The Pacific Coast Hockey League was a minor league with teams in the western United States and Canada that existed in several incarnations: from 1928 to 1931, from 1936 to 1941, and from 1944 to 1952.
PCHL 1928-1931[]
The first incarnation of the PCHL had four teams and lasted three seasons (The Victoria franchise was replaced by Tacoma in its final year after they finished season on the road after their arena burned down November 11, 1929).
Teams[]
| Team | Location | Arena | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Buckaroos | Portland, Oregon | Portland Ice Arena | 1928-1931 | folded |
| Seattle Eskimos | Seattle, Washington | Seattle Civic Ice Arena | 1928-1931 | folded |
| Vancouver Lions | Vancouver, British Columbia | Denman Arena | 1928-1931 | folded |
| Victoria Cubs | Victoria, British Columbia | Patrick Arena | 1928-1930 | folded after finishing season on road as team's arena burned down November 11, 1929 |
| Tacoma Tigers | Tacoma, Washington | State Armory (not confirmed) |
1930-1931 | disbanded by league January 1, 1931 due to lack of progress on construction of an arena in Tacoma |
Champions[]
| Season | Regular Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 1928-29 PCHL Season | Vancouver Lions | Vancouver Lions |
| 1929-30 PCHL Season | Vancouver Lions | Vancouver Lions |
| 1930-31 PCHL Season | Seattle Eskimos | Vancouver Lions |
PCHL 1936-1941[]
From 1931 to 1936, no league called the PCHL existed, although teams from the first PCHL joined the Western Canada Hockey League or the North West Hockey League. In 1936, the Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver franchises of the North West Hockey League joined with an Oakland team to re-form the Pacific Coast Hockey League. The Oakland team relocated to Spokane in its first year. The Spokane team disbanded for the 1939-40 season, but reappeared the next year as the Spokane Bombers.
The league disbanded after the 1941 season, primarily as a result of World War II.
Teams[]
| Team | Location | Arena | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Clippers | Oakland, California | Oakland Ice Arena | 1936-1937 | moved to Spokane, Washington February 8, 1937 |
| Portland Buckaroos | Portland, Oregon | Portland Ice Arena | 1936-1941 | folded |
| Seattle Seahawks | Seattle, Washington | Seattle Civic Ice Arena | 1936-1940 | folded |
| Vancouver Lions | Vancouver, British Columbia | PNE Forum | 1936-1941 | folded |
| Spokane Clippers | Spokane, Washington | Spokane Ice Arena | 1937-1938 | folded |
| Spokane Bombers | Spokane, Washington | Spokane Ice Arena | 1940-1941 | folded |
| Seattle Olympics | Seattle, Washington | Seattle Civic Ice Arena | 1940-1941 | folded |
Champions[]
PCHL 1944-1952[]
The final incarnation of the league was managed by Hockey Hall of Fame member Al Leader, and grew out of combining teams from the Southern California Hockey League and the Northwest International Hockey League. The PCHL was founded as an amateur loop, partly because the National Hockey League recognized Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) founder Lester Patrick as the territorial rights holder for professional hockey in Vancouver, Portland and Seattle. The league, while amateur, competed for the United States National Senior Hockey Championships.
In 1948, however, the ten team league voted to turn pro, and was recognized as such by the NHL.
In 1951, having dwindled to a six team league, the PCHL merged with the Western Canada Major Hockey League, adding three new franchises. One year later, the league became the Western Hockey League.
The PCHL championship trophy was the President's Cup.
Teams[]
Champions[]
| Season | Regular Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 1944-45 PCHL Season | Oakland Oaks (Central) Seattle Ironmen (North) San Diego Skyhawks (South) |
Seattle Ironmen |
| 1945-46 PCHL Season | Vancouver Canucks (WHL) (North) Oakland Oaks (South) |
Vancouver Canucks (WHL) |
| 1946-47 PCHL Season | Portland Eagles (North) Hollywood Wolves (South) |
Los Angeles Monarchs |
| 1947-48 PCHL Season | Seattle Ironmen (North) Los Angeles Monarchs (South) |
Vancouver Canucks (WHL) |
| 1948-49 PCHL Season | New Westminster Royals (North) Fresno Falcons (South) |
San Diego Skyhawks |
| 1949-50 PCHL Season | New Westminster Royals (North) San Francisco Shamrocks (South) |
New Westminster Royals |
| 1950-51 PCHL Season | Victoria Cougars (1949-1961) | Victoria Cougars (1949-1961) |
| 1951-52 PCHL Season | New Westminster Royals | Saskatoon Quakers |
See also[]
External links[]
- League stats from hockeydb.com
- The Unofficial Old Western Hockey League Homepage
- History of North American Hockey Leagues
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