Another original hockey season will be released this summer as Strat-O-Matic continues to work through the World Hockey Association (WHA). 1977-78 is the fifth WHA season that Strat-O-Matic created.

Despite three teams folding and six teams almost merging with the NHL, the WHA powered on, consolidating to one eight team division with each team playing one game each against the Soviet and Czechoslovakia All-Star teams counting in the regular season record.

The Winnipeg Jets tore through the league with a 50-28-2 record, advancing to their third consecutive Avco Cup final and sweeping New England to win their second title. The Jets stormed to an 11-2 start, then, after a month-long slump, had winning streaks of eleven and fifteen on their path to the regular season title. The title team went 8-1 in the playoffs, first taking down Birmingham in five games in the Quarter-Finals, in their dominating run.

This team was loaded, leading the league with 381 goals scored, paced by five 30-goal scorers; Anders Hedberg (63), 39-year old Bobby Hull (46), rookie Kent Nilsson (42), Ulf Nilsson (37), and Willy Lindstrom (30). Ulf Nilsson finished the season tied for the league lead in assists (89- tied with Marc Tardif) and his team-leading 126 points was good for third in the league. Winnipeg had the top three league leaders in plus/minus, Lars-Erik Sjoberg and Hedberg tied at +60, Hull at +55, and Ulf Nilsson finished fifth in the league at +41. All but Hull were first-team All-Stars, with “The Golden Jet” settling for second-team. Helped by the fact they didn’t have to play an offense as fearsome as their own, Winnipeg’s 270 goals against were second in the league behind New England’s 269 goals allowed.

New England (44-31-5, 93 points) scored a hat-trick in the off-season, signing the Howe family father Gordie, sons Mark and Marty, after they left Houston. This greatly improved the Whalers’ fortunes as the 49-year old Gordie led the team with a 34-62-96 line, with son Mark just behind with his 30 goals and 61 assists. The Howe’s signing not only helped the Whalers make the Finals but elevated the team’s stature and led to New England’s, later Hartford’s, merge with the NHL.

While the Jets and Whalers had stars aplenty, it was Quebec’s Marc Tardif who won league MVP. Tardif’s 65 goals and 154 points were league-best and were half of a dynamic duo as Real Cloutier added 56 goals and 73 assists of his own. Quebec scored 349 goals on the year and advanced to the league Semi-Finals before losing to New England.

Al Smith, New England, paced all goaltenders with 30 wins and a 3.22 goals against average, winning the leagues Ben Hatskin trophy for the top goalie.

The six carded teams in this set match the six playoff teams, Birmingham, Edmonton, Houston, New England, Quebec, and Winnipeg. Of course, as always, computer players and the remaining two teams will become available as a printable file located in your Strat-O-Matic account. All teams and players will come with the Windows Season.

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