1976–77 New England Whalers season

1976–77 New England Whalers
Division	4th East
1976–77 record	35–40–6
Goals for	275
Goals against	290
Team information
General Manager	Ron Ryan
Coach	Harry Neale
Captain	Rick Ley
Team leaders
<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

No.	R	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
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
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
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
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
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
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

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.

Roster

Updated June 5, 1977.

#	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
1		Christer Abrahamsson	G	L	30	1974	Leksand, Sweden
6		Thommy Abrahamsson	D	L	30	1974	Leksand, Sweden
12		Mike Antonovich	C	L	25	1976	Calumet, Minnesota
19		Danny Arndt	LW	L	22	1975	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
9		Ralph Backstrom	C	L	39	1975	Kirkland Lake, Ontario
21		Dan Bolduc	RW	L	24	1975	Waterville, Maine
5		Ron Busniuk	D	R	28	1975	Fort William, Ontario
18		Bill Butters	D	R	26	1976	Saint Paul, Minnesota
22		Brett Callighen	RW	L	24	1976	Toronto, Ontario
23		Jack Carlson	LW	L	22	1976	Virginia, Minnesota
26		Steve Carlson	C	L	21	1976	Virginia, Minnesota
15		Ron Climie	LW	L	27	1975	Hamilton, Ontario
27		Tommy Earl	LW	R	29	1972	Niagara Falls, Ontario
10		Alan Hangsleben	D	L	24	1975	Warroad, Minnesota
19		Dave Hanson	D	L	23	1976	Cumberland, Wisconsin
11		Dave Hynes	LW	L	26	1976	Cambridge, Massachusetts
14		Dave Keon	C	L	37	1976	Noranda, Quebec
30		Bruce Landon	G	L	27	1972	Kingston, Ontario
2		Rick Ley	D	L	28	1972	Orillia, Ontario
16		George Lyle	LW	L	23	1976	North Vancouver, British Columbia
12		Gary MacGregor	C	L	22	1976	Kingston, Ontario
19		John McKenzie	RW	R	39	1976	High River, Alberta
12		Rosaire Paiement	C	R	28	1975	Earlton, Ontario
4		Larry Pleau	LW	L	30	1972	Lynn, Massachusetts
35		Cap Raeder	G	L	23	1975	Needham, Massachusetts
14		Doug Roberts	D	R	34	1975	Detroit, Michigan
7		Gordie Roberts	D	L	19	1975	Detroit, Michigan
17		Mike Rogers	C	L	22	1975	Calgary, Alberta
3		Brad Selwood	D	L	29	1972	Leamington, Ontario
24		Dale Smedsmo	LW	L	26	1976	Bemidji, Minnesota
20		Garry Swain	C	L	29	1974	Welland, Ontario
25		Jim Troy	RW	R	24	1975	Boston, Massachusetts
8		Tom Webster	RW	R	28	1972	Kirkland Lake, Ontario

See also

• 1976–77 WHA season