1972–73 Minnesota Fighting Saints season

The 1972–73 Minnesota Fighting Saints season was their first season of operation in the newly created World Hockey Association (WHA).[1][2]

1972–73 Minnesota Fighting Saints
Division4th Western
1972–73 record38–37–3
Home record24-14-1
Road record14-23-2
Goals for250
Goals against269
Team information
General managerGlen Sonmor
CoachGlen Sonmor (28–28–3)
Harry Neale (10–9–0)
CaptainTed Hampson
Alternate captainsWayne Connelly
John Arbour
Mike McMahon
ArenaSt. Paul Auditorium (20 games)
St. Paul Civic Center (19 games)
Average attendance5,855 (48.9%)
Team leaders
GoalsWayne Connelly (40)
AssistsTed Hampson (45)
PointsWayne Connelly (70)
Penalty minutesDick Paradise (189)
WinsMike Curran (23)
Goals against averageMike Curran (3.09)

Offseason

Regular season

Final standings
Western Division
GP W L T GF GA PIM Pts
Winnipeg Jets784331428524975790
Houston Aeros7839354284269136382
Los Angeles Sharks7837356259250147780
Minnesota Fighting Saints783837325026984379
Alberta Oilers7838373269256113479
Chicago Cougars782650224529581154

Game log
Regular season schedule
No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1LOctober 13, 19723–4Winnipeg Jets (1972–73)0–1–0
2WOctober 15, 19723–2Chicago Cougars (1972–73)1–1–0
3LOctober 17, 19721–5Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73)1–2–0
4LOctober 19, 19721–5@ Houston Aeros (1972–73)1–3–0
5TOctober 20, 19721–1@ Winnipeg Jets (1972–73)1–3–1
6WOctober 22, 19725–4@ New York Raiders (1972–73)2–3–1
7LOctober 23, 19721–5@ New England Whalers (1972–73)2–4–1
8LOctober 26, 19724–5@ Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)2–5–1
9WNovember 1, 19723–0Winnipeg Jets (1972–73)3–5–1
10LNovember 2, 19722–4New York Raiders (1972–73)3–6–1
11WNovember 5, 19723–1Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)4–6–1
12WNovember 10, 19725–1@ Winnipeg Jets (1972–73)5–6–1
13WNovember 14, 19725–3Cleveland Crusaders (1972–73)6–6–1
14WNovember 16, 19725–4Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)7–6–1
15WNovember 18, 19725–4 OT@ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)8–6–1
16LNovember 19, 19723–4Chicago Cougars (1972–73)8–7–1
17WNovember 21, 19724–3 OTAlberta Oilers (1972–73)9–7–1
18WNovember 23, 19724–3Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73)10–7–1
19WNovember 24, 19726–4@ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)11–7–1
20WNovember 26, 19723–1New England Whalers (1972–73)12–7–1
21LNovember 28, 19722–3 OT@ Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)12–8–1
22LNovember 30, 19722–5@ New York Raiders (1972–73)12–9–1
23WDecember 1, 19726–4@ Alberta Oilers (1972–73)13–9–1
24LDecember 3, 19721–5@ Winnipeg Jets (1972–73)13–10–1
25LDecember 5, 19722–3 OTChicago Cougars (1972–73)13–11–1
26WDecember 7, 19723–0Houston Aeros (1972–73)14–11–1
27LDecember 8, 19723–4 OT@ Chicago Cougars (1972–73)14–12–1
28WDecember 10, 19724–3 OTCleveland Crusaders (1972–73)15–12–1
29TDecember 12, 19723–3@ Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73)15–12–2
30WDecember 14, 19726–3@ Chicago Cougars (1972–73)16–12–2
31LDecember 15, 19722–3Houston Aeros (1972–73)16–13–2
32WDecember 17, 19724–2Chicago Cougars (1972–73)17–13–2
33WDecember 19, 19727–5New England Whalers (1972–73)18–13–2
34WDecember 21, 19723–0Winnipeg Jets (1972–73)19–13–2
35LDecember 23, 19721–3@ Cleveland Crusaders (1972–73)19–14–2
36LDecember 26, 19722–6Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)19–15–2
37WDecember 28, 19724–2@ Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73)20–15–2
38LDecember 29, 19722–5@ Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73)20–16–2
39TJanuary 1, 19734–4Houston Aeros (1972–73)20–16–3
40LJanuary 7, 19732–6Winnipeg Jets (1972–73)20–17–3
41LJanuary 9, 19733–4 OTLos Angeles Sharks (1972–73)20–18–3
42LJanuary 11, 19733–4Cleveland Crusaders (1972–73)20–19–3
43WJanuary 12, 19733–2Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)21–19–3
44WJanuary 14, 19733–2 OTOttawa Nationals (1972–73)22–19–3
45LJanuary 16, 19731–3@ Winnipeg Jets (1972–73)22–20–3
46LJanuary 18, 19733–6@ Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)22–21–3
47WJanuary 20, 197310–5@ Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)23–21–3
48WJanuary 22, 19733–2@ New York Raiders (1972–73)24–21–3
49LJanuary 25, 19732–5Houston Aeros (1972–73)24–22–3
50WJanuary 26, 19734–2Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)25–22–3
51LJanuary 30, 19732–4@ Chicago Cougars (1972–73)25–23–3
52LFebruary 1, 19732–4@ Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)25–24–3
53LFebruary 3, 19731–7@ Houston Aeros (1972–73)25–25–3
54WFebruary 5, 19736–3@ Houston Aeros (1972–73)26–25–3
55WFebruary 6, 19735–4New York Raiders (1972–73)27–25–3
56LFebruary 8, 19731–3@ Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73)27–26–3
57LFebruary 9, 19730–6@ Alberta Oilers (1972–73)27–27–3
58LFebruary 11, 19735–7@ Alberta Oilers (1972–73)27–28–3
59WFebruary 15, 19733–0Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)28–28–3
60WFebruary 17, 19737–3@ Cleveland Crusaders (1972–73)29–28–3
61WFebruary 18, 19737–5Chicago Cougars (1972–73)30–28–3
62LFebruary 25, 19731–4@ Houston Aeros (1972–73)30–29–3
63WFebruary 27, 19733–0Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)31–29–3
64LMarch 1, 19731–4Los Angeles Sharks (1972–73)31–30–3
65WMarch 4, 19734–2New England Whalers (1972–73)32–30–3
66WMarch 6, 19734–3 OTAlberta Oilers (1972–73)33–30–3
67LMarch 8, 19731–2@ Philadelphia Blazers (1972–73)33–31–3
68LMarch 10, 19731–3@ New England Whalers (1972–73)33–32–3
69WMarch 11, 19732–1Alberta Oilers (1972–73)34–32–3
70WMarch 15, 19737–4@ Chicago Cougars (1972–73)35–32–3
71LMarch 16, 19734–7@ New England Whalers (1972–73)35–33–3
72LMarch 20, 19733–5@ Alberta Oilers (1972–73)35–34–3
73WMarch 22, 19732–1 OT@ Chicago Cougars (1972–73)36–34–3
74WMarch 24, 19732–1 OT@ Cleveland Crusaders (1972–73)37–34–3
75LMarch 25, 19731–6@ Ottawa Nationals (1972–73)37–35–3
76WMarch 27, 19734–3New York Raiders (1972–73)38–35–3
77LMarch 29, 19733–5Quebec Nordiques (1972–73)38–36–3
78LMarch 30, 19733–5Alberta Oilers (1972–73)38–37–3

[3]

Playoffs

The Oilers and the Minnesota Fighting Saints were tied at the end of the season. They had the same number of victories and points, and they had both won four games against each other. Subsequently, it was decided that the two teams would play a one game playoff to decide the final spot in the playoffs, to be played in Calgary.

DateVisitorScoreHomeRecord
April 4Minnesota Fighting Saints4–2Alberta Oilers1–0

Winnipeg Jets 4, Minnesota Fighting Saints 1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeRecord
1April 6Minnesota Fighting Saints1–3Winnipeg Jets0–1
2April 8Minnesota Fighting Saints2–5Winnipeg Jets0–2
3April 10Winnipeg Jets4–6Minnesota Fighting Saints1–2
4April 11Winnipeg Jets3–2 OTMinnesota Fighting Saints1–3
5April 15Minnesota Fighting Saints5–8Winnipeg Jets1–4

Player stats
Regular season
Scoring
Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG
Wayne ConnellyC784030701601006
Ted HampsonC77174562200402
Bill KlattRW783622582201205
Mike McMahonD75123951870400
Keith ChristiansenC64123042240200
George MorrisonLW70162440200900
Bob MacMillanRW75132740480100
Terry BallD7863440660100
Mike AntonovichC75201939460100
John ArbourD76627331860100
Fred SpeckC47131629520500
Jim JohnsonC3391423120000
Len LilyholmRW7781321370000
Mel PearsonLW7081220120000
Terry RyanC7613619130160
Dick ParadiseD77315181890000
Frank SandersD768816940100
George KonikD/LW5441216340000
Bill YoungLW235611200200
Craig FalkmanRW45156120000
Mike CurranG43011260000
Blaine RydmanD29011650000
Jack McCartanG38000190000
Carl WetzelG100000000
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L T GA GAA SO
Mike Curran254043231721313.094
Jack McCartan216038151911293.581
Carl Wetzel60101033.000
Team:476078383732633.325
Playoffs
Scoring
Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM PPG SHG GWG
Mike McMahonD50552000
Ted HampsonC53140000
Wayne ConnellyC51340000
Bill KlattRW51345100
Jim JohnsonC52132000
Terry BallD51234100
Bob MacMillanRW50330000
Mike AntonovichC52020000
Mel PearsonLW52020000
George MorrisonLW51122000
Bill YoungLW51124001
Terry RyanC50220000
Keith ChristiansenC51010000
Len LilyholmRW51010000
John ArbourD501112000
Jack McCartanG40110000
Dick ParadiseD50112000
Frank SandersD40110000
Mike CurranG20000000
Blaine RydmanD10000000
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L GA GAA SO
Jack McCartan213412143.940
Mike Curran9020296.000
Team:303514234.550

[4]

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts;

See also

References
  1. World Hockey Association (1972). WHA 1972-73 Media Guide. World Hockey Association.
  2. World Hockey Association (1973). WHA 1973-74 Media Guide. World Hockey Association.
  3. "1972–73 Minnesota Fighting Saints Games". Hockey-reference.com. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
  4. "1972-73 Minnesota Fighting Saints Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com". hockey-reference.com. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
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