WHA Junior Hockey League
Encyclopedia
The WHA Junior Hockey League was an independent Canadian
junior ice hockey
league based out of British Columbia
, Canada
. The league marketed itself as a Junior A league, but was an unsanctioned independent loop with its own rules, processes and procedures, and was marked by franchise instability. Its team logos were based on the old WHA pro league of the 1970s.
. The result of the game was a 6-4 victory for Lumby.
On November 15, 2006, the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League
announced its affiliation with the World Hockey Association
and the creation of the "National Junior Hockey Alliance," an agreement to play for the "Alliance Cup" between the GMHL playoff champion and the winner of the WHA Junior West Hockey League. On March 2, 2007, the JWHL final was awarded to New Westminster after winning the best of five series. Lumby pulled out of the league final after a financial dispute between Lumby's coach and the league; the league chose to remove Lumby's coach and continued the series without him. The Whalers won the last two games to take the league title. The Whalers moved on to compete for the Alliance Cup against the Greater Metro League's Bradford Rattlers
, and were swept three games straight by the GMJHL champion.
On March 2, 2007, Vancouver Tours Bus Lines was awarded $71,348 CAD in unpaid fees by the WHA by a British Columbia Court.
The WHA lost its Bellingham
franchise in the fall of 2007, but gained the Fort Vancouver
Pioneers. The Pioneers received much scrutiny in USA Hockey
's NorPac league due to allegations of "over-compensating" their players and violating their amateur status. The team was founded in 2003 as the Portland Pioneers and won two league championships. On October 28, 2007, the Fort Vancouver Pioneers ceased operations following the WHA reneging on travel arrangements made with the club. The Pioneers had a league best 7-1-0-0 record with 61 goals for and 27 goals against. Late in November, the transplanted 2007 champion Whalers (3-6-0-0 with 40 GF and 49 GA) seemingly folded and their players were moved in with the Osoyoos Spurs franchise. Amidst cancelled games and rumors of unpaid bills, the remaining teams played little more than half the schedule before the season was cut short, and a "championship" series played between the Oliver Jets and the Armstrong Sharks.
After a second season cut short and the playoffs won by the Oliver Jets with little notice, there was no sign of any renewal of the "Alliance Cup."
In the summer of 2008, the WHA announced the addition of teams in Hope, Ashcroft, Nakusp, Clinton and Logan Lake. From the 2007-08 season, the WHA lost Barrhead, Fort Vancouver, Osoyoos, Squamish, and Vancouver, but announced that it had retained Armstrong, Lumby and Oliver. Furthermore, the league announced in July 2008 that it had secured affiliation deals with the Varkaus Eagles of Finland and Red Star-Sofia in Bulgaria. As part of the arrangement, WHA owner Ricky Smith was given control of the Eagles, but subsequently defaulted on a $75,000 bond and unilaterally folded the team. However, no franchise apparently attempted to field a roster for the scheduled start of the 2008-2009 season, and no games were ever played. The last post to the league's website was on September 15, 2008 - which as of July 2009 was shut down for lack of payment - addressing the possible suspension by Hockey Canada
of any player suiting up for a WHA team.
On January 16, 2009, the WHA was successfully sued by Global Developments Inc. for $4.3 Million USD in losses in a District of Nevada courtroom for purposely diluting the worth of Global's interest in the company. In addition, the WHA was ordered to repay $277,386 in loans provided to them by Global. Under Smith, the share price of the WHA fell from $3.45 to less than one cent, before being taken off the trading market.
On November 24, 2009, Ricky Smith filed a lawsuit in British Columbia against Hockey Canada
, the Pacific International Junior Hockey League
, BC Hockey, former WHA Coach Matt Samson, and Squamish
Manager of Recreational Services Janet Gugins. The charges stem from Smith's belief that Hockey Canada and BC Hockey maliciously targeted the WHA in the summer of 2008 with a series of bulletins targeted at keep players from joining the WHA. The charges put against Samson, Gugins, and the PIJHL revolve around allegations that Samson and Gugins were in breach of a contract between them and the WHA when attempting to secure a PIJHL franchise. Since walking away from the WHA, Ricky Smith - whose wife is wanted by Interpol - has also founded an already legally troubled professional baseball
organization in the United States
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
junior ice hockey
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
league based out of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The league marketed itself as a Junior A league, but was an unsanctioned independent loop with its own rules, processes and procedures, and was marked by franchise instability. Its team logos were based on the old WHA pro league of the 1970s.
History
The first game in league history (when it was known as the WHA Junior West Hockey League) took place on September 21, 2006, between the Lumby Fighting Saints and the Armstrong Sharks in Armstrong, British ColumbiaArmstrong, British Columbia
The City of Armstrong is located in the North Okanagan of the Canadian province of British Columbia, between Vernon and Enderby. It overlooks the Spallumcheen Valley, which forms a broad pass between the Okanagan Valley to the south and the Shuswap Country to the north, and is about from each of...
. The result of the game was a 6-4 victory for Lumby.
On November 15, 2006, the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League
Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League
The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League is a Canadian Developmental Junior "A" ice hockey league. The GMHL is not affiliated with the Canadian Junior Hockey League or a member by Hockey Canada...
announced its affiliation with the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association (proposed)
The World Hockey Association was a proposed professional hockey league intended to compete with the established National Hockey League during the 2004–05 NHL lockout...
and the creation of the "National Junior Hockey Alliance," an agreement to play for the "Alliance Cup" between the GMHL playoff champion and the winner of the WHA Junior West Hockey League. On March 2, 2007, the JWHL final was awarded to New Westminster after winning the best of five series. Lumby pulled out of the league final after a financial dispute between Lumby's coach and the league; the league chose to remove Lumby's coach and continued the series without him. The Whalers won the last two games to take the league title. The Whalers moved on to compete for the Alliance Cup against the Greater Metro League's Bradford Rattlers
Bradford Rattlers
The Bradford Rattlers are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based out of Bradford, Ontario. They play out of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League...
, and were swept three games straight by the GMJHL champion.
On March 2, 2007, Vancouver Tours Bus Lines was awarded $71,348 CAD in unpaid fees by the WHA by a British Columbia Court.
The WHA lost its Bellingham
Bellingham
- Places :Australia:* Bellingham, Tasmania, coastal hamlet in Northern TasmaniaEngland:* Bellingham, London, neighbourhood and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham* Bellingham, Northumberland, villageUnited States:* Bellingham, Washington...
franchise in the fall of 2007, but gained the Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District...
Pioneers. The Pioneers received much scrutiny in USA Hockey
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
's NorPac league due to allegations of "over-compensating" their players and violating their amateur status. The team was founded in 2003 as the Portland Pioneers and won two league championships. On October 28, 2007, the Fort Vancouver Pioneers ceased operations following the WHA reneging on travel arrangements made with the club. The Pioneers had a league best 7-1-0-0 record with 61 goals for and 27 goals against. Late in November, the transplanted 2007 champion Whalers (3-6-0-0 with 40 GF and 49 GA) seemingly folded and their players were moved in with the Osoyoos Spurs franchise. Amidst cancelled games and rumors of unpaid bills, the remaining teams played little more than half the schedule before the season was cut short, and a "championship" series played between the Oliver Jets and the Armstrong Sharks.
After a second season cut short and the playoffs won by the Oliver Jets with little notice, there was no sign of any renewal of the "Alliance Cup."
In the summer of 2008, the WHA announced the addition of teams in Hope, Ashcroft, Nakusp, Clinton and Logan Lake. From the 2007-08 season, the WHA lost Barrhead, Fort Vancouver, Osoyoos, Squamish, and Vancouver, but announced that it had retained Armstrong, Lumby and Oliver. Furthermore, the league announced in July 2008 that it had secured affiliation deals with the Varkaus Eagles of Finland and Red Star-Sofia in Bulgaria. As part of the arrangement, WHA owner Ricky Smith was given control of the Eagles, but subsequently defaulted on a $75,000 bond and unilaterally folded the team. However, no franchise apparently attempted to field a roster for the scheduled start of the 2008-2009 season, and no games were ever played. The last post to the league's website was on September 15, 2008 - which as of July 2009 was shut down for lack of payment - addressing the possible suspension by Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
of any player suiting up for a WHA team.
On January 16, 2009, the WHA was successfully sued by Global Developments Inc. for $4.3 Million USD in losses in a District of Nevada courtroom for purposely diluting the worth of Global's interest in the company. In addition, the WHA was ordered to repay $277,386 in loans provided to them by Global. Under Smith, the share price of the WHA fell from $3.45 to less than one cent, before being taken off the trading market.
On November 24, 2009, Ricky Smith filed a lawsuit in British Columbia against Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
, the Pacific International Junior Hockey League
Pacific International Junior Hockey League
The Pacific International Junior Hockey League is a Junior "B" Ice Hockey league in British Columbia, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The winner of the PIJHL playoffs competes with the champions of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League...
, BC Hockey, former WHA Coach Matt Samson, and Squamish
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
Manager of Recreational Services Janet Gugins. The charges stem from Smith's belief that Hockey Canada and BC Hockey maliciously targeted the WHA in the summer of 2008 with a series of bulletins targeted at keep players from joining the WHA. The charges put against Samson, Gugins, and the PIJHL revolve around allegations that Samson and Gugins were in breach of a contract between them and the WHA when attempting to secure a PIJHL franchise. Since walking away from the WHA, Ricky Smith - whose wife is wanted by Interpol - has also founded an already legally troubled professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
organization in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Former member teams
- Armstrong Sharks (2006–08)
- Barrhead River Kings (2007–08)
- Bellingham Bulls (2006–07)
- Fort Vancouver Pioneers (2007)
- Lumby Fighting Saints (2006–08)
- New Westminster Whalers (2006–07)
- Moved to Burnaby in 2007
- Moved to Vancouver in 2007
- Merged with Osoyoos in 2007
- Oliver Jets (2007–08)
- Osoyoos Spurs (2006–08)
- Squamish Cougars (2006–08)
Announced teams that never played
- Ashcroft Stingers (2008)
- Clinton Cowboys (2008)
- HNM Jr. A Canadians (2007)
- Hope Screaming Eagles (2008)
- Kitsap County Crusaders (2007)
- Logan Lake Toros (2008)
- Montreal Nordiques (2007)
- Nakusp Aeros (2008)
- NY Black Knights (2007)
- Quebec Gladiators (2007)