New World Hockey Association Set to Start Play in October

TORONTO (AP) A new World Hockey Association is set to start playing in October with at least six teams.

Commissioner Bobby Hull, the star player of the WHA of the 1970s, and other businessmen announced Wednesday that teams in Halifax, Quebec City, Detroit, Dallas, Orlando and Jacksonville, Fla., have buildings in which to play.

Two more teams in Toronto and Hamilton are expected to join them shortly when they secure arena leases.

''A lot of them are in a situation right now where with this announcement they can go ahead and be selling season tickets by the first of next week,'' Hull said at a news conference.

The NHL's future is murky as its collective bargaining agreement with the players expires Sept. 15.

WHA team owners were frank in their belief that a labor disruption in the NHL would help their league gain fans looking for alternate sources of hockey.

''I'm convinced the CBA creates enough of an uncertainty to give us an opportunity,'' said Mario Frankovich, one of the owners of the Hamilton franchise and also chairman of the league's board.

The first WHA began in 1971 and became a rival to the NHL as it lured Hull from the Chicago Blackhawks and brought Gordie Howe out of retirement to play for the Houston Aeros with his sons.

The two leagues made a deal in 1979 with Edmonton, Quebec, Winnipeg and Hartford getting absorbed by the NHL and the WHA folding.

A 76-game season beginning on Oct. 29. is planned for this edition of the WHA.

The league will have no red-line, no-touch icing, touch-up offside and three-on-three overtime followed by a shootout.


Associated Press

In case anyone doesn't know "Touch up Offside" is a rule, which allows players who were ahead of the play (offside) to clear the zone, re-enter and pursue the puck with no stoppage of play for an offside face-off. It is designed to keep the game moving.


wil.

Sorry but this whole idea just looks plain stupid. There are plenty of minor leagues out there will be operating next season even if the NHL isn't, why start up a league that if it is lucky will be competing with them?

Bill,

I just think they got enough money to throw away that they don't care if it works or not.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by WildBill:
Sorry but this whole idea just looks plain stupid. There are plenty of minor leagues out there will be operating next season even if the NHL isn't, why start up a league that if it is lucky will be competing with them?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

WildBill.
Why ask a question when you know the answer to that question?

This is the perfect time for the WHA to restart. If the NHL implodes because of their labor problems, the new WHA will be in the right place at the right time.
True, if the NHL solves their labor problems, the WHA goes bust, but this is a calculated risk worth taking for the new WHA.
And for hockey fans, it has the extra benefit of either encouraging the NHL to solve their labor problems, or providing a legitimate replacement hockey product.

Sounds pretty interesting, maybe the NHL will look at some of the changes.