List of WHA Seasons

The World Hockey Association (WHA) operated for seven seasons from 1972 until 1979.

Season Teams Avco Cup Champion
1972–73 Eastern:
Cleveland Crusaders • New England Whalers • New York Raiders • Ottawa Nationals • Philadelphia Blazers • Quebec Nordiques
Western:
Alberta Oilers • Chicago Cougars • Houston Aeros • Los Angeles Sharks • Minnesota Fighting Saints • Winnipeg Jets		 New England Whalers
1973–74 Eastern:
Chicago Cougars • Cleveland Crusaders • New England Whalers • NY Golden Blades / NJ Knights • Quebec Nordiques • Toronto Toros
Western:
Edmonton Oilers • Houston Aeros • Los Angeles Sharks • Minnesota Fighting Saints • Vancouver Blazers • Winnipeg Jets
  • New York Raiders renamed New York Golden Blades, which were then renamed New Jersey Knights midseason.
  • Ottawa Nationals relocated to Toronto as the Toros.
  • Philadelphia Blazers relocated to Vancouver, switching divisions with Chicago Cougars.
  • Alberta Oilers renamed Edmonton Oilers, having dropped playing some home games in Calgary.
 Houston Aeros
1974–75 Canadian:
Edmonton Oilers • Quebec Nordiques • Toronto Toros • Vancouver Blazers • Winnipeg Jets
Eastern:
Cleveland Crusaders • Chicago Cougars • Indianapolis Racers • New England Whalers
Western:
Houston Aeros • Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades • Minnesota Fighting Saints • Phoenix Roadrunners • San Diego Mariners
  • Two expansion teams, Indianapolis Racers (in the Eastern Division) and Phoenix Roadrunners (in the Western Division), are added.
  • The Canadian Division is created, as Edmonton, Vancouver, and Winnipeg moved in from the Western Division while Quebec and Toronto moved in from the Eastern Division.
  • Los Angeles Sharks relocated to Detroit as the Michigan Stags, which relocated to Baltimore as the Blades midseason.
  • New Jersey Knights moved to San Diego as the Mariners.
  • New England relocated to Hartford
 Houston Aeros
1975–76 Canadian:
Calgary Cowboys • Denver Spurs/Ottawa Civics • Edmonton Oilers • Toronto Toros • Quebec Nordiques • Winnipeg Jets
Eastern:
Cleveland Crusaders • Cincinnati Stingers • Indianapolis Racers • New England Whalers
Western:
Houston Aeros • Minnesota Fighting Saints • Phoenix Roadrunners • San Diego Mariners
  • Baltimore Blades and Chicago Cougars folded.
  • Two expansion teams, Cincinnati Stingers (in the Eastern Division) and Denver Spurs (in the Western Division), are added.
  • Also halfway through the season, Denver moved to Ottawa as the Civics (moving to the Canadian Division), which folded later on.
  • Vancouver Blazers relocated to Calgary as the Cowboys.
 Winnipeg Jets
1976–77 Eastern:
Birmingham Bulls • Cincinnati Stingers • Indianapolis Racers • Minnesota Fighting Saints • New England Whalers • Quebec Nordiques
Western:
Calgary Cowboys • Edmonton Oilers • Houston Aeros • Phoenix Roadrunners • San Diego Mariners • Winnipeg Jets
  • The Canadian Division ceased to exist as Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg rejoined the Western Division while Toronto (relocated to Birmingham as the Bulls) and Quebec rejoined the Eastern Division.
  • The first Minnesota Fighting Saints are folded, but the Cleveland Crusaders relocate to Minnesota as the second Fighting Saints, still remaining in the Eastern Division,;they also folded midseason.
 Quebec Nordiques
1977–78 Birmingham Bulls • Cincinnati Stingers • Edmonton Oilers • Houston Aeros • Indianapolis Racers • New England Whalers • Quebec Nordiques • Winnipeg Jets
  • Both divisions ceased to exist as Calgary, Phoenix, and San Diego fold; the league realigned into a single table.

Two international all-star teams, the Soviet All-Stars and Czechoslovakia All-Stars, play a limited schedule.

 Winnipeg Jets
1978–79 Birmingham Bulls • Cincinnati Stingers • Edmonton Oilers • Indianapolis Racers • New England Whalers • Quebec Nordiques • Winnipeg Jets
  • Houston Aeros folded.
  • Indianapolis Racers folded midseason.
  • The Finnish National Team played one regular season game in the league, losing to the Edmonton Oilers.
 Winnipeg Jets

The WHA ceased operations after the 1978–79 season. As part of the NHL-WHA merger, four WHA franchises moved to the National Hockey League for the 1979–80 NHL season: Edmonton, New England (renamed Hartford Whalers), Quebec, and Winnipeg. The other two WHA-enfranchised teams, Birmingham and Cincinnati, folded.

Famous quotes containing the words list of, list, wha and/or seasons:

    “My list of things I never pictured myself saying when I pictured myself as a parent has grown over the years.”
    —Polly Berrien Berends (20th century)

    “Every morning I woke in dread, waiting for the day nurse to go on her rounds and announce from the list of names in her hand whether or not I was for shock treatment, the new and fashionable means of quieting people and of making them realize that orders are to be obeyed and floors are to be polished without anyone protesting and faces are to be made to be fixed into smiles and weeping is a crime.”
    —Janet Frame (b. 1924)

    “O ye wha are sae guid yoursel,
    Sae pious and sae holy,
    Ye’ve nought to do but mark and tell
    Your neebour’s fauts and folly!”
    —Robert Burns (1759–1796)

    “Sorrow breaks seasons and reposing hours,
    Makes the night morning and the noontide night.”
    —William Shakespeare (1564–1616)