1974–75 WHA season

1974–75 WHA season
LeagueWorld Hockey Association
SportIce hockey
Regular season
Top scorerAndre Lacroix (San Diego)
Avco World Trophy
ChampionsHouston Aeros
  Runners-upQuebec Nordiques
WHA seasons

The 1974–75 WHA season was the third season of the World Hockey Association. Fourteen teams each played 78 games. The Houston Aeros won the Avco World Trophy for the second straight year in dominating fashion, losing only one time in the playoffs.

Regular season

The WHA expanded by adding the Indianapolis Racers and Phoenix Roadrunners, and splitting into three divisions: Western, Eastern, and Canadian. The top two teams in each division qualified for the playoffs along with the two next best teams overall. Prior to the season, Southern California welcomed the Jersey Knights, who moved to San Diego and became the Mariners, and said goodbye to the Los Angeles Sharks, who moved to Detroit and became the Michigan Stags. Midway through the season, the Stags moved to Baltimore and became the Blades; they folded for good after the season. Chicago also folded at season's end. Also, the New England Whalers left Boston for Hartford, but played the first half of the season in Springfield, Massachusetts until construction on the Hartford Civic Center was finished.

The NHL also expanded this season, to 18 teams, making a total of 32 clubs playing major professional hockey in North America. This number has not been surpassed, though the NHL expanded to 32 teams in 2021.

Final standings

Canadian Division GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM
Quebec Nordiques 78 46 32 0 92 331 299 1132
Toronto Toros 78 43 33 2 88 349 304 883
Winnipeg Jets 78 38 35 5 81 322 293 869
Vancouver Blazers 78 37 39 2 76 256 270 1075
Edmonton Oilers 78 36 38 4 76 279 279 896
Eastern Division GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM
New England Whalers 78 43 30 5 91 274 279 867
Cleveland Crusaders 78 35 40 3 73 236 258 1273
Chicago Cougars 78 30 47 1 61 261 312 1086
Indianapolis Racers 78 18 57 3 39 216 338 970
Western Division GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM
Houston Aeros 78 53 25 0 106 369 247 1257
San Diego Mariners 78 43 31 4 90 326 268 1058
Minnesota Fighting Saints 78 42 33 3 87 308 279 1233
Phoenix Roadrunners 78 39 31 8 86 300 265 1388
Michigan Stags / Baltimore Blades 78 21 53 4 46 205 341 1104

Player stats

Scoring leaders

Bolded numbers indicate season leaders

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Andre Lacroix San Diego Mariners 78 41 106 147 63
Bobby Hull Winnipeg Jets 78 77 65 142 41
Serge Bernier Quebec Nordiques 76 54 68 122 75
Ulf Nilsson Winnipeg Jets 78 26 94 120 79
Larry Lund Houston Aeros 78 33 75 108 68
Wayne Rivers San Diego Mariners 78 54 53 107 52
Anders Hedberg Winnipeg Jets 65 53 47 100 45
Gordie Howe Houston Aeros 75 34 65 99 84
Wayne Dillon Toronto Toros 77 29 66 95 22
Mike Walton Minnesota Fighting Saints 75 48 45 93 33

Leading goaltenders

Bolded numbers indicate season leaders

GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties, GA = Goals against; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Player Team GP Min W L T GA SO SV% GAA
Ron Grahame Houston Aeros 43 2590 33 10 0 131 4 90.0 3.03
Bob Whidden Cleveland Crusaders 29 1654 9 16 1 89 0 91.2 3.23
Wayne Rutledge Houston Aeros 35 2092 20 15 0 113 2 89.2 3.24
Ernie Wakely Winnipeg - San Diego 41 2418 23 15 2 131 3 90.0 3.25
Gerry Cheevers Cleveland Crusaders 52 3076 26 24 2 167 4 90.5 3.26
Jack Norris Phoenix Roadrunners 33 1962 14 15 4 107 1 89.1 3.27
John Garrett Minnesota Fighting Saints 58 3294 30 23 2 180 2 90.5 3.28
Gary Kurt Phoenix Roadrunners 47 2841 25 16 4 156 2 88.5 3.27
Jacques Plante Edmonton Oilers 40 1592 15 14 1 88 1 89.0 3.32
Don McLeod Vancouver Blazers 71 4124 32 35 2 230 1 89.1 3.35

All-Star game

At Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, the West defeated the East 6–4.

Avco World Trophy playoffs

Eight teams qualified for the playoffs; the top two teams in each division and the next two teams with the highest point totals. The teams were then pooled together, according to point totals, to determine quarter-final match-ups. The three division winners were guaranteed the top three seeds, according to their point totals. Teams were not "reseeded" after the quarter-final round.

Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
W1 Houston Aeros 4
E2 Cleveland Crusaders 1
W1 Houston Aeros 4
W2 San Diego Mariners 0
W2 San Diego Mariners 4
C2 Toronto Toros 2
W1 Houston Aeros 4
C1 Quebec Nordiques 0
E1 New England Whalers 2
W3 Minnesota Fighting Saints 4
W3 Minnesota Fighting Saints 2
C1 Quebec Nordiques 4
C1 Quebec Nordiques 4
W4 Phoenix Roadrunners 1

WHA awards

Trophies

Avco World Trophy: Houston Aeros
Gary L. Davidson Award: Bobby Hull, Winnipeg Jets
Bill Hunter Trophy: Andre Lacroix, San Diego Mariners
Lou Kaplan Trophy: Anders Hedberg, Winnipeg Jets
Ben Hatskin Trophy: Ron Grahame, Houston Aeros
Dennis A. Murphy Trophy: J. C. Tremblay, Quebec Nordiques
Paul Deneau Trophy: Mike Rogers, Edmonton Oilers
Howard Baldwin Trophy: Sandy Hucul, Phoenix Roadrunners
WHA Playoff MVP: Ron Grahame, Houston Aeros

All-Star Team

Position First Team Second Team
Centre Andre Lacroix, San Diego Serge Bernier, Quebec
Right Wing Gordie Howe, Houston Anders Hedberg, Winnipeg
Left Wing Bobby Hull, Winnipeg Marc Tardif, Quebec
Defence J. C. Tremblay, Quebec Poul Popiel, Houston
Defence Kevin Morrison, San Diego Barry Long, Edmonton
Goaltender Ron Grahame, Houston Gerry Cheevers, Cleveland

See also

References

  • "Year by Year Standings". Archived from the original on October 21, 2009.