WHA Hockey.TV: A Tribute to the Legends of the World Hockey Association by Mark Willand

Shorthanded Whalers Upset Soviets -- December 28, 1976

December 28, 1976

Hartford Connecticut ... Tom Hine, Hartford Courant

Harry Neale sipped a little tradition out of one of the Soviet
Union’s favorite past times Monday night, and the New England
Whalers stole the thunder out of the Russian’s playbook after
an unbelievable, surprisingly convincing, 5-2 exhibition win
at the Civic Center.

“I may have some vodka tonight, without any mixer,” Neale quipped
outside the jubilant Whalers locker room after a win of such
magnitude most of the sellout crowd will never know.

This was the strongest Soviet Union hockey team ever put on ice
and one which has a score to settle after last year’s Canada
Cup defeat let alone that national pride it hopes to regain in
the next World championship.

It was a bitter blow for the Russians to watch a bunch of Whalers,
hanging by a toenail in fourth place in the east division standings,
beat them convincingly.

Howard Baldwin, Stan Fischler Interview, Dec. 27, 1976

Howard Baldwin and Stan Fischler discuss the state of hockey in this 1976 Interview at the Hartford Civic Center as the Whalers battle the Soviets.

Mike Antonovich to be Inducted Into University of Minnesota "M Club" Hall of Fame

Ex-New England Whaler and Minnesota Fighting Saints Mike Antonovich is one of eight former University of Minnesota standouts will be inducted into the school's "M" Club Hall of Fame on Thursday in the TCF Bank Stadium DQ Club Room.

His Golden Gopher playing days cut short due to an injury, Antonovich made up for lost time with a lengthy and successful professional hockey career. Antonovich played at the University of Minnesota from 1969-72 and led the team in scoring as a freshman, but suffered a knee injury in a game against the U.S. Olympic team during the 1971-72 season. Antonovich left the Gophers following that season and embarked on a professional career that spanned 11 seasons and five different teams.

Antonovich totaled 45 goals and 40 assists for 85 points in 77 career games as a centerman for the Golden Gophers. He notched team highs in every category as a freshman with 23 goals, 20 assists, 43 points and 60 penalty minutes. Antonovich followed with 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points as a sophomore and was off to a strong start during his junior season with eight goals and two assists before his injury in the ninth game and first home contest of the year.

WHA Profile: Tim Sheehy

Talented and classy Tim Sheehy is now a successful player agent. His scoring prowess was a key factor in the Whalers success from 1972-74. Sheehy, who was born in September 3rd, 1948 in Fort Frances, Ontario, was an American citizen by the time his career got underway. Sheehy was a major star as a high school player leading his team to 59-straight victories and three consecutive Minnesota State Championships. He then moved on to a University career.

After three decorated years with Boston College, Sheehy joined the United States National Team where he participated in two World Championships and the 1972 Winter Olympics. He served as the captain of the U.S. club was a major part of the team that surprised many by winning a silver medal.

His professional career began in 1972 when he signed on with the World Hockey Association's New England Whalers where he soon earned a reputation as a steady scoring winger. During his third season with the Whalers Sheehy was traded to the Edmonton Oilers where he spent parts of three seasons. After a very solid 1976-77 campaign where Sheehy scored 41 goals with Birmingham he caught the attention of the NHL and was acquired via trade by the Detroit Red Wings.

According to Sheehy: "Being a parent and coach of young hockey players at this stage of my life, I certainly understand the demeanor of a younger Jack Kelley and his climb to the top of his profession. Helping young players attain their goals by winning championships and helping in their development along the way, is a passion that I share today as a hockey agent.

Never will I forget the trade engineered by Jack Kelley that sent me to the Edmonton Oilers on Valentine’s Day 1975, while being the team’s second leading scorer. Jack would later say that I was supposed to “warm things up for the Great Wayne Gretzky.” After spending two years in Edmonton, I was traded to the Birmingham Bulls of the WHA and got to play with the likes of Frank Mahovlich and Paul Henderson. With Birmingham experiencing financial problems, Vaclav Nedomansky and I were traded to the Detroit Red Wings in the first inter-league trade. Later, on Valentine’s Day 1978, Jack Kelley would tell me “it was time to come home” and play on a line with “Mr. Hockey,” Gordie Howe and his son Mark Howe, along with his defenseman brother Marty Howe. All three Howes’ had been so well represented by the family matriarch agent in contract negotiations, that being the wonderful and classy Colleen Howe. " Tim Sheehy

WHA Profile: Al Smith, New England Whalers

On of the top goalies in WHA history, Al Smith had two successful tours with the WHA Whalers (1972-1975) and (1977-1979).  He led the Whalers to the Avco Cup Championship in 1972-73.

Al Smith began his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs .  He would also play with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Hartford Whalers and Colorado Rockies. One of the most infamous moments of his career came on February 13, 1977 when he quit the Buffalo Sabres. Reunited with former Maple Leafs coach Punch Imlach, now the Buffalo General Manager, Smith was to replace injured Sabres goalie Gerry Desjardins in a game against the Minnesota North Stars. The Sabres had also called up Don Edwards and less than an hour before gametime, Imlach ordered Sabres coach Floyd Smith to play Edwards instead.^[1] After the playing of the National Anthem, Smith stepped off the bench, saluted Buffalo owners Seymour and Northrup Knox and headed for the dressing room.

Smith had more success in the WHA with the New England Whalers where he would earn the honour of WHA's top goaltender in 1978.^[1] A third team WHA All-Star for two consecutive years, many people in hockey felt Smith was robbed when snubbed by Team Canada for the 1974 Summit Series between WHA All-Stars and the Russian national team. ^[

In addition to the Avco Cup, Smith notched these individual awards:

• Played in World Hockey Association All-Star Game, 1972–73
• Named to World Hockey Association All-Star Third Team, 1972–73
• Played in World Hockey Association All-Star Game, 1973–74
• Named to World Hockey Association All-Star Third Team, 1973–74
• Played in World Hockey Association All-Star Game, 1974–75
• Winner, Top WHA Goaltender), 1977–78
• Named to World Hockey Association All-Star First Team, 1977–78

"Terrible" Ted Green, New England Whalers 1972-73

He was known around the hockey world as “Terrible” Ted Green, tough-looking defenceman from Manitoba who liked to mix it up with the best the NHL could throw at him. Green finished his NHL career with 1,029 penalty minutes over 11 seasons, all with the Bruins, and another 304 with the New England Whalers and Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association.

In the WHA, Green won three Avco Trophies with New England and Winnipeg.

At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Green was not big, but he was robust. He had made a name for himself as a member of the 1959 Winnipeg Braves, who won the Memorial Cup that year. The Bruins, a horrible team at the time, scooped him up in time for the 1960-61 season, when he played but one game. By the next season, he was a regular and played 66.

Green amassed more than 100 penalty minutes in six of his seasons with the Bruins before a life-threatening, stick-swinging incident with Wayne Maki in an exhibition game, kept him out of the 1969-70 season and left him with a metal plate inside his head.

Jim Dorey -- Talented Hard-Hitting Defenseman for Whalers, Nordiques and Toros

Hard-hitting Jim "Flipper" Dorey spurned a big offer from the New York Rangers to sign with the fledgling WHA New Engl;and Whalers in 1972.  He teamed with ex-Leafs teammates Brad Selwood and Rick Ley to form the WHA's premier defensive crew. Dorey was the Whalers' "quarterback" on the blueline with  63 points in 1972-73. He added 19 points in 16 playoff games as the Whalers won the Avco Cup..  After another all star season in 1973-74 he was traded to Toronto for Wayne Carleton during the 1974-75 season.   He made a big impact in Toronto, scoring 16 goals for the Toros high-octane offensive team.  Prior to the 1976-77 season he was traded to Quebec (for Dale Hoganson)and helped the high-flying Nordiques win the 1977 Avco Trophy.  Injuries dogged him throughout his final two WHA seasons and he did not join the club when it moved to the NHL in 1979. Dorey finished 50th in All Time WHA scoring, played in three WHA All-Star games and won two Avco Cups.

Despite a respectable career in the WHA, many people remember an ugly incident involving WHA tough guy Gordie Gallant.

"Gallant suckered Paul Baxter of our team and Gallant went to the penalty box to serve a major, two minors and a misconduct. The coach made it clear he expected me to do something about Gallant. It was the last time we'd be facing Birmingham because the league was about to fold. But what could I do? The guy would be in the penalty box for all but the last few moments of the game."

"So I led a four-man rush out of the Quebec zone, then stopped at center ice, right in front of the penalty box. I wheeled and sent a slap shot right at Gallant's head. He ducked and the puck struck a photographer standing behind him, knocking him flat."

The incident ended up in the land of the law. Dorey was fined $9,999.99 in small claims court.

Full Story here:

Rick Ley, New England Whalers, a WHA Legend

Rick Ley was one of the WHA's All-time top defensemen.  He was an all-star in each of his seven seasons with the New England Whalers.  The video clip has three Ley clips:  1972-73 Whalers highlite film, a goal vs. Quebec in 1979 and the infamous brawl with Valeri Kharmolov in the 1974 Summit series vs. the Soviet Union. MyHockeyTV.com

Rick Ley was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round (16th overall) in the 1966 NHL Amateur Draft. He played four seasons with the Maple Leafs (1968–69 to 1971–72) in the NHL before leaving to play with the New England Whalers of the WHA. He would remain with the Whalers' organisation in the WHA until that league folded in 1979.

Ley was one of the top 3-4 backliners in WHA history and "heart and soul" of the New England Whalers franchise.

The Whalers, along with three other teams from the WHA's remaining six, were absorbed into the NHL in 1979. Ley made the transition with the New England Whalers (who would become the Hartford Whalers) and finished his professional playing career in 1981.

Rick Ley spent six years as the Whalers' captain and is one of six players in Hartford Whalers' history to have his jersey number retired (#2), joining Gordie Howe and John McKenzie, Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson, and Kevin Dineen.

WHA career stats

• Regular season games played: 478
• Regular season goals: 35
• Regular season assists: 210
• Regular season points: 245
• Regular season penalty minutes: 716

• Playoff games played: 73
• Playoff goals: 7
• Playoff assists: 33
• Playoff points: 40
• Playoff penalty minutes: 142

WHA Profile: Tom Webster, New England Whalers

A long-time Bruins farmhand,  Tom "Hawkeye" Webster's NHL career come to life in 1970-71 when he joined the Detroit Red Wings.  Webster scored 30 goals, assisting on 37 others for a highly productive 67-point season. 

After a stint with the Californa Golden Seals, he joined the WHA's England Whalers in 1972 and enjoyed six WHA productive seasons. In his first WHA year, Webster scored 53 goals and 50 assists for 103 points playing on a line with Terry Caffery and Brit Selby.  The Whalers went on to win the WHA championship that year, led by Webster's 12-14-26 performance in 15 games.

Webster was chosen to play for Team Canada in 1974 in the Summit Series vs. the Soviet Union.  He played sparingly but is remembered for a spectacular end-to-end rush and goal in game three.  He also played in the 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976 WHA All-Star games.

Webster's brilliant WHA career was plagued by injuries.  In 1977-78, Webster played on a line with Mark and Gordie Howe and and amassed 15 goals in his first 20 games.  But his ailing back faltered
and he never played another WHA game.

In 352 WHA games, he amassed 220 goals, 205 assists and 425 points. He added 28-26-54 in the playoffs.

Note:  The 1971-72 Californaia Golden Seals wore white skates.  Webster took those skates to New England's training camp where he posed for the above photo.

WHA Profile: Garry Swain, New England Whalers

After several years in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, Garry Swain joined the Whalers in 1974. He teamed with Tommy Earl to form the WHA's premier penalty-killing unit in 1974-75 and scored the game winning goal vs. San Diego in the Whalers first-ever game in Hartford.

Swain was named MVP in the Whalers exhibition game vs. the USSR on December 27, 1976 (see video above). He scored a goal and killed numerous penalties as the Whalers recorded a 5-2 upset win. He went 22-33-55 in 171 WHA games.