Tag Archives: Winnipeg Jets

Arizona Coyotes – Coyote on the Rocks

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Throughout the year, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the National Hockey League (NHL), discovering the best and worst each team has to offer in a variety of subjects. We will also feature a drink based off the franchise. Today, we venture to the hotbed of hockey that is Arizona. While checking out the Coyotes operation, we must be mindful of the franchise’s past in Winnipeg as the first incarnation of the Jets:

Establishment Story: On July 1, 1996, the Winnipeg Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes, moving their operations from the frozen tundra to the desert. The original plan was to relocate to Minneaplos-St. Paul, but the new owners couldn’t arrange an arena lease, so Phoenix became the destination. A fan vote was conducted to name the team, with Coyotes being the winner over Scorpions.

Stanley Cups: The Jets/Coyotes franchise has never appeared in a Stanley Cup Final (the oldest team to have not made the Finals), let alone won the championship. The deepest the team has ever gone in the playoffs was the Western Conference Finals in 2012. It should be noted, the Jets were extremely successful during their stint in the World Hockey Association (WHA), winning the Avco Cup three times during the league’s seven seasons of existence.

Celebrity Fan: The ‘Godfather of Shock Rock’ Alice Cooper has long been a fan of the Coyotes, being an Arizona native since he was a teenager. The team has even given away Alice Cooper bobbleheads as a fan promotion in 2012. Cooper can often be spotted at games or rocking the classic Kachina-style jersey. Goalie Mike Smith even had Cooper painted on the back of his helmet in 2015.

Alice Cooper

Super Fan: Any supporter of the Coyotes has to be considered a super fan, no? Seriously, though, Leighton Accardo was a 9-year-old Coyotes supporter who sadly lost her 18-month battle with cancer in late 2020. Prior to passing, Accardo played youth hockey in the Arizona Kachinas program and was signed to a one-day contract by the Coyotes. On that night, rather than drop the puck for the ceremonial face-off, the youngster actually took the draw.

Mascot: Howler the Coyote (full name Canis Howlus Maximus) debuted in 2005. He wears jersey number 96, representing the year the team arrived in Arizona. Also, rather than have a captain’s ‘C’ on his jersey, Howler has the letter ‘M’ for mascot. Howler is best known for being a great drummer, joining area bands during Coyotes Foundation charity events.

Tradition: The White Out began as a Jets ritual, but carried over to Phoenix when the franchise relocated. It began in 1987 to counter the Calgary Flames ‘C of Red’, as the Jets were facing the Flames in the playoffs that season. Winnipeg swept the series and fans hoped the White Out would continue to bring good luck. In Arizona, lyrics to the Wang Chung song “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” have been altered to “Everybody wear white tonight” in marketing campaigns.

Appearances in Media: There are a couple documentaries feature footage of the original Jets. This includes Sel8nne, about the career of Teemu Selanne, and Death by Popcorn: The Tragedy of the Winnipeg Jets, covering the rise and fall of that franchise. The title comes from an incident in the 1990 playoffs, when the Jets were on the verge of finally defeating the Edmonton Oilers, until a fan threw popcorn on the ice, causing a long delay and changing the momentum of the game and series in the Oilers favour.

Howler

Events/Scandals: When the Coyotes selected Mitchell Miller in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, they didn’t realize the firestorm they were about to set off. According to a report weeks later in The Arizona Republic, Miller had been found guilty in 2016 of repeatedly bullying a developmentally disabled African American classmate. The Coyotes renounced the draft pick as a result.

Rivalry: Aside from brief flirtations with rivalries, the Coyotes greatest battle seems to be against financial stability. For a time, the Coyotes most hated opponents were the Los Angeles Kings, based on their heated 2012 Western Conference Final series. When the franchise was based in Winnipeg, perennial Smythe Division leaders the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames provided the team with many great clashes.

Tragedy: While playing with the Tucson Roadrunners (the Coyotes minor league affiliate), captain Craig Cunningham suffered a cardiac arrest prior to puck drop on November 19, 2016. It took 83 minutes of CPR to keep Cunningham alive. Due to the incident, Cunningham’s lower left leg had to be amputated because of an infection that followed circulation issues. No longer able to play, Cunningham was offered a pro scout position with the Coyotes.

Player Nicknames: The Coyotes greatest legacy on the game of hockey may be some of the nicknames the team has been responsible for over the Arizona/Winnipeg existence. Some include Finnish Flash (Teemu Selanne), Bulin Wall (goalie Nikolai Khabibulin) and BizNasty (Paul Bissonnette). A few others to be considered include Ducky (Dale Hawerchuk), Rhino (Zac Rinaldo), Goose (Alex Goligoski) and Stinky (Christian Fischer).

Arizona Coyotes

Line: When superstar Bobby Hull was joined by European imports Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson to form the Hot Line, the unit dominated the WHA. They played together for four seasons, winning two Avco Cups, before both Hedberg and Nilsson joined the NHL’s New York Rangers. Perhaps the greatest compliment of the trio came from Edmonton Oilers GM Glen Sather, who said he used the Hot Line as a template for building his 1980s dynasty teams.

Captain: Shane Doan spent his entire career as a member of the Coyotes. For 13 of those 21 seasons, he served as the team’s captain. At the time Doan retired in 2017, he was the longest-serving captain in the NHL, providing the Coyotes franchise with some semblance of stability amongst all their other issues. Doan’s jersey was retired by the team in 2019. He recorded 402 goals and 972 points over 1,540 games with the club, all franchise records.

Enforcer: Kris King’s tenure with the franchise spanned both the Winnipeg and Phoenix incarnations of the team. Originally brought in to provide protection for the likes of Teemu Selanne and Keith Tkachuk, the ‘King of Pain’ recorded 762 penalty minutes and 71 fighting majors over his five seasons with the club. King was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1996, given to an NHL player who has made significant contributions to their community.

Family Values: From 1993 to 1996, brothers Darryl and Darrin Shannon played together for the Jets. Coyote lifer Shane Doan had the pleasure of being part of the team’s draft table when they selected his son, Josh Doan, 37th overall in 2021. Josh was born and raised in Arizona, as his father played two decades with the franchise. Brothers Philip and Henrik Samuelsson were members of the organization at the same time, while dad Ulf was a former assistant coach.

Shane Doan

Returning Players: Radim Vrbata had three tenures with the Coyotes. He first played for the club for the 2007-08 season. He split the next campaign between the Tampa Bay Lightning and two teams in the Czech Extraliga, before returning to the Coyotes for five seasons. After a two-year stint with the Vancouver Canucks, Vrbata once again called Arizona home for a year. He finished his career with the Florida Panthers, retiring in 2018.

Short Stint: Coming out of the 2004-05 NHL lockout, legendary scorer Brett Hull joined the Coyotes. His dad’s #9 jersey (retired when the team was in Winnipeg) was unretired, allowing him to wear it. However, just five games into the season, Hull believed he could no longer play at the level he expected of himself and abruptly retired. He had recorded only one assist in those contests.

Undrafted: Winger Doug Smail signed with the Jets in 1980, following three years at the University of North Dakota. He remained with the team for 11 seasons and holds a couple interesting records, including the franchise mark for shorthanded goals (25), while sharing the NHL record with three others for fastest goal to start a game (five seconds). He was also the first player to ever join the U.K.’s Elite Ice Hockey League directly from the NHL.

Trade: It was tough to lose the face of their franchise, but at the 1990 NHL Draft, the Jets granted Dale Hawerchuk’s trade request, sending him to the Buffalo Sabres with a first-round draft choice. In return, the Jets received all-star defenseman Phil Housley, Scott Arniel, Jeff Parker and a first-round pick, used to select future star Keith Tkachuk. Another good move was acquiring Jeremy Roenick from the Chicago Blackhawks in 1996 for a package of assets. Roenick was a splashy move for the team’s Phoenix debut.

Brett Hull

Signing: When Mike Smith joined the Coyotes in 2011 on a very reasonable two-year, $4 million deal, he instantly legitimized the team’s goaltending. With Smith in net, the franchise won its first playoff series since 1987 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time ever. Smith’s success also came on offense, as he scored a rare goalie goal on October 19, 2013.

Draft Pick: Despite a long history of poor performances, the Coyotes have never held a draft pick better than third overall. The Jets selected first overall once, in 1981, taking future Hall of Fame member Dale Hawerchuk. Perhaps the franchise’s greatest pick of all-time was Teemu Selanne (10th overall in 1988), while their diamond in the rough find would be Nikolai Khabibulin (204th overall in 1992).

Holdouts: Nikolai Khabibulin’s contract impasse with the Coyotes, following the 1998-99 season, resulted in the goalie missing almost two full years of NHL action. Khabibulin would finally be traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 5, 2001, suiting up for the team twice before the end of the year. The move worked out well for Khabibulin, as the Lightning won the 2004 Stanley Cup, with him in the crease.

Buyouts: Mike Ribeiro’s time with the Coyotes was brief. Coming off a season where he scored a point per game with the Washington Capitals, Ribeiro signed a four-year, $22 million contract with the Coyotes in 2013. Following a single season, Ribeiro was bought out due to behavioural issues, related to alcohol use. Arizona paid Ribeiro $11,666,667 to not play for them, while the forward signed on with the Nashville Predators.

Mike Smith

Unique Game: For a 2006 pre-season game, the Coyotes returned to where it all began, playing the Edmonton Oilers in Winnipeg, 10 years after the Jets relocation to Phoenix. The Coyotes also opened the 2010 season with a pair of contests against the Boston Bruins in Prague, Czechia. Finally, there has been talk of the Coyotes playing an outdoor game in Mexico, which would be the first time NHL action has ever taken place in the country.

Goal: On March 2, 1993, Teemu Selanne surpassed Mike Bossy’s rookie scoring record of 53, with a goal against the Quebec Nordiques. The tally was made even more memorable thanks to Selanne’s celebration of throwing his glove into the air and using his stick as a gun to shoot it down. Selanne would finish the season with an incredible 76 goals and 132 points (also a NHL record), en route to being named the NHL’s top rookie, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy.

Fight/Brawl: An October 11, 1985 bench clearing brawl between the Jets and Calgary Flames is memorable for a couple reasons. The second period skirmish resulted in six game ejections, including Jets assistant coach Rick Bowness, who took a swipe at Flames enforcer Tim Hunter, the player thought to ignite the melee. Also ejected was Flames backup goalie Mark D’Amour, who was dressing in his first NHL game.

Injury: Coyotes star Clayton Keller had his 2021-22 season ended early when he crashed into the boards, fracturing his leg. A stretcher was needed to remove Keller from the ice, followed by surgery. Another notable injury was Jeremy Roenick having his jaw broken in 1999 by Derian Hatcher of the Dallas Stars. The blatant elbow was retribution for Roenick hitting Dallas superstar Mike Modano in the teams previous encounter. Hatcher was suspended seven games for the incident.

Teemu Selanne

Penalty: Jets tough guy Jimmy Mann was coming off a three-game suspension a month earlier for pushing a linesman, when on January 13, 1982, he left the bench and sucker punched Paul Gardner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, breaking his jaw. The attack was in retaliation for Gardner injuring a teammate just prior. For this offense, Mann was suspended for 10 games, along with being charged with assault causing bodily harm in Manitoba court. Mann pled guilty, receiving a maximum $500 fine.

Wildest Story: On December 8, 2021, it was announced the Coyotes owed $1.3 million in back taxes and they would be locked out of the Gila River Arena if the money was not paid by December 20, 2021. This was the last straw in their lease agreement with the City of Glendale and the Coyotes were forced to find a new home for the 2022-23 season, eventually coming to terms with Arizona State University to play out of their 5,000 seat Mullett Arena.

Blooper: Mike Smith was one of the best goalies in franchise history, but he is also remembered for one of the most bizarre own goals fans have ever seen. During a December 2013 game against the Buffalo Sabres, the puck launched into the air, coming down and getting stuck in the back of Smith’s gear. Smith, losing sight of the puck, backed into his own net. The tally is known today as the ‘Butt Goal’ and worst of all, it occurred in overtime, giving the Sabres the win.

Miscellaneous: During the 2003-04 season, netminder Brian Boucher recorded five consecutive shutouts, with a shutout streak of 332:01, setting modern day NHL records for both stats. The previous records belonged to Gary Durnan, who earned four consecutive shutouts and a streak of 309:21 playing for the Montreal Canadiens in 1949. The all-time records date back to the 1927-28 season, when Ottawa Senators goalie Alec Connell had six consecutive shutouts and a streak of 460:49.

Arizona Coyotes: Coyote on the Rocks

Coyote on the Rocks

  • 1.5 oz Tequila
  • Top with Grapefruit Juice
  • Splash of Grenadine
  • Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry

This beverage is similar to a Paloma, which is among the Sip Advisor’s favourite cocktails. Some differences include the addition of grenadine and no salt for the drink’s rim. I like the double entendre this recipe conjures, as you can imagine a coyote resting on rocks or it could just be the ice filling your glass.

Manitoba – The Winnipeg

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Each month, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel Canada, discovering the best each province has to offer in a variety of subjects. We will also featuring a drink the area is known for. Today, we’re in Manitoba, the province at the longitudinal center of Canada. Let’s see just how centered Manitobans are:

Nicknames: Among monikers like Keystone Province (for Manitoba’s shape and location amongst the rest of Canada) and Postage Stamp Province (also for Manitoba’s shape), I lean towards Canada’s Heart Beats – Travel Manitoba’s catchphrase since 2014 – or Friendly Manitoba, which adorns licence plates in the province.

Motto: “Glorious and free” – If you’re going to be free, you might as well be glorious, too!

Food: The Salisbury House restaurant chain claims to have introduced hamburgers to Manitoba in the 1930s. Known affectionately as Sals, the eatery is famous for their Nips, burgers which are a nip or a bite of Salisbury steak, the dish which the restaurant was named after. Sals also serves another Manitoba institution, the Flapper Pie, which they call a Wafer Pie.

Drink: Crown Royal Whiskey – a preferred alcohol of the Sip Advisor… seriously, I currently have five bottles of different varieties from the brand – is manufactured in Gimli. It was first introduced in 1939 for a tour of the country by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and has grown to become the top selling Canadian whiskey in the U.S. Crown Royal is perhaps best recognized for the felt-like bags the bottles come in.

Crown Royal

Site to See: Churchill is known as the Polar Bear Capital of the World and it is accessible for people to tour in the safety of caged tundra buggies. It is best to visit in the fall, when the bears can be viewed hunting seals on ice floes. Churchill even has a polar bear prison and locals are asked to leave car doors unlocked, in case people need to escape from a bear.

Street: Where the Red River and Assiniboine River meet in Winnipeg is known as The Forks. The area was designated a National Historic Site in 1974. Today, the popular Forks Market can be found there, hosting numerous restaurants, shops and stalls. During the winter, an outdoor skating rink is a widely used attraction of The Forks.

TV Show: Falcon Beach originally began as a made-for-TV movie before becoming a series that lasted two seasons and 26 episodes. The show was similar to The O.C. and was unique in that for each episode, two versions were filmed, one meant for Canadian audiences and another for American viewers, each using locations and terms unique to that country. The series was filmed at Winnipeg Beach.

Movie: The Ice Road, starring Liam Neeson and Laurence Fishburne, is about the aftermath of an explosion at a Manitoba diamond mine, which has trapped 26 miners. Neeson and Fishburne play truck drivers who lead a mission to save the miners, traversing the province’s frozen lakes and icy winter roads to get there. It was filmed in Île-des-Chênes and Gimli.

Polar Bear

Book/Author: The Stone Angel was written by Margaret Laurence. It tells the tale of Hagar Shipley, searching for closure in her life, as she prepares to be moved into a nursing home by her son and daughter-in-law. The book was made into a 2007 film, starring Ellen Burstyn. The movie also features Elliot Page, before his breakout role the same year in Juno.

Fictional Character: Shirley Holmes, the great-great niece of Sherlock Holmes, is the titular character of the children’s mystery TV series The Adventures of Shirley Holmes. Shirley was played by Meredith Henderson, who won a Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series for her portrayal. Filmed in Winnipeg, the series contains many nods to the stories of Sherlock Holmes.

Fictional City: Manawaka is a fictional setting often used for the novels and short stories by Margaret Laurence. It is based on Laurence’s hometown of Neepawa. Works using Manawaka include The Stone Angel, A Jest of God, The Fire-Dwellers, A Bird in the House, and The Diviners. Laurence was a top figure of Canadian literature and was among the founders of the Writers’ Trust of Canada.

Actor/Actress: Anna Paquin, star of True Blood (as Sookie Stackhouse) and the X-Men franchise of movies (as Rogue), was born in Winnipeg. Paquin won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at the very young age of 11, for the film The Piano. It was also her acting debut, so that’s a good start to a career. Paquin is still going strong through both movie and TV roles.

Sookie

Song: There’s a song called Murder Me In Manitoba, but I think I’ll go with Stompin’ Tom Connors ode to the province, simply titled Manitoba. I mean, the ditty includes lines such as “Manitoba, you’re my heaven”. It should also be noted, rock classic Takin’ Care of Business was created by Winnipeg formed group Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and the province probably thinks of the song as an unofficial anthem.

Band/Musician: Manitoba has quite the musical history. Among the artists to hail from the province, rocker Tom Cochrane has enjoyed a long and successful career. Cochrane began with the group Red Rider, before going solo with hits such as Life is a Highway. I also have to give a special shout out to children’s musician Fred Penner, whose songs and TV show are memorable from my childhood.

People: It’s hard to believe the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s famous character James Bond was Winnipeg-born soldier and spymaster Sir William Stephenson. Fleming once wrote: “James Bond is a highly romanticised version of a true spy. The real thing is… William Stephenson.” Best known by his codename Intrepid, Stephenson worked as a conduit between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, even being credited with bringing the U.S. into World War II as a Western ally.

Animal: The bear A. A. Milne used as his inspiration for Winnie the Pooh was named Winnipeg, given the moniker by Lt. Harry Colebourn, after his hometown. Following World War I, Winnie was supposed to make her new home at Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, but remained at the London Zoo until she died in 1934, at the age of 20. Despite never reaching Assiniboine Park Zoo, a bronze statue of Winnie, as well as a gallery of items regarding the famous bear, can be found there.

Winnie the Pooh

Invention: Winnipeg’s Harry Wasylyk (along with Larry Hansen of Ontario) invented the polyethylene garbage bag. The bags were originally sold to the Winnipeg General Hospital, as they weren’t intended for domestic use. Once Wasylyk and Hansen sold the invention to the Union Carbide Company, green garbage bags for home use were released in the late 1960s, known as Glad garbage bags.

Crime: A crime that made headlines across Canada was the 2008 beheading of Tim McLean aboard a Greyhound bus. The attack was committed by Vince Li, a complete stranger to the victim. Out of nowhere, Li began stabbing McLean, causing the bus driver and other passengers to flee the vehicle. Li then decapitated McLean and even ate some of his flesh. Following a standoff with police, Li was arrested. Less than a decade later, Li was absolutely discharged and lives free.

Sports Team: The Winnipeg Jets (NHL) and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) are the two major pro sports teams in the province. There was an earlier version of the Jets, which began in the World Hockey Association before that league merged with the NHL, but the franchise moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1996. American Hockey League club the Manitoba Moose shares an arena with the Jets (their NHL affiliate).

Athlete: Manitoba is known for their decorated speed skaters, including Susan Auch, Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes. Winnipeg’s long track speed skating oval is named after Auch, who won two Olympic silver medals and a bronze over her career. Meanwhile, Klassen won six Olympic medals, including five at the 2006 Games. Lastly, Hughes has competed at both the Winter and Summer Olympics, winning at both in speed skating and cycling, respectively.

Garbage Bags

Famous Home: Dalnavert, also known as MacDonald House, was designated a National Historic Site in 1990. It was the home of former Premier Hugh John Macdonald, the son of Canada’s first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald. The estate was originally restored by the Manitoba Historical Society and welcomes visitors year round.

Urban Legend: The Manitoba Legislative Building is said to be haunted. Of note, the building’s grand staircase is said to be where the ghost of a man wearing a top hat is thought to reside, while other spirits inhabit the area nearby. Meetings between all these spectres are said to occur, with security guards being sure to knock before entering any room, so as not to disturb the proceedings.

Museum: The Canadian Museum for Human Rights can be found in Winnipeg. It’s mission is to “explore the subject of human rights with a special but not exclusive reference to Canada”. Opened in 2014, the museum was the first national museum created since 1967 and first ever located outside the National Capital Region of Ottawa. Exhibits include a look at Indigenous issues, as well as the Holocaust and other genocides from around the world.

Firsts: Beginning in 1959, Winnipeg became the first North American city to operate a central emergency system. They originally went with the number 9-9-9, but changed to 9-1-1, when the number was proposed by U.S. representatives. Manitoba was also the first province to let women vote in provincial elections and ban indoor smoking in public places.

911

Company: Old Dutch Foods, makers of some of my favourite potato chips of all-time, have their Canadian headquarters in Winnipeg. They also have a production plant there, so I must make a pilgrimage to the holy land one day. It should also be noted, restaurant chain A&W was founded in Canada in Winnipeg in 1956. A&W mascot The Great Root Bear originated in Canada in 1974, appearing in the U.S. two years later.

Events: The Red River Resistance/Rebellion of 1869 resulted in Manitoba eventually becoming a Canadian province in 1870. The uprising was led by Louis Riel, leader of the Red River Colony. During the conflict, Thomas Scott, a pro-Canada opponent to Riel, was arrested and later executed by firing squad. Years later, this would be remembered and referenced as a reason Riel himself was hanged.

Miscellaneous: Wheelchair Rugby, also known by the tame title Murderball, was created in Winnipeg by wheelchair athletes Gerry Terwin, Duncan Campbell, Randy Dueck, Paul LeJeune, and Chris Sargent, in 1975. Today, the game has grown to be a Summer Paralympic sport, played in 30 countries. The activity is comprised of elements of ice hockey, basketball, handball and rugby.

Manitoba: The Winnipeg

The Winnipeg

  • 2 oz Crown Royal Whiskey
  • 0.75 oz Dry Vermouth
  • 0.5 oz Amaro
  • 0.25 oz Maraschino Liqueur
  • Garnish with Cherries

There were some interesting Manitoba-created cocktails I would have loved to make for this article, but I’m not sure where I would find Saskatoon Berries, needed for both the Manitoba Martini and Manitoba Made beverages. Thus, I went with The Winnipeg, feeling Crown Royal Whiskey should be included. I used Jagermeister in place of Amaro, as it’s an herbal liqueur I had on hand.

May 31 – False Start

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Legendary Leagues

Most leagues fail within their first year of operation. If they survive long enough to hand out their inaugural championship, then they usually face other elements of strife, such as low attendance, trouble landing a TV broadcasting deal, and teams folding or relocating. The waters are rough, but if a leagues treads long enough, it just may endure. Here are the top 5 defunct sports leagues and their intriguing stories:

#5: X Football League

Because the NFL just wasn’t fun enough, along came the XFL from World Wrestling Entertainment mogul Vince McMahon. Ironically, while most believe the ‘X’ stood for eXtreme, this is not actually the case and the ‘X’ was never defined. In partnership with NBC, the league only lasted one season. With a few rule changes that were meant to spice up pro football, the eight-team league was dogged by the stigma attached to professional wrestling and what many thought was an inferior quality of play. Ratings were initially strong, but dropped in half from week one to week two and continued to decline over the course of the year. The XFL fizzled out following the season-ending Million Dollar Game and closed up shop on May 10, 2001. Both McMahon and NBC reportedly lost $35 million each in the joint venture.

XFL

#4: SlamBall

A sport with trampolines and full body contact… sounds like a recipe for success to the Sip Advisor and the one time in my life I was mildly interested in the sport of basketball. When TNN (now Spike TV) was making strides to change its image from a country music station to a network geared towards male viewers, one of their early experiments was SlamBall. Unfortunately, the league only ran seasons in 2002, 2003 and 2008, but did hold an international tournament in 2012, in China. Created by Mason Gordon, SlamBall grew from six to eight teams for the 2003 season, but a disagreement between Gordon and Warner Bros. ended with the league being dissolved. The 2008 season returned to a six-team format and the winning coach was Samuel L. Jackson… er, I mean Coach (Ken) Carter.

#3: Roller Hockey International

The early 90’s were a wonderful time and part of that amazing period was the advent and popularity of rollerblades. So, along comes the RHI, hoping to capitalize on that fad. Games were even broadcast on ESPN2 during the early years, showing the potential popularity the sport could have harnessed. The high-scoring (RHI averaged 16.7 goals per game, compared to the NHL’s seven at the time) league played from 1993-97 and also in 1999. Played 4-on-4, a number of NHL alum also strapped on the blades, including Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier. Unfortunately, a planned Super Nintendo video game never materialized, although that fact probably saved me hours in front of the TV and instead, I was outside playing roller hockey! RHI folded operations for good in 2001, despite some of the best team names ever seen in sport.

RHI SNES

Sadly, it never came to be!

#2: United States Football League

Looking to compete with the NFL and offer fans an alternative to fill their growing football needs, the USFL may not have succeeded, but many of the innovations they brought to the game, as well as markets they used for franchises, would eventually be adopted by the NFL juggernaut. Backed by Donald Trump and others with deep pockets, the league produced a number of stars who also enjoyed success in the NFL, as well as two future wrestling World Champions in Lex Luger and Ron Simmons. The crushing blow to the USFL came when they filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, claiming it had established a monopoly. Despite expecting a substantial windfall, the USFL was awarded $1 (that’s not a typo). Heavily in debt, the league ceased operations. The ESPN’s 30-for-30 documentary Who Killed the USFL? examines the league’s brief existence.

#1: World Hockey Association

Launching in 1972 with 12 teams, the WHA made an immediate big splash with the signing of NHL star Bobby Hull to a 10-year, $2.7 million contract. In all, 67 players jumped ship from the NHL to the WHA for the inaugural season. Sadly, the league was plagued with difficulties, including financial struggles, arena issues, teams relocating, and franchises folding. Four WHA franchises still exist in today’s NHL: the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets (moved to Phoenix), Quebec Nordiques (moved to Colorado), and Hartford Whalers (moved to Carolina). The league’s legacy also lives on via European stars coming to North America, higher salaries, and a lower draft age. For an in-depth look at the WHA’s seven tumultuous seasons, check out Ed Willes book, The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association.

Super Saturday Shot Day: False Start

False Start Shot

  • 0.4 oz Cider
  • 0.4 oz Bourbon
  • 0.4 oz Brandy
  • Splash of Lemon Juice
  • Garnish with an Apple Slice

Honourable mentions include the American Basketball Association, which was loosely spoofed in the Will Ferrell film Semi-Pro, and the Arena Football League, which cancelled their 2009 season, but has since been resurrected under new ownership. Which defunct sports league do you miss?

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
This shooter went down very easy and was fun thanks to the bubbles of the Cider. The Bourbon and Brandy flavours do play a role, but not too aggressively. That makes for a couple good Cider recipes for me in the last little while and I might be experiencing a change of heart as far as the beverage goes!