The World Hockey Association 2 was an league created at the instigation of the organizers of the proposed recreated World Hockey Association to serve as its development league. The WHA2 teams – some of which had played the 2002-03 season in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League – were all in the southeastern United States.
The WHA2 operated in the 2003-2004 season only, after which (due to a falling out with the parent organization) it was served a cease-and-desist from the WHA and ceased operations. David Waronker was credited with both the founding and collapse of the league. In addition he owned or co-owned all of the teams in the league. Its surviving teams merged with survivors of the South East Hockey League to form the Southern Professional Hockey League for the 2004-2005 season.
The Jacksonville Barracudas won the WHA2's first and only President's Cup. Jacksonville also hosted the first and only WHA2 All-Star Game.
Originally proposed cities[]
The league had posted that Minneapolis[1], Saskatoon[2], Phoenix[3], Birmingham, Alabama (with mention of the team being based out of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex instead of 3,500 seat Pelham Civic Center)[4], San Francisco, Quebec City. Kansas City, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Memphis, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Halifax, Portland, Oregon, Sacramento, Oakland, and Pittsburgh[5] and several cities in Canada such as North Bay, Newmarket, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Cornwall as teams for the second season with teams additional teams in Quebec and the Maritimes possibilities for the third season.[6]
Teams[]
Team | Location | Arena | Tenure | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama Slammers | Pelham, Alabama | Pelham Civic Center | 2003-2004 | fold after season |
Jacksonville Barracudas | Jacksonville, Florida | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena | 2003-2004 | join Southern Professional Hockey League |
Lakeland Loggerheads | Lakeland, Florida | Lakeland Center | 2003-2004 | fold after season |
Macon Trax | Macon, Georgia | Macon Coliseum | 2003-2004 | join Southern Professional Hockey League |
Miami Manatees | Miami, Florida | Miami Arena | 2003-2004 | fold after season |
Orlando Seals | Orlando, Florida | Amway Arena | 2003-2004 | sit out 2004-05 season when lose lease at Amway Center; return in Southern Professional Hockey League as Florida Seals based in Kissimmee's Silver Spurs Arena |
2003–04 season[]
Regular season[]
Team | GP | W | L | OL | SL | GF | GA | Pts | Pct. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jacksonville Barracudas | 59 | 40 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 233 | 175 | 81 | .686 |
Alabama Slammers | 58 | 34 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 224 | 196 | 72 | .621 |
Macon Trax | 56 | 30 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 218 | 193 | 66 | .589 |
Miami Manatees | 48 | 24 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 215 | 213 | 53 | .552 |
Orlando Seals | 57 | 27 | 25 | 2 | 3 | 198 | 197 | 59 | .518 |
Lakeland Loggerheads | 58 | 13 | 38 | 4 | 3 | 181 | 295 | 33 | .284 |
Note: Playoff positioning determined by point percentage as teams played unequal number of games.
Playoffs[]
Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
1 | Jacksonville Barracudas | 2 | |||||||
5 | Miami Manatees | 1 | |||||||
1 | Jacksonville Barracudas | 2 | |||||||
3 | Macon Trax | 0 | |||||||
2 | Alabama Slammers | 0 | |||||||
3 | Macon Trax | 2 |
Referneces[]
- ↑ http://www.worldhockeyassociation.net/press_releases/press.asp?PressID=30
- ↑ http://www.worldhockeyassociation.net/press_releases/press.asp?PressID=20
- ↑ http://www.worldhockeyassociation.net/press_releases/press.asp?PressID=13
- ↑ http://www.worldhockeyassociation.net/press_releases/press.asp?PressID=31
- ↑ http://www.worldhockeyassociation.net/press_releases/press.asp?PressID=23
- ↑ http://www.worldhockeyassociation.net/press_releases/press.asp?PressID=41