Sport | Ice hockey |
---|---|
Founded | 1952 |
Founder | Al Leader |
Ceased | 1974 |
Countries |
United States Canada |
Last champion(s) | Phoenix Roadrunners |
Most titles | Vancouver Canucks (4) |
The Western Hockey League (WHL) was a minor professional ice hockey league based in Western Canada that operated from 1952 to 1974. The league was managed for most of its history by Al Leader, and had roots in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League. The championship trophy of the WHL was the Lester Patrick Cup.
The league was founded in 1948 as the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL). In 1951, it absorbed three teams from the Western Canada Senior Hockey League. In 1952, it adopted the WHL name. [1] In the late 1950s, Ron Butlin and Arthur Ryan Smith hosted a hot stove league on radio broadcasts of the league. [2]
The Western Hockey League was managed for most of its history by Al Leader.
During the 1960s, the WHL moved into a number of large west coast markets including Los Angeles and San Francisco. There was speculation that the WHL could grow into a major league capable of rivalling even the long-entrenched National Hockey League (NHL). [3]
In the 1965β66 and 1967β68 seasons, the WHL played an interlocking schedule with the American Hockey League. Fears that the WHL (or a WHL/AHL merger) could become a rival major league was among the factors that finally convinced the NHL to expand for the 1967β68 season. [4]
Several factors led to the WHL's decision to cease operations after the 1973β74 season. The Vancouver Canucks, who had earlier applied for the 1967 NHL expansion, were finally accepted into the league as an expansion team for the 1970β71 season. The NHL and World Hockey Association had moved into many of its traditional markets, and the talent pool had become strained by the fast growth in the number of professional teams. When the NHL announced in June 1974 that the owners of both the Denver Spurs and Seattle Totems had been granted "conditional" NHL franchises (neither of which came to fruition), the WHL announced the same day that it was folding. A few of its surviving teams were absorbed into the Central Hockey League (CHL). The Phoenix Roadrunners franchise jumped to the WHA for the 1974β75 season, while the Spurs jumped from the CHL to the WHA for the 1975β76 season (but folded mid-season).
The championship trophy of the WHL was the Lester Patrick Cup, which is currently on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Season | Winner | Runner-up |
---|---|---|
1952β53 | Edmonton Flyers | Saskatoon Quakers |
1953β54 | Calgary Stampeders | Edmonton Flyers |
1954β55 | Edmonton Flyers | Calgary Stampeders |
1955β56 | Winnipeg Warriors | Vancouver Canucks |
1956β57 | Brandon Regals | New Westminster Royals |
1957β58 | Vancouver Canucks | Calgary Stampeders |
1958β59 | Seattle Totems | Calgary Stampeders |
1959β60 | Vancouver Canucks | Victoria Cougars |
1960β61 | Portland Buckaroos | Seattle Totems |
1961β62 | Edmonton Flyers | Spokane Comets |
1962β63 | San Francisco Seals | Seattle Totems |
1963β64 | San Francisco Seals | Los Angeles Blades |
1964β65 | Portland Buckaroos | Victoria Maple Leafs |
1965β66 | Victoria Maple Leafs | Portland Buckaroos |
1966β67 | Seattle Totems | Vancouver Canucks |
1967β68 | Seattle Totems | Portland Buckaroos |
1968β69 | Vancouver Canucks | Portland Buckaroos |
1969β70 | Vancouver Canucks | Portland Buckaroos |
1970β71 | Portland Buckaroos | Phoenix Roadrunners |
1971β72 | Denver Spurs | Portland Buckaroos |
1972β73 | Phoenix Roadrunners | Salt Lake Golden Eagles |
1973β74 | Phoenix Roadrunners | Portland Buckaroos |
Championships by team
Team | Championships | Runner-up |
---|---|---|
Vancouver Canucks | 4 | 2 |
Seattle Totems | 3 | 2 |
Portland Buckaroos | 3 | 6 |
Edmonton Flyers | 3 | 1 |
Phoenix Roadrunners | 2 | 1 |
San Francisco Seals | 2 | 0 |
Brandon Regals | 1 | 0 |
Calgary Stampeders | 1 | 3 |
Denver Spurs | 1 | 0 |
Victoria Maple Leafs | 1 | 1 |
Winnipeg Warriors | 1 | 0 |
Saskatoon Quakers | 0 | 1 |
New Westminster Royals | 0 | 1 |
Victoria Cougars | 0 | 1 |
Spokane Comets | 0 | 1 |
Los Angeles Blades | 0 | 1 |
Salt Lake Golden Eagles | 0 | 1 |
Sport | Ice hockey |
---|---|
Founded | 1952 |
Founder | Al Leader |
Ceased | 1974 |
Countries |
United States Canada |
Last champion(s) | Phoenix Roadrunners |
Most titles | Vancouver Canucks (4) |
The Western Hockey League (WHL) was a minor professional ice hockey league based in Western Canada that operated from 1952 to 1974. The league was managed for most of its history by Al Leader, and had roots in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League. The championship trophy of the WHL was the Lester Patrick Cup.
The league was founded in 1948 as the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL). In 1951, it absorbed three teams from the Western Canada Senior Hockey League. In 1952, it adopted the WHL name. [1] In the late 1950s, Ron Butlin and Arthur Ryan Smith hosted a hot stove league on radio broadcasts of the league. [2]
The Western Hockey League was managed for most of its history by Al Leader.
During the 1960s, the WHL moved into a number of large west coast markets including Los Angeles and San Francisco. There was speculation that the WHL could grow into a major league capable of rivalling even the long-entrenched National Hockey League (NHL). [3]
In the 1965β66 and 1967β68 seasons, the WHL played an interlocking schedule with the American Hockey League. Fears that the WHL (or a WHL/AHL merger) could become a rival major league was among the factors that finally convinced the NHL to expand for the 1967β68 season. [4]
Several factors led to the WHL's decision to cease operations after the 1973β74 season. The Vancouver Canucks, who had earlier applied for the 1967 NHL expansion, were finally accepted into the league as an expansion team for the 1970β71 season. The NHL and World Hockey Association had moved into many of its traditional markets, and the talent pool had become strained by the fast growth in the number of professional teams. When the NHL announced in June 1974 that the owners of both the Denver Spurs and Seattle Totems had been granted "conditional" NHL franchises (neither of which came to fruition), the WHL announced the same day that it was folding. A few of its surviving teams were absorbed into the Central Hockey League (CHL). The Phoenix Roadrunners franchise jumped to the WHA for the 1974β75 season, while the Spurs jumped from the CHL to the WHA for the 1975β76 season (but folded mid-season).
The championship trophy of the WHL was the Lester Patrick Cup, which is currently on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Season | Winner | Runner-up |
---|---|---|
1952β53 | Edmonton Flyers | Saskatoon Quakers |
1953β54 | Calgary Stampeders | Edmonton Flyers |
1954β55 | Edmonton Flyers | Calgary Stampeders |
1955β56 | Winnipeg Warriors | Vancouver Canucks |
1956β57 | Brandon Regals | New Westminster Royals |
1957β58 | Vancouver Canucks | Calgary Stampeders |
1958β59 | Seattle Totems | Calgary Stampeders |
1959β60 | Vancouver Canucks | Victoria Cougars |
1960β61 | Portland Buckaroos | Seattle Totems |
1961β62 | Edmonton Flyers | Spokane Comets |
1962β63 | San Francisco Seals | Seattle Totems |
1963β64 | San Francisco Seals | Los Angeles Blades |
1964β65 | Portland Buckaroos | Victoria Maple Leafs |
1965β66 | Victoria Maple Leafs | Portland Buckaroos |
1966β67 | Seattle Totems | Vancouver Canucks |
1967β68 | Seattle Totems | Portland Buckaroos |
1968β69 | Vancouver Canucks | Portland Buckaroos |
1969β70 | Vancouver Canucks | Portland Buckaroos |
1970β71 | Portland Buckaroos | Phoenix Roadrunners |
1971β72 | Denver Spurs | Portland Buckaroos |
1972β73 | Phoenix Roadrunners | Salt Lake Golden Eagles |
1973β74 | Phoenix Roadrunners | Portland Buckaroos |
Championships by team
Team | Championships | Runner-up |
---|---|---|
Vancouver Canucks | 4 | 2 |
Seattle Totems | 3 | 2 |
Portland Buckaroos | 3 | 6 |
Edmonton Flyers | 3 | 1 |
Phoenix Roadrunners | 2 | 1 |
San Francisco Seals | 2 | 0 |
Brandon Regals | 1 | 0 |
Calgary Stampeders | 1 | 3 |
Denver Spurs | 1 | 0 |
Victoria Maple Leafs | 1 | 1 |
Winnipeg Warriors | 1 | 0 |
Saskatoon Quakers | 0 | 1 |
New Westminster Royals | 0 | 1 |
Victoria Cougars | 0 | 1 |
Spokane Comets | 0 | 1 |
Los Angeles Blades | 0 | 1 |
Salt Lake Golden Eagles | 0 | 1 |