Avco World Trophy / Avco Cup

World Hockey Association / WHA Championship Trophy

Champions / Winners
1973 - New England Whalers
1974 - Houston Aeros
1975 - Houston Aeros
1976 - Winnipeg Jets
1977 - Quebec Nordiques
1978 - Winnipeg Jets
1979 - Winnipeg Jets

The trophy is said to be designed by Frank Bonnerkopf of Boise, Idaho. Other information has Don Murphy of Toronto, Ontario as the designer.

Murphy was part owner and creative designer at Toronto based Vickers and Benson, which also was later commissioned to develop the name and logo of the WHA Toronto Toros.

There is no information on Bonnerkopf being a designer.

The Bowl / Cup of the trophy was made of silver and had a unique free-floating silver etched globe embedded in the lucite stem of the trophy. Possibly made by Birks Jewelry in Toronto, Ontario. Birks has been involved in Hockey trophies since 1884.

The trophy was donated to the World Hockey Association in 1973 along with approximately $500,000 for the 1972-73 WHA season by New York based Avco Financial Services Inc., and became the first major sports league championship trophy to bear the name of a private corporation.

NOTE
The 1st winners, New England Whalers the WHA's inaugural champions, did not get to celebrate with the trophy when then won the WHA championship on May 6, 1973 at Boston Garden, as the Avco Cup was not ready for presentation and the Whalers had to skate a trophy, which had just been purchased for $20 from a local Boston sporting goods store around the ice surface instead, much to the embarrassment of the WHA league. That trophy was never seen again.