) – Gavin Kirk16:00 (1st) – Bob Leiter6:33 (2nd) – Bob Leiter10:31 (2nd) – Lynn Powis10:52 (3rd) – Ron Chipperfield15:11 (3rd) – Danny Lawson Stampede Corral 6,458 31(11–7–13) 26(11–8–7) #f0f0f0 May 2 Calgary Cowboys Winnipeg Jets 0–4 (0–0, 0–1, 0–3) Box score Don McLeod Joe Daley No scoring 7:23 (2nd) – Anders Hedberg1:36 (3rd) – Anders Hedberg 3:48 (3rd) – Willy Lindstrom19:06 (3rd) – Freeman Asmundson Winnipeg Arena 8,700 17(6–7–4) 31(13–10–8) (W1) Houston Aeros vs. (E3) New England Whalers Houston went 4–2 against New England in the regular season.https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1976-houston-aeros-vs-new-england-whalers-semi-finals.html 1976 WHA Semi-Finals: HSA vs. NEW Hockey Reference July 22, 2025 The Aeros set a club record in Game 2 with the fastest time to score three goals in the second period, with Terry Ruskowski, John Tonelli, and Ted Taylor scoring goals in the span of 1:17 to bolster an eventual 5-2 victory.https://newspaperarchive.com/brandon-sun-may-08-1976-p-7/ Associated Press Brandon Sun May 8, 1976 Aeros strike quickly July 22, 2025 #f0f0f0 May 5 New England Whalers Houston Aeros 4–2 (0–0, 3–2, 1–0) Box score Cap Raeder Ron Grahame 6:23 (2nd) – Tom Webster12:07 (2nd) – Tom Webster19:11 (2nd) – Rosaire Paiement15:03 (3rd) – Tom Webster 13:40 (2nd) – Marty Howe15:07 (2nd) – Larry Lund The Summitt 9,331 18(5–10–3) 30(9–10–11) #d0d0d0 May 7 New England Whalers Houston Aeros 2–5 (1–0, 0–4, 1–1) Box score Cap Raeder / Gaye Cooley Wayne Rutledge 8:41 (1st) – Thommy Abrahamsson5:11 (3rd) – Bob McManama 5:28 (2nd) – Terry Ruskowski6:04 (2nd) – John Tonelli6:39 (2nd) – Ted Taylor19:49 (2nd) – Mark Howe7:32 (3rd) – Andre Hinse The Summitt 12,739 21(6–6–9) 32(10–12–10) #f0f0f0 May 9 New England Whalers Houston Aeros 1–4 (0–2, 0–1, 1–1) Box score Wayne Rutledge Cap Raeder 16:20 (3rd) – Mark Howe 8:13 (1st) – Rosaire Paiement9:45 (1st) – Don Borgeson9:51 (2nd) – Thommy Abrahamsson14:35 (3rd) – Bob McManama Hartford Civic Center 10,507 30(9–7–14) 34(16–10–8) #d0d0d0 May 11 Houston Aeros New England Whalers 4–3 (3–0, 1–1, 0–2) Box score Ron Grahame Cap Raeder / Gaye Cooley 10:16 (1st) – Poul Popiel 12:42 (1st) – Poul Popiel13:12 (1st) – Jan Popiel14:21 (2nd) – Terry Ruskowski 9:00 (2nd) – Brad Selwood2:31 (3rd) – Tom Webster10:41 (3rd) – Gordie Roberts Hartford Civic Center 10,507 25(11–6–8) 35(8–15–12) #f0f0f0 May 13 New England Whalers Houston Aeros 2–4 (1–0, 0–2, 1–2) Box score Cap Raeder / Christer Abrahamsson Ron Grahame 19:32 (1st) – Tom Webster16:08 (3rd) – Rick Ley 7:08 (2nd) – John Tonelli17:01 (2nd) – Frank Hughes0:53 (3rd) – Terry Ruskowski13:39 (3rd) – Andre Hinse The Summitt 14,623 27(10–7–10) 45(15–16–14) #d0d0d0 May 15 New England Whalers Houston Aeros 1–6 (0–1, 0–3, 1–2) Box score Ron Grahame / Wayne Rutledge Cap Raeder 13:29 (3rd) – Don Larway 18:52 (1st) – Mike Rogers0:31 (2nd) – Nick Fotiu3:07 (2nd) – Ralph Backstrom 5:28 (2nd) – Tom Webster5:53 (3rd) – Tom Webster19:11 (3rd) – Garry Swain Hartford Civic Center 10,507 40(9–13–18) 28(11–10–7) #f0f0f0 May 16 New England Whalers Houston Aeros 0–2 (0–1, 0–0, 0–1) Box score Cap Raeder Ron Grahame No scoring 7:49 (1st) – Poul Popiel18:21 (3rd) – Mark Howe The Summitt 14,718 21(9–5–7) 37(10–16–11) Avco Cup Final (C1) Winnipeg Jets vs. (W1) Houston Aeros The series matched the Canadian Division champion Winnipeg Jets, as coached by Bobby Kromm versus the Western Division champion Houston Aeros, as coached by Bill Dineen. Due to the way that the games played out in scheduling, the Jets had eighteen days of layoff prior to Game 1 while the Aeros had four. If the series had gone to Game 7, it would've been played on June 1.https://newspaperarchive.com/brandon-sun-may-17-1976-p-10/ Aeros advance to final by hanging Whalers out to dry Brandon Sun Associated Press May 17, 1976 July 22, 2025 As it turned out, this was the only time a WHA game was scheduled for June. The two teams had split their four regular season matchups.https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1976-houston-aeros-vs-winnipeg-jets-stanley-cup-final.html 1976 WHA Avco Cup Final: HSA vs. WNJ Hockey Reference July 22, 2025 The first two games were tight affairs that set new records for attendance at an Avco Cup Final game. 14,794 attended Game 1 at the Summit and Bobby Hull broke a late tie with 3:17 remaining. Game 2 saw 15,256 reported fans and saw Bobby Hull score to break the 4-4 tie with 1:54 remaining. The Jets then rode a four-goal first period in Game 3 to win and set up the potential to clinch in Game 4. 10,386 people attended the game at Winnipeg Arena, the largest capacity to see a game all season. The Jets scored first on a goal by Bobby Hull five minutes into the game. Ted Taylor evened the score with his goal four minutes later, but Veli-Pekka Ketola broke the tie 37 seconds later with what ended up as the series-winning goal at 10:22 in the first period. The Jets scored another goal a minute later by Lyle Moffat to give them a 3–1 lead in the first period. The domination was on from there as Winnipeg scored four goals in the second period and two more in the third period to win 9–1 and make them the first Canadian team to win the Avco World Trophy.https://newspaperarchive.com/idaho-falls-post-register-may-29-1976-p-6/ Associated Press Idaho Falls Post Register May 29, 1976 July 22, 2025 New WHA champions bask in victory Their strategy of play was noted in the press as emphasizing fast skating, fine passing and skill.https://newspaperarchive.com/albert-lea-evening-tribune-may-28-1976-p-7/ Winnipeg Humiliates Houston for WHA Title Albert Lea Evening Tribune Associated Press May 28, 1976 July 22, 2025 The Cup victory was particularly enjoyable for Bobby Hull, who had been among the first players to sign with the Jets when they began as a franchise. It was the first championship for Hull since 1961, when he had won the Stanley Cup in his fourth year as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, which coincidentally had faced Gordie Howe, then captain of the Detroit Red Wings. Defenseman Ted Green, who won the inaugural Avco World Trophy with New England in the 1973 WHA playoffs, became the first player to win the Trophy with multiple teams. Ulf Nilsson was named WHA Playoff MVP, having scored seven goals and nineteen assists for 26 points during the postseason. For the city, it was the first championship since the 50th Grey Cup victory by the CFL Blue Bombers in 1962.https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press-may-28-1976-p-61/ Champagne shower for Winnipeg's champs Reyn Davis Winnipeg Free Press May 28, 1976 July 22, 2025 A parade and banquet were announced for the city following their championship.https://www.surgent.net/wha/finals/1976finals.html The Complete World Hockey Association - 1976 AVCO Cup Championship Finals https://newspaperarchive.com/the-mountain-statesman-may-28-1976-p-6/ Associated Press Winnipeg wins WHA crown, 9-1 The Mountain Statesman July 22, 2025 May 28, 1976https://newspaperarchive.com/barstow-desert-dispatch-may-28-1976-p-5/ UPI Barstow Desert Dispatch Winnipeg Finishes Houston Off 9-1 May 28, 1976 July 22, 2025 Houston Aeros Winnipeg Jets Winnipeg Arena The Summit yes May 20 4–3 2 archive.ph/CP7sS 13:06 – Anders Hedberg (Hull, Nilsson)15:34 – Lyle Moffat (Beaudin, Lindh) 9:37 – Frank Hughes (Butters, Hale) 9:3719:35 – Mark Howe (West, Hale) 16:10 – pp – Anders Hedberg (Bergman) No scoring 16:43 – Bobby Hull (Nilsson) 9:46 – Mark Howe (Preston) Joe Daley 26 saves / 29 shots Ron Grahame 25 shots / 29 shots May 23 5–4 2 archive.is/veLjF 13:52 – Anders Hedberg (Nilsson) No scoring 2:17 – Willy Lindstrom (Sullivan, Bergman)16:53 - Freeman Asmundson (Lesuk, Guindon) 1:22 – Gordie Howe (M. Howe, Schella)12:44 – Marty Howe (Hall) 5:19 – Thommie Bergman 18:06 – Bobby Hull (Bergman, Hedberg) 1:29 – Terry Ruskowski (Preston, Popiel) 3:23 – Marty Howe (Taylor, Popiel) Joe Daley 28 saves / 32 shots Ron Grahame 21 saves / 26 shots May 25 3–6 2 archive.is/mAJ9L 2:24 – Veli-Pekka Ketola (Lindstrom, Riihiranta) 3:23 – sh – Ulf Nilsson (Hedberg)8:49 – pp – Anders Hedberg (Ford, Ketola) 11:33 – pp – Peter Sullivan (Hull, Lindstrom) 3:48 – pp – Mark Howe (Schella) 7:46 – Ulf Nilsson (Sjoberg) 14:28 – Don Larway (Marty Howe, Tonelli) 1:44 – Ulf Nilsson 13:22 – Don Larway (Tonelli, Ruskowski) Joe Daley 15 saves / 18 shots Ron Grahame 19 saves / 25 shots May 27 1–9 2 archive.is/aq2ia 5:37 – pp – Bobby Hull (Ford, Nilsson)10:22 – Veli-Pekka Ketola (Ford, Hull)11:21 – Lyle Moffat (Sjoberg, Ford) 9:45 – pp – Ted Taylor (Labossiere, Marty Howe) 1:07 – Veli-Pekka Ketola (Lindstrom, Sullivan) 3:11 – pp – Anders Hedberg (Nilsson, Hull)9:19 – Anders Hedberg (Nilsson) 12:14 – Peter Sullivan (Hillman) No scoring 1:33 – Peter Sullivan (Ford, Riihiranta) 9:30 – Bob Guindon (Riihiranta, Ketola) 9:30 No scoring Joe Daley 16 saves / 17 shots Ron Grahame 24 saves / 33 shots Winnipeg won series 4–0 Statistical leaders Skaters These were the top ten skaters based on points.https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/WHA_1976_skaters.html#stats::points 1976 WHA Playoffs Skater Statistics Player Team GP Games played G Goals A Assists Pts Points +/– Plus/minus PIM Penalties in minutesUlf Nilsson Ulf Nilsson (ice hockey)Winnipeg Jets 13 7 19 26 15 6 Bobby HullWinnipeg Jets 13 12 8 20 15 4 Anders HedbergWinnipeg Jets 13 13 6 19 16 15 Tom Webster Tom Webster (ice hockey)New England Whalers17 10 9 193 6 Mark Howe Houston Aeros 17 6 10 16 0 18 Terry Ruskowski Houston Aeros 16 6 10 16 8 64 Rosaire Paiement New England Whalers 17 4 11 15 3 41 John Tonelli Houston Aeros 17 7 7 14 8 8 Thommie Bergman Winnipeg Jets 13 3 10 13 10 8 Mike Ford Mike Ford (ice hockey) Winnipeg Jets 12 1 12 13 8 8 Mike Rogers Mike Rogers (ice hockey) New England Whalers 17 5 8 13 1 2 Peter Sullivan Peter Sullivan (ice hockey) Winnipeg Jets 13 6 7 13 7 0 Championship roster thumb|Ulf Nilsson scored 7 goals and recorded 19 assists for 26 total points on his way to being named WHA Playoff MVP. 1975–76 Winnipeg Jets Larry Hillman Ted Green Larry Hornung Heikki Riihiranta Lars-Erik Sjoberg (Captain)1972-1979 WHA Guides 2018 PCMP Press Timothy Gassen 762 978-0-9797337-5-8 Freeman Asmundson Thommie Bergman Mike Ford Lyle Moffat Bob Guindon Willy Lindstrom Bobby Hull Bill Lesuk Norm Beaudin Anders Hedberg Mats Lindh Veli-Pekka Ketola Peter Sullivan Ulf Nilsson Curt Larsson Joe Daley Bobby Kromm (head coach) Rudy Pilous (general manager) References External links WHA playoffs Category:1975–76 WHA season Category:World Hockey Association playoffs