1973–74 Quebec Nordiques season

The 1973–74 Quebec Nordiques season was the Nordiques 2nd season in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Nordiques finished 5th in the Eastern Division and did not qualify for the playoffs.
==Off-season==
The Nordiques replaced head coach Maurice Filion in the off-season, and name recently retired NHL superstar goaltender Jacques Plante as head coach of the team. The club also acquired Serge Bernier from the Los Angeles Kings and Rejean Houle from the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL to try and spark the offense.
The Nordiques jerseys remained the same design as in the 1972-73 season with two exceptions. The light blue was changed to dark blue and highlighted nameplates were added to the jersey backs. There was still no fleur-de-lis present.
==Regular Season==
The Nordiques improved from the previous season and finished over .500 for the first time in team history with a 38–36–4 record. However, they would once again come up short for a playoff berth, finishing only 1 point behind the Chicago Cougars for the final spot after losing their final two games of the regular season.
Offensively, Quebec was led by Serge Bernier, as he posted a team best 86 points, scoring a Nordiques record 37 goals along the way. Bob Guindon would have a very solid season, scoring 31 goals and 70 points, while Alain Caron also scored 31 goals while appearing in only 59 games due to injuries. Defenseman J. C. Tremblay would anchor the defense, scoring 9 goals and earning 53 points, while earning a Second Team All-Star berth. Pierre Roy supplied the team toughness, recording 137 penalty minutes in only 44 games.
In goal, Richard Brodeur would lead the Nordiques in wins with 15 and save percentage at .901, while Michel DeGuise would post a team best 3.29 GAA, playing in a team high 32 games. Serge Aubry also had some playing time, winning 11 games.
===Final Standings===
===Game Log===
# 	Date 	Visitor 	Score	Home 	Record 	Pts
1 	October 7 	New England Whalers 	2–4 	Quebec Nordiques 	1–0–0 	2
2 	October 9 	Quebec Nordiques 	2–3 	New England Whalers 	1–1–0 	2
3 	October 11 	Quebec Nordiques 	4–1 	Toronto Toros 	2–1–0 	4
4 	October 13 	Quebec Nordiques 	3–6 	Cleveland Crusaders 	2–2–0 	4
5 	October 18 	Toronto Toros 	2–5 	Quebec Nordiques 	3–2–0 	6
6 	October 20 	New York Golden Blades 	1–8 	Quebec Nordiques 	4–2–0 	8
7 	October 21 	Quebec Nordiques 	3–4 	New York Golden Blades 	4–3–0 	8
8 	October 25 	Chicago Cougars 	4–2 	Quebec Nordiques 	4–4–0 	8
9 	October 26 	Quebec Nordiques 	5–4 	Minnesota Fighting Saints	5–4–0 	10
10	October 28 	Quebec Nordiques 	3–2 	Houston Aeros 	6–4–0 	12
11	October 30 	Quebec Nordiques 	6–4 	Los Angeles Sharks 	7–4–0 	14
12	October 31 	Quebec Nordiques 	5–1 	Vancouver Blazers 	8–4–0 	16
13	November 2 	Quebec Nordiques 	4–5 	Edmonton Oilers 	8–5–0 	16
14	November 4 	Quebec Nordiques 	2–8 	Winnipeg Jets 	8–6–0 	16
15	November 6 	Winnipeg Jets 	2–2 	Quebec Nordiques 	8–6–1 	17
16	November 8 	Edmonton Oilers 	4–3 	Quebec Nordiques 	8–7–1 	17
17	November 10	Quebec Nordiques 	3–4 	New York Golden Blades 	8–8–1 	17
18	November 11	New England Whalers 	2–3 	Quebec Nordiques 	9–8–1 	19
19	November 15	New England Whalers 	5–3 	Quebec Nordiques 	9–9–1 	19
20	November 17	Quebec Nordiques 	10–4 	New England Whalers 	10–9–1 	21
21	November 18	Houston Aeros 	3–8 	Quebec Nordiques 	11–9–1 	23
22	November 22	Toronto Toros 	4–2 	Quebec Nordiques 	11–10–1	23
23	November 23	Quebec Nordiques 	3–2 	Cleveland Crusaders 	12–10–1	25
24	November 25	Quebec Nordiques 	1–3 	New Jersey Knights 	12–11–1	25
25	November 27	Quebec Nordiques 	1–3 	Toronto Toros 	12–12–1	25
26	November 29	Cleveland Crusaders 	4–4 	Quebec Nordiques 	12–12–2	26
27	December 1 	Houston Aeros 	3–3 	Quebec Nordiques 	12–12–3	27
28	December 2 	Quebec Nordiques 	3–5 	Winnipeg Jets 	12–13–3	27
29	December 8 	Quebec Nordiques 	1–4 	Minnesota Fighting Saints	12–14–3	27
30	December 9 	Chicago Cougars 	1–6 	Quebec Nordiques 	13–14–3	29
31	December 12	Quebec Nordiques 	1–2 	Vancouver Blazers 	13–15–3	29
32	December 14	Quebec Nordiques 	4–3 	Edmonton Oilers 	14–15–3	31
33	December 16	Quebec Nordiques 	4–3 	Toronto Toros 	15–15–3	33
34	December 18	Edmonton Oilers 	2–4 	Quebec Nordiques 	16–15–3	35
35	December 22	Toronto Toros 	6–4 	Quebec Nordiques 	16–16–3	35
36	December 27	Cleveland Crusaders 	2–4 	Quebec Nordiques 	17–16–3	37
37	December 28	Quebec Nordiques 	4–6 	Chicago Cougars 	17–17–3	37
38	December 29	Winnipeg Jets 	4–3 	Quebec Nordiques 	17–18–3	37
39	January 5 	Vancouver Blazers 	2–5 	Quebec Nordiques 	18–18–3	39
40	January 6 	Chicago Cougars 	0–4 	Quebec Nordiques 	19–18–3	41
41	January 10 	Los Angeles Sharks 	1–7 	Quebec Nordiques 	20–18–3	43
42	January 12 	Quebec Nordiques 	1–5 	Houston Aeros 	20–19–3	43
43	January 15 	Quebec Nordiques 	4–6 	Los Angeles Sharks 	20–20–3	43
44	January 19 	Quebec Nordiques 	2–5 	Chicago Cougars 	20–21–3	43
45	January 20 	Minnesota Fighting Saints	4–5 	Quebec Nordiques 	21–21–3	45
46	January 24 	Quebec Nordiques 	1–5 	Houston Aeros 	21–22–3	45
47	January 25 	Quebec Nordiques 	0–2 	Los Angeles Sharks 	21–23–3	45
48	January 27 	Cleveland Crusaders 	3–4 	Quebec Nordiques 	22–23–3	47
49	January 29 	Los Angeles Sharks 	0–5 	Quebec Nordiques 	23–23–3	49
50	January 31 	Houston Aeros 	4–6 	Quebec Nordiques 	24–23–3	51
51	February 1 	Toronto Toros 	1–2 	Quebec Nordiques 	25–23–3	53
52	February 3 	New Jersey Knights 	3–5 	Quebec Nordiques 	26–23–3	55
53	February 6 	Quebec Nordiques 	3–0 	New England Whalers 	27–23–3	57
54	February 8 	Quebec Nordiques 	3–7 	Vancouver Blazers 	27–24–3	57
55	February 10	Quebec Nordiques 	4–3 	Edmonton Oilers 	28–24–3	59
56	February 12	Quebec Nordiques 	4–6 	Toronto Toros 	28–25–3	59
57	February 14	Quebec Nordiques 	5–3 	Chicago Cougars 	29–25–3	61
58	February 16	Quebec Nordiques 	2–5 	Cleveland Crusaders 	29–26–3	61
59	February 17	Quebec Nordiques 	3–10 	New Jersey Knights 	29–27–3	61
60	February 19	Cleveland Crusaders 	5–6 	Quebec Nordiques 	30–27–3	63
61	February 22	Minnesota Fighting Saints	6–4 	Quebec Nordiques 	30–28–3	63
62	February 24	New Jersey Knights 	4–7 	Quebec Nordiques 	31–28–3	65
63	February 26	Winnipeg Jets 	1–7 	Quebec Nordiques 	32–28–3	67
64	February 28	Vancouver Blazers 	4–9 	Quebec Nordiques 	33–28–3	69
65	March 3 	Quebec Nordiques 	6–8 	Winnipeg Jets 	33–29–3	69
66	March 7 	Chicago Cougars 	3–2 	Quebec Nordiques 	33–30–3	69
67	March 9 	Quebec Nordiques 	5–9 	Minnesota Fighting Saints	33–31–3	69
68	March 10 	New Jersey Knights 	2–5 	Quebec Nordiques 	34–31–3	71
69	March 14 	Quebec Nordiques 	3–2 	Toronto Toros 	35–31–3	73
70	March 16 	Quebec Nordiques 	3–4 	Chicago Cougars 	35–32–3	73
71	March 17 	Minnesota Fighting Saints	5–3 	Quebec Nordiques 	35–33–3	73
72	March 21 	Edmonton Oilers 	5–5 	Quebec Nordiques 	35–33–4	74
73	March 23 	Vancouver Blazers 	2–6 	Quebec Nordiques 	36–33–4	76
74	March 24 	New England Whalers 	3–4 	Quebec Nordiques 	37–33–4	78
75	March 27 	Quebec Nordiques 	4–5 	Cleveland Crusaders 	37–34–4	78
76	March 28 	Los Angeles Sharks 	3–9 	Quebec Nordiques 	38–34–4	80
77	March 30 	Toronto Toros 	3–1 	Quebec Nordiques 	38–35–4	80
78	March 31 	Quebec Nordiques 	2–3 	New England Whalers 	38–36–4	80
==Playoffs==
*The Nordiques did not qualify for the post season.
==Player Stats==
===Scoring Leaders===
# 	Player 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
21	Serge Bernier 	74	37	49	86 	107
25	Bob Guindon 	77	31	39	70 	30
16	Andre Gaudette 	78	24	44	68 	16
5 	Rejean Houle 	69	27	35	62 	17
12	Michel Parizeau 	78	26	34	60 	39
17	Jeannot Gilbert 	75	17	39	56 	20
3 	J.C. Tremblay 	68	9 	44	53 	10
20	Guy Dufour 	74	27	23	50 	30
19	Alain Caron 	59	31	15	46 	10
15	Rene Leclerc 	58	17	27	44 	84
33	Dale Hoganson 	62	8 	33	41 	27
2 	Alain Beaule 	78	4 	36	40 	93
4 	Francois Lacombe	71	9 	26	35 	41
6 	Pierre Guite 	72	14	20	34 	106
7 	Jean-Guy Gendron	64	11	8 	19 	42
8 	Jean Payette 	41	4 	11	15 	6
22	Ken Desjardine 	70	2 	10	12 	44
18	Rejean Giroux 	12	5 	6 	11 	14
10	Pierre Roy 	44	2 	7 	9 	137
24	Norm Descoteaux 	35	1 	6 	7 	6
23	Michel Rouleau 	4 	0 	4 	4 	2
1 	Serge Aubry 	26	0 	1 	1 	8
30	Richard Brodeur 	30	0 	1 	1 	0
23	Michel Deguise 	32	0 	1 	1 	0
9 	Dave Balon 	9 	0 	0 	0 	2
===Goaltending===
Player 	GP	TOI 	W 	L 	T	GA	SO	GAA 	Save %
Michel DeGuise 	32	1750	12	13	1	96	1 	3.29	.896
Richard Brodeur	30	1607	15	12	1	89	1 	3.32	.901
Serge Aubry 	26	1395	11	11	2	90	1 	3.87	.880
==Awards and Records==
*J. C. Tremblay, Defense, WHA Second Team All-Star
==Draft Picks==
Quebec's draft picks from the 1973 WHA Amateur Draft.
Round	# 	Player 	Nationality	College/junior/club team (league)
1 	3 	Andre Savard 	 	Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
2 	14 	Blaine Stoughton	 	Flin Flon Bombers (WCHL)
2 	17 	Morris Titanic 	 	Sudbury Wolves (OHA)
3 	29 	Eric Vail 	 	Sudbury Wolves (OHA)
4 	42 	Jean Landry 	 	Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
5 	55 	Denis Patry 	 	Drummondville Rangers (QMJHL)
6 	68 	Dale Cook 	 	Victoria Cougars (WCHL)
7 	81 	Andre Deschamps 	 	Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
8 	94 	Bob Stumpf 	 	New Westminster Bruins (WCHL)
9 	105	Guy Ross 	 	Sherbrooke Castors (QMJHL)
10 	116	Michel Belisle 	 	Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge (QMJHL)
==Farm Teams==
*Maine Nordiques, NAHL
==Gallery==
1973-Oct31-Archamault-Bernier-Spencer.jpg|Yves Archambault, Serge Bernier, Irv Spencer, October 31, 1973.
73-74WHAQuebecGameAd.jpg
==References==
*SHRP Sports
*The Internet Hockey Database
Quebec Nordiques season, 1973–74
Quebec Nordiques season, 1973–74
Category:Quebec Nordiques seasons