1975 WHA playoffs


The 1975 WHA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the World Hockey Association's 1974–75 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Houston Aeros defeating the Eastern Division champion Quebec Nordiques in four games for their second straight Avco Cup championship.

Playoff seeds

The top two teams in each of the three divisions made the playoffs, regardless of total points, which is how Cleveland reached the postseason with 73 points in a weak Eastern Division despite third place Winnipeg having 81 points in the Canadian Division. All eight clubs then were seeded 1–8 based on regular season points, regardless of conference or division.
  1. [1974–75 Houston Aeros (WHA)|Houston Aeros season|Houston Aeros], Western Division champions – 106 points
  2. [1974–75 1974–75 Quebec Nordiques season|Quebec Nordiques season|Quebec Nordiques], Canadian Division champions – 92 points
  3. [1974–75 1974–75 New England Whalers season|New England Whalers season|New England Whalers], Eastern Division champions – 91 points
  4. San Diego Mariners – 90 points
  5. [1974–75 1974–75 Toronto Toros season|Toronto Toros season|Toronto Toros]– 88 points
  6. Minnesota Fighting Saints– 87 points
  7. [1974–75 1974–75 Phoenix Roadrunners season|Phoenix Roadrunners season|Phoenix Roadrunners]– 86 points
  8. [1974–75 1974–75 Cleveland Crusaders season|Cleveland Crusaders season|Cleveland Crusaders] – 73 points

Quarterfinals

(C1) Quebec Nordiques vs. (W4) Phoenix Roadrunners

Quebec had gone 4–2 against Phoenix in the regular season. It was Quebec who decided that their series would start one day before the other playoff games would start, a point that irked Roadrunner coach Sandy Hucul since the team had to travel the entire day before going from Phoenix to Quebec. A close first period in Game 2 turned quickly for Quebec, who scored four goals on eight shots in the second period to win 6-2 in a game that also saw Marc Tardif tie a WHA record for most assists in a period with three. Game 3 saw just two penalties called on each team in a 3-0 thumping by Quebec. Game 4 saw the Roadrunners score four goals in the first period, but Quebec responded with goals of their own that saw Bob Guindon tie the game with 15 seconds remaining in the second period before a scoreless third period saw overtime. After a save by Quebec goaltender Richard Brodeur saw the puck bounce to Michel Cormier, he lifted it over Brodeur to end the game. In Game 5, the two teams traded goals in the second period for a 2-2 tie, but Marc Tardif gave Quebec the go-ahead lead with less than six minutes remaining. Phoenix sent out their goaltender for an extra attacker late that saw Serge Bernier get the puck for Quebec and shoot it into the empty net to close the scoring as the series soon ended.

(E1) New England Whalers vs. (W3) Minnesota Fighting Saints

Minnesota went 4–2 versus New England in the regular season. In Game 1, the Saints won 6–5 but ended up losing a player in the aftermath. In the early hours of April 11, Gord Gallant got into a fight with head coach Harry Neale that saw him kicked off the team, having given Neale enough injury to necessitate 10 stiches and a black eye. A brawl occurred in the early minutes of the second period that saw play held up for 32 minutes as 11 players received a combined total of 119 penalty minutes. The game went into overtime and Rick Ley scored the game-winning goal on a slap shot six minutes into overtime. The game lasted a total of three hours and 47 minutes.

(W1) Houston Aeros vs. (E2) Cleveland Crusaders

Houston had gone 5–1 against Cleveland in the regular season. Fatigue set in for Game 2 as Cleveland allowed three goals in a tight loss. Game 4 went so badly enough for the Crusaders that coach/GM Jack Vivian was angry at the fans who booed goaltender Gerry Cheevers in the third period, which saw a 4–1 deficit go to a 7–2 nightmare that led Vivian to tell the press that the fans were "gutless".

(W2) San Diego Mariners vs. (C2) Toronto Toros

The two teams split their six regular season matchups.

Semifinals

(C1) Quebec Nordiques vs. (W3) Minnesota Fighting Saints

Minnesota was 4–2 against Quebec in the regular season. In Game 1, Jeannot Gilbert gave Quebec the lead less than five minutes into the first period. A scoreless second period was followed by three sudden goals by Quebec in the third period that was scored in the span of 150 seconds to give Quebec an insurmountable lead. In Game 2, trailing 2–0 after one period, the Saints shot the puck 20 times in the second period and scored on four of them, with Mike Walton scoring two of them while Minnesota neutralized Quebec's power play multiple times in the final period. Now in Minnesota, the Nordiques dominated Game 3 with a 3–1 first period that saw them lead in the first three minutes on a goal by Marc Tardif before they held the Saints scoreless for the last 52 minutes in a 6–1 win. In Game 4, Fran Huck broke a 2–2 tie in the third period before Wayne Connelly scored three minutes later on a power-play goal to provide insurance in a 4–2 victory to tie the series that saw both goalies save over 35 shots. In Game 5, Quebec scored two goals in the span of a less than a minute through the efforts of Guindon and Bordeleau. Minnesota narrowed the deficit to 3–2 with Mike Walton's goal midway through the second period, but Marc Tardif responded eight seconds later with a goal to make it 4–2 in a game Quebec soon pulled away from. In Game 6, Minnesota took the lead first on a goal by Gary Gambucci six minutes into the game, but Quebec responded with two goals in less than a minute midway through the period. In the third period, Jack Carlson tied the game on his first playoff goal of the postseason. Later in the period, Quebec goalie Richard Brodeur made a save on a breakaway attempt by Mike Antonovich that was soon followed by Quebec scoring the tiebreaking goal on a play by Michel Parizeau. 31 seconds later, now with an empty net for an extra attacker, Rejean Houle drilled in a shot from the blue line to seal the game for Quebec.

(W1) Houston Aeros vs. (W2) San Diego Mariners

San Diego had gone 5–1 against Houston in the regular season. A matchup of the top team in scoring/defense versus the fourth-best team in scoring/defense, the Aeros held San Diego to shutouts in two of the first three games before having to rally to force overtime in the pivotal Game 4. On the first shot in overtime, rookie Jim Sherrit ended the game with his goal to send Houston back to the Avco Cup.

Avco Cup Final

(W1) Houston Aeros vs. (C1) Quebec Nordiques

The series matched the Western Division champion Houston Aeros, as coached by Bill Dineen, against the Canadian Division champion Quebec Nordiques, as coached by Jean-Guy Gendron. The two teams had split their six regular season matchups.
The Aeros, having lost only one playoff game leading to the Finals, did not have many problems with Quebec, who only had a lead for a combined thirteen minutes in the whole series, all of which came during Game 2, where Quebec scored a goal on three occasions to break a tie during the game that was followed by Houston tying the game each time before Houston pulled away in the final period. Game 3, the first modern-era professional championship game in Quebec City, was attended by 9,775 fans. Frank Hughes broke the scoreless tie 14 seconds in the second period before Poul Popiel added in insurance in the third period for a 2-0 win. In Game 4, the Aeros clinched the championship with a dominant fourth game, with Gord Labossiere delivering the series-winning goal at 19:53 in the first period to give them a 3–1 lead in an eventual 7–2 victory. Ron Grahame, who played every minute as goaltender for the Aeros and went 12–1 with ten straight wins, won the first WHA Playoff MVP.
Gordie Howe mulled retirement after the game ended for a front office job, although he would ultimately play for five more years. WHA chief referee Bill Friday announced his retirement after the end of Game 4. This was the last professional championship for the city of Houston until the Houston Rockets won the 1994 NBA Finals nineteen years later.

Statistical leaders

These were the top ten skaters based on points.
PlayerTeam
Houston Aeros131012220
Quebec Nordiques1510112110
Houston Aeros13 8122020
Houston Aeros1351318 13
Minnesota Fighting Saints12107 17 10
Quebec Nordiques158816 6
Quebec Nordiques1510 616 2
Minnesota Fighting Saints123 1316 6
Quebec Nordiques15213 152
San Diego Mariners10591413
Quebec Nordiques147 71441
Minnesota Fighting Saints1259140

Championship roster

'''1974–75 Houston Aeros'''