The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major league to compete with 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 in the modern era.
Larry Clark Robinson is a Canadian former ice hockey coach, executive and player. His coaching career includes head coaching positions with the New Jersey Devils, as well as the Los Angeles Kings. For his play in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings, Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995. He was also inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2017, Robinson was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players". Larry is the brother of Moe Robinson.
John Paul Cunniff was an American NHL hockey coach and former professional player who appeared in 65 World Hockey Association regular season games between 1972 and 1976. Cunniff was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.
The 1991–92 NHL season was the 75th regular season of the National Hockey League. The league expanded to 22 teams with the addition of the expansion San Jose Sharks. For the first time, the Stanley Cup Finals extended into June, with the Pittsburgh Penguins repeating as Stanley Cup champions, winning the best of seven series four games to none against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 1988–89 NHL season was the 72nd season of the National Hockey League. The Calgary Flames won an all-Canadian Stanley Cup Finals against the Montreal Canadiens four games to two. This remains the last time two Canadian teams faced each other for the Stanley Cup.
Allan Eugene Sims is a Canadian former professional hockey player and head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played ten seasons in the NHL between 1973 and 1983 with the Boston Bruins, Hartford Whalers, Los Angeles Kings. He featured in three Stanley Cup Finals with the Bruins.
The 1979–80 NHL season was the 63rd season of the National Hockey League. This season saw the addition of four teams from the disbanded World Hockey Association as expansion franchises. The Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, New England Whalers, and Quebec Nordiques joined the NHL, bringing the total to 21 teams. The other two WHA teams were paid to disband.
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.
Joseph Henri Jean-Claude Tremblay was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Quebec Nordiques of the World Hockey Association (WHA), notable for play-making and defensive skills.
Joseph Gérard Marquis Tardif is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played in both the National Hockey League (NHL) and the World Hockey Association (WHA), principally for the Quebec Nordiques, and is the all-time leading goal scorer in the WHA.
Bradley Wayne Selwood is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and the former General Manager and head coach of the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League. He played in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings between 1970 and 1980, and in the World Hockey Association with the New England Whalers between 1972 and 1979.
Alan William Hangsleben is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman from Warroad, Minnesota. He played for the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association between 1974 and 1979, and then in the National Hockey League with the Hartford Whalers, Washington Capitals, and Los Angeles Kings between 1979 and 1982. Internationally Hangsleben played for the American national team at three World Championships and the 1976 Canada Cup.
Robert Richard Sheehan is an American former professional ice hockey player, who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA) between 1969 and 1982 as a center.
Howard Lapsley Baldwin is an American entrepreneur and film producer. He is the CEO of Baldwin Entertainment, which has produced films such as the Academy Award-nominated Ray. Baldwin founded the New England Whalers ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association (WHA) and retained ownership when the team became the Hartford Whalers and joined the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also owned part of the Minnesota North Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins NHL franchises. He won the Stanley Cup in 1992 with Pittsburgh. The WHA's coach of the year award was originally named the Howard Baldwin Trophy in his honor.
John Donald Blackburn was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars. He also played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) with the New England Whalers. After retiring in 1976 he became a coach with the Whalers, and remained in that position through 1981, serving as their first coach when they joined the NHL in 1979 as the Hartford Whalers.
Paul Edward Hoganson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played two games in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1970–71 season and 143 games in the World Hockey Association with the Los Angeles Sharks, Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades, New England Whalers, Cincinnati Stingers, and Indianapolis Racers from 1973 to 1978.
The 1991–92 Hartford Whalers season saw the Whalers finish in fourth place in the Adams Division with a record of 26 wins, 41 losses, and 13 ties for 65 points. They lost the Adams Division semi-finals in seven games to the Montreal Canadiens, with Russ Courtnall scoring in double overtime of Game 7 at the Montreal Forum to end Hartford's season. This was the last time that the Whalers made the playoffs before moving to Raleigh.
The 1981–82 Hartford Whalers season was the Whalers' third season in the National Hockey League.
The 1980–81 Hartford Whalers season was the Whalers' second season in the National Hockey League.
Michel Galarneau is a Canadian-born French former ice hockey centre. He played 78 games in the National Hockey League with the Hartford Whalers between 1980 and 1983, while mainly playing in the minor leagues. He moved to Europe in 1984, spending one season in the Dutch Eredivisie, and then moved to the French domestic league in 1985, where he played until retiring in 2000. Internationally Galarneau represented the French national team at the 1995 World Championships.
