Elias Sports Bureau Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 TORONTO (AP) A new World Hockey Association is set to start playing in October with at least six teams. Commissioner Bobby Hull, the star player of the WHA of the 1970s, and other businessmen announced Wednesday that teams in Halifax, Quebec City, Detroit, Dallas, Orlando and Jacksonville, Fla., have buildings in which to play. Two more teams in Toronto and Hamilton are expected to join them shortly when they secure arena leases. "A lot of them are in a situation right now where with this announcement they can go ahead and be selling season tickets by the first of next week," Hull said at a news conference. The NHL's future is murky as its collective bargaining agreement with the players expires Sept. 15. WHA team owners were frank in their belief that a labor disruption in the NHL would help their league gain fans looking for alternate sources of hockey. "I'm convinced the CBA creates enough of an uncertainty to give us an opportunity," said Mario Frankovich, one of the owners of the Hamilton franchise and also chairman of the league's board. The first WHA began in 1971 and became a rival to the NHL as it lured Hull from the Chicago Blackhawks and brought Gordie Howe out of retirement to play for the Houston Aeros with his sons. The two leagues made a deal in 1979 with Edmonton, Quebec, Winnipeg and Hartford getting absorbed by the NHL and the WHA folding. A 76-game season beginning on Oct. 29. is planned for this edition of the WHA. The league will have no red-line, no-touch icing, touch-up offside and three-on-three overtime followed by a shootout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insanity_gallops Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Three-on-three OT? Holy cripes. I'd be interested in knowing if any WHA games are set to be televised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammyk Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 What will they play for? Will they bring back the AVCO Trophy? Is AVCO still in business? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas0nMacIsaac Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 I should catch a couple games in Halifax over spring break ect. Halifax is support to draft Sidney Crosby first overall from what I am hearing. If they throw alot of money at the kid he may actually play like Gretzky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leafs_whine_2_much Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Holy crap, this isn't looking good at all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Heh. That would nullify Sidney's chance at the Calder as it did Gretzky. But then again, it would probably be his only chance to play for a pro team in front of his hometown crowd. BTW - why would Halifax get 1st pick overall? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas0nMacIsaac Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Heh. That would nullify Sidney's chance at the Calder as it did Gretzky. But then again, it would probably be his only chance to play for a pro team in front of his hometown crowd. BTW - why would Halifax get 1st pick overall? No clue, just passing what I heard from someone liveing in Halifax fairly deep into the hockey cycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Go Jacksonville!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Go Jacksonville!!!!! Bah. Your Jacksonville NoNameYets will get their asses kicked by our Halifax Whatchimicallums!!! October. That gives them less than 4 months to put together teams and have a training camp. This is nuts. :-D But hey, if it's even partially successful, these teams can merge into the NHL and we can give 7 more to complain about!! :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Halifax Whatchimicallum fans are a bunch of whinners and homers. They are worse than Leaf fans!!!! Francios Ledouche is the most overrated player in the WHA!! He plays defense like Leetch (dedicated to Derek). --Just practicing. -Manta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Halifax: splitters!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AddictedToHockey Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 It makes sense, and I suspect the teams will agree to this, to give Halifax the first overall pick in a draft where every other round is reverse order, similar to a fantasy sports draft. In other words, if you draft first in round one, you draft last in round two, first in round three, etc. I figure Crosby is far more likely to play for Halifax for a year than any other WHA team -- as a result, it only makes sense for them to give Halifax a chance to sign him. Let's hope they at least get some games on TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 Halifax Whatchimicallum fans are a bunch of whinners and homers. They are worse than Leaf fans!!!! Francios Ledouche is the most overrated player in the WHA!! He plays defense like Leetch (dedicated to Derek).--Just practicing. -Manta Oh YEAH!?!? The NoNameYet fans don't know a puck from their ass. And I hear they are having a horrible attendance problem - so far in their franchise history they've drawn a total of 0 fans to their games. What kind of support is that? And the players!!! Bunch of wimpy pansies.... not a single one has drawn a penalty yet. And yer Russian goaltender, Ilytin Dapuk, can't stop a beach-ball!! Ledouche rules!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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