Western Hockey League (minor pro)
Encyclopedia
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
. During the 1960s, the WHL moved into a number of large west coast markets including Los Angeles and San Francisco. There was speculation that Western Hockey League could grow into a major league capable of rivaling even the long-entrenched National Hockey League.
It was fears that the WHL would become a rival major league that finally convinced the National Hockey League
to expand for the 1967-68 season.
In the 1965-66 and 1967-68 seasons, the WHL played an interlocking schedule with the American Hockey League
.
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 Hockey League.
The championship trophy of the WHL was the Lester Patrick Cup
, which is currently on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame
.
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 from 1952 to 1974. Managed for most of its history by Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
member Al Leader
Al Leader
George Alfred "Al" Leader was a Canadian-American ice hockey player, referee, and administrator. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the "Builder" category. Leader settled in Seattle, Washington in the 1930s and became involved in hockey as the administrator of the Seattle City League...
, it was created out of the merger of the Pacific Coast Hockey League
Pacific Coast Hockey League
The Pacific Coast Hockey League was an ice hockey minor league with teams in the western United States and western Canada that existed in several incarnations: from 1928 to 1931, from 1936 to 1941, and from 1944 to 1952.-PCHL 1928-1931:...
and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League
Western Canada Senior Hockey League
The Western Canada Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that played six seasons in Alberta and Saskatchewan, from 1945 to 1951. It was founded as a four team league featuring teams in Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Saskatoon...
. During the 1960s, the WHL moved into a number of large west coast markets including Los Angeles and San Francisco. There was speculation that Western Hockey League could grow into a major league capable of rivaling even the long-entrenched National Hockey League.
It was fears that the WHL would become a rival major league that finally convinced 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...
to expand for the 1967-68 season.
In the 1965-66 and 1967-68 seasons, the WHL played an interlocking schedule with the American Hockey League
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...
.
Several factors led to the WHL's decision to cease operations after the 1973-74 season. The NHL and 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...
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.
The championship trophy of the WHL was the Lester Patrick Cup
Lester Patrick Cup
The Lester Patrick Cup was the championship trophy of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League from 1949 to 1974. Originally known as the President's Cup, the trophy was renamed in 1960 to honor pacific coast hockey pioneer and legend Lester Patrick following his death on June...
, which is currently on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
.
Teams
- Brandon Regals (1955 - 1957)
- Calgary StampedersCalgary Stampeders (hockey)The Calgary Stampeders are a defunct ice hockey team that was based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The team existed from 1938 until 1972, playing in various senior and minor professional leagues during that time...
(1952 - 1963) - California Seals (1966 - 1967)
- Denver InvadersDenver InvadersThe Denver Invaders were a minor pro ice hockey team that played in Denver, Colorado in the Western Hockey League during the 1963-1964 season. They were the Spokane Comets before they moved to Denver. They played their regular season games at the Denver Coliseum, and their playoff games at the...
(1963 - 1964) - Denver SpursDenver SpursThe 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...
(1968 - 1974) - Edmonton FlyersEdmonton FlyersThe Edmonton Flyers are a defunct ice hockey team that was based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The team existed from 1940 until 1963, playing in various senior and minor professional leagues during that time...
(1952 - 1963) - Los Angeles BladesLos Angeles BladesThe Los Angeles Blades were a professional inline hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. The Blades played in Roller Hockey International from 1993-1997 and played their home games at the Great Western Forum....
(1961 - 1967) - New Westminster RoyalsNew Westminster RoyalsThe New Westminster Royals was the name of several professional and junior ice hockey teams based in New Westminster, British Columbia.The first team played from 1912-1914 in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association which was established in 1911....
(1952 - 1959) - Phoenix Roadrunners (1967 - 1974)
- Portland BuckaroosPortland BuckaroosThe Portland Buckaroos was the name of several professional ice hockey teams based in Portland, Oregon.-PCHL/NWHL era :The first incarnation of Portland Buckaroos played their home games at the Portland Ice Arena. The Buckaroos initially played in the four-team Pacific Coast Hockey League from...
(1960 - 1974) - Salt Lake Golden EaglesSalt Lake Golden EaglesThe 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...
(1969 - 1974) - San Diego GullsSan Diego Gulls (1966-1974)The original San Diego Gulls team was founded in 1966 as part of the Western Hockey League. The Gulls played at the San Diego Sports Arena.Willie O'Ree, the first black athlete to play in the NHL, was an All-Star for the Gulls. His jersey is retired and presently hangs in the rafters at the San...
(1966 - 1974) - San Francisco Seals (1961 - 1966)
- Saskatoon QuakersSaskatoon QuakersThe Saskatoon Quakers were an ice hockey team that was based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The team existed from 1945 until 1959, and again from 1965-1971, playing in various senior and minor-professional leagues during that time. The Quakers represented Canada in 1934 World Ice Hockey...
(1952 - 1959) - Seattle Americans (1955 - 1957)
- Seattle Bombers (1953 - 1954)
- Seattle IronmenSeattle IronmenThe Seattle Ironmen were a minor pro ice hockey franchise based in Seattle, Washington. They played in the Pacific Coast Hockey League from 1944-1952.-History:After World War II, the Pacific Coast Hockey League was resurrected as a semi-professional loop...
(1952 - 1953) - Seattle TotemsSeattle TotemsThe 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...
(1957 - 1974) - Spokane CometsSpokane CometsThe Spokane Comets are a defunct minor professional ice hockey team that was located in Spokane, Washington. They played in the Western Hockey League from 1960 to 1963.The 1962-63 team was coached by Roy McBride who piloted the team to a 30-38-2 record....
(1960 - 1963) - Spokane SpokesSpokane SpokesThe Spokane Spokes were a minor league professional ice hockey team that operated from 1958-1960 in the Western Hockey League....
(1958-1960) - Tacoma RocketsTacoma Rockets (WHL)The Tacoma Rockets were a professional ice hockey team in Tacoma, Washington.The Rockets played in the Pacific Coast Hockey League before becoming a member of the Western Hockey League from 1952 to 1953. They played their home games in the Tacoma Ice Palace....
(1952 - 1953) - Vancouver CanucksVancouver Canucks (WHL)The Vancouver Canucks were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. Inaugurated in 1945 with the PCHL, they became a WHL team with the merger of the PCHL with the Western Canada Senior Hockey League in 1952...
(1952 - 1970) - Victoria CougarsVictoria CougarsThe Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1922 to 1924, and in the Western Hockey League from 1924 to 1926...
(1952 - 1961) - Victoria Maple LeafsVictoria Maple LeafsThe Victoria Maple Leafs were a minor pro ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League that played three seasons in Victoria, British Columbia, beginning in 1964. The previous season they had played as the Invaders in Denver, Colorado, winning the regular season with the best record in the Western...
(1964 - 1967) - Winnipeg WarriorsWinnipeg Warriors (minor pro)The Winnipeg Warriors were a minor league hockey team that played in the Western Hockey League from 1955 to 1961. Owned by Winnipeg's prominent Perrin family, the Warriors represented the return of professional hockey to Winnipeg after a 27 year absence. In 1955, the Warriors Club was the first...
(1955 - 1961)