The World Hockey Association (WHA) was a chaos league that existed from 1972 to 1979, trying to go toe-to-toe with the NHL—and honestly, it kinda worked. It poached big names like Bobby Hull with million-dollar deals, signed kids the NHL wouldn’t touch (hello, teenage Gretzky), and opened the door to European players before it was cool. It was loud, messy, and run like a startup with skates. Most teams folded, but four made it into the NHL—Jets, Oilers, Whalers, Nordiques—and shaped the league we know now. seven seasons of wild west hockey. broke the system just enough to matter.