The Cincinnati Stingers were the WHA’s first ever expansion team, being born on May 6th of 1973 right after the inaugural Avco World Finals. Unfortuantely the Stingers home arena to be, the Riverfront Coliseum, would not break ground for several more months forcing the club to delay play. During the down time, the club partook in all of the amateur drafts and would actually loan some of its better talent out to other clubs for play in the 1974-75 season. After reclaiming their players, the Stingers finally began play in October 1975. They would prove to be a well run franchise that never had any real success in the standings or at the gate. Despite this, the Stingers held on through thick and thin, making it to the end of the WHA and its merger with the NHL as a lame duck franchise.

This road black mesh gamer by Russell Athletic and Koch Sporting Goods was worn by Ernie Wakely during the 1977-78 WHA season. Wakely spent 20 years between the pipes beginning in 1959-60 with the Winnipeg Warriors of the WHL and ending in 1978-79 with the Birmingham Bulls of the WHA. In between he was both an NHL and WHA All Star. Ernie’s NHL years were predominantly spent with the St. Louis Blues, other than for a lone game in 1968-69 with the Montreal Canadiens. From 1969-70 thru 1971-72 Wakely tended goal for the successful expansion St. Louis Blues squad. His stellar play in 1970-71 earned him an NHL All Star appearance. When the WHA formed Ernie bolted and joined the Winnipeg Jets. He spent parts of 3 seasons in Winnipeg before joining the San Diego Mariners in 1974-75. After 3 years in southern California, Wakely joined the Cincinnati Stingers in 1977-78. He would go on to play for the Houston Aeros later that same year and then finished his career in Birmingham with the Baby Bulls the following season. Ernie earned a 2nd Team WHA All Star selection for his play during the 1977-78 season, the year in which he donned this road gamer. In a poll taken that named the 50 greatest WHA players of all time, Ernie Wakely ranked 17th on that prominent list.

Perfectly sewn into the collar of this gamer is the Russell Athletic and Koch Sporting Goods tagging. The game wear on this goalie sweater consists of stick and puck marks, goal post paint transfer and pilling. A beautiful vintage example, worn during Wakely’s All Star season, in his brief time as a member of the Cincinnati Stingers.