The1978–79 WHA season was theseventh and final season of theWorld Hockey Association (WHA). Prior to the start of the season, theHouston Aeros folded leaving seven teams to start the season. Only six would finish however, as theIndianapolis Racers folded after 25 games on December 15, 1978. The remaining six teams each played 80 games, including one game each per team against aSoviet All-Star squad and theCzechoslovak National Team, the second consecutive year for this arrangement. The Soviet team won four of their six games and tied another; the Czechoslovak team only won once and tied once against four losses. In addition, because the Racers had folded after playing an odd number of games, the Edmonton Oilers played theFinnish National Team (with future OilerJari Kurri) once at home so as to allow each of the six surviving WHA teams to play 80 regular season games. The Oilers won by a score of 8–4, a result which in itself made no difference by the end of the regular season which Edmonton won by an 11–point margin over the Quebec Nordiques.

During the season, an agreement was reached whereby four of the WHA's teams, theEdmonton Oilers,Quebec Nordiques,Winnipeg Jets andNew England Whalers would be admitted to theNational Hockey League (NHL) as expansion teams for the1979–80 NHL season, and the WHA would cease operations. The Cincinnati and Birmingham franchises were paid a sum to fold.

The season started on October 13, 1978 with theWinnipeg Jets playing theBirmingham Bulls in Birmingham and theEdmonton Oilers playing theCincinnati Stingers in Edmonton.^[1]Nelson Skalbania, the owner ofIndianapolis Racers, signed the 17-year-old future superstarWayne Gretzky to, at that time, an unprecedented personal contract worth between $1.125 and $1.75 million over four to seven years. Then as now, theNational Hockey League's rules did not permit the signing of 17-year-olds. Skalbania, knowing that the WHA's long-term prospects were poor, felt owning the young star was more valuable than owning a WHA team. Eight games into the season, though, Skalbania needed cash and sold Gretzky to his old friend and former partner,Peter Pocklington, owner of theEdmonton Oilers. Pocklington purchased Gretzky and two other Indianapolis players, goaltenderEddie Mio and forwardPeter Driscoll, paying $700,000 for the contracts of the three players. On Gretzky's 18th birthday, Pocklington signed him to a 21-year personal services contract worth between $4 and $5 million, the longest in hockey history. Gretzky would go on to capture theLou Kaplan Trophy for rookie of the year,^[2] finish third in league scoring, and help the Oilers to first overall in the league. Nevertheless theWinnipeg Jets defeated Edmonton in the Avco World Trophy finals winning their third championship overall and second in a row.

Playoff format: The top five teams in the league qualified for the playoffs. The fourth and fifth place teams started in a best-of-three quarterfinal series, while the top three finishers received byes into the semifinals. In the semifinals, the first place team played the 4th/5th winner, while second place played third place. Both semifinal series were best-of-seven. Since the second and third place teams knew they would be playing each other in the semifinals, they started their series while the 4th/5th mini-series was still going on. The finals, like the semifinals, were a best-of-seven.

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = PointsNote: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points

x-team folded during season#-played limited schedule

_{Bolded numbers indicate season leaders}

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

_{Bolded numbers indicate season leaders}

GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties, GA = Goals against; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% =Save percentage; GAA =Goals against average

A WHA all-star team played three games againstDynamo Moscow at Edmonton'sNorthlands Coliseum. The WHA All-Stars were coached byJacques Demers, who askedGordie Howe if it was okay to put him on a line with his sonMark Howe and withWayne Gretzky .^[3] In the first game, this line scored seven points, as the WHA All-Stars won by a score of 4–2.^[3] In the second game, Gretzky and Mark Howe each scored a goal and Gordie Howe picked up an assist as the WHA won 4–2.^[3] The line did not score in the final game but the WHA won by a score of 4–3.

Winnipeg completed their WHA dynasty with their third Avco Cup championship, winning it over theEdmonton Oilers in six games. Oilers playerDave Semenko scored late in the third period of the deciding game to record the last goal in the history of the WHA.^[4] The goal was given up by the Winnipeg JetsGary Smith.

• 1978–79 NHL season
• 1979 NHL Expansion Draft
• 1978 in sports
• 1979 in sports

• The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association, p. 219, McLelland and Stewart, Toronto, ON,ISBN 0-7710-8947-3.

• HockeyDB

¹ Four of the WHA teams were admitted to the NHL as expansion franchises instead — theNew England/Hartford Whalers,Quebec Nordiques,Edmonton Oilers, andWinnipeg Jets.

• 1978–79 WHA season
• 1978–79 in American ice hockey by league
• 1978–79 in Canadian ice hockey by league
• World Hockey Association seasons
• 1978–79 in Soviet ice hockey
• 1978–79 in Finnish ice hockey
• 1978–79 in Czechoslovak ice hockey

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from August 2023
• Short description matches Wikidata