1978-79 New England Whalers
Record: 37-34-9, 83 pts
Bill Dineen, who coached the Houston Aeros during their six years in the World Hockey Association, has returned to the New England area, site of his first professional coaching championship, where he will be reunited with a grandfather who plays hockey, and his sons, plus a talented group of players who put together the second best record in the league last year and reached the Avco Trophy finals.
Dineen, who coached the Springfield Kings to the Calder Cup as champions of the American League in the early 1970s, has moved a few miles south to Hartford where he and general manager Jack Kelley will see what they can do about getting the New England Whalers a second WHA championship.
He'll be back with close friend Gordie Howe and sons Mark and Marty, and will inherit a team which compiled a 44-31-5 mark under Harry Neale last year. Neale accepted the head coaching job with the Vancouver Canucks.
Dineen takes over a club which finished third in scoring last year with 335 goals, and increase of 60 from the year before. The Whalers have a balanced attack, and they had the best defense in the league in 1977-78, allowing just 269 goals, one less than Winnipeg and 33 fewer than Dineen’s Houston crew, which rated third in the WHA.
One of Dineen's pleasant problems with the Whalers will be deciding upon a starting goaltender. Will he try first team All-Star Al Smith, who turned in a 3.22 goals against average, the best in the league, or can Louis Levasseur, who started most of New England's playoff games and had a 2.59 average in postseason play to go along with a 3.30 mark during the regular season, carry the load for the Whalers?
Smith, who had 30 victories in the regular season (the most of any goaltender) is 33, while Levasseur is 32, so age likely won't enter into Dineen's decision.
On defense, Dineen will welcome second-team All Star Rick Ley, who assisted on 40 goals last year, offensive threat Ron Plumb, who finished with 57 points including 14 goals after being obtained from Cincinnati for Greg Carroll, and young Gordie Roberts, who is rapidly developing into one of the finest rearguards in the game, and a player with certain All-Star capabilities. Roberts turned in 15-46-61 statistics last year.
There's also Marty Howe, a solid defensive performer, veteran Brad Selwood and Alan Hangsleben, who also played as a forward at times.
Topping the list of forwards is 50-year-old Gordie Howe. Though many people expected Gordie to retire when he reached the half-century mark, he does not want to leave the game and probably won't until an injury forces him to do so.
Howe has said he'll quit when he stops playing effectively for the team, but his 34-58-92 figures were classy enough to lead the club in scoring.
Son and linemate Mark Howe overcame a slow start to finish right behind the old man in team scoring with 27 goals and 59 assists, and there are a number of other accomplished scores in the ranks of the Whalers.
The line of Mike Antonovich, Dave Keon and John McKenzie combined for eighty goals last campaign as Keon was voted the league's most-gentlemanly player for the second time in a row.
Left winger George Lyle accounted for 29 goals with centerman Mike Rogers close behind with 28 goals and a total of 71 points. Injuries cut short on the seasons of Larry Pleau and Tom Webster, but they still managed 18 and 15 goals despite missing 24 and 60 games, respectively.
Tim Sheehy has returned to the club after a brief stint with Detroit while Andre Peloffy and Dan Bolduc emerged from the American Hockey League with a lot of potential.
The Whalers also signed a couple of left wingers taken in the NHL's amateur draft. Jordy Douglas, a fifth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs who turned in 60-56-116 figures for Flin Flon last year, and 6-2, 210-pound Jeff Brubaker of Peterborough, selected in the sixth round by Boston.
Look for the Whalers to continue as a winning club under Dineen, good enough for 3rd at the least, second if either of the Oilers or the Jets should experience problems.
Game Log ... (@ away game, * overtime)
Player Scoring
Goaltending
Transactions
• Jeff Brubaker, Jordy Douglas, Jim Warner signed to contracts, Jun 1978
Splits versus opposing teams, home and away, and by month
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• Article: Color of Hockey: Alton White (The Hockey News), by William Douglas — March 8, 2020
(c) Scott Surgent
Finish: 4th, League
Playoffs: Lost in semifinals to Edmonton
Coach: Bill Dineen (33-29-9), Don Blackburn (4-5-0)
Whalers Preview, 1978-79 • The Hockey News 1979 Yearbook
no.
Date
Opponent
Score
w-l-t
pts
gf-ga
no.
Date
Opponent
Score
w-l-t
pts
gf-ga
1 Oct 15 @ Quebec 6-5 W 1-0-0 2 6-5 41 Jan 26 @ Birmingham 4-5 L 20-15-6 46 167-146
2 Oct 17 @ Edmonton 2-1 W 2-0-0 4 8-6 42 Jan 28 Winnipeg 8-6 W 21-15-6 48 175-152
3 Oct 18 @ Winnipeg 4-4 T 2-0-1 5 12-10 43 Jan 30 Winnipeg 5-2 W 22-15-6 50 180-154
4 Oct 21 Quebec 7-1 W 3-0-1 7 19-11 44 Feb 2 Quebec 4-1 W 23-15-6 52 184-155
5 Oct 22 @ Indianapolis 6-3 W 4-0-1 9 25-14 45 Feb 3 @ Birmingham 2-2 T 23-15-7 53 186-157
6 Oct 24 @ Cincinnati 2-1 W 5-0-1 11 27-15 46 Feb 6 @ Quebec 5-3 W 24-15-7 55 191-160
7 Oct 26 @ Quebec 5-8 L 5-1-1 11 32-23 47 Feb 10 Winnipeg 7-2 W 25-15-7 57 198-162
8 Oct 27 Winnipeg 4-6 L 5-2-1 11 36-29 48 Feb 11 @ Cincinnati 2-5 L 25-16-7 57 200-167
9 Oct 29 Cincinnati 4-7 L 5-3-1 11 40-36 49 Feb 14 Birmingham 4-7 L 25-17-7 57 204-174
10 Nov 3 Indianapolis 6-3 W 6-3-1 13 46-39 50 Feb 16 Edmonton 2-4 L 25-18-7 57 206-178
11 Nov 4 @ Indianapolis 6-6 T 6-3-2 14 52-45 51 Feb 17 Quebec 4-1 W 26-18-7 59 210-179
12 Nov 5 @ Cincinnati 4-5 L 6-4-2 14 56-50 52 Feb 18 @ Winnipeg 7-1 W 27-18-7 61 217-180
13 Nov 9 Edmonton 6-1 W 7-4-2 16 62-51 53 Feb 20 @ Edmonton 2-8 L 27-19-7 61 219-188
14 Nov 11 Cincinnati 2-1 W 8-4-2 18 64-52 54 Feb 21 @ Winnipeg 2-5 L 27-20-7 61 221-193
15 Nov 14 @ Birmingham 5-5 T 8-4-3 19 69-57 55 Feb 23 Quebec *5-4 W 28-20-7 63 226-197
16 Nov 15 @ Cincinnati 4-4 T 8-4-4 20 73-61 56 Feb 24 @ Quebec 0-6 L 28-21-7 63 226-203
17 Nov 17 @ Birmingham 1-7 L 8-5-4 20 74-68 57 Feb 25 Winnipeg 5-7 L 28-22-7 63 231-210
18 Nov 18 Birmingham 2-3 L 8-6-4 20 76-71 58 Feb 27 @ Edmonton 1-1 T 28-22-8 64 232-211
19 Nov 22 Winnipeg 5-2 W 9-6-4 22 81-73 59 Mar 2 @ Winnipeg 4-1 W 29-22-8 66 236-212
20 Nov 25 Birmingham 5-2 W 10-6-4 24 86-75 60 Mar 4 Cincinnati *3-4 L 29-23-8 66 239-216
21 Nov 26 Birmingham 9-3 W 11-6-4 26 95-78 61 Mar 9 Quebec 1-3 L 29-24-8 66 240-219
22 Nov 29 @ Winnipeg 2-4 L 11-7-4 26 97-82 62 Mar 11 @ Cincinnati 2-1 W 30-24-8 68 242-220
23 Dec 1 @ Edmonton 2-8 L 11-8-4 26 99-90 63 Mar 13 @ Birmingham 4-3 W 31-24-8 70 246-223
24 Dec 3 @ Edmonton 7-0 W 12-8-4 28 106-90 64 Mar 15 Birmingham *3-4 L 31-25-8 70 249-227
25 Dec 5 @ Cincinnati 2-2 T 12-8-5 29 108-92 65 Mar 16 @ Birmingham 5-5 T 31-25-9 71 254-232
26 Dec 7 Edmonton 5-3 W 13-8-5 31 113-95 66 Mar 18 Cincinnati 1-4 L 31-26-9 71 255-236
27 Dec 9 Soviet All-Stars 4-7 L 13-9-5 31 117-102 67 Mar 20 @ Quebec *7-6 W 32-26-9 73 262-242
28 Dec 12 @ Indianapolis 7-4 W 14-9-5 33 124-106 68 Mar 23 Quebec 5-3 W 33-26-9 75 267-245
29 Dec 16 Quebec 2-1 W 15-9-5 35 126-107 69 Mar 24 Birmingham 3-4 L 33-27-9 75 270-249
30 Dec 17 @ Quebec 4-4 T 15-9-6 36 130-111 70 Mar 27 @ Birmingham 1-3 L 33-28-9 75 271-252
31 Dec 23 Birmingham 4-3 W 16-9-6 38 134-114 71 Mar 30 Edmonton 1-3 L 33-29-9 75 272-255
32 Dec 27 Czechoslovakia 10-4 W 17-9-6 40 144-118 72 Apr 1 Edmonton 3-5 L 33-30-9 75 275-260
33 Dec 29 Birmingham 5-0 W 18-9-6 42 149-118 73 Apr 4 @ Winnipeg 4-2 W 34-30-9 77 279-262
34 Dec 30 @ Cincinnati 1-2 L 18-10-6 42 150-120 74 Apr 6 @ Edmonton 2-7 L 34-31-9 77 281-269
35 Jan 7 Cincinnati 5-4 W 19-10-6 44 155-124 75 Apr 8 @ Winnipeg 4-6 L 34-32-9 77 285-275
36 Jan 13 Edmonton 0-3 L 19-11-6 44 155-127 76 Apr 10 @ Quebec 5-2 W 35-32-9 79 290-277
37 Jan 14 Winnipeg 2-4 L 19-12-6 44 157-131 77 Apr 12 Cincinnati 4-0 W 36-32-9 81 294-277
38 Jan 18 Quebec 2-4 L 19-13-6 44 159-135 78 Apr 14 Cincinnati 0-4 L 36-33-9 81 294-281
39 Jan 20 Cincinnati 3-1 W 20-13-6 46 162-136 79 Apr 15 Edmonton 1-4 L 36-34-9 81 295-285
40 Jan 23 @ Edmonton 1-5 L 20-14-6 46 163-141 80 Apr 17 @ Quebec 3-2 W 37-34-9 83 298-287
pos.
Player
C Antonovich, Mike
LW Brubaker, Jeff
LW Carlson, Jack
LW Douglas, Jordy
G Garrett, John
D Hangsleben, Alan
RW Howe, Gordie
D/F Howe, Mark
D Howe, Marty
D Inkpen, Dave
C Keon, Dave
C Lacroix, Andre
D Ley, Rick
LW Lyle, George
RW McKenzie, John
RW Miller, Warren
C Pleau, Larry
D Plumb, Ron
D Roberts, Gordie
C Rogers, Mike
D Roy, Pierre
D Selwood, Brad
G Smith, Al
RW Stoughton, Blaine
RW Warner, Jim
Goaltender
Garrett, John
Smith, Al
• Andre Lacroix acquired from Winnipeg for future considerations, Aug 1978
• Louis Levasseur traded to Québec for Warren Miller, Sep 1978
• Dave Inkpen and Blaine Stoughton signed as free agents from defunct Indianapolis, Dec 1978
• Jack Carlson traded to Minnesota (NHL) for future considerations, Feb 1979
opponent
overall
gf-ga
home
gf-ga
away
gf-ga
Birmingham 5-7-3 57-56 4-4-0 35-26 1-3-3 22-30
Cincinnati 6-7-2 39-45 4-4-0 22-25 2-3-2 17-20
Edmonton 4-9-1 35-53 2-5-0 18-23 2-4-1 17-30
Indianapolis 3-0-1 25-16 1-0-0 6-3 2-0-1 19-13
Quebec 11-4-1 65-54 6-2-0 30-18 5-2-1 35-36
Winnipeg 7-6-1 63-52 4-3-0 36-29 3-3-1 27-23
Touring Teams 1-1-0 14-11 1-1-0 14-11 0-0-0 0-0
October 5-3-1 40-36 1-2-0 15-14 4-1-1 25-22
November 6-4-3 57-46 6-1-0 35-15 0-3-3 22-31
December 7-3-2 53-38 5-1-0 30-18 2-2-2 23-20
January 4-5-0 30-34 4-3-0 25-24 0-2-0 5-10
February 6-7-2 52-57 4-3-0 31-26 2-4-2 21-31
March 5-7-1 40-44 1-6-0 17-25 4-1-1 23-19
April 4-5-0 26-32 1-3-0 8-13 3-2-0 18-19
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WHA Fact Book, 2nd ed
Complete WHA, 11th ed