222:(ABA). As merger and expansion discussions heated up in both established leagues, the question of Indianapolis' inclusion proved a complicated one. Both the NBA and the NHL believed Indianapolis was far too small to support teams in both sports in the long term, and were reluctant to risk the embarrassment of placing a failed franchise there. For this reason among others, the Pacers were seen for a long time to have a slim chance to be included in the eventual
250:
17-year-old future superstar Wayne
Gretzky, who signed a personal services contract worth between $ 1.125 and $ 1.75 million over four to seven years – at the time, one of the largest contracts ever offered a hockey player. The move did not improve the team's desperate financial situation, and just eight games into the 1978–79 season Skalbania liquidated his greatest asset to his old friend and former (and future) business partner,
29:
226:. Nevertheless, to the surprise of many sports fans and pundits of the time the Pacers were ultimately included in the merger, so that starting in 1976, the WHA would have to compete with the established NBA in Indiana. While the Racers continued to attract strong fan support for awhile, this turned out to be the beginning of the end for the team.
246:(NHL). Having taken the firm position that no surviving Canadian WHA teams would be excluded from a merger, and knowing the NHL was barely willing to even consider taking in a small number of WHA teams, the WHA was not willing to risk upsetting delicate merger negotiations and rebuffed all proposals to add more teams in Canada.
249:
Unable to move his team, Skalbania looked elsewhere to gain leverage in the ongoing merger discussions. He turned to underage players – the NHL had stringent rules regarding the age of players they could sign while the WHA regularly signed underage players. Skalbania's best-known signing was that of
237:
real estate property and sports franchises for a profit, was repeatedly accused of mismanaging the promising
Indianapolis hockey market and plotting to move the franchise to Canada, where it would presumably have had a much better chance of being included in an eventual
308:
also began his career with the Racers in the 1978–79 season, playing five games but failing to register a point before finishing his tryout contract. He was picked up later by
Cincinnati for the remainder of the season, before being selected by the Oilers in the
170:
The Racers were known in the WHA for their sometimes-fanatical fans. The franchise led the WHA in attendance for the 1976–77 season. The Racers won the 1975–76 WHA Eastern
Division championship and swept the rival
266:, paying a reported $ 700,000 for the contracts of the three players, although the announced price was $ 850,000. The Racers folded 17 games later on December 15, 1978, ending major league hockey in Indianapolis.
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Skalbania himself would ultimately become an NHL owner a year after the merger when he fronted a
Calgary-based ownership group that purchased the
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313:. Messier retired in 2004 as the last active player to have played in the WHA, and also the last active player to have played for the Racers.
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would enter the NHL as "expansion teams" the following season and the WHA itself would cease operations.
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in the 1977 WHA playoffs. Notable players for the Racers include Wayne
Gretzky, Mark Messier,
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151:(WHA) from 1974 to 1978. They competed in four full seasons before folding 25 games into the
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At the time of the Racers' founding, the only other major league competitor was the
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The other six WHA teams finished the season, and before the
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Howard
Baldwin Trophy / Robert Schmertz Memorial Trophy
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715:"1992–93 Montreal Canadiens Roster and Statistics"
159:. They were the first professional team to secure
229:The Racers' demise came under the stewardship of
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1156:Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1978
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792:. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. pp. g. 4.
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320:and moved them north, where they became the
1038:Gary L. Davidson Award / Gordie Howe Trophy
765:"Indy remembers when Gretzky got his start"
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1151:Ice hockey clubs established in 1974
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1166:Defunct ice hockey teams in Indiana
788:Hanlon, Peter; Kelso, Sean (eds.).
740:"Gretzky Got Start in Indianapolis"
675:List of Indianapolis Racers players
333:Indianapolis Racers season records
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790:2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide
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1176:1978 disestablishments in Indiana
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242:the WHA was negotiating with the
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191:. The Racers' best-known coach,
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220:American Basketball Association
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848:World Hockey Association
149:World Hockey Association
147:team that played in the
56:World Hockey Association
1058:Dennis A. Murphy Trophy
807:WHA Racers history page
328:Season-by-season record
934:Miami Screaming Eagles
244:National Hockey League
998:San Francisco Sharks
976:Philadelphia Blazers
486:Lost quarter-final (
311:1979 NHL Entry Draft
143:were a major league
1136:Indianapolis Racers
1095:List of WHA players
1090:List of WHA seasons
981:Phoenix Roadrunners
950:New England Whalers
924:Indianapolis Racers
897:Cleveland Crusaders
892:Cincinnati Stingers
680:List of WHA seasons
527:Won quarter-final (
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173:Cincinnati Stingers
157:Market Square Arena
141:Indianapolis Racers
116:Greensboro Generals
74:Market Square Arena
22:Indianapolis Racers
1063:Paul Deneau Trophy
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1043:Bill Hunter Trophy
993:San Diego Mariners
929:Los Angeles Sharks
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197:Montreal Canadiens
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1008:Vancouver Blazers
769:Indianapolis Star
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533:Lost semi-final (
275:Avco World Trophy
252:Peter Pocklington
155:. They played at
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1086:Related articles
987:Quebec Nordiques
971:Ottawa Nationals
872:Birmingham Bulls
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574:Did not qualify
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254:, owner of the
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262:and forward
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189:Kim Clackson
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165:Mark Messier
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41:Indianapolis
685:Indiana Ice
287:New England
204:Stanley Cup
185:Michel Dion
1130:Categories
1026:and awards
774:2019-12-24
749:2019-12-24
701:References
295:Birmingham
291:Cincinnati
145:ice hockey
70:Home arena
724:23 August
695:Indy Fuel
535:Nordiques
260:Eddie Mio
181:Dave Keon
112:Affiliate
65:1974–1978
1024:Trophies
669:See also
571:8th, WHA
529:Stingers
408:Playoffs
279:Winnipeg
62:Operated
744:AP NEWS
580:1978–79
543:1977–78
496:1976–77
488:Whalers
453:1975–76
416:1974–75
235:flipped
201:1992–93
199:to the
131:1975–76
102:WLWI-TV
45:Indiana
617:Totals
402:Finish
340:Season
301:Legacy
285:, and
283:Quebec
240:merger
210:Demise
133:(East)
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80:Colors
52:League
855:Teams
98:Media
726:2022
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293:and
187:and
163:and
139:The
106:WNDE
36:City
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608:DNF
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565:353
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441:970
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396:PIM
375:Pts
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361:L
354:W
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