1975–76 Quebec Nordiques season



The 1975–76 Quebec Nordiques season was the Nordiques 4th season in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Nordiques finished 2nd in the Canadian Division and lost in the Quarter-finals to the Calgary Cowboys 4 games to 1.

Off-season
The Nordiques jerseys underwent a significant change from those used in the 1974-75 season. The dark blue was changed to a medium blue that matched the Quebec flag. The shoulder yolks and stripes on the arms and body (except for a fringe at the bottom) were removed. The shoulder fleur-de-lis remained with three more added to both the front and back of the bottom of the jersey. The logo remained the same but in previous seasons, had always been red on both the white and blue jerseys. A white logo, outlined in red, was now placed on the blue away jersey. The numbers and names were no longer highlighted. This design would remain for the rest of the Nordiques time in the WHA and continue on in their career in the NHL. For this season only, a 1976 Montreal Olympic logo was sewn on the front of the red pants.

Regular Season
Quebec had a very strong start to the season and battled with the Winnipeg Jets all season long for top of the Canadian Division. Quebec finished the season with a franchise record 50 wins and 104 points, but lagged behind the Jets, who tied the Houston Aeros for the most points in the league with 106. The Nordiques scored a league high 371 goals, and finished with a very impressive record of 33–7–0 at home, tying the Aeros for the best home record in the league.

Offensively, Quebec was led by Marc Tardif, who had the most goals and points in the league with 71 and 148 respectively, while his 77 assists tied teammate J. C. Tremblay for the most in the WHA. Tardif won both the Gordie Howe Trophy as league MVP and the Bill Hunter Trophy as the scoring leader while gaining a First All-Star Team berth. Tremblay finished the year with 89 points, leading the Nordiques blueline, and was also a First Team All-Star. Real Cloutier had a breakout season, scoring 60 goals and 114 points and was named to the Second All-Star team. Chris Bordeleau had 37 goals and 109 points while Rejean Houle and Serge Bernier also finished with over 100 points, as they earned 103 and 102 respectively. Gord Gallant had a team high 297 penalty minutes, while Pierre Roy was not too far behind with 259.

In goal, Richard Brodeur shattered the Nordiques record for wins, earning 44, while he posted a 3.69 GAA and earned 2 shutouts in 69 games. Michel DuGuise backed him up, winning 6 games.

Playoffs
In the playoffs, the Calgary Cowboys met the Nordiques in the Quarter-finals. The series is best known for one of hockey's most legendary brawls. The incident began when Calgary's Rick Jodzio cross-checked Quebec's Marc Tardif in the head, causing both teams to leave their benches. The brawl lasted 20 minutes and ended only when Quebec police gathered at the players benches and escorted the teams back to their dressing rooms. The game resumed following a 20 minute break to allow both teams to cool down, then resumed without eleven players, who were ejected from the game. The incident caught the attention of Quebec's Solicitor General Francois Lalonde, who had the incident investigated as a criminal matter. Jodzio was suspended indefinitely by the league, and later plead guilty in a Quebec court to a charge of assault. Cowboys coach Joe Crozier was suspended for the rest of the series.

Awards and Records

 * Gordie Howe Trophy (MVP): Marc Tardif
 * Bill Hunter Trophy (Scoring Leader): Marc Tardif
 * Marc Tardif, Left Wing, WHA First Team All-Star
 * J.C. Tremblay, Defense, WHA First Team All-Star
 * Real Cloutier, Right Wing, WHA Second Team All-Star

Draft Picks
Quebec's draft picks from the 1975 WHA Amateur Draft.

Farm Teams

 * Maine Nordiques, NAHL