1976–77 Houston Aeros season

The 1976–77 Houston Aeros season was the Aeros' fifth season of operation in the World Hockey Association. The Aeros finished first in the West to qualify for the playoffs. The Aeros would lose in the semi-finals to the Winnipeg Jets.

1976–77 Houston Aeros (WHA)
Division1st West
1976–77 record50–24–6
Home record33–3–4
Road record17–21–2
Goals for320
Goals against241
Team information
CoachBill Dineen
ArenaThe Summit
Team leaders
GoalsRich Preston
AssistsTerry Ruskowski
PointsTerry Ruskowski

Regular season

Final standings

Western Division
GP W L T GF GA PTS
Houston Aeros8050246320241106
Winnipeg Jets804632236629194
San Diego Mariners814037428428385
Edmonton Oilers813443424330472
Calgary Cowboys813143725229669
Phoenix Roadrunners802848428138360

Game log

Regular season schedule
No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1LOctober 8, 19762–4@ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)0–1–0
2WOctober 9, 19765–3Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)1–1–0
3WOctober 13, 19762–1Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)2–1–0
4WOctober 16, 19763–0Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)3–1–0
5TOctober 19, 19764–4New England Whalers (1976–77)3–1–1
6LOctober 21, 19765–8@ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)3–2–1
7LOctober 22, 19762–5@ New England Whalers (1976–77)3–3–1
8LOctober 23, 19762–6@ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)3–4–1
9WOctober 26, 19763–1Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)4–4–1
10TOctober 28, 19761–1Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77)4–4–2
11LOctober 30, 19764–6@ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)4–5–2
12WOctober 31, 19764–0@ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)5–5–2
13WNovember 2, 19763–1@ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)6–5–2
14WNovember 5, 19769–1Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)7–5–2
15LNovember 6, 19761–4@ San Diego Mariners (1976–77)7–6–2
16WNovember 9, 19767–2Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)8–6–2
17WNovember 12, 19764–1San Diego Mariners (1976–77)9–6–2
18WNovember 16, 19764–2Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)10–6–2
19LNovember 19, 19763–5@ San Diego Mariners (1976–77)10–7–2
20WNovember 20, 19765–2@ Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)11–7–2
21WNovember 23, 19765–3Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)12–7–2
22TNovember 26, 19761–1Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)12–7–3
23TDecember 3, 19760–0Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)12–7–4
24LDecember 5, 19762–7@ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)12–8–4
25LDecember 8, 19761–5@ New England Whalers (1976–77)12–9–4
26LDecember 10, 19762–6@ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)12–10–4
27LDecember 11, 19761–4@ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)12–11–4
28WDecember 12, 19763–1@ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)13–11–4
29WDecember 14, 19768–3Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)14–11–4
30LDecember 17, 19763–4Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)14–12–4
31LDecember 18, 19763–4@ San Diego Mariners (1976–77)14–13–4
32WDecember 19, 19766–4@ Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)15–13–4
33WDecember 21, 19764–0New England Whalers (1976–77)16–13–4
34WDecember 23, 19766–5 OTCincinnati Stingers (1976–77)17–13–4
35LDecember 26, 19762–6@ Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)17–14–4
36WDecember 28, 19766–3Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)18–14–4
37LJanuary 2, 19772–5@ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)18–15–4
38WJanuary 4, 19775–3@ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)19–15–4
39WJanuary 5, 19774–3@ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)20–15–4
40TJanuary 7, 19771–1@ Minnesota Fighting Saints (1976–77)20–15–5
41LJanuary 12, 19772–4@ Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)20–16–5
42WJanuary 14, 19775–3Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)21–16–5
43WJanuary 16, 19773–1Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)22–16–5
44WJanuary 21, 19776–1Birmingham Bulls (1976–77)23–16–5
45WJanuary 22, 19776–0@ San Diego Mariners (1976–77)24–16–5
46WJanuary 23, 19775–3San Diego Mariners (1976–77)25–16–5
47WJanuary 25, 19775–2Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)26–16–5
48WJanuary 28, 19774–1@ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)27–16–5
49WJanuary 29, 19776–4@ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)28–16–5
50WFebruary 1, 19776–1Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)29–16–5
51LFebruary 3, 19773–5@ Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)29–17–5
52WFebruary 4, 19774–1New England Whalers (1976–77)30–17–5
53TFebruary 8, 19774–4@ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)30–17–6
54WFebruary 12, 19777–3Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)31–17–6
55WFebruary 15, 19774–2Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)32–17–6
56WFebruary 18, 19774–2San Diego Mariners (1976–77)33–17–6
57WFebruary 19, 19775–3San Diego Mariners (1976–77)34–17–6
58LFebruary 22, 19772–3@ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)34–18–6
59LFebruary 23, 19772–3@ Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)34–19–6
60WFebruary 25, 19779–3@ Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)35–19–6
61WFebruary 26, 19775–4@ San Diego Mariners (1976–77)36–19–6
62WFebruary 27, 19775–4@ Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)37–19–6
63WMarch 1, 19778–3Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)38–19–6
64LMarch 4, 19772–3@ New England Whalers (1976–77)38–20–6
65WMarch 6, 19777–3@ Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)39–20–6
66WMarch 8, 19775–3Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)40–20–6
67WMarch 11, 19775–0Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)41–20–6
68WMarch 13, 19775–0Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)42–20–6
69WMarch 15, 19774–3Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)43–20–6
70WMarch 18, 19776–3Phoenix Roadrunners (1976–77)44–20–6
71WMarch 20, 19778–3@ Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)45–20–6
72LMarch 22, 19772–6@ Quebec Nordiques (1976–77)45–21–6
73WMarch 25, 19774–2Calgary Cowboys (1976–77)46–21–6
74LMarch 27, 19773–5Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)46–22–6
75WMarch 29, 19775–2@ Winnipeg Jets (1976–77)47–22–6
76LMarch 30, 19770–8@ Edmonton Oilers (1976–77)47–23–6
77WApril 1, 19775–4Cincinnati Stingers (1976–77)48–23–6
78LApril 3, 19773–7Indianapolis Racers (1976–77)48–24–6
79WApril 5, 19773–1San Diego Mariners (1976–77)49–24–6
80WApril 6, 19775–3@ San Diego Mariners (1976–77)50–24–6

[1]

Playoffs

The Aeros defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the Division Semi-final 4–1. In the Division Final, the Aeros were defeated by the Winnipeg Jets 4–2 in a rematch of the 1976 Avco Cup final.

Houston Aeros 4, Edmonton Oilers 1 – Semifinals

#DateVisitorScoreHomeRecord
1April 13Edmonton Oilers3–4 OTHouston Aeros1–0
2April 15Edmonton Oilers2–6Houston Aeros2–0
3April 17Houston Aeros2–7Edmonton Oilers2–1
4April 20Houston Aeros4–1Edmonton Oilers3–1
5April 22Edmonton Oilers3–4Houston Aeros4–1

Winnipeg Jets 4, Houston Aeros 2 – Division Finals

#DateVisitorScoreHomeRecord
1April 26Winnipeg Jets4–3 OTHouston Aeros0–1
2April 28Winnipeg Jets2–7Houston Aeros1–1
3April 30Houston Aeros3–4Winnipeg Jets1–2
4May 1Houston Aeros4–6Winnipeg Jets1–3
5May 3Winnipeg Jets2–3Houston Aeros2–3
6May 5Houston Aeros3–6Winnipeg Jets2–4

Player stats

Regular season
Scoring
Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG
Terry RuskowskiC8024608414631705
Rich PrestonRW803841795437655
Mark HoweD572352754641538
Gordie HoweRW622444685727513
Poul PopielD801256688753200
Cam ConnorRW7635326722423616
Larry LundC8029386736207011
John TonelliLW8024315510914610
Ted TaylorLW781635519028400
Morris LukowichLW682718456720600
Marty HoweD8017284510329300
John GrayRW472120412522300
Al McLeodD51721282019100
Don LarwayRW751113241125300
Larry HaleD6701414189000
Frank HughesLW2738112−5000
Ron HansisRW224376−4000
Glen IrwinD44246168−12000
John SchellaD20066288000
Andre HinseLW262358−9000
Dwayne PentlandD2912363000
Wayne RutledgeG4203360000
Gary DonaldsonRW50006−3000
Mike FedorkoC40000−4000
Ron GrahameG3900000000
Steve WestC30002−3000
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L T GA GAA SO
Ron Grahame234539271021072.744
Wayne Rutledge251242231441323.153
Team:485780502462392.957
Playoffs
Scoring
Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM PPG SHG GWG
Terry RuskowskiC116111767000
Mark HoweD11410142001
Morris LukowichLW11641019001
Larry LundC11281017000
Gordie HoweRW1153811000
Ted TaylorLW1144828002
Rich PrestonRW1135810000
Cam ConnorRW1134747000
John TonelliLW1134712000
Poul PopielD1107710000
Marty HoweD1131410001
Al McLeodD101349000
John SchellaD61236000
Ron HansisRW81124001
Larry HaleD110226000
Don LarwayRW31010000
Ron GrahameG90112000
John GrayRW60118000
Dwayne PentlandD20000000
Wayne RutledgeG20000000
Steve WestC60000000
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L GA GAA SO
Wayne Rutledge12024542.000
Ron Grahame561920363.850
Team:6811165403.520

[2]

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts;

Draft picks

Houston's draft picks at the 1976 WHA Amateur Draft.[3]

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club Team (League)
222Morris Lukowich (LW) CanadaMedicine Hat Tigers (WCHL)
334Jim Roberts (LW) CanadaOttawa 67's (OHA)
446Mike Fedorko (D) CanadaHamilton Fincups (OHA)
558Larry Skinner (C) CanadaOttawa 67's (OHA)
670Kevin Schamehorn (RW) CanadaNew Westminster Bruins (WCHL)
782Mike Hordy (D) CanadaSault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHA)
893Larry Riggin (D) CanadaLondon Knights (OHA)
9104Bill Wells (LW) CanadaCornwall Royals (QMJHL)
10116Bob Pazzelli (F) United StatesUniversity of Denver (WCHA)

See also

References

  1. "1976–77 Houston Aeros Games". Hockey-reference.com. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  2. "1976-77 Houston Aeros Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com". hockey-reference.com. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  3. "1976 WHA Amateur Draft". hockeyDB.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
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