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Vyacheslav Fetisov
Vyacheslav Fetisov (Вячеслав Фетисов), born 1958, Soviet and Russian ice hockey defenceman, CSKA captain, two Olympic golds, seven world titles, NHL Devils and Red Wings, two Stanley Cups, later Russian Minister of Sport and first KHL chairman.
Vyacheslav Malov
Vyacheslav Malov (Вячеслав Алексеевич Малов, born 2004, Novosibirsk) is a Russian ice hockey center for Avangard Omsk, 2020 Youth Olympic gold medalist, MHL best rookie 2021/22, with 10 KHL games.
Vyacheslav Sobchenko
Vyacheslav Sobchenko (Вячеслав Собченко), born 1949 in Dushanbe, Soviet water polo goalkeeper; won Olympic gold with the USSR at Munich 1972 and Moscow 1980, later Honoured Coach of Russia.
Vyacheslav Starshinov
Vyacheslav Starshinov (Вячеслав Иванович Старшинов), born 6 May 1940, Soviet ice hockey center for Spartak Moskva; two Olympic golds (1964, 1968), nine World titles, 182 international games with 149 goals, IIHF Hall of Fame 2007.
Vyacheslav Voynov
Vyacheslav Voynov (Вячеслав Войнов), Russian defenseman born 1990 in Chelyabinsk; two Stanley Cups with Los Angeles, Gagarin Cup with SKA, Olympic gold 2018 and silver 2022; now with Amur Khabarovsk in the KHL.
Wade Belak
Wade Belak (1976-2011), Canadian NHL enforcer from Saskatoon, drafted 12th overall by Quebec in 1994; played 495 games for Colorado, Calgary, Toronto, Florida, Nashville; died August 31, 2011.
Wally Byron
Wally Byron (Jacob Walter Byron, 1894-1971), Canadian goaltender for the Winnipeg Falcons; won the 1920 Allan Cup and Olympic gold at Antwerp 1920, allowing one goal in three games with two shutouts.
Wally Halder
Wally Halder (Walter Edwin Halder), Canadian ice hockey forward, 1948 St. Moritz Olympic gold medalist with the RCAF Flyers and Canada's top scorer there with 21 goals in eight games; later founding head of the Olympic Trust of Canada.
Walter Cup
Walter Cup: championship trophy of the Professional Women's Hockey League, unveiled 2024, named for Mark and Kimbra Walter, made by Tiffany & Co.; won by Minnesota (2024, 2025) and Montréal Victoire (2026).
Walter de Sousa
Walter de Sousa (Walter Louis Joseph de Sousa, Walter D'Souza), 1920-1989, Indian field hockey full back and footballer; 1948 Olympic gold medalist, Lusitanians captain, IFA Shield-winning ICL captain, and 1976 World Cup team selector.
Walter Gretzky
Walter Gretzky (1938-2021), Canada's Hockey Dad, father of Wayne Gretzky; built the Brantford backyard rink, coached his son, Order of Canada 2007, charity volunteer.
Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals, NHL ice hockey team in Washington, D.C., also called the Caps; founded as a 1974 expansion club, worst inaugural NHL season, first Stanley Cup in 2018, home of record goal-scorer Alex Ovechkin.
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky, "The Great One" (born 1961, Brantford, Ontario), Canadian hockey player; NHL career 1979-99 with Oilers, Kings, Blues, Rangers; 2,857 points, 1,963 assists, 894 goals, four Stanley Cups; goals record broken by Ovechkin in 2025.
Wayne Simmonds
Wayne Simmonds, born 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, is a retired Canadian NHL right wing (Kings, Flyers, Predators, Devils, Sabres, Maple Leafs); 2017 All-Star MVP, 1,037 games, 263 goals, retired a Flyer in 2024.
Weldy Olson
Weldy Olson (Weldon Howard Olson, 1932-2023), American ice hockey forward from Marquette, Michigan; youngest of nine hockey brothers. Won 1956 Olympic silver and 1960 Squaw Valley gold with Team USA; Michigan State record 125 points.
Wendel Clark
Wendel Clark (Wendel Lee Clark), born 1966 in Kelvington, Saskatchewan, is a retired NHL left wing drafted first overall by Toronto in 1985; Leafs captain 1991-94, 793 games, 330 goals, Legends Row honoree and team ambassador.
Werner Kaessmann
Werner Kaessmann (born 1947, Unna) is a German former field hockey left-side player, Rot-Weiss Köln, who won 114 West German caps 1969-78, Olympic gold at Munich 1972, and later worked as a lawyer and ADAC chief counsel.
Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League (WHL), also Western Canada Hockey League, a 23-team major junior ice hockey league in Western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest; founded 1966 as the CMJHL, a CHL member awarding the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Whirlyball
Whirlyball, also WhirlyBall, is an indoor team sport combining lacrosse, hockey, basketball, and bumper cars; five-player teams on electric WhirlyBugs use scoops to shoot a Wiffle ball, invented in 1962 Utah by Stan Mangum.
Wichita Thunder
Wichita Thunder: professional ECHL ice hockey team in Wichita, Kansas, founded 1992 as an original Central Hockey League franchise, two-time CHL champion (1994, 1995), ECHL member since 2014, playing at INTRUST Bank Arena with San Jose Sharks affiliation.
Wieke Dijkstra
Wieke Dijkstra (Wieke Elisabeth Henriëtte Dijkstra), born 1984 in Amsterdam, Dutch field hockey midfielder for Laren MHC; 123 caps, 10 goals; Olympic gold 2008 Beijing, World Cup 2006, Euro 2009, Champions Trophy 2007 and 2011; retired 2012.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL team in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Penguins affiliate since 1999; three Calder Cup Finals (2001, 2004, 2008), no title; 2025-26 Eastern Conference Final run under Kirk MacDonald.
William Karlsson
William Karlsson, "Wild Bill", Swedish NHL center (born 1993, Märsta) for the Vegas Golden Knights; 2018 Lady Byng winner, 43-goal 2017-18 season, 2023 Stanley Cup champion, Vegas franchise leader in shorthanded goals.
William Nylander
William Nylander, Swedish NHL right winger for the Toronto Maple Leafs, drafted 8th overall in 2014; $92M/8-year extension ($11.5M AAV) in 2024, 45-goal 2024-25, 2017 Worlds gold and MVP for Sweden.
Willie Goodsir Cullen
Willie Goodsir-Cullen (William James Goodsir-Cullen, 1907-1994) was an Indian field hockey player, a 1928 Amsterdam Olympic gold medallist, brother of 1936 gold medallist Ernie Goodsir-Cullen, later settled in Australia.
Willie O'Ree
Willie O'Ree, born 1935 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, is the Canadian former Boston Bruins winger who became the first Black NHL player on January 18, 1958, later the NHL's Diversity Ambassador and a 2018 Hockey Hall of Fame Builder.
Wilson Sporting Goods
Wilson Sporting Goods Co., founded 1914 in Chicago, is an American sports equipment maker (tennis, basketball, baseball, football, golf) owned by Amer Sports since 1989; official ball of NBA, WNBA, NFL, US Open.
Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg Jets: NHL team in the Central Division, playing at Canada Life Centre since 2011 after relocating from Atlanta; in 2026 the NHL merged the original Jets (1979-96), Thrashers, and current Jets into one franchise history.
Wolfgang Baumgart
Wolfgang Baumgart (1949-2011), German field hockey player for West Germany; 65 caps 1968-73, Olympic gold 1972 Munich, fourth 1968; SC Frankfurt 1880 club champion. Not the athlete Baum, Wolfgang (b. 1963).
Wolfgang Rott
Wolfgang Rott (born 1946, Mettmann) is a retired West German field hockey goalkeeper, THC Mettmann, who won Olympic gold at Munich 1972, placed fourth in 1968 and fifth in 1976, and won the 1970 European title.