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WHA2 Announces Trophy Names

Published on August 4, 2003 under SPHL (SPHL) News Release


CELEBRATION, Fla. – The World Hockey Association 2 (WHA2) today announced the names for the Championship trophy and other skill awards. The trophy names were suggested by WHA2 employees and voted on during the league meetings on July 31st. Pending approval of name use, the trophy names are as follow:

League MVP – Gordie Howe
Top Goal Scorer – Bobby Hull
Rookie of the Year – Wayne Gretzky
Most Points – Andre Lacroix
Regular Season Champs – Ben Hatskin Memorial Cup
League Championship – Waronker Cup
Best Goaltender – Gerry Cheevers
Best Defensive Forward – Derek "Turk" Sanderson
Best Defenseman – J.C. Tremblay
Coach of the Year – Roger Neilson Memorial Award
WHA2 Executive of the Year
Player Humanitarian Award

"When you think about the WHA you automatically remember Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull." Young said. "But if Ben Hatskin had never convinced the other owners to contribute to signing Hull there might never have been a WHA, so it's only fitting that we honor Ben."

"Wayne Gretzky was rookie of the year in the 1978 - 1979 WHA season. J.C. Tremblay was unquestionably the best defenseman to play in the WHA, and Andre Lacroix the most prolific scorer. Cheevers and Sanderson had short WHA careers but were longtime pros that excelled in their positions."

The WHA2 will act as the developmental league for the World Hockey Association when it takes the ice in the 2004 – 2005 season.

"We are creating a legacy here." Jacksonville Barracudas Coach Ron Duguay said. "We named the championship cup after the Waronkers because they were so instrumental in starting this league and getting it off the ground."

The vote was 51-2 in favor of the Cup being named after the Waronkers, with the only two opposed being David and Ruth Waronker.

"We are truly very surprised that our peers selected our family name as the trophy name for the league champions." David Waronker said. "We really do not know what to say except we are honored and thank the committee for giving us this privilege."

The WHA2 will ice six teams for the 2003 – 2004 season and play a 21 week, 60 game schedule. The Alabama Slammers, Jacksonville Barracudas, Lakeland Loggerheads, Macon Trax, Miami Manatees, Orlando Seals will open training camps with player physicals no later than October 25th. The first regular season games will be on Friday, November 7, 2003.

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