WHA Years—Events (1972-1978)

While the Oilers of the World Hockey Association were a hit with fans, they were far from being the league’s most successful team on the ice. Although the Oilers were consistently a competitive club in the 1970s, they were rarely a successful one. Up until the last year of the WHA’s existence, the Oilers had not even won a single playoff series.

However, during the 1978-79 season, exciting hockey came to Edmonton. Not only did Oilers fans know that their team would outlive the WHA's demise, but they were also being thrilled by the best team the Oilers had ever put on the ice. A teenager named Wayne Gretzky excited crowds, and when Oilers' managment realized the stature of their young star, they signed Gretzky to the ongest, richest contract in hockey history. Gretzky would lead his team to the Avco World Championship Trophy finals, and the Oilers looked to put a glorious footnote on the soon-to-end history of the WHA. This section will examine the magic of that final WHA season.

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