List of WHA broadcasters

After CBS lost the American television rights of the National Hockey League to NBC following the 1971-72 season (CBS was paying less than $2 million a year and NBC jumped to $5.3 million^[1]), the network covered^[2] the inaugural season of the World Hockey Association.^[3] The WHA's TV deal^[4][5] permitted it to sell week‐night games to other networks (CBS meanwhile, would show games on Sunday afternoons in addition the all-star game and playoffs^[6]). In addition, the WHA also sold a $3‐million package to Canada.

On January 7, 1973, CBS aired its first WHA game between the Minnesota Fighting Saints and Winnipeg Jets live from the new St. Paul Civic Center with Ron Oakes, Gerry Cheevers and Dick Stockton announcing. Don Chevrier would also provide play-by-play for CBS^[7] come the 1973 playoffs. CBS' contract^[8] with the WHA overall, called for the network to broadcast a maximum of 10 games during the 1972–73 and 1973–74 seasons and a bigger slate of games for the 1974–75 and 1975–76 seasons.

• Chicago Bulls basketball began airing on channel 44 in 1973; WSNS-TV broadcast the Bulls' full 41-game road schedule, making the Bulls the only NBA team at the time with every road game broadcast on television.^[62][63] That same year, channel 44 began airing World Hockey Association hockey with the Chicago Cougars^[64].^[65] The Cougars and Bulls were called by Lorn Brown.^[66]

• The Michigan Stags' radio station was WWJ 950. Gary Morrel was play-by-play announcer while Norm Plummer handled color commentary. (At least one broadcast had only two sponsors mentioned: Nolwood Chemical, a company owned by the Stags' owners, and the Stags themselves.) Michigan played just one game on local television: the season opener against the Indianapolis Racers, broadcast live from Indianapolis on WXON Channel 20. Detroit radio icon Vince Doyle called play-by-play and former Red Wing Marty Pavelich was the color commentator. The Stags won the game, 4-2, but few saw it; the Stags were up against game five of the 1974 World Series. Eight other games were scheduled to be televised but money became a problem by mid-November, especially after Michigan lost 11 of their next 12 following their season-opening win.

• Games of the original Minnesota Fighting Saints were heard on WLOL Radio (1330 AM) from 1972 to 1976, with Frank Buetel as play-by-play announcer. Buetel was the original TV voice of the NHL's Minnesota North Stars from 1967 to 1970 on WTCN-TV (now KARE-TV). Buetel's color commentators included Roger Buxton and Bob Halvorson, the Saints' first-season public relations director (1972–73), and Bill Allard (1973–76). Al Hirt's version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" was used as the theme song for WLOL's Fighting Saints broadcasts. No local radio station carried games of the New Fighting Saints (1976–77). Fighting Saints games were televised sporadically on WTCN from 1973 to 1975. The first WTCN game was a home contest versus Cleveland on December 23, 1973, with Buetel and Allard simulcasting. Buxton called subsequent games on WTCN. In the 1973–74 season, one Saints home game was carried on KTCA-TV (PBS). No local TV station aired games of the New Fighting Saints.
  • WLOL carried University of Minnesota sports for many years. Ray Christensen announced Gopher football until the mid-1960s, when he moved to WCCO and continued as the Gophers' announcer. Frank Buetel announced Gopher football, hockey and basketball games in the 1970s. From 1972 to 1976, WLOL aired games of the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association, with Buetel announcing.

• In 1974, Bill Rasmussen moved south to Hartford, Connecticut, to join the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association as their communications director. At the conclusion of the 1977–78 season, Rasmussen was fired by the Whalers. Thus began the pursuit of ESPN, incorporating the fledgling network on July 14, 1978.^[67]
  • Bob Neumeier's first job in broadcasting began in 1975 on WTIC in Hartford, Connecticut, where he called play-by-play of the Whalers, working with Bill Rasmussen and Larry Pleau; among their calls was the famous "Brawl at the Mall" in April 1975 during a playoff series with the Minnesota Fighting Saints.^[68] In 1979, Neumeier left the Whalers to become the sports anchor at WFSB in Hartford.

• List of Edmonton Oilers broadcasters
• List of Hartford Whalers broadcasters
• Quebec Nordiques#Broadcasters
• List of Winnipeg Jets broadcasters