The World Hockey Association was formed in the 1970s to compete with the National Hockey League, and one of their teams was the Indianapolis Racers. This was their logo. The team played from 1974 until 1978, when they folded 25 games into the season. They are best known for being the first professional team that Wayne Gretzky played for. The Racers signed the 17 year old phenom (the NHL had an 18 year old age rule then) to try to attract fans. A little known fact is that the Racers were also the first pro team that Mark Messier played for. He played 5 games for them in the 1978-79 season, failing to register a point before being released.
Scott
May 19, 2010 at 5:42 am
“A little known fact is that the Racers were also the first pro team that Mark Messier played for. He played 5 games for them in the 1978-79 season, failing to register a point before being released.”
^^ Helps explain why they folded after 25 games