The 1974–75 WHA season was the third season of the World Hockey Association. Fourteen teams each played 78 games. The Houston Aeros won the Avco World Trophy for the second straight year in dominating fashion, losing only one time in the playoffs.

Regular season The WHA expanded by adding the Indianapolis Racers and Phoenix Roadrunners, and splitting into three divisions: Western, Eastern, and Canadian. The top two teams in each division qualified for the playoffs along with the two next best teams overall. Prior to the season, Southern California welcomed the Jersey Knights, who moved to San Diego and became the Mariners, and said goodbye to the Los Angeles Sharks, who moved to Detroit and became the Michigan Stags. Midway through the season, the Stags moved to Baltimore and became the Blades; they folded for good after the season. Chicago also folded at season's end. Also, the New England Whalers left Boston for Hartford, but played the first half of the season in Springfield, Massachusetts until construction on the Hartford Civic Center was finished.

The NHL also expanded this season, to 18 teams, making a total of 32 clubs playing major professional hockey in North America. This number has not been surpassed, though the NHL expanded to 32 teams in 2021.

Final standings

Player stats

Scoring leaders Bolded numbers indicate season leaders

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes Player Team GP G A Pts PIM Andre Lacroix San Diego Mariners 78 41 106 147 63 Bobby Hull Winnipeg Jets 78 77 65 142 41 Serge Bernier Quebec Nordiques 76 54 68 122 75 Ulf Nilsson Winnipeg Jets 78 26 94 120 79 Larry Lund Houston Aeros 78 33 75 108 68 Wayne Rivers San Diego Mariners 78 54 53 107 52 Anders Hedberg Winnipeg Jets 65 53 47 100 45 Gordie Howe Houston Aeros 75 34 65 99 84 Wayne Dillon Toronto Toros 77 29 66 95 22 Mike Walton Minnesota Fighting Saints 75 48 45 93 33

Leading goaltenders Bolded numbers indicate season leaders

GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties, GA = Goals against; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average Player Team GP Min W L T GA SO SV% GAA Ron Grahame Houston Aeros 43 2590 33 10 0 131 4 90.0 3.03 Bob Whidden Cleveland Crusaders 29 1654 9 16 1 89 0 91.2 3.23 Wayne Rutledge Houston Aeros 35 2092 20 15 0 113 2 89.2 3.24 Ernie Wakely Winnipeg - San Diego 41 2418 23 15 2 131 3 90.0 3.25 Gerry Cheevers Cleveland Crusaders 52 3076 26 24 2 167 4 90.5 3.26 Jack Norris Phoenix Roadrunners 33 1962 14 15 4 107 1 89.1 3.27 John Garrett Minnesota Fighting Saints 58 3294 30 23 2 180 2 90.5 3.28 Gary Kurt Phoenix Roadrunners 47 2841 25 16 4 156 2 88.5 3.27 Jacques Plante Edmonton Oilers 40 1592 15 14 1 88 1 89.0 3.32 Don McLeod Vancouver Blazers 71 4124 32 35 2 230 1 89.1 3.35

All-Star game At Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, the West defeated the East 6–4 in the 1975 WHA All-Star Game.

Avco World Trophy playoffs

Eight teams qualified for the playoffs; the top two teams in each division and the next two teams with the highest point totals. The teams were then pooled together, according to point totals, to determine quarter-final match-ups. The three division winners were guaranteed the top three seeds, according to their point totals. Teams were not "reseeded" after the quarter-final round.

WHA awards

Trophies Avco World Trophy: Houston AerosGary L. Davidson Award: Bobby Hull, Winnipeg JetsBill Hunter Trophy: Andre Lacroix, San Diego MarinersLou Kaplan Trophy: Anders Hedberg, Winnipeg Jets Ben Hatskin Trophy: Ron Grahame, Houston AerosDennis A. Murphy Trophy: J. C. Tremblay, Quebec NordiquesPaul Deneau Trophy: Mike Rogers, Edmonton OilersHoward Baldwin Trophy: Sandy Hucul, Phoenix RoadrunnersWHA Playoff MVP: Ron Grahame, Houston Aeros

All-Star Team Position First Team Second Team Centre Andre Lacroix, San Diego Serge Bernier, Quebec Right Wing Gordie Howe, Houston Anders Hedberg, Winnipeg Left Wing Bobby Hull, Winnipeg Marc Tardif, Quebec Defence J. C. Tremblay, Quebec Poul Popiel, Houston Defence Kevin Morrison, San Diego Barry Long, Edmonton Goaltender Ron Grahame, Houston Gerry Cheevers, Cleveland

77 goals in 78 games In the 1974–75 WHA season, Bobby Hull set a professional hockey record for goals in a season, doing so with 77 goals in 78 games that eclipsed Phil Esposito's 76 in the 1970–71 NHL season. He set the WHA record on March 12 against Quebec with a two-goal night that gave him 62 goals. On April 6, 1975, in his 78th and last game played that season, Hull scored against Russ Gillow of the San Diego Mariners to get to 77 goals.

Game # Goal # Date Venue Team Goaltender Time Period Ref. 1 None October 15, 1974 Pacific Coliseum Vancouver Blazers Don McLeod – – 2 None October 18, 1974 Winnipeg Arena Edmonton Oilers Ken Brown – – 3 1 October 25, 1974 Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto Toros Jim Shaw 4:09 1st 4 2 October 27, 1974 Winnipeg Arena Michigan Stags Gerry Desjardins 8:55 3rd 53October 30, 1974Winnipeg ArenaPhoenix RoadrunnersGary Kurt7:401st46:492nd59:19OT66November 1, 1974Winnipeg ArenaToronto TorosGilles Gratton7:201st76:432nd811:373rd79November 3, 1974Winnipeg ArenaMichigan StagsJim McLeod8:051st10 18:242nd 8 11 November 5, 1974 Winnipeg Arena Minnesota Fighting Saints Mike Curran 9:34 3rd 9 12 November 9, 1974 Pacific Coliseum Vancouver Blazers Don McLeod 13:54 2nd 10 13 November 13, 1974 Edmonton Coliseum Edmonton Oilers Jacques Plante 6:18 2nd 11 None November 15, 1974 Winnipeg Arena Indianapolis Racers Ed Dyck – – 12 None November 17, 1974 Winnipeg Arena Toronto Toros Jim Shaw – – 1314November 18, 1974Edmonton ColiseumEdmonton OilersJacques Plante19:071st155:392nd 1416November 20, 1974Winnipeg ArenaMinnesota Fighting SaintsMike Curran18:531st1712:593rd 15 None November 24, 1974 Winnipeg Arena Phoenix Roadrunners Jack Norris – – 16 18 November 26, 1974 Market Square Arena Indianapolis Racers Andy Brown 5:56 1st 17 19 November 27, 1974 Richfield Coliseum Cleveland Crusaders Gerry Cheevers 15:55 1st 1820 November 29, 1974 Winnipeg ArenaMichigan StagsGerry Desjardins4:131st2114:402nd2218:582nd235:503rd 19 None December 1, 1974 Winnipeg Arena Quebec Nordiques Richard Brodeur – – 20 None December 4, 1974 Winnipeg Arena Houston Aeros Ron Grahame – – 21 None December 6, 1974 Saint Paul Civic Center Minnesota Fighting Saints Mike Curran – – 22 None December 8, 1974 Winnipeg Arena Chicago Cougars Cam Newton – – 23 24 December 10, 1974 Market Square Arena Indianapolis Racers Andy Brown 18:47 1st 24 25 December 12, 1974 Cobo Hall Michigan Stags Gerry Desjardins 8:46 3rd 25 26 December 14, 1974 Sam Houston Coliseum Houston Aeros Ron Grahame 7:58 1st 26 27 December 15, 1974 Winnipeg Arena New England Whalers Al Smith 8:24 1st 2728December 17, 1974Maple Leaf GardensToronto TorosGilles Gratton9:001st2916:161st 28 None December 18, 1974 Le Colisee Quebec Nordiques Richard Brodeur – – 29 30 December 22, 1974 Winnipeg Arena Phoenix Roadrunners Gary Kurt 2:14 2nd 30 None December 26, 1974 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum Phoenix Roadrunners Jack Norris – – 3131December 28, 1974San Diego Sports ArenaSan Diego MarinersJoe Junkin1:021st32Russ Gillow5:052nd3233December 29, 1974Sam Houston ColiseumHouston AerosWayne Rutledge6:211st34 6:012nd 33 35 January 7, 1975 Richfield Coliseum Cleveland Crusaders Gerry Cheevers 16:29 1st 34 36 January 9, 1975 Cobo Hall Michigan Stags Paul Hoganson 4:591st 35 None January 10, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Quebec Nordiques Richard Brodeur – – 36 None January 15, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Vancouver Blazers Don McLeod – – 3737 January 19, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Cleveland CrusadersGerry Cheevers8:301st385:543rd 38 39 January 22, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Indianapolis Racers Andy Brown15:251st 39 40 January 23, 1975Edmonton ColiseumEdmonton OilersJacques Plante 2:46 2nd41 17:43 3rd 40None January 24, 1975 Pacific Coliseum Vancouver Blazers Don McLeod –– 41 None January 26, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Houston Aeros Ron Grahame––4242January 28, 1975San Diego Sports ArenaSan Diego MarinersErnie Wakely19:411st433:243rd 43 44 January 30, 1975 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum Phoenix Roadrunners empty net 19:15 3rd 44 45 February 2, 1975 Saint Paul Civic Center Minnesota Fighting Saints John Garrett17:13 1st 45 None February 5, 1975 Richfield Coliseum Cleveland Crusaders Gerry Cheevers– – 46 46 February 7, 1975 Winnipeg Arena New England Whalers Al Smith 0:32 2nd 47 47 February 8, 1975 International Amphitheater Chicago Cougars Dave Dryden 6:21 1st 48 None February 9, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Chicago Cougars Dave Dryden – – 49 None February 12, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Toronto Toros Gilles Gratton– – 5048 February 14, 1975Winnipeg ArenaHouston AerosRon Grahame1:421st4916:472nd5018:273rd 51 None February 15, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Cleveland Crusaders Bob Whidden – – 52 None February 16, 1975 International Amphitheater Chicago Cougars Cam Newton – – 53 51February 18, 1975Baltimore Civic CenterBaltimore BladesPaul Hoganson1:462nd526:292nd 54 None February 19, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Edmonton Oilers Chris Worthy– – 55 None February 23, 1975 Winnipeg Arena New England Whalers Al Smith – – 56 53 February 25, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Minnesota Fighting Saints Mike Curran 6:25 3rd 5754February 28, 1975Winnipeg ArenaSan Diego MarinersErnie Wakely13:371st5517:173rd 58 56 March 2, 1975 Winnipeg Arena San Diego Mariners Ernie Wakely 8:13 2nd 59 57 March 5, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Cleveland Crusaders Gerry Cheevers 19:30 3rd 6058March 7, 1975Arizona Veterans Memorial ColiseumPhoenix RoadrunnersGary Kurt2:151st5912:271st 61 None March 8, 1975 San Diego Sports Arena San Diego Mariners Ernie Wakely – – 62 60 March 9, 1975 Saint Paul Civic Center Minnesota Fighting Saints Mike Curran 18:07 2nd 63 None March 11, 1975 Hartford Civic Center New England Whalers Al Smith – – 6461March 12, 1975Le ColiseeQuebec NordiquesSerge Aubry15:55 1st621:562nd 65 63 March 14, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Quebec Nordiques Richard Brodeur 11:36 3rd 6664March 16, 1975Winnipeg ArenaEdmonton OilersKen Brown6:042nd65Chris Worthy2:423rd6618:483rd6767March 19, 1975 Winnipeg ArenaVancouver BlazersDon McLeod11:123rd6815:543rd 68 69 March 21, 1975 Hartford Civic Center New England Whalers Al Smith 11:30 3rd 69 70 March 22, 1975 International Amphitheater Chicago Cougars Dave Dryden 10:37 2nd 70 None March 23, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Chicago Cougars Dave Dryden – – 7171March 25, 1975Market Square ArenaIndianapolis RacersAndy Brown6:001st7213:161st 72 None March 27, 1975 Sam Houston Coliseum Houston Aeros Ron Grahame – – 7373March 29, 1975Hartford Civic CenterNew England WhalersAl Smith10:382nd7419:552nd7512:303rd 74 None March 31, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Indianapolis Racers Andy BrownEd Dyck – – 75 None April 2, 1975 Winnipeg Arena Vancouver Blazers Don McLeod – – 76 None April 4, 1975 Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto Toros Jim Shaw – – 77 76April 5, 1975 Le Colisee Quebec Nordiques Richard Brodeur 19:403rd 78 77 April 6, 1975 Winnipeg Arena San Diego Mariners Russ Gillow 19:26 2nd

See also 1974 Summit Series 1974 WHA Amateur Draft 1974 in sports 1975 in sports

References