Henry Charles Boucha was a Native American professional ice hockey center. Boucha played in both the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA) between 1971 and 1977. In the NHL he played for the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota North Stars, Kansas City Scouts, and Colorado Rockies, while in the WHA he played for the Minnesota Fighting Saints. His career was cut short by an eye injury by Dave Forbes. Internationally Boucha played for the American national team at two World Championships and at the 1972 Winter Olympics, where he won a silver medal.
The 1972–73 WHA season was the first season of the World Hockey Association (WHA). Twelve teams played 78 games each. The league was officially incorporated in June of 1971 by Gary Davidson and Dennis A. Murphy and promised to ice twelve teams in various markets around Canada and the United States. The league championship trophy, the Avco World Trophy, was donated by AVCO Financial Services Corporation along with $500,000. The New England Whalers won the first Avco World Trophy.
Glen Robert Sonmor was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, scout and coach. He played 28 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers from 1953 to 1955, though most of his career was spent in the minor American Hockey League. After his playing career, Sonmor turned to coaching. He led the University of Minnesota from 1966 to 1972, then went to the World Hockey Association, where he was the general manager, and occasional coach, of the Minnesota Fighting Saints and Birmingham Bulls between 1972 and 1978. He then moved to the NHL to coach the Minnesota North Stars from 1978 to 1987. Later in his career, Sonmor became a scout for the Minnesota Wild of the NHL.
Edward George Hampson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre, who played in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association during the 1960s and 70s. Ted is the father of Gord Hampson.
John William McCartan is an American retired goaltender. He played for the American national team at the 1960 Winter Olympics, winning a gold medal. He later played 12 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers during the 1959–60 and 1960–61 seasons, and 42 games with the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1974. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, and into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1998.
John Curtis Brackenbury is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey forward who played 141 games in the National Hockey League and 257 games in the World Hockey Association. Prior to the merger of the upstart WHA and the NHL, the WHA played European teams and Brackenbury was an MVP in at least one game. He played for the Chicago Cougars, Minnesota Fighting Saints, Quebec Nordiques, Edmonton Oilers, and St. Louis Blues.
Michael Vincent Curran is a retired American ice hockey goaltender. He led the United States to a surprising silver medal at the 1972 Winter Olympics after representing the USA at the 1970 and 1971 Ice Hockey World Championship. He turned professional with the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the upstart World Hockey Association in 1972–73 and quickly became one of the early star goaltenders of the new league, playing in the 1973 WHA All-Star Game. Curran lost his job in 1976 when the Fighting Saints folded, but he returned to international hockey with Team USA at the 1976 and 1977 Ice Hockey World Championship as well as the 1976 Canada Cup. He retired following the 1977 season after a second stint with the revived Fighting Saints WHA franchise. Currently, Curran works as the headmaster at a prestigious private school.
Keith Raymond "Huffer" Christiansen was a professional ice hockey player who appeared in 138 World Hockey Association (WHA) regular season games with the Minnesota Fighting Saints between 1972 and 1974. Before turning professional, he was a member of the United States' 1972 Winter Olympics team that won the silver medal and also represented the United States at the 1969, 1970 and 1971 Ice Hockey World Championships.
Donald Andrew Tannahill is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 222 games in the World Hockey Association (WHA) and 111 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks and in the WHA with the Minnesota Fighting Saints, and Calgary Cowboys. He also played for several minor league teams in a career that lasted from 1969 to 1978. Tannahill was selected third overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft, but never played for the Bruins.
Perry Elvin Miller is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played 201 games in the World Hockey Association and 217 games in the National Hockey League between 1974 and 1981. He played for the Minnesota Fighting Saints, Detroit Red Wings, and Winnipeg Jets.
David J. Hanson is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played 33 games in the National Hockey League between 1978 and 1980, and 103 games in the World Hockey Association between 1977 and 1979.
Carl David Wetzel is an American retired professional ice hockey goaltender who played 7 games in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota North Stars between 1964 and 1968. He also played 1 game in the World Hockey Association with the Minnesota Fighting Saints during the 1972–73 season. Internationally Wetzel played for the American national team at the 1967 and 1971 World Championships.
James Donald McElmury is an American retired professional ice hockey player who played 180 games in the National Hockey League between 1972 and 1978 for the Minnesota North Stars, Kansas City Scouts, and Colorado Rockies. Prior to turning professional McElmury played for Bemidji State University. Internationally McElmury played for the American national team at several World Championships and the 1972 Winter Olympics.
Gary Allan "Gubbio" Gambucci is an American retired ice hockey forward who played in 51 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars and 112 games for the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association between 1971 and 1976. Internationally Gambucci played for the American national team at four World Championships.
Leonard Paul "Len" Lilyholm is an American retired professional ice hockey player who played 77 regular season games in the World Hockey Association for the Minnesota Fighting Saints in 1972 and 1973.
James Francis Warner is an American retired professional ice hockey forward who played 32 National Hockey League regular season games with the Hartford Whalers in 1979–80. Warner was originally drafted by the New York Rangers in the 1974 NHL amateur draft but he chose instead to sign a free agent contract with the New England Whalers of the rival World Hockey Association in 1978. He appeared in 41 WHA regular season games with the Whalers in 1978–79 and was retained by the club when the NHL and WHA merged in 1979.
William Gerald Klatt was an American professional ice hockey player. He played 143 regular season games in the World Hockey Association for the Minnesota Fighting Saints between 1972 and 1974.
Patrick Delvan Westrum is a retired professional ice hockey defenseman who played 237 regular season games in the World Hockey Association for the Minnesota Fighting Saints, Calgary Cowboys and Birmingham Bulls between 1974 and 1978. Westrum also was a member of the United States national team at the 1978 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Prague. Westrum retired in 2018 from serving as an amateur scout in the Western Canada region for the Montreal Canadiens.
Stephen Michael Cardwell is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey forward who played 53 games in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He would also play 152 games in the World Hockey Association with the Minnesota Fighting Saints and Cleveland Crusaders.
Ray Clearwater is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played 214 games in the World Hockey Association for the Cleveland Crusaders and Minnesota Fighting Saints.
United States 