1972–73 Winnipeg Jets season

The 1972–73 Winnipeg Jets season was their first season in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Jets' first player signed was Norm Beaudin ("the Original Jet") and their first major signing was Bobby Hull.^[1][2]

1972–73 Winnipeg Jets
Western Division champions
League	2nd WHA
Division	1st Western
1972–73 record	43–31–4
Home record	26–11–2
Road record	17–20–2
Goals for	285
Goals against	249
Team information
General manager	Annis Stukus
Coach	Bobby Hull Nick Mickoski
Captain	Ab McDonald
Alternate captains	Bill Sutherland Bob Woytowich
Arena	Winnipeg Arena
Average attendance	6,102 (55.5%)
Team leaders
Goals	Bobby Hull (51)
Assists	Norm Beaudin (65)
Points	Bobby Hull (103) Norm Beaudin (103)
Penalty minutes	Steve Cuddie (121)
Wins	Ernie Wakely (26)
Goals against average	Joe Daley (2.89)
1973–74 →

Offseason

Bobby Hull

Long unhappy because of his relatively poor salary in the period when he was hockey's preeminent superstar, Hull responded to overtures from the upstart World Hockey Association's Winnipeg Jets in 1972 by jesting that he'd jump to them for a million dollars, a sum then considered absurd. Gathering the other league owners together to contribute to the unprecedented amount on the grounds that inking such a major star would give instant credibility to the new rival league that was competing directly against the entrenched NHL, Jets' owner Ben Hatskin agreed to the sum and signed Hull for a contract worth $1,000,000 over ten years. Although his debut with Winnipeg was held up in litigation by the NHL, Hull instantly became the WHA's greatest star.

Regular season

When the Jets played their first game on October 12 in New York against the Raiders, the Jets were without Bobby Hull. He was in court battling his former team, the Chicago Black Hawks over his new contract. The Jets would still win that first game 6–4. Three days later, the Jets would make their home debut losing to the Alberta Oilers 5–2. Bobby Hull won his court battle and joined the Jets 15 games into the season. Bobby Hull captured the WHA's first MVP award, by scoring 51 goals. The Jets won the Western Division with a 43–31–4 record.

Season standings

Western Division

	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	PIM	Pts
Winnipeg Jets	78	43	31	4	285	249	757	90
Houston Aeros	78	39	35	4	284	269	1363	82
Los Angeles Sharks	78	37	35	6	259	250	1477	80
Minnesota Fighting Saints	78	38	37	3	250	269	843	79
Alberta Oilers	78	38	37	3	269	256	1134	79
Chicago Cougars	78	26	50	2	245	295	811	54

Playoffs

In the playoffs, the Jets would beat the Minnesota Fighting Saints in 5 games. In the second round of the playoffs, the Jets beat the Houston Aeros in 4 straight to reach the Avco World Trophy finals. In the finals, the Jets were beaten by the New England Whalers in 5 games.

Winnipeg Jets 4, Minnesota Fighting Saints 1

#	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Record
1	April 6	Minnesota Fighting Saints	1–3	Winnipeg Jets	1–0
2	April 8	Minnesota Fighting Saints	2–5	Winnipeg Jets	2–0
3	April 10	Winnipeg Jets	4–6	Minnesota Fighting Saints	2–1
4	April 11	Winnipeg Jets	3–2 OT	Minnesota Fighting Saints	3–1
5	April 15	Minnesota Fighting Saints	5–8	Winnipeg Jets	4–1

Winnipeg Jets 4, Houston Aeros 0

#	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Record
1	April 20	Houston Aeros	1–5	Winnipeg Jets	1–0
2	April 22	Houston Aeros	0–2	Winnipeg Jets	2–0
3	April 24	Winnipeg Jets	4–2	Houston Aeros	3–0
4	April 26	Winnipeg Jets	3–0	Houston Aeros	4–0

New England Whalers 4, Winnipeg Jets 1 – Avco Cup Finals

#	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Record
1	April 29	Winnipeg Jets	2–7	New England Whalers	0–1
2	May 2	New England Whalers	7–4	Winnipeg Jets	0–2
3	May 3	New England Whalers	3–4	Winnipeg Jets	1–2
4	May 5	Winnipeg Jets	2–4	New England Whalers	1–3
5	May 6	Winnipeg Jets	6–9	New England Whalers	1–4

Awards and records

• Bobby Hull, Gary L. Davidson Award

Player statistics

Forwards

Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; A= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points

Player	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
Bobby Hull	63	51	52	103	37
Norm Beaudin	78	38	65	103	15
Chris Bordeleau	78	47	54	101	12
Dan Johnson	76	19	23	42	17
Ab McDonald	77	17	24	41	16
Milt Black	75	18	16	34	14
Wally Boyer	69	6	28	34	27
Dunc Rousseau	75	16	17	33	75
Cal Swenson	77	7	21	28	19
Jean Guy Gratton	71	15	12	27	37
Bill Sutherland	48	6	16	22	34
Garth Rizzuto	61	10	10	20	32
Freeman Asmundson	76	2	14	16	54
Brian Cadle	56	4	4	8	39

Defencemen

Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; A= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points

Player	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
Larry Hornung	77	13	45	58	28
Joe Zanussi	73	4	21	25	53
Steve Cuddie	77	7	13	20	121
Bob Ash	76	3	14	17	39
Bob Woytowich	62	2	4	6	47

Goaltending

Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; W= Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against

Player	GP	MIN	W	L	T	SO	GAA
Joe Daley	29	1718	17	10	1	2	2.89
Ernie Wakely	49	2894	26	19	3	2	3.15
Gordon Tumilson	3	138	0	2	0	0	4.34

References

1. World Hockey Association (1972). WHA 1972-73 Media Guide. World Hockey Association.
2. World Hockey Association (1973). WHA 1973-74 Media Guide. World Hockey Association.

External links

• Jets on Hockey Database
• Jets on Sports Encyclopedia