In fact, the WHA was home to many of hockey's all-time greats, including Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Frank Mahovlich, Mark Messier, Mike Gartner, Michel Goulet and many more.
The WHA also spawned four NHL franchises: The Hartford Whalers, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques
Mike Liut, recent CT Hockey HOF Inductee, and got his pro start with the WHA's Cincinnati Stingers
The Kimberley Dynamiters must have thought they had died and gone to heaven. It was late in November of 1976 and Billy Martin of the Cranbrook Royals was phoning to ask if the Dynamiters would be interested in John Migneault of the Phoenix Road Runners, a player who had six years of pro hockey under his belt.
The Kimberley answer on the phone that day was " Oh Yeah, when can he be here? Does he need travelling money?"
Johnny Migneault was in the process of being bought out of his contract by the Phoenix Road Runners of the World Hockey Association, but not before they tried to sell him to the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. The Phoenix hockey team was in severe financial trouble that season of 1976, so John and his wife Val and their three children, Tara Lyn, Justin and Trevor decided it was time to return home to Canada.
John called his cousin in Cranbrook B.C. who married a hockey player (Billy Martin of the Rossland Warriors and Cranbrook Royals, who was a constant thorn in the Kimberley Dynamiters side, while racking up 370 goals in his career in the Western International hockey League). Anyway, Martin rang up the Dynamiters about Migneault, which set the wheels in motion for the Migneault family to come to Kimberley BC for the 1976 season.
Back in the 1970s each team in the W.I.H.L could have one pro player per season on their roster. The Royals had signed home-towner Danny Spring, so Johnny Migneault literally fell into the Dynamiters lap.
Murray Flagel was the Nitro Coach when John first pulled on his Dynamiter sweater 2 in the fall of 1976. The following year Miggs played for the Cranbrook Royals and wouldn't you know it the Dynamiters won the Allan Cup in 1978 without him.
Terry Caffery was the Whalers first-ever 100-point scorer and a key figure in New England's 1972-73 Championship.
The following season Caffery signed with the Whalers and met with his greatest success as a pro, scoring 100 points to finish in the WHA's top ten in the loop's inaugural season and proving a key component in the Whalers' league championship that year. He was awarded the Lou Kaplan Trophy as the league's rookie of the year. However, he suffered a knee injury late that year that, despite him starring in the playoffs, forced him to miss the entire 1974 season. He returned to play for the Whalers the year after that, but remained seriously impaired, and retired during the 1976 season.
His brother was Jack Caffery, a two-sport player who also played baseball with the Milwaukee Braves and was credited with inventing the backward grip for faceoffs.
From Stan Fischler at NE Hockey Journal
* When we asked Howard Baldwin why he’s opening up
at Hartford office to market the Whalers NHL brand, he had a neat
reply: “My best analogy is about a university. Remember when you
graduated college and you had so many classmates who were touched by
it? Well, if that college folded, there still would be thousands who
had been touched by it.
“And that’s how I feel about the Hartford Whalers. It had such a positive impact on so many hockey fans – not only in Connecticut– that I’m sure we can develop renewed interest.”
Whaler Nation Birthdays, March 31: Gordie Howe (82) and the late Ric Jordan
From this week's Fischler Report: "An original Whaler from the WHA days, Larry Pleau tells us he believes Hartford could support another NHL team. The Blues’ exec is tickled that Howard Baldwin has launched a crusade to return big league hockey to Connecticut.
'If anyone can do it ' says Pleau, 'Howard is the Man.'"
Howard Baldwin Talks Whalers on Fox 61
First Period
1. New England, Carleton 32 (Webster, Hurley) 10:03
Penalties: Selwood,NE 6:01; Ketola,Wpg 8:27; Ley,NE 19:47
Second Period
2. Winnipeg, Hedberg 43 (Bergman, Hull) 1:08
3. New England, Climie 20 (Caffery, Webster) 3:52
4. Winnipeg, Spring 17 (Johnson, Bergman) 15:02
Penalties: O'Donnell,NE 4:07; Gruen,Wpg 4:32; Beaule,Wpg 10:40
Third Period
5. Winnipeg, Hull 69 (Beaule) 11:30
6. Winnipeg, Hedberg 44 (Hull, Ford) 16:04
7. Winnipeg, Miller 6 (Young, Hornung) 17:08
8. New England, Byers 18 (Carleton, Blackburn) 17:36
9. Winnipeg, Hedberg 45 19:59
Penalties: none
Shots on Goal By
Winnipeg ......... 10 12 13 - 35
New England ... 20 12 10 - 37
Goal - Daley, Winnipeg; Smith, New England
On this day, however, he was much more interested in talking about the beginning game than the end game. The NHL isn't coming this year or next year or maybe even the year after that. And that's why Baldwin wanted to get out a simple message loud and clear.
Winnipeg Jets Ulf Nilsson at 1977 WHA All Star Game.
We recently tracked down Paul Kellogg the talented Whalers Photographer from 1975-1981. Together we have poured through thousands of negatives and slides from this golden era of Hartford hockey.
Soon we'll announce joint projects between us and Paul that will provide fans the opportunity to view these never-before-seen images of the Whalers, Gordie Howe, Dave Keon, Bobby Hull, the Carlsons, etc.
Gordie Howe (with black eye) strolls through the Hartford Civic Center followed by adoring fans in 1977.
More Pictures will be released soonThe "Brawl in the Mall" Whaler Rick Ley tries to get to Minnesota's Bill Butters.
Whaler Nick Fotiu in the "Sin Bin"
L-r: Ron Grahame, Gord Howe, Ron Climie, Poul Popiel. Whalers vs. Houston 1976.
Rick Ley (Whalers) and Curt Brackenbury (Fighting Saints) Let 'em fly.
