This is a list of seasons completed by the Hartford Whalers of the World Hockey Association and National Hockey League. This list documents the records and playoff results for all 25 seasons that the Hartford Whalers completed from their founding in 1972 (then known as the New England Whalers) in the WHA until the franchise relocated to Greensboro, North Carolina, and eventually Raleigh to become the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997.
Avco World Trophy champions | Division/reg. season champions | League leader |
New England WhalersNote: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1972–73 | 78 | 46 | 30 | 2 | 94 | 318 | 263 | 1st, Eastern | Won quarterfinals (Nationals), 4–1 Won semifinals (Crusaders), 4–1 Won Avco Cup (Jets), 4–1 |
1973–74 | 78 | 43 | 31 | 4 | 90 | 291 | 260 | 1st, Eastern | Lost quarterfinals (Cougars), 3–4 |
1974–75 | 78 | 43 | 30 | 5 | 91 | 274 | 279 | 1st, Eastern | Lost quarterfinals (Fighting Saints), 2–4 |
1975–76 | 80 | 33 | 40 | 7 | 73 | 255 | 290 | 3rd, Eastern | Won preliminary round (Crusaders), 3–0 Won quarterfinals (Racers), 4–3 Lost semifinals (Aeros), 3–4 |
1976–77 | 81 | 35 | 40 | 6 | 76 | 275 | 290 | 4th, Eastern | Lost quarterfinals (Nordiques), 1–4 |
1977–78 | 80 | 44 | 31 | 5 | 93 | 335 | 269 | 2nd, WHA | Won quarterfinals (Oilers), 4–1 Won semifinals (Nordiques), 4–1 Lost Avco Cup Finals (Jets), 0–4 |
1978–79 | 80 | 37 | 34 | 9 | 83 | 298 | 287 | 4th, WHA | Won quarterfinals (Stingers), 2–1 Lost semifinals (Oilers), 3–4 |
WHA totals | 555 | 281 | 236 | 38 | 600 | 2,046 | 1,938 | 7 playoff appearances |
Color/symbol | Explanation |
---|---|
↑ | Division champions |
Term or abbreviation | Definition |
---|---|
Finish | Final position in division or league standings |
GP | Number of games played |
W | Number of wins |
L | Number of losses |
T | Number of ties |
Pts | Number of points |
GF | Goals for (goals scored by the Whalers) |
GA | Goals against (goals scored by the Whalers' opponents) |
— | Does not apply |
Season | Team season | Conference | Division | Regular season [a] | Postseason [b] | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | GP | W | L | GF | GA | Result | ||||
1979–80 | 1979–80 | Wales | Norris | 4th | 80 | 27 | 34 | 19 | 73 | 303 | 372 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 18 | Lost in preliminary round, 0–3 (Canadiens) |
1980–81 | 1980–81 | Wales | Norris | 5th | 80 | 21 | 41 | 18 | 60 | 292 | 372 | Did not qualify | |||||
1981–82 | 1981–82 | Wales | Adams | 5th | 80 | 21 | 41 | 18 | 60 | 264 | 351 | Did not qualify | |||||
1982–83 | 1982–83 | Wales | Adams | 5th | 80 | 19 | 54 | 7 | 45 | 261 | 403 | Did not qualify | |||||
1983–84 | 1983–84 | Wales | Adams | 5th | 80 | 28 | 42 | 10 | 66 | 288 | 320 | Did not qualify | |||||
1984–85 | 1984–85 | Wales | Adams | 5th | 80 | 30 | 41 | 9 | 69 | 268 | 318 | Did not qualify | |||||
1985–86 | 1985–86 | Wales | Adams | 4th | 80 | 40 | 36 | 4 | 84 | 332 | 302 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 29 | 23 | Won in division semifinals, 3–0 (Nordiques) Lost in division finals, 3–4 (Canadiens) |
1986–87 | 1986–87 | Wales | Adams ↑ | 1st | 80 | 43 | 30 | 7 | 93 | 287 | 270 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 27 | Lost in division semifinals, 2–4 (Nordiques) |
1987–88 | 1987–88 | Wales | Adams | 4th | 80 | 35 | 38 | 7 | 77 | 249 | 267 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 23 | Lost in division semifinals, 2–4 (Canadiens) |
1988–89 | 1988–89 | Wales | Adams | 4th | 80 | 37 | 38 | 5 | 79 | 299 | 290 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 18 | Lost in division semifinals, 0–4 (Canadiens) |
1989–90 | 1989–90 | Wales | Adams | 4th | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 85 | 275 | 268 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 23 | Lost in division semifinals, 3–4 (Bruins) |
1990–91 | 1990–91 | Wales | Adams | 4th | 80 | 31 | 38 | 11 | 73 | 238 | 276 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 24 | Lost in division semifinals, 2–4 (Bruins) |
1991–92 | 1991–92 | Wales | Adams | 4th | 80 | 26 | 41 | 13 | 65 | 247 | 283 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 22 | Lost in division semifinals, 3–4 (Canadiens) |
1992–93 | 1992–93 | Wales | Adams | 5th | 84 | 26 | 52 | 6 | 58 | 284 | 369 | Did not qualify | |||||
1993–94 | 1993–94 | Eastern | Northeast | 6th | 84 | 27 | 48 | 9 | 63 | 227 | 288 | Did not qualify | |||||
1994–95 1 | 1994–95 | Eastern | Northeast | 5th | 48 | 19 | 24 | 5 | 43 | 127 | 141 | Did not qualify | |||||
1995–96 | 1995–96 | Eastern | Northeast | 4th | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | 237 | 259 | Did not qualify | |||||
1996–97 | 1996–97 | Eastern | Northeast | 5th | 82 | 32 | 39 | 11 | 75 | 226 | 256 | Did not qualify | |||||
Relocated to Carolina | |||||||||||||||||
Totals [c] | 1,420 | 534 | 709 | 177 | 1,245 | 4,704 | 5,345 | 49 | 18 | 31 | 141 | 178 | 8 playoff appearances |
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its 25-year existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to 1997.
The 1979–80 NHL season was the 63rd season of the National Hockey League. This season saw the addition of four teams from the disbanded World Hockey Association as expansion franchises. The Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, New England Whalers, and Quebec Nordiques joined the NHL, bringing the total to 21 teams. The other two WHA teams were paid to fold.
The 1972–73 WHA season was the first season of the World Hockey Association (WHA). Twelve teams played 78 games each. The league was officially incorporated in June of 1971 by Gary Davidson and Dennis A. Murphy and promised to ice twelve teams in various markets around Canada and the United States. The league championship trophy, the Avco World Trophy, was donated by AVCO Financial Services Corporation along with $500,000. The New England Whalers won the first Avco World Trophy.
The 1978–79 WHA season was the seventh and final season of the World Hockey Association (WHA). Prior to the start of the season, the Houston Aeros folded leaving seven teams to start the season. Only six would finish however, as the Indianapolis Racers folded after 25 games on December 15, 1978. The remaining six teams each played 80 games, including one game each per team against a Soviet All-Star squad and the Czechoslovak National Team, the second consecutive year for this arrangement. The Soviet team won four of their six games and tied another; the Czechoslovak team only won once and tied once against four losses. In addition, because the Racers had folded after playing an odd number of games, the Edmonton Oilers played the Finnish National Team once at home so as to allow each of the six surviving WHA teams to play 80 regular season games. The Oilers won by a score of 8–4, a result which in itself made no difference by the end of the regular season which Edmonton won by an 11–point margin over the Quebec Nordiques.
The 1977–78 WHA season was the sixth season of the World Hockey Association (WHA). Eight teams played 80 games each. The Avco World Trophy winner was the Winnipeg Jets.
The 1973–74 WHA season was the second season of the World Hockey Association, and lasted from October 1973 until the Avco Cup final game on May 19, 1974, when the Houston Aeros, with Gordie Howe, defeated the Chicago Cougars to sweep the series in four games. Twelve teams each played 78 games. The Philadelphia Blazers relocated to Vancouver, becoming the Vancouver Blazers. They were moved to the Western Division and Chicago moved to the East. The New York Raiders were renamed the New York Golden Blades and then moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey to become the Jersey Knights after just 24 games. The Ottawa Nationals moved to Toronto and became the Toronto Toros. The Alberta Oilers changed their name to the Edmonton Oilers.
The Greensboro Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team based in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Monarchs joined the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) as an expansion franchise prior to the start of the 1989–90 season and surrendered the franchise back to the league when the Monarchs ownership obtained an expansion franchise in the American Hockey League (AHL) at the conclusion of the 1994–95 ECHL season.
The 2006–07 OHL season was the 27th season of the Ontario Hockey League.
The 1979–80 Winnipeg Jets season was the organization's eighth season since its inception in 1972, and its first season in the National Hockey League.
The 1993–94 Hartford Whalers season was the 22nd season of the franchise, 15th season in the NHL. The Whalers missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. It was the first season that all four former WHA teams missed the playoffs since joining the NHL in 1979.
The 1981–82 New York Rangers season was the franchise's 56th season. During the regular season, the Rangers finished second in the Patrick Division with 92 points and qualified for the NHL playoffs. In the first round of the playoffs, New York defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, three games to one, to advance to the Patrick Division Finals. There, the Rangers lost to the New York Islanders in six games.
The 1986–87 Hartford Whalers season saw the Whalers finish in first place in the Adams Division with a record of 43 wins, 30 losses, and 7 ties for 93 points. They lost the Adams Division semi-finals in six games to the Quebec Nordiques. This was the only time in franchise history that the Whalers finished above fourth place in their division before their relocation to North Carolina.
The 1988–89 Hartford Whalers season saw the team finish in fourth place in the Adams Division with a record of 37 wins, 38 losses, and 5 ties for 79 points. They were swept by the Montreal Canadiens in four straight games in the Division Semi-finals.
The 1983–84 Winnipeg Jets season was the 12th season of the Winnipeg Jets, their fifth season in the National Hockey League. The Jets placed fourth in the Smythe to qualify for the playoffs. The Jets lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round.
The 1990–91 Hartford Whalers season was the franchise's 19th season, 12th in the NHL. The Whalers placed fourth in the Adams Division to qualify for the playoffs. The Whalers were eliminated in the first round by their New England rival Boston Bruins.
The 1988–90 Hartford Whalers season was the Whalers' eleventh season in the National Hockey League.
The 1980–81 Hartford Whalers season was the Whalers' second season in the National Hockey League.