Indianapolis Racers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Indianapolis Racers
City	Indianapolis, Indiana
League	World Hockey Association
Operated	1974–1978
Home arena	Market Square Arena
Colors	Blue, white and red
Media	WLWI-TV WNDE
Affiliates	Greensboro Generals
Championships
Division Championships	1975–76 (East)

The Indianapolis Racers were a professional ice hockey team. They played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1974 to 1978. The team played four full seasons. They stopped playing 25 games into their fifth season (1978–79). Their home arena was Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.

The Racers are famous for being the first professional team to sign future hockey legends Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. Fans of the Racers were very passionate. The team even led the WHA in attendance during the 1976-77 season. The Racers won the 1975-76 WHA Eastern Division championship. They also beat their rivals, the Cincinnati Stingers, in the 1977 WHA playoffs.

Some other important players for the Racers included Pat Stapleton, Dave Keon, Michel Dion, and Kim Clackson. The Racers' most well-known coach was Jacques Demers. He later coached the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup in 1992-93.

Why the Racers Stopped Playing

When the Racers started, the only other major sports team in Indianapolis was the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers played basketball in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Both the WHA and ABA were newer leagues. They hoped to join the older, more established leagues like the NHL and NBA.

Many people thought Indianapolis was too small for two major sports teams. This made it hard for both the Racers and Pacers to be included in any mergers. The Pacers were eventually included in the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. This meant the Racers had to compete with the NBA in Indiana. Even though fans still supported the Racers, this was the start of their problems.

A New Owner and Big Changes

The Racers' problems grew under a new owner, Nelson Skalbania. He was a Canadian businessman known for buying and selling properties and sports teams quickly. Many people thought he was not managing the team well. They also believed he wanted to move the team to Canada. Moving the team might have helped it join the National Hockey League (NHL) in a possible merger.

However, the WHA did not want to add more teams in Canada. They were trying to make a deal with the NHL. Adding more Canadian teams might have made the merger talks difficult. So, Skalbania could not move the Racers.

Signing Young Stars

Skalbania then tried a different plan. He started signing very young players. The NHL had strict rules about how old players had to be. But the WHA often signed younger players. Skalbania's most famous signing was 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky signed a huge contract, worth over a million dollars. This was one of the biggest contracts ever for a hockey player at that time.

Even with Gretzky, the team's money problems continued. After only eight games in the 1978-79 season, Skalbania sold Gretzky. He also sold two other Racers players, goalie Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll. They were sold to Peter Pocklington, who owned the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers paid a lot of money for the three players' contracts.

The Indianapolis Racers folded (stopped playing) just 17 games later, on December 15, 1978. This ended major league hockey in Indianapolis.

The End of the WHA

The other six WHA teams finished the season. After the Winnipeg Jets won the 1979 Avco World Trophy, the WHA merged with the NHL. Four WHA teams joined the NHL: Edmonton, Winnipeg, Quebec, and New England. The WHA then closed down. The other two WHA teams, Cincinnati and Birmingham, were paid to stop playing.

Racers' Lasting Impact

Mark Messier also started his career with the Racers in the 1978–79 season. He played five games but did not score any points. He then played for Cincinnati for the rest of that season. Later, the Oilers picked him in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. Messier played until 2004. He was the last active player to have played in the WHA. He was also the last active player from the Indianapolis Racers.

Nelson Skalbania, the Racers' owner, later became an NHL owner. He bought the Atlanta Flames and moved them to Calgary. They became the Calgary Flames.

See also

• List of Indianapolis Racers players
• List of WHA seasons
• Indiana Ice
• Indianapolis Ice
• Indy Fuel