Western Hockey League (1952–1974): Difference between revisions

Western Hockey League (1952–1974)
Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1952
Founder	Al Leader
Ceased	1974
Countries	United States; Canada
Last; champion(s)	Phoenix Roadrunners
Most titles	Vancouver Canucks (4)

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Latest revision as of 14:53, 8 October 2024

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.

History

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 1965–66 and 1967–68 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 1967–68 season.^[4]

Several factors led to the WHL's decision to cease operations after the 1973–74 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 1970–71 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 1974–75 season, while the Spurs jumped from the CHL to the WHA for the 1975–76 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.

Teams

Brandon Regals (1955–1957)
Calgary Stampeders (1952–1963)
California Seals (1966–1967)
Denver Invaders (1963–1964)
Denver Spurs (1968–1974)
Edmonton Flyers (1952–1963)
Los Angeles Blades (1961–1967)
New Westminster Royals (1952–1959)
Phoenix Roadrunners (1967–1974)
Portland Buckaroos (1960–1974)
Salt Lake Golden Eagles (1969–1974)
San Diego Gulls (1966–1974)
San Francisco Seals (1961–1966)
Saskatoon Quakers (1952–1959)
Seattle Americans (1955–1958)
Seattle Bombers (1952–1954)
Seattle Totems (1958–1974)
Spokane Comets (1959–1963)
Spokane Spokes (1958–1959)
Tacoma Rockets (1952–1953)
Vancouver Canucks (1952–1970)
Victoria Cougars (1952–1961)
Victoria Maple Leafs (1964–1967)
Winnipeg Warriors (1955–1961)

Timeline

List of champions

Season	Winner	Runner-up
1952–53	Edmonton Flyers	Saskatoon Quakers
1953–54	Calgary Stampeders	Edmonton Flyers
1954–55	Edmonton Flyers	Calgary Stampeders
1955–56	Winnipeg Warriors	Vancouver Canucks
1956–57	Brandon Regals	New Westminster Royals
1957–58	Vancouver Canucks	Calgary Stampeders
1958–59	Seattle Totems	Calgary Stampeders
1959–60	Vancouver Canucks	Victoria Cougars
1960–61	Portland Buckaroos	Seattle Totems
1961–62	Edmonton Flyers	Spokane Comets
1962–63	San Francisco Seals	Seattle Totems
1963–64	San Francisco Seals	Los Angeles Blades
1964–65	Portland Buckaroos	Victoria Maple Leafs
1965–66	Victoria Maple Leafs	Portland Buckaroos
1966–67	Seattle Totems	Vancouver Canucks
1967–68	Seattle Totems	Portland Buckaroos
1968–69	Vancouver Canucks	Portland Buckaroos
1969–70	Vancouver Canucks	Portland Buckaroos
1970–71	Portland Buckaroos	Phoenix Roadrunners
1971–72	Denver Spurs	Portland Buckaroos
1972–73	Phoenix Roadrunners	Salt Lake Golden Eagles
1973–74	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

References

^ Stott, Jon C. (2008). Ice Warriors: The Pacific Coast/Western Hockey League 1948–1974. Surrey, British Columbia: Heritage House Publishing. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-894974-54-7.
^ Slade, Daryl (2014-06-26). "Calgary sporting pioneer dies in B.C. at age 89". Calgary Herald. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
^ Los Angeles Times, 27 March 1959, p.C1: Official Says Hockey Would Go Big Here
^ David Cruise; Alison Griffiths (1991). Net Worth: Exploding the Myths of Pro Hockey. Stoddart Publishing.

External links

hockeydb.com Stats

[1] Stott, Jon C. (2008). Ice Warriors: The Pacific Coast/Western Hockey League 1948–1974. Surrey, British Columbia: Heritage House Publishing. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-894974-54-7.

[2] Slade, Daryl (2014-06-26). "Calgary sporting pioneer dies in B.C. at age 89". Calgary Herald. Retrieved June 26, 2020.

[3] Los Angeles Times, 27 March 1959, p.C1: Official Says Hockey Would Go Big Here

[4] David Cruise; Alison Griffiths (1991). Net Worth: Exploding the Myths of Pro Hockey. Stoddart Publishing.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{short description|Former ice hockey league}}
+{{Short description|Defunct professional ice hockey league}}
-{{about|the minor pro Western Hockey League operating from 1952 to 1974|other leagues with the same name|Western Hockey League (disambiguation)}}
+{{About|the professional minor league operating from 1952 to 1974|other leagues with the same name|Western Hockey League (disambiguation)}}
 {{Infobox sports league
 |logo =
@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 }}
-The '''Western Hockey League''' (WHL) was a [[Minor league|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 '''Western Hockey League''' ('''WHL''') was a [[Minor league|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]].
 == History ==
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 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 professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major league]] capable of rivalling even the long-entrenched [[National Hockey League]].<ref>[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/464114362.html?dids=464114362:464114362&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Mar+27%2C+1959&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Official+Says+Hockey+Would+Go+Big+Here&pqatl=google Los Angeles Times, 27 March 1959, p.C1: Official Says Hockey Would Go Big Here]</ref>
+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 professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major league]] capable of rivalling even the long-entrenched [[National Hockey League]] (NHL).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121102082951/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/464114362.html?dids=464114362:464114362&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Mar+27,+1959&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Official+Says+Hockey+Would+Go+Big+Here&pqatl=google Los Angeles Times, 27 March 1959, p.C1: Official Says Hockey Would Go Big Here]</ref>
-In the 1965–66 and 1967–68 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 professional sports league|major league]] was among the factors that finally convinced the [[National Hockey League]] [[1967 NHL expansion|to expand for the 1967–68 season]].<ref>{{cite book| title=Net Worth: Exploding the Myths of Pro Hockey| author1=David Cruise| author2=Alison Griffiths| publisher=Stoddart Publishing| year=1991}}</ref>
+In the 1965–66 and 1967–68 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 [[1967 NHL expansion|to expand for the 1967–68 season]].<ref>{{cite book| title=Net Worth: Exploding the Myths of Pro Hockey| author1=David Cruise| author2=Alison Griffiths| publisher=Stoddart Publishing| year=1991}}</ref>
-Several factors led to the WHL's decision to cease operations after the 1973–74 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 Professional Hockey League|Central Hockey League]] (CHL), though the [[Phoenix Roadrunners (WHL)|Phoenix Roadrunners]] franchise did join the WHA for the 1974–75 season, and the [[Denver Spurs]] would jump from the CHL to the WHA for the 1975–76 season (but folded mid-season).
+Several factors led to the WHL's decision to cease operations after the 1973–74 season. The [[Vancouver Canucks (WHL)|Vancouver Canucks]], who had earlier applied for the 1967 NHL expansion, were finally accepted into the league as an expansion team for the 1970–71 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 Professional Hockey League|Central Hockey League]] (CHL). The [[Phoenix Roadrunners (WHL)|Phoenix Roadrunners]] franchise [[Phoenix Roadrunners (WHA)|jumped to the WHA]] for the 1974–75 season, while the Spurs jumped from the CHL to the WHA for the 1975–76 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]].
 ==Teams==
+{{div col|colwidth=33}}
 *[[Brandon Regals]] (1955–1957)
-*[[Calgary Stampeders (hockey)|Calgary Stampeders]] (1952–1963)
+*[[Calgary Stampeders (ice hockey)|Calgary Stampeders]] (1952–1963)
-*[[San Francisco Seals (hockey)|California Seals]] (1966–1967)
+*[[San Francisco Seals (ice hockey)|California Seals]] (1966–1967)
 *[[Denver Invaders]] (1963–1964)
 *[[Denver Spurs]] (1968–1974)
@@ Line 43: / Line 44: @@
 *[[Portland Buckaroos]] (1960–1974)
 *[[Salt Lake Golden Eagles]] (1969–1974)
-*[[San Diego Gulls (1966–74)|San Diego Gulls]] (1966–1974)
+*[[San Diego Gulls (1966–1974)|San Diego Gulls]] (1966–1974)
-*[[San Francisco Seals (hockey)|San Francisco Seals]] (1961–1966)
+*[[San Francisco Seals (ice hockey)|San Francisco Seals]] (1961–1966)
 *[[Saskatoon Quakers]] (1952–1959)
 *[[Seattle Americans]] (1955–1958)
 *[[Seattle Bombers]] (1952–1954)
-*[[Seattle Totems]] (1958–1975)
+*[[Seattle Totems]] (1958–1974)
 *[[Spokane Comets]] (1959–1963)
-*[[Spokane Spokes]] (1958-1959)
+*[[Spokane Spokes]] (1958–1959)
-*[[Tacoma Rockets (PCHL and WHL)|Tacoma Rockets]] (1952–1953)
+*[[Tacoma Rockets (1946–1953)|Tacoma Rockets]] (1952–1953)
 *[[Vancouver Canucks (WHL)|Vancouver Canucks]] (1952–1970)
 *[[Victoria Cougars (1949–1961)|Victoria Cougars]] (1952–1961)
 *[[Victoria Maple Leafs]] (1964–1967)
 *[[Winnipeg Warriors (minor pro)|Winnipeg Warriors]] (1955–1961)
+{{div col end}}
 ===Timeline===
@@ Line 72: / Line 74: @@
 PlotData=
  width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
- bar:1 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1954 text:[[Seattle Bombers]] (1952–1954)
+ bar:1 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1954 text:[[Seattle Bombers]] (1952–1954) / [[Seattle Americans]] (1955–1958) / [[Seattle Totems]] (1958–1974)
- bar:1 color:skyblue from:08/01/1955 till:07/01/1958 text:[[Seattle Americans]] (1955–1958)
+ bar:1 color:skyblue from:08/01/1955 till:07/01/1958 text:
- bar:1 color:skyblue from:08/01/1958 till:07/01/1974 text:[[Seattle Totems]] (1958–1974)
+ bar:1 color:skyblue from:08/01/1958 till:07/01/1974 text:
  bar:2 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1970 text:[[Vancouver Canucks (WHL)|Vancouver Canucks]] (1952–1970)
  bar:3 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1963 text:[[Calgary Stampeders (hockey)|Calgary Stampeders]] (1952–1963)
  bar:4 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1963 text:[[Edmonton Flyers]] (1952–1963)
- bar:5 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1961 text:[[Victoria Cougars (1949–1961)|Victoria Cougars]] (1952–1961)
+ bar:5 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1961 text:[[Victoria Cougars (1949–1961)|Victoria Cougars]] (1952–1961) / [[Los Angeles Blades (WHL)|Los Angeles Blades]] (1961–1967)
- bar:5 color:skyblue from:08/01/1961 till:07/01/1967 text:[[Los Angeles Blades (WHL)|Los Angeles Blades]] (1961–1967)
+ bar:5 color:skyblue from:08/01/1961 till:07/01/1967 text:
  bar:6 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1956 text:[[Saskatoon Quakers]] (1952–1956)
  bar:7 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1959 text:[[New Westminster Royals]] (1952–1959)
  bar:8 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1953 text:[[Tacoma Rockets (PCHL and WHL)|Tacoma Rockets]] (1952–1953)
  bar:9 color:skyblue from:08/01/1955 till:07/01/1961 text:[[Winnipeg Warriors (minor pro)|Winnipeg Warriors]] (1955–1961)
- bar:10 color:skyblue from:08/01/1955 till:07/01/1957 text:[[Brandon Regals]] (1955–1957)
+ bar:10 color:skyblue from:08/01/1955 till:07/01/1957 text:[[Brandon Regals]] (1955–1957) / [[Saskatoon/Saint Paul's Regals]] (1957–1958) / [[Saskatoon Quakers]] (1958–1959)
- bar:10 color:skyblue from:08/01/1957 till:07/01/1958 text:[[Saskatoon/Saint Paul's Regals]] (1957–1958)
+ bar:10 color:skyblue from:08/01/1957 till:07/01/1958 text:
- bar:10 color:skyblue from:08/01/1958 till:07/01/1959 text:[[Saskatoon Quakers]] (1958–1959)
+ bar:10 color:skyblue from:08/01/1958 till:07/01/1959 text:
- bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1958 till:07/01/1959 text:[[Spokane Spokes]] (1958-1960)
+ bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1958 till:07/01/1959 text:[[Spokane Spokes]] (1958–1959) / [[Spokane Comets]] (1959–1963) / [[Denver Invaders]] (1963–1964) / [[Victoria Maple Leafs]] (1964–1967) / [[Phoenix Roadrunners (WHL)|Phoenix Roadrunners]] (1967–1974)
- bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1959 till:07/01/1963 text:[[Spokane Comets]] (1960-1963)
+ bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1959 till:07/01/1963 text:
- bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1963 till:07/01/1964 text:[[Denver Invaders]] (1963–1964)
+ bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1963 till:07/01/1964 text:
- bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1964 till:07/01/1967 text:[[Victoria Maple Leafs]] (1964–1967)
+ bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1964 till:07/01/1967 text:
- bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1967 till:07/01/1974 text:[[Phoenix Roadrunners (WHL)|Phoenix Roadrunners]] (1967–1974)
+ bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1967 till:07/01/1974 text:
  bar:12 color:skyblue from:08/01/1960 till:07/01/1974 text:[[Portland Buckaroos]] (1960–1974)
- bar:13 color:skyblue from:08/01/1961 till:07/01/1966 text:[[San Francisco Seals (hockey)|San Francisco Seals]] (1961–1966)
+ bar:13 color:skyblue from:08/01/1961 till:07/01/1966 text:[[San Francisco Seals (hockey)|San Francisco Seals]] (1961–1966) / [[San Francisco Seals (hockey)|California Seals]] (1966–1967)
- bar:13 color:skyblue from:08/01/1966 till:07/01/1967 text:[[San Francisco Seals (hockey)|California Seals]] (1966–1967)
+ bar:13 color:skyblue from:08/01/1966 till:07/01/1967 text:
  bar:15 color:skyblue from:08/01/1966 till:07/01/1974 text:[[San Diego Gulls (1966-1974)|San Diego Gulls]] (1966–1974)
  bar:16 color:skyblue from:08/01/1968 till:07/01/1974 text:[[Denver Spurs]] (1968–1974)
@@ Line 200: / Line 202: @@
 {{WHL (1952-1974) seasons}}
+{{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Western Hockey League (1952-1974)}}