1972–73 New England Whalers season explained

Arena:	Boston Arena (20 games) Boston Garden (19 games)
Attendance:	6,981 (67.2%)
League:	WHA
Season:	1972–73
Year:	1972
Team:	New England Whalers
Record:	46–30–2
Homerecord:	30–8–1
Roadrecord:	16–22–1
Avcocup:	yes
Division:	East
Divisionrank:	1st
Coach:	Jack Kelley
Goalsfor:	318
Goalsagainst:	263
Goalsleader:	Tom Webster (53)
Assistsleader:	Terry Caffery (61)
Pointsleader:	Tom Webster (103)
Pimleader:	Brad Selwood (114)
Winsleader:	Al Smith (31)
Gaaleader:	Al Smith (3.17)

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]}

Regular season

Final standings

Schedule and results

1972–73 game log
October: 5–4–0 (Home: 3–2–0; Road: 2–2–0) Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts 1 October 12 3–4 New England 1–0–0 2 2 October 16 1–4 New England 2–0–0 4 3 October 18 New England 4–1 3–0–0 6 4 October 19 4–3 New England 3–1–0 6 5 October 21 New England 4–6 Quebec 3–2–0 6 6 October 23 1–5 New England 4–2–0 8 7 October 24 New England 3–2 OT 5–2–0 10 8 October 26 New England 6–7 5–3–0 10 9 October 28 4–1 New England 5–4–0 10
November: 8–4–1 (Home: 8–0–1; Road: 0–4–0) 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 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 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) 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 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) 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) 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) 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) Date Visitor Score Home OT Record Pts 78 April 1 Quebec 3–8 New England 46–30–2 94

Playoffs

Eastern Division Semifinal vs. Ottawa Nationals

	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Record
1	April 7		3–6		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 Final vs. Cleveland Crusaders

	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Record
1	April 18		2–3		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

	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Record
1	April 29	Winnipeg Jets	2–7		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

See also

• 1972–73 WHA season

External links

• Web site: 1972–73 New England Whalers Games. Hockey-reference.com . 2009-05-21 .

Notes and References

1. Book: World Hockey Association . World Hockey Association . 1972 . WHA 1972-73 Media Guide . World Hockey Association.
2. Book: World Hockey Association . World Hockey Association . 1973 . WHA 1973-74 Media Guide . World Hockey Association.