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The Winnipeg Jets won their third AVCO Cup Championship with a six-game victory over the Edmonton Oilers, who were making their first appearance in the finals. The Oilers had dominated the league during the regular season, led by 18-year old star Wayne Gretzky, but a grueling seven-game semifinal series against the Whalers tired the Oilers. The Jets, on the other hand, had not played for almost two weeks.
The blended Jets-Aeros team gelled at the best possible time, as former Aeros Morris Lukowich (4 goals and 5 assists), Rich Preston (4 goals) and Terry Ruskowski (6 assists), along with Willy Lindstrom (4 goals, 1 assist) and Kent Nilsson (2 goals, 4 assists), combined to lead the Winnipeg attack. Edmonton's Ron Chipperfield had 7 goals, including 5 in the sixth game, while Wayne Gretzky and Brett Callighen each had 2 goals and 3 assists.
Game Summaries
Game 1 • May 11, 1979
Winnipeg 3, Edmonton 1
EDMONTON: Winnipeg's Rich Preston scored twice and the Winnipeg defense held Edmonton to a single goal, as the Jets took the first game for a 1-0 series lead.
| Winnipeg
| 2
| 0
| 1
| -
| 3
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| Edmonton
| 1
| 0
| 0
| -
| 1
|
1st period: 1. Wpg: Preston (Sullivan) 3:29; 2. Wpg: Lesuk (Eriksson, Moffat) 15:23; 3. Edm: Flett (Shmyr) 17:48.
2nd period: No Scoring.
3rd period: 4. Wpg: Preston (Nilsson) 16:24.
Shots: Wpg: 11-9-8—28; Edm: 5-9-10—24
Goaltenders: Wpg: Smith, Edm: Dryden.
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Game 2 • May 13, 1979
Winnipeg 3, Edmonton 2
EDMONTON: Edmonton and Winnipeg traded goals until late in the game, when Willy Lindstrom's score gave the Jets a 3-2 lead, which they held onto for the win.
| Winnipeg
| 0
| 0
| 3
| -
| 3
|
| Edmonton
| 0
| 1
| 1
| -
| 2
|
1st period: No Scoring.
2nd period: 1. Edm: Sobchuk (Driscoll) 6:12.
3rd period: 2. Wpg: Sullivan (Terbenche) 1:17; 3. Edm: Hamilton 4:10; 4. Wpg: Lukowich (Campbell, Ruskowski) 11:53; 5. Wpg: Lindstrom (Long, Lukowich) 15:24.
Shots: Wpg: 8-8-11—27; Edm: 5-9-7—21
Goaltenders: Wpg: Smith, Edm: Dryden.
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Game 3 • May 15, 1979
Edmonton 8, Winnipeg 3
WINNIPEG: The Oilers finally broke through for their first win of the series behind four first-period goals, and four third-period goals, with eight different Oilers finding the back of the net.
| Edmonton
| 4
| 0
| 4
| -
| 8
|
| Winnipeg
| 2
| 1
| 0
| -
| 3
|
1st period: 1. Wpg: Lukowich (Ruskowski, Nilsson) 4:54; 2. Edm: Hamilton (Gretzky, Callighen) 9:03; 3. Edm: Driscoll (Goldsworthy) 9:44; 4. Edm: Chipperfield (Shmyr, Driscoll) 12:45; 5. Wpg: Lindstrom 15:53; 6. Edm: Goldsworthy (Hamilton, Chipperfield) 16:01.
2nd period: 7. Wpg: Lukowich (MacKinnon, Eriksson) 11:56.
3rd period: 8. Edm: MacDonald (Siltanen) 1:42; 9. Edm: Callighen (MacDonald, Gretzky) 4:14; 10. Edm: Gustafsson (Hunter, Weir) 9:52; 11. Edm: Hunter (Gustafsson, Hamilton) 11:00.
Shots: Edm: 12-5-10—27; Wpg: 8-8-10—26
Goaltenders: Edm: Dryden, Wpg: Smith & Daley.
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Game 4 • May 16, 1979
Winnipeg 3, Edmonton 2
WINNIPEG: Hoping to tie the series, Edmonton clung to a 2-1 lead midway into the third period before Morris Lukowich scored to tie the game. Four minutes later, Lyle Moffat's goal gave the Jets the lead, and a 3-1 series advantage.
| Edmonton
| 1
| 1
| 0
| -
| 2
|
| Winnipeg
| 1
| 0
| 2
| -
| 3
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1st period: 1. Edm: Gretzky (MacDonald, Callighen) 7:41; 2. Wpg: Preston (Sullivan) 12:54.
2nd period: 3. Edm: Callighen (Gretzky, Gustafsson) 13:42.
3rd period: 4. Wpg: Lukowich (Nilsson, Lindstrom) 9:24; 5. Wpg: Moffat (Lesuk, Eriksson) 13:34.
Shots: Edm: 5-10-7—22; Wpg: 11-10-6—27
Goaltenders: Edm: Dryden, Wpg: Smith
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Game 5 • May 18, 1979
Edmonton 10, Winnipeg 2
EDMONTON: Ron Chipperfield scored five goals and added two assists as the Oilers rung up 10 goals against the Jets. The convincing victory cut the Jets' series lead to 3-2.
| Winnipeg
| 0
| 1
| 1
| -
| 2
|
| Edmonton
| 4
| 4
| 2
| -
| 10
|
1st period: 1. Edm: Sobchuk (Chipperfield, Shmyr) 4:23; 2. Edm: Gretzky (Callighen, Chipperfield) 16:28; 3. Edm: Weir (Micheletti, Sobchuk) 17:29; 4. Edm: Chipperfield (Langevin) 18:01.
2nd period: 5. Wpg: Preston (Lukowich, Nilsson) 0:22; 6. Edm: Sobchuk (Shmyr, Weir) 2:58; 7. Edm: Chipperfield (Siltanen, Micheletti) 4:51; 8. Edm: Chipperfield (Driscoll, Semenko) 10:45; 9. Edm: Hughes (Sobchuk) 14:23.
3rd period: 10. Wpg: Nilsson 3:14; 11. Edm: Chipperfield (Semenko) 7:45; 12. Edm: Chipperfield (Micheletti, Siltanen) 14:31.
Shots: Wpg: 5-8-8—21; Edm: 16-13-13—42
Goaltenders: Wpg: Smith & Daley, Edm: Dryden & Mio.
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Game 6 • May 20, 1979
Winnipeg 7, Edmonton 3
WINNIPEG: The WHA's last game ever was decided early, after Winnipeg jumped to a five-goal lead to easily handle the Oilers. Barry Long scored twice and Terry Ruskowski had four assists as Winnipeg won the series and its third WHA Championship convincingly.
| Edmonton
| 0
| 1
| 2
| -
| 3
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| Winnipeg
| 2
| 3
| 2
| -
| 7
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1st period: 1. Wpg: Lindstrom (Ruskowski, Lukowich) 2:14; 2. Wpg: Long (Ruskowski, Lukowich) 13:42.
2nd period: 3. Wpg: MacKinnon (Sullivan, Hicks) 5:22; 4. Wpg: Moffat (Eriksson, Lukowich) 6:35; 5. Wpg: Long (Ruskowski, MacKinnon) 9:23; 6. Edm: Chipperfield (Driscoll, Siltanen) 18:45.
3rd period: 7. Edm: Flett (Hamilton) 1:48; 8. Wpg: Nilsson (Sullivan) 2:09; 9. Wpg: Lindstrom (Ruskowski) 13:38; 10. Edm: Semenko (Chipperfield, Siltanen) 19:48.
Shots: Edm: 11-8-11—30; Wpg: 10-13-11—34
Goaltenders: Edm: Dryden & Mio, Wpg: Smith.
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Home • Credits & Legal Stuff
Reviews, Podcasts and Media
• Article: Color of Hockey: Alton White (The Hockey News), by William Douglas — March 8, 2020
• Review: US Sports History, by Rick Macales — Feb 6, 2021
• Podcast: Good Seats Still Available, by Tim Hanlon — Feb 28, 2021
• Podcast: Digital to Dice (Youtube), by Dave Gardner — July 3, 2022
(c) Scott Surgent
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