Central Professional Hockey League
Encyclopedia
The Central Hockey League was a minor professional ice hockey
league that operated in the United States
from 1963 to 1984. Initially named the Central Professional Hockey League, it was owned and operated by the National Hockey League
and served as a successor to the Eastern Professional Hockey League, which had folded after the 1962–63 season. Four of the CHL's initial franchises were, in fact, relocations of the previous year's EPHL teams, while the fifth came from the International Hockey League. Its founding president was Jack Adams, who served in the role until his death in 1968. The CHL's championship trophy was called the Adams Cup
in his honor.
(Detroit Red Wings
), Minneapolis Bruins
(Boston Bruins
), Omaha Knights
(Montreal Canadiens
), St. Louis Braves
(Chicago Black Hawks
) and the St. Paul Rangers
(New York Rangers
). The only NHL team without a CHL affiliate that year, the Toronto Maple Leafs
, joined the league through its affiliation with the Tulsa Oilers in the CHL's second season.
After Adams's death, Emory Jones served as interim president until the appointment of lawyer Joe Kane in August 1968. Kane served one year as president, retiring in June 1969. Kane was succeeded by Jones, who held the job until retiring in 1974. Max McNab
served as league president from 1974 until becoming general manager of the Washington Capitals
during his second season. Ray Miron
was hired as president in August 1976, but resigned less than three weeks later to accept the job as general manager of the Colorado Rockies
. Before the end of the month, Bud Poile
became league president and would hold the job until the CHL folded in 1984.
For the 1974–75 season, the CHL absorbed three teams, the Denver Spurs
, Salt Lake Golden Eagles
, and Seattle Totems
, from the folding Western Hockey League
. Salt Lake would stay in the league until the end and would continue in the International Hockey League for the 1984–85 season, after the CHL ceased operations. Denver and Seattle were admitted to the CHL as a stepping stone for their eventual admission to the NHL in 1976; however, the league never followed through on the expansion, and both teams folded after 1975. For 1979–80, the CHL added the Cincinnati Stingers
and Birmingham Bulls
, the two teams from the World Hockey Association
that were not admitted to the NHL that year.
Also during the 1979–80 season, the United States Olympic hockey team played games against each team in the CHL that counted in the standings. The team went on to win the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics
. In the 1983–84 season, both the U.S. and Canadian Olympic hockey teams played games in the CHL.
The CHL's final champions, the Tulsa Oilers, were left without a home during their championship 1983–84 season when the team owners went into receivership. The league stepped in to keep the team operating, and the Oilers played all their games on the road from mid-February through the end of the playoffs. Their Cup-winning game on April 27, 1984 was the last game played in the CHL. The league folded the following month.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
league that operated in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1963 to 1984. Initially named the Central Professional Hockey League, it was owned and operated by the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
and served as a successor to the Eastern Professional Hockey League, which had folded after the 1962–63 season. Four of the CHL's initial franchises were, in fact, relocations of the previous year's EPHL teams, while the fifth came from the International Hockey League. Its founding president was Jack Adams, who served in the role until his death in 1968. The CHL's championship trophy was called the Adams Cup
Adams Cup
The Adams Cup was awarded annually to the championship team in Central Hockey League.The CHL was a top-tier minor professional league that operated in the United States from 1963 to 1984. It was owned and operated by the National Hockey League...
in his honor.
History
In the league's first season, all five teams were affiliated with an NHL club. The CHL initially consisted of the Indianapolis CapitalsIndianapolis Capitals
The Indianapolis Capitals was an American Hockey League professional ice hockey team based in Indianapolis, Indiana from 1939–1952. The Capitals were a farm team for the Detroit Red Wings. Indianapolis won the Calder Cup in 1942 and 1950...
(Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
), Minneapolis Bruins
Minneapolis Bruins
The Minneapolis Bruins were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Central Hockey League from 1963 to 1965. Minneapolis operated as a farm team to the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins. The team originated as the Kingston Frontenacs of the Eastern Professional Hockey League, which...
(Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
), Omaha Knights
Omaha Knights
The Omaha Knights were a minor league professional ice hockey team from 1959 to 1975, based in Omaha, Nebraska at the Ak-Sar-Ben arena. The Knights were founded in 1959 as members of the International Hockey League...
(Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
), St. Louis Braves
St. Louis Braves
The St. Louis Braves were a minor league hockey club located in St. Louis, Missouri. The team originated as the Syracuse Braves in the Eastern Professional Hockey League's final season of 1962–63. The team was moved to St. Louis mid-season, and continued in the new Central Hockey League after the...
(Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
) and the St. Paul Rangers
St. Paul Rangers
The St. Paul Rangers were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. They were one of the original five teams of the Central Professional Hockey League. They were an affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers....
(New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
). The only NHL team without a CHL affiliate that year, the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, joined the league through its affiliation with the Tulsa Oilers in the CHL's second season.
After Adams's death, Emory Jones served as interim president until the appointment of lawyer Joe Kane in August 1968. Kane served one year as president, retiring in June 1969. Kane was succeeded by Jones, who held the job until retiring in 1974. Max McNab
Max McNab
Maxwell Douglas McNab was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and NHL general manager. He was born in Watson, Saskatchewan...
served as league president from 1974 until becoming general manager of the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
during his second season. Ray Miron
Ray Miron
Ray Miron is the former owner of the new Central Hockey League, founded in 1992 by Miron and William "Bill" Levins, as well as a former National Hockey League executive, serving in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and as General Manager of the Colorado Rockies . They founded the league under...
was hired as president in August 1976, but resigned less than three weeks later to accept the job as general manager of the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
. Before the end of the month, Bud Poile
Bud Poile
Norman Robert "Bud" Poile was a professional ice hockey player, coach, general manager, and league executive.-Overview:Poile was born in Fort William, Ontario and played junior hockey for the Fort William Rangers...
became league president and would hold the job until the CHL folded in 1984.
For the 1974–75 season, the CHL absorbed three teams, the Denver Spurs
Denver Spurs
The Denver Spurs were a professional ice hockey team based out of Denver, Colorado. The Spurs began play in the Western Hockey League in 1968, and played at the Denver Coliseum. The Spurs became the first professional sports team in Colorado to win a championship in 1971–72...
, Salt Lake Golden Eagles
Salt Lake Golden Eagles
The Salt Lake Golden Eagles were a minor professional hockey team based in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1969 to 1994.They played in the Western Hockey League from 1969 to 1974, the Central Hockey League from 1974 to 1984 and the International Hockey League from 1984 to 1994...
, and Seattle Totems
Seattle Totems
The Seattle Totems were a professional ice hockey franchise in Seattle, Washington. They were a member of various minor professional and semi-professional leagues between 1945 and 1975. They played their home games in the Mercer Arena and later at the Seattle Center Coliseum...
, from the folding Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League (minor pro)
The Western Hockey League was a minor pro ice hockey league that operated from 1952 to 1974. Managed for most of its history by Hockey Hall of Fame member Al Leader, it was created out of the merger of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League...
. Salt Lake would stay in the league until the end and would continue in the International Hockey League for the 1984–85 season, after the CHL ceased operations. Denver and Seattle were admitted to the CHL as a stepping stone for their eventual admission to the NHL in 1976; however, the league never followed through on the expansion, and both teams folded after 1975. For 1979–80, the CHL added the Cincinnati Stingers
Cincinnati Stingers
The Cincinnati Stingers was an ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that played in the World Hockey Association from 1975 to 1979. Its home arena was Riverfront Coliseum and it was the only major-league hockey team ever to play in Cincinnati.-History:The Stingers franchise was awarded in...
and Birmingham Bulls
Birmingham Bulls
The Birmingham Bulls were a professional ice hockey team based in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. They played in the World Hockey Association from 1976 to 1979 and the Central Hockey League from 1979 to 1981. The Bulls played their home games at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center.Prior to being...
, the two teams from the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
that were not admitted to the NHL that year.
Also during the 1979–80 season, the United States Olympic hockey team played games against each team in the CHL that counted in the standings. The team went on to win the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
. In the 1983–84 season, both the U.S. and Canadian Olympic hockey teams played games in the CHL.
The CHL's final champions, the Tulsa Oilers, were left without a home during their championship 1983–84 season when the team owners went into receivership. The league stepped in to keep the team operating, and the Oilers played all their games on the road from mid-February through the end of the playoffs. Their Cup-winning game on April 27, 1984 was the last game played in the CHL. The league folded the following month.