Indianapolis Racers
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The Indianapolis Racers were a franchise in the former World Hockey Association. They competed for five seasons, folding after 25 games in the 1978-79 season. They played at Market Square Arena. They are best-known for being the first professional team to secure the services of the player often considered hockey's all-time greatest player, Wayne Gretzky. The presence of the young Gretzky helped to force the merger with the NHL for the 1979-80 season, including four WHA teams.
At the beginning of the final season of the WHA, 7 teams remained with the Racers being one of them. After selling Gretzky after only 8 games to the Edmonton Oilers (also of the WHA), the Racers bowed out 17 games later. The other six teams finished the season, but after the Winnipeg Jets won the Avco World Trophy, the league agreed on a merger with the NHL. The four best teams, the Edmonton Oilers (and have kept that name ever since then), Winnipeg Jets, New England Whalers, and Quebec Nordiques, merged with the National Hockey League while the other teams, the Cincinnati Stingers and Birmingham Bulls were paid large sums of cash to fold.
While the NHL accepted four WHA teams into its fold, the WHA's records were not accepted by the NHL. Resultantly, Gretzky's official records, as amazing as they are, in fact somewhat understate his accomplishments. (see www.whaRACERS.com for complete franchise details)
