Winnipeg Jets

On March 22, 1979, the NHL agreed to take in four of the remaining six WHA teams in an expansion/merger deal. The Birmingham Bulls and Cincinnati Stingers were paid to fold, while the Jets, along with the Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques and New England/Hartford Whalers were to gain entry into the NHL. This deal, in the works since 1977, sealed the fate of the WHA, while ensuring the long-term future for the surviving teams. As late as March 8, 1979, however, a vote among NHL owners failed by a 12-5 margin, as a three-quarters vote was needed for approval. The 'no' votes came from Boston, Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles and Vancouver. An immediate backlash came against Molson Breweries, owners of the Quebeciens, in the two Canadian WHA cities and one Quebec WHA city where they do business. At the Winnipeg Arena, the Molson Three Stars were suddenly being announced as simply the "Three Stars". Molson backtracked and decided to reconsider after fearing a major loss of business. The Canucks and Kings had always voted against the merger deals in the past over fears of longer travel schedules and less visits from big drawing teams. The Canucks were convinced to change their stance when they were promised a balanced schedule. This led to another vote by NHL governors, where the final result was 14-3 in favor of the merger. Boston, Toronto, and Los Angeles still voted against the deal, but they could not stop it. The four WHA teams to be admitted into the NHL were to pay $6 million each, along with a $1.5 million that fee each team had to pay to buy out the Cincinnati Stingers and Birmingham Bulls................... The faces changed many times, and few fans can remember them all, but the commitment to perennial mediocrity continued on, and still haunts the franchise in Arizona to this day.