 Ladd also became the first Hitmen graduate to win the Stanley Cup, which he did with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.The Hitmen have also become one of the most popular junior teams in Canada, leading the WHL in attendance four consecutive years, including a Canadian Hockey League then-record average of 10,062 in 2004–05, the first junior team to ever average over 10,000 fans per game.In 1971, a fledgling operation known as the World Hockey Association announced its intention to compete against the NHL as North America's second major league.