Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Mavhiki mashomanene gare gare, pana July 3, Whalers yakabatanidzwa mukutsinhana kunoshamisa nePhiladelphia Flyers. Hartford yakatumira mudziviriri Fred Arthur, winger wokurudyi Ray Allison, mukombe wokutanga uye wechitatu wokutorwa kwedrafiti kubva ku
1982 NHL Entry Draft kuPhiladelphia yepakati Rick MacLeish, mudziviriri Blake Wesley, kurudyi winger Don Gillen, uye Flyers yekutanga kutenderera, yechipiri kutenderera uye yechitatu kutenderera dhizaini mu1982 NHL Entry Draft. MacLeish akanga achiuya kubva mumwaka umo akawana 38 zvinangwa uye 74 mapoinzi mumitambo 78 neFlyers muna 1980-81. Akakunda makwikwi maviri eStanley Cup nePhiladelphia muna 1974 na1975, umo mumwaka miviri akatungamira NHL mu playoff scoring. Wesley akaparadzanisa 1980-81 mwaka pakati peFlyers neAmerican Hockey League yavo yakabatana, Maine Mariners. Mumitambo makumi mashanu nePhiladelphia, Wesley akarova zvibodzwa zvitatu nemapoinzi gumi, nepo mumitambo makumi maviri nemana neMaine, Wesley akarova zvibodzwa zvitanhatu nemapoinzi gumi nematanhatu, achiteverwa nechinangwa nemapoinzi mapfumbamwe mumitambo mipfumbamwe yekupedza mwaka neMariners. Gillen akapedza mwaka wose 1980-81 neMaine, achiwana zvibodzwa makumi matatu, mapoinzi makumi mashanu nemapfumbamwe nemaminetsi mazana maviri nemakumi mashanu nemashanu mumitambo makumi manomwe nenomwe, asati awedzera zvibodzwa zvina nemapoinzi masere mumitambo makumi maviri yemutambo.