WHA2 founder denies report of league's demise

WHA2 founder denies report of league's demise

Waronker, who also owns the 'Cudas, says league plans to finish the season. By JASON SCHNEIDER The Times-Union David Waronker, the World Hockey Association 2's founder and majority owner of the Jacksonville Barracudas, denied a newspaper report that speculated the WHA2 would fold later this month and that the Barracudas and the Orlando Seals could move to another league. "There is absolutely no truth to the rumors about the demise of this league," Waronker told the Times-Union on Monday. "We are on board and going forward. Are we perfect? No. But we are looking forward to finishing this season and having successful seasons in the future." Waronker also said that the WHA2 would be expanding next season with a franchise in Asheville, N.C., and another team in an unnamed city. A Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer columnist speculated Thursday that the league could fold after the WHA2 All-Star game in Jacksonville on Jan. 27 and alleged that representatives of the WHA2 talked to South East Hockey League president John Cherney about the possibility of moving two teams, Orlando and Jacksonville, to the SEHL to finish the season. The SEHL, in a statement released Friday afternoon, said "it would have no interest in a merger of any type with the WHA2 due to ideological differences of the two leagues." WHA2 was started as a minor league for the World Hockey Association, which plans to begin play by December 2004. The WHA's owners and league management were in Quebec City, Canada, for that league's winter meetings and were not available for comment. WHA co-founder Allan Howell told the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph last week that the WHA could help if WHA2's financial woes become critical. "We would make sure that [the WHA2's closure] was not the case," Howell said. "The WHA2, one way or another from our perspective, would continue. We're here to support the WHA2 and we're anxious and willing to do that." The Barracudas' average home attendance of 4,070 is more than any of the other five WHA2 teams. Three of the teams average less than 2,000. Web posted on Jan. 20, 2004		Home News Schedule Photos Links Message Board Email: [email protected] This article is copyright 2004 by the Jacksonville Union-Times and is used for informational purposes only.

Waronker, who also owns the 'Cudas, says league plans to finish the season.

By JASON SCHNEIDER
The Times-Union

David Waronker, the World Hockey Association 2's founder and majority owner of the Jacksonville Barracudas, denied a newspaper report that speculated the WHA2 would fold later this month and that the Barracudas and the Orlando Seals could move to another league.

"There is absolutely no truth to the rumors about the demise of this league," Waronker told the Times-Union on Monday. "We are on board and going forward. Are we perfect? No. But we are looking forward to finishing this season and having successful seasons in the future."

Waronker also said that the WHA2 would be expanding next season with a franchise in Asheville, N.C., and another team in an unnamed city.

A Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer columnist speculated Thursday that the league could fold after the WHA2 All-Star game in Jacksonville on Jan. 27 and alleged that representatives of the WHA2 talked to South East Hockey League president John Cherney about the possibility of moving two teams, Orlando and Jacksonville, to the SEHL to finish the season.

The SEHL, in a statement released Friday afternoon, said "it would have no interest in a merger of any type with the WHA2 due to ideological differences of the two leagues."

WHA2 was started as a minor league for the World Hockey Association, which plans to begin play by December 2004. The WHA's owners and league management were in Quebec City, Canada, for that league's winter meetings and were not available for comment.

WHA co-founder Allan Howell told the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph last week that the WHA could help if WHA2's financial woes become critical.

"We would make sure that [the WHA2's closure] was not the case," Howell said. "The WHA2, one way or another from our perspective, would continue. We're here to support the WHA2 and we're anxious and willing to do that."

The Barracudas' average home attendance of 4,070 is more than any of the other five WHA2 teams. Three of the teams average less than 2,000.

Web posted on Jan. 20, 2004

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