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The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association
The wildest seven years in the history of hockey
The Rebel League celebrates the good, the bad, and the ugly of the fabled WHA. It is filled with hilarious anecdotes, behind the scenes dealing, and simply great hockey. It tells the story of Bobby Hull’s astonishing million-dollar signing, which helped launch the league, and how he lost his toupee in an on-ice scrap.It explains how a team of naked Birmingham Bulls ended up in an arena concourse spoiling for a brawl. How the Oilers had to smuggle fugitive forward Frankie “Seldom” Beaton out of their dressing room in an equipment bag. And how Mark Howe sometimes forgot not to yell “Dad!” when he called for his teammate father, Gordie, to pass. There’s the making of Slap Shot, that classic of modern cinema, and the making of the virtuoso line of Hull, Anders Hedberg, and Ulf Nilsson.
It began as the moneymaking scheme of two California lawyers. They didn’t know much about hockey, but they sure knew how to shake things up. The upstart WHA introduced to the world 27 new hockey franchises, a trail of bounced cheques, fractious lawsuits, and folded teams. It introduced the crackpots, goons, and crazies that are so well remembered as the league’s bizarre legacy.
But the hit-and-miss league was much more than a travelling circus of the weird and wonderful. It was the vanguard that drove hockey into the modern age. It ended the NHL’s monopoly, freed players from the reserve clause, ushered in the 18-year-old draft, moved the game into the Sun Belt, and put European players on the ice in numbers previously unimagined.
The rebel league of the WHA gave shining stars their big-league debut and others their swan song, and provided high-octane fuel for some spectacular flameouts. By the end of its seven years, there were just six teams left standing, four of which – the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, Edmonton Oilers, and Hartford Whalers – would wind up in the expanded NHL.
From the Hardcover edition.
The Rebel League celebrates the good, the bad, and the ugly of the fabled WHA. It is filled with hilarious anecdotes, behind the scenes dealing, and simply great hockey. It tells the story of Bobby Hull’s astonishing million-dollar signing, which helped launch the league, and how he lost his toupee in an on-ice scrap.It explains how a team of naked Birmingham Bulls ended up in an arena concourse spoiling for a brawl. How the Oilers had to smuggle fugitive forward Frankie “Seldom” Beaton out of their dressing room in an equipment bag. And how Mark Howe sometimes forgot not to yell “Dad!” when he called for his teammate father, Gordie, to pass. There’s the making of Slap Shot, that classic of modern cinema, and the making of the virtuoso line of Hull, Anders Hedberg, and Ulf Nilsson.
It began as the moneymaking scheme of two California lawyers. They didn’t know much about hockey, but they sure knew how to shake things up. The upstart WHA introduced to the world 27 new hockey franchises, a trail of bounced cheques, fractious lawsuits, and folded teams. It introduced the crackpots, goons, and crazies that are so well remembered as the league’s bizarre legacy.
But the hit-and-miss league was much more than a travelling circus of the weird and wonderful. It was the vanguard that drove hockey into the modern age. It ended the NHL’s monopoly, freed players from the reserve clause, ushered in the 18-year-old draft, moved the game into the Sun Belt, and put European players on the ice in numbers previously unimagined.
The rebel league of the WHA gave shining stars their big-league debut and others their swan song, and provided high-octane fuel for some spectacular flameouts. By the end of its seven years, there were just six teams left standing, four of which – the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, Edmonton Oilers, and Hartford Whalers – would wind up in the expanded NHL.
From the Hardcover edition.
304 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2004
48 people are currently reading
750 people want to read
About the author
Ed Willes
5 books8 followersSports columnist Ed Willes was born in Ottawa in 1955. Growing up, he moved across the country living in Ottawa, Montreal, Regina, Chilliwack, Toronto, Kingston, and Victoria. He remained in Ottawa to complete his third year of journalism BA at Carleton, but, alas, never obtained his degree.
Willes' first newspaper posting was for the Medicine Hat News in 1982 when he covered the WHL Tigers, minor league Blue Jays, rodeo, and more curling than he cares to remember.
In 1996, Willes moved to Regina where he reported on the WHL Pats and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was working on a feature about a woman darts thrower when he was offered a columnist job at the Winnipeg Sun.
In Winnipeg, he spent two years as the General Columnist before moving on and becoming the Jets beat writer and hockey columnist. This stint led him to cover the tragic demise of the Jets while he also took on the role of the first beat writer for the IHL Manitoba Moose.
After Winnipeg, Willes spent a year as a freelance writer in Montreal appearing regularly in the New York Times.
Willes was finally drafted to The Province in the fall of 1998.
Aside from his extensive writing career, Willes boasts a single-digit handicap in golf, an encyclopedic knowledge of pre-1982 pop music and an "inexplicable fascination with movies and popular culture as a whole."
Willes' first newspaper posting was for the Medicine Hat News in 1982 when he covered the WHL Tigers, minor league Blue Jays, rodeo, and more curling than he cares to remember.
In 1996, Willes moved to Regina where he reported on the WHL Pats and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was working on a feature about a woman darts thrower when he was offered a columnist job at the Winnipeg Sun.
In Winnipeg, he spent two years as the General Columnist before moving on and becoming the Jets beat writer and hockey columnist. This stint led him to cover the tragic demise of the Jets while he also took on the role of the first beat writer for the IHL Manitoba Moose.
After Winnipeg, Willes spent a year as a freelance writer in Montreal appearing regularly in the New York Times.
Willes was finally drafted to The Province in the fall of 1998.
Aside from his extensive writing career, Willes boasts a single-digit handicap in golf, an encyclopedic knowledge of pre-1982 pop music and an "inexplicable fascination with movies and popular culture as a whole."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
June 11, 2016
6/10/16: Like Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe was one of those larger-than-life players that put the WHA on the map. He came to play next to his sons. And it was there his legend grew far greater.
This book tells all those stories and more in beautiful detail.
He was one of the greatest hockey players to ever play this game. RIP Mr. Hockey.
Book Review:
As far as writing goes for a historical event within hockey, I thought this book was first rate in how engaging and witty it was in re-telling the rise, and ultimately the fall, of the World Hockey Association.
As a fan of the sport that was born well after the beginning and the end of the once rival North American league, the whole history was largely novel to me. Granted, I was aware of the leagues former existence in addition to the tidbits here and there regarding Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull with the Winnipeg Jets, and the fact the Edmonton Oilers dynasty of the 80s was built from the last gasps of its WHA days, as it's hard to be a serious hockey fan without hearing of these things.
And while all those people, teams and places did play a pivotal role and was discussed extensively within the book, it was the other stuff that it told us that really made the book and the league of such immense interest and the regaling of its story so charming. The characters in the books are simply unparalleled and really did illustrate the character and personality of this cowboy league.
The tone of the book also really helped sell the story and make it so enjoyable. It's so easy to imagine such a story could be treated somberly, like those regretting what they lost, or more likely disapproving of its existence, as Harold Ballard would have certainly done if he had written this book. It could have even been a dry, straight-forward retelling, as it certainly spoke enough about the business of sport to garner it.
But Ed Willes managed to weave all of it artfully with a light and humourous air that allowed the tale to float along seamlessly. None of the business talk weighed it down and in fact, in a lot of ways added to the lightness of the book when presented simultaneously with the experiences and stories of the players and teams that were involved.
Don't assume however that he treated the whole event as if a joke. He gave the league and the impact it had on the NHL and hockey with the due diligence it deserved, as it did bring about some very important changes for the good of its players.
In some ways, the lightness of the book was really a reflection of the league it pays homage to, a league that is a serious subject that really at its roots didn't take itself as seriously as it'd like those to believe it to. The amount of fun it had at the expense of the NHL was incredible, and it is also stunning how ruthless the NHL was in turn, and how terrified they were of the WHA and its new world order.
A worthwhile read for hockey fans, and a very enjoyable experience for someone who have never lived it. And a newfound respect as well to all those that took part in this rebel league.
This book tells all those stories and more in beautiful detail.
He was one of the greatest hockey players to ever play this game. RIP Mr. Hockey.
Book Review:
As far as writing goes for a historical event within hockey, I thought this book was first rate in how engaging and witty it was in re-telling the rise, and ultimately the fall, of the World Hockey Association.
As a fan of the sport that was born well after the beginning and the end of the once rival North American league, the whole history was largely novel to me. Granted, I was aware of the leagues former existence in addition to the tidbits here and there regarding Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull with the Winnipeg Jets, and the fact the Edmonton Oilers dynasty of the 80s was built from the last gasps of its WHA days, as it's hard to be a serious hockey fan without hearing of these things.
And while all those people, teams and places did play a pivotal role and was discussed extensively within the book, it was the other stuff that it told us that really made the book and the league of such immense interest and the regaling of its story so charming. The characters in the books are simply unparalleled and really did illustrate the character and personality of this cowboy league.
The tone of the book also really helped sell the story and make it so enjoyable. It's so easy to imagine such a story could be treated somberly, like those regretting what they lost, or more likely disapproving of its existence, as Harold Ballard would have certainly done if he had written this book. It could have even been a dry, straight-forward retelling, as it certainly spoke enough about the business of sport to garner it.
But Ed Willes managed to weave all of it artfully with a light and humourous air that allowed the tale to float along seamlessly. None of the business talk weighed it down and in fact, in a lot of ways added to the lightness of the book when presented simultaneously with the experiences and stories of the players and teams that were involved.
Don't assume however that he treated the whole event as if a joke. He gave the league and the impact it had on the NHL and hockey with the due diligence it deserved, as it did bring about some very important changes for the good of its players.
In some ways, the lightness of the book was really a reflection of the league it pays homage to, a league that is a serious subject that really at its roots didn't take itself as seriously as it'd like those to believe it to. The amount of fun it had at the expense of the NHL was incredible, and it is also stunning how ruthless the NHL was in turn, and how terrified they were of the WHA and its new world order.
A worthwhile read for hockey fans, and a very enjoyable experience for someone who have never lived it. And a newfound respect as well to all those that took part in this rebel league.
February 3, 2021
As a big hockey fan, I've long been intrigued by the World Hockey Association; I don't follow other sports and the WHA seemed to be an impressive major league rival to the National Hockey League. I also marvel that my hometown (Vancouver) in the mid-1970s boasted BOTH the Vancouver Canucks AND the Vancouver Blazers (sadly, one of the personal letdowns of this book is that Ed Willes spends only a few pages covering the Blazers; learning more about Vancouver's WHA team was one of the impetuses I had for reading this book in the first place).
This is a rollicking, heavily anecdotal history of the WHA's seven tumultuous years. Teams breathlessly came and went, venerable veterans Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull helped the association gain respectability, the WHA pioneered hockey in exotic locales including San Diego and Phoenix, and the WHA played a pivotal role in the migration of European players across the Atlantic to North America, with the senior Howe's linemates Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg leading the way. This was also a toughman's league, with many teams featuring fearsome bruisers. I had always thought the WHA was equivalent to the NHL but from Willes' account, it was a tier below. Still, the WHA was an attractive option as it let young stars sign with them and compete in a men's league before they would have the option in the NHL; whereas an NHL underager would have to toil in the juniors until they were a bit more seasoned, in the WHA underagers could thrive (as the "Baby Bulls" of Birmingham did).
There are lots of zany stories in this book and some teams like the Winnipeg Jets definitely gain more coverage than other WHA teams. But hockey fans will find this a treat - many WHA players either came from the NHL or would revert back to the NHL once the two leagues merged in 1979.
This is a rollicking, heavily anecdotal history of the WHA's seven tumultuous years. Teams breathlessly came and went, venerable veterans Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull helped the association gain respectability, the WHA pioneered hockey in exotic locales including San Diego and Phoenix, and the WHA played a pivotal role in the migration of European players across the Atlantic to North America, with the senior Howe's linemates Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg leading the way. This was also a toughman's league, with many teams featuring fearsome bruisers. I had always thought the WHA was equivalent to the NHL but from Willes' account, it was a tier below. Still, the WHA was an attractive option as it let young stars sign with them and compete in a men's league before they would have the option in the NHL; whereas an NHL underager would have to toil in the juniors until they were a bit more seasoned, in the WHA underagers could thrive (as the "Baby Bulls" of Birmingham did).
There are lots of zany stories in this book and some teams like the Winnipeg Jets definitely gain more coverage than other WHA teams. But hockey fans will find this a treat - many WHA players either came from the NHL or would revert back to the NHL once the two leagues merged in 1979.
December 21, 2020
An amazing ride through a crazy league. From non-descript, blah origins to the crazy connections with the movie Slap Shot, The Rebel League is one of the best hockey books written. The influence of the World Hockey Association on the modern game should not be taken lightly. Ed Willes has provided us a hockey masterpiece.
May 13, 2009
As the NHL tries to revive interest following a lock out and lacking a contract with a significant television network, this isn't the first time there was an effort to shake up the world of professional hockey. Taking cues from the American Football League and the American Basketball Association, the World Hockey Association was born.
The Rebel League
, by Ed Willes, makes a worthy but not always successful effort to document the history of the WHA.[return][return]Although in existence only from October 1972 through March 1979, the impact the WHA on professional hockey in North American is unquestionable. As a renegade league of sorts, the founders and owners knew the only chance of success was to have top-name players. As a result, they lured superstar Bobby Hull with a million dollar bonus at a time when most NHL stars were lucky to make six figures.[return][return]Large contracts and bonuses allowed the WHA to land other quality NHL players and top quality draft picks. The WHA's actions not only increased player salaries in the NHL, they cracked the reserve clause in the NHL. Whether that ultimately has been good or bad for hockey is a matter of opinion.[return][return]Yet the WHA also got Gordie Howe to come out of retirement and play -- and quite effectively -- with his sons. It delved heavily into European players, opening the door much wider for those players in the NHL. It also was the starting ground for many future NHL superstars, such as Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.[return][return]Still, the WHA remains perhaps more renowned for its characters. There was, for example, the night a referee was somewhat stumped on what penalty to call when two teammates on the Minnesota Fighting Saints got in a fight on the ice. Seems the rules don't specifically cover teammates fighting each other. Then there was goalie Gilles Gratton. A believer in reincarnation, among other things, Gratton begged off starting a game because of sore ribs he said were the result of a spear wound he suffered 300 years before. In another game, he simply left after two periods because he felt he'd faced enough shots.[return][return]Thanks to Hollywood, though, perhaps the most famous were the Carlson brothers of Minnesota. Not only did they serve as the inspiration for the bespectacled Hanson brothers of
Slap Shot
fame, two of the three actually played themselves in the movie.[return][return]The problem with The Rebel League is there is just too much ground and too many people to cover. Business and financial details compete with personalities and historical developments for both the writer's and the reader's attention. Willes also makes an effort to give each team equal time and its due but that is at time disruptive to the flow of the material. Still, it is a worthwhile excursion into a rebel league that would change the face of professional hockey.[return][return]Anyone who might question the impact of the WHA need only look at the 2006 Stanley Cup finals, the first after the rule changes bringing about the so-called "new NHL." The ultimate winners -- the Carolina Hurricanes -- actually began as the New England Whalers in the WHA. Their opponent? The only original WHA team that remains from the WHA's merger with the NHL 1979 -- the Edmonton Oilers.[return][return]Originally posted at http://prairieprogressive.com/2006/06...
May 24, 2014
The Rebel League surprised me a bit. I was concerned it would be more of a "surface" story. Not really getting into details of the 7-year venture that was the WHA. It turned out to be a very well-written, detailed story.
Sure, there are the must-haves like Gordie Howe and his kids, Bobby Hull, Wayne Gretzky, the Slap Shot inspiration, the goonery. But this had more.
Details, details, details. Lots of interviews - and from a very diverse bunch. That was a big part of the enjoyment. Recognizing names that I haven't heard since I was a kid.
By the way, I can see this book being a more enjoyable read to those who recognize names like Steve Durbano, Real Cloutier, Anders Hedberg and John Garrett. Connecting those memories with their stories really made this a fun read.
Concise, but with good stories. Well organized and expressively written. The Rebel League is more than just a "history of". It documents the real push the WHA had vs. the NHL. It unveils the impact the league had on player salaries, overall game style innovations and the incredible merger that impacted the league for the next 20+ years (in fact, the impact is still resonating).
A great documentation of one of the most important 7-year sport ventures in all of pro sports. It left me wanting more. Read it.
Sure, there are the must-haves like Gordie Howe and his kids, Bobby Hull, Wayne Gretzky, the Slap Shot inspiration, the goonery. But this had more.
Details, details, details. Lots of interviews - and from a very diverse bunch. That was a big part of the enjoyment. Recognizing names that I haven't heard since I was a kid.
By the way, I can see this book being a more enjoyable read to those who recognize names like Steve Durbano, Real Cloutier, Anders Hedberg and John Garrett. Connecting those memories with their stories really made this a fun read.
Concise, but with good stories. Well organized and expressively written. The Rebel League is more than just a "history of". It documents the real push the WHA had vs. the NHL. It unveils the impact the league had on player salaries, overall game style innovations and the incredible merger that impacted the league for the next 20+ years (in fact, the impact is still resonating).
A great documentation of one of the most important 7-year sport ventures in all of pro sports. It left me wanting more. Read it.
June 2, 2010
I was born in Edmonton at the tail end of the 1970s, so I always had a general awareness of the World Hockey Association, but I didn't really know much about it beyond a bunch of the teams ended up in the NHL, and that Gordie Howe played on the same team with his kids at one point. This book was clearly an education, then.
The WHA story is an interesting one - it was started by people who seemed to not know much about hockey or business, and kept itself together with little more than duct tape and prayers at times before ultimately collapsing. In doing so, though, it completely changed the business of hockey and the way it's played in North America, so it's an important history to be aware of if you're a fan of the game.
In some ways, it felt like I'd heard this story before: the rise and fall of the WHA mirrors what I've seen in a lot of other places - there are parallels here to ECW wrestling, Valiant comics, Miramax films, and the "grunge movement" in rock and roll. It's interesting to see history repeat itself that way, but kind of sad as well.
The WHA story is an interesting one - it was started by people who seemed to not know much about hockey or business, and kept itself together with little more than duct tape and prayers at times before ultimately collapsing. In doing so, though, it completely changed the business of hockey and the way it's played in North America, so it's an important history to be aware of if you're a fan of the game.
In some ways, it felt like I'd heard this story before: the rise and fall of the WHA mirrors what I've seen in a lot of other places - there are parallels here to ECW wrestling, Valiant comics, Miramax films, and the "grunge movement" in rock and roll. It's interesting to see history repeat itself that way, but kind of sad as well.
July 1, 2011
Hilarious. A decent history of the rise and fall, and the WHA's legacy, but mostly a collection of great anecdotes involving some pretty wacky characters. Willes tries a bit too hard to be the deadpan raconteur at times, but the tales themselves are amusing. A fun read, especially if you're a hockey fan.
January 23, 2013
This is the best hockey book you've never heard of. The book chronicles the good, the bad, and the ugly of the WHA, and there was plenty of bad and ugly to go around. The stories that filtered out of the wild and crazy backwoods league went on to inspire just about everything in SlapShot. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction and this holds true here.
January 26, 2015
Most enjoyable hockey book I have ever read--and I've read quite a few of them. Does for the World Hockey Association what Terry Pluto's LOOSE BALL did for the American Basketball Association. And once more, that is saying a lot.
If you love hockey, or if you love the business of sports, if you remember the 70s--heck, if you ever rented "Slapshot," you should read this book.
If you love hockey, or if you love the business of sports, if you remember the 70s--heck, if you ever rented "Slapshot," you should read this book.
July 18, 2012
funny, well-researched and interviewed and attributed, and just everything is so good about this book. The names and such got a bit jumbled up in my head so I had to keep going back and reminding myself of who was who, but other than that... this is such an entertaining, enlightening read.
February 22, 2013
This book exceeded my expectations by a great deal! Sports books, all too often, disappoint but this book is welcome exception. Willes has a great sense of humour and his approach in telling the story through the people involved makes for a wonderful, nostalgic experience.
May 9, 2013
A great history of the World Hockey Association, warts and all. But the league forced the NHL into modern age, and should be fondly remembered for that. A non hockey fan would enjoy this book, as well as true hockey fans.
January 15, 2016
Entertaining and well-written stories about the rebels who changed hockey. At times, I chuckled out loud.
January 2, 2013
Really enjoyed the stories of hockey in the 70s, definitely a bygone era. For as many flaws as the WHA had, they changed the sport forever.
June 3, 2013
fascinating insight into the world of hockey in the 70's, and written in a way that's delightfully entertaining
July 11, 2014
Loved this book grew up with the WHA Jets, a lot of the stuff I knew, some I didn't. A must read especially for WHA fans & all hockey fans who didn't get to see them play.
June 17, 2017
A funny and engaging read about the World Hockey Association from it's formation to it's eventual merging with the NHL.
July 21, 2025
The sixties and seventies were a wild time for the pro sports industries in the U.S. and Canada, as all the dominant sports leagues except baseball saw clean-sheet challengers form.
The World Hockey Association was the shot across the bow of the NHL.
In 'The Rebel League', Canadian sportswriter Ed Willes tells its tale, moving in and out of the meta story about the environment that made such challenges possible (stuck-in-the mud owners, onerous reserve clauses keeping player salaries down and the like) mixing it with a lot of anecdotes about the WHA's founders, owners, coaches and players.
Many of them were entertainingly flaky in ways that are hard to imagine today, when sports ownership is a measured private equity play and players and coaches meld intricate systems of play with rigorous conditioning to produce an overall level of play that is massively more proficient than it it was in the 70s, but arguably less entertaining. (And I don't count the rampant fighting of the by-gone days as entertaining.)
I pulled this book off my shelves after many years unread; it was written 20 years ago and thank goodness it was, because the memories of the WHA were much more vivid then.
And I'm left thinking about how the WHA (and ABA and AFL), despite all their fly-by-night shenanigans, by at the very least opening up the market for players and giving them some agency, were important bridges from the sports world of yore to the highly professional one we have today.
The World Hockey Association was the shot across the bow of the NHL.
In 'The Rebel League', Canadian sportswriter Ed Willes tells its tale, moving in and out of the meta story about the environment that made such challenges possible (stuck-in-the mud owners, onerous reserve clauses keeping player salaries down and the like) mixing it with a lot of anecdotes about the WHA's founders, owners, coaches and players.
Many of them were entertainingly flaky in ways that are hard to imagine today, when sports ownership is a measured private equity play and players and coaches meld intricate systems of play with rigorous conditioning to produce an overall level of play that is massively more proficient than it it was in the 70s, but arguably less entertaining. (And I don't count the rampant fighting of the by-gone days as entertaining.)
I pulled this book off my shelves after many years unread; it was written 20 years ago and thank goodness it was, because the memories of the WHA were much more vivid then.
And I'm left thinking about how the WHA (and ABA and AFL), despite all their fly-by-night shenanigans, by at the very least opening up the market for players and giving them some agency, were important bridges from the sports world of yore to the highly professional one we have today.
July 18, 2025
If you’re a fan of this history of hockey, this book is an essential and satisfying read. Ed Willes chronicles the formation of the World Hockey Association (WHA), a competing professional hockey league to the NHL born following successful expansion, rising salaries, and the success of the ABA in the United States. The book is scattershot, focusing on the many teams, owners, and notable players that made up the league. There is of course chapters for the defection of notable NHLers (Derek Sanderson, Bobby Hull, and Gordie Howe), and there’s a sense that the WHA filled in a gap on an emerging talent pool and the appetite for many previously untapped markets for hockey. Some of these franchises would survive and move to the big leagues (Winnipeg, Quebec, Hartford, and Edmonton); others would fail, but many would resurrect as future expansion cities or AHL markets.
As an Ottawa fan, I was keen to read the chapters about the short lived Ottawa Nationals, and the even shorter lived Ottawa Civics (who folded as a franchise after only 7 games). Unfortunately the history on these teams is expectedly shorter than the write ups on the Jets or Aeros by comparison. But overall I think most would enjoy this as a reference of fun hockey stories. I’m grading this on a hockey book scale, so it’s five stars on those grounds.
As an Ottawa fan, I was keen to read the chapters about the short lived Ottawa Nationals, and the even shorter lived Ottawa Civics (who folded as a franchise after only 7 games). Unfortunately the history on these teams is expectedly shorter than the write ups on the Jets or Aeros by comparison. But overall I think most would enjoy this as a reference of fun hockey stories. I’m grading this on a hockey book scale, so it’s five stars on those grounds.
January 22, 2018
The 70s were an interesting decade for sports. You had a number of upstart leagues out there, challenging the existing status quo, fighting for more pieces of the pie that was and would continue to be an huge part of our culture. The AFL, the ABA, and the WHA were all upstart leagues, flying by the seat of their pants, and eventually merged with their bigger competitors, but all made their sports better.
Perhaps you've seen Slapshot, that hockey movie about that blue collar, lunchpail hockey team. They were loosely based on one of the minor league teams of the WHA, and that movie gives you a general idea of how things were back then. They were not fancy, they were mostly broke, they often employed a bunch of goons, but it was also, at least from how the book describes, a lot of fun to watch.
This book is overall pretty good, a bit disorganised though. I would have enjoyed a bit more structure in the chapters, because often the book feels like a collection of (very fun) anecdotes. There are some important players who came out of the WHA (like The Great One himself) and hearing more about what went on would have been nice. I suppose it's like digging up oral history.
So, this book is a great read for anyone who is interested in the history of the sport.
Perhaps you've seen Slapshot, that hockey movie about that blue collar, lunchpail hockey team. They were loosely based on one of the minor league teams of the WHA, and that movie gives you a general idea of how things were back then. They were not fancy, they were mostly broke, they often employed a bunch of goons, but it was also, at least from how the book describes, a lot of fun to watch.
This book is overall pretty good, a bit disorganised though. I would have enjoyed a bit more structure in the chapters, because often the book feels like a collection of (very fun) anecdotes. There are some important players who came out of the WHA (like The Great One himself) and hearing more about what went on would have been nice. I suppose it's like digging up oral history.
So, this book is a great read for anyone who is interested in the history of the sport.
June 11, 2020
In the 1960s and 70s, a number of professional sports leagues sprang up to challenge the long-established leagues in a number of sports. The American Football League, and American Basketball Association and the World Hockey Association all ended up eventually merging with their rival leagues. This book covers the seven year history of the WHA. It is a riveting tale of behind the scenes machinations, dazzling on-ice skill, and violent on-ice goonery, all of which were hallmarks of the short life of the WHA. This covers the development of the idea in the early 70s, through the signing of Bobby Hull which gave the new league instant credibility, to the introduction to professional hockey of a 17 year-old phenom named Wayne Gretzky during the final WHA season. The book gives credit to the league for its role in increasing players' salaries and introducing European players to North America, and critiques the league for the descend some of its teams took into the world of goon-style hockey. A very enjoyable book for anyone who was a hockey fan in the 1970s or who is younger but enjoys diving into hockey history.
May 28, 2024
Very enjoyable book, I have a fascination with the topic of the WHA and its instrumental role in the development of the current day NHL. This book more or less just shares stories from the league and discusses the way it changed the NHL from beginning to end when the WHA eventually merged with the NHL. I found there was a lot of insight and stories I had not heard before which I really liked and I found I was able to really understand the importance better after reading which for someone who did not live through the WHA I really enjoyed. I think this book would be great for older people who want to reminisce about the league or younger people who are hockey crazy and wanting to learn more about the development of the NHL.
December 27, 2016
I liked the book and it is informative, but Marek had me hyped about it so much it couldn't reach my expectations.
Plently of weird stories to check out, so if you are a bonafide hockey nerd it's a must. However, as someone who didn't grow up around hockey culture and only came to it after the last lockout, it is not easy to forge an emotional connection to the story told. Especially not-so-big stars that are brought in the lime light are people I hear about for the first time where I take n the information but do not grasp the meaning.
If I come back to this in a few years with more knowledge about 70s and 80s hockey, I will probably eat this up again.
Plently of weird stories to check out, so if you are a bonafide hockey nerd it's a must. However, as someone who didn't grow up around hockey culture and only came to it after the last lockout, it is not easy to forge an emotional connection to the story told. Especially not-so-big stars that are brought in the lime light are people I hear about for the first time where I take n the information but do not grasp the meaning.
If I come back to this in a few years with more knowledge about 70s and 80s hockey, I will probably eat this up again.
January 13, 2024
A well-researched narrative of the seven stormy years of the World Hockey Association. A well-balanced mix of history and anecdotes, many that I had not heard before. As I always said during those years, the W-FAKE-A as I didn't see the league being up to par with the NHL. However, as I learned that the NHL was a old, fat boys club, the changes brought on by the WHA were welcomed. I went to one Toronto Toros game in 1975 at Maple Leaf Gardens and saw the Howe family in a game against Houston - they were awesome. Well done.
June 19, 2025
This book focuses on the history of the World Hockey Association. A competitor to the National Hockey League and how it grew out of the of American Football League and American Basketball Association alternatives to the NFL and NBA, respectively. I knew only a limited amount of information about the WHA before beginning this book.
I found it both educational and entertaining as a read. The author has ties to Winnipeg which now once again has an NHL team and one that is doing better than its predecessor that has moved from Phoenix to Utah.
I found it both educational and entertaining as a read. The author has ties to Winnipeg which now once again has an NHL team and one that is doing better than its predecessor that has moved from Phoenix to Utah.
October 16, 2017
Hard to believe some of the things in this book actually happened. Comical and sad at the same time what some of those guys went through. Amazing that it was considered a professional league at all when you learn about some of the behind the scenes shenannigans that actually took place. I enjoyed it tremendously. I still have a bunch of WHA trading cards and old wax wrappers that they came in back in the day.
May 7, 2018
Most people forget there was a rival professional hockey league for seven years in the 70s - the WHA.
Each chapter is essentially a mini-biography about the different players and teams, from Gordon Howe, Bobby Hull, and Wayne Gretzky, not to mention the other wacky and wild characters from the league. The WHA was essentially the Wild West, no limits version of the NHL. I loved every page of these unbelievable stories and plucky underdogs.
Each chapter is essentially a mini-biography about the different players and teams, from Gordon Howe, Bobby Hull, and Wayne Gretzky, not to mention the other wacky and wild characters from the league. The WHA was essentially the Wild West, no limits version of the NHL. I loved every page of these unbelievable stories and plucky underdogs.
May 23, 2020
Fun read
Enjoyed this look at the end since I knew too little about it. The characters were an eccentric and colorful group. Kudos to Bobby Hill and Gordie Howe for moving the league forward with credibility. As with all sports mergers, old school guys like Harold Ballard were stubborn conservatives who never gave in to the theory that the old way is the only way. Recommended reading for hockey fans.
Enjoyed this look at the end since I knew too little about it. The characters were an eccentric and colorful group. Kudos to Bobby Hill and Gordie Howe for moving the league forward with credibility. As with all sports mergers, old school guys like Harold Ballard were stubborn conservatives who never gave in to the theory that the old way is the only way. Recommended reading for hockey fans.
March 3, 2025
This is a *strong* four stars.
While I wasn’t a fan of Gilles’ Vancouver Canucks retrospective, his style is far better suited to the seven season history of the WHA. While I’m usually not a fan of nonlinear storytelling in sports books, but going team-by-team for each franchise to tell their own independent story is very effective.
I also didn’t know this book is over 20 years old so reading that the Bruins hadn’t won the cup since 1972 warmed my heart
While I wasn’t a fan of Gilles’ Vancouver Canucks retrospective, his style is far better suited to the seven season history of the WHA. While I’m usually not a fan of nonlinear storytelling in sports books, but going team-by-team for each franchise to tell their own independent story is very effective.
I also didn’t know this book is over 20 years old so reading that the Bruins hadn’t won the cup since 1972 warmed my heart
September 5, 2019
This is a very readable book that gives us the I side scoop on the life of the World Hockey Association. It is filled with great stories and good insight on how the WHA changed Hockey forever. If you are a hockey fan it is a must read, and it will be an interesting read for any sports fan, or for anyone interested in the business of sports.
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