John Corn
04-16-03, 05:51 AM
PRAGUE (Reuters) - A group of Canadian businessmen have plans to bring back to life the World Hockey Association, a rival league to the established NHL, which died after seven years in 1979.
But whereas the first incarnation of the WHA, which delivered such stars as Wayne Gretzky to professional ice hockey, was restricted to North America, the new league intends to expand into Europe by 2005.
Tim Keighan, executive director of the Canadian-based World Hockey Association Inc, told Reuters in a telephone interview the league will have 12 teams in its inaugural 2004-5 season before it expands a year later.
"We know that there are a lot of cities around North America that have excellent venues that can be used to facilitate WHA teams," he said.
When it started in 1972, the upstart WHA lured established NHL star Bobby Hull to its Winnipeg Jets franchise with a $1 million contract, a sum unheard of for hockey players in those days.
Although many of the former league's teams drowned in a sea of red ink, the WHA played seven complete seasons and developed some solid markets for pro hockey where none had existed previously.
But a reincarnated WHA is unlikely to try and make such a financial splash, especially given the precarious state of some NHL teams such as the Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres.
In fact, Keighan said, financial prudence will be one of the new league's strong points.
"Our economic model makes it very favorable for any place that has a 12,000-seat plus venue that can come on board and realistically be profitable from the first season," Keighan added.
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2561528&fromEmail=true
But whereas the first incarnation of the WHA, which delivered such stars as Wayne Gretzky to professional ice hockey, was restricted to North America, the new league intends to expand into Europe by 2005.
Tim Keighan, executive director of the Canadian-based World Hockey Association Inc, told Reuters in a telephone interview the league will have 12 teams in its inaugural 2004-5 season before it expands a year later.
"We know that there are a lot of cities around North America that have excellent venues that can be used to facilitate WHA teams," he said.
When it started in 1972, the upstart WHA lured established NHL star Bobby Hull to its Winnipeg Jets franchise with a $1 million contract, a sum unheard of for hockey players in those days.
Although many of the former league's teams drowned in a sea of red ink, the WHA played seven complete seasons and developed some solid markets for pro hockey where none had existed previously.
But a reincarnated WHA is unlikely to try and make such a financial splash, especially given the precarious state of some NHL teams such as the Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres.
In fact, Keighan said, financial prudence will be one of the new league's strong points.
"Our economic model makes it very favorable for any place that has a 12,000-seat plus venue that can come on board and realistically be profitable from the first season," Keighan added.
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2561528&fromEmail=true