World Hockey Association
Encyclopedia
The World Hockey Association (French: Association mondiale de hockey) 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
(NHL) since the collapse of the Western Hockey League
in 1926. Although the WHA was not the first league since that time to attempt to challenge the NHL's supremacy, it was by far the most successful.
The WHA hoped to capitalize on the lack of hockey teams in a number of major cities, and it also hoped to attract the best players by paying more than NHL owners would. The WHA successfully challenged the reserve clause
, which bound players to their NHL teams even without a valid contract, allowing players in both leagues greater freedom of movement. Sixty-seven players jumped from the NHL to the WHA in the first year, led by star forward Bobby Hull
, whose ten-year, $2.75 million contract was a record at the time. The WHA signed European players, previously thought to be unsuited to the North American style of play.
The WHA had an acrimonious relationship with the NHL, resulting in numerous legal battles, as well as competition for control of players and markets. In spite of this, merger talks began almost immediately, as the WHA was constantly unstable, with franchises occasionally relocating, or folding, in the middle of the season. NHL owners voted down a 1977 plan to merge six WHA teams (the Edmonton Oilers
, New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques
, Cincinnati Stingers
, Houston Aeros
, and Winnipeg Jets) into the NHL before a 1979 merger
was approved. As a result, four teams, the Edmonton Oilers
, New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques
, and Winnipeg Jets joined the NHL for the 1979–80 season, and the WHA ceased operations. The final WHA game was played on May 20, 1979, as the Jets defeated the Oilers to win their third AVCO World Trophy
.
promoters Dennis Murphy and Gary Davidson. The pair had previously been the founder and first president of the American Basketball Association, respectively. They quickly recruited Bill Hunter, president of the junior Western Canada Hockey League
. Hunter and Murphy traveled across North America recruiting potential owners, and by September 1971, had announced that the league would begin in 1972–73 with ten teams, each having paid $25,000 for their franchise.
The average NHL salary in 1972 was $25,000, the lowest of the four major sports, while players were bound by the reserve clause
, a clause in every player's contract that automatically extended a player's contract by one year when it expired, tying them to their team for the life of their career. In October 1972, the WHA announced that it would not use the reserve clause, stating that "The reserve clause won't stand up to the scrutiny of ... players, players associations, the United States Congress, the public and the Supreme Court". The WHA also promised much higher salaries than the NHL offered, and by the time the league began play, it had lured 67 former NHL players to its league, including Bernie Parent
, Gerry Cheevers
, Derek Sanderson
, J. C. Tremblay and Ted Green
. The biggest name signed was former Chicago Black Hawks
star Bobby Hull
, who agreed to a 10-year, $2.7 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets, the largest in hockey history at the time, and one that lent the league instant credibility.
The NHL tried to block several of the defections. The Boston Bruins
attempted to restrain Sanderson and Cheevers from joining the WHA, though a United States federal court refused to prohibit the signings. The Black Hawks were successful in having a restraining order filed against Hull and the Jets pending the outcome of legal action the Black Hawks were taking against the WHA. The new league was eager for the court action, intending to challenge the legality of the reserve clause. In November 1972, a Philadelphia district court placed an injunction against the NHL, preventing it from enforcing the reserve clause and freeing all players who had restraining orders against them, including Hull, to play with their WHA clubs. The decision effectively ended the NHL's monopoly on major league professional hockey talent.
– possibly the best known hockey franchise never actually to take the ice – as well as teams in cities where it was felt there was room for more than one team, such as the Los Angeles Aces
, Chicago Cougars
, and New York Raiders. Two of the original twelve teams, the Dayton Arrows and the San Francisco Sharks, relocated, citing arena troubles. They became the Houston Aeros
and Quebec Nordiques
, respectively, with the Los Angeles franchise then taking the nickname Sharks to replace Aces. Other franchises, such as the Calgary Broncos
and the Screaming Eagles, folded outright. The Philadelphia Blazers
and the Cleveland Crusaders
would replace the Screaming Eagles and the Broncos.
Although the league had many players under contract by June 1972, including a few NHL stars such as Bernie Parent
, many of its players were career minor leaguers and college players. The new league was not considered much of a threat, until Bobby Hull
, arguably the NHL's top forward at the time, jumped to the new league. Hull, who considered moving to the WHA as part of a negotiation tactic with the Chicago Black Hawks
, had jokingly told reporters that he would only move to the WHA for a million dollars, at that time a ridiculous amount of money for a hockey player. But, to everyone's surprise, the Winnipeg Jets offered him this sum. Hull accepted and moved to the WHA, signing a five-year, million-dollar contract, with a million-dollar signing bonus. Hull's signing attracted a few other top stars such as Cheevers, Sanderson, and Tremblay.
The WHA officially made its debut on October 11, 1972 in the Ottawa Civic Centre
, when the Alberta Oilers defeated the Ottawa Nationals
7-4. Although the quality of hockey was predictably below that of the NHL, the WHA had indeed made stars out of many players that had little or no playing time in the NHL.
The New England Whalers would eventually win the WHA's inaugural championship, later renamed the Avco World Trophy
when the Avco Financial Services Corporation became its main sponsor. However, the World Trophy had not yet been completed, and the Whalers were forced to "skate" their divisional championship trophy around the ice surface, much to the embarrassment of the WHA office.
and Quebec Nordiques
, respectively. Other franchises, such as the Calgary Broncos
and the Screaming Eagles, folded outright. The Philadelphia Blazers
and the Cleveland Crusaders
would replace the Screaming Eagles and the Broncos.
The New York Raiders, initially intended to be the WHA's flagship team, suffered from numerous problems. While they planned to play in the brand new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
, Nassau County did not consider the WHA a professional league and wanted nothing to do with the Raiders. The County hired William Shea
, leader of New York City's successful lobbying campaign
to get baseball's National League
to expand following the 1957 departures of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants
. He worked with the NHL to quickly award a franchise to Long Island, the New York Islanders
, who effectively locked up the Coliseum for their own use. The Raiders were first forced to rent space at Madison Square Garden
, where they were tenants to their major competitor, the New York Rangers
. The situation rapidly became untenable, with an onerous lease and poor attendance, so the three original owners defaulted and the league ended up taking control of the team midway through the season. The Raiders were sold after that season and renamed the New York Golden Blades, but were forced to revert to a Sundays-only home schedule due to the high price of rent and scheduling conflicts with other events at Madison Square Garden. This, however, was not enough to save the team, and the league was forced to take over the franchise again 24 games into the season. Realizing that it could not hope to compete with both the Rangers and the Islanders, the WHA moved the Golden Blades to New Jersey soon after taking control. Renamed the New Jersey Knights, they played at the Cherry Hill Arena which had a slope in the ice surface, causing pucks to shoot upward from results of a pass or shot, as well as chain link fencing instead of plexiglas surrounding the rink. The arena was also closely cramped, with players not having adequate changing and dressing facilities.
In another instance, Harold Ballard
, owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs
, deliberately made the Toronto Toros
' lease terms at Maple Leaf Gardens
as onerous as possible after they moved from Ottawa. The Toros were owned by John F. Bassett, son of Canadian media mogul John Bassett. The older Bassett had formerly been part-owner of the Leafs with Ballard and Stafford Smythe
before falling out with his two partners. The Toros' lease with Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. called for them to pay $15,000 per game, which was negotiated by Ballard's son Bill while the elder Ballard was in jail. However, by the time the Toros played their first game, Ballard had regained control of the Gardens. Much to Bassett's outrage, the arena was dim for the first game. It was then that Ballard demanded $3,500 for use of the lights. Ballard also denied the Toros access to the Leafs' locker room, forcing them to build their own at a cost of $55,000. He also removed the cushions from the home bench for Toros' games (he told an arena worker, "Let 'em buy their own cushions!"). It was obvious that Ballard was angered at the WHA being literally in his backyard, and took out his frustration with the renegade league on the Toros. These terms forced Bassett to move the team to Birmingham
.
Part of the financial trouble was also attributed to the high player salaries. For instance, the Philadelphia Blazers
signed Derek Sanderson
for $2.6 million, which surpassed that of Brazil
ian soccer star, Pelé
, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world at the time. Unfortunately, his play did not live up to the expectations of his salary, and between an early-season injury, intemperate remarks to the press, and Blazer financial troubles, Sanderson's contract was bought out before the end of the season.
As well, big stars lacked supporting players and the quality of the on-ice product suffered.
, Marc Tardif
, and in later years, Frank Mahovlich
and Paul Henderson
.
In 1974, to broaden a depleted talent pool, the WHA began employing European players – which the NHL had largely ignored up to that time – in serious numbers, including stars such as Swedish players Anders Hedberg
and Ulf Nilsson and Czech center Vaclav Nedomansky
. Winnipeg especially loaded up with Scandinavian players and became the class of the league, with Hedberg and Nilsson combining with Bobby Hull to form one of hockey's most formidable forward lines. Along with the mass import of European stars, the Vancouver franchise attempted unsuccessfully to lure Phil Esposito
away from the NHL by offering a contract similar to that of Bobby Hull, with a million dollars upfront.
, which pitted Team Canada against the Soviets, did not permit WHA players, due to the decision of series organizer Alan Eagleson
, an NHL agent who was influential in forming the Canadian team. Bobby Hull
, one of the best WHA players, was ruled ineligible to play because of his defection from the NHL, despite being initially selected by coach Harry Sinden
. Dennis Hull
initially planned to boycott the event as well as a show of support for his older brother, but Bobby persuaded him to stay on Team Canada. Other WHA stars turned down included Gerry Cheevers
and Derek Sanderson
. Some NHL owners also threatened not to free their players to participate if WHA players were permitted.
The WHA organized the 1974 Summit Series
against the Soviets, giving an opportunity for Hull and 46-year old Gordie Howe
to play for Canada against the Soviet team, which the Soviets won 4-1-3.
In the 1976 Canada Cup
, the NHL and NHLPA broaded the scope of the competition, inviting to the tournament a number of hockey countries and allowing each invited country to send the best possible team they could muster, so this time WHA players were permitted. WHA players played on four of the tournament's six teams.
In 1977, merger discussions with the National Hockey League were first initiated, where six of the eight WHA teams would move to the NHL; as Houston, Cincinnati, Winnipeg, New England, Quebec, and Edmonton applied for entry. After a lengthy debate, the NHL voted the proposal down as it was never popular among NHL team owners.
Merger discussions resumed in 1978, but Houston was not part of the proposal this time, and as a result the Aeros elected to fold on July 6, 1978. During the final series of talks, Aeros owner Kenneth Schnitzer campaigned to the NHL that either his team be admitted as an expansion team independent of a merger, or he would attempt to purchase an existing club and relocate it to Houston. Neither came to fruition.
Another idea had the Edmonton Oilers
and the New England Whalers moving to the NHL, with the Winnipeg Jets following a year later, but this was also not accepted by the NHL.
The final two seasons of the WHA saw the debut of many superstars, some of which became hockey legends in the NHL. They included Wayne Gretzky
, Mark Messier
, Ken Linseman
, and Mike Gartner
. The Birmingham franchise alone would feature future NHLers Rick Vaive
, Michel Goulet
, Rob Ramage
, Craig Hartsburg
and Gaston Gingras
.
However, by the end of the final season, only six teams remained. Facing financial difficulty and unable to meet payrolls, the WHA finally came to an agreement with the NHL in early 1979. Under the deal, four WHA clubs – the Edmonton Oilers
, New England Whalers (renamed the Hartford Whalers
), Quebec Nordiques
and Winnipeg Jets – joined the NHL. The other two WHA teams, the Cincinnati Stingers
and Birmingham Bulls
, were paid $1.5 million apiece in compensation. The agreement was very tilted in the NHL's favour. The older league treated the new clubs' arrival as an expansion, not a merger, so the four WHA refugees thus had to pay a $6 million franchise fee. The NHL also refused to recognize any WHA records. While the new clubs were allowed to stock their rosters with an expansion draft
, NHL teams were allowed to reclaim players who had jumped to the WHA.
The WHA was able to wrangle only two concessions. First, the WHA teams were allowed to protect two goaltenders and two skaters to keep their rosters from being completely stripped clean by the old-line NHL teams. Second, the NHL allowed all of the WHA's Canadian teams to be part of the deal. The NHL had originally only been willing to take the Oilers, Whalers and Jets, but the WHA insisted that the Nordiques be included as well.
The deal came up for a vote at the NHL Board of Governors meeting in Key Largo, Florida
on March 8. Despite the one-sided nature of the proposal, the final tally was 12-5, one vote short of passage, as a three-quarters majority was required to permit merger (13 teams out of 17 would have represented 76.5% of the league). The Boston Bruins
, Los Angeles Kings
, Montreal Canadiens
, Toronto Maple Leafs
and Vancouver Canucks
all voted against the deal. The Bruins weren't pleased with having to share New England
with the Whalers. Los Angeles and Vancouver feared losing home dates with NHL teams from the East. Montreal and Toronto weren't enamored at the prospect of having to split revenue from Hockey Night in Canada
broadcasts six ways rather than three. Maple Leafs owner Ballard had a personal grudge as well; he'd never forgiven the WHA for plundering his team's roster in the early 1970s.
When a second vote was held in Chicago
on March 22, however, Montreal and Vancouver changed their votes, allowing the deal to go forward. Vancouver was won over by the promise of a balanced schedule, with each team playing the others twice at home and twice on the road. The Canadiens' owners, Molson Breweries, were feeling the effects of a massive boycott
that originated in Edmonton, Quebec City, and Winnipeg and spread across Canada. With the boycott severely hurting Molson's sales, the brewer reached agreement with the 3 Canadian WHA teams to have Molson become the exclusive supplier of beer
to their arenas; it is probable that this concession was made in exchange for the Canadiens' vote.
The WHA had many lasting effects on NHL hockey. The NHL used to recruit virtually all players from Canada, but following the success of the Jets' Hedberg and Nilsson scouts began looking overseas for the best players that Europe could offer. Teams such as the Whalers and Fighting Saints also offered excellent opportunities for young American players, and several U.S.-born or -raised NHL stars of the early 1980s (such as Mark Howe
, Rod Langway
, Dave Langevin
, Robbie Ftorek
, and Paul Holmgren
) began their pro careers in the WHA. As a result, the NHL evolved into a truly cosmopolitan league during the 1980s.
The WHA also ended the NHL policy of paying its players only a fraction of the league's profits and, combined with the abolition of the reserve clause, led to much higher player salaries. Many great stars began their careers in the WHA, including Mark Howe
, Wayne Gretzky
, Mike Gartner
, Mike Liut
, and Mark Messier
. Messier was the last WHA veteran to play in the NHL; he opened his professional career with 52 games with the Indianapolis Racers
and Cincinnati Stingers
in 1978–79, and played his last NHL game on April 3, 2004. The final active player and official in any on-ice capacity for the league was referee Don Koharski
, who started as a linesman for the WHA and retired at the end of the 2008–09 NHL season
.
The WHA's success in Canada led the NHL to re-consider the other major Canadian cities without NHL teams. There were only three Canadian teams in the NHL before 1979. The Atlanta Flames
would move to Calgary
in 1980 to spark a fierce intra-Albertan rivalry
with the Oilers, while the Ottawa Senators
would join the NHL as an expansion team
in 1992 and by the 2000s they enjoy a heated contest
with the Toronto Maple Leafs
. Both of these teams remain in their respective Canadian cities .
The WHA is also responsible for overtime to attempt to settle regular season tie games. When the WHA was founded, there was no overtime for regular season NHL games. The WHA, however, instituted a ten-minute sudden death overtime for regular season games. The first team to score would win the game, and if nobody scored in 10 minutes, it would then be declared a tie. This reduced the number of ties considerably (the largest number of ties in a WHA season was 9, while in the NHL teams routinely had 15-20 ties per season).
After the NHL-WHA merger, the NHL tried to adopt the same format, but the players wanted increased revenues for playing more minutes. Finally, after contentious negotiations, the NHL adopted a five-minute, sudden-death overtime.
. The Jets posted a dismal nine wins in their second season (second-fewest all-time for a season in the NHL), and finished last that season. However, the other former WHA teams did respectably well in their first year, with the Whalers and Oilers earning playoff berths. The Oilers chose to protect Wayne Gretzky
in the dispersal draft, which would prove fortuitous. The Whalers' Gordie Howe
and the Oilers' Wayne Gretzky
were selected to the midseason All-Star Game, respectively the oldest and second-youngest ever to play in such a match.
The 1980s was a successful period for the former WHA teams. The Oilers, led by Gretzky, shattered numerous NHL records and amassed a Stanley Cup
dynasty. The Jets, decimated by the dispersal draft, developed a solid nucleus of players which helped the club achieve respectable regular-season finishes. The Nordiques developed a rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens
and captured the Adams Division title in 1985-86. The Whalers had similar rivalries with the Boston Bruins
and New York Rangers
, attracting many Bruins and Rangers fans to their home games at the Hartford Civic Center
, and skating to the 1986–87 Adams Division title.
In the 1990s, the former WHA clubs suffered from escalating player salaries (ironically, the same trend that was instigated by the WHA), which were difficult to meet with the restricted revenue streams in their smaller markets. The ex-WHA clubs based in Canada were also hit hard by the declining value of the Canadian dollar. The Nordiques moved to Denver
in 1995 and became the Colorado Avalanche
, the Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix
in 1996 and became the Phoenix Coyotes
, and the Hartford Whalers
moved to North Carolina
in 1997 and became the Hurricanes
. A consortium of local investors
came up with the funds necessary to keep the Oilers in Edmonton, so it remains the last WHA team still in its original city.
The Avalanche were an instant success in their new home of Denver, winning the Stanley Cup in their first season and going on to win nine straight division titles. The Coyotes were initially popular upon their move to Phoenix; however, they been plagued by financial problems and low attendance since moving to a new arena in suburban Glendale
. The NHL took over the Coyotes in 2009, and in 2010 entered negotiations with True North Sports and Entertainment, which had built the MTS Centre
in Winnipeg and expressed an in bringing the NHL back to Manitoba. Although the NHL has been unsuccessful in finding new ownership in Arizona, the league has agreed not to move the Coyotes for the time being after the City of Glendale agreed to fund $25 million of the Coyotes' losses for each of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.
Meanwhile, True North purchased the Atlanta Thrashers
and obtained approval from the NHL Board of Governors to move the Thrashers to Winnipeg. The Thrashers were subsequently re-branded as the "new" Winnipeg Jets
after the league granted True North permission to use the Jets name, although the original Jets' history and records remain with the Coyotes. Following Winnipeg's return in the league, Quebec City has come to be seen as a plausible relocation destination in the near future following the unveiling of plans to build a new arena and ongoing interest from media giant Quebecor
in owning an NHL team in Quebec City.
Since 1979, three of the four former WHA teams have won the Stanley Cup: the Oilers have played in the finals seven times, winning five; the Avalanche have played for it twice, winning on both occasions; and the Hurricanes have played for it twice, winning once. The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs
marked the first time two former WHA teams played for the Cup, with the Hurricanes defeating the Oilers in seven games. At least one of the former WHA teams had qualified for the NHL playoffs in every season from the merger, save for the 1994
and 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs
.
, for achievements in their hockey career.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
league that operated in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) since the collapse of the Western Hockey League
Western Canada Hockey League
The Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.-History:...
in 1926. Although the WHA was not the first league since that time to attempt to challenge the NHL's supremacy, it was by far the most successful.
The WHA hoped to capitalize on the lack of hockey teams in a number of major cities, and it also hoped to attract the best players by paying more than NHL owners would. The WHA successfully challenged the reserve clause
Reserve clause
The reserve clause is a term formerly employed in North American professional sports contracts. The reserve clause, contained in all standard player contracts, stated that, upon the contract's expiration the rights to the player were to be retained by the team to which he had been signed...
, which bound players to their NHL teams even without a valid contract, allowing players in both leagues greater freedom of movement. Sixty-seven players jumped from the NHL to the WHA in the first year, led by star forward Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
, whose ten-year, $2.75 million contract was a record at the time. The WHA signed European players, previously thought to be unsuited to the North American style of play.
The WHA had an acrimonious relationship with the NHL, resulting in numerous legal battles, as well as competition for control of players and markets. In spite of this, merger talks began almost immediately, as the WHA was constantly unstable, with franchises occasionally relocating, or folding, in the middle of the season. NHL owners voted down a 1977 plan to merge six WHA teams (the 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 ....
, New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
, Cincinnati Stingers
Cincinnati Stingers
The Cincinnati Stingers was an ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that played in the World Hockey Association from 1975 to 1979. Its home arena was Riverfront Coliseum and it was the only major-league hockey team ever to play in Cincinnati.-History:The Stingers franchise was awarded in...
, 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...
, and Winnipeg Jets) into the NHL before a 1979 merger
NHL–WHA merger
The 1979 merger of the NHL and WHA was the culmination of several years of negotiations between the National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association that resulted in four WHA franchises joining the NHL as expansion franchises for the 1979–80 season...
was approved. As a result, four teams, the 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 ....
, New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
, and Winnipeg Jets joined the NHL for the 1979–80 season, and the WHA ceased operations. The final WHA game was played on May 20, 1979, as the Jets defeated the Oilers to win their third AVCO World Trophy
Avco World Trophy
The Avco World Trophy, also known as the Avco Cup, was the championship trophy of the original World Hockey Association . The trophy's naming rights were sold to the former Avco Corporation , a defense contractor who bought the rights to advertise their consumer finance division...
.
Founding
The World Hockey Association was founded in 1971 by AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
promoters Dennis Murphy and Gary Davidson. The pair had previously been the founder and first president of the American Basketball Association, respectively. They quickly recruited Bill Hunter, president of the junior Western Canada Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
. Hunter and Murphy traveled across North America recruiting potential owners, and by September 1971, had announced that the league would begin in 1972–73 with ten teams, each having paid $25,000 for their franchise.
The average NHL salary in 1972 was $25,000, the lowest of the four major sports, while players were bound by the reserve clause
Reserve clause
The reserve clause is a term formerly employed in North American professional sports contracts. The reserve clause, contained in all standard player contracts, stated that, upon the contract's expiration the rights to the player were to be retained by the team to which he had been signed...
, a clause in every player's contract that automatically extended a player's contract by one year when it expired, tying them to their team for the life of their career. In October 1972, the WHA announced that it would not use the reserve clause, stating that "The reserve clause won't stand up to the scrutiny of ... players, players associations, the United States Congress, the public and the Supreme Court". The WHA also promised much higher salaries than the NHL offered, and by the time the league began play, it had lured 67 former NHL players to its league, including Bernie Parent
Bernie Parent
Bernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
, Gerry Cheevers
Gerry Cheevers
Gerald Michael "Cheesey" Cheevers is a former goaltender in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association between 1961 and 1980, most famous for his two stints with the Boston Bruins, where he backstopped the team to Stanley Cup wins in 1970 and 1972...
, Derek Sanderson
Derek Sanderson
Derek Michael Sanderson, nicknamed "Turk", , is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is now a bank executive and restaurateur....
, J. C. Tremblay and Ted Green
Ted Green
Edward Joseph "Terrible Ted" Green is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach and former player. Green played defence for the NHL Boston Bruins and the WHA New England Whalers and Winnipeg Jets, notable for his hard rock play...
. The biggest name signed was former Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
star Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
, who agreed to a 10-year, $2.7 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets, the largest in hockey history at the time, and one that lent the league instant credibility.
The NHL tried to block several of the defections. The Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
attempted to restrain Sanderson and Cheevers from joining the WHA, though a United States federal court refused to prohibit the signings. The Black Hawks were successful in having a restraining order filed against Hull and the Jets pending the outcome of legal action the Black Hawks were taking against the WHA. The new league was eager for the court action, intending to challenge the legality of the reserve clause. In November 1972, a Philadelphia district court placed an injunction against the NHL, preventing it from enforcing the reserve clause and freeing all players who had restraining orders against them, including Hull, to play with their WHA clubs. The decision effectively ended the NHL's monopoly on major league professional hockey talent.
Teams
In November 1971, twelve teams were formally announced. They included teams from cities without NHL teams such as the Miami Screaming EaglesMiami Screaming Eagles
The Miami Screaming Eagles were Miami's first attempt at a professional ice hockey team.Businessman Herb Martin bought a franchise in the World Hockey Association in 1972. The Eagles were the first to sign players from NHL clubs, such as Bernie Parent from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins...
– possibly the best known hockey franchise never actually to take the ice – as well as teams in cities where it was felt there was room for more than one team, such as the Los Angeles Aces
Los Angeles Sharks
The Los Angeles Sharks were an ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1974. Their primary home arena was the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena but they sometimes played at the Long Beach Sports Arena when the Sports Arena had other contractual obligations...
, Chicago Cougars
Chicago Cougars
The Chicago Cougars were an original franchise in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1975. The Cougars played their home games in the dilapidated International Amphitheatre. During the 1974 Avco Cup Finals against Gordie Howe and the Houston Aeros, the team's two home games were played at...
, and New York Raiders. Two of the original twelve teams, the Dayton Arrows and the San Francisco Sharks, relocated, citing arena troubles. They became the 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...
and Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
, respectively, with the Los Angeles franchise then taking the nickname Sharks to replace Aces. Other franchises, such as the Calgary Broncos
Calgary Broncos
The Calgary Broncos were an original World Hockey Association franchise founded November 1, 1971. In the first WHA draft, the Broncos chose: Barry Gibbs, Jim Harrison, Dale Hoganson and Jack Norris. The team folded prior to the start of the first WHA season when team owner Bob Brownridge died...
and the Screaming Eagles, folded outright. The Philadelphia Blazers
Philadelphia Blazers
The Philadelphia Blazers were an ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association for the 1972–73 WHA season that was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
and the Cleveland Crusaders
Cleveland Crusaders
The Cleveland Crusaders were a professional ice hockey team from Cleveland, Ohio. The Crusaders were founded by Nick Mileti, and played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1976...
would replace the Screaming Eagles and the Broncos.
Although the league had many players under contract by June 1972, including a few NHL stars such as Bernie Parent
Bernie Parent
Bernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
, many of its players were career minor leaguers and college players. The new league was not considered much of a threat, until Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
, arguably the NHL's top forward at the time, jumped to the new league. Hull, who considered moving to the WHA as part of a negotiation tactic with the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, had jokingly told reporters that he would only move to the WHA for a million dollars, at that time a ridiculous amount of money for a hockey player. But, to everyone's surprise, the Winnipeg Jets offered him this sum. Hull accepted and moved to the WHA, signing a five-year, million-dollar contract, with a million-dollar signing bonus. Hull's signing attracted a few other top stars such as Cheevers, Sanderson, and Tremblay.
The WHA officially made its debut on October 11, 1972 in the Ottawa Civic Centre
Ottawa Civic Centre
The Ottawa Civic Centre, also known as the J. Benson Cartage Centre for 2011–2012, is an indoor arena located in Ottawa, Ontario, seating 9,862. With temporary seating and standing room it can hold 10,585. Opened in December 1967, it is used primarily for sports, including curling, figure skating,...
, when the Alberta Oilers defeated the Ottawa Nationals
Ottawa Nationals
The Ottawa Nationals were a professional men's ice hockey team based out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada that played in the World Hockey Association during the 1972–73 WHA season....
7-4. Although the quality of hockey was predictably below that of the NHL, the WHA had indeed made stars out of many players that had little or no playing time in the NHL.
The New England Whalers would eventually win the WHA's inaugural championship, later renamed the Avco World Trophy
Avco World Trophy
The Avco World Trophy, also known as the Avco Cup, was the championship trophy of the original World Hockey Association . The trophy's naming rights were sold to the former Avco Corporation , a defense contractor who bought the rights to advertise their consumer finance division...
when the Avco Financial Services Corporation became its main sponsor. However, the World Trophy had not yet been completed, and the Whalers were forced to "skate" their divisional championship trophy around the ice surface, much to the embarrassment of the WHA office.
Problems
Right from the start, the league was plagued with problems. Many teams often found themselves in financial difficulty, folding or moving from one city to another, often in mid-season. Two of the original twelve teams, the Dayton Arrows and the San Francisco Sharks, relocated citing arena troubles. These two franchises were moved to become the Houston AerosHouston 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...
and Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
, respectively. Other franchises, such as the Calgary Broncos
Calgary Broncos
The Calgary Broncos were an original World Hockey Association franchise founded November 1, 1971. In the first WHA draft, the Broncos chose: Barry Gibbs, Jim Harrison, Dale Hoganson and Jack Norris. The team folded prior to the start of the first WHA season when team owner Bob Brownridge died...
and the Screaming Eagles, folded outright. The Philadelphia Blazers
Philadelphia Blazers
The Philadelphia Blazers were an ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association for the 1972–73 WHA season that was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
and the Cleveland Crusaders
Cleveland Crusaders
The Cleveland Crusaders were a professional ice hockey team from Cleveland, Ohio. The Crusaders were founded by Nick Mileti, and played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1976...
would replace the Screaming Eagles and the Broncos.
The New York Raiders, initially intended to be the WHA's flagship team, suffered from numerous problems. While they planned to play in the brand new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island...
, Nassau County did not consider the WHA a professional league and wanted nothing to do with the Raiders. The County hired William Shea
William Shea
William Alfred "Bill" Shea was an American lawyer and a name partner of the prominent law firm of Shea & Gould...
, leader of New York City's successful lobbying campaign
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
to get baseball's National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
to expand following the 1957 departures of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. He worked with the NHL to quickly award a franchise to Long Island, the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, who effectively locked up the Coliseum for their own use. The Raiders were first forced to rent space at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, where they were tenants to their major competitor, the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. The situation rapidly became untenable, with an onerous lease and poor attendance, so the three original owners defaulted and the league ended up taking control of the team midway through the season. The Raiders were sold after that season and renamed the New York Golden Blades, but were forced to revert to a Sundays-only home schedule due to the high price of rent and scheduling conflicts with other events at Madison Square Garden. This, however, was not enough to save the team, and the league was forced to take over the franchise again 24 games into the season. Realizing that it could not hope to compete with both the Rangers and the Islanders, the WHA moved the Golden Blades to New Jersey soon after taking control. Renamed the New Jersey Knights, they played at the Cherry Hill Arena which had a slope in the ice surface, causing pucks to shoot upward from results of a pass or shot, as well as chain link fencing instead of plexiglas surrounding the rink. The arena was also closely cramped, with players not having adequate changing and dressing facilities.
In another instance, Harold Ballard
Harold Ballard
Harold E. Ballard was an owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League as well as their home arena, Maple Leaf Gardens. A member of the Leafs organization from 1940 and a senior executive from 1957, he became part-owner of the team in 1961 and was majority owner from February...
, owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, deliberately made the 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...
' lease terms at Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
as onerous as possible after they moved from Ottawa. The Toros were owned by John F. Bassett, son of Canadian media mogul John Bassett. The older Bassett had formerly been part-owner of the Leafs with Ballard and Stafford Smythe
Stafford Smythe
Conn Stafford Smythe was the son of Conn Smythe and president of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. and the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team from 1961–1969 and from 1970 until his death.-Early years:...
before falling out with his two partners. The Toros' lease with Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. called for them to pay $15,000 per game, which was negotiated by Ballard's son Bill while the elder Ballard was in jail. However, by the time the Toros played their first game, Ballard had regained control of the Gardens. Much to Bassett's outrage, the arena was dim for the first game. It was then that Ballard demanded $3,500 for use of the lights. Ballard also denied the Toros access to the Leafs' locker room, forcing them to build their own at a cost of $55,000. He also removed the cushions from the home bench for Toros' games (he told an arena worker, "Let 'em buy their own cushions!"). It was obvious that Ballard was angered at the WHA being literally in his backyard, and took out his frustration with the renegade league on the Toros. These terms forced Bassett to move the team to Birmingham
Birmingham Bulls
The Birmingham Bulls were a professional ice hockey team based in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. They played in the World Hockey Association from 1976 to 1979 and the Central Hockey League from 1979 to 1981. The Bulls played their home games at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center.Prior to being...
.
Part of the financial trouble was also attributed to the high player salaries. For instance, the Philadelphia Blazers
Philadelphia Blazers
The Philadelphia Blazers were an ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association for the 1972–73 WHA season that was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
signed Derek Sanderson
Derek Sanderson
Derek Michael Sanderson, nicknamed "Turk", , is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is now a bank executive and restaurateur....
for $2.6 million, which surpassed that of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian soccer star, Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world at the time. Unfortunately, his play did not live up to the expectations of his salary, and between an early-season injury, intemperate remarks to the press, and Blazer financial troubles, Sanderson's contract was bought out before the end of the season.
As well, big stars lacked supporting players and the quality of the on-ice product suffered.
Talent competition
The WHA had won several key victories, including a court ruling which prevented the NHL from binding players to NHL teams via the reserve clause, and the signings of more NHL stars such as Gordie HoweGordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
, Marc Tardif
Marc Tardif
Marc Tardif is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who is the leading goal scorer in the history of the World Hockey Association, principally for the Quebec Nordiques.-Playing career:...
, and in later years, Frank Mahovlich
Frank Mahovlich
Francis William "The Big M" Mahovlich, CM is a Canadian Senator, and a retired NHL ice hockey player, nicknamed the "Big M." He played on six Stanley Cup-winning teams and is an inductee of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Playing career:...
and Paul Henderson
Paul Henderson
Paul Henderson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. A left winger, Henderson played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flames...
.
In 1974, to broaden a depleted talent pool, the WHA began employing European players – which the NHL had largely ignored up to that time – in serious numbers, including stars such as Swedish players 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...
and Ulf Nilsson and Czech center Vaclav Nedomansky
Vaclav Nedomansky
Václav Nedomanský Václav Nedomanský Václav Nedomanský (born March 14, 1944 in Hodonín, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), is a former hockey forward. He is best known as the first hockey player to defect to North America to play.-Playing in Czechoslovakia:...
. Winnipeg especially loaded up with Scandinavian players and became the class of the league, with Hedberg and Nilsson combining with Bobby Hull to form one of hockey's most formidable forward lines. Along with the mass import of European stars, the Vancouver franchise attempted unsuccessfully to lure Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
away from the NHL by offering a contract similar to that of Bobby Hull, with a million dollars upfront.
International play
The 1972 Summit SeriesSummit Series
The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
, which pitted Team Canada against the Soviets, did not permit WHA players, due to the decision of series organizer Alan Eagleson
Alan Eagleson
Robert Alan Eagleson is a disbarred Canadian lawyer, convicted felon in two countries, former politician, hockey agent and promoter...
, an NHL agent who was influential in forming the Canadian team. Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
, one of the best WHA players, was ruled ineligible to play because of his defection from the NHL, despite being initially selected by coach Harry Sinden
Harry Sinden
Harry James Sinden was the long-time general manager, coach, and president for the Boston Bruins NHL hockey team, and was the coach of Team Canada during the 1972 Summit Series...
. Dennis Hull
Dennis Hull
Dennis William Hull is a retired professional ice hockey left winger, most notably for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League...
initially planned to boycott the event as well as a show of support for his older brother, but Bobby persuaded him to stay on Team Canada. Other WHA stars turned down included Gerry Cheevers
Gerry Cheevers
Gerald Michael "Cheesey" Cheevers is a former goaltender in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association between 1961 and 1980, most famous for his two stints with the Boston Bruins, where he backstopped the team to Stanley Cup wins in 1970 and 1972...
and Derek Sanderson
Derek Sanderson
Derek Michael Sanderson, nicknamed "Turk", , is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is now a bank executive and restaurateur....
. Some NHL owners also threatened not to free their players to participate if WHA players were permitted.
The WHA organized the 1974 Summit Series
1974 Summit Series
The 1974 Summit Series was the second of two competitions between Soviet and Canadian professional ice hockey players. Canada was represented by World Hockey Association players instead of National Hockey League players, as it had been in the 1972 Summit Series. The Soviet team won the series 4-1-3...
against the Soviets, giving an opportunity for Hull and 46-year old Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
to play for Canada against the Soviet team, which the Soviets won 4-1-3.
In the 1976 Canada Cup
1976 Canada Cup
The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991...
, the NHL and NHLPA broaded the scope of the competition, inviting to the tournament a number of hockey countries and allowing each invited country to send the best possible team they could muster, so this time WHA players were permitted. WHA players played on four of the tournament's six teams.
Decline and merger
By 1976, it had become evident that many of the WHA's franchises were teetering on the verge of financial collapse, with stable teams few and far between, and that the (at one time) combined 30 teams of the NHL and WHA had badly strained the talent pool.In 1977, merger discussions with the National Hockey League were first initiated, where six of the eight WHA teams would move to the NHL; as Houston, Cincinnati, Winnipeg, New England, Quebec, and Edmonton applied for entry. After a lengthy debate, the NHL voted the proposal down as it was never popular among NHL team owners.
Merger discussions resumed in 1978, but Houston was not part of the proposal this time, and as a result the Aeros elected to fold on July 6, 1978. During the final series of talks, Aeros owner Kenneth Schnitzer campaigned to the NHL that either his team be admitted as an expansion team independent of a merger, or he would attempt to purchase an existing club and relocate it to Houston. Neither came to fruition.
Another idea had the 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 ....
and the New England Whalers moving to the NHL, with the Winnipeg Jets following a year later, but this was also not accepted by the NHL.
The final two seasons of the WHA saw the debut of many superstars, some of which became hockey legends in the NHL. They included 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,...
, Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
, Ken Linseman
Ken Linseman
Kenneth "The Rat" Linseman is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs...
, and Mike Gartner
Mike Gartner
Michael Alfred Gartner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes...
. The Birmingham franchise alone would feature future NHLers Rick Vaive
Rick Vaive
Richard Claude Vaive is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1992, and is best remembered as the first 50 goal scorer in Toronto Maple Leafs franchise history.-Bio:...
, Michel Goulet
Michel Goulet
This page is about the ice hockey player. For the sculptor, please see Michel Goulet .Michel Goulet is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Birmingham Bulls in the World Hockey Association and the Quebec Nordiques and Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League...
, Rob Ramage
Rob Ramage
George Robert Ramage is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota North Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers...
, Craig Hartsburg
Craig Hartsburg
Craig William Hartsburg is a retired Canadian professional hockey player and associate coach in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames. He also coached in the Ontario Hockey League. He has previously been an NHL head coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and...
and Gaston Gingras
Gaston Gingras
Gaston Reginald Gingras is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League....
.
However, by the end of the final season, only six teams remained. Facing financial difficulty and unable to meet payrolls, the WHA finally came to an agreement with the NHL in early 1979. Under the deal, four WHA clubs – the 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 ....
, New England Whalers (renamed the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
), Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
and Winnipeg Jets – joined the NHL. The other two WHA teams, the Cincinnati Stingers
Cincinnati Stingers
The Cincinnati Stingers was an ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that played in the World Hockey Association from 1975 to 1979. Its home arena was Riverfront Coliseum and it was the only major-league hockey team ever to play in Cincinnati.-History:The Stingers franchise was awarded in...
and Birmingham Bulls
Birmingham Bulls
The Birmingham Bulls were a professional ice hockey team based in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. They played in the World Hockey Association from 1976 to 1979 and the Central Hockey League from 1979 to 1981. The Bulls played their home games at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center.Prior to being...
, were paid $1.5 million apiece in compensation. The agreement was very tilted in the NHL's favour. The older league treated the new clubs' arrival as an expansion, not a merger, so the four WHA refugees thus had to pay a $6 million franchise fee. The NHL also refused to recognize any WHA records. While the new clubs were allowed to stock their rosters with an expansion draft
1979 NHL Expansion Draft
The 1979 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 13, 1979. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's new teams for the 1979–80 season: the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets...
, NHL teams were allowed to reclaim players who had jumped to the WHA.
The WHA was able to wrangle only two concessions. First, the WHA teams were allowed to protect two goaltenders and two skaters to keep their rosters from being completely stripped clean by the old-line NHL teams. Second, the NHL allowed all of the WHA's Canadian teams to be part of the deal. The NHL had originally only been willing to take the Oilers, Whalers and Jets, but the WHA insisted that the Nordiques be included as well.
The deal came up for a vote at the NHL Board of Governors meeting in Key Largo, Florida
Key Largo, Florida
Key Largo is a census-designated place in Monroe County, Florida, United States, located on the island of Key Largo in the upper Florida Keys. The population was 11,886 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the Spanish Cayo Largo, or "long key"...
on March 8. Despite the one-sided nature of the proposal, the final tally was 12-5, one vote short of passage, as a three-quarters majority was required to permit merger (13 teams out of 17 would have represented 76.5% of the league). The Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
all voted against the deal. The Bruins weren't pleased with having to share New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
with the Whalers. Los Angeles and Vancouver feared losing home dates with NHL teams from the East. Montreal and Toronto weren't enamored at the prospect of having to split revenue from Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
broadcasts six ways rather than three. Maple Leafs owner Ballard had a personal grudge as well; he'd never forgiven the WHA for plundering his team's roster in the early 1970s.
When a second vote was held in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
on March 22, however, Montreal and Vancouver changed their votes, allowing the deal to go forward. Vancouver was won over by the promise of a balanced schedule, with each team playing the others twice at home and twice on the road. The Canadiens' owners, Molson Breweries, were feeling the effects of a massive boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
that originated in Edmonton, Quebec City, and Winnipeg and spread across Canada. With the boycott severely hurting Molson's sales, the brewer reached agreement with the 3 Canadian WHA teams to have Molson become the exclusive supplier of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
to their arenas; it is probable that this concession was made in exchange for the Canadiens' vote.
Legacy of the WHA
On the ice, the WHA teams had proven themselves to be the NHL's competitive equals, winning more games than they lost in interleague exhibition games.The WHA had many lasting effects on NHL hockey. The NHL used to recruit virtually all players from Canada, but following the success of the Jets' Hedberg and Nilsson scouts began looking overseas for the best players that Europe could offer. Teams such as the Whalers and Fighting Saints also offered excellent opportunities for young American players, and several U.S.-born or -raised NHL stars of the early 1980s (such as 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...
, Rod Langway
Rod Langway
Rod Cory Langway is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League and Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association...
, Dave Langevin
Dave Langevin
David Richard "Bam Bam" Langevin is a retired American ice hockey defenseman who played 216 games for the WHA Edmonton Oilers as well as 513 games for the NHL New York Islanders, Minnesota North Stars and Los Angeles Kings between 1977 and 1987...
, Robbie Ftorek
Robbie Ftorek
Robert Brian Ftorek is a former NHL player and coach. He was enshrined as member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991...
, and Paul Holmgren
Paul Holmgren
Paul Howard Holmgren is an American former professional ice hockey right winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota North Stars. He moved into coaching after his playing career, serving as head coach of the Flyers and Hartford Whalers...
) began their pro careers in the WHA. As a result, the NHL evolved into a truly cosmopolitan league during the 1980s.
The WHA also ended the NHL policy of paying its players only a fraction of the league's profits and, combined with the abolition of the reserve clause, led to much higher player salaries. Many great stars began their careers in the WHA, including 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...
, 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,...
, Mike Gartner
Mike Gartner
Michael Alfred Gartner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes...
, Mike Liut
Mike Liut
Michael Dennis Liut is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Liut played for the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association from 1977 to 1979 and for the St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, and Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1992. He won...
, and Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
. Messier was the last WHA veteran to play in the NHL; he opened his professional career with 52 games with the Indianapolis Racers
Indianapolis Racers
The Indianapolis Racers were a franchise in the former World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1978. They competed in five seasons, folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square Arena...
and Cincinnati Stingers
Cincinnati Stingers
The Cincinnati Stingers was an ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that played in the World Hockey Association from 1975 to 1979. Its home arena was Riverfront Coliseum and it was the only major-league hockey team ever to play in Cincinnati.-History:The Stingers franchise was awarded in...
in 1978–79, and played his last NHL game on April 3, 2004. The final active player and official in any on-ice capacity for the league was referee Don Koharski
Don Koharski
Don Koharski is a retired professional ice hockey referee in the National Hockey League. He currently resides in Tampa, Florida, with his wife, together with whom he has two sons...
, who started as a linesman for the WHA and retired at the end of the 2008–09 NHL season
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
.
The WHA's success in Canada led the NHL to re-consider the other major Canadian cities without NHL teams. There were only three Canadian teams in the NHL before 1979. The Atlanta Flames
Atlanta Flames
The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
would move to Calgary
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
in 1980 to spark a fierce intra-Albertan rivalry
Battle of Alberta
The Battle of Alberta is a term applied to the intense rivalry between the Canadian cities of Edmonton, the capital of the province of Alberta, and Calgary, the province's largest city...
with the Oilers, while the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
would join the NHL as an expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
in 1992 and by the 2000s they enjoy a heated contest
Battle of Ontario
The Battle of Ontario is a rivalry between the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League, often described as one of the top NHL rivalries. The teams both compete in the Northeast Division and with current NHL scheduling meet 6 times per season...
with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Both of these teams remain in their respective Canadian cities .
The WHA is also responsible for overtime to attempt to settle regular season tie games. When the WHA was founded, there was no overtime for regular season NHL games. The WHA, however, instituted a ten-minute sudden death overtime for regular season games. The first team to score would win the game, and if nobody scored in 10 minutes, it would then be declared a tie. This reduced the number of ties considerably (the largest number of ties in a WHA season was 9, while in the NHL teams routinely had 15-20 ties per season).
After the NHL-WHA merger, the NHL tried to adopt the same format, but the players wanted increased revenues for playing more minutes. Finally, after contentious negotiations, the NHL adopted a five-minute, sudden-death overtime.
Fate of surviving teams
The former WHA clubs, by the terms of the expansion, could protect only two goalies and two skaters each in the player dispersal draft1979 NHL Expansion Draft
The 1979 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 13, 1979. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's new teams for the 1979–80 season: the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets...
. The Jets posted a dismal nine wins in their second season (second-fewest all-time for a season in the NHL), and finished last that season. However, the other former WHA teams did respectably well in their first year, with the Whalers and Oilers earning playoff berths. The Oilers chose to protect 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,...
in the dispersal draft, which would prove fortuitous. The Whalers' Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
and the Oilers' 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,...
were selected to the midseason All-Star Game, respectively the oldest and second-youngest ever to play in such a match.
The 1980s was a successful period for the former WHA teams. The Oilers, led by Gretzky, shattered numerous NHL records and amassed a Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
dynasty. The Jets, decimated by the dispersal draft, developed a solid nucleus of players which helped the club achieve respectable regular-season finishes. The Nordiques developed a rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
and captured the Adams Division title in 1985-86. The Whalers had similar rivalries with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
and New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, attracting many Bruins and Rangers fans to their home games at the Hartford Civic Center
Hartford Civic Center
The XL Center, formerly known as the Hartford Civic Center, is a multi-purpose arena and convention center located in downtown Hartford, Connecticut, USA. It is owned by the City of Hartford and operated by Anschutz Entertainment Group under contract with the Connecticut Development Authority...
, and skating to the 1986–87 Adams Division title.
In the 1990s, the former WHA clubs suffered from escalating player salaries (ironically, the same trend that was instigated by the WHA), which were difficult to meet with the restricted revenue streams in their smaller markets. The ex-WHA clubs based in Canada were also hit hard by the declining value of the Canadian dollar. The Nordiques moved to Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
in 1995 and became the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, the Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
in 1996 and became the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
, and the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
moved to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in 1997 and became the Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
. A consortium of local investors
Edmonton Investors Group Limited Partnership
The Edmonton Investors Group Limited Partnership was the limited partnership that owned the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League, and is currently an owner of the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League.. With more than thirty individual shareholders, EIGLP was the largest...
came up with the funds necessary to keep the Oilers in Edmonton, so it remains the last WHA team still in its original city.
The Avalanche were an instant success in their new home of Denver, winning the Stanley Cup in their first season and going on to win nine straight division titles. The Coyotes were initially popular upon their move to Phoenix; however, they been plagued by financial problems and low attendance since moving to a new arena in suburban Glendale
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
. The NHL took over the Coyotes in 2009, and in 2010 entered negotiations with True North Sports and Entertainment, which had built the MTS Centre
MTS Centre
The MTS Centre is an indoor sports arena and entertainment venue in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and home of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. It is located on the former Eaton's site and is owned and operated by True North Sports & Entertainment. The 440,000 square feet ...
in Winnipeg and expressed an in bringing the NHL back to Manitoba. Although the NHL has been unsuccessful in finding new ownership in Arizona, the league has agreed not to move the Coyotes for the time being after the City of Glendale agreed to fund $25 million of the Coyotes' losses for each of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.
Meanwhile, True North purchased the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
and obtained approval from the NHL Board of Governors to move the Thrashers to Winnipeg. The Thrashers were subsequently re-branded as the "new" Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets were a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They began play in the World Hockey Association in 1972, moving to the National Hockey League in 1979 following the collapse of the WHA...
after the league granted True North permission to use the Jets name, although the original Jets' history and records remain with the Coyotes. Following Winnipeg's return in the league, Quebec City has come to be seen as a plausible relocation destination in the near future following the unveiling of plans to build a new arena and ongoing interest from media giant Quebecor
Quebecor
Quebecor Inc. is a communications company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded by Pierre Péladeau, and remains run by his family. Quebecor Inc. owns 55% of Quebecor Media Inc...
in owning an NHL team in Quebec City.
Since 1979, three of the four former WHA teams have won the Stanley Cup: the Oilers have played in the finals seven times, winning five; the Avalanche have played for it twice, winning on both occasions; and the Hurricanes have played for it twice, winning once. The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs
2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 21, 2006, following the 2005–06 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, seeded one through eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the conference quarterfinals...
marked the first time two former WHA teams played for the Cup, with the Hurricanes defeating the Oilers in seven games. At least one of the former WHA teams had qualified for the NHL playoffs in every season from the merger, save for the 1994
1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began after the conclusion of the 1993–94 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
and 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs
2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the...
.
Hockey Hall of Famers
List of WHA players and executives inducted into the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
, for achievements in their hockey career.
Trophies and awards
This is a list of the trophies and awards handed out annually by the World Hockey Association.- Avco World TrophyAvco World TrophyThe Avco World Trophy, also known as the Avco Cup, was the championship trophy of the original World Hockey Association . The trophy's naming rights were sold to the former Avco Corporation , a defense contractor who bought the rights to advertise their consumer finance division...
- Awarded to the playoff champion - Gary L. Davidson Award / Gordie Howe TrophyGordie Howe TrophyThe Gary L. Davidson Award was given to the most valuable player of the World Hockey Association regular season, from 1973 to 1975. It was named in honour of WHA co-founder Gary Davidson, but for the 1975–76 WHA season, it was renamed the Gordie Howe Trophy in honour of one of hockey's all-time...
- Most valuable player of the regular season - Bill Hunter TrophyBill Hunter TrophyThe Bill Hunter Trophy was presented to the World Hockey Association's scoring leader in the regular season.It was named in honour of Bill Hunter, who founded the Alberta Oilers hockey club ....
- Leading scorer of the regular season - Lou Kaplan TrophyLou Kaplan TrophyThe Lou Kaplan Trophy was presented annually to the World Hockey Association's rookie of the year.-History:Lou Kaplan was one of the original owners of the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA. On August 10, 1973, the WHA officially named its trophies after the team officials at the WHA's founding...
- Rookie of the year - Ben Hatskin TrophyBen Hatskin TrophyThe Ben Hatskin Trophy was presented annually to the World Hockey Association's best goaltender.It was named in honour of Ben Hatskin, who founded the Winnipeg Jets.Ben Hatskin Trophy winners have included:*1979 – Dave Dryden, Edmonton Oilers...
- Best goaltender - Dennis A. Murphy TrophyDennis A. Murphy TrophyThe Dennis A. Murphy Trophy was presented annually to the World Hockey Association's best defenceman.It was named in honour of WHA co-founder Dennis Murphy.Dennis Murphy Trophy Winners*1979 – Rick Ley, New England Whalers...
- Best defenseman - Paul Deneau TrophyPaul Deneau TrophyThe Paul Deneau Trophy was presented annually to the World Hockey Association's most gentlemanly player.It was named in honour of Paul Deneau, founder the Dayton Aeros hockey club.Paul Deneau Trophy Winners*1979 – Kent Nilsson, Winnipeg Jets...
- Most gentlemanly player - Howard Baldwin Trophy / Robert Schmertz Memorial TrophyHoward Baldwin TrophyThe Howard Baldwin Trophy was presented annually to the World Hockey Association's coach of the year.It was named in honour of New England Whalers co-founder Howard Baldwin...
- Coach of the year - WHA Playoff MVPWHA Playoff MVPThe Playoff MVP award for the World Hockey Association was handed out annually from 1975 to 1979 to the most valuable player of the playoffs.WHA Playoff MVP winners*1975 - Ron Grahame, Houston Aeros*1976 - Ulf Nilsson, Winnipeg Jets...
- Most valuable player in the playoffs
Timeline of teams
- Teams in bold were absorbed into the NHL.
- Alberta OilersEdmonton OilersThe 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 ....
(1972–79, renamed Edmonton OilersEdmonton OilersThe 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 ....
in 1973) - Chicago CougarsChicago CougarsThe Chicago Cougars were an original franchise in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1975. The Cougars played their home games in the dilapidated International Amphitheatre. During the 1974 Avco Cup Finals against Gordie Howe and the Houston Aeros, the team's two home games were played at...
(1972–75) - Cincinnati StingersCincinnati StingersThe Cincinnati Stingers was an ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that played in the World Hockey Association from 1975 to 1979. Its home arena was Riverfront Coliseum and it was the only major-league hockey team ever to play in Cincinnati.-History:The Stingers franchise was awarded in...
(1975–79) - Calgary BroncosCalgary BroncosThe Calgary Broncos were an original World Hockey Association franchise founded November 1, 1971. In the first WHA draft, the Broncos chose: Barry Gibbs, Jim Harrison, Dale Hoganson and Jack Norris. The team folded prior to the start of the first WHA season when team owner Bob Brownridge died...
(never played) / Cleveland CrusadersCleveland CrusadersThe Cleveland Crusaders were a professional ice hockey team from Cleveland, Ohio. The Crusaders were founded by Nick Mileti, and played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1976...
(1972–76) / Minnesota Fighting SaintsMinnesota Fighting SaintsThe 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...
(1976–77) - Denver SpursDenver SpursThe Denver Spurs were a professional ice hockey team based out of Denver, Colorado. The Spurs began play in the Western Hockey League in 1968, and played at the Denver Coliseum. The Spurs became the first professional sports team in Colorado to win a championship in 1971–72...
(1975–76) / Ottawa CivicsOttawa CivicsThe Ottawa Civics was a professional ice hockey team based out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that played a portion of one season in the World Hockey Association in a mid-season relocation of the Denver Spurs.-Move to Ottawa:...
(1976) - Dayton ArrowsHouston 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...
(never played) / Houston AerosHouston 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...
(1972–78) - Indianapolis RacersIndianapolis RacersThe Indianapolis Racers were a franchise in the former World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1978. They competed in five seasons, folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square Arena...
(1974–78) - Los Angeles SharksLos Angeles SharksThe Los Angeles Sharks were an ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1974. Their primary home arena was the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena but they sometimes played at the Long Beach Sports Arena when the Sports Arena had other contractual obligations...
(1972–74) / Michigan StagsMichigan StagsThe Michigan Stags were a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan that played a portion of the 1974–75 season in the World Hockey Association. On January 18, 1975, the franchise was moved to Baltimore where it was known as the Baltimore Blades. The Stags originated as the Los...
(1974–75) / Baltimore BladesMichigan StagsThe Michigan Stags were a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan that played a portion of the 1974–75 season in the World Hockey Association. On January 18, 1975, the franchise was moved to Baltimore where it was known as the Baltimore Blades. The Stags originated as the Los...
(1975) - Minnesota Fighting SaintsMinnesota Fighting SaintsThe 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...
(1972–76) - New England WhalersHartford WhalersThe Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
(1972–79) - New York Raiders (1972–73, renamed New York Golden Blades in 1973) / New Jersey Knights (1973–74) / San Diego MarinersSan Diego MarinersThe San Diego Mariners were an ice hockey team based in San Diego that played in the World Hockey Association. They played from 1974 to 1977. Their home ice was San Diego Sports Arena...
(1974–77) - Ottawa NationalsOttawa NationalsThe Ottawa Nationals were a professional men's ice hockey team based out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada that played in the World Hockey Association during the 1972–73 WHA season....
(1972–73) / Toronto TorosToronto TorosThe 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...
(1973–76) / Birmingham BullsBirmingham BullsThe Birmingham Bulls were a professional ice hockey team based in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. They played in the World Hockey Association from 1976 to 1979 and the Central Hockey League from 1979 to 1981. The Bulls played their home games at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center.Prior to being...
(1976–79) - Miami Screaming EaglesMiami Screaming EaglesThe Miami Screaming Eagles were Miami's first attempt at a professional ice hockey team.Businessman Herb Martin bought a franchise in the World Hockey Association in 1972. The Eagles were the first to sign players from NHL clubs, such as Bernie Parent from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins...
(never played) / Philadelphia BlazersPhiladelphia BlazersThe Philadelphia Blazers were an ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association for the 1972–73 WHA season that was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
(1972–73) / Vancouver BlazersVancouver BlazersThe Vancouver Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1973-75. The Blazers played at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, sharing the facility with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League. The Blazers were owned by...
(1973–75) / Calgary CowboysCalgary CowboysThe Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami...
(1975–77) - Phoenix RoadrunnersPhoenix Roadrunners (WHA)The Phoenix Roadrunners were a team in the now defunct World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1977. They played at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona...
(1974–77) - San Francisco SharksQuebec NordiquesThe Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
(never played) / Quebec NordiquesQuebec NordiquesThe Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
(1972–79) - Winnipeg Jets (1972–79)
- Alberta Oilers
WHA All-Star Game
Every season of the World Hockey Association had an All-Star game, but the format had changed with regularity.- 1972–73 Eastern Division 6, Western Division 2 @ Quebec
- 1973–74 Eastern Division 8, Western Division 4 @ St. Paul
- 1974–75 Western Division 6, Eastern Division 4 @ Edmonton
- 1975–76 Canadian-based teams (5) 6, US-based teams (9)1 @ Cleveland
- 1976–77 Eastern Division 4, Western Division 2 @ Hartford
- 1977–78 AVCO Cup champion Quebec Nordiques 5, WHA All-Star team 4 @ Quebec
- 1978–79 WHA All-Star team vs Dynamo MoscowHC Dynamo MoscowHC Dynamo Moscow was a Russian professional ice hockey club based in Moscow. They were members of the Bobrov Division in the Kontinental Hockey League...
in a three game series @ Edmonton. WHA won all 3 games 4-2, 4-2, 4-3
See also
- WHA Amateur DraftWHA Amateur DraftThe WHA Entry Draft was the entry draft for the World Hockey Association, and was held annually between 1973 and 1977. The fledgling WHA had some trouble stocking their teams, and predictably, many of the players drafted by WHA teams never reported, preferring instead to play in the NHL...
- List of WHA seasons
- List of ice hockey leagues
- List of World Hockey Association head coaches
- World Hockey Association (proposed)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...
External links
- Internet Hockey Database - standings and statistics
- WHA Hall of Fame