However, onerous lease terms at Maple Leaf Gardens led owner John F. Bassett to move to Birmingham.

During Sonmor's tenure as general manager, he successfully negotiated the first "cross-league" player trade with the NHL in a deal with the Detroit Red Wings.

His team finished last in the league, but was in the middle of a youth movement in transitioning from being overly physical to highly skilled and was known among the fans as the "Baby Bulls".

Although Bassett failed to sign Gretzky, the Bulls included several future NHL stars at the beginning of their professional careers such as Rick Vaive, Michel Goulet, Rob Ramage, Pat Riggin, Craig Hartsburg, Gaston Gingras and Rod Langway, as well as a 36-year-old Paul Henderson.

Even though his team was the only one in the league not to make the playoffs, Brophy was awarded the Robert Schmertz Memorial Trophy as the WHA's coach of the year.

The last active NHL player from the Bulls was Michel Goulet and Rob Ramage, who both retired in 1994 as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers.

They currently compete in the Southern Professional Hockey League and play their home games at the Pelham Civic Center, located 20 minutes south of downtown Birmingham.