| Season: | 1972–73 |
| Year: | 1972 |
| Team: | Alberta Oilers |
| League: | WHA |
| Division: | Western |
| Divisionrank: | 5th |
| Record: | 38–37–3 |
| Homerecord: | 26–13–2 |
| Roadrecord: | 12–24–1 |
| Goalsfor: | 269 (9th) |
| Goalsagainst: | 256 (4th) |
| Generalmanager: | Bill Hunter |
| Coach: | Ray Kinasewich Bill Hunter |
| Captain: | Al Hamilton |
| Altcaptain: | Doug Barrie Val Fonteyne Jim Harrison |
| Arena: | Edmonton Gardens |
| Attendance: | 3,848 (74.0%) |
| Goalsleader: | Jim Harrison (39) |
| Assistsleader: | Al Hamilton (50) |
| Pointsleader: | Jim Harrison (86) |
| Pimleader: | Al Hamilton (124) |
| Winsleader: | Jack Norris (28) |
| Gaaleader: | Jack Norris (3.06) |
| Next Season: | 1973–74 |
The 1972–73 Alberta Oilers season was the Oilers' first season, as one of twelve inaugural franchises of the now-defunct World Hockey Association (WHA).[1] [2]
The Oilers victory over the Ottawa Nationals on October 11, 1972, was the first game in league history, with Ron Anderson scoring the first goal.
Jim Harrison led the team in scoring, with 39 goals and 86 points. On January 30, 1973, in an 11–3 defeat of the New York Raiders, Harrison set a major professional hockey record with 10 points (3G, 7A) in a single game. That feat was later matched by Darryl Sittler on February 7, 1976, in a National Hockey League game.
The Oilers posted a winning record in the regular season, with 38 wins, 37 losses and 3 ties. The Minnesota Fighting Saints finished with an identical record, so a single game playoff was contested to decide fourth place in the Western Division. The Fighting Saints defeated the Oilers 4–2 on a neutral site rink (in Calgary), ending the Oilers season.
The Oilers and the Minnesota Fighting Saints were tied at the end of the season. They had the same number of victories and points, and they had both won four games against each other. Subsequently, it was decided that the two teams would play a one-game playoff to decide the final spot in the playoffs, to be played in Calgary. The Oilers lost the game, and the Fighting Saints went on to play in the Quarterfinals.
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties In Minutes
| Player | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 66 | 39 | 47 | 86 | 93 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 78 | 11 | 50 | 61 | 124 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 71 | 21 | 37 | 58 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 78 | 29 | 27 | 56 | 59 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 78 | 28 | 26 | 54 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 78 | 16 | 29 | 45 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 77 | 7 | 32 | 39 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 71 | 22 | 16 | 38 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 73 | 14 | 24 | 38 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 65 | 12 | 22 | 34 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 54 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 111 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | ||
| 73 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 43 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 75 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 112 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 77 | 6 | 23 | 29 | 44 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 67 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 50 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 51 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Bernie Blanchette† | 23 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 60 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 40 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 64 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Jim Benzelock‡ | 26 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Derek Harker‡ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
| Player | Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | TOI | W | L | T | GA | SO | SV% | GAA | GP | TOI | W | L | GA | SO | SV% | GAA | ||
| 64 | 3705 | 28 | 29 | 3 | 189 | 1 | 0.903 | 3.06 | 1 | 59 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0.833 | 4.07 | ||
| 20 | 1034 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 63 | 1 | 0.883 | 3.65 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Four Oilers were selected to play in the mid-season All-Star Game on January 6:
| Regular Season | |||||||||
| Player | Milestone | Reached | |||||||
| 1st WHA Game 1st WHA Goal 1st WHA Point | October 11, 1972 | ||||||||
| Bill Hicke | |||||||||
| Eddie Joyal | |||||||||
| Ron Walters | |||||||||
| 1st WHA Game | |||||||||
| Roger Côté | |||||||||
| Bob Falkenberg | |||||||||
| Dennis Kassian | |||||||||
| Ed Patenaude | |||||||||
| 1st WHA Game 1st WHA Win | |||||||||
| 1st WHA Game 1st WHA Assist 1st WHA Point | |||||||||
| John Fisher | |||||||||
| Val Fonteyne | |||||||||
| Al Hamilton | |||||||||
| Bob McAneeley | |||||||||
| Bob Wall | |||||||||
| 1st WHA Game 1st WHA Goal 1st WHA Assist 1st WHA Point | |||||||||
| 1st WHA Game | October 13, 1972 | ||||||||
| Roger Côté | 1st WHA Goal 1st WHA Point | October 15, 1972 | |||||||
| Val Fonteyne | 1st WHA Goal | ||||||||
| Eddie Joyal | 1st WHA Assist | ||||||||
| Ron Walters | |||||||||
| Ron Anderson | 1st WHA Assist | October 17, 1972 | |||||||
| Jack Norris | 1st WHA Win | ||||||||
| 1st WHA Game | October 20, 1972 | ||||||||
| Bob Falkenberg | 1st WHA Assist 1st WHA Point | ||||||||
| Ed Patenaude | 1st WHA Goal 1st WHA Assist 1st WHA Point | ||||||||
| Ron Walters | 1st WHA Hat-trick | ||||||||
| Brian Carlin | 1st WHA Goal 1st WHA Point | October 24, 1972 | |||||||
| Bill Hicke | 1st WHA Assist | ||||||||
| 1st WHA Game | October 27, 1972 | ||||||||
| Dennis Kassian | 1st WHA Goal 1st WHA Point | October 28, 1972 | |||||||
| Ross Perkins | 1st WHA Assist 1st WHA Point | ||||||||
| 1st WHA Assist 1st WHA Point | October 29, 1972 | ||||||||
| 1st WHA Game | |||||||||
| Ross Perkins | 1st WHA Goal | ||||||||
| Doug Barrie | 1st WHA Goal 1st WHA Point | November 3, 1972 | |||||||
| Brian Carlin | 1st WHA Assist | ||||||||
| Bob Wall | 1st WHA Goal | ||||||||
| Dennis Kassian | 1st WHA Assist | November 5, 1972 | |||||||
| Doug Barrie | |||||||||
| Steve Carlyle | 1st WHA Goal | November 7, 1972 | |||||||
| Al Hamilton | |||||||||
| Ken Baird | 1st WHA Goal | November 9, 1972 | |||||||
| Bob Falkenberg | 1st WHA Goal | November 11, 1972 | |||||||
| Jim Benzelock | 1st WHA Assist 1st WHA Point | November 25, 1972 | |||||||
| Bob McAneeley | 1st WHA Goal | November 30, 1972 | |||||||
| Jim Benzelock | 1st WHA Goal | December 12, 1972 | |||||||
| Roger Côté | 1st WHA Assist | December 21, 1972 | |||||||
| Jim Harrison | 1st WHA Gordie Howe hat trick | ||||||||
| Ross Perkins | 1st WHA Hat-Trick | January 1, 1973 | |||||||
| Jack Norris | 1st WHA Assist | January 16, 1973 | |||||||
| Jim Harrison | 1st WHA Hat-Trick | January 30, 1973 | |||||||
| Jack Norris | 1st WHA Shutout | February 9, 1973 | |||||||
| Al Hamilton | 100th WHA PIM | February 27, 1973 | |||||||
| Ken Baird | 100th WHA PIM | March 17, 1973 | |||||||
| Ken Brown | 1st WHA Shutout | ||||||||
| Jim Harrison | 2nd WHA Gordie Howe hat trick | ||||||||
| Doug Barrie | 100th WHA PIM | March 28, 1973 | |||||||
| Ken Baird | 1st WHA Game | TBD | |||||||
| Derek Harker | |||||||||
| Playoffs | |||||||||
| Player | Milestone | Reached | |||||||
| 1st WHA Game | April 4, 1973 | ||||||||
| Doug Barrie | |||||||||
| Brian Carlin | |||||||||
| Steve Carlyle | |||||||||
| Roger Côté | |||||||||
| Bob Falkenberg | |||||||||
| Val Fonteyne | |||||||||
| Al Hamilton | |||||||||
| Bill Hicke | |||||||||
| Eddie Joyal | |||||||||
| Jack Norris | |||||||||
| Ross Perkins | |||||||||
| 1st WHA Game 1st WHA Goal 1st WHA Point | |||||||||
| Ron Walters | |||||||||
| 1st WHA Game 1st WHA Assist 1st WHA Point | |||||||||
| Dennis Kassian | |||||||||
| Ed Patenaude | |||||||||
| Bob Wall | |||||||||
The WHA General Player Draft was held on February 12–13, 1972 to stock each new WHA team with their initial rosters. The Oilers selected four NHL players with their "priority" selections:
Ullman and MacGregor would eventually play for the Oilers, but not for the 1972–73 season. Both were Edmonton-born players who finished their playing careers with the Oilers after long NHL careers.
The Oilers selected an additional 96 players in subsequent rounds of the draft. Of those, 22 players would play for the Oilers, 16 in the 1972–73 season.
| Player | Pos | Team | League | Joined Oilers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rounds 1-10 | |||||||||
| LW | NHL | 1978–79 | |||||||
| D | NHL | 1972–73 | |||||||
| C | 1972–73 | ||||||||
| Rounds 11-20 | |||||||||
| RW | NHL | 1972–73 | |||||||
| LW | 1973–74 | ||||||||
| Rounds 21-50 | |||||||||
| D | NHL | 1972–73 | |||||||
| RW | 1972–73 | ||||||||
| LW | NHL | 1972–73 | |||||||
| D | NHL | 1972–73 | |||||||
| LW | NHL | 1972–73 | |||||||
| LW | NHL | 1977–78 | |||||||
| D | NHL | 1972–73 | |||||||
| C | NHL | 1972–73 | |||||||
| D | 1975–76 | ||||||||
| D | 1974–75 | ||||||||
| LW | NHL | 1976–77 | |||||||
| C | 1972–73 | ||||||||
| Rounds 51-70 | |||||||||
| D | 1972–73 | ||||||||
| LW | 1972–73 | ||||||||
| RW | 1972–73 | ||||||||
| D | NHL | 1972–73 | |||||||
| Rounds 71+ | |||||||||
| C | 1972–73 | ||||||||
| Date | To Alberta Oilers | Traded to | Traded for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1972 | Cash | |||
| Cash | ||||
| June 1972 | Future considerations | François Lacombe | ||
| July 1972 | Jocelyn Hardy Doug Brindley Bill Horton Rich Pumple | |||
| August 1972 | Cleveland Crusaders | Bob Whidden | ||
| Future considerations | Quebec Nordiques | John Gravel Jean-Yves Cartier | ||
| September 1972 | Cash | Gilles Gratton | ||
| Cash | Derek Harker | |||
| Jim Benzelock |
| Date | Player | Former team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) |
| Date | Player | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 2-year | ||
| 5-year | |||
| 3-year | |||
| 3-year | |||
| 3-year | |||
| Bob Falkenberg | |||
| 4-year | |||
| 3-year | |||
| 3-year | |||
| 3-year | |||
| 2-year | |||
| 2-year | |||
| October 1972 |