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Best team in WHA history?

blueandgoldguy

Registered User
Oct 8, 2010
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Greg's River Heights
Seen at least one thread here discussing the greatest team in NHL history over a single season but I'm not sure if there has ever been a thread discussing the greatest WHA team?

I wasn't even born when the league was halfway through its existence, so I'm curious to hear the opinions of some of the posters here who followed the league closely at the time.

Would the best team be one of the Jet teams from mid-70s. A Nordiques team perhaps? Whalers. Some other team?
 
blueandgoldguy said:
I guess I should have specified, which particular teams. 74-75? 75-76? Other years?
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Oh, well single season I would say either '75 Aeros or '76 Jets.

Mind you, I wasn't alive to watch them play but those two teams appear to be the cream of the crop as they both led the league in PTS before running roughshod over everybody in the playoffs, had the two best players in league history and did so in a 14 team league.
 
I'm inclined to go with the 75-76 Jets, combining top offense (345 goals) and defense (only 245 allowed), while winning it all. The Hull/Hedberg/Nilsson line all topped 100 points and they had two 32-goal scorers as well. Plus, Bill Lesuk went from the worst team in NHL history (74-75 Caps) to an Avco Cup championship!

However I might be partial to Quebec, who finished only 2 points behind them in the standings. They were 9th in defense out of 14 teams but were frightening offensively (371 goals) led by Marc Tardif (71), Real Cloutier (60) and Rejean Houle (51).

Oddest season would go to the 74-75 Whalers -- third highest points total, 13 games above .500... yet they had a negative goal differential! (274 scored, 279 allowed)
 
SealsFan said:
Oddest season would go to the 74-75 Whalers -- third highest points total, 13 games above .500... yet they had a negative goal differential! (274 scored, 279 allowed)
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Ya. As Defensively Challenged as they were Offensively Gifted. That woulda been the first year Big Al Hangsleben outta Warroad MN played in the Bigs SF. Split his time between the Whalers NAHL Team, yer Cape Codders' & the New England Whalers. Went on to join the NHL with the Whalers before moving on to Washington & LA before retiring in the 80's. Not bad for a guy who went in the 4th Round, 56th overall in 73 to the Habs. Versatile player. Defenceman but could & was used as a Forward at various times... its perhaps this confusion that may be responsible for this just... well... unsightly negative goal differential.... Its all Al's fault.... Wasnt sure whether he should be playing Forward or Defence, stop & think about it, get scored on, then go get it back.... thats my theory on that one.
 
Aww, my favourites would be the Chicago Cougars (with their delightfully tacky uniforms) or the Jersey (Cherry Hill) Knights or the one and only Michigan Stags (formerly the Los Angeles Sharks and later morphed into the Baltimore Blades).
 
^^^ Awesome. I always liked that logo... not $900 worth of like SF but like none the less.
 
Killion said:
Ya. As Defensively Challenged as they were Offensively Gifted. That woulda been the first year Big Al Hangsleben outta Warroad MN played in the Bigs SF. Split his time between the Whalers NAHL Team, yer Cape Codders' & the New England Whalers. Went on to join the NHL with the Whalers before moving on to Washington & LA before retiring in the 80's. Not bad for a guy who went in the 4th Round, 56th overall in 73 to the Habs. Versatile player. Defenceman but could & was used as a Forward at various times... its perhaps this confusion that may be responsible for this just... well... unsightly negative goal differential.... Its all Al's fault.... Wasnt sure whether he should be playing Forward or Defence, stop & think about it, get scored on, then go get it back.... thats my theory on that one.
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One night in Hartford, someone won the opening faceoff back to Hangslben and he immediately rifled it into the 30th row behind the opponents goal. No tip.

After that any time someone "launched one" into the stands in Hartford it was referred to as a Hangslben.
 
^^^ had no idea about that little bit of notoriety. And "no tip" huh? :laugh:
 
the baby bulls needed a few seasons , but they could have been something in 2 to 3 years...had the racers managed to keep messier and gretzky that would have been one hell of a team as well.
in fact when you look at the all time players list for some of these teams you could make a pretty decent team for several clubs the stingers for example could claim pat stapelton ron blumb a very young barry melrose and barry legge, upfront they had blaine stoughton who would soon return to the nhl scoring 50 goals, peter marsh , mark messier, mike gartner, robbie ftorek, with luit and dion in net.
 
simon bedford said:
the baby bulls needed a few seasons , but they could have been something in 2 to 3 years...had the racers managed to keep messier and gretzky that would have been one hell of a team as well.
in fact when you look at the all time players list for some of these teams you could make a pretty decent team for several clubs the stingers for example could claim pat stapelton ron blumb a very young barry melrose and barry legge, upfront they had blaine stoughton who would soon return to the nhl scoring 50 goals, peter marsh , mark messier, mike gartner, robbie ftorek, with luit and dion in net.
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Mike Liut?

I thought he played with the Cincy Stingers.
 
Killion said:
^^^ Awesome. I always liked that logo... not $900 worth of like SF but like none the less.
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That went for cheap as far as game-worn WHA jerseys go. In better economic times you would have seen that bid up to $1300-1500.
 
I've always loved the stories about the arena in Cherry Hill where the Jersey Knights played. Apparently you could really make the puck take off like a rocket from centre ice due to the funny way the cement floor underneath was made and also that the visiting team having to change in their hotel across the road.
 
ICM1970 said:
I've always loved the stories about the arena in Cherry Hill where the Jersey Knights played. Apparently you could really make the puck take off like a rocket from centre ice due to the funny way the cement floor underneath was made and also that the visiting team having to change in their hotel across the road.
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Yes and it had probably the smallest capacity of any WHA arena, only a bit more than 4000.
 
i worded it badly , the point i had in mind was if you trawl through the wha rosters you find quite a few guys who went on to have more than just a cup of coffee in the nhl, for example the bulls last season you have

rick vaive
gaston gingras
rod langway
pat riggin
john garrett
michel goulet
craig hartsburg
and keith crowder, not a terrible list of young talent
 
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