One of two expansion teams, the WHA had high hopes for the Cincinnati Stingers as they began play in the Riverfront Coliseum, a brand new facility that was one of the best arenas in the league. Coached by Terry Slater, the Stingers would start the season in Western Canada, beating the Calgary Cowboys 3-2 in their very first game on October 17th.

After dropping their next two games, the Stingers had a successful home debut beating the Edmonton Oilers 6-4. With the exception of an eight game losing streak in November, the Stingers played well through most of the season and were well in playoff contention at 29-31-1, as their expansion partner the Denver Spurs moved to Ottawa and folded midway through the season.

The Stingers would stumble down the stretch and missed the playoffs with a record of 35-44-1, as Claude Larose was among the bright spots finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting with 28 goals and 24 assists.