Anders Hedberg (born February 25, 1951 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden) is a retired former professional ice hockey player who was one of the first European-born players to make an impact in North America. Along with countryman Ulf Nilsson, Hedberg signed a contract to come over to play for the Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association in 1974. Prior to the mid-seventies, Europeans generally did not come to play in the National Hockey League, as the cartel of NHL owners had poor (some would say xenophobic) opinions of Europeans and European hockey. Players such as the Slovak-born but Canadian-raised Stan Mikita were the exception. Hedberg was an instant sensation in the WHA, recording 100 points in 65 games in his first season, and playing alongside established superstar Bobby Hull. February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Örnsköldsvik is a town and a 6,418. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... Ulf Nilsson played for the the Winnipeg Jets ... The Winnipeg Jets were an ice hockey franchise that existed in both the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League. ... World Hockey Association logo The World Hockey Association (French: Association Mondiale de Hockey) was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. ... The modernized NHL shield logo debuted in 2005, replacing the orange and black shield, which had been used since the leagues inception. ... Xenophobia means fear of strangers or the unknown and comes from the Greek ξενοφοβια, xenophobia, literally meaning fear of the strange. It is often used to describe fear of or dislike of foreigners, but racism in general is sometimes described as a form of xenophobia, as are such prejudices as... Stanislav Stan Mikita (born May 20, 1940) is a Slovak-Canadian ice hockey player. ... Robert Marvin Hull, born January 3, 1939 in Pointe Anne (near Belleville), Ontario, Canada, is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. ...

Hedberg played a starring role as the Jets won Avco World Trophy titles in 1976 and 1978. In the summer of 1978, Nilsson and Hedberg signed with the NHL's New York Rangers for $2.4 million, further weakening the struggling WHA which would cease operations after just one more season. Hedberg recorded 856 professional points in North American hockey over 751 games, and would retire from the Rangers in 1985. Avco World Trophy The Avco World Trophy was the championship trophy of the original World Hockey Association (1972-1979). ... The New York Rangers (NYR) are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City, New York, USA. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). ...