WHA Hockey.TV: A Tribute to the Legends of the World Hockey Association by Mark Willand

Terry Ruskowski, "The Game I'll Never Forget", the Winnipeg Jets Win Final Avco Cup

The Game I'll Never Forget - Terry Ruskowski recalls game that won the World Hockey Association's Avco Cup Hockey Digest,  Feb, 2001  by Chuck O'Donnell .

Terry Ruskowski The perennial leader recalls how a team once divided came together to, win the final Avco Cup title I HAD ONE OF THE WORST injuries of my career--a hyperextended shoulder or a sprained shoulder or something--during the 1979 World Hockey Association Finals. Whatever-I had done to my shoulder, I had trouble just putting on my Winnipeg Jets jersey because I couldn't raise my arm over my head. Someone had checked me into the boards during our Finals series with the Edmonton Oilers. My shoulder was so sore, I sat out Game 5. There were a couple of days between Game 5 and Game 6, so the trainers worked on it nonstop. They treated it with therapy and messaging and all that.

Before Game 6, coach Tom McVie approached me in the locker room. "Can you play?" McVie asked. I was a young kid back then. I didn't know any better so I just looked at him. "Oh yeah, I can play," I said. It didn't matter that I could barely move my arm, I was going to play in Game 6--although I knew that there was no way I would be able to play if the series had to go the distance. It was pretty amazing that we were just one victory away from winning the Avco Cup considering everything we had been through that season. What a weird year. In November, Bobby Hull retired. Then, our captain, defenseman Lars-Erik Sjoberg, was lost for a chunk of the season with an injury. Veteran defenseman Ted Green retired. When the Indianapolis Racers folded during the season, that left only six teams in the league, and every team was really good.

We were hovering in the middle of the pack for most of the season. One of our biggest problems was that the team was splint into two factions. On one side of the room, you have the Jets On the other side, you had all the players the Jets obtained when the Houston Aeros folded. John Ferguson was brought in as the team's new general manager. Eventually Ferguson's patience ran thin and coach Larry Hillman was fired. Ferguson brought in McVie with about 40 games remaining in the season.

Willy Lindstrom: Winnipeg Jets "Mr. Clutch"

Winnipeg Jets Right-winger Willy Lindstrom was an exciting combination of speed and scoring during his four seasons in the WHA.  Perhaps the WHA's most underrated player, Lindstrom was superior in the post-season, notching 22 goals in 38 WHA playoff games.

Born in Grunnis, Sweden, "The Wisp" excelled for five years with Vastra Frolunda. He also spent parts of two seasons on the national team and played at the World Championshios in 1974 and 1975. Lindstrom signed as a free agent with the WHA's Winnipeg Jets in July 1975 and was a top goal scorer for four seasons. In 1977, he was the Co-MVP of the WHA All Star game.

The clever forward remained on the Jets when they joined the NHL in 1979-80. He recorded four consecutive 20-goal seasons as the young club was one of the fastest in the league. In March 1983, Lindstrom was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for scrappy centre Laurie Boschman. He was a role player on his new squad but recorded 22 goals in 1983-84 and helped the club win two consecutive Stanley Cups in 1984 and 1985.

In October 1985, he was picked up on waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins and scored 24 goals over two seasons. After sitting out the 1987-88 season, he played two years with Brynas IF Gavle of Sweden before announcing his retirement.

Legends of Hockey.net

"Terrible" Ted Green, New England Whalers 1972-73

He was known around the hockey world as “Terrible” Ted Green, tough-looking defenceman from Manitoba who liked to mix it up with the best the NHL could throw at him. Green finished his NHL career with 1,029 penalty minutes over 11 seasons, all with the Bruins, and another 304 with the New England Whalers and Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association.

In the WHA, Green won three Avco Trophies with New England and Winnipeg.

At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Green was not big, but he was robust. He had made a name for himself as a member of the 1959 Winnipeg Braves, who won the Memorial Cup that year. The Bruins, a horrible team at the time, scooped him up in time for the 1960-61 season, when he played but one game. By the next season, he was a regular and played 66.

Green amassed more than 100 penalty minutes in six of his seasons with the Bruins before a life-threatening, stick-swinging incident with Wayne Maki in an exhibition game, kept him out of the 1969-70 season and left him with a metal plate inside his head.

Anders Hedberg - 1975 Article - "An Outspoken View of Pro Hockey"

In is this 1975 article, Winnipeg Jet Anders Hedberg discusses his hockey career from childhood to the WHA.  Click on the images/pages on the left to enlarge the article.

 

Rare WHA Footage: Winnipeg's Hull, Hedberg Score vs. San Diego

Rare 1974-75 WHA film (Winnipeg at San Diego) shows goals by Bobby Hull and Anders Hedberg. Also a Save by Curt Larsson and Ulf Nilsson being attacked by San Diego's Dean Boylan.

Kent Nilsson, "The Magic Man"

Kent Nilsson began his career in 1973–74, playing for Djurgårdens IF during his first of four seasons in Sweden. He then came to North America, and played for the Winnipeg Jets of the WHA beginning in 1977. He scored two consecutive 100-point seasons in the WHA; and his offensive production continued when the league merged with the NHL.

He was claimed by the Atlanta Flames, and in his first season with the team he scored 93 points. The next season, 1980–81, Atlanta moved to Calgary; Nilsson scored 131 points, which is still the team record [1], and he came third in NHL scoring. Nilsson played with the Flames until 1984–85 when he was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for a draft pick that the Flames used to draft Joe Nieuwendyk. Nilsson won his first and only Stanley Cup while playing with the Edmonton Oilers in 1987. He returned to Europe after that season, playing in Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Norway. In 1988–89 he was named Player of the Year in Sweden. He returned Edmonton for six games in 1995, which made him the last former Atlanta Flames player to play in the NHL. He would then play briefly again in Europe until 1998.

He is currently a scout for the Edmonton Oilers, operating out of Europe. His son, Robert Nilsson, is currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers. Awards * Won Lou Kaplan Trophy (WHA Rookie of the Year) (1978). * Won Paul Daneau Trophy (WHA Most Gentlemanly Player) (1979).

Barry Long Winnipeg Jets: "The Marathon Man"

Tireless defenceman Barry Long was a good playmaker who could fill a physical role in his own zone. His five year NHL tenure was split by a half decade spent in the WHA where he played a more offensive role. Long played junior with the Moose Jaw Canucks of the WCJHL. He spent his first four years as a pro toiling in the CHL and WHL before playing two years on the L.A. Kings' defence beginning in 1972-73. In 1974, he opted to sign with the WHA's Edmonton Oilers and was picked as an alternate for that year's Summit Series versus the USSR.

During his first year in the league, Long scored 20 goals and provided grit in his own end. His solid year earned him a place on the WHA's second all-star team. However, his play fell off in 1975-76 and he was shipped to the Winnipeg Jets for future considerations during the first week of the 1976-7 schedule. Long was excellent at both ends for the Jets and was named to the league's second all-star team in 1978.

Long often logged over 30 minutes per game, earning him the nickname "Marathon Man"

In June 1979, the veteran blueliner was reclaimed by the Detroit Red Wings prior to the Expansion Draft. He played all 80 games for the Wings in 1979-80 then was sent to the Jets for cash the next fall. Long scored 23 points and was a team leader on Winnipeg then joined Canada at the 1981 World Championships. Injuries forced the steady veteran to retire after playing only five games in 1981-82. Two years later, Long returned to the Jets as the team's head coach. He guided the club to a .500 record after taking over from Tom Watt after 31 games then posted a 43-27-10 record in 1984-85. The wheels fell off the next season when Long was relieved by John Ferguson after Winnipeg only won 19 of its first 66 games. Legends of Hockey.net

1976: Jets top Houston 9-1 to Win First Avco Crown

The Jets came flying out of the gate in 1975 as Bobby Hull, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson all topped the 100-point mark on on the way to capturing the Canadian Division with a solid record of 52-27-2.  After a first round bye the Jets would dominate the Edmonton Oilers sweeping them in 4 straight to reach the semifinals, where they would lasso the Calgary Cowboys in 5 games. In the AVCO Cup Finals the Jets would again dominate sweeping the 20tim defending Champion Houston Aeros led by Gordie Howe in 4 straight to claim their first ever WHA Championship, closing the series out with a dominating 9-1 win on May 27th.

Marc Tardif and Bobby Hull 1977 Interview

Hockey's two best left wings in the 1970s are interviewed prior to game 7 of the 1977 WHA Finals. For the record hockey' top left wings in the 1970s: 1. Tardif, 2. Hull, 3. Barber, 4. Shutt, 5. Gillies.

Game 6 1977 Avco Finals: Jets 12, Nordiques 3

Winnipeg crushes Quebec 12-3 ... Hot Line -- Hedberg, Nilsson, Hull -- dominates.