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

Schedule and results

1972–73 regular season[3]
October Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 1 W October 12, 1972 6–4 @ New York Raiders 1–0–0 2 W October 13, 1972 4–3 @ Minnesota Fighting Saints 2–0–0 3 L October 15, 1972 2–5 Alberta Oilers 2–1–0 4 L October 17, 1972 2–3 OT @ Alberta Oilers 2–2–0 5 T October 20, 1972 1–1 Minnesota Fighting Saints 2–2–1 6 W October 22, 1972 6–3 Philadelphia Blazers 3–2–1 7 W October 24, 1972 5–3 Philadelphia Blazers 4–2–1 8 W October 27, 1972 4–2 Chicago Cougars 5–2–1 9 W October 29, 1972 5–3 Houston Aeros 6–2–1 10 L October 31, 1972 1–3 @ Chicago Cougars 6–3–1
November Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 11 L November 1, 1972 0–3 @ Minnesota Fighting Saints 6–4–1 12 L November 3, 1972 6–9 New York Raiders 6–5–1 13 W November 5, 1972 3–1 New York Raiders 7–5–1 14 L November 6, 1972 2–6 @ New England Whalers 7–6–1 15 L November 8, 1972 2–3 @ Quebec Nordiques 7–7–1 16 W November 9, 1972 4–1 @ Ottawa Nationals 8–7–1 17 L November 10, 1972 1–5 Minnesota Fighting Saints 8–8–1 18 W November 12, 1972 5–2 Los Angeles Sharks 9–8–1 19 W November 14, 1972 8–0 Los Angeles Sharks 10–8–1 20 L November 15, 1972 1–3 @ Alberta Oilers 10–9–1 21 W November 17, 1972 5–1 @ Los Angeles Sharks 11–9–1 22 W November 19, 1972 4–3 @ Los Angeles Sharks 12–9–1 23 W November 21, 1972 4–2 @ Houston Aeros 13–9–1 24 L November 23, 1972 5–6 OT @ Houston Aeros 13–10–1 25 W November 24, 1972 5–3 Quebec Nordiques 14–10–1 26 W November 26, 1972 4–1 Quebec Nordiques 15–10–1 27 W November 28, 1972 3–0 Alberta Oilers 16–10–1 28 T November 30, 1972 3–3 @ Alberta Oilers 16–10–2
December Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 29 L December 1, 1972 3–4 Ottawa Nationals 16–11–2 30 W December 3, 1972 5–1 Minnesota Fighting Saints 17–11–2 31 L December 5, 1972 2–4 Quebec Nordiques 17–12–2 32 W December 6, 1972 7–1 Chicago Cougars 18–12–2 33 W December 8, 1972 6–2 Houston Aeros 19–12–2 34 W December 9, 1972 3–2 OT @ Cleveland Crusaders 20–12–2 35 L December 11, 1972 3–4 @ New England Whalers 20–13–2 36 L December 13, 1972 4–7 @ Philadelphia Blazers 20–14–2 37 L December 15, 1972 4–6 @ Philadelphia Blazers 20–15–2 38 W December 17, 1972 4–3 @ New York Raiders 21–15–2 39 L December 21, 1972 0–3 @ Minnesota Fighting Saints 21–16–2 40 L December 22, 1972 2–3 @ Chicago Cougars 21–17–2 41 W December 26, 1972 3–2 Chicago Cougars 22–17–2
January Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 42 L January 1, 1973 3–7 @ Alberta Oilers 22–18–2 43 W January 7, 1973 6–2 @ Minnesota Fighting Saints 23–18–2 44 W January 10, 1973 6–1 Alberta Oilers 24–18–2 45 W January 12, 1973 5–3 Cleveland Crusaders 25–18–2 46 W January 14, 1973 3–1 Cleveland Crusaders 26–18–2 47 W January 16, 1973 3–1 Minnesota Fighting Saints 27–18–2 48 W January 19, 1973 6–2 New England Whalers 28–18–2 49 L January 21, 1973 2–7 New England Whalers 28–19–2 50 L January 23, 1973 4–5 OT @ Cleveland Crusaders 28–20–2 51 L January 24, 1973 1–6 @ New England Whalers 28–21–2 52 T January 26, 1973 2–2 @ Quebec Nordiques 28–21–3 53 W January 28, 1973 5–4 @ Ottawa Nationals 29–21–3
February Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 54 L February 2, 1973 3–4 Alberta Oilers 29–22–3 55 W February 4, 1973 5–3 @ Alberta Oilers 30–22–3 56 L February 7, 1973 2–5 @ Houston Aeros 30–23–3 57 W February 8, 1973 3–1 @ Houston Aeros 31–23–3 58 W February 10, 1973 6–5 OT @ Los Angeles Sharks 32–23–3 59 W February 11, 1973 3–0 @ Los Angeles Sharks 33–23–3 60 W February 15, 1973 7–2 @ Chicago Cougars 34–23–3 61 W February 16, 1973 7–0 Houston Aeros 35–23–3 62 W February 18, 1973 4–2 Houston Aeros 36–23–3 63 W February 25, 1973 5–3 Philadelphia Blazers 37–23–3 64 W February 27, 1973 5–1 Chicago Cougars 38–23–3
March Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 65 W March 2, 1973 2–1 Los Angeles Sharks 39–23–3 66 W March 4, 1973 2–1 Los Angeles Sharks 40–23–3 67 L March 6, 1973 2–5 @ Ottawa Nationals 40–24–3 68 W March 8, 1973 7–4 @ Quebec Nordiques 41–24–3 69 L March 10, 1973 2–3 OT @ New York Raiders 41–25–3 70 L March 11, 1973 2–11 Cleveland Crusaders 41–26–3 71 L March 14, 1973 5–7 New England Whalers 41–27–3 72 L March 16, 1973 1–6 Ottawa Nationals 41–28–3 73 L March 18, 1973 2–4 Ottawa Nationals 41–29–3 74 T March 22, 1973 1–1 Alberta Oilers 41–29–4 75 W March 25, 1973 8–4 New York Raiders 42–29–4 76 W March 28, 1973 4–3 OT @ Chicago Cougars 43–29–4 77 L March 30, 1973 2–4 @ Cleveland Crusaders 43–30–4
April Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 78 L April 1, 1973 2–4 @ Philadelphia Blazers 43–31–4
Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)

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.

1973 Avco World Trophy playoffs[3]
Quarterfinals vs. (W4) Minnesota Fighting Saints – Jets win 4–1 Game Date Visitor Score Home Series 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
Semifinals vs. (W2) Houston Aeros – Jets win 4–0 Game Date Visitor Score Home Series 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
Avco World Trophy Finals vs. (E1) New England Whalers – Whalers win 4–1 Game Date Visitor Score Home Series 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
Legend:   Win   Loss

Awards and records

• Bobby Hull, Gary L. Davidson Award

Player statistics

Forwards

Regular season^[4]

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

Scoring

Regular season^[5]

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
John Shmyr	7	0	0	0	2

Goaltending

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