Podcasts about world hockey association

Known more as a long-time analyst for the Vancouver Canucks, John Garrett's career as a professional goaltender was a modest one played out over 12 seasons, 6 teams and two leagues. As often happens, however, hockey has an odd way of connecting individuals. One previously existed between "Cheech," as Garrett is known and Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, going back to their days in the World Hockey Association. Now, after more than 45 years, there's a second connection - one Garrett will enjoy far more than the first...X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #ShortShifts #NYCentric #StanleyCupdate #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #HumanSideoftheStory #CalderCup #GordieHowe #MarkHowe #MartyHowe #JohnGarrett #VancouverCanucks #HartfordWhalers #DenisHerron #WHA #BirminghamBulls #MontrealCanadiens

In our final episode on the World Hockey Association, the league unearths a superstar, and a beer boycott changes the direction of everything. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the World Hockey Association approached its first season, things were getting tense with the NHL. Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz described the battle thus: “The war with the WHA was the third-bloodiest war in history, behind the Civil War and the Peloponnesian War.” The WHA was more worried about having arenas where the ice didn't have hills. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1970s, with the National Hockey League reigning supreme, two Californians who knew nothing about ice hockey decided to start a rival league. It would be called the World Hockey Association and would kick off a wild ride that would change the face of ice hockey. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 116: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (1:45) SPECIAL COMMENT: I want polling on a special, emergency, extra-constitutional Presidential Recall Vote. I know there isn't going to BE a Presidential Recall Vote. I know we're not going extra-constitutional, we're not REPUBLICANS dammit. But they are always making up laws (inside the Supreme Court and outside of it) on the premise that the people really want it, so after this week of unprecedented insane unnecessary failure on the part of Trump and his Team of Imbecilic Rivals, I want to know where we stand. Because the moment we get 10 Republicans in the House and 14 in the Senate to believe that if Trump stays in office, their careers are over, he's gone. Half of them think he's nuts already and a quarter have had doubts. They need to be pushed and I don't want to wait until the mid-terms for them to get the damned message I want SOME pollster - independent, news-related, hired by the Democrats, SOMEBODY - to ask these questions: 1) if the election were re-run today would you vote for Trump or a Democrat. Or another Republican. Or a fairly intelligent farm animal. 2) would you support a special recall vote to potentially reverse the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. 3) would you describe the current financial panic and the upcoming tsunami of inflation and unemployment as a national emergency. 4) do you think Donald Trump has lost his mind. 5) do you think Donald Trump is mentally fit to run the country. 6) do you think Donald Trump is acting to destroy the United States on behalf of a foreign country. 7) do you think it is necessary to act outside the constitution if necessary to save the United States of America FROM Donald Trump. 8) if the midterm elections for the Senate and the House were tomorrow would you vote Republican or Democratic? WHATEVER the percentages are they could easily scare the crap out of 10 House Republicans and 14 Senate Republicans and the day they do, Trump vanishes. You doubt me? Ask Richard Nixon. Ask Abraham Lincoln, whom they were ready to get rid of seven months before Lee surrendered at Appomattox because they thought he wasn't going to be re-elected. Also is it possible the Democrats are listening to me? Obama emerges to spout sense, as I've asked. The DNC Chair founds "The People's Cabinet." All we need now is POLLING ON A PRESIDENTIAL RECALL VOTE. B-Block (31:28) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: The Pittsburgh Pirates rip a Roberto Clemente memorial off their outfield wall to make room for an ad for seltzer, a Republican influencer insists there are no tariffs on Russia because we don't import anything from Russia (we import $2.5 Billion a year from Russia), and the Secretary of the Treasury wants YOU to buy American while he buys British. (41:28) SPORTSBALLCENTER: Alexander Ovechkin DOES have more goals than Wayne Gretzky now, but no, that's still not the big league hockey record (and Gretzky managed to throw himself out another window during the celebrations) and the date of the first American, maybe the first human, to be photographed giving the finger to the cameraman has to be pushed back from 1886 to 1882 after a discovery this weekend about baseball Hall of Famer Old Hoss Radbourn. C-Block (55:00) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL: I have been asked by a listener to expand on last week's news that Chuck Todd not only does not realize that his news career is over but he thinks investors are going to give him $2,000,000,000 to go buy a news organization now. The answer to the question "Chuck Todd: Why?"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Terry Ryan talks with David Hanson! Dave Hanson is an American former professional 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. He is also famously known for his iconic role in Slap Shot. You can now watch episodes of Tales with TR on YouTube! Head over to https://www.youtube.com/@THPN to watch the latest episode. Welcome to Tales with TR: A Hockey Podcast presented by The Hockey Podcast Network. Join former Montreal Canadiens' first-round draft pick & Shoresy star Terry Ryan, as he talks about the sport of Hockey, brings on various guests, and shares tales of his life and professional hockey career. Host: Terry Ryan @terryryan20 Network: @hockeypodnet Editor: Isha Jahromi - "The City Life Project" on Youtube Sponsored by: Draft Kings - Use promo code THPN at sign-up for exclusive offers https://tinyurl.com/DRAFTKINGSPROMOTHPN MAKE SURE YOURSELF/FRIENDS/FAMILY TO GO SIGN UP FOR A GAMETIME AND APPLY/"REDEEM CODE" USING PROMO CODE: THPN Get TWENTY PERCENT (20%) off a Skylight Frame at CA.SkylightFrame.com/HOCKEY

Every hockey fan knows how it always ends for the Vancouver Canucks — no Stanley Cup — but Ed Willes digs in the corners to poke at the why, with a wry perspective. The veteran journalist (Regina Leader-Post, The Province) presents a case study, with novelistic detail, about the West Coast NHL franchise. Weaving a thread — one of instability at the top — through the history (and prehistory) of the team, Willes explains why the Canucks have fallen short of winning the Stanley Cup, but have never been boring across five-plus decades of torment. Relying on firsthand research and contemporary accounts from fellow Vancouver sports journalists, Willes provides painstaking details about the life-arcs of stars such as Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Pavel Bure, Markus Näslund, and Todd Bertuzzi. The author also playfully teases out the franchise's many what-ifs. Willes is also author of “The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association” (2005) and “End Zones and Border Wars: The Era of American Expansion in the CFL” (2013).

[One last dip into the vault before a flood of new episodes beginning next week; from 2020, our revealing conversation with a pro hockey great - and Atlanta Flames original!} For 1970s-era NHL hockey fans who remember the eight-year adventure known as the Atlanta Flames, few are likely to forget Dan Bouchard.  A tenacious, slightly eccentric and occasionally fight-prone French-Canadian goalie, “Bouch” was an immediate standout between the pipes for the NHL's first-ever Deep South franchise (platooning with fellow Quebecois & expansion draftee Phil Myre during the club's first five seasons) – and a survivor in a league where hard-nosed hockey was the norm and where good goalies were at a premium. Bouchard's big-league call-up to the Flames in 1972 came amidst a frantic period of NHL franchise expansion and relocation driven in large part by the arrival of the challenger World Hockey Association – which debuted alongside Atlanta (and the NY Islanders) that season.  And while the collective memory of the original Flames remains muddied by a woeful post-season record (reliably exiting the playoffs in the first round, despite qualifying six out of their eight seasons), as well as a then (and still?) persistent narrative of Southerners' native distaste for ice hockey – Bouchard and Atlanta were actually more competitive and popular than many of the NHL's other 1970s forays in places like Kansas City, Oakland, Denver, and Cleveland. When Nelson Skalbania bought the Flames and moved them to Calgary in 1980, most in Atlanta and around the league assumed that the well-publicized financial struggles of the team and owner Tom Cousins (who also controlled the Omni arena and the NBA Hawks) were to blame. But as Bouchard outlines in this revealing conversation, an explosive league-wide issue was festering behind the scenes – of which he was uniquely aware and determined to address – regardless of the potential consequences to his playing career. Bouch walks us through an eye-opening story that wends its way through the defunct Quebec Nordiques (including the infamous “Good Friday Massacre” vs. the Montreal Canadiens in 1984), the original Winnipeg Jets, the scandalous downfall of a pro hockey Hall of Famer, and fighting for legendary player/coach Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion both on – and off – the ice. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable "Good Seats" Show & Defunct Team Merch:  http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY SPONSOR THANKS Royal Retros (promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 Old School Shirts.com (promo code: GOODSEATS) https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats   FIND & FOLLOW Website: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable

Once Jay Kholos sold the show to various radio stations, it was generally up to those stations to sell the show to sponsors. In New York, The Zero Hour was running on WRVR 106.7-FM. WRVR-FM was initially a public radio station owned and operated by The Riverside Church in New York. It began broadcasting on January 1st, 1961. The Riverside Church, located in Morningside Heights, is an interdenominational, interracial, and international church, and has long been a center of activism and social justice. WRVR was the first station to win a Peabody for its entire programming, in part for its documentary coverage of the civil rights movement in Birmingham in 1963. In addition to religious and philosophical discussions with Riverside clergy and theologians, WRVR programming included addresses by political and cultural leaders, like Indira Gandhi, Aldous Huxley, John F. Kennedy, and Margaret Mead. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his pivotal “Beyond Vietnam” speech at the Riverside Church over WRVR-FM on April 4th, 1967. The station also featured the heralded weekly program Just Jazz with Ed Beach. In September 1971, WRVR went commercial and shifted to a news format, with the exception of Just Jazz, which continued until 1973. By then, WRVR was experimenting with radio drama in both golden age and new time productions. On September 4th, 1973, part two of The Zero Hour's “Wife of the Red-Haired Man” took to the air. Radio legend Mary Jane Croft, who was also the wife of Elliott Lewis, was featured in this episode. Years later, she spoke to SPERDVAC about her radio career and late husband. In September of 1973, WRVR was advertising a World Hockey Association exhibition matchup which featured legends Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull. The New York Raiders and later The Golden Blades were intended to be the upstart WHA's flagship franchise. They were, however, unable to compete with the NHL's New York Rangers and the expansion New York Islanders. After just two seasons, The Golden Blades moved to San Diego. The WHA folded after eight years in 1979 with four teams: The Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets, joining the NHL.

Join us for an exciting episode of Ring Talk with Lou Eisen as we welcome a true veteran of sports journalism, Murray Greig, to the show. With a career spanning decades, Murray Greig has left an indelible mark on the world of sports reporting and authorship. Murray's impressive repertoire includes seven books, including Canadian bestsellers like "Chuvalo: A Fighter's Life" (co-authored with George Chuvalo) and "Big Bucks & Blue Pucks: An anecdotal history of the late, great World Hockey Association." Before making his mark as an author, Murray served as a staff writer and columnist at major dailies in some of Canada's sports hotspots, including Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Toronto. His journalistic prowess then took him on a unique journey to Beijing, where he spent a decade as the lead sports columnist for China Daily, Asia's largest English-language publication with a circulation of 875,000. Throughout his career, Murray Greig has penned more than 500 features for a wide range of publications, including The Ring, Hockey News, Hockey Illustrated, The Hockey Research Journal, The Official CFL Magazine, World Boxing Digest, Asian Sports Review, TV Guide, Canadian Sports Card Collector, and Sports Collectors Digest. In this episode, we'll explore Murray Greig's incredible journey through the world of sports journalism. From covering boxing legends to the high-stakes world of hockey, Murray's insights and stories promise to be a treasure trove for sports enthusiasts and aspiring journalists alike. Join us as we celebrate the remarkable career of Murray Greig on Ring Talk with Lou Eisen. Like, comment, and share this episode to honor the legacy of a true sports journalism icon. #MurrayGreig #LouEisen #RingTalk #SportsJournalism #Author #Boxing #Hockey #ChinaDaily

We head "True North" to the Canadian province of Manitoba this week in search of heretofore undiscovered historical nuggets from the WHA and original NHL versions of hockey's Winnipeg Jets - with veteran journalist/author Geoff Kirbyson. Kirbyson's accounts of the Jets' early years in the revolutionary World Hockey Association from 1972-79 ("The Hot Line: How the Legendary Trio of Hull, Hedberg and Nilsson Transformed Hockey and Led the Winnipeg Jets to Greatness"), and the club's original 17 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1979-96 ("Broken Ribs and Popcorn: How the Winnipeg Jets became the best team in the NHL's most offensive era to not win the Stanley Cup"), are must-reads for fans of either incarnation of the original team - and even for curious Arizona Coyotes or current-generation Jets (née Atlanta Thrashers) followers befuddled by the NHL's "official" history.    + + +   SPONSOR THANKS: DraftKings Sportsbook (promo code: GOODSEATS): https://myaccount.draftkings.com/login      BUY/READ EARLY & OFTEN: The Hot Line: How the Legendary Trio of Hul, Hedberg and Nilsson Transformed Hockey and Led the Winnipeg Jets to Greatness (2016): https://amzn.to/3tbR5me Broken Ribs and Popcorn: How the Winnipeg Jets became the best team in the NHL's most offensive era to not win the Stanley Cup (2021): https://www.amazon.ca/Broken-Ribs-Popcorn-Winnipeg-offensive/dp/1772803219/   FIND & FOLLOW: Website: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill Instagram (+ Threads): https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable

1979 AVCO Cup Championship, Edmonton vs Winnipeg. The Classic Sports Review returns after a long hiatus with Kirk Buchner and newly crowned Intercontinental Triathlon Champion, Glenn Paslawski. They have fun looking at the end of an era, with the last ever game played in the World Hockey Association, the 1979 AVCO Cup.

Bill Connelly began his life in the sports business as an Athletic Trainer for the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association and wrapped it up as a Special Projects Manager for FC Cincinnati of Major League Soccer. However, the majority of his storied career was spent with the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League - where he retired in 2017 as the team's Director of Operations. This St. Clairsville, Ohio native was inspired to pursue the sports business after the brutality of a full team "pile on tackle" in High School inspired him to switch his focus to become an Athletic Trainer (versus a full-contact Athlete). While a student at The Ohio State University, he had the opportunity to learn his craft under the staff of Coach Woody Hayes, which led to an introduction to the Bengals founder and legendary icon of football - Paul Brown. Over his 41-year career with the Bengals, Bill rose from Assistant Trainer to eventually becoming the Director of Operations for the team. He was described by the Bengals during his retirement celebration as the "Churchill of the Stadium" - doing any and all jobs to assure Bengals success, both on and off the field. After retiring from the Bengals, Bill assumed the role of Special Projects Manager for FC Cincinnati, successfully working with the startup soccer Club to design and operate TQL Stadium and the Mercy Health Training Center - both heralded as the finest Soccer Stadium and Training Centers in North America. Bill is well known throughout the NFL and MLS communities as a team player, problem solver, mentor, advocate, and friend to all. He is a proud father, husband, and grandfather. He and his wife Terri reside in Cincinnati and Norris Lake, Tennessee.

Show Notes: Dave Keon played in both the National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association over 22 years. He reached the highest levels of success and was a well-respected player by his teammates. Music composed and performed by Lauren Clapp lauren.clapp2004@gmail.com  

Alton White was born in 1945 in AMherst Nova Scotia. He played three seasons in the NHLs short lived rival league, the World Hockey Association. He is best known for being the second player of African descent to have played on a professional major league ice hockey team. He was also the first player of African descent to score 20 goals in a single season and the first black player in history to score a hat-trick in a major league professional game. My Hockey Hero is proudly supported by eBay Canada. Start your own collection at ebay.ca/hockeycardsProduced by Podstarter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alton White was born in 1945 in AMherst Nova Scotia. He played three seasons in the NHL's short lived rival league, the World Hockey Association. He is best known for being the second player of African descent to have played on a professional major league ice hockey team. He was also the first player of African descent to score 20 goals in a single season and the first black player in history to score a hat-trick in a major league professional game. My Hockey Hero is proudly supported by eBay Canada. Start your own collection at ebay.ca/hockeycardsProduced by Podstarter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's program:We briefly discuss Team Canada's World Baseball Classic Roster. We discuss Bo Bichette's 3 year extension and if there is a window for the Blue Jays to win the World Series. If they do, do you trade Bo or sign Bo? Let us know.We talk about MLB 23 The Show introducing Negro League Storylines. How this would affect young kids learning about Baseball and history.The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame is hiring a Museum AssistantDanny Gallagher has a new book outWe discuss Frank Mahovlich on the Old Time Hockey SeriesAfter immigrating from Croatia, his family settled in Schumacher just outside of Timmins Ontario . Frank played with the Schumacher Lions of the NOHA and drew the attention of all six NHL teams. He would move to the St.Michaels Majors after agreeing to play for the Toronto Maple LeafsFrom there he would lead the team in scoring multiple years in a row and he would be a major part of the Maple Leafs dynasty in the 1960's. After the pressure of playing in Toronto got the better of Mahovlich after the 1967 season he would be traded to Detroit and thrive there.  We also discuss Frank's time with the Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association. What would have happened if the Toros acquired Daryl Sittler?We encourage you to listen to this episode to see what happens for Frank after that.Support the showYou can follow The Cardy Show on Linked in . Twitter @CardyBrent or Instagram @TheCardyShowPodcast

On today's program:We discuss the 2023 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame  announcing their 2023 class.  Brent tells a few stories from the press conference he attended via zoom.On the Old Time Hockey Series-We discuss the career of Bobby Hull.From being scouted by the Chicago Black Hawks at the age of 12 to winning the Stanley Cup in 1961. We talk about the earth shattering move to the World Hockey Association and how that paved the way financially for other players.We also discuss the complicated life Hull lived after pro hockey and if the NHL should have done a better job preparing their players for life after hockey. Support the showYou can follow The Cardy Show on Linked in . Twitter @CardyBrent or Instagram @TheCardyShowPodcast

Scott Surgent, Author of World Hockey Association Fact Book and more, joins 980CFPL's Mike Stubbs to talk about Bobby Hull's impact on the success of the WHA.

Joe Tilley's Great Canadian Sports Show | EP 108 | GERRY MEEHAN Gerry Meehan is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger and the former general manager and Senior Vice President of the Buffalo Sabres. Meehan was born in Toronto, Ontario and raised in Newmarket, Ontario. He played minor hockey for St. Michael's College School and junior for the Toronto Marlboros. He played for the 1966–67 Marlboros that won the Memorial Cup. Meehan was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1963 NHL Amateur Draft, fourth round, 21st overall. He played for the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Atlanta Flames, Washington Capitals, as well as the Ontario Hockey Association's Toronto Marlboros, American Hockey League's Rochester Americans, CPHL's Tulsa Oilers, Western Hockey League's Phoenix Roadrunners, Seattle Totems, and the World Hockey Association's Cincinnati Stingers. He served as captain for both the Sabres and Capitals. One of Meehan's career highlights as a Sabre remains a lowlight to Flyers fans. In the last game of the 1971–72 regular season, the Flyers needed a win or a tie against the Sabres to beat out the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final playoff spot. The score was tied, but with just four seconds on the clock, Meehan took a shot from 80 feet (24 m) away that somehow got by Flyers goalie Doug Favell – ending the Flyers' season. In 1984, the team made Meehan the first former Sabre to serve in a front-office position, as assistant general manager under Bowman. During the 1986–87 season, Bowman stepped down, and Meehan was promoted to general manager. With the departures of Bowman and superstar Gilbert Perreault, the Sabres finished the season in last place overall that year, but rebounded the next year as NHL's most improved team, with a record of 37–32–11 – and 21 points higher in the standings. Meehan's years as a general manager were marked by the addition of a number of top-caliber players, including No. 1 draft pick Pierre Turgeon, Soviet defector Alex Mogilny, Dale Hawerchuk, Pat LaFontaine, and Dominik Hašek. In 1993, Meehan was named the executive vice president of sports operations, taking a more active role in the organization's business and legal affairs. In 1996, Gerry left the Sabres organization and founded GMM Consulting Services, now Cardinal Consultants Ltd., which provides a wide variety of consulting services to sports teams, leagues, associations, and athletes. Exciting interviews with the game changers of the sports world. Tackling deep personal challenges and exciting career milestones. If you like the show and would like to support the program, we launched our merch store. check it out: my-store-c11746.creator-spring.com Thank you to all our incredible sponsors for making this great Canadian sports show happen #GerryMeehan #NHL #hockey #GM #generalmanager #history #torontomarlies #icehockey #buffalo #buffalosabres #Toronto #tilley #legend #sports #interview #sportsinterview #viral #trending #canada #great #canadian #show #interview #powerful #ontario

​The Hartford Whalers were a beloved hockey team from the​ moment of their founding in 1972 as the World Hockey Association's New England Whalers. Playing in the National Hockey League's smallest market and arena after the 1979 WHA merger/absorption/expansion, the Whalers struggled in a division that included both the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens - but the club's fans were among the NHL's most loyal. In 1995, new owners demanded a new arena - and when plans fell through, moved the team to Ralegh, North Carolina - where they became today's Carolina Hurricanes. Astonishingly, the Whalers remain as popular as ever in their former home town and previous incarnation. Even though more than two decades have passed since Connecticut's only professional sports team relocated, nobody has truly forgotten the team, its history, or its uniquely memorable (and still highly profitable) logo. And while the NHL continues to thrive without them, the Whalers' impact stretches far beyond the ice and into a still very-much-alive cultural phenomenon. Boston Globe sportswriter Christopher Price ("Bleeding Green: A History of the Hartford Whalers") grew up in Connecticut as a diehard Whalers fan, experiencing firsthand the team's bond with the community. Drawing from all aspects of the team's past, he shares an uncensored history of ​the region's still-favorite professional sports franchise. PLUS: Listen for your chance to win a free copy of "Bleeding Green"! + + + ​AND: ​Get up to $100 in matching deposit credit when you sign up to try PrizePicks - and use promo code GOODSEATS!

Fans of the original NHL version (1979-96) of the Winnipeg Jets, as well as the first ten seasons (1997-2007) of their subsequent incarnation as the Phoenix Coyotes, will surely remember the dulcet tones of team radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster Curt Keilback (Two Minutes for Talking to Myself: Jets, Coyotes, Tales, Opinions). For 27 seasons - spanning some 2400+ games - ​Keilback was the signature voice of the since-rebranded Arizona franchise, a seemingly lone constant amidst the club's steady stream of existential change from 1970s World Hockey Association dominance, to NHL small-market competitive frustration, to (supposedly) "greener pastures" in the Valley of the Sun. Keilback takes us on clear-eyed journey back through some of the more memorable moments of his Jets/Coyotes broadcasting career, including: the original (and much-copied) "Winnipeg White Out;" the ill-fated 1996 "Save the Jets" campaign; how he kept his job despite the Jets' impending move; the not-so-great coaching tenure of "The Great One;" and his call of "The Goal" - then-Washington Capital rookie Alexander Ovechkin's impossible-to-describe, body-prone, behind-the-back score against the Coyotes in 2006. PLUS: we debate the current wisdom and likely future of the current Arizona-labeled version of the franchise - and whether it will EVER work!

The Jim Pattison Group has grown over the years to now employ more than 51,000 people. It started more than 60 years ago with a three-pump gas station and a two-car showroom. On the latest edition of Today in BC, Jim Pattison explains he worked hard as an entrepreneurial teenager. “Before high school, I used to sell garden seeds door-to-door in the springtime and so then I got into selling magazine subscriptions for the Saturday Evening Post and the Ladies Home Journal," he said. "Then after that, I got a job working for the Vancouver Province, after school on the late edition.” With a $40,000 loan from the Royal Bank, Pattison was able to open a new Pontiac dealership, his first in 1961. As his businesses flourished, Pattison was involved in a wide variety of investments, including two hockey teams in the fledgling World Hockey Association, the Vancouver Blazers and the Calgary Cowboys. The league began in 1972 and folded in 1979. “I think it failed because the teams really didn't have financial sound owners," said Pattison. "They couldn't last. The NHL was THE league and this was the junior league. They didn't get the attendance and of course, to get the players, you had to have a lot of money. Other than the folks in Toronto they had money behind them, but the rest of us didn't have much money.” Pattison Group has 30 operating divisions, including the auto, grocery, media and entertainment industries. Pattison says that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost everything. “The whole distribution system and supply for manufacturing all over the country has some degree of trouble and it is a very big issue," he said. "We're gaining ground as far as supply is concerned, but the number one issue today is the supply to factories and then the factories to the retailers. Some industries are better than others, but the whole industry today, that at least the things we're involved in, the trouble is supply - everything is gaining ground, but overall we still are not back to normal in most businesses.” When asked about whether he thinks about retiring, the 92-year-old replied: “I have never thought about it. Not once. If you like what you do, why would you quit?” If you have suggestions or comments, send a voice message to podcast@blackpress.ca you may be part of our audio podcast mailbag segment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Obscure trivia answers abound this week, as we return to the pro rinks of the 1970s with Twin Cities sports fan extraordinaire Dan Whenesota ("A Slap Shot in Time") for a look back at the not one, but two World Hockey Association franchises known as the Minnesota Fighting Saints. The first team was one of the WHA's original twelve franchises, playing from 1972 until mid-1976; the second was the rebirth of the league's hastily relocated Cleveland Crusaders, and played for part of 1976-77 season.  Neither incarnation completed its final season of play. Save for a few games in the early months of the first version's inaugural season, both Fighting Saints played in the uniquely configured St. Paul Civic Center - where clear acrylic glass dasher boards offered fans completely unobscured views of all the action. As for action, there was plenty - both in terms of fan-friendly uptempo offensive play, and aggressive, often penalty-drawing physicality - befitting of the team's name and iconic logo. If you remember the WHA, the cross-town rival NHL North Stars, the movie "Slap Shot" (not-so-loosely based on the Saints and its minor league affiliate Johnstown [PA] Jets), or even simply where you were on June 27, 1972 when Bobby Hull stunned the sports world by signing with the upstart league - this is the episode for you!

When Team Canada needed him most, Paul Henderson rose to the occasion. All those game winners, including The Summit Series clincher! Team Canada, Henny was a blazing fast winger who also starred for the Maple Leafs. Paul Garnet Henderson, CM Ontario 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 and five in the World Hockey Association for the Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls. Exciting interviews with the game changers of the sports world. Tackling deep personal challenges and exciting career milestones. If you like the show and would like to support the program, we launched our merch store. check it out: my-store-c11746.creator-spring.com Thank you to all our incredible sponsors for making this great Canadian sports show happen: #PaulHenderson #NHL #legend #viral #hockeyplayer #history #StanleyCup #hockey #subscribers #youtubesubscribers #trending #tilley #news #big #teamcanada #russia #ussr #goal

Former professional hockey player and actor Dave Hanson joins Ron Barr to talk about his life and career. Hanson played 33 games in the NHL (1978-1980) and 103 games World Hockey Association (1977-1979). While originally cast as "Dave 'Killer' Carlson" in the 1977 film Slap Shot, he was recast as "Jack Hanson" when Jack Carlson was unable to perform because his team was in the playoffs. Actor Jerry Houser was then cast as "Killer", the character based on Dave Hanson. Hanson appeared in several other films, including for the 2002 sequel Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello Old Sports is part of the https://sportshistorynetwork.com/ (Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear). EPISODE SUMMARY Andrew and Dan celebrate the 50th episode of Hello Old Sports by talking about some of our favorite moments and episodes from the show so far, and talk about what's in store in the future. Then, we revisit the subject of our very first episode, sports Mt. Rushmores for various cities throughout the country including Baltimore, Toronto, Atlanta, Indianapolis, and many more. And Dan discovers a newfound obsession with the World Hockey Association. And if you liked this episode, check out Episode 1 where we look at the Rushmores for New York, Boston, DC, Chicago, and some others. Contact the show at HelloOldSports@gmail.com and find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/HelloOldSports (www.facebook.com/HelloOldSports)

Ron and Dave talk with author Scott Surgent about his statistical book about the World Hockey Association.http://surgent.net/wha/

This week's Unashamed Alcoholic guest is former NHL player David Shand.  Drafted in 1976 by both the Atlanta Flames of the National Hockey League and the Calgary Cowboys of the World Hockey Association, Shand also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals.After hockey, Shand pursued a career in law, which eventually helped him find his path to recovery from addiction and lead him to his greatest legacy of an educator and spokesperson for alcoholics and addicts. I hope you enjoy my conversation with DavidSupport the show

In this week's show, we have lots of player signing news, Joe Crozier is admonished by a British Columbia Supreme Court judge, and we learn why the World Hockey Association is actually worried about weakening NHL teams by stealing their players! Support hockey research and get exclusive BONUS podcast episodes! http://patreon.com/hockey50years Twitter: http://twitter.com/hockey50years Web: http://hockey50yearsago.com ADVERTISING DISCLAIMER If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/W/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ). 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/A/LA/MI/ INJ/NYIPA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's show, we have lots of player signing news, Joe Crozier is admonished by a British Columbia Supreme Court judge, and we learn why the World Hockey Association is actually worried about weakening NHL teams by stealing their players! Support hockey research and get exclusive BONUS podcast episodes! http://patreon.com/hockey50years Twitter: http://twitter.com/hockey50years Web: http://hockey50yearsago.com ADVERTISING DISCLAIMER If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/W/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ). 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/A/LA/MI/ INJ/NYIPA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Min. $5 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Before the World Hockey Association played its first games, they won several important battles in the courts that allowed the league to pursue players from the NHL. Today you'll meet one of the founders of the WHA that was responsible for litigation---Don Regan.

The Houston Chronicle's Greg Rajan chats with former Houston Aeros player and coach Terry Ruskowski about his days playing for the Aeros of the World Hockey Association, coming back to coach when the team rebooted in the 1990s in the IHL. Ruskowski also shares stories of some memorable teammates and opponents from his hockey career on this episode of the Texas Sports Nation podcast. More Houston sports on HoustonChronicle.com.   Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A newspaper article leads Howard into taking a leap of faith. He links up with an old friend, John Coburn. Before they know it, they are chasing a dream. The two get their "marching orders," which are quite daunting. The first task at hand, convincing the owners of the World Hockey Association, they had what it took to create a team. A decision is made, elating Howard, but ratcheting-up the pressure. The clock is ticking for Howard and John to prove themselves. That's when fate suddenly steps in.

This week on the Original Sports Podcast with Mark Maradei we will be talking with Paul Stewart. Stewart is a  former professional ice hockey player and referee.He was Inducted in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018, he is the grandson of Bill Stewart.Stewart played in both the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League. He played with Mark Messier for the Cincinnati Stingers. His last season of professional hockey was 1979-80 with the Quebec Nordiques.After his playing days ended, he had a lengthy career as an NHL referee. He officiated 1,010 regular season games, 49 playoff games, the 1987 Canada Cup, the 1991 Canada Cup and two All-Star games. He never wore a helmet during his officiating career. From the 1994-95 NHL season until his retirement in 2003, he wore uniform number 22.Stewart is Men's and Women's League Director of Officiating for ECAC Hockey, and in 2012, also took on duties as a judicial and discipline consultant to the Kontinental Hockey League. We are going to  talk with Paul about his career as a professional hockey player from playing for the  Broome Dusters where he claims he spent more time in the penalty box than he did on the ice through his time in the AHL. We get in depth on his post playing days and discuss the life of a National Hockey League referee. We will talk about what Paul is up to since retiring from officiating in 2003. For our “We Just Gotta Know” segment we will ask Paul to share some of his favorite guys he worked with officiating games. You can find Paul on Facebook at @pstewcat22 and on Twitter @PaulStewart22=========================== CONNECT WITH US =========================== Check out our websites, apps and much more: https://www.originalsportspodcast.com/ Like our Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/OSPwithMMJoin the conversation on Twitter https://twitter.com/OSPwithMMFollow us on Instagram pics https://www.instagram.com/originalsportspodcast                        Reach out to us on Snapchat at: OSPwithMMWatch our Tik Tok at: OriginalSportsPodcastSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZuudj681oIAbnscyHBa0g?view_as=subscriber=========================== Feel free to let us know if you have any comments or questionsBy emailing us at: OriginalSportsPodcast@gmail.comAudio Engineer: Shawn AntkowiakVoice intro: Matt NobleIntro and outro music provided by Ryan Benton and Preston HarperSocial Media Manager: William FranciscusWebMaster : Terri MaradeiJoin us each week to Experience the “O” on the Original Sports Podcast!!!

Islanders legend John Tonelli joins episode 18 of the podcast. Tonelli talks about his time in the World Hockey Association and playing with Gordie Howe (3:15), how he came to the Islanders (7:30), memories from the 1980 run (11:15), the Islanders 15-game winning streak in 1982 (20:00), saving the dynasty in 1982 (24:55), his jersey retirement (33:20), playing with Gretzky in LA (38:30), a prank involving Clark Gillies (42:15) and more.

Thursday, November 18: Gouche Live: The World Hockey Association 50th Anniversary Announcement by FiredUp Network

Hello listeners! Hockey season is upon us, so we deemed it as absolutely necessary to drop an episode with a hockey topic. We're covering some hockey history in this episode with a little bit about the World Hockey Association, an NHL competitor that lasted from 1971-1979. We will be talking teams, players, politics and everything that made the WHA interesting. Hope you enjoy! If you are wondering where the music has gone - stay tuned for a collaborative playlist! As always, thanks for listening! Reach us at conjectureandlecture@gmail.com

n this week's episode we have more turmoil with the Detroit Red Wings, the Kings make a trade to get the goalkeeper they desperately need, and the fledgling World Hockey Association makes a big announcement! Support hockey research and get exclusive BONUS podcast episodes! http://patreon.com/hockey50years Twitter: http://twitter.com/hockey50years Web: http://hockey50yearsago.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

n this week's episode we have more turmoil with the Detroit Red Wings, the Kings make a trade to get the goalkeeper they desperately need, and the fledgling World Hockey Association makes a big announcement! Support hockey research and get exclusive BONUS podcast episodes! http://patreon.com/hockey50years Twitter: http://twitter.com/hockey50years Web: http://hockey50yearsago.com

This episode of The Zamboni Time Machine takes a look at the different ways the world famous stuntman was connected to the sport of hockey. Hear about the team he owned and how it was involved with a national olympic team in a nefarious way. Motorcycle stunts were not the only way Evel Knievel made money, this episode covers how he cashed out at a World Hockey Association game in Toronto wearing his renowned red, white, and blue stunt costume and cape! Go to https://martysillegalstick.com for every episode of The Zamboni Time Machine and Into the Boards Fantasy Hockey Podcast, as well articles and features about the Utica Comets, Utica College Pioneers, the ECAC and more! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

| Content Warning: discussion of death & suicide in this episode. Please follow timestamps if you wish to skip ahead | It's been a while but the Unsung Octopi Podcast crew are back in the saddle with one helluva show! Opening the show with discussion of the tragic passing of Sean's best friend, James, whom this show is dedicated to (6:20); the Detroit Red Wings season opener events against the Tampa Bay Lightning & some off-season talk (41:39); finally the World Hockey Association's (WHA) brief stint in Michigan with the Michigan Stags! (1:27:47) Visit our Podbean site: https://unsungoctopipodcast.podbean.com/ Follow us on Twitter: @UnsungOctopiPod, @Adri_Unsung, @StrayAdult Subscribe to our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYkv-Jbs0QlrPu3CK7MLfoQ Check out our merch on RedBubble: unsungoctopi.redbubble.com Like, comment, subscribe, follow, retweet, grab some merch, & thank you for supporting the show!

This is a clip from a bonus episode of OVERTIME. To hear the full episode, and get access to hours of exclusive hockey reporting and research, visit http://patreon.com/hockey50years Description: In this special Overtime episode, we look in great detail at the creation of the World Hockey Association from a number of different perspectives as we review the fledgling league's progress to the end of September, 1971.

We close the gap between our previous explorations of the National Hockey League's former California Golden Seals and Minnesota North Stars with a deep dive into the two-year curiosity that bridged between them - the unforgettably forgettable Cleveland Barons.   Episode 111 guest and WKKY-FM/Geneva (OH) radio jock Gary Webster ("The NHL's Mistake By the Lake: A History of the Cleveland Barons") returns the 'cast - this time to go deep into the baffling prelude, chaotic operations, and historically debatable termination/relocation of a franchise that was seemingly snakebitten even before its hasty arrival in Northeastern Ohio in the summer of 1976.   Named for a decades-old, nine-time minor league AHL championship-winning team that preceded it until 1973 - which itself had been replaced by the struggling "major league" Crusaders of the wobbly World Hockey Association - the Barons came close to folding in both of its two NHL seasons, despite the frantic efforts of two separate ownership groups, a brand-new state-of-the-art arena, and at least one league bailout.   Along the way, attendance was meager, media coverage was scant, and on-ice play was woeful - the perfect ingredients for an episode sure to please!

We mourn last week's passing of legendary sports entrepreneur and challenger-league impresario Dennis Murphy with a special archive re-release of our two previous interviews from September 8, 2019 (Episode 129) and August 30, 2020 (Episode 179).   The brainchild behind some of modern-day sports' most audacious, convention-challenging "alternative" leagues - the American Basketball Association (1967-76), World Hockey Association (1971-79), World Team Tennis (1974-78), and Roller Hockey International (1992-2001), among others - "Murph" was a one-of-a-kind hustler/pioneer who leaves a lasting mark on today's pro sports landscape.   Obits: "Dennis Murphy, Co-Founder of Pro Sports Leagues, Dies at 94" (Beth Harris, Associated Press) "Dennis Murphy, Impresario of Alternative Leagues, Dies at 94" (Richard Sandomir, New York Times) "As a Promoter, Dennis Murphy Was in Several Leagues of His Own" (Mark Whicker, Los Angeles Daily News) Biography: Murph: The Sports Entrepreneur Man and His Leagues (Richard Neil Graham)

In this week's episode, we have some news on the ownership of the Toronto Maple Leafs, we have information on a proposed new Canadian law that the Toronto Telegram says could spell the end of pro hockey in Canada, and we learn a bit about one of the men who is organizing the proposed World Hockey Association - plus much more! Support our show and get exclusive BONUS episodes: http://patreon.com/hockey50years Twitter: http://twitter.com/hockey50years Web: http://hockey50yearsago.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode, we have some news on the ownership of the Toronto Maple Leafs, we have information on a proposed new Canadian law that the Toronto Telegram says could spell the end of pro hockey in Canada, and we learn a bit about one of the men who is organizing the proposed World Hockey Association - plus much more! Support our show and get exclusive BONUS episodes: http://patreon.com/hockey50years Twitter: http://twitter.com/hockey50years Web: http://hockey50yearsago.com

In this week's episode, we learn a bit more about the charges against Stafford Smythe and Harold Ballard, the fledgling World Hockey Association issues a press release and Phil Esposito explains why the Bruins should stay the course amid suggestions they need to change their style of play. Support our show: http://patreon.com/hockey50years Twitter: http://twitter.com/hockey50years Web: http://hockey50yearsago.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode, we learn a bit more about the charges against Stafford Smythe and Harold Ballard, the fledgling World Hockey Association issues a press release and Phil Esposito explains why the Bruins should stay the course amid suggestions they need to change their style of play. Support our show: http://patreon.com/hockey50years Twitter: http://twitter.com/hockey50years Web: http://hockey50yearsago.com

Rick Vaive cut his amazing  junior career short to jump to pro hockey in the World Hockey Association when he signed as an underage free agent with the Birmingham Bulls for the 1978-79 season. He scored 26 goals and 59 points in his only WHA campaign, stats impressive enough to catch the eyes of  the Vancouver Canucks who selected him fifth overall in the 1979 Entry Draft. After 47 games with the Canucks he was traded to the Toronto Maple leafs where he would become the storied franchise first 50 goal scorer . He is a 3 time all star, he is in the top 20 in Career for Goals Per Game averaging more than a 1/2 a goal per game.and is the top 100 of goals scored all time in.the NHL with 441. Catch Sportstalkny live every Sunday night at 6 pm on the 365sportscast.com network, streaming over the net at 365sportscast.com or on the iphone, android, alexa 365sportscast apps.

In this special stand show Chris gets to chat to former NHL & WHA player who’s most recognisable as being one third of the Hanson Brothers from arguably the best hockey film ever made - Slap Shot We get to discuss how the role came about, what it was like meeting the legendary Paul Newman for the first time and much more. Dave is available for bookings on cameo at https://www.cameo.com/davehanson16 David Hanson is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played 33 games in the National Hockey League, and a total of 103 games in the World Hockey Association. He was cast as “Jack Hanson" in the 1977 film Slap Shot as one of the legendary Hanson Brothers where he starred opposite Paul Newman and was directed by Oscar-winning director George Roy Hill. Please subscribe, rate and review. Also check out atpsports.net

In the early 1970s, the NHL was located in fewer markets than their other North American sports counterparts, their players were restricted by the reserve clause and salaries were at a league average of $25,000 in 1972. In came the WHA which helped lead to a boom in popularity of hockey across Canada and the United States, exciting players and teams competing against each other and salary increases in the WHA helped force the NHL's hand. Although the league folded in 1979, four teams were absorbed by the NHL, including the makings of the 1980s Oilers dynasty. Chris Quinn: @cquinncomedy Dominic DiTolla: @ditolladominic Produced by @ty_englestudio

The SHN Showcase is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports' Yesteryear...In this week's episode of the SHN Showcase, host Os Davis (of Truly The GOATs) chats with Warren Rogan, host of the podcast Sports' Forgotten Heroes. In short, Warren loves all sports. In 30 minutes or so, Warren and Os circle the world of sports, along the way touching on topics including the importance of Tiger Woods and/of technology to golf's modern popularity, the demise of boxing; 90s NBA basketball versus the 21st-century's; the World Hockey Association; New York Giants Super Bowl victories; and the importance of a Bill Murray movie to the 1986 New York Mets…HIGHLIGHTED PODCASTSports' Forgotten Heroes is a bi-monthly podcast devoted not necessarily to the biggest superstars or Greatest of All-time, but instead tell great stories of the sportsworld's wunderkinds, one-year wonders or even the most memorable moments of our favorite games.

  Andre Lacroix, the all-time leading scorer in the history of the World Hockey Association (WHA), is on this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes. A member of the WHA Hall of Fame, Andre totaled more points than any other WHA player, more assists and played in more games. Lacroix’s career started in the 1967-68 NHL season with the Philadelphia Flyers. But after a trade to the Chicago Black Hawks and a disappointing season in which he was relegated to part-time status, Andre was offered a fresh start with the newly-formed Philadelphia Blazers with a rival new league – the World Hockey Association. Andre jumped at the opportunity and proceeded to put up staggering numbers. In fact, Andre became just the second player in hickey history to record at least 100-assists in a season. He led the WHA in scoring three times, once broke the 50-goal barrier and helped put the WHA on the map. Despite all Andre did, however, the WHA just couldn’t overcome poor ownership, and minimal fan support. On this episode of SFH, me and Andre talk about all of that plus how he negotiated all of his own contracts, his constant movement from team to team, and what life was like in the WHA. Additionally, we will also talk about his book, “After the Second Snowfall: My Life On and Off the Ice,” the unique title and so much more. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Youngstown State professor Denis Crawford ("The Life and Teams of Johnny F. Bassett: Maverick Entrepreneur of North American Sports") joins the 'cast for a jam-packed deep dive into the life of one of the most underrated, yet enormously influential pro sports figures of the 1970s/80s.   A third-generation scion of a prominent Canadian industrialist family steeped in both media and sports team ownership, John F. (Johnny) Bassett distinguished himself from his elders as a marketing-savvy showman with a P.T. Barnum-esque flair for spectacle and a penchant for challenging the traditional conventions of professional sports - notably with teams in leagues predicated on bucking the establishment: The World Hockey Association's Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls; The World Football League's Toronto Northmen/Memphis Southmen; World Team Tennis' Toronto-Buffalo Royals; AND The United States Football League's Tampa Bay Bandits   Through all his adventures, Bassett catered to the common fan, demanded fair treatment of athletes, and forced traditionalist sports owners to take hard looks at the way they did business.   Crawford helps us unpack some of Bassett's most notable escapades, including: a quixotic attempt to compete with the NHL's Maple Leafs; raiding the NFL for Miami Dolphins stars Larry Czonka, Jim Kiick and Paul Warfield; battling the Canadian government over American football; an audacious attempt at marketing pro hockey in the Deep South; and his bitter rivalry with a greedy Donald Trump for the soul of the USFL.   Support the show by downloading the DraftKings app NOW and using promo code GOODSEATS to join the free One Million Dollar College Hoops Survivor Pool!

André Lacroix played in both the National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association and is the WHA's all-time leading career scorer. He played in 551 WHA games scoring 251 goals adding 547 assists for 798 points. Andre added 325 games in the NHL scoring 79 goals with 119 for 198 points. His book is a must read, "After the Second Snowfall".

Arizona State calculus professor Scott Surgent ("The Complete World Hockey Association, 11th Edition"; "The World Hockey Association Fact Book") joins this week to discuss his personal passion project of documenting everything statistical from the fascinatingly ephemeral World Hockey Association - despite never having witness a single game during its brief seven-year run (1972-79).   Like many young sports fans of the 70s living outside of actual WHA markets (for as long as they lasted), Surgent's first introduction to and ongoing understanding of the upstart WHA was by way of laboring through the tiny catch-all "scoreboard" agate of local newspaper sports sections - where league standings, player transactions and a random box score or two would qualify as "coverage."   Surgent would squint hard to literally and figuratively read between the lines as to what the WHA was all about - supplemented by an occasional wire service article, usually about a team (or the league itself) in financial trouble. Imagination and hearsay filled in the rest - until the league's "merger" with the NHL in 1979, when everything WHA-related seemingly vanished with it, as if nothing had ever transpired.   By the early '90s, Surgent was perplexed as to the continued absence of anything historical - let alone definitive - from the league's statistical existence.  So he struck out on his own to literally set the record straight - resulting in the first edition of "Complete" in 1995.   25 years and ten editions later, Surgent's reference opus - all 526 glorious pages of it - is now the go-to resource for anyone seeking authoritative certitude about anything WHA.   Support the show by getting two free months of NordVPN - plus a FREE GIFT - when you use the promo code GOODSEATS at checkout!

With little #NHL news happening, Chris and Brendon return for a brief wrap up, followed by a deep dive into Chris' area of expertise, the World Hockey Association. They talk the archaic rules which saw the WHA come to life, the insane team histories, players from Howe to Hull, as well as the AVCO Cup's trophy design. It's all here! 

Terry shares his stories of the WHA and NHL with Lolly and Mooner in this episode. Stories of getting a rookie's Gordie Howe welcome to the team, being captain of four teams, a friendship with ZZ Top and so many more great stories you'll want to hear! Terry Ruskowski had a 15-year professional playing career after playing in the Western Hockey League with the Swift Current Broncos, and was captain in four different locations. He began with Houston in the World Hockey Association and moved into the National Hockey League when the WHA merged with the NHL. He played in Houston (WHA), Winnipeg (WHA), Chicago (NHL), Los Angeles (NHL), Pittsburgh (NHL) and Minnesota (NHL). Upon completion of his playing days, Terry got right into coaching, becoming the head coach with the Saskatoon Blades in 1989. After two years with the Blades, he coached professional teams in Columbus, Houston, Knoxville, Laredo, Rio Grande, and Quad City, finishing in 2017. Terry guided the Laredo Bucks to a pair of Central Hockey League championships in 2004 and 2006. Please support our sponsor Twig and Barrys. They are a Canadian company, they've got all kinds of apparel including mens underwear. Essentials for the modern day caveman. No judgement, no shaming, no fancy words. Just real men! So go check them out TwigandBarrys.ca Use the code: TOPCHEDDAR and get 15% off your entire order. Top Cheddar is hosted by Cam Moon (Mooner) & Rob LeLacheur (Lolly) who chat with those who have excelled in hockey and the world of business. The entertainment is plenty as we get to hear some terrific hockey stories from all of the different hockey leagues and some Stanley Cup tales for good measure. In addition to the great hockey stories, we chat about the career(s) they've enjoyed since leaving the ice and we get to learn how hockey has helped them through their time in business and entrepreneurship. The Top Cheddar podcast is produced by Road 55, a content creation marketing firm located in downtown Edmonton, Alberta. Learn more at: https://road55.ca

When anyone brings up the topic of pro hockey in Philadelphia, the conversation quite naturally starts (and often stops) with the Flyers - one of the six franchises added to the NHL in the league's 1967 "Great Expansion," and the fastest of the bunch to capture the Lord Stanley's Cup, after only its seventh season.   But as this week's guest Alan Bass ("Professional Hockey in Philadelphia: A History") suggests, limiting the discussion to just the Flyers not only ignores the surprisingly long history of the game in the "City of Brotherly Love" prior to their arrival, but also neglects the club's lasting impact more broadly on Philly's sports scene ever since.   ​For example, few fans know that the Flyers were actually not the first NHL franchise in Philadelphia. That "honor" instead went to the 1930-31 debacle known as the Quakers - a hastily relocated cellar-dwelling team from Pittsburgh (the Pirates), owned by a Depression-era bootlegger (Bill Dwyer), fronted by a temporarily retired lightweight boxing champion (Benny Leonard), and producer of one of the worst seasons in the league's 103-year history (4-36-4 record; .136 winning percentage).   Or that the city nearly got its second shot at the NHL in 1946-47, when franchise rights holders of the dormant Montreal Maroons couldn't secure funding for a new arena on the site of the old Baker Bowl.   Or even that for decades before the Flyers' arrival, Philadelphia was a reliable home to a wide range of colorful minor league franchises with names like Arrows, Comets, Ramblers, Rockets and Falcons - and even after (Firebirds, Phantoms).    And we won't even mention the World Hockey Association's home ice-challenged flirtations with the market - the inaugural 1972-73 season's Philadelphia Blazers (Civic Center/Convention Hall) and 1973-74's mid-season relocated New York Golden Blades-to-Jersey Knights (suburban Cherry Hill [NJ] Arena)!  

If we ever get around to creating a Good Seats Still Available "Hall of Fame," this week's return guest will most certainly be part of its inaugural class of inductees. Dennis Murphy (“Murph: The Sports Entrepreneur Man and His Leagues”) is a bona fide legend in sports entrepreneurial circles - a man responsible for helping found no less than four "major" game-changing leagues across the North American pro sports landscape, including the polychromatic American Basketball Association (our previous Episode 129), and this week's focus: the raucous World Hockey Association. (The others: World Team Tennis and Roller Hockey International.) This week's shorter-than-normal episode was originally intended to be our second full-length discussion with "Murph" - and our first exclusively devoted to the founding and operation of the WHA - until events last year conspired against it. A scheduling snafu resulted in a shorter window of conversation than originally intended, and the recording itself was feared lost during our internal archives transfer process weeks later. However, in the process of doing background research for our recent episode on the original Winnipeg Jets with Curtis Walker, we were lucky enough to stumble across the fully intact audio file on a redundant backup server - which we now present as the bulk of this week's episode. What it lacks in length is more than made up with in depth and surprising detail from the now-93-year-old Murphy's still-sharp memory of hockey's "rebel league."

We cross the virtual border northward this week to obsess about the original incarnation of hockey's Winnipeg Jets - with author/team completist Curtis Walker ("Winnipeg Jets: The WHA Years Day By Day"; "Coming Up Short: The Comprehensive History of the NHL's Winnipeg Jets"). One of the twelve founding franchises in the upstart World Hockey Association's inaugural 1972-73 season, the Jets were one of only four teams to survive the entire run of the rebel league - and to ascend into the vaunted NHL after its demise in 1979. They were also, arguably, the WHA's most successful club - winning three of the league's seven-ever AVCO Cup championships, while finishing as playoff runners-up twice. (We'll get into the story of the Houston Aeros' two titles and one finals loss in another episode!) Walker helps us proverbially "scratch the surface" of the Jets' intriguing history in not only the WHA (including the credibility-validating, league-collective-funded signing of Bobby Hull; the Swedish-flavored "Hot Line" contributions of Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson; and a franchise-saving "Save the Jets" community campaign in 1974) - but also the National Hockey League, where the club largely struggled to reclaim their earlier glory - especially when facing their long-time regional nemesis, the Edmonton Oilers. Of course, we tackle the delicate issue of where the original Jets' legacy should credibly reside: with the lamentable Arizona Coyotes (the franchise moved to Phoenix in 1996); the current Jets team (the relocated Atlanta Thrashers since 2011); or in the collective memories of the fans that routinely packed the rafters of the old Winnipeg Arena.

Bart Hunter has enjoyed success on the ice and in the office. Hunter started The Hunter Financial Group in Saskatoon, SK and specializes in investments, insurance and estate planning. He started in the financial game in 1992 and has excelled, building a large client base. Hunter has also been recognized as one of Saskatoon's Top 100 volunteers in the city's 100 year history. Hunter played in the Western Hockey League with the Portland Winterhawks and the Regina Pats before a professional career. He played in the Washington and St. Louis organizations. Hunter's father, ‘Wild' Bill Hunter was one of the driving forces behind the inception of the Western Hockey League, as well as the birth of the World Hockey Association and the Edmonton Oilers. Bart Hunter shares some great stories about his playing days, working in the financial industry and his father's legacy in the game. Top Cheddar is hosted by Cam Moon & Rob LeLacheur who chat with those who have excelled in hockey and the world of business. The entertainment is plenty as we get to hear some terrific hockey stories from all of the different hockey leagues and some Stanley Cup tales for good measure. In addition to the great hockey stories, we chat about the career(s) they've enjoyed since leaving the ice and we get to learn how hockey has helped them through their time in business and entrepreneurship. The Top Cheddar podcast is produced by Road 55, a content creation marketing firm located in downtown Edmonton, Alberta. Learn more at: https://road55.ca

While we ruminate on what a potential resumption of the National Hockey League’s delayed 2020 regular season (and playoffs) might look like in the months ahead, we pause to look back at the rich, but altogether confounding history of the world’s premier pro hockey circuit with Down Goes Brown blog scribe and Athletic columnist Sean McIndoe (The Down Goes Brown History of the NHL: The World's Most Beautiful Sport, the World's Most Ridiculous League). Over its often-illogical 103-year history, the NHL has proven to be – as the dust jacket to McIndoe’s loving, but irreverent book intimates – a league that often can't seem to get out of its own way: “No matter how long you've been a hockey fan, you know that sinking feeling that maybe – just maybe – some of the people in charge here don't actually know what they're doing.  And at some point, you've probably wondered – has it always been this way? The short answer is yes.  As for the longer answer, well, that's this book.” McIndoe helps us cheat-sheet through some of the league’s defining historical inflection points, including: The myth of the “Original Six” – the hallowed group of supposedly foundational franchises cemented during WWII-era 1942 – that conveniently ignores 15 teams that preceded them in the league’s first 25 years of existence; 1967’s “Great Expansion” – when the NHL doubled its franchise count from six to twelve, including pre-emptive strikes against the Western Hockey League with new teams in Los Angeles (Kings) and Oakland (Seals); The 1979 “merger” with the pesky World Hockey Association – which absorbed only four of the challenger’s seven remaining clubs; AND Comical expansion/relocation follies in Cleveland, Kansas City, Denver, and Atlanta (twice). This week’s episode is sponsored by the Red Lightning Books imprint of Indiana University Press – who offer our listeners a FREE CHAPTER of pioneering sportswriter Diana K. Shah’s new memoir A Farewell to Arms, Legs and Jockstraps!

Sure, Chicago has the National Hockey League's much loved Chicago Blackhawks and also the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves, but what about that OTHER Chicago hockey team? Today's we're discussing the Chicago Cougars, a short-lived team from the World Hockey Association in the 1970s!Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod@gmail.com):https://www.facebook.com/Chicago-History-Podcast-107482214277883https://twitter.com/chicago_podhttps://www.instagram.com/chicagohistorypod/Chicago History Podcast Art by John K. Schneider (jschneider152@gmail.com) and on https://www.instagram.com/angeleyesartjks/ Like, subscribe, and if you like what you hear, please leave a written review. Much appreciated!

Our guest on episode 71 is Wayne “Swoop” Carleton, who was an important part of the Boston Bruins 1969-70 Stanley Cup championship team. In fact, he was on the ice when Bobby Orr scored his famous Cup-clinching goal in the fourth game of the 1970 Stanley Cup Final. Carleton played junior hockey for the Toronto Marlboros, from 1961-1966 and he played a starring role in the Marlboros 1964 Memorial Cup championship.  After a brief stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Carleton was traded to the Bruins during the 69-70 season.  With Boston he teamed with Derek Sanderson and Eddie Westfall on a productive third line, which played especially well in the post season. At the conclusion of a 22-goal 70-71 campaign with the Bruins, Carleton was claimed by the California Golden Seals in the intra league draft.  After one season in Oakland, Carleton was one of many Seals players who would jump to the fledgling World Hockey Association. Carleton became an all star in the WHA topping the 90-point mark in 1972-73 with the Ottawa Nationals and in 1973-74 when that franchise moved to Toronto and became the Toros.  He was later traded to the New England Whalers, where he played in the Whalers first season in Hartford before being traded to Edmonton for Mike Rogers in 1975-76.  Carleton suffered numerous knee injuries throughout his career and after brief stretches in Edmonton and Birmingham, he retired from big league hockey. Wayne's got great stories to tell of his interesting career --  and the timing is perfect as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bruins 1970 Stanley Cup championship.   Host:  Mark Willand ITunes/Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Stitcher Twitter Facebook Instagram Google Play Mark Willand Pro Hockey Alumni WHA Hockey Boston Bruins Alumni You Tube  

A tribute to departed legends Episode 70 of the Pro Hockey Alumni Podcast is a tribute to three NHL and WHA players who passed away recently: Tom “Hawkeye” Webster, Pat “Whitey” Stapleton and John “Tank Hughes. We begin with a look back at the remarkable career of Tom Webster. Tom was my favorite Whaler in the early days of the franchise. In fact, in my very first trip to Whalers Gift Store in 1975, I purchased a Whalers #8 replica sweater. Tom was the Whalers first star, scoring 52 goals to lead the Whalers to the WHA championship in 1973. Although Tom had been a 30-goal scorer with the Detroit Red Wings, he was a high-risk signing with New England due to severe back injuries that limited him to just 12 NHL games with the California Golden Seals in 1971-72. As noted, Tom was beset by back injuries throughout his WHA career but he scored 220 goals in 352 games and added 28 more in 43 playoff games … based on 80 games, Tom averaged over 50 goals per season in the WHA. Tom went on to enjoy a remarkable coaching career, winning championships in the CHL with Tulsa, the AHL with Adirondack and the OHL with Windsor.  He later became a scout with the Calgary Flames and ended his hockey career as one of the most respected men in the game. Pat Stapleton played eight seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, and was named Second Team All-Star three times (1966, 1971, and 1972). His highest scoring season was 1969, where his 50 assists set a new NHL record for assists in a season by a defenceman (broken the next year by Bobby Orr). Stapleton was a member of the Team Canada team at the Summit Series in 1972. During the tournament he was a +6 and was often paired with his Black Hawks teammate Bill White. In 1973, Stapleton jumped from the NHL and signed a five-year deal with the Chicago Cougars of the World Hockey Association where he became player-coach. He was a WHA first-team all-star in 1974 and won the Dennis A. Murphy Trophy as the league's top defenceman in the 1973–74 season. That year the Cougars stunned the hockey world by reaching the WHA finals before ultimately losing to the Houston Aeros. Stapleton again represented Canada in the 1974 Summit Series against the national team from the Soviet Union, this time as team captain. He was again player-coach of the Cougars in 1974–75, and the team struggled on the ice and financially. In December 1974, he and teammates Dave Dryden and Ralph Backstrom bought the troubled franchise. The Cougars folded after the 1974–75 season and Stapleton was claimed by the Indianapolis Racers, where he played for two seasons and was named a second-team all-star in 1976. When the Racers refused to honour his contract in 1977, Stapleton was transferred to the Cincinnati Stingers, where he played one season before retiring in 1978. The next year he had the distinction of being Wayne Gretzky's first pro coach with the Indianapolis Racers where he coached both Gretzky and Mark Messier before the team folded in December 1978.Similar to JC Tremblay, had Pat not jumped to the WHA he may be in the Hockey Hall of Fame today. Nonetheless, Pat certainly has the respect for all who knew him. He was a player who truly appreciated the history of the game and his place in its legacy. Hard-Hitting PEI native John Hughes was a member of the powerful Toronto Marlboros teams of the early 70s and went on to an excellent -- and well-traveled -- WHA career with Phoenix, Cincinnati, Houston, Indianapolis and Edmonton. John was chosen to the WHA's mid-season all star team in 1977 and 1979. Injuries took their toll on John in his brief NHL stay and he concluded his career, coincidentally, with Tom Webster's Springfield Indians in 1981-82. Andre Lacroix, a teammate of John's in Houston and Jerry Rollins, who played with John in Indianapolis recall the rock solid D-man they call “Tank”    

This week Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, would've turned 92 years old. To honor him, we listen back to Host Robert Land's conversation with Jerry Trupiano, who was the voice of the Houston Aeros in the World Hockey Association. Trupiano shares memories of getting to know Gordie, those days when the Aeros were a big ticket in Houston, how the Aeros landed in Houston and how Howe treated Aeros fans. We also got a bonus story about how Trupiano nearly got Calvin Murphy kicked out of a game when he was the Rockets' voice in the late 70's. Email Info@HoustonSportsTalk.net for questions or comments. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @HSTPodcast

For 1970s-era NHL hockey fans who remember the eight-year adventure known as the Atlanta Flames, few are likely to forget Dan Bouchard.  A tenacious, slightly eccentric and occasionally fight-prone French-Canadian goalie, “Bouch” was an immediate standout between the pipes for the NHL’s first-ever Deep South franchise (platooning with fellow Quebecois & expansion draftee Phil Myre during the club’s first five seasons) – and a survivor in a league where hard-nosed hockey was the norm and where good goalies were at a premium. Bouchard’s big-league call-up to the Flames in 1972 came amidst a frantic period of NHL franchise expansion and relocation driven in large part by the arrival of the challenger World Hockey Association – which debuted alongside Atlanta (and the NY Islanders) that season.  And while the collective memory of the original Flames remains muddied by a woeful post-season record (reliably exiting the playoffs in the first round, despite qualifying six out of their eight seasons), as well as a then (and still?) persistent narrative of Southerners’ native distaste for ice hockey – Bouchard and Atlanta were actually more competitive and popular than many of the NHL’s other 1970s forays in places like Kansas City, Oakland, Denver, and Cleveland. When Nelson Skalbania bought the Flames and moved them to Calgary in 1980, most in Atlanta and around the league assumed that the well-publicized financial struggles of the team and owner Tom Cousins (who also controlled the Omni arena and the NBA Hawks) were to blame. But as Bouchard outlines in this revealing conversation, an explosive league-wide issue was festering behind the scenes – of which he was uniquely aware and determined to address – regardless of the potential consequences to his playing career. Bouch walks us through an eye-opening story that wends its way through the defunct Quebec Nordiques (including the infamous “Good Friday Massacre” vs. the Montreal Canadiens in 1984), the original Winnipeg Jets, the scandalous downfall of a pro hockey Hall of Famer, and fighting for legendary player/coach Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion both on – and off – the ice. Thank you VisitArizona.com for sponsoring this week’s episode!

In an era that was as much about violence and mayhem as scoring and finesse,  Allan Globensky's battered fists were more valuable than his hockey stick. Episode 64 of the Pro Hockey Alumni podcast features Allan Globensky, a feared enforcer with the WHA Quebec Nordiques in the 1970s. In the early 70s, Globensky was a member of the incomparable Montreal Junior Canadiens, where her served as a popular and self-described goon on a Memorial Cup-winning squad that included Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault and perennial NHL all-star Richard Martin. Allan was Selected by Minnesota North Stars in the 1971 NHL Draft, and eventually signed with the Nordiques in the fledgling World Hockey Association. Incidentally, Allan's first coach in Quebec was the legendary Maurice “Rocket” Richard and Allan shares some fascinating insights into this revered hockey legend. With the Nordiques and their minor league affiliate in Lewiston, Maine, Globensky, was a reluctant gladiator who experienced the seamier side of hockey, a world of mayhem, bloodshed and insanity that made the iconic movie “Slapshot” tame by comparison. We'll talk about the wild brawls and the toe-to-toe matches with some of the 70s toughest players like Dave Hutchinson, Paul Stewart, Steve Durbano and many more. Back then, Globensky fought because that's what he was told to do, and it was the role the team wanted him to play. Allan is still battling, but now he's fighting to maintain his quality of life and to encourage former teammates to seek help if they are concerned about their mental and physical health. Allan's new book  “A Little Knock Won't Hurt Ya!” Is, easily, one of the best hockey books I've read and I highly recommend it. I call this fast-paced book "Slapshot with a Soul.” In this well-written memoir, Allen is brutally honest and refreshingly candid about the ups and downs of his life as a hockey enforcer and the dark days he experienced thereafter. And' I'll give you a spoiler — this story has a happy ending. The link to ordering Allan's book is in the show notes. So … What happened to Allan Globensky, the former cult hero, after the cheers of bloodthirsty fans faded away? This is his story, and it's one that is both compelling and cautionary. Order "A Little Knock Won't Hurt Ya" Host:  Mark Willand ITunes/Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Stitcher Twitter Facebook Instagram Google Play Mark Willand Pro Hockey Alumni WHA Hockey Boston Bruins Alumni You Tube  

Only 20 men in NHL history have scored 60 or more goals in a single season. A sometimes forgotten member of this select club is an undersized, take-no-prisoners centre named Dennis Maruk. And it's only fitting that Dennis is our guest on episode 60 of the Pro Hockey Alumni Podcast. As a junior in the OHA, Maruk was the one of the greatest players in London Knights history, but his 5-8 height scared off NHL teams until the second round of the 1975 Draft, where he was chosen by the woebegone California Seals.  After a standout rookie season in Oakland, Maruk and his mates moved to Cleveland,  where he continued to star while the franchise floundered. After just two seasons in Ohio, the Cleveland Barons were merged with the Minnesota North Stars in 1978, but Maruk was dispatched to Washington after 2 just games.  It was in DC where Maruk would emerge as one of the NHL's premier centers, scoring 50 goals in 1980-81 and following that with the incredible 60-goal, 76-assist campaign in 1981-82. Maruk led the improving Caps in scoring in 1982-83, but was traded back to Minnesota and slotted as the team's 3rd line center.  Amidst reduced playing time, Maruk adjusted to his new role would become one the Stars top post-season performers in the notorious “Chuck Norris” Division in the 1980s. As chronicled in his riveting 2017 autobiography with author Ken Reid, Maruk's post playing days took him from hockey superstar to behind the wheel of a service ship in the Gulf of Mexico,  to carrying bags as a bellhop at an Aspen hotel, to setting up furniture for Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, to working as a farmhand for musician John Oates. And ultimately Maruk's life path took him to a life-and-death decision at edge of the Grand Canyon. Dennis is a great interview and you'll love his recollections of a fascinating career and life.  Among the teammates, coaches and opponents we discuss are:  Gilles Meloche, Bob "Hound" Kelly, Ryan Walter, Jean Pronovost, Kent Nilsson, Herb Brooks, Charlie Simmer, Bryan Murray and more. After our talk with Dennis, stick around for "PHA Overtime" with this week's news and notes from our Facebook pages featuring the Hartford Whalers, Boston Bruins, World Hockey Association and Pro Hockey Alumni as well as a postscript to the Maruk interview. Host:  Mark Willand ITunes/Apple Podcasts Spotify SoundCloud Stitcher Twitter Facebook Instagram Google Play Mark Willand Pro Hockey Alumni WHA Hockey Boston Bruins Alumni You Tube  

We mourn the unexpected passing of University of Arizona men's ice hockey media broadcaster & World Hockey Association history flamekeeper Tim Gassen - with our previous Episode 75 interview from August 18, 2018. RIP Tim - your passion for the WHA will be dearly missed!  

The American Basketball Association was not founder Dennis Murphy’s original intent.  Thwarted in his attempt to get the fast-growing city of Anaheim, CA (he was mayor of nearby Buena Park) into the fledgling American Football League during the mid-1960s, Murphy quickly pivoted his attention to basketball – reasoning that with only 12 teams in the staid, yet long-established National Basketball Association, there surely must have been room for more. “What the hell,” Murphy told author Terry Pluto in his seminal 1990 oral history Loose Balls.  “The AFL had worked, hadn't it?  Maybe we could force a merger with the NBA." By the end of the ABA’s ninth season in 1976, Murphy’s unwitting prescience had become reality – and along with it, a validating blueprint for how to modernize professional sports in North America. The legendarily inveterate sports entrepreneur  (Murph: The Sports Entrepreneur Man and His Leagues) joins the podcast to discuss how the iconically idiosyncratic ABA got started, as well as hints of how other future pursuits – like the World Hockey Association, World Team Tennis, the World Football League, and Roller Hockey International – would similarly come to be.  Check out Warby Parker – whose exclusive Home Try-On program is the free, no obligation way to select high-quality eyeglass frames in the convenience of your own home!  Go to warbyparker.com/GOODSEATS to take the simple quiz and find the perfect pair(s) for you!

Dennis “Super Sobby” Sobchuk was a dynamic junior hockey star, who went on to achieve success in the World Hockey Association. Sobby is still a hockey legend in Regina Saskatchewan, where he starred with the junior Pats in the early 1970s. He played 200 games from 1971 to 1974, registering 191 goals and 225 assists.  On a team that included the likes of Clark Gillies and Gregg Joly, he  was named the most valuable player of the 1974 Memorial Cup. He later had his number #14 retired and in 2018 he and Guy Lafleur were chosen as honorary captains of the MasterCard 100th edition of the Memorial Cup event.  His junior career was so impressive that he became the first player to sign with a professional hockey team before leaving major-junior hockey. Dennis signed a 10-year, $1-million contract with the WHA's Cincinnati Stingers in 1973. He played the 1973-74 season with the Pats and was loaned to the Phoenix Roadrunners for the 1974-75 season because the Stingers didn't have an arena in which to play. Dennis was the centerpiece of the Stingers franchise, notching 44 goals and 96 points in 1976-77 while earning a spot in the 1977 WHA All Star Game. Three major shoulder injuries would curtail his career, but did not diminish his legend.  After playing in the 1979 Avco Cup finals with Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers, Dennis has a brief NHL stint in Detroit before retiring in 1982. You'll enjoy Dennis' recollections of a colorful and unforgettable ride in a career that could only have happened in the 1970s. ITunes/Apple Podcasts SoundCloud Stitcher Twitter Facebook Instagram Google Play Mark Willand Pro Hockey Alumni WHA Hockey Boston Bruins Alumni You Tube

Paul Stewart has done it all in the game of hockey as he is a former professional ice hockey player and referee. He played in both the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League. He was a teammate of Mark Messier for the Cincinnati Stingers.[1] His last season of professional hockey was 1979–80 with the Quebec Nordiques. After his playing days ended, he had a lengthy career as an NHL referee. He officiated 1,010 regular season games, 49 playoff games, the 1987 Canada Cup, the 1991 Canada Cup and two All-Star games. He also played one game albiet a fictional one for the Long Island Ducks as he was an extra on the set of movie Slapshot, He joins Mark and Ryan to talk about his new book Ya Wanna Go. Tune in each week on 540 am in NY NJ CT and streaming on www.sportstalknylive.com at 7pm Sundays for the live broadcast.Please take a moment to like our fan page WLIE 540 AM SPORTSTALKNY and follow us on twitter @sportstalkny

We celebrate our 100th(!) episode with one of the founding owners of the pioneering World Hockey Association – and the man ultimately responsible for the absorption of four its teams into the NHL in the “don’t-call-it-a-merger” of 1979.  Hollywood film producer and original New England Whalers founder/owner Howard Baldwin (Slim and None: My Wild Ride from the WHA to the NHL and All the Way to Hollywood) joins host Tim Hanlon for a rollicking ride through the modest beginnings, death-defying life, and lasting aftermath of pro hockey’s paradigm-transforming challenger league – as well as the tortuous journey of the only US-based franchise to survive the consolidation. Come for Baldwin’s hard-to-believe stories of the Whalers and the WHA, like: Winning the Avco Cup championship in the team’s (and league’s) very first (1972-73) season, despite being fourth in line for Boston Garden home dates behind the Bruins, Celtics and even the AHL Braves; The courtship-turned-love-affair between the Whalers and the city of Hartford that led to the club’s relocation to the WHA’s (and ultimately NHL’s) smallest TV market in 1974; AND Doubling as league president with the sole purpose of effecting a merger with NHL. But also stay for tales of Baldwin’s incredible WHA after-life, including: Riding into the 1980s with the NHL’s “Hartford” Whalers; The curious interconnection between the Minnesota North Stars and the San Jose Sharks; Winning the 1992 Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but losing the franchise to bankruptcy six years later; AND Segueing into life as an Academy Award-winning Hollywood film producer. Show your support for the show and the legendary WHA by purchasing commemorative garb from our great sponsors 503 Sports, OldSchoolShirts.com and Streaker Sports!

The short lived hockey league that left behind an interesting legacy

Episode 22 of the Pro Hockey Alumni podcast features the personable Jordy Douglas,  a WHA and NHL pro, who scored 33 goals with the Hartford Whalers in 1979-80. After a great junior career with the Flin Flon Bombers, Jordy elected to sign with the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association in 1978. With the Whalers, he teamed with hockey legends like Johnny McKenzie, Davey Keon and Gordie Howe as he learned the ropes of playing big league hockey.  Jordy scored a goal in his first WHA game and really found his groove in the post-season.  As a result of this strong performance, he joined Mark Howe as the only two protected Whalers skaters for the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft. With the legendary Keon as his centerman in 1979, Jordy established himself as a legitimate NHL scoring threat.  A highlite was a four-goal game vs. the eventual Stanley Cup Champion NY Islanders. Unfortunately in game 77 of that season, Douglas suffered a broken collarbone, an event that began a cycle of serious injuries that would plague him for the rest of his career. He'd later play for the Minnesota North Stars and Winnipeg Jets and conclude his career with a prolific two-year stay in Finland. Upon retirement, Jordy found significant business success teaming with ex-NY Ranger Ted Irvine in the financial management industry. Jordy is articulate, funny and an all-around good guy and you'll enjoy his perspective on his days in hockey and beyond. Also remember to subscribe to and leave a rating and review for us on iTunes, the link is in the show notes.  You can also email the Pro Hockey Alumni at prohockeyalumni@gmail.com.  Home base for our show and all of our many social media sites is prohockeyalumni.org.   ITunes SoundCloud Stitcher Twitter Facebook Instagram Google Play Mark Willand

Episode 18 of the Pro Hockey Alumni Podcast is a Tribute to US Hockey legend Keith “Huffer” Christensen, who died on November 5th, 2018 at the age 74.  After a legendary high school career in International Falls, MN, Huffer became  a standout player at The University of Minnesota Duluth in the 1960s, putting that program on the hockey map.  He captained the silver medal winning 1972 US Olympic hockey team and concluded his playing career in the World Hockey Association with Minnesota Fighting Saints. In 2005 he was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame. At just 5-6 and 155 pounds, Huffer was small in stature, but big in heart and talent. To help commemorate Huffer's career, we'll talk with three of his Olympic teammates: RW Tim Sheehy, Center Henry Boucha and goaltender Mike Curran.  We'll learn about what made Huffer a special player and person — and we'll examine the strong bond that the 1972 Olympic team still has today. Rest in Peace, Huffer Christiansen   Host: Mark Willand Pro Hockey Alumni ITunes SoundCloud Stitcher Twitter Facebook Instagram Google Play

Drafted in the third round, 32nd overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, Joe Noris played 55 regular season games in the National Hockey League with the Penguins, St. Louis Blues, and Buffalo Sabres in 1971–74. During his NHL stint, he mostly played as a defenseman although he was a natural center. Joe made his way to the World Hockey Association with the San Diego Mariners and the Birmingham Bulls, skating in 198 WHA games, scoring 72 goals and adding 116 assists from 1975–1978. Noris was selected to the 1977 WHA All-Star Game and also played for the United States at the inaugural 1976 Canada Cup tournament. Noris was the first player who grew up in Colorado to make it to the NHL. He would be the only Colorado native to suit up until Parris Duffus played a single game in 1997. Joe later became a fixture on the roller hockey scene. Joe tells some great stories from his interesting career.   Host:  Mark Willand

Richard Neil Graham (Wheelers, Dealers, Pucks & Bucks: A Rocking History of Roller Hockey International) joins the big show to delve into the 1990s summertime indoor league started by inveterate sports entrepreneur (and defunct sports patron saint) Dennis Murphy – designed to profit from major arena owners’ desire for summer events, minor league players looking for extra work, and a budding national craze for inline skating. Despite deep pockets from several team and arena owners from the NBA and NHL – including Los Angeles’ Buss family (previous Murphy partners in World Team Tennis two decades earlier), and Howard Baldwin (an original franchise owner in the Murphy-founded World Hockey Association in 1972) – the bulk of RHI franchises were decidedly less capitalized or marketing-savvy.   That didn’t stop the league from aggressive expansion, however, from an inaugural 1993 roster of 12 teams to a mind-boggling 24 franchises the following season (and diligent listeners to this podcast know how ambitious moves like those often turn out).  Predictably, by RHI’s sixth and final campaign in 1999 (after taking 1998 off to reorganize), the league was down to eight clubs and barely made it to season’s end. National TV coverage on a fledgling ESPN2, solid fan enthusiasm in places like Anaheim (the Bullfrogs regularly drew 10,000+ fans a game to the new Arrowhead Pond), innovative rules adjustments (five-a-side teams and no blue lines, to open up space and scoring), and even a novel proprietary puck designed to generate long-term sustainable licensing revenues, were not enough to sustain RHI into the new millennium. Thank you to our awesome sponsors for this week’s episode: MyBookie, OldSchoolShirts.com, SportsHistoryCollectibles.com, and Audible!

Episode 13 of the Pro Hockey Alumni Podcast is a tribute to NHL and WHA veteran forward Alvin Brian “Ab”Ab McDonald, who passed away on September 4, 2018 at the age of 82. Ab played 762 regular-season and 84 NHL playoff games followed by two seasons in the World Hockey Association, where he was the Winnipeg Jets' first captain. The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native won the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1958 and 1959 and then again with Chicago in 1961.  He scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1961. Ab finished with 182 goals and 248 assists for 430 points during his 14-year NHL career with Montreal, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.  He was also the first-ever captain of the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins in 1967-68. To help us pay tribute to Ab, we've invited three of his friends from his WHA days on the show:  WHA and Winnipeg Jets originals: Norm Beaudin and Joe Daley along with legendary Winnipeg broadcaster and Jets historian Peter Young. Host: Mark Willand Pro Hockey Alumni

Buckle up for our sophomore excursion into the legendary World Hockey Association, as we chat with the passionate founder and meticulous curator of the short-lived but influential league’s official Hall of Fame, Tim Gassen.  Physically ensconced inside the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, MN, as well as an expansive online digital presence, the WHA Hall of Fame is the undisputed historical authority on the brief seven-season life and wild times of the iconic 1970s-era challenger league that kicked the staid National Hockey League in the butt and reinvigorated the pro game in the process. Gassen joins host Tim Hanlon to discuss the: Origins of his WHA fanaticism (sparked by childhood memories of Indianapolis Racers games); Wayward (and illustrative) journeys of teams like the Jersey Knights (née New York Raiders/Golden Blades, then San Diego Mariners) and the Calgary Cowboys (birthed as the Miami Screaming Eagles, converted into the Blazers of Philadelphia, then of Vancouver, before saddling up anew in the Stampede City); Unmatched dominance of the Winnipeg Jets; and Ongoing hunt for the Hall of Fame’s holy grail of artifacts – the makeshift WHA championship trophy hoisted by the league’s New England Whalers in 1973, in lieu of the yet-to-be-completed AVCO World Trophy. Our appreciation to this week’s sponsors: Audible, OldSchoolShirts.com, Podfly, and SportsHistoryCollectibles.com!

Today we pay tribute to a hockey warrior - John Schella — who passed away on August 3rd 2018 at the age of 71.   John Schella was Born May 9 1947 -- Port Arthur, ONT.   He gained notoriety as one of the “Thunder Bay Boys” before signing with the Peterborough Petes  in 1966-67.   After honing his skills in Houston, Denver and Rochester he became an original Vancouver Canuck in 1970-71.   Two years later John joined the fledgling World Hockey Association, where he would spend the next six years of his career, winning two WHA Championships and earning the admiration of teammates and respect of opponents.   John concluded his career in San Diego on the Pacific Coast League in 1978-79.   Today's tribute includes memories from former teammates Andre Lacroix, Jerry Rollins, Scott Campbell, Cam Connor and Larry Lund.   All these legends would agree:  John Schella was tough, talented and a great teammate.  Most important, when things got tough, John always had their backs.   Let's remember John with the words of his teammates.   Rest In peace, John   Host:  Mark Willand Pro Hockey Alumni Association

Jerry Rollins was a hard-punching defenseman, who fought all the tough guys in the wild World Hockey Association. A 2nd round draft selection of the Detroit Red Wings and the WHA Toronto Toros in 1975, Rollins earned the respect of teammates and foes alike as the protector of his team's skilled players. Jerry is an entertaining and thoughtful man, who recalls a number of great stories from his playing days, including: How his run-in with a future NHL Hall of Famer startled his junior teammates and earned him a spot on the Flin Flon Bombers roster. A brutal brawl in junior hockey that saw him nearly having his fingers bitten off by a future WHA-NHL enforcer. Growing up as the son of NHL MVP and Vezina winning goalie, Al Rollins, who would eventually become his coach with the WHA Phoenix Roadrunners. His first impressions of a pair of teenagers - Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier — and his surprising comparison of the two at the Indianapolis Racers training camp in 1978. The one player (and future movie star) who nearly knocked him out with one devastating punch in 1975. His swan-song minor league season in 1978-79 and his impressions of two teammates: Hall of Famer Willie O'Ree and the notorious Billy Goldthorpe. Jerry applied his lessons from his hockey journey to a successful business career in San Diego, CA. Jerry is now the cofounder and chairman of the Sage Executive Group, where he uses his business expertise to mentor and coach CEOs.   Host: Mark Willand Pro Hockey Alumni Website SAGE Executive Group WHA Hockey on Facebook      

Fresh off of kicking pro basketball’s establishment in the teeth with the launch of the upstart American Basketball Association in 1967, inveterate sports entrepreneurs Dennis Murphy (see also: World Team Tennis, Roller Hockey International) and Gary Davidson (World Football League) turned their attention to an even riper target of opportunity in 1971 – the monopolistic and monochromatic 12-team National Hockey League. Their broadside against the NHL was the audaciously aspirational World Hockey Association – a seven-season 1970s-era wonder that brought a rollicking brand of ice hockey to no fewer than 27 markets across North America (not including four announced teams that relocated before even playing a game) – leaving in its wake a bevy of bounced checks, fractious lawsuits, and defunct franchises from San Diego to Cherry Hill, New Jersey.    Amidst the league’s traveling circus of the weird (the Chicago Cougars’ 1974 playoff run ended by Peter Pan), and wonderful (the Houston Aeros’ Gordie, Mark and Marty Howe teaming for the first-ever father-son[-son!] combination in pro hockey), the WHA undeniably became the vanguard that dragged the sport kicking and screaming into the modern age by: ending the NHL’s monopoly grip on the pro game; freeing players from its reserve clause; allowing 18-year-old players to be drafted; introducing top-tier hockey to the US Sun Belt and the interior Canadian provinces; and opening up rosters to an exciting array of European talent in numbers previously unimagined.  And, by the end of its run in 1979, ushering four new clubs – the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, Edmonton Oilers, and Hartford Whalers – into a merger-expanded NHL. Sportswriter Ed Willes (The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association) returns to the podcast to discuss the brief but impactful legacy of hockey’s “rebel league” that gave up-and-coming stars their big-league debuts, others their swan songs – and provided high-octane fuel for some of the most spectacularly memorable moments in the history of professional hockey. Please check out our great sponsors Audible, SportsHistoryCollectibles.com and Podfly!

Andre Lacroix was the all-time scoring leader in the World Hockey Association with 798 points in just 551 games. Nicknamed the "Magician," Andre averaged nearly an assist per game throughout his WHA career. After a 147-point season with the San Diego Mariners in 1974-75, Andre was named the French-Canadian Athlete of the year, besting Guy Lafleur, Marcel Dionne and Gil Perreault, among others. Andre also had the distinction of playing for five different WHA franchises without ever being traded during his seven years in the rebel league, a journey that began as a Philadelphia Blazer in 1972. Prior to joining the WHA, Andre was a dominating player in the OHA with the Peterborough Petes and in the AHL with the Quebec Aces. He joined the NHL Philadelphia Flyers in 1967-68 and was twice the leading scorer for the Flyers before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1971. After his career concluded in 1980, Andre embarked on a successful radio broadcasting career with the Hartford Whalers, where he teamed with legendary broadcaster Chuck Kaiton. Andre was a huge part of the Hartford hockey community. Personally I spent a lot of time with Andre, Gordie Howe, Mike Veisor, Doug Roberts, Garry Swain and many more Whalers Alumni as we barnstormed through Connecticut to play games for charity. Now residing in Ohio, Andre remains one of the most popular personalities in Hartford hockey circles and every other stop along his 60-year hockey journey. In this podcast Andre discusses his career and gives insights on various ex-teammates such as Johnny McKenzie, Bobby Hull, Bernie Parent and more. We could have talked with Andre for hours — and perhaps we will do that soon. But for now, here's a great discussion with a true hockey legend. For all of our podcasts visit The Hockey Alumni Website Also , for more great classic hockey online, check out these Facebook pages: WHA Hockey on Facebook Hartford Whaler Nation on Facebook Pro Hockey Alumni on Facebook Also, please consider giving back to the game by supporting Hockey Cares for Kids at hockeycaresforkids.org The Podcast is hosted by Mark Willand and produced by Willand Media      

In this episode we talk with former NHL referee Paul Stewart. Before refereeing he played in both the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League, finishing his career with the Quebec Nordiques. As a referee, he worked over 1,000 regular season games, 49 playoff games, the Canada Cup in 1987 and 1991, along with two All-Star games. In this episode, we talk about his career, how the game has changed, what he looks for in aspiring referees, and much more! Learn more at: http://teamstripes.ca/2018/06/interview-with-former-nhl-referee-paul-stewart/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GoTeamStripes/ Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/goteamstripes/

A member of the US Hockey Hall of Fame, Larry Pleau is one of the most respected people in the game. Larry was one of the top American hockey players in the late 1960s and 1970s, playing for Team USA at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble as well as the 1969 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Stockholm. He then played three seasons for the Montreal Canadiens from 1970-1972, winning the Stanley Cup in 1971. In 1972, Pleau became the first player to sign with his hometown New England Whalers of the upstart World Hockey Association. The Whalers won the WHA championship in 1973 and Pleau went on to become to appear in the 1973, 1974 and 1975 WHA All Star Games. When his career ended in 1979, Pleau worked in numerous positions with the Whalers, including head coach and eventually director of hockey operations.  He went on to become the assistant GM of the New York Rangers and was instrumental in the 1994 Rangers Stanley Cup run. 1997 Pleau took the reigns of the St. Louis Blues and had a great tenure there, presiding over the Blues President's Trophy win in 1999–2000 and being named the Sporting News Executive of the Year in 2000-2001. HOST: Mark Willand Pro Hockey Alumni Website

The guest on Pro Hockey Alumni Podcast #3 is film producer and hockey fan Mark Greczmiel, who has produced an entertaining documentary on the California Seals hockey franchise, one of the six expansion teams added to the NHL in 1967. The nine-year NHL saga of the Seals includes everything from white ice skates and orange pucks, to disastrous trades and an out-of-control owner.   From future hockey stars like Reggie Leach,  Dennis Maruk and Charlie Simmer, to a female streaker and a cheerleader named Krazy George.  From the creation of the World Hockey Association, to a tragic, on-ice death.   Host: Mark Willand The Pro Hockey Alumni Association The California Seals Story on ITunes The Seals Story on Facebook

Perhaps no defunct league in modern-day professional sports history endured a more ignominious storyline and spectacular demise than that of the World Football League – a uniquely disastrous attempt to establish a summer-into-autumn rival to the National Football League during the mid-1970’s. Brimming with confidence from his co-founding exploits with two previous (and at the time, still very-much-alive) challenger pro circuits – the American Basketball Association in 1967, and the World Hockey Association in 1971 – WFL founder/commissioner Gary Davidson saw the 1974-era National Football League as the next logical target for his quintessentially anti-establishment sports management ambitions.  While the ABA and WHA both eventually yielded successful mergers of their most viable franchises into their established rivals, the World Football League quickly proved to be quite different – and, ultimately, Davidson’s professional and personal Waterloo. The WFL initially succeeded in persuading dozens of NFL stars to jump leagues for its hastily-arranged summer 1974 launch, largely because the NFL had no free agency, and the promise of a legitimate alternative offered newfound leverage for players seeking to improve their market values.  Many who did jump, however, signed “futures” contracts that would only take effect after the expiration of their NFL deals – a proposition that became increasingly dubious as under-capitalized WFL franchises seemingly began shutting down almost as soon as they debuted.  And that was just the start of what quickly became a litany of insurmountable calamities (including scandalous admissions of widespread game attendance inflation) that befell and ultimately subsumed both Davidson, and then the league itself – not once, but twice in just two years. We begin our exploration of this most head-scratching of professional leagues with the dean of WFL researchers Mark Speck (WIFFLE: The Wild, Zany and Sometimes Hilariously True Story of the World Football League; World Football League Encyclopedia; . . .And a Dollar Short: The Empty Promises, Broken Dreams, and Somewhat-Less-Than-Comic Misadventures of the 1974 Florida Blazers), in a gift of an episode that just keeps on giving! We appreciate Podfly, Audible and SportsHistoryCollectibles.com for their support of the podcast!

A prolific minor league scorer during the days of the six-team NHL, Norm Beaudin was an original member of the expansion St. Louis Blues in 1967.  Later, he became the first-ever player to sign with the Winnipeg Jets of the fledgling World Hockey Association in 1972. With the 1972-73 Jets, Beaudin was paired with the “Golden Jet” Bobby Hull and center Christian Bordeleau to form the “Luxury Line.”  All three players would top the 100-point mark with Beaudin netting 103.  Beaudin turned up the heat in the post-season, scorching WHA foes for 28 points in just 14 playoff games before the Jets finally succumbed to the New England Whalers in the WHA Finals. Beaudin's successful four-year run with the Jets culminated in May, 1976 as the Jets toppled Gordie Howe and the Houston Aeros to win their first Avco Cup championship. What was it like jumping to the WHA? Playing with Bobby Hull?  Which NHL legend gave Beaudin a two-hander that he “still feels today.”  Let's talk with the man they call “The Original” and find out.   Hosted by Mark Willand   ITunes/Apple Podcasts SoundCloud Stitcher Twitter Facebook Instagram Google Play Mark Willand Pro Hockey Alumni WHA Hockey Boston Bruins Alumni You Tube

Jacques’ long-time friend, FNH hockey teammate and loyal Carnival Personnel listener Biff joins in to talk Trump, NFL Playoffs (mostly Pats), Tom Brady’s increasing douchiness off the field, the tragic California mudslides, and the gone-but-not-forgotten World Hockey Association from the 1970s, featuring the New England Whalers! PLUS: Random Video Game Review, Defunct Sponsor, Netflix picks, Parenting Tip and MORE! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carnivalpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/carnivalpodcast

A must listen episode where Cam Connor shares his thoughts on what was the NHL's rival league - the World Hockey Association (WHA). Was it really a rival league, what made the WHA work and what led to it's downfall. This episode includes what may be Cam's best story yet - a story of an epic bench brawl involving the Hanson Brothers (from the movie Slapshot), Barry Dean, Paul Holmgren, and Curt Brackenbury. Yes, the WHA was really that tough of a league. Cam answers questions about participating in the Sports All Star edition of Wipeout Canada; advice for someone trying to make the NHL and did the WHA really play with BLUE pucks? Also, who did Cam say was a tasmanian devil to fight? Part 2 includes Cam's time with the legendary Gordie Howe and Howe's two sons in the WHA. Email: viewfromthepenaltybox@gmail.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/CamConnorNHL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camconnornhl/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ViewfromthePenaltyBox/ Merchandise (25% off with this link): www.viewfromthepenaltybox.com/merch

The Quebec International Pee-Wee Tournament begins tomorrow night. Scott talks to the Head Coach of the Hamilton Huskies Chris Travale, and Huskies Defencemen Tyson Wassink, about the upcoming games. As well, Scott discusses Hamilton's presence 1998 tournament, with Brandon Saigeon, who competed in those games. Guest - Chris Travale, Hamilton Huskies Head Coach Guest - Tyson Wassink, Hamilton Huskies Defencemen Guest- Brandon Saigeon, Center for the Hamilton Bulldogs  - Is a one-minute workout possible? According to a new study, it is. Scott talks to one of the lead authors of the study, Martin Gibala, PhdGuest - Martin Gibala, Phd, Professor at McMaster University - Scott brings on legendary hockey referee Bill Friday, to surprise him with news of a recent decision made by Hamilton City HallGuest - Bill Friday, former referee for the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League

In conjunction with the 40th Anniversary of Slap Shot we went back to our archives from 10/31/2010. DAVE HANSON was Born in Cumberland, Wisconsin, Dave grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. While living on the West Side of St. Paul and going to Humboldt High School, Dave became a member of the National Honors Society and was a three-sport star athlete. He was recruited by Universities and colleges and chose to attend the University of Minnesota on a full scholastic scholarship after US Olympic Gold Medalist hockey coach Herb Brooks recruited him. Dave left the University to pursue his hockey career by joining the St. Paul Vulcans Junior team where he won two National Championships and subsequently got drafted by the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association. He played 10 season of pro hockey in almost every professional league that existed between 1974 and 1984. Dave started in the minor leagues playing for the Johnstown (PA) Jets and reached the WHA and the NHL during his playing career. During his pro career, Dave won two league and three playoff championships, was named team MVP, captained teams, scored 300 points (goals & assists), and racked up nearly 3,000 minutes in penalties in about 700 games. Dave retired from playing in 1984 and went into business management. He oversaw an alpine and cross-country ski area, two professional minor league hockey teams, a NHL team’s practice facility and is currently the general manager of the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center, a multi-sport and family entertainment complex in Pittsburgh, PA. Dave also appeared in the 1977 feature film classic Slap Shot as Jack Hanson, one of the Hanson Brothers, along with his former teammates Steve and Jeff Carlson and legendary film star Paul Newman. He appeared again with his fictitious brothers in Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice, where the Carlsons and he won the “Best Supporting Actor Award” in a DVD premiere. With the Carlson brothers, Dave appeared in national and international TV and radio commercials, has been featured in many newspaper and magazine articles, has had action figures and bobble heads made of their likeness and featured again in a third Slap Shot film – Slap Shot: The Junior League - released in November, 2008. The Carlson brothers and Dave have helped raise in the neighborhood of 12 million dollars for charitable and needy causes throughout North America and Europe. Tune in each week on 540 am in NY NJ CT and streaming on www.sportstalknylive.com at 7pm Sundays for the live broadcast.Please take a moment to like our fan page WLIE 540 AM SPORTSTALKNY and follow us on twitter @sportstalkny

The Outer Limits Of Inner Truth with explore hockey player conciousness and focus on one of the NHL's greatest players of all time (who's also considerd to be the greatest leader in professional sports of all time), Mark Messier. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Messier is a former ice hockey centreman of the National Hockey League. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL (1979-2004) with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks. He also played professionally with the World Hockey Association's Indianapolis Racers and Cincinnati Stingers. At the time of his retirement, he was the last former WHA player still active in professional hockey, as well as the last active player who had played in the NHL in the 1970s. Messier is widely considered among the best NHL players of all time.[1] He is second on the all-time career lists for regular season points (1887), playoff points (295) and regular season games played (1756). He won six Stanley Cups with the Oilers and Rangers, and is the only professional athlete to captain two different teams to championships. In 2007 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.