Hamilton was coming off a pair of good seasons with the Buffalo Sabres when the WHA formed, and the then-named Alberta Oilers selected him in their General Draft. Hamilton performed well, scoring 61 Points in his first year, and he followed that with a 59 Point campaign that would earn him a Second Team WHA All-Star. Injuries kept him out of action for most of the two years that followed, but he returned with three seasons of over 40 Points to close out the existence of the World Hockey Association. That stretch included a First Team All-Star Selection in 1977-78.
Hamilton remained with the team when the Oilers merged with the NHL, but he only played one year before retiring.
While Gretzky did join the Oilers in the last year of the WHA, there is no doubt in anyone's mind that the most celebrated player for Edmonton during the WHA was Al Hamilton. His #3 would be the first one retired by the franchise, and he was part of the inaugural class of the WHA Hall of Fame. Another accolade came his way in 2022, when Hamilton was inducted into the Oilers' first Hall of Fame Class.
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