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blackfordpu
June 8th, 2006, 09:35 AM
I'll post the answer tonight.

The Hurricanes have a 1-0 lead over the Oilers in the first Stanley Cup Finals between two former WHA teams (the 'Canes were formerly the Hartford Whalers). What two teams met for the final Avco World Trophy (the WHA title) in 1979?
89Hen
June 8th, 2006, 09:49 AM
Criminies. Without looking it up my wild guess is Quebec Nordiques vs. Winnepeg Jets.
Ivytalk
June 8th, 2006, 10:18 AM
Criminies. Without looking it up my wild guess is Quebec Nordiques vs. Winnepeg Jets.

My guess is Houston Aeros against New England Whalers.
AppGuy04
June 8th, 2006, 10:21 AM
Late! 2-0!
89Hen
June 8th, 2006, 10:53 AM
Houston Aeros
:eek: I couldn't have given you any other WHL team names other than the four that joined the NHL. :o
TheValleyRaider
June 8th, 2006, 11:50 AM
Hartford won the first trophy, but nothing after that. I want to say Edmonton was one of the teams, but I'm not certain on that. :read:
TheValleyRaider
June 8th, 2006, 11:53 AM
:eek: I couldn't have given you any other WHL team names other than the four that joined the NHL. :o

Indianapolis Racers

Otherwise known as Wayne Gretzky's first pro team.
Pard4Life
June 8th, 2006, 12:44 PM
Weren't the Hartford Whalers origonally the New England Whalers?

And no I don't think it can be the Racers in the '79 finals. I think they went out by that point and is why Gretzky even ended up in Edmonton.. they were dumping players.

Phoenix Roadrunners and Philadelphia Blazers are teams that also come to mind . :rolleyes:
UNHWildCats
June 8th, 2006, 12:58 PM
The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4 games to 2, to win the last Avco Cup. The final game was played at the Winnipeg Arena, a 7 to 3 final score in favour of the Jets. The Oilers' Dave Semenko scored late in the third period of the deciding game, to record the last goal in the history of the WHA.
TheValleyRaider
June 8th, 2006, 05:03 PM
Weren't the Hartford Whalers origonally the New England Whalers?

And no I don't think it can be the Racers in the '79 finals. I think they went out by that point and is why Gretzky even ended up in Edmonton.. they were dumping players.

Phoenix Roadrunners and Philadelphia Blazers are teams that also come to mind . :rolleyes:

They were originally New England, they even had an age-less Gordie Howe play with his sons for a few games in their first season or so.

I didn't suggest the Racers were in the finals, just responding to Hen not knowing who else played in the League. Of course, Gretzky was only with Indy for a few games, only scoring once, I think, before being shipped to Edmonton and greater glory.
Pards Rule
June 8th, 2006, 05:24 PM
Definitely remember the Blazers. As a kid, we went to see the New Jersey Devils or Jersey Devils in Cherry Hill, NJ at the old Centrum (where a Stop N Shop now stands - literally a half mile from my home) in fact a strip center with one of my favorite Italian restaurants, Petraccio's, is called the Centrum Shoppes and just across the street from the Stop N Shop ...What league did they play in? I'm guessing this was early to mid -70s.
blackfordpu
June 8th, 2006, 07:11 PM
Answer:

drum roll please....dadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadad DA!

The Oilers lost the last WHA finals to the Winnipeg Jets four games to two. The Oilers, Jets (now Phoenix Coyotes), Whalers and Quebec Nordiques (now Colorado Avalanche) then joined the NHL for the 1979-80 season.
Ivytalk
June 8th, 2006, 07:16 PM
They were originally New England, they even had an age-less Gordie Howe play with his sons for a few games in their first season or so.

I didn't suggest the Racers were in the finals, just responding to Hen not knowing who else played in the League. Of course, Gretzky was only with Indy for a few games, only scoring once, I think, before being shipped to Edmonton and greater glory.

I know that Mark, Marty amd Gordie Howe all played for the Houston Aeros. Gordie may even have owned a piece of the team.
UNHWildCats
June 8th, 2006, 08:24 PM
Answer:

drum roll please....dadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadad DA!

The Oilers lost the last WHA finals to the Winnipeg Jets four games to two. The Oilers, Jets (now Phoenix Coyotes), Whalers and Quebec Nordiques (now Colorado Avalanche) then joined the NHL for the 1979-80 season.


In other words, I got the answer right this afternoon :)



The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4 games to 2, to win the last Avco Cup. The final game was played at the Winnipeg Arena, a 7 to 3 final score in favour of the Jets. The Oilers' Dave Semenko scored late in the third period of the deciding game, to record the last goal in the history of the WHA.
Gil Dobie
June 8th, 2006, 09:30 PM
Indianapolis Racers

Otherwise known as Wayne Gretzky's first pro team.

As the story goes Gretzky boarded a plane and didn't know if he was going to the Oilers or Jets until he landed in Edmonton.

More Trivia: Wayne Gretzky was playing in the WHA at the age of 17, the Racers owner signed Gretzky to a personal contract. Which other NHL great signed in the WHA at age 17, played on a line with Mark Messier and finished 2nd to Gretzky in WHA Rookie of the Year honors.
blackfordpu
June 8th, 2006, 11:35 PM
In other words, I got the answer right this afternoon :)

Couldn't tell you, I wasn't paying attention. :)
89Hen
June 9th, 2006, 09:29 AM
As a kid, we went to see the New Jersey Devils or Jersey Devils in Cherry Hill, NJ at the old Centrum (where a Stop N Shop now stands - literally a half mile from my home) in fact a strip center with one of my favorite Italian restaurants, Petraccio's, is called the Centrum Shoppes and just across the street from the Stop N Shop ...What league did they play in? I'm guessing this was early to mid -70s.
The Centrum is a shopping center? :bawling: I played quite a few games there growing up in the 70's. Wasn't it the home of the Firebirds too?
Pards Rule
June 9th, 2006, 09:38 AM
Yes indeed Hen...Maybe the team was the Firebirds, I am trying to recollect; help me out...I remember going with my Dad as part of an Indian Guides outing. I believe it was torn down in late 80s for a K-Mart anchored center of like 50-60,000 SF. K-Mart, in turn, closed in the mid-90s and Giant (just last year changed name to Stop N Shop around here) bulldozed it and opened in 1996 there.
Pard4Life
June 9th, 2006, 09:38 AM
I know that Mark, Marty amd Gordie Howe all played for the Houston Aeros. Gordie may even have owned a piece of the team.

I think the Golden Jet Bobby Hull also played for Houston, maybe Winnepeg too.
89Hen
June 9th, 2006, 09:56 AM
Yes indeed Hen...Maybe the team was the Firebirds, I am trying to recollect; help me out...I remember going with my Dad as part of an Indian Guides outing.
Now I had to do some Googling. The Firebirds only played at the Civic Center. The teams listed as playing in Cherry Hill are the Jersey Devils, Jersey Larks, Jersey Aces and Jersey Knights. Maybe the junior team that played at the Centrum was the Firebirds. In the 70's it was a really nice arena to play in. We played at every single rink in SE PA and Southern Jersey.

http://www.gamewornhockey.com/images/phillyhistory/devilsf.jpg
Pard4Life
June 9th, 2006, 10:54 AM
Just a quick note in case anybody get confused.. the New Jersey Devils of today are in no way affiliated with the Cherry Hill team.

The NJ Devils started as the Kansas City Scouts about 1970, moved to Denver within a few seasons and were called the Colorado Rockies, and then moved to the Meadowlands in 1983 as the NJ Devils.
Pard4Life
June 9th, 2006, 10:58 AM
Where would you all want to see the NHL return? Expansion is definetely off the table due to teh recent league crisis. But, if attendence and revenues continue to boom, why not?

I would absolutely love to see the return of the Quebec Nordiques. It was a shame they moved because of an idiotic owner (and yes losing money and crappy arena), but hockey was perfect for that city.

Winnepeg.. Canada has a right to another NHL team. But is this market big enough?

Las Vegas?! every pro league contemplates moving often to no avail. I don't think it would be an issue.

Seattle? How intense is hockey in this region? And you have the Canucks 200 miles north. The Seattle Metropolitans were the first American team though to win the Stanley Cup, in 1917 I believe.

...list is shorter than I thought, any other potentials?
Pard4Life
June 9th, 2006, 11:01 AM
Does anyone remember the attempt to restart the WHA about a year or two ago? This was in the face of the strike and it was a joke.. obviously it never got off the ground.
89Hen
June 9th, 2006, 11:08 AM
Where would you all want to see the NHL return? Expansion is definetely off the table due to teh recent league crisis. But, if attendence and revenues continue to boom, why not?
Hmmm... Milwaukee or Madison? Hartford or Providence? Cleveland? Kansas City? :confused:
Pard4Life
June 9th, 2006, 11:13 AM
Hmmm... Milwaukee or Madison? Hartford or Providence? Cleveland? Kansas City? :confused:

Hmm.. Milwaukee, that would make sense. I don't know about Hartford or Providence. Those markets are small and are very close to Boston/NY/NJ. Cleveland you have the Jackets and Penguins... and KC.. well, I don't know if they like hockey there. But if the Coyotes and Canes can succed, I guess that is not a stretch. I know they talk about moving the Penguins there.
Pards Rule
June 9th, 2006, 11:17 AM
Thx 89!! So I was right...the Jersey Devils...I remember when that NHL team started in NJ and thought "thats the same name I remember as a kid" No connection other than the name?
89Hen
June 9th, 2006, 11:25 AM
No connection other than the name?
When I was searching this stuff it was interesting to see all the connections between the minor league teams and the NHL. It seemed liked they just shopped themselves around to be a farm team for whomever would have them. However, I don't think there was any connection between the Devils and the Scouts/Rockies/Devils of the NHL.
Gil Dobie
June 11th, 2006, 05:07 PM
Bobby Hull was the gate draw for the Jets for most of their existance in the WHA. He ended his career with Hartford in the NHL. He never played for Houston.
Pards Rule
June 12th, 2006, 11:18 AM
However, I don't think there was any connection between the Devils and the Scouts/Rockies/Devils of the NHL.

I do believe my fellow Pard was right. I'm not a big NHL fan, but I do recall the Scouts, and the Rockies and now tingling my brain is that I remember the Rockies moving to Jersey in the early 80s to play in the Meadowlands Arena (formerly the Brendan Byrne Arena, named after former Gov. Byrne who instituted the first income tax - unpopular at the time - in NJ in 1976. At Tom Kean's 1981 primary victory party - Kean didn't have a 1981 general election victory party cause the ultimate win was decided by less than 2000 votes and it was undecided for a few weeks - his supporters chanted "Byrne the arena!" Kean has the Camden Aquarium named after him and one of Gov. McGreevey's last acts before he declared he was gay and resigned from office was to rename Lebanon State Forest in the Pinelands - Pinelands Preservation Act signed by Byrne in 1978 - the Brendan Byrne State Forest).