1976–77 Phoenix Roadrunners season

The 1976–77 Phoenix Roadrunners season was the third and final season of the Phoenix Roadrunners in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Roadrunners finished sixth in the Western Division and did not qualify for the playoffs.

Their worst loss was an 11-3 defeat to the Québec Nordiques on October 26 when Réal Cloutier tied a WHA record with five goals in a single game."Cloutier equals WHA scoring record" Edmonton Journal, October 27, 1976, p. 65.

The team announced their departure from the WHA in April shortly before the end of their season."Roadrunners: born 1967, died 1977" The Arizona Republic, April 2, 1977, p. E1. They won their last WHA home game on April 6, 1977.

Regular season

Final standings

Schedule and results

|1||W||October 8, 1976||8–6 || align="left"| Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) ||1–0–0

|2||L||October 9, 1976||3–5 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1976–77) ||1–1–0

|3||W||October 14, 1976||4–3 || align="left"| Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77) ||2–1–0

|4||W||October 16, 1976||6–4 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) ||3–1–0

|5||L||October 19, 1976||4–5 OT|| align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) ||3–2–0

|6||W||October 22, 1976||4–3 OT|| align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) ||4–2–0

|7||W||October 24, 1976||5–3 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) ||5–2–0

|8||L||October 26, 1976||3–11 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) ||5–3–0

|9||L||October 29, 1976||1–5 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1976–77) ||5–4–0

|10||L||October 30, 1976||3–9 || align="left"| @ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) ||5–5–0

|11||W||November 2, 1976||5–3 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) ||6–5–0

|12||L||November 4, 1976||3–5 || align="left"| @ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) ||6–6–0

|13||L||November 5, 1976||1–9 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1976–77) ||6–7–0

|14||W||November 7, 1976||3–1 || align="left"| @ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77) ||7–7–0

|15||T||November 10, 1976||3–3 || align="left"| Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) ||7–7–1

|16||W||November 12, 1976||3–1 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1976–77) ||8–7–1

|17||W||November 14, 1976||6–3 || align="left"| San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||9–7–1

|18||W||November 16, 1976||5–2 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) ||10–7–1

|19||L||November 18, 1976||1–2 OT|| align="left"| Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) ||10–8–1

|20||L||November 20, 1976||2–5 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1976–77) ||10–9–1

|21||T||November 24, 1976||3–3 || align="left"| Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) ||10–9–2

|22||W||November 26, 1976||4–2 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) ||11–9–2

|23||W||November 28, 1976||5–3 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) ||12–9–2

|24||L||November 30, 1976||2–3 OT|| align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) ||12–10–2

|25||L||December 2, 1976||3–4 || align="left"| @ San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||12–11–2

|26||L||December 4, 1976||3–4 || align="left"| San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||12–12–2

|27||L||December 5, 1976||0–6 || align="left"| @ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) ||12–13–2

|28||L||December 7, 1976||2–4 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) ||12–14–2

|29||L||December 9, 1976||4–5 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) ||12–15–2

|30||L||December 12, 1976||0–8 || align="left"| @ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) ||12–16–2

|31||L||December 14, 1976||3–8 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1976–77) ||12–17–2

|32||W||December 15, 1976||6–5 || align="left"| Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) ||13–17–2

|33||L||December 17, 1976||0–1 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) ||13–18–2

|34||L||December 19, 1976||4–6 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1976–77) ||13–19–2

|35||L||December 22, 1976||4–5 OT|| align="left"| San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||13–20–2

|36||W||December 28, 1976||4–3 || align="left"| Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) ||14–20–2

|37||L||January 2, 1977||1–4 || align="left"| @ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) ||14–21–2

|38||L||January 4, 1977||5–8 || align="left"| @ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) ||14–22–2

|39||W||January 8, 1977||4–3 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1976–77) ||15–22–2

|40||L||January 11, 1977||2–9 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) ||15–23–2

|41||W||January 12, 1977||4–2 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1976–77) ||16–23–2

|42||W||January 14, 1977||6–5 OT|| align="left"| Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) ||17–23–2

|43||L||January 16, 1977||4–5 || align="left"| Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) ||17–24–2

|44||W||January 20, 1977||9–4 || align="left"| Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) ||18–24–2

|45||W||January 22, 1977||4–1 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) ||19–24–2

|46||L||January 23, 1977||2–9 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77) ||19–25–2

|47||L||January 25, 1977||3–7 || align="left"| @ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) ||19–26–2

|48||L||January 28, 1977||2–6 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1976–77) ||19–27–2

|49||W||January 30, 1977||8–5 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) ||20–27–2

|50||L||February 1, 1977||1–5 || align="left"| @ San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||20–28–2

|51||W||February 3, 1977||5–3 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1976–77) ||21–28–2

|52||L||February 5, 1977||1–4 || align="left"| Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) ||21–29–2

|53||W||February 9, 1977||4–3 OT|| align="left"| Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) ||22–29–2

|54||L||February 11, 1977||3–5 || align="left"| San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||22–30–2

|55||L||February 13, 1977||2–5 || align="left"| @ San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||22–31–2

|56||L||February 16, 1977||2–7 || align="left"| @ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) ||22–32–2

|57||L||February 17, 1977||2–4 || align="left"| @ New England Whalers (1976–77) ||22–33–2

|58||W||February 19, 1977||6–5 || align="left"| @ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) ||23–33–2

|59||L||February 20, 1977||3–4 || align="left"| @ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77) ||23–34–2

|60||W||February 23, 1977||6–3 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) ||24–34–2

|61||T||February 24, 1977||3–3 || align="left"| @ San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||24–34–3

|62||L||February 25, 1977||3–9 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1976–77) ||24–35–3

|63||L||February 27, 1977||4–5 || align="left"| Houston Aeros (1976–77) ||24–36–3

|64||L||March 1, 1977||3–8 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1976–77) ||24–37–3

|65||W||March 5, 1977||4–1 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1976–77) ||25–37–3

|66||L||March 6, 1977||2–3 OT|| align="left"| @ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) ||25–38–3

|67||L||March 8, 1977||2–9 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) ||25–39–3

|68||W||March 12, 1977||7–6 OT|| align="left"| @ San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||26–39–3

|69||T||March 15, 1977||4–4 || align="left"| @ San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||26–39–4

|70||L||March 17, 1977||3–4 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) ||26–40–4

|71||L||March 18, 1977||3–6 || align="left"| @ Houston Aeros (1976–77) ||26–41–4

|72||W||March 19, 1977||7–5 || align="left"| San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||27–41–4

|73||L||March 20, 1977||1–6 || align="left"| @ San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||27–42–4

|74||L||March 23, 1977||0–4 || align="left"| Birmingham Bulls (1976–77) ||27–43–4

|75||L||March 25, 1977||3–7 || align="left"| San Diego Mariners (1976–77) ||27–44–4

|76||L||March 27, 1977||4–5 || align="left"| @ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) ||27–45–4

|77||L||March 29, 1977||5–9 || align="left"| @ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77) ||27–46–4

|78||L||March 31, 1977||2–6 || align="left"| New England Whalers (1976–77) ||27–47–4

|79||L||April 2, 1977||5–6 OT|| align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1976–77) ||27–48–4

|80||W||April 6, 1977||7–3 || align="left"| Indianapolis Racers (1976–77) ||28–48–4

Legend:

Player statistics Players + Player Position C/LW 80 46 71 117 86261105 C 80 38 41 79 306910 C 80 29 31 60 10−35500 C 80 20 39 59 10−57640 LW 48 24 29 53 205300 RW 67 21 29 50 10−20200 LW 80 20 24 44 28−22000 RW 65 10 29 39 22−23200 C 68 17 18 35 14−43200 D 78 4 31 35 8−24200 D 61 7 23 30 48−19300 D 77 6 24 30 136−11000 LW 58 13 16 29 22−26000 RW 28 10 10 20 59−1000 D 79 1 15 16 91−32000 D 63 4 10 14 169−25100 LW 16 2 7 9 4−7000 D 46 2 6 8 62−41000 D 29 1 5 6 35−10000 LW 28 3 2 5 8−24100 RW 13 2 2 4 6−3000 D/RW 26 1 3 4 23−8000 G 33 0 3 3 60000 D 2 0 0 0 2−1000 RW 5 0 0 0 0−2000 G 56 0 0 0 20000

Goaltending + Regular season Player 3129 56 17 29 3 220 4.22 0 1752 33 11 19 1 162 5.55 0 Team: 4881 80 28 48 4 382 4.70 0

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals       MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts;

Draft picks Phoenix's draft picks at the 1976 WHA Amateur Draft.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)442Kari Makkonen (F)Assat Pori (Liiga)554Juhani Wallenius (F)Lukko Rauma (Liiga)666Doug Patey (F)Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHA)778Mark Davidson (LW)Flin Flon Bombers (WCHL)890Jari Laiho (F)Lukko Rauma (Liiga)9101Jouni Rinne (F)Lukko Rauma (Liiga)10112Hannu Helander (D)Ilves (Liiga)

See also 1976–77 WHA season

References