1977–78 Winnipeg Jets season

The 1977–78 Winnipeg Jets season was the Jets' sixth season of operation in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Jets, finalists in 1977, qualified first for the playoffs with a dominant season of 50 wins, which included a perfect month of 13 wins in February. In the 1978 WHA playoffs, they won the Avco World Trophy over the New England Whalers in the Final for the second championship in Jets history.

Regular season

Final standings

Schedule and results

|1||W||October 12, 1977||7–3 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1977–78) ||1–0–0

|2||W||October 13, 1977||5–2 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1977–78) ||2–0–0

|3||W||October 15, 1977||5–4 || align="left"| @ Cincinnati Stingers (1977–78) ||3–0–0

|4||W||October 16, 1977||9–1 || align="left"| Indianapolis Racers (1977–78) ||4–0–0

|5||L||October 21, 1977||2–5 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1977–78) ||4–1–0

|6||W||October 23, 1977||10–3 || align="left"| Birmingham Bulls (1977–78) ||5–1–0

|7||L||October 26, 1977||3–5 || align="left"| @ Indianapolis Racers (1977–78) ||5–2–0

|8||W||October 28, 1977||3–2 || align="left"| Cincinnati Stingers (1977–78) ||6–2–0

|9||W||October 30, 1977||5–2 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1977–78) ||7–2–0

|10||W||November 2, 1977||6–3 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1977–78) ||8–2–0

|11||W||November 4, 1977||4–2 || align="left"| @ Birmingham Bulls (1977–78) ||9–2–0

|12||W||November 5, 1977||6–1 || align="left"| @ Cincinnati Stingers (1977–78) ||10–2–0

|13||W||November 9, 1977||4–3 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1977–78) ||11–2–0

|14||L||November 11, 1977||2–3 OT|| align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1977–78) ||11–3–0

|15||L||November 13, 1977||2–3 || align="left"| Cincinnati Stingers (1977–78) ||11–4–0

|16||L||November 15, 1977||6–7 OT|| align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1977–78) ||11–5–0

|17||T||November 16, 1977||2–2 || align="left"| Birmingham Bulls (1977–78) ||11–5–1

|18||L||November 18, 1977||2–3 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1977–78) ||11–6–1

|19||W||November 19, 1977||6–4 || align="left"| @ Indianapolis Racers (1977–78) ||12–6–1

|20||L||November 22, 1977||2–4 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1977–78) ||12–7–1

|21||L||November 27, 1977||3–4 OT|| align="left"| Birmingham Bulls (1977–78) ||12–8–1

|22||L||December 2, 1977||1–4 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1977–78) ||12–9–1

|23||L||December 3, 1977||5–6 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1977–78) ||12–10–1

|24||L||December 4, 1977||2–3 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1977–78) ||12–11–1

|25||W||December 7, 1977||5–2 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1977–78) ||13–11–1

|26||L||December 9, 1977||3–4 OT|| align="left"| Cincinnati Stingers (1977–78) ||13–12–1

|27||W||December 11, 1977||7–1 || align="left"| Indianapolis Racers (1977–78) ||14–12–1

|28||W||December 13, 1977||5–1 || align="left"| Czechoslovakia (1977–78) ||15–12–1

|29||W||December 17, 1977||6–3 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1977–78) ||16–12–1

|30||W||December 18, 1977||7–3 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1977–78) ||17–12–1

|31||W||December 20, 1977||6–4 || align="left"| Soviet All-Stars (1977–78) ||18–12–1

|32||W||December 21, 1977||4–3 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1977–78) ||19–12–1

|33||W||December 23, 1977||6–4 || align="left"| @ Cincinnati Stingers (1977–78) ||20–12–1

|34||W||December 26, 1977||9–4 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1977–78) ||21–12–1

|35||W||January 6, 1978||4–1 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1977–78) ||22–12–1

|36||W||January 8, 1978||4–2 || align="left"| Indianapolis Racers (1977–78) ||23–12–1

|37||W||January 11, 1978||11–2 || align="left"| Birmingham Bulls (1977–78) ||24–12–1

|38||L||January 13, 1978||2–3 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1977–78) ||24–13–1

|39||W||January 14, 1978||6–3 || align="left"| @ Indianapolis Racers (1977–78) ||25–13–1

|40||L||January 15, 1978||3–4 OT|| align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1977–78) ||25–14–1

|41||W||January 18, 1978||5–1 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1977–78) ||26–14–1

|42||T||January 20, 1978||4–4 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1977–78) ||26–14–2

|43||L||January 22, 1978||4–5 || align="left"| Indianapolis Racers (1977–78) ||26–15–2

|44||L||January 25, 1978||2–6 || align="left"| @ Birmingham Bulls (1977–78) ||26–16–2

|45||L||January 26, 1978||1–2 OT|| align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1977–78) ||26–17–2

|46||L||January 28, 1978||5–8 || align="left"| @ Birmingham Bulls (1977–78) ||26–18–2

|47||W||January 29, 1978||8–4 || align="left"| @ Cincinnati Stingers (1977–78) ||27–18–2

|48||W||January 31, 1978||7–2 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1977–78) ||28–18–2

|49||W||February 4, 1978||7–5 || align="left"| @ Cincinnati Stingers (1977–78) ||29–18–2

|50||W||February 5, 1978||4–3 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1977–78) ||30–18–2

|51||W||February 8, 1978||9–0 || align="left"| Birmingham Bulls (1977–78) ||31–18–2

|52||W||February 10, 1978||10–2 || align="left"| Cincinnati Stingers (1977–78) ||32–18–2

|53||W||February 11, 1978||5–3 || align="left"| @ Indianapolis Racers (1977–78) ||33–18–2

|54||W||February 12, 1978||6–5 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1977–78) ||34–18–2

|55||W||February 15, 1978||6–5 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1977–78) ||35–18–2

|56||W||February 16, 1978||2–1 OT|| align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1977–78) ||36–18–2

|57||W||February 18, 1978||4–0 || align="left"| @ Cincinnati Stingers (1977–78) ||37–18–2

|58||W||February 19, 1978||5–2 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1977–78) ||38–18–2

|59||W||February 22, 1978||4–2 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1977–78) ||39–18–2

|60||W||February 24, 1978||7–2 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1977–78) ||40–18–2

|61||W||February 26, 1978||9–6 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1977–78) ||41–18–2

|62||L||March 1, 1978||3–4 || align="left"| @ Birmingham Bulls (1977–78) ||41–19–2

|63||L||March 3, 1978||1–5 || align="left"| Cincinnati Stingers (1977–78) ||41–20–2

|64||L||March 4, 1978||6–8 || align="left"| @ Indianapolis Racers (1977–78) ||41–21–2

|65||L||March 5, 1978||3–4 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1977–78) ||41–22–2

|66||W||March 9, 1978||6–5 || align="left"| Indianapolis Racers (1977–78) ||42–22–2

|67||W||March 11, 1978||7–4 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1977–78) ||43–22–2

|68||W||March 12, 1978||3–2 || align="left"| Birmingham Bulls (1977–78) ||44–22–2

|69||W||March 15, 1978||8–4 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1977–78) ||45–22–2

|70||L||March 17, 1978||2–6 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1977–78) ||45–23–2

|71||W||March 19, 1978||5–3 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1977–78) ||46–23–2

|72||W||March 22, 1978||5–3 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1977–78) ||47–23–2

|73||W||March 25, 1978||3–1 || align="left"| @ Birmingham Bulls (1977–78) ||48–23–2

|74||L||March 28, 1978||3–5 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1977–78) ||48–24–2

|75||W||March 30, 1978||4–1 || align="left"| @ Indianapolis Racers (1977–78) ||49–24–2

|76||L||April 1, 1978||2–5 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1977–78) ||49–25–2

|77||L||April 4, 1978||3–6 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1977–78) ||49–26–2

|78||W||April 6, 1978||7–4 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1977–78) ||50–26–2

|79||L||April 7, 1978||2–4 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1977–78) ||50–27–2

|80||L||April 9, 1978||4–5 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1977–78) ||50–28–2

Legend:

Playoffs Due to their victory over the Bulls, they earned a bye to the Finals while the other two Semifinal winners faced off against each other.

| 1 || April 14 || Birmingham Bulls || 3–9 || Winnipeg Jets || 1–0

| 2 || April 16 || Birmingham Bulls || 3–8 || Winnipeg Jets || 2–0

| 3 || April 19 || Winnipeg Jets || 2–3 || Birmingham Bulls || 2–1

| 4 || April 21 || Winnipeg Jets || 5–1 || Birmingham Bulls || 3–1

| 5 || April 23 || Birmingham Bulls || 2–5 || Winnipeg Jets || 4–1

| 1 || May 12 || New England Whalers || 1–4 || Winnipeg Jets || 1–0

| 2 || May 14 || New England Whalers || 2–5 || Winnipeg Jets || 2–0

| 3 || May 19 || Winnipeg Jets || 10–2 || New England Whalers || 3–0

| 4 || May 22 || Winnipeg Jets || 5–3 || New England Whalers || 4–0

Legend:

Player statistics

Regular season Scoring + Regular season Player C 73 37 89 126 894173 RW 77 63 59 122 6060176 LW 77 46 71 117 2355100 C 80 42 65 107 827180 RW 77 30 30 60 42470 C 77 16 39 55 43−1231 D 78 11 39 50 726001 LW 77 20 22 42 18−104 LW 71 20 21 41 161230 LW 47 18 16 34 30750 D 62 5 28 33 432200 C 55 12 19 31 16220 D 78 7 24 31 421011 LW 80 9 18 27 48−400 D 66 6 20 26 792010 D 73 4 22 26 521920 LW 57 9 16 25 39−600 D 49 14 7 21 29520 RW 21 8 9 17 2900 D 52 2 7 9 203600 D 19 1 4 5 21700 D 3 1 1 2 0300 G 37 0 2 2 2000 G 39 0 1 1 4000 D 12 0 0 0 2−900 D 3 0 0 0 0−500 C 5 0 0 0 2−200 G 10 0 0 0 0000 Goaltending Player 2252 39 25 12 1 124 3.30 1 2075 37 21 11 1 114 3.30 1 511 10 4 5 0 30 3.52 0 Team: 4838 80 50 28 2 268 3.32 2

Playoffs Scoring Player RW 9 9 6 15 21 C 9 1 13 14 120 LW 9 8 5 13 52 LW 9 5 7 12 90 LW 9 8 3 11 122 C 9 2 8 10 100 D 9 0 9 9 40 LW 9 4 4 8 21 RW 8 3 4 7 170 C 9 3 4 7 41 LW 9 2 5 7 120 D 9 0 5 5 60 D 7 1 3 4 190 D 7 0 4 4 70 C 3 2 1 3 70 D 9 1 2 3 00 RW 5 2 0 2 01 LW 4 1 1 2 80 D 8 0 2 2 20 D 2 1 0 1 00 D 9 0 1 1 610 G 5 0 1 1 200 G 5 0 0 0 20 Goaltending Player 268 5 4 0 7 1.57 0 271 5 4 1 13 2.88 0 Team: 539 9 8 1 20 2.23 0

Draft picks Winnipeg's draft picks at the 1977 WHA Amateur Draft.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)13Ron Duguay (C)Sudbury Wolves (OHA)18Miles Zaharko (D)New Westminster Bruins (WCHL)328Mark Lofthouse (RW)New Westminster Bruins (WCHL)437Don Laurence (C)Kitchener Rangers (OHA)546Bill Stewart (D)Niagara Falls Flyers (OHA)655Ric Seiling (RW)St. Catharines Fincups (OHA)764Jim Hamilton (LW)London Knights (OHA)872Warren Holmes (C)Ottawa 67's (OHA)980Mike Keating (LW)St. Catharines Fincups (OHA)1088Murray Bannerman (G)Victoria Cougars (WCHL)

See also 1977–78 WHA season

References