1972–73 New England Whalers season

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.

1972–73 New England Whalers
Avco Cup champions
Division	1st East
1972–73 record	46–30–2
Home record	30–8–1
Road record	16–22–1
Goals for	318
Goals against	263
Team information
General manager	Jack Kelley
Coach	Jack Kelley
Captain	Ted Green
Alternate captains	Tommy Williams Jim Dorey Larry Pleau
Arena	Boston Arena (20 games) Boston Garden (19 games)
Average attendance	6,981 (67.2%)
Team leaders
Goals	Tom Webster (53)
Assists	Terry Caffery (61)
Points	Tom Webster (103)
Penalty minutes	Brad Selwood (114)
Wins	Al Smith (31)
Goals against average	Al Smith (3.17)

Regular season

Final standings

Eastern Division

	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	PIM	Pts
New England Whalers	78	46	30	2	318	263	858	94
Cleveland Crusaders	78	43	32	3	287	239	1095	89
Philadelphia Blazers	78	38	40	0	288	305	1260	76
Ottawa Nationals	78	35	39	4	279	301	1067	74
Quebec Nordiques	78	33	40	5	276	313	1354	71
New York Raiders	78	33	43	2	303	334	900	68

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 Philadelphia 3–4 New England 1–0–0 2 2 October 16 Chicago 1–4 New England 2–0–0 4 3 October 18 New England 4–1 Houston 3–0–0 6 4 October 19 Quebec 4–3 New England 3–1–0 6 5 October 21 New England 4–6 Quebec 3–2–0 6 6 October 23 Minnesota 1–5 New England 4–2–0 8 7 October 24 New England 3–2 Cleveland OT 5–2–0 10 8 October 26 New England 6–7 New York 5–3–0 10 9 October 28 Alberta 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 Winnipeg 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 Ottawa 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 Los Angeles 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

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Finals

E1

New England Whalers

4

E4

Ottawa Nationals

1

E1

New England Whalers

4

Eastern Division

E2

Cleveland Crusaders

1

E2

Cleveland Crusaders

4

E3

Philadelphia Blazers

0

E1

New England Whalers

4

W1

Winnipeg Jets

1

W1

Winnipeg Jets

4

W4

Minnesota Fighting Saints

1

W1

Winnipeg Jets

4

Western Division

W2

Houston Aeros

0

W2

Houston Aeros

4

W3

Los Angeles Sharks

2

Eastern Division Semifinal vs. Ottawa Nationals

#	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Record
1	April 7	Ottawa Nationals	3–6	New England Whalers	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	Cleveland Crusaders	2–3	New England Whalers	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	New England Whalers	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

• "1972–73 New England Whalers Games". Hockey-reference.com. Retrieved May 21, 2009.