A look back at the Jets' WHA glory days
Winnipeg
With the Winnipeg Jets having one of their greatest seasons in a professional hockey history that goes back to 1972-73, now seems like the right time to remember the championship years. The club competed in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 to 1979 and won the Avco Cup three times in 1975-76, 1977-78, and 1978-79.
In 1975-76, the Jets finished in first place in the Canadian Division during the regular season and then cruised through the playoffs. In the quarterfinals, Winnipeg beat the Edmonton Oilers four straight and won the semifinal in five games over the Calgary Cowboys. The final was another four-game sweep over the Houston Aeros, who had won the championship the previous two seasons.
That year was the second season of the Hot Line, comprised of Bobby Hull and Swedes Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson. In the playoffs, Nilsson was the leading scorer and named MVP. Hull finished second, and Hedberg third. The Aeros lineup included Gordie Howe and his sons Marty and Mark.
File photo
Winnipeg Jets captain Lars-Erik Sjoberg carries the team's second Avco Cup in victory around Winnipeg Arena on May 20, 1978.
In 1976-77, the Jets lost the WHA final in seven games to the Eastern Division champion Quebec Nordiques. In the team's sixth season, the Jets were back on top. They finished first in the regular season with Nilsson, Hedberg, and Hull one, two, three in team scoring. Kent Nilsson showed his magic touch in his first season with 42 goals and 65 assists. In the playoffs, a five-game victory over the Birmingham Bulls gave the Jets a berth in the final against the New England Whalers. Despite the Whalers having the three Howes, former Toronto Maple Leaf star Dave Keon, and the notorious Carlson brothers, Jack and Steve, in the lineup, the Jets won four straight. Winnipeg centre Bobby Guindon, with eight goals and five helpers, was named the playoff MVP.
Ulf, Nilsson, Hedberg and defenceman Lars-Erik Sjoberg made the first all-star team and Hull and defenseman Barry Long the second team. Flin Flon's Al Hamilton of the Edmonton Oilers was the other defenceman on the first team and North of 54 product Ernie Wakely was the second-team goalie. Wakely had a connection to Winnipeg, as he backstopped the Braves to the 1959 Memorial Cup and he and Joe Daley shared Jets goaltending duties in the early years before he was moved to the San Diego Mariners in 1974-75.
The Jets were a much different team in the club's final WHA season of 1978-79, but the end result was the same, an Avco Cup. Hedberg and Nilsson had moved to the NHL with the New York Rangers and Hull played just four games early in the season. Sjoberg missed most of the regular season with a torn Achilles tendon, but the captain returned for the playoffs. Newcomers included former Aeros Scott Campbell, Morris Lukowich, Terry Ruskowski, and Rich Preston.
In the playoffs, the third-place Jets swept the second-place Nordiques 4-0 and faced the Oilers, with Wayne Gretzky, in the final. Jets won the first two games in the Edmonton Coliseum 3-1 and 3-2, with late-season pickup Gary Smith in goal. Back home in the Winnipeg Arena, the Jets were hammered 8-3 by the Oilers but took Game 4 3-2. Game 5 in Edmonton saw the Oilers overwhelm the Jets 10-2 with former Brandon Wheat King Ron Chipperfield scoring five times.
Mondays
A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities.
On May 20 in Game 6 in front of 10,195 fans at the Winnipeg Arena, the Jets beat the Oilers 7-3 in what was the last WHA game in history. Long and Willy Lindstrom scored twice with Paul McKinnon, Lyle Moffat and Kent Nilsson contributing singles. Ruskowski had four assists Lukowich three, Peter Sullivan two, and former Flin Flon Bomber Glenn Hicks one to see their names on the final scoresheet. Smith made 27 saves in the net.
Free Press file photo
The World Hockey Association's Winnipeg Jets first Avco Cup Victory Parade on Portage Avenue on May 5, 1976. Pictured is team captain Lars-Erik Sjobberg with the Avco Cup.
Chipperfield, Bill Flett and ex-Wheat King Dave Semenko replied for Edmonton with Semenko's at 19:48 of the third period standing as the final WHA goal. Despite the Jets holding Gretzky to one goal and three assists in the series, he led all playoff scorers with 20 points. Lindstrom and Lukowich topped the Jets with 15. Preston, who added 13 points, was named playoff MVP.
T. Kent MorganMemories of Sport
Memories of Sport appears every second week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. Kent Morgan can be contacted at 204-489-6641 or email: sportsmemories@canstarnews.com
Read full biography
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
ANALYSIS: Extending Morgan Barron should rank high on Jets' off-season to-do list
The focus for Winnipeg Jets fans — and rightfully so — would be on GM Kevin Cheveldayoff negotiating contract extensions for Gabe Vilardi and Dylan Samberg. But getting Morgan Barron's name on the dotted line will also rank high on Cheveldayoff's priority list. When we think of the trades the Jets GM has been able to complete over the last few years, two stand out in particular: the return on the Pierre-Luc Dubois transaction with Los Angeles, and the March 2022 Andrew Copp swap with the New York Rangers for Barron — and draft picks that turned into Brad Lambert and Elias Salomonsson. Story continues below advertisement Barron has sometimes been overlooked because of the fourth-line role he has been assigned for most of his first three full NHL seasons, and modest totals of 29 goals, 29 assists and 58 points in his 238 games as a Jet. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy But even though his eight goals and 15 points this past season would appear to be a bit of a step back from year two, my opinion is the six-foot-four, 220-pound Halifax native took strides forward in 2024-25, especially in the post-season. Barron can play in the middle — and with physicality. He averaged just over 14 hits per 60 minutes, which trailed only Luke Schenn, Adam Lowry and Brandon Tanev among those Jets who played 10 or more games in the playoffs. The former Cornell captain lost what would have been his first career playoff goal on a secondary deflection by linemate Jaret Anderson-Dolan in the series-opening victory versus St. Louis, and then another on an offside review in Game 6 of that series. But what should not be forgotten is that 'shoulder down power drive to the net' we saw from him on multiple occasions. Story continues below advertisement With Lowry scheduled to miss anywhere from 10 to 25 games to start next season and Rasmus Kupari opting to play in Europe, this should be Barron's chance to keep pushing the needle forward — and perhaps staking a claim to a bigger role than he has played since becoming a full-time NHLer.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Through 2 Finals games, it's clear that the moment isn't too big for OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The moment is clearly not too big for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. These are his first NBA Finals. It's hard to remember that sometimes. The Oklahoma City Thunder star — and NBA MVP — just had a pair of debut finals games like nobody in league history, with a combined 72 points in his first two appearances in the title series. That's a record. The previous mark for someone in his first two finals games: 71 by Philadelphia's Allen Iverson in 2001. 'I'm being myself,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'I don't think I tried to reinvent the wheel or step up to the plate with a different mindset. Just try to attack the game the right way. I think I've done a pretty good job of that so far.' His next attack chance isn't until Wednesday night, when the series — the Thunder and Indiana Pacers are now tied at a game apiece — shifts to Indianapolis for Game 3. He had 38 points in the Game 1 loss to the Pacers, 34 points in Sunday's Game 2 win. Gilgeous-Alexander has more points in the first two games than any other two players in the series — not just Thunder players, any two players — do combined. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault isn't taking the greatness of the MVP for granted. He's just come to expect it by now. 'Yeah, unsurprising at this point,' Daigneault said. 'It's just kind of what he does. He just continues to progress and improve and rise to every occasion that he puts himself in and that we put ourselves in. I thought his floor game (in Game 2) was really, really in a great rhythm. I thought everyone played better individually, and I thought we played better collectively. I think that was a by-product.' He had eight assists in Game 2, making him the 17th player in NBA history to have that many points and that many assists in a finals game; it has now happened a total of 34 times in the title series. But it wasn't just having assists. It was the type of assists that were key. Of Gilgeous-Alexander's eight on Sunday, six of them set up 3-pointers. Those eight assists were turned into 22 points in all. 'He's MVP for a reason,' Pacers center Myles Turner said. 'He's going to get off, and I think that we accepted that. It's a matter of slowing him down and limiting the role players.' Only seven players in finals history — Jerry West (94 in 1969), LeBron James (83 in 2015 and 80 in 2018), Shaquille O'Neal (83 in 2000, 76 in 2002 and 72 in 2001), John Havlicek (80 in 1969), Michael Jordan (78 in 1992 and 73 in 1993), Cliff Hagan (73 in 1961) and now Gilgeous-Alexander — have scored 72 or more points in the first two games of a title series. 'Shai, you can mark down 34 points before they even get on the plane for the next game,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. 'The guy's going to score. We've got to find ways to make it as tough as possible on him.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. In Game 1, the Pacers bottled up Gilgeous-Alexander's supporting cast. In Game 2, they didn't. It's not really simple enough to say that's why the Thunder lost Game 1 and won Game 2, but it is certainly part of the equation. Or maybe it's just as simple as saying the MVP is playing like an MVP. He's the scoring champion as well, leads the playoffs in total points, just became the 12th player in league history to cross the 3,000-point mark for a season (counting regular season and postseason), and just got his first finals win. 'I would trade the points for two Ws, for sure,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'But this is where our feet are. This is where we are. You can't go back in the past, you can only make the future better. That's what I'm focused on.' ___ AP NBA:
Winnipeg Free Press
16 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Journeyman defenseman Nate Schmidt surprisingly leads Panthers in scoring in the Stanley Cup Final
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Panthers' leading scorer through two games of the Stanley Cup Final is not Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov or Sam Reinhart. It's Nate Schmidt. Yes, the journeyman defenseman who was bought out last summer and is playing for just above the NHL veteran minimum. Schmidt has four points, three of them primary assists, against the Edmonton Oilers. 'He's been great,' teammate Gustav Forsling said Sunday. 'He's been playing unreal, making some huge, huge plays for us in key moments.' Schmidt is 33 and seven years removed from his first trip to the final, losing with Vegas in the Golden Knights' inaugural season to the Washington Capitals, who he broke into the league. He is one of the newcomers who were not part of Florida's title run last year and are looking to hoist the Cup for the first time. 'It's incredibly hard to get back to this stage, and this time I'm just trying to slow it down and enjoy it,' said Schmidt, who has gone from fresh faced with floppy hair to a shaved head and full beard. 'This is the pinnacle of our sport, and be able to be here at the end is special.' Schmidt said it's 'kind of reminding yourself that you have that game in you and you're just unlocking it.' He has reminded coach Paul Maurice of the player he was earlier in his career. 'He's getting up the ice, and he looks like he did when he was a kid when he first came into the league in Washington,' Maurice said. 'He was dynamic with the way he'd get up the ice. And then coaches beat that out of you and take the fun out of the game for you, but it looks like he's found his fun again.' Oilers changes At their practice in Sunrise, the Oilers unveiled defense pairs that were all different from the first two games. Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard were put together, Swedes Mattias Ekholm and John Klingberg, and Brett Kulak with Jake Walman. They quickly downplayed the impact, saying assistant Paul Coffey, a Hall of Fame defenseman as a player, has been changing things up like this all season. 'Our D corps all year long, it depends on sometimes what day of the week, we could be playing with someone new,' Nurse said. 'Even over the course of a game, you'll be playing with three or four different people, so there's a comfort level everyone has with whoever you're out there playing with.' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins did not skate, with healthy scratch Jeff Skinner taking his place on the top line. Coach Kris Knoblauch started to say he thinks Nugent-Hopkins will be in for Game 3 on Monday night before calling Edmonton's longest-tenured player a game-time decision. Ekblad is fine Florida's Aaron Ekblad took a puck off his left hand in the second overtime of Game 2 on a shot by Nurse and was writhing in pain on the bench. He missed one shift before returning, practiced Sunday and declared himself good to go. 'It's just a routine blocked shot,' Ekblad said. 'Stick your hand out for it and try and get it knocked down and get off the ice as quickly as possible, because when you get that stinger you can't really grip for a second. But all good now.' McDavid's assist Connor McDavid wowed in Game 2 when he deked around Barkov and Ekblad and passed the puck to Leon Draisaitl for a one-timer power-play goal that was still getting talked about two days later. 'That was pretty routine in Erie back in the day,' said Oilers winger Connor Brown, who was junior teammates there with McDavid more than a decade ago. 'To do what he's doing (on) the stage that he doing it at, we're lucky to have him.' Ekblad said McDavid having multiple options is the biggest challenge in defending the undisputed best hockey player in the world with otherworldly abilities. 'You're trying to block a shot, you're trying to block a low pass, a backdoor pass and a walk-on-water toe drag,' Ekblad said. 'So, yeah, McJesus.' McDavid blushed when asked about what it takes to make that kind of play, fumbling over words like opponents fumble to try to contain him before coming up with, 'A lot goes into that.' Draisaitl, sitting beside him, chimed in: 'You can't learn that. Let me answer it for you. I'll answer it for him.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
