# 1976–77 New England Whalers season

The 1976–77 New England Whalers season was the fifth season of operation of the New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association. The Whalers placed fourth in the Eastern Division, qualifying fourth for the playoffs, losing in the first round to the Quebec Nordiques.

## Regular season
### Final standings

Eastern Division :
| | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | PTS |
| Quebec Nordiques | 81 | 47 | 31 | 3 | 353 | 295 | 97 |
| Cincinnati Stingers | 81 | 39 | 37 | 5 | 354 | 303 | 83 |
| Indianapolis Racers | 81 | 36 | 37 | 8 | 276 | 305 | 80 |
| New England Whalers | 81 | 35 | 40 | 6 | 275 | 290 | 76 |
| Birmingham Bulls | 81 | 31 | 46 | 4 | 289 | 309 | 66 |
| Minnesota Fighting Saints | 42 | 19 | 18 | 5 | 136 | 129 | 43 |

## Schedule and results

1976–77 regular season :
October
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecord
1LOctober 8, 19760–2@ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)0–1–0
2LOctober 10, 19762–5@ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)0–2–0
3LOctober 16, 19762–8Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)0–3–0
4TOctober 19, 19764–4@ Houston Aeros (1976–77)0–3–1
5WOctober 22, 19765–2Houston Aeros (1976–77)1–3–1
6WOctober 23, 19765–4Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)2–3–1
7LOctober 26, 19760–1Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)2–4–1
8WOctober 29, 19765–1Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)3–4–1
9WOctober 30, 19765–4Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)4–4–1 :
November
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecord
10WNovember 5, 19764–3@ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)5–4–1
11LNovember 7, 19762–4@ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)5–5–1
12LNovember 9, 19764–5 OT@ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)5–6–1
13TNovember 11, 19763–3@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77)5–6–2
14LNovember 12, 19761–3@ Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)5–7–2
15WNovember 16, 19765–4@ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)6–7–2
16WNovember 17, 19766–4Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)7–7–2
17LNovember 19, 19763–7Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)7–8–2
18TNovember 20, 19763–3Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77)7–8–3
19LNovember 23, 19763–4@ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)7–9–3
20WNovember 25, 19765–3@ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)8–9–3
21LNovember 27, 19761–3Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77)8–10–3
22LNovember 28, 19763–4Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)8–11–3
23LNovember 30, 19761–2@ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)8–12–3 :
December
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecord
24WDecember 1, 19768–4Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)9–12–3
25TDecember 3, 19765–5Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)9–12–4
26LDecember 4, 19762–6Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)9–13–4
27LDecember 7, 19762–4@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77)9–14–4
28WDecember 8, 19765–1Houston Aeros (1976–77)10–14–4
29WDecember 11, 19763–2San Diego Mariners (1976–77)11–14–4
30LDecember 12, 19761–5@ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)11–15–4
31WDecember 14, 19763–1@ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)12–15–4
32LDecember 17, 19764–5 OTIndianapolis Racers (1976–77)12–16–4
33WDecember 18, 19766–2Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)13–16–4
34LDecember 21, 19760–4@ Houston Aeros (1976–77)13–17–4
35WDecember 23, 19765–3@ San Diego Mariners (1976–77)14–17–4
36WDecember 26, 19763–2Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77)15–17–4
37LDecember 28, 19764–5@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77)15–18–4
38WDecember 30, 19766–4@ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)16–18–4 :
January
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecord
39WJanuary 2, 19773–2Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)17–18–4
40LJanuary 4, 19773–5@ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)17–19–4
41LJanuary 5, 19771–2San Diego Mariners (1976–77)17–20–4
42LJanuary 7, 19773–7Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)17–21–4
43LJanuary 8, 19773–4Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)17–22–4
44LJanuary 11, 19772–8@ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)17–23–4
45LJanuary 13, 19771–4@ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)17–24–4
46LJanuary 14, 19773–5Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)17–25–4
47LJanuary 20, 19774–5Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)17–26–4
48TJanuary 22, 19773–3Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)17–26–5
49WJanuary 23, 19774–3 OTCincinnati Stingers (1976–77)18–26–5
50LJanuary 25, 19772–4@ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)18–27–5
51WJanuary 27, 19775–3@ San Diego Mariners (1976–77)19–27–5
52WJanuary 28, 19776–2@ Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)20–27–5
53LJanuary 30, 19770–5@ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)20–28–5 :
February
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecord
54LFebruary 1, 19773–4@ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)20–29–5
55LFebruary 4, 19771–4@ Houston Aeros (1976–77)20–30–5
56LFebruary 5, 19773–8@ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)20–31–5
57TFebruary 6, 19775–5Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)20–31–6
58WFebruary 10, 19776–3Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)21–31–6
59LFebruary 12, 19771–5Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)21–32–6
60WFebruary 13, 19775–4@ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)22–32–6
61WFebruary 17, 19774–2Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)23–32–6
62LFebruary 18, 19772–3Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)23–33–6
63WFebruary 20, 19775–0@ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)24–33–6
64LFebruary 22, 19773–4@ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)24–34–6
65WFebruary 25, 19773–2@ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)25–34–6
66WFebruary 27, 19773–2@ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)26–34–6 :
March
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecord
67WMarch 2, 19772–0San Diego Mariners (1976–77)27–34–6
68WMarch 4, 19773–2Houston Aeros (1976–77)28–34–6
69WMarch 6, 19776–2Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)29–34–6
70LMarch 9, 19773–4 OT@ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)29–35–6
71LMarch 11, 19773–6@ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)29–36–6
72LMarch 13, 19773–5@ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)29–37–6
73WMarch 18, 19773–1Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)30–37–6
74WMarch 20, 19779–0Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)31–37–6
75LMarch 24, 19774–5Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)31–38–6
76LMarch 26, 19772–4Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)31–39–6
77WMarch 27, 19775–2Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)32–39–6
78WMarch 29, 19775–4@ San Diego Mariners (1976–77)33–39–6
79WMarch 31, 19776–2@ Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)34–39–6 :
April
GameResultDateScoreOpponentRecord
80WApril 2, 19773–2 OT@ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)35–39–6
81LApril 5, 19772–7@ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)35–40–6 :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Tie (1 point) :

## Playoffs

The Whalers met the Quebec Nordiques in the first round of the playoffs. The Nordiques defeated the Whalers 4–1 to win the round. The Nordiques would go on to win the league championship.
1977 Avco Cup playoffs :
Division Quarterfinals vs. Quebec Nordiques – Nordiques win 4–1
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeSeries
1April 9New England Whalers2–5Quebec Nordiques0–1
2April 12New England Whalers3–7Quebec Nordiques0–2
3April 14Quebec Nordiques4 – 3 OTNew England Whalers0–3
4April 16Quebec Nordiques4–6New England Whalers1–3
5April 19New England Whalers0–3Quebec Nordiques1–4 :
Legend:
  Win
  Loss :

## Draft picks

New England's draft picks at the 1976 WHA Amateur Draft.
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
| 2 | 13 | Mike Fidler (LW) | United States | Boston University (ECAC) |
| 3 | 26 | Fred Williams (C) | Canada | Saskatoon Blades (WCHL) |
| 3 | 31 | Dave Debol (C) | United States | University of Michigan (WCHA) |
| 4 | 38 | Mike Kaszycki (F) | Canada | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHA) |
| 5 | 49 | Bill Baker (D) | United States | University of Minnesota (WCHA) |
| 5 | 50 | Mike Liut (G) | Canada | Bowling Green State University (CCHA) |
| 6 | 62 | Dwight Schofield (D) | Canada | London Knights (OHA) |
| 7 | 74 | Warren Young (F) | Canada | Michigan Tech (WCHA) |
| 8 | 86 | Ken Morrow (D) | United States | Bowling Green State University (CCHA) |
| 9 | 97 | Ed Clarey (F) | Canada | Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) |
| 10 | 108 | Jon Hammond (LW) | Canada | Regina Pats (WCHL) |