Encouraged by the initial success of his American Basketball Association (ABA), which challenged the National Basketball Association (NBA), Gary Davidson and his cohorts turned their attention to hockey. On November 1, 1971, Davidson announced the formation of the World Hockey Association (WHA) to challenge the established National Hockey League (NHL). The WHA began competing for players and fans in the fall of 1972. It collapsed in 1979 with 4 teams (The Quebec Nordiques, Winnipeg Jets, New England Whalers, and Edmonton Oilers) being admitted to the rival NHL. Teams from the league's heyday included the Cleveland Crusaders, Houston Aeros, Los Angeles Sharks (who became the Michigan Stags, then the Baltimore Blades), Phoenix Roadrunners, Indianapolis Racers, Chicago Cougars, Philadelphia Blazers (who became the Vancouver Blazers), Denver Spurs, Ottawa Nationals (who became the Toronto Toros and, later, the Birmingham Bulls), and the Cincinnati Stingers. LEARN MORE and checkout our sticker!
