World Hockey Association facts for kids
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | September 13, 1971 |
| Ceased | June 22, 1979 |
| Countries |  United States Canada |
| Most titles | Winnipeg Jets (3) |
The World Hockey Association (WHA) was a professional ice hockey league in North America. It operated from 1972 to 1979. The WHA was the first big league to compete with the National Hockey League (NHL). Before the WHA, no other league had challenged the NHL's top spot for many years. The WHA was the most successful league to try and do this.
Contents
Hockey Legends: Hall of Famers
Many great players and leaders from the WHA are now in the Hockey Hall of Fame. This means they were super important in hockey history. Here are some of them:
- Andy Bathgate, Vancouver Blazers
- Gerry Cheevers, Cleveland Crusaders
- Mike Gartner, Cincinnati Stingers
- Michel Goulet, Birmingham Bulls
- Wayne Gretzky, Indianapolis Racers, Edmonton Oilers
- Gordie Howe, Houston Aeros, New England Whalers
- Bobby Hull, Winnipeg Jets
- Dave Keon, Minnesota Fighting Saints, Indianapolis Racers, New England Whalers
- Rod Langway, Birmingham Bulls
- Frank Mahovlich, Toronto Toros, Birmingham Bulls
- Mark Messier, Cincinnati Stingers, Indianapolis Racers
- Bernie Parent, Philadelphia Blazers
- Jacques Plante, Edmonton Oilers
- Bud Poile, WHA Executive Vice-President
- Marcel Pronovost, Coach-Chicago Cougars
- Maurice Richard, Coach-Quebec Nordiques
- Glen Sather, Edmonton Oilers
- Norm Ullman, Edmonton Oilers
WHA Awards and Champions
The World Hockey Association gave out special awards every year. These awards honored the best players and teams.
- Avco World Trophy - Given to the team that won the playoffs (the championship).
- Gary L. Davidson Award / Gordie Howe Trophy - For the most valuable player (MVP) during the regular season.
- Bill Hunter Trophy - For the player who scored the most points in the regular season.
- Lou Kaplan Trophy - For the best new player (rookie of the year).
- Ben Hatskin Trophy - For the best goalie.
- Dennis A. Murphy Trophy - For the best defense player.
- Paul Deneau Trophy - For the player who played most fairly (most gentlemanly).
- Howard Baldwin Trophy / Robert Schmertz Memorial Trophy - For the best coach.
- WHA Playoff MVP - For the most valuable player during the playoffs.
Teams and Their Journeys
The WHA had many teams during its seven years. Some teams stayed in the same city. Others moved or even stopped playing.
- Three Canadian teams played all seven seasons in the same city. These teams later joined the NHL. They were the Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets.
- The New England Whalers also played all seven seasons. They stayed in a small area and also joined the NHL.
- Only the Winnipeg Jets were part of the league for all seven seasons without moving or changing their name.
- Many teams moved cities or changed names. For example, the Los Angeles Sharks became the Michigan Stags and then the Baltimore Blades.
- Some teams, like the Calgary Broncos and Miami Screaming Eagles, were planned but never actually played a game.
- When the WHA ended in 1979, four teams joined the NHL. These were the Edmonton Oilers, New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets.
All-Star Games
Every season, the World Hockey Association held an All-Star game. This game featured the best players from the league. The way the game was set up changed almost every year.
- 1972-73, 1973-74, 1974-75, 1976-77: The Eastern Division played against the Western Division.
- 1975-76: Teams from Canada played against teams from the United States.
- 1977-78: The team that won the championship (the Quebec Nordiques) played against a team made of other WHA All-Stars.
- 1978-79: A WHA All-Star team played a three-game series against a team from Russia, Dynamo Moscow.
Images for kids
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Alternate WHA logo
See also
In Spanish: World Hockey Association para niños
