The World Hockey Association (French: Association mondiale de hockey) was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979.

League history

The WHA was the first major competition for the National Hockey League (NHL) since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926. Although the WHA was not the first league since that time to attempt to challenge the NHL's supremacy, it was by far the most successful.

The WHA hoped to capitalize on the lack of hockey teams in a number of major cities, and it also hoped to attract the best players by paying more than NHL owners would. The WHA successfully challenged the reserve clause, which bound players to their NHL teams even without a valid contract, allowing players in both leagues greater freedom of movement. Sixty-seven players jumped from the NHL to the WHA in the first year, led by star forward Bobby Hull, whose ten-year, $2.75 million contract was a record at the time. The WHA signed European players, previously thought to be unsuited to the North American style of play.

The WHA had an acrimonious relationship with the NHL, resulting in numerous legal battles, as well as competition for control of players and markets. In spite of this, merger talks began almost immediately, as the WHA was constantly unstable, with franchises occasionally relocating, or folding, in the middle of the season. NHL owners voted down a 1977 plan to merge six WHA teams (the Edmonton Oilers, New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, Cincinnati Stingers, Houston Aeros, and Winnipeg Jets) into the NHL before a 1979 merger was approved. As a result, four teams, the Edmonton Oilers, New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets joined the NHL for the 1979–80 season, and the WHA ceased operations. The final WHA game was played on May 20, 1979, as the Jets defeated the Oilers to win their third AVCO World Trophy. (Source: Wikipedia)

The following team logos are available for the WHA
 

Example of "Logo with League and Years"

Each garment is produced on a per-order basis and given a thorough check of quality before leaving our office. We're proud to offer this hands-on attention for our customers. Each printed garment is made-to-order, and ships out of our office within 3-10 business days of your order. Embroidered items require up to 15 business days to complete, although we strive for a much quicker turnaround.

Digital printing uses state of the art technology to print images directly to the garment, which provides excellent image durability, wash fastness, and a soft, breathable image feel. Our large and vibrant logo print is second to none. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND when selecting your garment color that direct-to-garment printing does not utilize white ink. Therefore any part of a logo that is to be white will be the color of the shirt. This works well with most all logos on Ash or Tan-colored shirts, but use discretion when ordering Lt. Blue or Yellow garments.

Delivery in the U.S. via USPS Priority Mail. International shipping via USPS Priority Mail with rates based upon your location. PLEASE NOTE: Shipments outside of the United States may incur a customs fee when the package is picked up. The customer is responsible for this fee which is imposed by the receiving country.

ALL IMAGES ARE SIMULATIONS FOR EXAMPLE ONLY and are not actual photographs of the final printed product. Image color and size will vary.

Share This