The Lou Kaplan Trophy was presented annually to the World Hockey Association

World Hockey Association

The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...

's (WHA) rookie

Rookie

Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...

 of the year.

History

Lou Kaplan was one of the original owners of the Minnesota Fighting Saints

Minnesota Fighting Saints

The Minnesota Fighting Saints was the name of two professional ice hockey teams based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that played in the World Hockey Association. The first team was one of the WHA's original twelve franchises, playing from 1972–76. The second team was relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, and...

 of the WHA. On August 10, 1973, the WHA officially named its trophies after the team officials at the WHA's founding meeting in 1972. The rookie-of-the-year trophy was named after Kaplan.

Winners

• 1979 – Wayne Gretzky
  Wayne Gretzky
  Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
  
  , Edmonton Oilers
  Edmonton Oilers
  The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
  
  
• 1978 – Kent Nilsson
  Kent Nilsson
  Kent Åke "Kenta" Nilsson is a retired professional ice hockey centre.During his NHL career he was called "Mr. Magic" and "The Magic Man"...
  
  , Winnipeg Jets
• 1977 – George Lyle, New England Whalers
• 1976 – Mark Napier, Toronto Toros
  Toronto Toros
  The Toronto Toros were an ice hockey team based in Toronto that played in the World Hockey Association from 1973 to 1976.The franchise was awarded to Doug Michel in 1971 to play in the WHA's inaugural 1972–73 season...
  
  
• 1975 – Anders Hedberg
  Anders Hedberg
  Anders Hedberg is a retired former professional ice hockey player who was one of the first European-born players to make an impact in North America...
  
  , Winnipeg Jets
• 1974 – Mark Howe
  Mark Howe
  Mark Steven Howe is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League and 6 seasons in the World Hockey Association . He is the son of Colleen and Gordie Howe, and early in his career was a teammate of his father...
  
  , Houston Aeros
  Houston Aeros (WHA)
  The Houston Aeros were a professional ice hockey team in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1978.-Franchise history:The Aeros became one of the original franchises in the World Hockey Association when the Dayton Arrows franchise was moved to Houston in 1972...
  
  
• 1973 – Terry Caffery
  Terry Caffery
  Terrance Michael Caffery is a retired a Canadian ice hockey forward, most notably with the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association...
  
  , New England Whalers