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Mike Gartner Tallies First WINNIPEG: Mike Gartner's first career goal broke a 1-1 tie and helped Cincinnati defeat Winnipeg. Gartner also had an assist, while Rick Dudley scored once and added two assists. Gartner retired in 1998 with 708 NHL goals, 735 overall, and was admitted to the Hall of Fame in 2001.
1st period: 1. Wpg: Nilsson 2 (Hull, Terbenche) 6:43.
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Wayne Gretzky Collects First QUEBEC: Seventeen-year old Wayne Gretzky assisted on Richie Leduc's first period goal, which proved to be the game winner as Ed Mio was perfect in nets for Indianapolis. The shutout by Mio was the first regular season shutout ever by an opposing goaltender in Quebec.
1st period: 1. Ind: Leduc 1 (Gretzky, Morrison) 16:14.
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Gretzky Scores First Two INDIANAPOLIS: Wayne Gretzky's first two career goals came in a 34-second span in the second period for the Racers as he twice beat Oilers goaltender Dave Dryden. However, a third period rally by Edmonton gave the Oilers a 4-3 verdict over the Racers. Eddie Mio stopped 43 of 47 Oiler shots blasted his way.
1st period: 1. Edm: Goldsworthy 2 (Sobchuk, Hamilton) 7:21. 2. Ind: Leduc 2 (Larose, Stoughton) 14:21.
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Michel Goulet Scores His EDMONTON: Michel Goulet's first career goal was the eventual game winner as the Bulls topped the Oilers. Goulet retired in 1994 with 548 NHL goals, 576 overall. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.
1st period: 1. Bir: Sleigher 5 (Alley, Stewart) 2:01. 2. Bir: Beaudoin 1 (Kirk, Henderson) 4:52. 3. Bir: Goulet 1 (Vaive, Adduono) 15:41.
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Gretzky Debuts With EDMONTON: The Oilers' newly acquired trio of Wayne Gretzky, Peter Driscoll and Ed Mio all figured in the Oilers 4-3 victory over Winnipeg. Gretzky scored an unassisted goal just 14 seconds into the second period to break a 1-1 deadlock. Driscoll's over-time goal won the game, while Mio started in the nets for Edmonton.
1st period: 1. Wpg: Lukowich 5 (Ruskowski, Preston) 5:04. 2. Edm: Sobchuk 4 (Callighen, Shmyr) 9:11.
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Gretzky's Natural Hat Trick SPRINGFIELD: Still just seventeen years old, Edmonton's Wayne Gretzky scored a natural hat trick in less than five minutes to break a third-period scoreless tie. Gretzky's goals were all the offense the Oilers needed in the 3-0 win, as Dave Dryden registered the shutout. Two of Gretzky's goals were unassisted.
1st period: No scoring.
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Real Cloutier's Hat Trick QUEBEC: The Nordiques' star goal-scorer Real Cloutier scored a hat trick against Edmonton to give him an amazing 60 goals in 60 games. His final goal came with less than a minute to play. Cloutier had barely missed scoring 50 goals in 50 games a few weeks earlier, when he had 47 after the Nordiques' 50th game.
1st period: 1. Edm: Weir 20 (Hamilton, Hunter) 3:49; 2. Edm: Gretzky 33 5:38; 3. Que: Cloutier 58 (Bernier, Baxter) 15:05; 4. Que: Bernier 32 (Tremblay, Tardif) 18:20
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Mark Messier Scores First CINCINNATI: Mark Messier scored a goal and had an assist in Cincinnati's 5-2 win over Birmingham. Messier's goal was a mid-ice shot that somehow eluded Bulls goaltender Pat Riggin. It would be Messier's only goal in the WHA, but would redeem himself by scoring 694 regular season goals and another 109 playoff goals while playing in the NHL through 2004. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.
1st period: No scoring.
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Oilers Clobber Jets in Last WINNIPEG: The Oilers closed out their most successful season to date with a 9-3 victory over the Jets in Winnipeg. Stan Weir had two goals and two assists, Brett Callighen two goals and an assist, Ron Chipperfield two goals, and Wayne Gretzky a goal and an assist to lead the Oiler attack. The game was not without rancor, as Morris Lukowich and Steve Carlson received match penalties for stick-swinging, while Jets coach Tom McVie tried to engage Oilers coach Glen Sather in a tangle. At the final horn, the last regular-season contest in the World Hockey Association had been played. The Oilers and Jets would meet again in the playoffs, then again the following season as members of the National Hockey League.
1st period: 1. Edm: Weir 30 (Hunter, Shnyr) 3:51; 2. Edm: Callighen 30 (Gretzky, Siltanen) 5:44; 3. Edm: Driscoll 20 (Hughes, Carlson) 9:52; 4. Wpg: Long 5 (Ruskowski, Sjoberg) 12:35; 5. Wpg: Sullivan 46 (Daley) 15:41
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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
 WHA Fact Book, 2nd ed |
 Complete WHA, 11th ed |
(c) Scott Surgent