1973–74 New England Whalers season

1973–74 New England Whalers
Division	1st Eastern
1973–74 record	43–31–4
Home record	26-11-2
Road record	17-20-2
Goals for	291
Goals against	260
Team information
General manager	Jack Kelley
Coach	Ron Ryan
Captain	Ted Green
Alternate captains	Jim Dorey Tommy Williams Larry Pleau
Arena	Boston Garden
Average attendance	5,970 (39.8%)
Team leaders
Goals	Tom Webster (43)
Assists	John French (48)
Points	John French (72)
Penalty minutes	Rick Ley (148)
Wins	Al Smith (30)
Goals against average	Al Smith (3.08)

The 1973–74 New England Whalers season was the 2nd season of the Whalers' franchise in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Whalers finished 1st in the Eastern Division and lost in the Quarter-finals to the Chicago Cougars 4 games to 3.

Off-season

Al Karlander's 1973-74 jersey.

The Whalers green away jersey remained unchanged from the 1972-73 season. The white home jersey had yellow highlights added to the stripes, collar, numbers and socks. But most significantly, the logo had the roundel removed, the "W" was enlarged and the horizontal harpoon was enlarged and changed from black to green. The white jersey would remain unchanged for the rest of the Whalers stint in the WHA.

Pre-season

Poster for the New York Golden Blades, Houston Aeros, Winnipeg Jets and New England Whalers mini-tournament on September 25, 1973.

In order to promote the New York Golden Blades, a four team mini-tournament featuring the Houston Aeros, Winnipeg Jets and New England Whalers was held at Madison Square Garden on September 25, 1973.

Regular Season

Final Standings

Eastern Division

	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	PIM	Pts
New England Whalers	78	43	31	4	291	260	875	90
Toronto Toros	78	41	33	4	304	272	871	86
Cleveland Crusaders	78	37	32	9	266	264	1007	83
Chicago Cougars	78	38	35	5	271	273	1041	81
Quebec Nordiques	78	38	36	4	306	280	909	80
NY Golden Blades / NJ Knights	78	32	42	4	268	313	933	68

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, PIM = Penalties Minutes, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Game Log

Regular Season Results
No.	R	Date	Score	Opponent	Record
1	L	October 7, 1973	2–4	@ Quebec Nordiques (1973–74)	0–1–0
2	W	October 9, 1973	3–2	Quebec Nordiques (1973–74)	1–1–0
3	W	October 13, 1973	6–4	Chicago Cougars (1973–74)	2–1–0
4	W	October 14, 1973	2–1 OT	@ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74)	3–1–0
5	T	October 15, 1973	3–3	Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74)	3–1–1
6	L	October 17, 1973	1–3	Winnipeg Jets (1973–74)	3–2–1
7	L	October 19, 1973	0–1	@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74)	3–3–1
8	W	October 21, 1973	4–3	@ Toronto Toros (1973–74)	4–3–1
9	W	October 22, 1973	4–1	New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74)	5–3–1
10	W	October 25, 1973	8–3	@ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74)	6–3–1
11	W	October 27, 1973	3–1	Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74)	7–3–1
12	L	November 3, 1973	4–5	Toronto Toros (1973–74)	7–4–1
13	W	November 4, 1973	7–5	Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74)	8–4–1
14	W	November 7, 1973	9–2	Winnipeg Jets (1973–74)	9–4–1
15	L	November 10, 1973	3–6	Edmonton Oilers (1973–74)	9–5–1
16	L	November 11, 1973	2–3	@ Quebec Nordiques (1973–74)	9–6–1
17	W	November 12, 1973	3–2 OT	New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74)	10–6–1
18	W	November 15, 1973	5–3	@ Quebec Nordiques (1973–74)	11–6–1
19	L	November 17, 1973	4–10	Quebec Nordiques (1973–74)	11–7–1
20	W	November 18, 1973	5–2	@ Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74)	12–7–1
21	L	November 21, 1973	1–4	@ Houston Aeros (1973–74)	12–8–1
22	L	November 22, 1973	5–7	@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74)	12–9–1
23	W	November 26, 1973	4–2	New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74)	13–9–1
24	W	November 29, 1973	5–2	Houston Aeros (1973–74)	14–9–1
25	W	December 2, 1973	4–3	Chicago Cougars (1973–74)	15–9–1
26	L	December 8, 1973	1–2 OT	@ Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74)	15–10–1
27	W	December 9, 1973	3–2	Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74)	16–10–1
28	W	December 12, 1973	8–6	Toronto Toros (1973–74)	17–10–1
29	W	December 14, 1973	3–1	New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74)	18–10–1
30	L	December 16, 1973	2–3	Chicago Cougars (1973–74)	18–11–1
31	W	December 19, 1973	4–2	Edmonton Oilers (1973–74)	19–11–1
32	L	December 22, 1973	0–2	Winnipeg Jets (1973–74)	19–12–1
33	W	December 24, 1973	5–4 OT	Vancouver Blazers (1973–74)	20–12–1
34	W	December 26, 1973	3–2 OT	@ Houston Aeros (1973–74)	21–12–1
35	W	December 27, 1973	5–1	@ Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74)	22–12–1
36	L	December 29, 1973	2–6	@ Edmonton Oilers (1973–74)	22–13–1
37	L	December 30, 1973	5–6 OT	@ Vancouver Blazers (1973–74)	22–14–1
38	W	January 4, 1974	4–3	@ Winnipeg Jets (1973–74)	23–14–1
39	L	January 5, 1974	0–1	@ Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74)	23–15–1
40	L	January 8, 1974	2–3	Toronto Toros (1973–74)	23–16–1
41	T	January 10, 1974	6–6	@ Toronto Toros (1973–74)	23–16–2
42	W	January 13, 1974	9–6	Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74)	24–16–2
43	W	January 16, 1974	4–2	New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74)	25–16–2
44	L	January 17, 1974	2–5	Chicago Cougars (1973–74)	25–17–2
45	W	January 19, 1974	5–2	Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74)	26–17–2
46	L	January 20, 1974	4–8	@ Toronto Toros (1973–74)	26–18–2
47	L	January 22, 1974	3–5	@ Chicago Cougars (1973–74)	26–19–2
48	W	January 26, 1974	4–0	Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74)	27–19–2
49	W	January 28, 1974	6–4	Vancouver Blazers (1973–74)	28–19–2
50	L	January 31, 1974	1–4	@ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74)	28–20–2
51	W	February 2, 1974	5–2	Houston Aeros (1973–74)	29–20–2
52	L	February 3, 1974	1–3	@ Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74)	29–21–2
53	L	February 6, 1974	0–3	Quebec Nordiques (1973–74)	29–22–2
54	W	February 8, 1974	4–2	@ Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74)	30–22–2
55	L	February 10, 1974	2–5	Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74)	30–23–2
56	L	February 13, 1974	4–9	@ Vancouver Blazers (1973–74)	30–24–2
57	W	February 15, 1974	7–3	@ Edmonton Oilers (1973–74)	31–24–2
58	W	February 17, 1974	3–2 OT	@ Winnipeg Jets (1973–74)	32–24–2
59	L	February 20, 1974	2–4	@ Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74)	32–25–2
60	W	February 23, 1974	3–0	@ Chicago Cougars (1973–74)	33–25–2
61	L	February 24, 1974	0–2	@ Toronto Toros (1973–74)	33–26–2
62	W	February 27, 1974	5–3	Toronto Toros (1973–74)	34–26–2
63	T	February 28, 1974	3–3	@ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74)	34–26–3
64	W	March 2, 1974	7–1	Vancouver Blazers (1973–74)	35–26–3
65	W	March 3, 1974	6–3	@ Houston Aeros (1973–74)	36–26–3
66	W	March 5, 1974	3–2	@ Chicago Cougars (1973–74)	37–26–3
67	L	March 6, 1974	6–8	@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1973–74)	37–27–3
68	W	March 8, 1974	7–2	@ New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights (1973–74)	38–27–3
69	L	March 12, 1974	3–5	@ Chicago Cougars (1973–74)	38–28–3
70	W	March 14, 1974	6–3	@ Vancouver Blazers (1973–74)	39–28–3
71	W	March 15, 1974	6–2	@ Edmonton Oilers (1973–74)	40–28–3
72	L	March 17, 1974	1–10	@ Winnipeg Jets (1973–74)	40–29–3
73	T	March 20, 1974	2–2	Edmonton Oilers (1973–74)	40–29–4
74	L	March 24, 1974	3–4	@ Quebec Nordiques (1973–74)	40–30–4
75	W	March 27, 1974	7–1	Los Angeles Sharks (1973–74)	41–30–4
76	W	March 28, 1974	3–2	Cleveland Crusaders (1973–74)	42–30–4
77	W	March 31, 1974	3–2 OT	Quebec Nordiques (1973–74)	43–30–4
78	L	April 1, 1974	1–4	Houston Aeros (1973–74)	43–31–4

Playoffs

Chicago Cougars 4, New England Whalers 3

#	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Record
1	April 6	Chicago Cougars	4–6	New England Whalers	1–0
2	April 7	Chicago Cougars	3 – 4 OT	New England Whalers	2–0
3	April 9	New England Whalers	6–8	Chicago Cougars	2–1
4	April 10	New England Whalers	1 – 2 OT	Chicago Cougars	2–2
5	April 12	Chicago Cougars	4–2	New England Whalers	3–2
6	April 14	New England Whalers	2–0	Chicago Cougars	3–3
7	April 16	Chicago Cougars	3–2	New England Whalers	3–4

Player Stats

Skaters

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
11	John French	77	24	48	72	31	7	4	2	6	2
8	Tom Webster	64	43	27	70	28	3	5	0	5	7
4	Larry Pleau	77	26	43	69	35	2	2	0	2	0
14	Al Karlander	77	20	41	61	46	7	1	3	4	2
22	Don Blackburn	75	20	39	59	18	7	2	4	6	4
15	Tim Sheehy	77	29	29	58	22	7	4	2	6	4
9	Tom Williams	70	21	37	58	6	4	0	3	3	10
16	Hugh Harris	75	24	28	52	78	7	0	4	4	11
21	Mike Byers	78	29	21	50	6	7	2	4	6	12
10	Jim Dorey	77	6	40	46	134	6	0	6	6	26
2	Rick Ley	72	6	35	41	148	7	1	5	6	18
3	Brad Selwood	76	9	28	37	91	7	0	2	2	11
6	Ted Green	75	7	26	33	42	7	0	4	4	2
27	Tommy Earl	78	10	10	20	29	7	0	2	2	2
5	Paul Hurley	52	3	11	14	21	—	—	—	—	—
17	John Cunniff	30	7	5	12	21	5	1	1	2	0
18	Bob Charlebois	74	4	7	11	6	7	0	0	0	0
19	Guy Smith	16	1	5	6	25	—	—	—	—	—
12	John Danby	72	2	2	4	6	7	1	0	1	0
20	Ric Jordan	34	0	3	3	14	7	1	0	1	6
1	Al Smith	55	0	1	1	39	7	0	1	1	12
	Mike Keeler	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
35	Bill Berglund	3	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—	—
30	Bruce Landon	24	0	0	0	24	1	0	0	0	0

Statistics for all players reflect only games played with the Whalers.

Goaltenders

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
1	Al Smith	55	3194	30	21	2	164	2	0.895	3.08	7	399	3	4	21	1	0.854	3.22
	Bill Berglund	3	180	2	1	0	10	0	0.888	3.33	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
30	Bruce Landon	24	1386	11	9	2	82	0	0.882	3.55	1	40	0	0	3	0	.913	4.50

Awards and Records

• The Whalers did not win any awards this season.

See Also

• 1973–74 WHA season

References

• 1973–74 New England Whalers Games. Hockey-reference.com. Retrieved on 2009-05-21.