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The Cleveland Crusaders were a professional ice hockey team from Cleveland. They played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1976. Their home ice was the Cleveland Arena from 1972 to 1974, and the Richfield Coliseum from 1974 to 1976.
The 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 to 1976. The second team was relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, and played for part of the 1976–77 season. Neither edition of the franchise completed its final season of play.
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL).
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.
The 1975–76 WHA season was the fourth season of the World Hockey Association. After the Baltimore Blades and Chicago Cougars folded, the league stayed at 14 teams by adding the Cincinnati Stingers and Denver Spurs. In addition, the Vancouver Blazers franchise moved to Calgary and became the Cowboys. Midway through the season, the Spurs moved to Ottawa and became the Civics, though the team folded shortly thereafter when the sale of the franchise fell through. The Minnesota Fighting Saints became the second team to fold mid-season when the franchise was not financially successful, despite having a winning record at the time. Theoretically, fourteen teams would play 80 games each, but only twelve teams finished the season, with cancelled games involving the Civics or Saints being rescheduled on the fly, and four of five Canadian Division teams played 81 games, as a result.
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.
Terrance James Ball is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Ball played in the National Hockey League, the World Hockey Association, the Finnish SM-Liiga, and several minor leagues in a career that spanned from 1964 until 1979.
William Fraser Sutherland was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and a National Hockey League (NHL) coach. He played in the NHL for five teams between 1963 and 1972, and then in the World Hockey Association with the Winnipeg Jets between 1972 and 1974. After his playing career he briefly coached the Jets between 1980 and 1981. He scored the first goal in Philadelphia Flyers history in 1967 in a 1–0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Raymond Owen McKay is a former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks, Buffalo Sabres, and California Golden Seals from 1968 to 1974. He also played in the World Hockey Association with the Edmonton Oilers, Cleveland Crusaders, Birmingham Bulls, and Minnesota Fighting Saints from 1974 to 1978.
Norman Joseph Andrew Beaudin is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. Between 1962 and 1979, he played two short stints in the National Hockey League and spent most of his major league career in the World Hockey Association with the Winnipeg Jets. He spent the rest of his career in the minor leagues and in the Swiss Nationalliga A. He owned two hockey stores in Florida.
Bryan Clifford Maxwell is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 331 games in the National Hockey League and 124 games in the World Hockey Association. He played for the Cleveland Crusaders, Cincinnati Stingers, New England Whalers, Minnesota North Stars, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
John Alexander Stewart is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played 257 games in the National Hockey League and 95 games in the World Hockey Association.
Barry Graham Legge is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 107 games in the National Hockey League and 345 games in the World Hockey Association. He played for the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, Michigan Stags, Baltimore Blades, Denver Spurs, Ottawa Civics, Cleveland Crusaders, Minnesota Fighting Saints, and Cincinnati Stingers.
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.
Daniel Patrick Gruen is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 49 games in the National Hockey League and 181 games in the World Hockey Association. He played with the Colorado Rockies, Detroit Red Wings, Michigan Stags, Winnipeg Jets, Cleveland Crusaders, Calgary Cowboys, and Minnesota Fighting Saints.
Gerald Joseph Brisson was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger. He played 4 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens during the 1962–63 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1957 to 1970, was spent in the minor leagues. He was born in Saint Boniface, Manitoba. He died at his home in Mesa, Arizona on January 16, 2013.
William Wayne Heindl Jr. was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 18 games in the National Hockey League for the Minnesota North Stars and New York Rangers between 1970 and 1972, and in the World Hockey Association with the Cleveland Crusaders during the 1973–74 season. Internationally he played for the Canadian national team at the 1969 World Championships.
Norman James Johnson was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He played eight seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Los Angeles Kings from 1964 to 1972. He went on to play three seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA) with the Minnesota Fighting Saints and Indianapolis Racers from 1972 to 1975.
Gordon Pennell was a Canadian professional hockey player who played 383 games for the Buffalo Bisons in the American Hockey League.
