Bill Hunter Early Years The Birth Of The WHL The Birth Of The

William Dickenson (Bill) Hunter ( May 5, 1920 - December 16, 2002) was a Canadian hockey owner, general manager and coach. Hunter was involved in hockey, football, baseball, softball and curling but he is best known for founding the Western Hockey League, being a key player in the upstart World Hockey Association and for his efforts to bring professional hockey to previously overlooked Western Canadian cities, especially in EdmontonEdmonton a Canadian city, is the capital of the province of Alberta. History Edmonton was founded in 1795 when a Hudson's Bay Company Trading Post was established with the construction of Fort Edmonton. John Rowand, a fur trader for the North West Company and (unsuccessfully) in SaskatoonSaskatoon is a city located in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Saskatoon is the largest city in the province. Residents of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians''. Known as the "City of Bridges" for its seven river crossings, th.

1 Early Years

Hunter was born in Saskatoon and founded his first competitive sports team when he was 18. Hunter's Saskatoon Dukes football club would eventually become the Saskatoon Hilltops who as of 2004 had won 12 national junior titles. Hunter then attended Notre Dame College in Wilcox, Saskatchewan from 1938Events January -June January 3 The March of Dimes is established by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. January 11 Frances Moulton is the first woman to become president of a US national bank. January 20 Wedding of king Farouk I of Egypt and Farida Zulficar in Cai to 1940Events January-February January 5 FM radio is demonstrated to the FCC for the first time. January 6 World War II: Mass execution of Poles, committed by Germans in the Poznan, Warthegau. January 12 World War II: Russia bombs cities in Finland. February 2 F, where he managed the college baseball team.

Following the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. The war was fough Hunter left school to join the Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air Force Roundel The Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Armed Forces. The modern Canadian air force has been known a and served for about four years as a pilot based in EnglandEngland is the largest, the most populous, and the most densely populated of the four " Home Nations" which make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). Occupying the south-eastern portion of the island of Great Britain, England. Hunter flew Beauforts, Spitfires and Hurricanes before returning to Saskatoon in 1944 where he worked briefly for CFQC Radio before opening Hunter's Sporting Goods in North Battleford the following year.

Between 1945 and 1949 Hunter coached and managed hockey teams in North Battleford, Regina, Moose Jaw and Yorkton. It was during these years that Hunter would be nicknamed "Wild Bill" following a dispute with a referee. Hunter did not like the nickname especially at first but it would stick with him for the rest of his life.

In 1950 Hunter founded the first curling bonspiel to be held on artificial ice , the Quaker Car Curling Bonspiel. He also managed and coached the Saskatoon Quakers hockey club until 1952. From 1953 to 1955 he owned, managed and coached the Medicine Hat Tigers.

2 The Birth of the WHL

By 1965 Hunter was owner, general manager and coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings . The Oil Kings won the Memorial Cup in 1966, but by then Hunter was arguing that the competitive structure of the game in Western Canada was putting the region at a disadvantage to stronger leagues in Ontario and Quebec. Each Western province still had its own junior league while Hunter believed the West needed a single elite junior league to compete effectively.

Following a dispute with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League president and with the support of several other owners, Hunter would form the Western Canadian Hockey League (now the Western Hockey League) in 1967 with Hunter becoming the first chairman of the WCHL board. The new "Outlaw League" was not welcomed by everyone with open arms and it would be a few years before the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association allowed its champion to compete for the Memorial Cup, but it soon proved too strong for the provincial leagues to ignore and they soon stopped competing for the trophy. By 1972 the Memorial Cup's modern round-robin format was established - since then the WHL has won the Memorial Cup more times than any other league.

3 The Birth of the Edmonton Oilers and the WHA

Following the establishment of what would become the WHL Hunter turned his efforts toward professional hockey. The NHL was expanding but it was not interested in Hunter's proposal for an expansion franchise to play in Edmonton. Hunter offered to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins but this proposal was also rebuffed. In 1971, Hunter was introduced to Gary Davidson and Dennis Murphy, two American promoters who were interested in establishing a rival league. The World Hockey Association started play the following year with Hunter as owner, general manager and coach of the Alberta Oilers, who would soon be known as the Edmonton Oilers.

Although the Oilers were a mediocre team on the ice, they were among the fledgling league's most financially stable franchises, especially after the completion of Northlands Coliseum in 1975. By the time the Oilers had joined the NHL in 1979, Hunter had sold the team to Nelson Skalbania , who in turn sold the franchise to Peter Pocklington.

4 The "Saskatchewan Blues"

Hunter would make one more serious attempt to bring a professional team to Western Canada when in 1982 he offered to purchase the financially struggling St. Louis Blues and move the team to his hometown. The offer raised many eyebrows even in Canada as few thought an NHL team could survive in a relatively small, economically depressed city. Nonetheless, Hunter was able to obtain commitments for 18,000 season tickets as well as for an 18,000 seat arena. This did not prove sufficient for the NHL Board of Governors, who blocked the transaction even though doing so forced the league to take over the team itself.

Hunter's efforts would not prove completely fruitless, however as the city eventually built Saskatchewan Place in 1988.

5 Later Years

Following his attempt to bring the Blues to Saskatoon, Hunter organized softball tournaments in Saskatoon before investing in the San Diego Gulls hockey club in 1990. He remained somewhat active in the 1990's, helping to organize the Flexi-coil curling cashspiel in his hometown before his health began to fail. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2000 and was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.

Hunter died of cancer in Edmonton on December 16, 2002.

Hunter, Bill Hunter, Bill Hunter, Bill Hunter, Bill

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