Indianapolis Racers

The Indianapolis Racers were a franchise in the former World Hockey Association. They competed for a total of four seasons, folding after the 1977-78 season. They are by far best-known for being the first major team to secure the services of hockey's all-time greatest player, Wayne Gretsky. The presence of the young Gretsky was inadequate to save the team, however, or in the final analysis even the WHA as a whole, which played one more season after the Racers' demise and then folded. Four WHA teams were accepted into the NHL, but the league's records were not accepted by the older league, so Gretsky's official records, as amazing as they are, in fact somewhat understate his accomplishments.