Avco World Trophy

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The Avco World Trophy, also known as the Avco Cup, is the playoff championship trophy of the defunct World Hockey Association, which operated from 1972 until 1979. The trophy's naming rights were sold to the former Avco Corporation (a name originally derived from "Aviation Company"), a defense contractor who bought the rights to advertise their consumer finance division. The trophy was mocked by some for its corporate sponsorship and never developed anything approaching the significance and sentiment of the Stanley Cup, its National Hockey League rival. Still, the cup's design was often seen as creative in that it involved a freely-floating etched crystal globe embedded in the "stem" of the cup. The cup was designed by Frank Bonnerkopf of Boise, Idaho.[citation needed]

Avco World Trophy
SportIce hockey
CompetitionWorld Hockey Association
Awarded forPlayoff championship of the WHA
History
First award1973
Editions7
Final award1979
First winnerNew England Whalers
Most winsWinnipeg Jets (3)
Most recentWinnipeg Jets

The trophy was donated to the new league in 1972 along with approximately $500,000 by the Avco Financial Services Corporation, and became the first major sports league championship trophy to bear the name of a private corporation. Three Avco trophies exist; besides the one that is on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame, the others are in Winnipeg at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, and in the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in Halifax. The trophy was retired after the WHA ceased operations in 1979.[1] Led by Bobby Hull, the Winnipeg Jets claimed the trophy on three occasions, including the final league championship against Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers. Gordie Howe and the Houston Aeros vied for the trophy three times, winning twice.

The Avco Trophy in fact may have been most famous, or perhaps infamous, in its absence. When the New England Whalers won the league's inaugural championship in 1973 the trophy had not yet been completed, and the Whalers were forced to skate their divisional championship trophy around the ice surface.[2]

Avco World Trophy is located in the United States
Jets
Jets
Nordiques
Nordiques
Aeros*
Aeros*
Whalers
Whalers
Location of WHA champions and the number of titles they won: 1-white 2-blue 3-green *denotes did not join NHL

Champions and finalists edit

Season Winning team[1] Coach Games Losing team Coach
1973 New England Whalers Jack Kelley 4–1 Winnipeg Jets Bobby Hull
1974 Houston Aeros Bill Dineen 4–0 Chicago Cougars Pat Stapleton
1975 Houston Aeros Bill Dineen 4–0 Quebec Nordiques Jean-Guy Gendron
1976 Winnipeg Jets Bobby Kromm 4–0 Houston Aeros Bill Dineen
1977 Quebec Nordiques Marc Boileau 4–3 Winnipeg Jets Bobby Kromm
1978 Winnipeg Jets Larry Hillman 4–0 New England Whalers Harry Neale
1979 Winnipeg Jets Tom McVie 4–2 Edmonton Oilers Glen Sather

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Avco World Trophy". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2011-05-17. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
  2. ^ "The Curious Case of the WHA and Its Avco World Trophy". The Hockey Writers. 4 June 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2019.