An excerpt from the Minutes of the Joint Meeting of Representatives of the American Hockey League Players Association and the Western Hockey League Players Association.
The first meeting of the representatives of both the American Hockey League Players Association and the Western Hockey League Players Association was held at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas, NV on May 20 and 21, 1968. Present were player representatives from the following teams:
American Division
Western Division
Doug Messier, President of the Western Hockey League Players Association, acted as Chairman and opened the meeting with introductory remarks concerning the progress made by the Players Association up to that point. He then called upon Curt W. Leichner, General Counsel, to bring the player representatives up to date on the results of meetings with the owners of both the American Hockey League and the Western Hockey League, which had transpired between October, 1967 and the time of this meeting. Mr. Leichner reported that some progress was being made in this regard, but that a certain amount of resistance was being met, specifically in demands for consideration regarding additional meal money, the health plan, and the inclusion of the American Hockey League into one single pension plan.
The Chairman then asked for a Treasurer’s Report, which was presented by Chuck Holmes for the Western Hockey League, and Ron Ingram for the American Hockey League.
The next order of business was a proposal that the American Hockey League Players Association and the Western Hockey League Players Association merge into one association, to be known as “Professional Hockey Players’ Association, American Division and Western Division”, and that each Division would elect its own slate of officers and maintain its own bank account, inasmuch as some of their problems might differ. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
RESOLVED, that the American Hockey League Players Association and the Western Hockey League Players Association shall merge immediately into one association, to be known as the “PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYERS ASSOCIATION, American Division and Western Division”, and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that each Division shall elect its own slate of officers and maintain its own bank account.
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