Hockey hall of famer Bobby Hull, the first player signed by the World Hockey Association in 1972, has been named the first commissioner for the fledgling WHA.
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The league, envisioned as a lower-budget rival to the NHL, plans to launch in the fall of 2004, just as the NHL's collective-bargaining agreement expires.
Hull will be a full-time commissioner and run all the operations of the league, said Allan Howell, the new WHA's co-founder.
"Bobby gives us instant credibility," Howell said.
Hull lives in North Carolina but will travel extensively on behalf of the WHA, spending time in the league's Toronto-area offices as well as the headquarters of its affiliated minor league, WHA2, in Celebration, Fla., Howell said.
Hull will be a salaried employee and not have an equity stake in the league or any of its teams.
The WHA already has announced that it has ownership groups in place in Phoenix and Minneapolis, and is negotiating leases with America West Arena and the Target Center in those respective cities. The league has not identified the ownership groups, and Howell said no money has yet changed hands between the league and the potential owners.
The franchise fee has been set at $1.5 million.
Other target cities include Winnipeg, Manitoba; Hamilton, Ontario; and Hartford, Conn., as well as existing NHL cities Dallas and Los Angeles, where teams would play in Reunion Arena and the Forum, respectively. The league plans to have a minimum of eight teams.
