Vancouver Canucks WHL logo circa 1961.
This article is about the minor league team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League from 1945 to 1970. For the National Hockey League team of the same name, please see Vancouver Canucks.
The Vancouver Canucks were a minor league professional 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 1951. The Canucks played their final season in the WHL after 25 years in 1969-70 before joining the National Hockey League along with fellow expansion team, the Buffalo Sabres.
Willie O'Ree scores on Gilles Villemure during the 1965-66 Western Hockey League season.
The Vancouver Canucks won 6 President's/Lester Patrick Cups (the trophy was renamed in 1960 after the death of Lester Patrick) – 2 PCHL titles (1946 and 1948) and 4 WHL titles (1958, 1960, 1969 and 1970). They were also regular season champions 4 times. They played home games in the PNE Forum arena at the Pacific National Exhibition in east Vancouver, before moving for their last two seasons into the Pacific Coliseum just to the north.
They won the 1945-46 United States National Senior Championship. The Canucks, although in Canada, were eligible for this title because the PCHL was registered in the United States.
Personnel[]
Players[]
Five Canucks players have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Andy Bathgate (inducted in 1978) played with Vancouver for four years (1952-54 and 1968-70) and was on the team for their final two championships. In 1969-70, he recorded 108 points in 72 games, earning the George Leader Cup as league MVP. Johnny Bower, Tony Esposito, Allan Stanley and Gump Worsley – all Hall of Fame inductees – have all played one season with the Canucks.
Coaches[]
1948–49: Bill Cowley
1949–50: Bill Carse
1950–51: Bill Carse replaced by Murph Chamberlain
1951–52: Murph Chamberlain; replaced by Hugh Currie; replaced by Joe Carveth
1959–61: Art Chapman
1961–62: Phil Maloney (11–35–3); replaced by Hugh Currie (7–13–1) (February 7, 1962)
1962–63: Max McNab
1966–67: Bert Olmstead
1967–68: Jim Gregory
1968–69: Joe Crozier
1969–70: Joe Crozier; replaced by Hal Laycoe
General Managers[]
1948–49: Bill Cowley
1949–50: Coleman E. Hall
1950–51: --
1960–61: Coley Hall
1961–62: Art Chapman (temp); replaced by Dave Dauphine (after Nov.)
1962–63: Max McNab
1967–68: Annis Stukus
1968–69: Joe Crozier
1969–70: Joe Crozier; replaced by Bud Poile
Presidents[]
1948–61: Coleman E. Hall
1962–63: Fred J. Hume (owner)
1968–69: Cyrus McLean
1969–70: Cyrus McLean; replaced by Thomas K. Scallen
Honoured Members[]
Hall of Famers[]
- Players
- Andy Bathgate, C, 1952-54 & 1968-70, inducted 1978
- Johnny Bower, G, 1954-55, inducted 1976
- Tony Esposito, G, 1967-68, inducted 1988
- Allan Stanley, D, 1953-54, inducted 1981
- Gump Worsley, G, 1953-54, inducted 1980
WHL League Award Winners[]
- Players
George Leader Cup - MVP
- Emile Francis, G, 1952-53
- Lorne Worsley, G, 1953-54
- Phil Maloney, F, 1955-56
- Hank Bassen, G, 1959-60
- Phil Maloney, F, 1962-63
- Billy McNeill, F, 1964-65
- Billy McNeill, F, 1965-66
- Andy Bathgate, F, 1969-70
- Orland Kurtenbach, D, 1957-58
- Bruce Gamble, G, 1958-59
- Jim Baird, G, 1961-62
- Gilles Villemure, G, 1962-66
- Ron Boehm, F, 1966-67
- Brad Selwood, F, 1969-70
Fred J. Hume Cup - Most Gentlemanly Player
- Phil Maloney, F, 1961-62
- Phil Maloney, F, 1962-63
- Phil Maloney, F, 1967-68
Hal Laycoe Cup - Outstanding Defenseman
- Larry Cahan, D, 1966-67
- Marc Reaume, D, 1969-70
- Phil Maloney, F, 1955-56 (95 points)
- Emile Francis, G, 1952-53 GA-216 GAA-3.08
- Lorne Worsley, G, 1953-54 GA-168 GAA-2.40
- Johnny Bower, G, 1954-55 GA-63 GAA-1.71
- Ray Mikulan, G, 1955-56 GA-181 GAA-2.54
- Marcel Pelletier, G, 1957-58 GA-173 GAA-2.43
- Hank Bassen, G, 1959-60 GA-172 GAA-2.48
- George Gardner, G, 1969-70 GA-171 GAA-2.88
Year by Year Standings (WHL)[]
Season Standings[]
GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM Finish/#teams 1952-53 70 32 28 10 74 222 216 717 2nd of 8 1953-54 70 39 24 7 84 218 174 613 1st of 7 1954-55 70 31 30 9 74 207 202 770 3rd of 6 1955-56 70 38 28 4 80 252 181 729 1st of 4 in division, 9 teams total 1956-57 70 27 37 6 60 203 231 697 4th of 4 in division, 8 teams total 1957-58 70 44 21 5 93 238 174 752 1st of 4 in division, 8 teams total 1958-59 70 31 28 11 73 219 214 592 1st of 5 in division, 9 teams total 1959-60 70 44 20 6 94 230 177 713 1st of 7 1960-61 70 38 29 3 79 208 191 495 4th of 8 1961-62 70 18 48 4 40 223 324 520 4th of 4 in division, 8 teams total 1962-63 70 35 31 4 74 243 234 565 1st of 4 in division, 8 teams total 1963-64 70 26 41 3 55 229 258 611 6th of 6 1964-65 70 32 32 6 70 263 244 922 3rd of 6 1965-66 72 33 35 4 71 252 233 718 3rd of 6 1966-67 72 38 32 2 78 228 215 636 3rd of 7 1967-68 72 26 41 5 57 213 258 746 5th of 5 1968-69 74 36 24 14 86 259 223 956 2nd of 6 1969-70 72 47 17 8 102 334 219 1030 1st of 7
League Playoff Champion[]
1957-58 - Vancouver Canucks, President's Cup 1959-60 - Vancouver Canucks, President's Cup 1968-69 - Vancouver Canucks, Lester Patrick Cup 1969-70 - Vancouver Canucks, Lester Patrick Cup
Year by Year Statistical Leaders[]
Total Points (Team, season)[]
Year Player GP Goals Assists Pts PIM Leading scorer 1952-'53 Larry Popein 70 25 44 59 23 Ian MacIntosh, Walt Atanas - 28 1953-'54 Larry Popein 70 34 32 66 22 Larry Popein 1954-'55 Doug Adam 67 30 22 52 53 Doug Adam 1955-'56 Phil Maloney 70 37 58 95 14 Phil Maloney 1956-'57 Phil Maloney 70 43 55 98 8 Phil Maloney 1957-'58 Phil Maloney 70 35 59 94 0 Jack McLeod - 44* 1958-'59 Ted Hampson 66 27 41 68 23 Dan Belisle - 31 1959-'60 Colin Kilburn 70 23 47 70 79 Jim Powers - 30 1960-'61 Bruce Carmichael 70 30 47 77 36 and Dan Belisle - 30 1961-'62 Phil Maloney 70 34 52 86 2 Barrie Ross - 35 1962-'63 Phil Maloney 69 24 61 90 8 Carl "Buddy" Boone - 44* 1963-'64 Phil Maloney 65 28 53 81 38 Carl "Buddy" Boone - 38 1964-'65 Billy McNeill 68 29 59 88 86 and Phil Maloney - 29 1965-'66 Billy McNeill 72 40 62 102 20 Billy McNeill 1966-'67 Gordon Vejprava 71 36 46 82 27 Gordon Vejprava 1967-'68 Phil Maloney 72 22 46 68 6 Bruce Carmichael - 31 1968-'69 Bob Barlow 74 36 48 84 50 Andy Bathgate - 37 1969-'70 Andy Bathgate 72 40 68* 108* 66 Paul Andrea - 44* * - team record
Team record for PIM/season - 251, John Arbor, 1969-'70
Total Points (Team, playoffs)[]
Year Player GP Goals Assists Pts PIM
1952-'53 Larry Popein 9 5 10 15 0
1953-'54 Charles McCullough 13 5 8 13 0
1954-'55 Phil Maloney 5 2 2 4 0
1955-'56 Phil Maloney 15 8 7 15 4
1957-'58 Phil Maloney 11 8 17* 25* 4
1958-'59 (three players tied with 7 points in 9 games)
1959-'60 Ray Cyr 11 5 11 16 11
1960-'61 Bruce Carmichael 9 3 3 6 2
1962-'63 Phil Maloney 7 2 7 9 0
Robert Kabel 7 5 4 9 2
1964-'65 Phil Maloney 5 1 5 6 0
Billy McNeill 5 2 4 6 0
1965-'66 Larry Cahan 7 4 12 16 4
1966-'67 Bryan Hextall 8 3 5 8 11
1968-'69 Bryan Hextall 8 4 7 11 22
1969-'70 Murray Hall 11 10 11 21 10
Gerry Goyer 11 5 16 21 12
* - team record
Team record for goals/playoff - 14, Jack McLeod, 1957-'58
Team record for PIM/playoff - 47, Ted McCaskill, 1969-'70
Goaltender Stats, season[]
Year Player GP GA EN SO GAA W L T SVS .PC
1952-'53 Emile Francis 70 216 5 3.09 32 28 10 - won Outstanding Goalkeeper
1953-'54 Lorne "Gump" Worsley 70 168 4 2.40 39 24 7 - won Outstanding Goalkeeper
1954-'55 Johnny Bower 63 171 7 2.71 30 25 8 - won Outstanding Goalkeeper
1955-'56 Ray Mikulan 71 181 2.54 - won Outstanding Goalkeeper
1956-'57 Ray Mikulan 71 231 0 4 3.25 1772 .885
1957-'58 Marcel Pelletier 71 173 0 8* 2.43 1749 .910* - won Outstanding Goalkeeper
1958-'59 Bruce Gamble 65 199 2 7 3.06 29 26 20 1630 .891
1959-'60 Hank Bassen 69 172 5 2.45 44 19 6 - won Outstanding Goalkeeper
1960-'61 Claude Evans 53 147 6 2.77 27 23 3
1961-'62 Claude Evans 40 165 2 4.08 11 26 3
Art LaRiviere 23
1962-'63 Gilles Villemure 70 228 5 3.26 35 31 4
1963-'64 Marcel Paille 70 254 2 3.60 26 41 3
1964-'65 Gilles Villemure 60 212 6 3.46 27 26 6
1965-'66 Gilles Villemure 69 223 5 3.20 32 34 3
1966-'67 Don Simmons 72 213 1 7 2.95 38 32 2
1967-'68 Tony Esposito 63 199 0 4 3.20 25 33 4
Jean-Guy Morissette 11 58 0 0 5.45 1 8 1
1968-'69 George Gardner 53 154 2 2 3.01 25 18 9
Charlie Hodge 13 32 1 0 2.54 7 2 4
Al Millar 12 34 0 0 3.52 4 4 1
1969-'70 George Gardner 60 171 0 3 2.88 41 14 6 - won Outstanding Goalkeeper
Lynn Zimmerman 13 48 0 0 3.78
Gallery[]
External Links[]
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