What is the WHA 2?

[Papa Smurf]

Someone in another thread saud that this is the minor league circut to the new WHA. Is there anymore detail about this? I just though the name "WHA 2" was used to reffer to the new WHA, I didn;t know it was another league all together.

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[Dr Love]

While some people are calling the new WHA the WHA2, the "real" WHA2 used to be the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, but with the re-formation of the WHA, they agreed to be the "WHA2." The last I saw, a number of teams had gone or were going bankrupt, and it's affiliation with the new WHA was little more than in name only. Things went so well as the WHA2 that after one season it has reformed itself as the Southern Professional Hockey League, thus ending the WHA2 after one season.

 

[puckstrike2k]

While some people are calling the new WHA the WHA2, the "real" WHA2 used to be the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, but with the re-formation of the WHA, they agreed to be the "WHA2." The last I saw, a number of teams had gone or were going bankrupt, and it's affiliation with the new WHA was little more than in name only. Things went so well as the WHA2 that after one season it has reformed itself as the Southern Professional Hockey League, thus ending the WHA2 after one season.

I don't know if its because things went well as the WHA2, I think it was more of a strategic money making move to try to unite all the different competing minor leagues in that area of the country.

 

[letsgoflyers75]

The ACHL was a league in the southeast. They became the WHA2 prior to last season. The SEHL started last season and was a four team league. These two leagues fought for markets in the southeast US non-stop. Then the new WHA didn't like how the WHA2 was being run, so they forced the WHA2 to remove their name. The renamed themselves the EHL, had that name for about a second, then renamed themselves the SHL. The SEHL and SHL decided to merge, so then they became the SPHL. I just prefer to call them the "alphabet soup league."

 

[HughJass*]

Actually, the ACHL folded. 4 teams (owned by a St. Petersburg business man) left the ACHL to form the WHA2, leaving only 2 (Cape Fear and I believe Knoxville). The 2 teams decided not to join the WHA2 and started the SEHL (these owners were pissed off at the other guy) with 2 other teams..

Differences resolved, now the SPHL is formed.

My facts may not be 100% accurate as I got disgusted about the situation when it went down the first time.

 

[letsgoflyers75]

Ooh... ok thanks for clarifying.

 

[doc5hole]

Then the new WHA didn't like how the WHA2 was being run, so they forced the WHA2 to remove their name.

There are apparently different versions of the story about who didn't like how who was running their league. Here is an excerpt from wha2 website on what happened:

The World Hockey Association 2 of Celebration, Florida, today announced that its member teams, including the Orlando Seals, Jacksonville Barracudas, Asheville Aces, Lakeland Loggerheads, Macon Trax, and Alabama Slammers will be fleeing the league to align with the reincarnated Eastern Hockey League of North Carolina. The Miami Manatees franchise has been granted a temporary one year suspension of operations while it looks to relocate for the 2005-2006 season. The Cape Coral Florida franchise has agreed to follow the former WHA2 member teams to the new league.

The decision to disassociate with the WHA2 - and effectively the fledgling World Hockey Association (WHA) - was agreed to by the Leagues Board of Governors on March 3, 2004.
Citing a lack of support, direction, leadership, and proven ability to see the WHA materialize into a self proclaimed major professional hockey league was the major determining factors as to why the WHA2 member teams decided to align with the EHL.
"Promises of financial support, guidance, and the possibility of the WHA2 member teams having a future as a developmental league for the WHA never materialized, and it is not likely they ever will materialize", says Taylor Hall, President of Alabama Professional Hockey, the owner of the Slammers.
"The WHA failed to provide the committed ownership groups it assured us it would have, and it turns out they wanted me to invest my money and several of my franchises, including Jacksonville and Orlando into their league, and I was just not going to do that", says David Waronker, owner of the Orlando and Jacksonville teams. "Once the WHA started to go behind my back and approach our own buildings, and our own staff members, where we have current offices and lease deals in place, enough was enough. We could not continue to share the same
name with a league so desperate for franchises that it would try to undermine the
franchises of a supposed business partner",continues Waronker. "We just had to break away and leave the WHA name a part of its failed history."

Waronker owns the rights to the name of the WHA2 and World Hockey Association 2. The league just completed its first season with the league championship being won by the Jacksonville Barracudas. Waronker plans on retiring to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto significant memorabilia ofthe one year league.

Waronker states that he invested over $ 2 million in the WHA2 and several of its member teams, but will walk away with no bitterness.
"You sure learn from your mistakes, and you learn that in this business it is very important to align with good, honest people. People with integrity. Also, it is important to align with people who have their own money at risk." That he is sure he will find at the EHL. The EHL will start operations this fall and will announce its
first four ownership groups at a Press Conference this Wednesday in Orlando, Florida. The league expects to start the season with 10-12 franchises throughout the Southeastern United States.

For more information regarding the EHL visit www.easternhockeyleague.net

 

[letsgoflyers75]

Yes, supposedly that was what Waronker and the teams said, instead of admitting that the WHA didn't want them to us the name anymore.

There used to be a copy of a letter sent by the WHA to Waronker, that said to stop using the name following the 2003-04 season, but I can't find the website anymore. If I find it, I'll be sure to post it.

 

[HughJass*]

Eastern Hockey League of NC became the SPHL


Like I said, this entire thing is convulted and confusing

 

[letsgoflyers75]

Eastern Hockey League of NC became the SPHL


Like I said, this entire thing is convulted and confusing

The WHA2 became the EHL, then the SHL, then the SHL and SEHL merged into the SPHL... yeah, it's like a giant bowl of alphabet soup.

 

[I am Jack's Fish]

As soon as Waronker fired Peter Young, who went to the WHA, there was a race to distance themselves from each other and the name of the WHA2. It was going to be changed regardless once the relationship detoriated between the two groups, but the WHA2 wasn't going to change names in the middle of the season.

But Peter Young beat Waronker to the punch by issuing a press release for publicity's sake to talk about the cease and desist letter sent to Waronker.

This whole thing has been the biggest mess, and unfortunatelty I lived it for a good year!