World Hockey Association team season
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
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
Awards and records
Transactions
Draft picks
See also
References
Eastern Division Western Division See also