WHA Chronicles

As we survey the aftermath of the recent 2012-2013 NHL labour lockout, viewing this DVD set brought back wonderful memories of seven very brief years when the National Hockey League was not the only game in town. With exclusive videos of WHA championship victories by the Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets, the DVD also presents a WHA All-Star game and the little-known exhibition win by the New England Whalers over the Soviet National hockey team. For me, the highlight of the set is an exclusive interview with Bobby Hull, whose defection from the Chicago Blackhawks rocked the NHL and brought viability to the fledgling World Hockey Association in 1972. Bobby shares a great story about how mavericks "Wild Bill" Hunter and Ben Hatskin inadvertently pushed NHL moguls to get involved in the Canada-Russia Summit Series in 1972. The NHL was in its own little world, but before it was too late they foresaw there could be North American involvement in international hockey without them unless they pushed to the front of the line. The series was woefully ill-timed, as the senior league still relied on predictable and easy-to-defend "linear" hockey, clearly icing an ill-prepared all-star squad, but hockey history was unfolding before our eyes. As time wears on, the Canada-Russia series of '72 remains one of Canada's fondest national memories. The WHA not only opened up hockey, but perhaps the world also. Starting with western European players, eventually players defected from Czechoslovakia and Russia. Entering with a bang, the rival league went down with a whimper, ending up with only 4 of their franchises being absorbed in a 1979 "expansion." Of these four (Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques, Hartford Whalers), only the Edmonton franchise survived. The NHL vanquished its rival, almost completely erasing memory of it, but the 7-year blip made for many great hockey memories. I am disappointed and frankly, greatly surprised, no WHA Hockey tapes survived from Global TV's 1970s coverage of the Toronto Toros! Does anyone remember the broadcasting troika of Mike Anscombe, Carl Brewer and Bill Bird, covering the Toros weekly from a half-full/half-empty Maple Leaf Gardens, icing luminaries like Shotgun Tommy Simpson, Frank Mahovlich, Paul Henderson, Les Binkley, Vaclav Nedomansky, Gilles Gratton, Dave Tataryn, Greg Neeld and Carl Brewer (called out of retirement)? I suspect that not all of the games disappeared and if my hunch is right, they are probably occupying some lucky person's library as I type. Alas, perhaps we'll never know.

Yes it was a rebel league, but you can't help loving them for challenging the stranglehold that the NHL had on professional hockey at the time. The WHA changed hockey forever. It's really hard to believe that there is so little video evidence left of the league. This 3-disc DVD set captures all the moments that are left from the rival league of the 70's. I highly recommend it to all hockey fans. It is a great historical document. I can't wait to watch it again.

totally lived up to what it was advertised as. the quality of the games is great, though i wouldnt have cared if it was not. the metal case is awesome as well. i would not have minded some portions of games as well as part of a second or larger version of this set. there is a fight montage which while entertaining proves that there is plenty more WHA footage out there. great set here, though.

Considering the time and types of transmissions for the period, this is a tresure for Nords, WHA, and Hockey fans in general. There just are not many real WHA videos out there and this one is worth the look if the price is right. The highlight is old building the Nordiques called home. Young fans will get a chuckle out of the atire of the locals, and all fans will be surprised at the pace of the action. This league and this period was not the birth of the trap.

So cool to see the old time hockey of this league!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a long-time WHA fan from San Diego, and picked this up because it had the 1977 WHA All-Star Game on it. The San Diego Mariners were in first place in the Western Division at the All-Star break, and ended up with a bunch of players on the All-Star team (Lacroix, Ferguson, Noris, Shmyr, Morrison). Lots of other stars were in this game - of course Hull, Howe & JC Tremblay, but there is Bernier, Tardif, Stapleton, Ftorek and many others. My take is that the WHA in 1976-77 was not very much improved over the WHA from 1974-75... the oldtime NHLers are now all 2 years older, and there are only a few young superstars added to the mix (Hedberg, Nillson). Gone are Cheevers and Frank Mahovlich. The announcers for the All-Star game are really quite bad, they make a lot unintersting and almost derogatory comments, and totally miscall the first goal scored by the West, insisting again and again that it was Bobby Hull who scored the goal, when it was obviously Paul Shmyr. The Quebec-Winnipeg game turns into a rout... and the "host" ruins the game by telling you who wins, even before the game starts... the game could have been somewhat exciting, if you didn't know how it would end. It starts out and keeps up at a high pace - and J.C. Tremblay's long goal in the 2nd period is a classic.

This was not what I expected but I can say It was totally enjoyable. Real hockey at its all time best.

It was boring watching full games rather than highlights, although the WHA vs. Russia was a lot of fun to watch. I understand there is not much in the way of footage so I think they did the best with what was available. The Bobby Hull / Wayne Gretzky interviews were great.

I think most WHA hockey fans were dying for something (anything!) to officially (Hockey Hall of Fame logo pops up at the start) come out on good quality DVD. Let me just say, the wait has been worth it. There are four full games, a fight reel (including some classic Birmingham Bulls Slapshot-like brawls), very insightful interviews with Bobby Hull and Wayne Greztky, a funny (but what was with the homophobic joke about the New York Golden Blades?) league history that is like an SCTV "Logos Galore" sketch (with some odd versions of the logos of the four WHA teams that went into the NHL) and a stats package, which is virtually useless, as you need to put the DVD in your computer and it just links to a Web site. Since product details are sketchy up here, excuse the lengthy rundown (and these are full games minus the commercials and the intermissions). Whole thing is hosted by Winnipeg sportscaster Peter Young : Disc 1 --USSR @ New England Whalers (Dec. 27/76) Brilliant pic quality. You get the classic Brass Bonanza tune when the Whalers come on at the beginning of each period. Sadly, crowd seems a bit subdued as do the broadcast crew. The Soviets, as well, look comatose (could be jet lag as this was Game 1 of an eight-game series vs. WHA clubs). This is "pre-Howes on the Whalers" so the stars are Tom "Hawkeye" Webster and Larry "future NHL GM" Pleau. Soviets feature all the usual suspects--Aleksandr Yakushev, Vladislav Tretiak, Aleksandr Maltsev, etc. Gratuitous Stan Fischler as roaming rink reporter. Disc 2 --1977 WHA All-Star Game East vs. West @ Hartford (Jan. 18/77) Very good pic quality. Tons of shots, but it's an all-star game so don't expect too much intensity. Stars include the line of Bobby Hull-Ulf Nilsson-Anders Hedberg, Gordie Howe, Andre Lacroix, Robbie Ftorek, Danny Lawson, Joe Daley, John Garrett, Pat Stapleton and J.C. Tremblay. Interview with Paul Shmyr in first intermission. --1977 Avco Cup Final Game 7 Winnipeg Jets @ Quebec Nordiques (May 26/77) Very good to excellent pic quality. Don Wittman does the play-by-play with Don Chevrier and it looks like CTV (?) actually televised this back then. Wild crowd and some crazy goals. Has hilites of Games 5 and 6 at the opening. Possibly one of the best matchups on paper given this was the Jets of Hull, Nilsson and Hedberg w/ vs. the Nords of Serge Bernier, Rejean Houle, Marc Tardifs, the Bordeleaus, and goalie Richard "the King" Brodeur. Check out Nords' great defenseman J.C. Tremblay post-game. Disc 3 --1979 Avco Cup Final Game 6 Edmonton Oilers @ Winnipeg Jets (May 20/79) Like you are there! Last game in WHA history. Decent pic quality. Great low camera angles. Sound sometimes sounds like the very thrilling play-by-play guy is talking underwater. Features post-game Cup presentation. See a 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky for the Oil, but Bobby Hull is long-gone in this game. Luckily, the Jets are still playing that freewheeling style that Edmonton would copy in the NHL. Jets' stars include goalie Gary "Suitcase" Smith, Lars-Erik Sjoberg, Willy Lindstrom, Morris Lukowich, Kent "the Magic Man" Nilsson, Rich Preston, Terry Ruskowski and Peter Sullivan. Oilers have such classic players as Paul Shmyr (wearing the Soviet "K" for captain--huh?), Ron Chipperfield, Brett Callighen and BJ "the fire hydrant" MacDonald. All in all, an eclectic and, on the whole, good choice of games. Would've liked to maybe see a documentary program tossed in on the characters who made the WHA so fun. Maybe next volume, if there is one.

This DVD set is freaking awesome! It's so had to even find short clips of WHA games, so to have multiple complete games is so much fun, and very informative about the now defunct league.

Really cool to see this after all these years. A lot of these players and teams were underrated. A great addition to any true hockey fans collection.

Outstanding series of DVD's on the Rebel League!

Finding any footage of the old WHA is near impossible and this became a must have for me. The nostalgia factor and the fact this release is numbered out of ten thousand. It was great watching something old yet new again. If you are a hockey fan don't pass up the opportunity to purchase this because when it's gone, it's gone!