From the Archives: “NHL Seen as New Challenge for Hedberg, Nilsson After ‘Conquering’ WHA”

Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson were two of the greatest players to ever suit up for the World Hockey Association's Winnipeg Jets. 

Unfortunately for the team's supporters in Manitoba, the two only stayed in town through the 1977-78 season, before leaving the league for greener pastures with the NHL's New York Rangers. 

Nilsson only managed four more years in the Show, while Hedberg suited up for seven seasons on Broadway. Sadly, neither player rediscovered his true WHA Jets form, failing to match the high-end production seen in Winnipeg.

The following THN Archive story by recently retired Houston Chronicle lifer John McClain from 1976 illustrates the murky picture surrounding what was soon to be the end of the line for Nilsson and Hedberg in Winnipeg.

(You can read all of THN’s new Archive by subscribing to the magazine.)

NHL Seen as New Challenge for Hedberg, Nilsson After 'Conquering' WHA

February 17, 1976 – Vol. 31, Issue 20

By John McClain 

WINNIPEG — Bobby Hull emerged from the shower, grabbed a towel and stopped at his locker in the Winnipeg Jets’ dressing room. While he vigorously worked the towel over his body, Hull talked about his linemate, Anders Hedberg.

“Anders is as good or better than anybody I’ve played with or against,” Hull said. “The things that make him so good are heart, dedication and concentration. A lot of guys have ability, but they all don’t have those other ingredients.”

Dressing a few feet away was center Ulf Nilsson who, along with his close friend, Hedberg, can become two of the highest-paid players next season if they jump to the New York Rangers.

“Ulfie’s the same way,” Hull said. “If it weren’t for those two, I wouldn’t still be playing. The first time we stepped on the ice together, it was like we’d been together for years.”

One of the worst-kept secrets since Watergate has been the NHL’s courtship of Hedberg and Nilsson, whose contracts estimated at $150,000 a year allow them to negotiate with other teams. The Rangers have made them an offer they can’t refuse unless the Jets can come within $20,000 by Feb. 25. With contracts including signing bonus totalling $475,000 a year for each player, the Jets are in trouble.

“I don’t think Winnipeg can top our offer,” Rangers’ general manager John Ferguson said from his office recently. “We feel these guys will definitely put us in Stanley Cup competition. Their basic salaries are in line with out higher-paid players, so I don’t think this will upset the other players. Besides, these guys are proven players.”

Indeed, Hedberg and Nilsson are the premier players at their positions in the WHA. Although Nilsson is a perennial 100-point playmaker, Hedberg is in a class by himself.

“We feel Hedberg’s a world-class player, possibly the second-best rightwinger in all of hockey behind Guy Lafleur,” Ferguson said. “Hedberg is a great goal scorer, but he also backchecks.”

Next week THE HOCKEY NEWS will feature Guy Lafleur of the Canadiens on page 3 along with a front page 4-color cover photo of the brilliant Montreal scoring whiz.

In a little more than three and one-half seasons with the Jets, the five-foot-11, 176-pound Hedberg has scored 213 regular-season goals, including 70 last season. He has made the spectacular appear routine.

“Anders gives 100 percent all the time, even if it’s a 15-minute practice,” says Jets’ coach Larry Hillman. “Even though he does everything well, he’s constantly working to improve. He can play any style. He can play aggressively, anything that’s within the rules.”

Opponents have tried everything to slow down Hedberg, all without success.

“I’ve run at him and I’ve done just about everything possible to intimidate him, but nothing bothers him,” said Cam Connor, Houston’s bad boy who accumulates more than 200 penalty minutes annually. “Everyone knows Hedberg is a helluva player, but he’s also got a lot of class and style. He knows how the game should be played. He sure has my respect as a player and as a person.”

Hedberg scoffs at such talk.

“Oh, yes, I have so much improving to do; nobody’s perfect,” he said after a recent game. “There are a lot of guys that can do things better than I.”

At 26, Hedberg’s personality has not changed since he came into the WHA in 1974 from Sweden. He is modest, unpretentious and very diplomatic when hearing a question he does not want to answer, such as his prospects for joining the Rangers next season.

“Our position in this case has been that the less we say about it all. the better, because I think it hurts our club right now,” he said. “So I would please not like to make a comment.”

When the Jets received the Rangers’ contracts for Hedberg and Nilsson Jan. 26, Winnipeg officials had 30 days to come within $20,000.

“I’ll put it this way,” Hedberg said a couple of days later, “both Ulf and myself try not to be affected, and we try to put in in the back of our minds and just go out and play the game. But if I’m really honest with you, one way or another, it has to affect not only our play, but our teammates as well. When we should be concentrating on our next game, we’re involved in all this publicity about what we re going to do for next season. This is not good for the team.”

Not only does Hedberg not like to talk about the contracts, he also does not like to talk about himself. Although he is very personable and agreeable, he would rather talk about the team. That’s a major reason he is a coach’s dream.

There are several factors other than money that may figure in Hedberg’s moving to the NHL. He has accomplished about everything possible in the WHA; he wants to play against the best teams such as Montreal, Philadelphia, Boston and the New York Islanders; and he does not care for the WHA’s regress into violence. Hedberg does not like to fight, although he will drop his gloves if provoked. When the Birmingham Bulls started using strong-arm tactics this season, opponents added fighters rather than players to counter-attack the Bulls. Hedberg saw this as a step backward.

“When we started the season, my impression was that we would have superb hockey in the WHA,” Hedberg said. “The league has improved and there is so much better competition. I thought the-teams would do better on the ice and at the gate than we did last year. This has gone a little bit backwards lately, but hopefully, this will be taken care of by the league office.”

Everyone has an opinion about Hedberg, but Nilsson knows him better than anyone.

“Anders believes in hard work,” Nilsson said. “He has the right attitude. We complement each other. I think Bobby (Hull) has a great influence on both of us. He taught Anders how to think about what he would do before he actually did it. How do you say it? Anticipate.

“We would prefer all this NHL stuff to go on in the off-season, but what can we do since it’s in our contracts to listen to offers now? We are very grateful to the Jets, our fans and the WHA, but we also have to look at the future, at some security for ourselves because we can’t play hockey forever.

“The reason we want to stay together is because we play together so well. We know each other. When I do something wrong, I might not realize it, but Anders will, and he tells me about it.”. The distractions will be over soon, and no matter what the outcome, few doubt that Hedberg will be any less of a player, no matter what the league.