The Complete World Hockey Association
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Rick Cunningham • Richard Glen Cunningham

Height: 5-11
Weight: 180
Shoot: R
Born: 3 Mar 1951, Toronto ON

 

Regular Season & Playoff Scoring Record (key)

year team
gp
g
a
pts
pim
gp
g
a
pts
pim
1972-73 Ottawa
78
9
31
40
121
5
1
1
2
2
1973-74 Toronto
75
2
19
21
88
11
0
4
4
31
1974-75 Toronto
71
7
18
25
117
5
0
1
1
0
1975-76 Toronto
36
5
14
19
57
1976-77 Birmingham
63
0
8
8
75
Totals:
323
23
91
114
458
21
1
6
7
33

 

Excerpts from Pro Hockey, WHA 1975-76 (by Dan Proudfoot)

The same kind of declarations that got goaltender Gilles Gratton in trouble with Toronto Toros — indicating something less than 100 per cent devotion to hockey — actually were made two years earlier by defenceman Rick Cunningham.

Not that Cunningham led Gratton into the doghouse, or any such thing. But the comparison between the two is fascinating because Gratton became known as an outrageously zany character when people saw him play inconsistently and then heard him describing himself as a "Super-Flake." Cunningham, on the other hand, developed his hockey skills, so little attention was paid to his earlier philosophy.

"No, I'm not madly in love with hockey," Cunningham said two years ago. "Hockey isn't the be-all and end-all for me. If I couldn't play hockey, I think I'd go back to school and try to become a lawyer The only problem is, I don't think I could stand to actually work for a living." As a defenceman, the 24-year-old's work is highly satisfactory.

 

Excerpts from Pro Hockey, WHA 1976-77 (by Dan Proudfoot)

The Birmingham Bulls spent much of the summer shopping for experienced defensemen to lead their crowd of youngsters at that position. But one defender who's been with the team from the start, since the franchise started at Ottawa in 1972, is Rick Cunningham. Cunningham is still only 25, however, meaning he's hardly at the point when writers start describing him as a "veteran blueliner."

"We consider this to be a very important year for Rick because this is his fifth year and we expect him to really blossom," says Gilles Leger.

 

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