1978-79 Quebec Nordiques
Record: 41-34-5, 87 pts
From first to 4th, from Avco Trophy holder to elimination in five games in the semifinals, the 1977-78 season for the Quebec Nordiques was one of disappointment and mostly injuries.
Offensively, the Nordiques had few problems with the record-shattering Mark Tardif establishing a Major League mark for the most points in a season — 154 — on 65 goals and 89 assists, and Real "Buddy" Cloutier, his linemate finishing close behind, second in fact, with 56-73-129 statistics. They were the nucleus of an attack which produced 349 goals, second only to Winnipeg, but the bottom line for the Nordiques was that they also allowed 347, an increase of 52 over the previous year, and no doubt responsible for their mediocre 40-37-3 record which placed them behind Winnipeg, New England and Houston.
In turn, the main reasons for the Nordiques significant drop off in keeping the other teams off the scoresheet where the club's uncertainty in the goalkeeping ranks, and a lengthy string of injuries which rendered half the defense corps out for the majority of the season.
At the start of last year, the goaltending picture in Quebec City had Richard Brodeur as number one, followed by Serge Aubry and Ed Humphreys. The latter two weren't around for long.
Suddenly, rookie Jim Corsi, over from the Colorado Rockies, organization made the team. Then when Brodeur was injured early in the year, Don McLeod played briefly and then was dealt to Edmonton for Ken Broderick. Markus Mattsson was also around for a short time.
What this meant was that the club did not have a steady netminder for any length of time during the season. Brodeur, who closed the season in the number one spot again, playing most of the playoff games, eventually appeared in 36 games, posting an 18-15-2 record. Broderick was 11-13-1 and Corsi finished 10-7. They'll carry the Nordiques 1978-79 hopes.
If the goaltending scene was confusing, the defense picture was a nightmare. Topping the injury list were regulars Jim Dorey, who missed 54 games, Francois Lacombe, who was absent from 58, and Wally Weir, who appeared in only 13 games for the season. That put too much of a strain on Paul Baxter, Garry Lariviere, J.-C. Tremblay and Jean Bernier, and eventually showed in the latter stages of the regular season in the playoffs.
Though the defensemen turned in pretty fair seasons as far as producing goals — Lariviere had 56 points, Bernier and Tremblay 42 — they were far less effective preventing opposition goals.
The Nordiques lost a pair of pretty fair offensive performers in the interleague draft when Matti Hagman, who scored 56 points including 23 goals in 53 games after being purchased from the Boston Bruins, was selected by Edmonton, while Cincinnati drafted Steve Sutherland, a left winger who turned in 23 goals for the Nordiques.
There's still plenty of firepower remaining. Paulin Bordeleau picked up the slack for his injured brother Christian, who missed 54 games, by coming through with a 41-goal season. Serge Bernier scored 78 points, while Warren Miller, Norm Dube and Bob Fitchner accounted for 16, 16 and 15 goals, respectively.
The Nordiques also signed a gifted pair of players from the Quebec Major Junior League to long-term contracts, players who were drafted by the Montreal Canadiens.
Actually, Richard David, a left winger from Trois Rivieres, who turned in 50-61-111 scoring totals last year, was signed to a five-year contract with the Nordiques before the Canadiens took him as their fifth choice in the third round of the NHL draft, but not so with the other big name junior to sign with Quebec Danny Geoffrion.
Danny, son of Bernie (Boom Boom) Geoffrion, played right wing and center for the Cornwall Royals of the Quebec League, finishing the season with 68 goals and 75 assists for a total of 143 points. He was Montreal's first draft choice, 8th overall, but accepted a five-year deal from the Nordiques after the Canadiens failed to show the type of interest in signing him, which he and his father Bernie figured was due a first-round draft choice.
Undoubtedly, he and David will add considerable punch to a lineup that scores right up there with the best teams in the league. Unfortunately, Winnipeg despite losing Hedberg, Nilsson and Labraaten, has also improved their attack, as have Edmonton and New England.
Too many question marks on defense will be the Nordiques unraveling in the coming season. Tremblay and Dorey are getting along in years, and the team desperately lacks a take-charge defenseman who can stand back and direct the action in front of the net.
New coach Jacques Demers, on its third WHA in three years, may find his latest former team, Cincinnati, breathing down the Nordiques necks for 4th place.
Game Log ... (@ away game, * overtime)
Player Scoring
Goaltending
Transactions
• Dale Hoganson purchased from Birmingham, Jul 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: 3rd, League
Playoffs: Lost in semifinal round to Winnipeg
Coach: Jacques Demers
Nordiques 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 New England 5-6 L 0-1-0 0 5-6 41 Jan 21 @ Winnipeg 1-3 L 23-14-4 50 158-130
2 Oct 17 Cincinnati 5-5 T 0-1-1 1 10-11 42 Jan 23 @ Birmingham 7-5 W 24-14-4 52 165-135
3 Oct 18 Indianapolis 0-4 L 0-2-1 1 10-15 43 Jan 27 Winnipeg 2-4 L 24-15-4 52 167-139
4 Oct 21 @ New England 1-7 L 0-3-1 1 11-22 44 Jan 30 @ Birmingham 1-2 L 24-16-4 52 168-141
5 Oct 22 Birmingham 5-8 L 0-4-1 1 16-30 45 Feb 1 @ Birmingham 5-7 L 24-17-4 52 173-148
6 Oct 25 Cincinnati 4-3 W 1-4-1 3 20-33 46 Feb 2 @ New England 1-4 L 24-18-4 52 174-152
7 Oct 26 New England 8-5 W 2-4-1 5 28-38 47 Feb 4 Edmonton 6-3 W 25-18-4 54 180-155
8 Oct 28 @ Cincinnati *3-4 L 2-5-1 5 31-42 48 Feb 6 New England 3-5 L 25-19-4 54 183-160
9 Oct 29 @ Edmonton 6-2 W 3-5-1 7 37-44 49 Feb 9 @ Edmonton 0-3 L 25-20-4 54 183-163
10 Oct 31 @ Edmonton 5-4 W 4-5-1 9 42-48 50 Feb 13 @ Edmonton 1-6 L 25-21-4 54 184-169
11 Nov 3 @ Birmingham 3-2 W 5-5-1 11 45-50 51 Feb 17 @ New England 1-4 L 25-22-4 54 185-173
12 Nov 4 @ Birmingham 4-1 W 6-5-1 13 49-51 52 Feb 18 @ Cincinnati 4-2 W 26-22-4 56 189-175
13 Nov 5 Edmonton 2-0 W 7-5-1 15 51-51 53 Feb 20 @ Birmingham 7-3 W 27-22-4 58 196-178
14 Nov 7 Winnipeg 1-2 L 7-6-1 15 52-53 54 Feb 23 @ New England *4-5 L 27-23-4 58 200-183
15 Nov 8 Edmonton 5-6 L 7-7-1 15 57-59 55 Feb 24 New England 6-0 W 28-23-4 60 206-183
16 Nov 11 Indianapolis 8-2 W 8-7-1 17 65-61 56 Feb 25 Cincinnati 1-1 T 28-23-5 61 207-184
17 Nov 12 @ Winnipeg 6-4 W 9-7-1 19 71-65 57 Mar 3 Birmingham 3-2 W 29-23-5 63 210-186
18 Nov 15 Winnipeg 5-2 W 10-7-1 21 76-67 58 Mar 4 Birmingham 5-4 W 30-23-5 65 215-190
19 Nov 21 @ Edmonton 1-4 L 10-8-1 21 77-71 59 Mar 6 Edmonton 4-3 W 31-23-5 67 219-193
20 Nov 24 @ Edmonton *3-4 L 10-9-1 21 80-75 60 Mar 7 Edmonton 6-3 W 32-23-5 69 225-196
21 Nov 26 Winnipeg 2-2 T 10-9-2 22 82-77 61 Mar 9 @ New England 3-1 W 33-23-5 71 228-197
22 Nov 29 Birmingham 7-4 W 11-9-2 24 89-81 62 Mar 10 @ Cincinnati 2-5 L 33-24-5 71 230-202
23 Dec 2 Cincinnati 2-0 W 12-9-2 26 91-81 63 Mar 11 @ Winnipeg 2-7 L 33-25-5 71 232-209
24 Dec 3 Winnipeg 5-3 W 13-9-2 28 96-84 64 Mar 14 @ Winnipeg 4-2 W 34-25-5 73 236-211
25 Dec 6 Edmonton 6-3 W 14-9-2 30 102-87 65 Mar 16 @ Edmonton 1-6 L 34-26-5 73 237-217
26 Dec 9 Cincinnati 4-3 W 15-9-2 32 106-90 66 Mar 18 @ Edmonton 7-2 W 35-26-5 75 244-219
27 Dec 10 @ Winnipeg 4-4 T 15-9-3 33 110-94 67 Mar 20 New England *6-7 L 35-27-5 75 250-226
28 Dec 12 Soviet All-Stars 3-6 L 15-10-3 33 113-100 68 Mar 23 @ New England 3-5 L 35-28-5 75 253-231
29 Dec 14 Birmingham 3-2 W 16-10-3 35 116-102 69 Mar 24 @ Cincinnati 5-2 W 36-28-5 77 258-233
30 Dec 16 @ New England 1-2 L 16-11-3 35 117-104 70 Mar 25 Birmingham 3-2 W 37-28-5 79 261-235
31 Dec 17 New England 4-4 T 16-11-4 36 121-108 71 Mar 28 Edmonton 3-0 W 38-28-5 81 264-235
32 Dec 22 @ Birmingham 5-1 W 17-11-4 38 126-109 72 Mar 30 @ Winnipeg 2-0 W 39-28-5 83 266-235
33 Dec 23 @ Cincinnati 2-6 L 17-12-4 38 128-115 73 Apr 1 Winnipeg 3-7 L 39-29-5 83 269-242
34 Dec 28 Czechoslovakia 4-0 W 18-12-4 40 132-115 74 Apr 3 @ Birmingham 3-5 L 39-30-5 83 272-247
35 Dec 30 Birmingham 3-2 W 19-12-4 42 135-117 75 Apr 4 Edmonton 4-2 W 40-30-5 85 276-249
36 Jan 7 @ Winnipeg 2-3 L 19-13-4 42 137-120 76 Apr 7 @ Cincinnati 2-6 L 40-31-5 85 278-255
37 Jan 9 @ Cincinnati 4-3 W 20-13-4 44 141-123 77 Apr 10 New England 2-5 L 40-32-5 85 280-260
38 Jan 12 @ Cincinnati 2-1 W 21-13-4 46 143-124 78 Apr 11 Cincinnati 2-6 L 40-33-5 85 282-266
39 Jan 18 @ New England 4-2 W 22-13-4 48 147-126 79 Apr 15 Cincinnati 4-2 W 41-33-5 87 286-268
40 Jan 20 Winnipeg 10-1 W 23-13-4 50 157-127 80 Apr 17 New England 2-3 L 41-34-5 87 288-271
pos.
Player
D Baxter, Paul
C Bernier, Serge
LW Bilodeau, Gilles
C Bordeleau, Christian
RW Bordeleau, Paulin
RW Brackenbury, Curt
G Brodeur, Richard
RW Cloutier, Real
G Corsi, Jim
LW Cote, Alain
LW David, Richard
LW Devine, Kevin
D Dorey, Jim
LW Dube, Norm
C Fitchner, Bob
RW Geoffrion, Daniel
D Hoganson, Dale
D Lacombe, Francois
LW Lagace, Pierre
D Lariviere, Garry
RW Leclerc, Rene
C Leduc, Richie
G Levasseur, Louis
D Morrison, Kevin
LW Tardif, Marc
D Tremblay, J.C.
D Weir, Wally
Goaltender
Brodeur, Richard
Corsi, Jim
Levasseur, Louis
• Kevin Devine purchased from Indianapolis, Sep 1978
• Warren Miller traded to New England for Louis Levasseur, Sep 1978
• Gilles Bilodeau signed to contract, Sep 1978
• Richie Leduc, Kevin Morrison purchased from Indianapolis, Nov 1978
• Christian Bordeleau announced retirement, Nov 1978
• Rene Leclerc and Kevin Morrison signed as free agents from defunct Indianapolis, Dec 1978
• Jacques Demers signs five game tryout contract, Mar 1979 (his number is 23)
opponent
overall
gf-ga
home
gf-ga
away
gf-ga
Birmingham 11-4-0 64-50 6-1-0 29-24 5-3-0 35-26
Cincinnati 8-5-2 46-49 4-1-2 22-20 4-4-0 24-29
Edmonton 10-6-0 60-51 7-1-0 36-20 3-5-0 24-31
Indianapolis 1-1-0 8-6 1-1-0 8-6 0-0-0 0-0
New England 4-11-1 54-65 2-5-1 36-35 2-6-0 18-30
Winnipeg 6-6-2 49-44 3-3-1 28-21 3-3-1 21-23
Touring Teams 1-1-0 7-6 1-1-0 7-6 0-0-0 0-0
October 4-5-1 42-48 2-3-1 27-31 2-2-0 15-17
November 7-4-1 47-33 4-2-1 30-18 3-2-0 17-15
December 8-3-2 46-36 7-1-1 34-23 1-2-1 12-13
January 5-4-0 33-24 1-1-0 12-5 4-3-0 21-19
February 4-7-1 39-43 2-1-1 16-9 2-6-0 23-34
March 11-5-0 59-51 6-1-0 30-21 5-4-0 29-30
April 2-6-0 22-36 2-4-0 17-25 0-2-0 5-11
• Review: US Sports History, by Rick Macales — Feb 6, 2021
• Podcast: Good Seats Still Available, by Tim Hanlon — Feb 28, 2021
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WHA Fact Book, 2nd ed
Complete WHA, 11th ed