International Hockey League (1929-36)
Encyclopedia
The International Hockey League was a professional ice hockey league operating in Canada and the United States from 1929 to 1936. It was a direct ancestor of the American Hockey League
.
It was formed when the Canadian Professional Hockey League
split into two leagues. The larger teams formed the IHL, which was one step below the National Hockey League
. The smaller teams kept the CPHL name, and served as a farm system for the IHL for one season.
Three teams folded and two others merged after the 1935-36 season, leaving the IHL with only four teams--the minimum required for the league to be viable. The remaining teams joined with the Canadian-American Hockey League
, which had also been cut down to four teams, to form a "circuit of mutual convenience" called the "International-American Hockey League." The two leagues played an interlocking schedule for the next two years, with the IHL serving as the I-AHL's Western Division and the Can-Am serving as its Eastern Division. The Buffalo Bisons, a charter IHL member, suspended operations due to financial difficulties after only 11 games, and the I-AHL played as a seven-team unit for the rest of the season and all of the 1938-39 season.
At a meeting held in New York City on June 28, 1938, the two leagues formally merged into a unified league operating under the I-AHL name. The Eastern Amateur Hockey League
's Hershey Bears
were added as an expansion team, replacing the Bisons. The league changed its name to the current AHL in 1940.
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
.
It was formed when the Canadian Professional Hockey League
Canadian Professional Hockey League
The Canadian Professional Hockey League, also known as Canpro, was a minor professional hockey league founded in 1926. After three seasons, it became the International Hockey League in 1929...
split into two leagues. The larger teams formed the IHL, which was one step below 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...
. The smaller teams kept the CPHL name, and served as a farm system for the IHL for one season.
Three teams folded and two others merged after the 1935-36 season, leaving the IHL with only four teams--the minimum required for the league to be viable. The remaining teams joined with the Canadian-American Hockey League
Canadian-American Hockey League
The Canadian-American Hockey League, popularly known as the Can-Am League, was a professional ice hockey league that operated from 1926 to 1936. It was a direct ancestor of the American Hockey League....
, which had also been cut down to four teams, to form a "circuit of mutual convenience" called the "International-American Hockey League." The two leagues played an interlocking schedule for the next two years, with the IHL serving as the I-AHL's Western Division and the Can-Am serving as its Eastern Division. The Buffalo Bisons, a charter IHL member, suspended operations due to financial difficulties after only 11 games, and the I-AHL played as a seven-team unit for the rest of the season and all of the 1938-39 season.
At a meeting held in New York City on June 28, 1938, the two leagues formally merged into a unified league operating under the I-AHL name. The Eastern Amateur Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
's Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
were added as an expansion team, replacing the Bisons. The league changed its name to the current AHL in 1940.
Teams
| Buffalo Bisons | (1929-1936) | transferred from CPHL, later joined IAHL |
| Cleveland Falcons Cleveland Falcons The Cleveland Falcons were a professional ice hockey team in Cleveland, Ohio, that played home games in the Elysium Arena. The team was founded in 1929, as the Cleveland Indians as a member of the International Hockey League, where they played for five seasons, then reamed the Falcons... |
(1934-1936) | Former Cleveland Indians franchise, later joined IAHL |
| Cleveland Indians Cleveland Indians (ice hockey) The Cleveland Indians was a professional ice hockey team in Cleveland, Ohio, that played home games in the Elysium Arena. In 1929, the Kitchener Dutchmen International Hockey League franchise was transferred to Cleveland. In the summer of 1934, the team was renamed the Cleveland Falcons.... |
(1929-1934) | Former Kitchener CPHL franchise, players from Toronto of the CPHL, renamed Falcons in 1934 |
| Detroit Olympics Detroit Olympics The Detroit Olympics were a minor league hockey team located in Detroit, Michigan that was a member of the Canadian Professional Hockey League 1927-29 and the International-American Hockey League 1929-36. The team played all of their home games at the Detroit Olympia... |
(1929-1936) | transferred from CPHL, merged with Shamrocks to form Pittsburgh Hornets of IAHL |
| Hamilton Tigers | (1929-1930) | transferred from CPHL, moved to Syracuse |
| London Panthers/Tecumsehs London Panthers The London Panthers were a professional ice hockey team based in London, Ontario, Canada that existed from 1926 until 1936. The team played in the Canadian Professional Hockey League from 1926, joining the International Hockey League in 1929. In 1930, the team was renamed the London Tecumsehs... |
(1929-1936) | transferred from CPHL, disbanded when IHL disbanded |
| Niagara Falls Cataracts | (1929-1930) | transferred from CPHL |
| Pittsburgh Shamrocks Pittsburgh Shamrocks The Pittsburgh Shamrocks played in the International Hockey League in 1935–36. The Shamrocks played all of their home games at the Duquesne Gardens. During that lone season, the team finished in fourth place in the West Division behind the Detroit Olympics, Cleveland Falcons and Windsor Bulldogs.... |
(1935-1936) | merged with Olympics to form Pittsburgh Hornets of IAHL |
| Pittsburgh Yellowjackets | (1930-1932) | |
| Rochester Cardinals | (1935-1936) | disbanded when IHL disbanded |
| Syracuse Stars Syracuse Stars The Syracuse Stars were a minor professional ice hockey team from Syracuse, New York, existing for 10 season from 1930 to 1940. The Stars name had previously been used by sports teams, including several Syracuse Stars baseball teams from the 19th century.... |
(1930-1936) | purchase and transfer of Hamilton Tigers, later joined IAHL |
| Toronto Falcons | (1929-1930) | transferred from CPHL, players from Kitchener of CPHL |
| Windsor Bulldogs | (1929-1936) | transferred from CPHL, disbanded when IHL disbanded |