As a standout football player in high school, he became one of the first Canadian students to win an athletic scholarship to an American university.
[2] In 1936, Hatskin signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, playing six years and helping the team win Grey Cup championships in 1939 and 1941.
Ben Hatskin founded the Winnipeg Jets who joined the Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1967.
His bid failed, which fueled his desire to help create a new, rival league, the World Hockey Association, in 1972.
Hatskin knew that the credibility of the WHA depended on getting established hockey stars to join its teams.