WHA Hockey Apparel – World Hockey Association (1972-1979)

The World Hockey Association took on the NHL from 1972 to 1979. Teams moved, folded and changed names almost every season. These are the WHA teams we make apparel for.

We make t-shirts, hoodies, crewnecks and more for 17 WHA teams, from the Houston Aeros of Gordie Howe and his sons to franchises that never played a game.

We're a family-run small business bringing back the designs and the histories of long-lost hockey teams from across Canada and the US.

Skip to the history of the WHA

Baltimore Blades Chicago Cougars Cincinnati Stingers Cleveland Crusaders Denver Spurs Houston Aeros Indianapolis Racers Jersey Knights Los Angeles Sharks Miami Screaming Eagles Michigan Stags New York Golden Blades New York Raiders Ottawa Nationals Philadelphia Blazers San Diego Mariners Toronto Toros

The World Hockey Association, 1972 to 1979

The WHA was founded in 1971 by Dennis Murphy and Gary Davidson, who had also been heavily involved in the ABA, the challenger to the NBA. The NHL had only just grown from six teams to twelve, and the new league went after the markets it had left behind. It also went after its players. Most famously, the WHA signed Bobby Hull to a 10-year, $2.75 million deal, a record at the time.

The first season, 1972-73

The Los Angeles Sharks, New York Raiders, Chicago Cougars and Minnesota Fighting Saints were all original WHA franchises. Two other teams planned for the first season never played a game. The Miami Screaming Eagles couldn't find an arena in Florida and became the Philadelphia Blazers, whose opening night was rescheduled when the ice cracked under the Zamboni. The Calgary Broncos' owner died before they took the ice, and the team became the Cleveland Crusaders. The Houston Aeros were meant for Dayton, Ohio, and the Ottawa Nationals lasted one season at the Ottawa Civic Center.

A league on the move

No WHA franchise moved more than the one that started as the New York Raiders. Boxed out of the new Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, the Raiders were rebranded as the New York Golden Blades in 1973, skating in white skates with gold blades. Midway through that season they moved to the Cherry Hill Arena as the Jersey Knights, where the ice sloped so badly that one team skated uphill for two periods. The next fall they were the San Diego Mariners, who made the playoffs in all three of their seasons.

The Los Angeles Sharks went to Detroit in 1974 as the Michigan Stags, and by late January 1975 the league had moved them again to become the Baltimore Blades. The Ottawa Nationals became the Toronto Toros, who played at Varsity Arena and Maple Leaf Gardens with Frank Mahovlich before moving to Birmingham, Alabama in 1976. The Philadelphia Blazers left for Vancouver after one season.

The Chicago Cougars reached the 1974 finals but folded after the 1974-75 season, and most of their players went to the Denver Spurs. On December 31, 1975, the City of Denver put a lien on the Spurs, and they left to finish the season as the Ottawa Civics. The original Minnesota Fighting Saints, who signed future Hall of Famer Dave Keon, folded midway through 1975-76. The Cleveland Crusaders then moved to Minnesota as the second Fighting Saints, in red instead of blue, and folded during the 1976-77 season.

Howe, Gretzky and Messier

The Houston Aeros were one of the WHA's best draws and best teams, reaching the finals three times and winning two championships with Gordie Howe and his two sons in the lineup. The Indianapolis Racers, coached by Jacques Demers in their best seasons, signed a 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky in 1978 and sold him to Edmonton after eight games. Mark Messier played five games for the Racers on a trial contract and then joined the Cincinnati Stingers, who played at Riverfront Coliseum from 1975 to 1979 and also had Mike Gartner.

The 1979 merger

The Racers folded 25 games into the 1978-79 season. At the end of it, the WHA merged with the NHL, and four teams were absorbed: Edmonton, Hartford, Quebec and Winnipeg. The Stingers took a payout instead, and the Aeros were left out and folded.

WHA Questions

What was the WHA?

The World Hockey Association was a major professional league that competed with the NHL from 1972 to 1979, with teams across the US and Canada.

Which WHA teams joined the NHL?

Edmonton, Hartford, Quebec and Winnipeg joined the NHL in the 1979 merger. The league's other remaining clubs did not make the jump.

Which WHA teams never played a game?

The Miami Screaming Eagles and the Calgary Broncos, both meant to start play in 1972. A planned move of the Cleveland Crusaders to South Florida as the Florida Breakers also fell through.

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