World Hockey Association (1974-1978)
Tombstone
Born: September 14, 1973 – WHA expansion franchise1Indy Welcomes WHA, AP via The Windsor Star, Sep. 15, 1973
Folded: December 15, 19782WHA Indianapolis Racers Fold, UPI via The Morning Record and Journal, Dec. 16, 1978
First Game: October 17, 1974 (L 4-2 vs. Michigan Stags)
Last Game: December 12, 1978 (L 7-4 vs. New England Whalers)
AVCO Cup Championships: None
Arena
Market Square Arena(16,500)31975-76 World Hockey Association Media Guide
Opened: September 15, 19744Man Buys 600 Tickets to Concert For GIs, AP via The Youngstown Vindicator, Sep. 14, 1974
Closed: October 24, 19995Market Square Arena about to dim lights, The Madison Courier, Oct. 23, 1999
Demolished: July 8, 20016Elvis fans saddened by arena razing, AP via The Eugene Register-Guard, Jul. 9, 20016
Marketing
Ownership
Owners:
- 1974: Indiana Pro Sports, Inc. (John Weissert, et al.)
- 1974-1976: Paul Deneau
- 1976-1977: Tom Berry, Harold Ducote, et al.
- 1977-1978: Nelson Skalbania
Background
Before the World Hockey Association (WHA) dropped the puck on its second season, the 12-team circuit had awarded expansion franchises to Cincinnati, Phoenix, and Indianapolis.
The latter had been without pro hockey since the minor league Capitols left in the fall of 1963, after an explosion damaged their home arena, forcing the club to move to Cincinnati.8Capitols (sic) Move to Cincinnati, AP via The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nov. 6, 1963 However, on September 14, 1973, Indiana Pro Sports Inc. (ISP), headed by John Weissert, was officially awarded the league’s 14th franchise. Mayor Richard G. Lugar proclaimed it a “historical moment” for the city.9Indy Welcomes WHA, AP via The Windsor Star, Sep. 15, 1973
Indianapolis, already home to the popular Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association (ABA), was able to seal the deal thanks to the new Market Square Arena, which was scheduled to open in the autumn of 1974, just in time for the Racers’ debut. The team’s name was chosen from among 4,000 entries submitted by fans, and conveniently rhymed with Pacers, also owned by ISP. The official announcement was made on February 26, 1974.10New Indianapolis Hockey Team, UPI via The Times-Union, Feb. 27, 1974
It was a wild ride for the Racers, from start to finish. Not surprisingly, the new team struggled on the ice during its inaugural season, finishing with a record of 18-57-3. Not even two months into the season, ISP turned the franchise back to the league, which in turn sold it to Dayton native Paul Deneau.11WHA Takes Over Racers, AP via The Windsor Star, Dec. 5, 1974 He had previously owned the Houston Aeros. ISP unloaded the Pacers a month later.12Pacers Sold; 2 Other ABA Teams Facing Money Woes, AP via The Gettysburg Times, Jan. 28, 1975
Despite its losing ways, the team drew nearly 8,000 fans a game in its first season, right smack in the middle of the pack. The faithful were rewarded the following season, when the Racers finished first in the East Division, before falling to the New England Whalers in the quarterfinals of the WHA playoffs.
The 1976-77 season concluded with a third-place finish, but the team managed to sweep its I-74 rivals, the Cincinnati Stingers, in the semifinals of the playoffs. They lost four games to one against the eventual champions, the Quebec Nordiques, in the next round. Support for the team increased that year, as the Racers led the WHA in attendance for the 1976-77 season, averaging just over 9,200 fans a game.
Under Skalbania, who would later have his name prefaced with the word “infamous,” the team’s fortunes fell, both on the ice and at the gate. The 1977-78 season produced a record of 24-51-5, and a last-place finish in the now eight-team WHA.
Undaunted, Skalbania made a controversial move in June 1978, when he signed a highly-touted 17-year-old player named Wayne Gretzky. Both the WHA and Canadian Amateur Hockey Association balked, but Gretzky, who would be starting his senior year of high school when the Racers’ training camp started, was allowed to play.14WHA Racers sign Gretzky, AP via The Montreal Gazette, Jun. 13, 1978But even the future superstar couldn’t save the Indianapolis Racers. Eight games into the 1978-79 season, Gretzky, along with several of the Racers’ more expensive players, was sold to the Edmonton Oilers, owned by Skalbania’s buddy Peter Pocklington. A month and a half later, the team collapsed.15WHA Indianapolis Racers fold, UPI via The Morning Record and Journal, Dec. 16, 1978Indianapolis Racers Shop
Our Favorite Gear
Indianapolis Racers
Replica Jersey
When it comes to Replica Jerseys, we turn to our friends at Royal Retros, who put extraordinary detail into their fully customizable hockey sweaters.
Free Customization Included
Each jersey individually handmade
Any name and number
Sewn tackle twill crest, numbers & letters
100% polyester
Heavyweight fabric made to game standards
Fight strap included
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Our Favorite Stuff
Indianapolis Racers
WHA Logo T-Shirt
The Indianapolis Racers … the hockey team that discovered Wayne Gretzky! Unfortunately, cash-strapped Racers owner Nelson Skalbania decided he had to sell off the 17-year old teenager after only eight games in 1978. Imagine the alternate universe where Indy, rather than Edmonton, joins the NHL in 1979 with the Great One under contract for the next ten years. What might have been!
Royal Retros, the king of throwbacks, offers this great looking Racers logo tee in three colors: red, white, and blue. It’s available right now in sizes small through 5X
Our Favorite Stuff
Indianapolis Racers
WHA DAD hat
The Indianapolis Racers … the hockey team that discovered Wayne Gretzky! Unfortunately, cash-strapped Racers owner Nelson Skalbania decided he had to sell off the 17-year old teenager after only eight games in 1978. Imagine the alternate universe where Indy, rather than Edmonton, joins the NHL in 1979 with the Great One under contract for the next ten years. What might have been!
Royal Retros, the king of throwbacks, offers this great looking Racers logo dad hat in red and blue. Get one on your noggin today!
Editor's Pick
The Rebel League
The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association
By Ed Willes
The Rebel League celebrates the good, the bad, and the ugly of the fabled WHA. It is filled with hilarious anecdotes, behind the scenes dealing, and simply great hockey. The upstart WHA introduced to the world 27 new hockey franchises, a trail of bounced cheques, fractious lawsuits, and folded teams. It introduced the crackpots, goons, and crazies that are so well remembered as the league’s bizarre legacy.
But the hit-and-miss league was much more than a travelling circus of the weird and wonderful. It was the vanguard that drove hockey into the modern age. It ended the NHL’s monopoly, freed players from the reserve clause, ushered in the 18-year-old draft, moved the game into the Sun Belt, and put European players on the ice in numbers previously unimagined..
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Links
###