William Dickenson Hunter, OC (May 5, 1920 – December 16, 2002) was a Canadian sports promoter and ice hockey player, coach, manager, and investor.

[2][3] Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Hunter left school to join the Royal Air Force's International Squadron and served as a pilot based in England.

[citation needed] Between 1945 and 1949 Hunter coached and managed hockey teams in North Battleford, Regina, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, and Saskatoon.

[3] He found three partners who felt the same way: Scotty Munro of the Estevan Bruins, Del Wilson of the Regina Pats, and Jim Piggott of the Saskatoon Blades.

[4] On November 1, 1971, the Alberta Oilers became one of the 12 charter WHA franchises, founded by Hunter and a partner, Edmonton surgeon and entrepreneur Chuck Allard.

[8] Ben Hatskin, who Hunter had recruited to help get the WHA off the ground and who founded the Jets, agreed to sign Hull to the contract; however, it took contributions from every team to meet the $1 million commitment, making Hull's contract the first instance in professional sports where every member of a league pitched in to sign a player to one team.

[8] Another major scheme was the staging of a second Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union, but this time having the Canadian team made up of WHA players.

This included NHL recruit and leading scorer Jim Harrison, who on January 13, 1973, became the first major league player of the modern era to record 10 points in a match.

[7][13] Ironically, the success of the Oilers ultimately led to the demise of Hunter's old junior team, as the Oil Kings relocated to Portland in 1976 and became the Winter Hawks.

[16] The Oilers became a dynasty in the ensuing decade; coached by Glen Sather and led on the ice by Wayne Gretzky, the team won the Stanley Cup five times between 1984 and 1990.

[17] After divesting the Oilers, Hunter continued to aim to bring NHL hockey to new markets, and his last major project was an attempt to secure a franchise for Saskatoon.

The team's general manager, Emile Francis, was from Saskatchewan and had played for Hunter's Regina Capitals in the 1940s;[19] the team featured Saskatchewan native and former Saskatoon Blades star Bernie Federko;[19] and Hunter's son, Bart, even played goal for the Blues' minor-league affiliate, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles.

[21] Moreover, Hunter negotiated a 20-year, $20 million sponsorship agreement with Molson's, and also worked with Air Canada to ensure new flight schedules between Saskatoon and NHL markets.

[18] Although the size of the Saskatoon market was one reason for the rejection, so too was Hunter's tumultuous relationship with the NHL, stemming from his earlier days with the WHA.

However, unlike in 1983, the province turned down that support, and Hunter's bid collapsed by 1992 when the NHL welcomed the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning as expansion teams.

[28] Following his unsuccessful attempts to bring the NHL to Saskatoon, Hunter organized softball tournaments in his hometown and invested in the San Diego Gulls hockey club.

[3][1] After his death, the street leading to Saskatchewan Place was renamed Bill Hunter Avenue, while a minor-hockey arena in Edmonton also bears his name.