TORONTO (CP) — Pat Price says he will follow the tradition of many other rich young hockey players and buy a sleek sports car. Price, a 19-year-old defenceman from Saskatoon Blades of the Western Canada Hockey League, was the first choice Friday in the World Hockey Association amateur draft. He then signed with Vancouver Blazers …
This Day In Hockey History-May 12, 1973-The WHA has arrived
Vancouver acquired its second “major league” hockey team Friday, and the Pacific National Exhibition board promptly offered it a home at the Pacific Coliseum. Formal approval from the PNE board is still to come, however, and there is the possibility of a legal hassle with the Canucks, National Hockey League tenants at the Coliseum. Rumors …
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This Day In Hockey History-May 8, 1975-WHA Blazers Become Calgary Cowboys
CALGARY (CP) – Persistent rumors that a major league hockey franchise would be moved to Calgary proved true yesterday with the announcement that the former Vancouver Blazers will become the Calgary Cowboys. The announcement caught almost nobody by surprise. There were prior suggestions that Baltimore Blades or Chicago Cougars of the WHA wished to move …
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This Day In Hockey History-April 4, 1976-WHA Records Broken at Record Pace
TORONTO (CP) — While World Hockey Association have been fighting for playoff position, season records have been failing in every direction. A league official said Sunday night at least eight team or individual records have tumbled in recent weeks as the league completes the longest schedule in its brief history. Quebec Nordiques, led by league …
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This Day In Hockey History-March 30, 1979-NHL Merges With WHA
NHL, WHA wed for better or worse By Al Colletti Canadian Press staff writer 31 Mar 1979, Sat The Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) NEW YORK — Some call it expansion and others a mini-merger, but whatever terminology is used, the National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association are wedded for better or for …
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WHA Philadelphia Blazers Relocated to Vancouver-This Day In Hockey History-May 11, 1973
First, they were the Miami Screaming Eagles. Then they moved North and became the Philadelphia Blazers. The franchise underwent another significant evolution under the guidance of Jim Pattison, a renowned industrialist, who acquired the team and moved it to Canada. The Vancouver Blazers emerged as Pattison’s own World Hockey Association (WHA) franchise, marking a new …