1976–77 New England Whalers season

1976–77 New England Whalers
Division	4th East
1976–77 record	35–40–6
Home record	20–16–4
Road record	15–24–2
Goals for	275
Goals against	290
Team information
General manager	Ron Ryan
Coach	Harry Neale
Captain	Rick Ley
Team leaders
Goals	George Lyle (39)
Assists	Mike Rogers (57)
Points	Tom Webster (85)
Penalty minutes	Gordie Roberts (169)
Wins	Christer Abrahamsson (15)
Goals against average	Cap Raeder (3.12)
←  1975–76 1977–78  →

The 1976–77 New England Whalers season was the fifth season of operation of the New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association. The Whalers placed fourth in the Eastern Division, qualifying fourth for the playoffs, losing in the first round to the Quebec Nordiques.

Regular season

Final standings

Eastern Division

	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	PTS
Quebec Nordiques	81	47	31	3	353	295	97
Cincinnati Stingers	81	39	37	5	354	303	83
Indianapolis Racers	81	36	37	8	276	305	80
New England Whalers	81	35	40	6	275	290	76
Birmingham Bulls	81	31	46	4	289	309	66
Minnesota Fighting Saints	42	19	18	5	136	129	43

Schedule and results

1976–77 regular season [1]
October Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 1 L October 8, 1976 0–2 @ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) 0–1–0 2 L October 10, 1976 2–5 @ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) 0–2–0 3 L October 16, 1976 2–8 Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) 0–3–0 4 T October 19, 1976 4–4 @ Houston Aeros (1976–77) 0–3–1 5 W October 22, 1976 5–2 Houston Aeros (1976–77) 1–3–1 6 W October 23, 1976 5–4 Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) 2–3–1 7 L October 26, 1976 0–1 Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) 2–4–1 8 W October 29, 1976 5–1 Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77) 3–4–1 9 W October 30, 1976 5–4 Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) 4–4–1
November Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 10 W November 5, 1976 4–3 @ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) 5–4–1 11 L November 7, 1976 2–4 @ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) 5–5–1 12 L November 9, 1976 4–5 OT @ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) 5–6–1 13 T November 11, 1976 3–3 @ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77) 5–6–2 14 L November 12, 1976 1–3 @ Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77) 5–7–2 15 W November 16, 1976 5–4 @ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) 6–7–2 16 W November 17, 1976 6–4 Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) 7–7–2 17 L November 19, 1976 3–7 Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) 7–8–2 18 T November 20, 1976 3–3 Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77) 7–8–3 19 L November 23, 1976 3–4 @ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) 7–9–3 20 W November 25, 1976 5–3 @ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) 8–9–3 21 L November 27, 1976 1–3 Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77) 8–10–3 22 L November 28, 1976 3–4 Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) 8–11–3 23 L November 30, 1976 1–2 @ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) 8–12–3
December Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 24 W December 1, 1976 8–4 Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) 9–12–3 25 T December 3, 1976 5–5 Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) 9–12–4 26 L December 4, 1976 2–6 Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) 9–13–4 27 L December 7, 1976 2–4 @ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77) 9–14–4 28 W December 8, 1976 5–1 Houston Aeros (1976–77) 10–14–4 29 W December 11, 1976 3–2 San Diego Mariners (1976–77) 11–14–4 30 L December 12, 1976 1–5 @ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) 11–15–4 31 W December 14, 1976 3–1 @ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) 12–15–4 32 L December 17, 1976 4–5 OT Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) 12–16–4 33 W December 18, 1976 6–2 Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) 13–16–4 34 L December 21, 1976 0–4 @ Houston Aeros (1976–77) 13–17–4 35 W December 23, 1976 5–3 @ San Diego Mariners (1976–77) 14–17–4 36 W December 26, 1976 3–2 Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77) 15–17–4 37 L December 28, 1976 4–5 @ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77) 15–18–4 38 W December 30, 1976 6–4 @ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) 16–18–4
January Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 39 W January 2, 1977 3–2 Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) 17–18–4 40 L January 4, 1977 3–5 @ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) 17–19–4 41 L January 5, 1977 1–2 San Diego Mariners (1976–77) 17–20–4 42 L January 7, 1977 3–7 Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) 17–21–4 43 L January 8, 1977 3–4 Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77) 17–22–4 44 L January 11, 1977 2–8 @ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) 17–23–4 45 L January 13, 1977 1–4 @ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) 17–24–4 46 L January 14, 1977 3–5 Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) 17–25–4 47 L January 20, 1977 4–5 Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) 17–26–4 48 T January 22, 1977 3–3 Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) 17–26–5 49 W January 23, 1977 4–3 OT Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) 18–26–5 50 L January 25, 1977 2–4 @ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) 18–27–5 51 W January 27, 1977 5–3 @ San Diego Mariners (1976–77) 19–27–5 52 W January 28, 1977 6–2 @ Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77) 20–27–5 53 L January 30, 1977 0–5 @ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) 20–28–5
February Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 54 L February 1, 1977 3–4 @ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) 20–29–5 55 L February 4, 1977 1–4 @ Houston Aeros (1976–77) 20–30–5 56 L February 5, 1977 3–8 @ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) 20–31–5 57 T February 6, 1977 5–5 Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) 20–31–6 58 W February 10, 1977 6–3 Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) 21–31–6 59 L February 12, 1977 1–5 Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) 21–32–6 60 W February 13, 1977 5–4 @ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) 22–32–6 61 W February 17, 1977 4–2 Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77) 23–32–6 62 L February 18, 1977 2–3 Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) 23–33–6 63 W February 20, 1977 5–0 @ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) 24–33–6 64 L February 22, 1977 3–4 @ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) 24–34–6 65 W February 25, 1977 3–2 @ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) 25–34–6 66 W February 27, 1977 3–2 @ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) 26–34–6
March Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 67 W March 2, 1977 2–0 San Diego Mariners (1976–77) 27–34–6 68 W March 4, 1977 3–2 Houston Aeros (1976–77) 28–34–6 69 W March 6, 1977 6–2 Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) 29–34–6 70 L March 9, 1977 3–4 OT @ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) 29–35–6 71 L March 11, 1977 3–6 @ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) 29–36–6 72 L March 13, 1977 3–5 @ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) 29–37–6 73 W March 18, 1977 3–1 Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) 30–37–6 74 W March 20, 1977 9–0 Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) 31–37–6 75 L March 24, 1977 4–5 Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) 31–38–6 76 L March 26, 1977 2–4 Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) 31–39–6 77 W March 27, 1977 5–2 Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) 32–39–6 78 W March 29, 1977 5–4 @ San Diego Mariners (1976–77) 33–39–6 79 W March 31, 1977 6–2 @ Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77) 34–39–6
April Game Result Date Score Opponent Record 80 W April 2, 1977 3–2 OT @ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) 35–39–6 81 L April 5, 1977 2–7 @ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) 35–40–6
Legend:   Win (2 points)  Loss (0 points)  Tie (1 point)

Playoffs

The Whalers met the Quebec Nordiques in the first round of the playoffs. The Nordiques defeated the Whalers 4–1 to win the round. The Nordiques would go on to win the league championship.

1977 Avco Cup playoffs [1]
Division Quarterfinals vs. Quebec Nordiques – Nordiques win 4–1 Game Date Visitor Score Home Series 1 April 9 New England Whalers 2–5 Quebec Nordiques 0–1 2 April 12 New England Whalers 3–7 Quebec Nordiques 0–2 3 April 14 Quebec Nordiques 4 – 3 OT New England Whalers 0–3 4 April 16 Quebec Nordiques 4–6 New England Whalers 1–3 5 April 19 New England Whalers 0–3 Quebec Nordiques 1–4
Legend:   Win  Loss

Draft picks

New England's draft picks at the 1976 WHA Amateur Draft. ^[2]

Round	#	Player	Nationality	College/Junior/Club team (League)
2	13	Mike Fidler (LW)	United States	Boston University (ECAC)
3	26	Fred Williams (C)	Canada	Saskatoon Blades (WCHL)
3	31	Dave Debol (C)	United States	University of Michigan (WCHA)
4	38	Mike Kaszycki (F)	Canada	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHA)
5	49	Bill Baker (D)	United States	University of Minnesota (WCHA)
5	50	Mike Liut (G)	Canada	Bowling Green State University (CCHA)
6	62	Dwight Schofield (D)	Canada	London Knights (OHA)
7	74	Warren Young (F)	Canada	Michigan Tech (WCHA)
8	86	Ken Morrow (D)	United States	Bowling Green State University (CCHA)
9	97	Ed Clarey (F)	Canada	Cornwall Royals (QMJHL)
10	108	Jon Hammond (LW)	Canada	Regina Pats (WCHL)

See also

• 1976–77 WHA season

References

1. "1976-77 New England Whalers Schedule". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
2. "1976 WHA Amateur Draft". hockeyDB.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.