Wild Bill: Bill Hunter's Legendary 65 Years in Canadian Sport

Bob Forsey is the education officer at the Newfoundland Museum in St.
John’s.

The future that Bill Hunter sees for professional hockey appears
disturbingly similar to the fate of society in general: “The rich will
get richer and the poor will stay poor.” In this autobiography, he
blames the giant corporations who now own National Hockey League teams
for turning the league into haves and have-nots; their preoccupation
with maximizing profits, he asserts, does not serve the interests of the
league or the game. Will Bill provides an insider’s view of the
evolution of professional hockey from sport to big business as Hunter
describes his 65 years as a player, coach, and team owner at all levels
of hockey.

Growing up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, during the Depression taught
Hunter the value of hard work, while his father’s involvement with the
Saskatoon Quakers nudged him in the direction of a career in sports. In
1945, he took over the bankrupt Regina Capitals junior hockey team and
turned it into a winner. He went on to build the Western Junior Hockey
League and the World Hockey Association (WHA), and to change hockey
drastically by freeing professional hockey players from the restrictive
reserve clause. Hunter’s enthusiasm and showmanship earned him the
title of “Wild Bill.” Among the many reasons to read this book is
that it will lift your spirits.