Minor professional hockey leagues are the backbone of the NHL. These leagues over the years have served as training grounds for the NHL teams. Entertaining hockey in their own right and offering non NHL players a chance to earn a living.
Pacific Coast Hockey League (1944-52)
After the completion of WWII the Pacific Coast Hockey League (1936-41) was revived as a senior league. They chose to be an amateur league mainly because the NHL had claimed territorial rights to Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland. The NHL demanded a large fee for the territory, and the PCHL objected to paying it. The league restarted as a more substantial two division, nine team set up growing to a maximum of eleven teams in 1946-47 & 1949-50. In the 1945-46 season there was a North Division (New Westminster Royals, Portland Eagles, Seattle Ironmen & Vancouver Canucks) and a South Division (Hollywood Wolves, Los Angeles Monarchs, Oakland Oaks, San Diego Skyhawks and San Francisco Shamrocks). Fresno Falcons and Tacoma Rockets joined the league for the 1946-47 season. Hollywood Wolves did not return for 1947-48.
In 1948-49 the league again turned professional. When this happened, they did so under a trial arrangement under the NHL's supervision. The teams operated with limited reserve lists, players that the teams had rights over, a condition the NHL imposed on them. The league winner was awarded the President's Cup.
The Portland Eagles became Portland Penguins in 1948-49, the Victoria Cougars joined the league for the 1949-50 season but Oakland Oaks folded in December 1949 after 29 games of the same season. The league reduced to a single division and six teams for the 1950-51 season when the Fresno Falcons left to join the United States Hockey League and the Los Angeles Monarchs, San Diego Skyhawks & San Francisco Shamrocks dropped out. Portland Penguins changed their name back to Portland Eagles. In the final season (1951-52) the Portland Eagles dropped out and the Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Flyers and Saskatoon Quakers joined from the Westen Canada Senior Hockey League.
The Pacific Coast Hockey League changed its name to the Western Hockey League for the 1952-53 season.
Pacific Coast Hockey League (1944-52) Franchises
San Francisco Shamrocks (1948-1950)
Los Angeles Monarchs (1948-1950)
San Diego Skyhawks (1948-1950)
Oakland Oaks (1948-1949)
Fresno Falcons (1948-1950)
Seattle Ironmen (1948-1952)
Portland Eagles (1948-1949, 1950-1951)
Portland Penguins (1949-1950)
Vancouver Canucks (1948-1952)
Tacoma Rockets (1948-1952)
New Westminster Royals (1948-1952)
Victoria Cougars (1949-1952)
Saskatoon Quakers (1951-1952)
Edmonton Flyers (1951-1952)
Calgary Stampeders (1951-1952)
Pacific Coast Hockey League (1944-52) Champions
The playoff championship trophy was origionally called the President's Cup. In 1960, on the death of Lester Patrick, the name was changed to the Lester Patrick Cup. The Cup was originally awarded in 1944-45 for the champion of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and then was awarded to the champion of the Western Hockey League starting in 1953. |
Year
|
Champion
|
Runner Up |
1949 |
San Diego Skyhawks |
New Westminster Royals |
1950 |
New Westminster Royals |
Los Angeles Monarchs |
1951 |
Victoria Cougars |
New Westminster Royals |
1952 |
Saskatoon Quakers |
Victoria Cougars |
Pacific Coast Hockey League (1944-52) Seasons
1949 Season | GP
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
GF
|
GA
|
PTs
|
Northern Division | |||||||
New Westminster Royals | 70 |
39 |
26 |
5 |
285 |
229 |
83 |
Tacoma Rockets | 70 |
34 |
31 |
5 |
239 |
262 |
73 |
Vancouver Canucks | 70 |
33 |
31 |
6 |
262 |
256 |
72 |
Portland Eagles | 70 |
32 |
31 |
7 |
246 |
236 |
71 |
Seattle Ironmen | 70 |
29 |
36 |
5 |
225 |
246 |
63 |
Southern Division | |||||||
Fresno Falcons | 70 |
33 |
30 |
7 |
213 |
211 |
73 |
Oakland Oaks | 70 |
33 |
33 |
4 |
241 |
222 |
70 |
San Diego Skyhawks | 70 |
32 |
35 |
3 |
249 |
275 |
67 |
Los Angeles Monarchs | 70 |
28 |
33 |
9 |
246 |
271 |
65 |
San Francisco Shamrocks | 70 |
29 |
36 |
5 |
273 |
271 |
63 |
1950 Season | GP
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
GF
|
GA
|
PTs
|
Northern Division | |||||||
New Westminster Royals | 71 |
36 |
19 |
16 |
291 |
233 |
88 |
Tacoma Rockets | 70 |
34 |
27 |
9 |
302 |
238 |
77 |
Vancouver Canucks | 70 |
33 |
28 |
9 |
300 |
263 |
75 |
Seattle Ironmen | 70 |
32 |
27 |
11 |
212 |
237 |
75 |
Portland Penguins | 71 |
32 |
30 |
9 |
237 |
229 |
73 |
Victoria Cougars | 70 |
22 |
42 |
6 |
218 |
307 |
50 |
Southern Division | |||||||
San Francisco Shamrocks | 71 |
35 |
27 |
9 |
266 |
233 |
79 |
Los Angeles Monarchs | 70 |
30 |
30 |
10 |
259 |
247 |
70 |
San Diego Skyhawks | 70 |
27 |
33 |
10 |
211 |
236 |
64 |
Fresno Falcons | 70 |
21 |
35 |
14 |
197 |
239 |
56 |
Oakland Oaks | 29 |
10 |
14 |
5 |
89 |
109 |
29 |
Oakland withdrew from PCHL December 16, 1949 | |||||||
1951 Season | GP
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
GF
|
GA
|
PTs
|
Victoria Cougars | 70 |
35 |
20 |
15 |
250 |
216 |
85 |
New Westminster Royals | 70 |
38 |
24 |
8 |
267 |
205 |
84 |
Tacoma Rockets | 70 |
27 |
26 |
17 |
219 |
222 |
71 |
Portland Eagles | 70 |
30 |
32 |
8 |
266 |
255 |
68 |
Seattle Ironmen | 70 |
23 |
36 |
11 |
214 |
249 |
57 |
Vancouver Canucks | 70 |
19 |
34 |
17 |
216 |
285 |
55 |
1952 Season | GP
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
GF
|
GA
|
PTs
|
New Westminster Royals | 70 |
40 |
19 |
11 |
286 |
200 |
91 |
Saskatoon Quakers | 70 |
35 |
21 |
14 |
273 |
225 |
84 |
Tacoma Rockets | 70 |
34 |
25 |
11 |
293 |
244 |
79 |
Seattle Ironmen | 70 |
30 |
31 |
9 |
252 |
280 |
69 |
Edmonton Flyers | 70 |
30 |
32 |
8 |
244 |
246 |
68 |
Victoria Cougars | 70 |
25 |
38 |
7 |
242 |
296 |
57 |
Calgary Stampeders | 70 |
24 |
37 |
9 |
278 |
320 |
57 |
Vancouver Canucks | 70 |
23 |
38 |
9 |
226 |
283 |
55 |
Pacific Coast Hockey League (1944-52) Leaders
Most Valuable Player
Year | Player | Team |
1948-49 | Walter "Babe" Pratt | New Westminster Royals |
1949-50 | Walter "Babe" Pratt | New Westminster Raylas |
1950-51 | Roger Leger | Victoria Cougars |
1951-52 | Lucien Dechene | New Westminster Royal |
Rookie Award
Year | Player | Team |
1948-49 | None Selected | |
1949-50 | Larry Reardon | Vancouver Canucks |
1950-51 | Joseph Houle | New Westminster Royals |
1951-52 | Guyle Fielder | New Westminster Royals |
Leading Scorer
Year | Player | Team | Points |
1948-49 | Bobby Love | New Westminster | 101 |
1949-50 | Ronnie Rowe | Tacoma | 91 |
1950-51 | Eddie Dorohoy | Victoria | 87 |
1951-52 | George Agar | Calgary | 93 |
Leading Goalkeeper
Year | Player | Team | Goals |
Avg. |
1948-49 | Lucien Dechene | New Westminster | 229 |
3.27 |
1949-50 | Jerry Cotnoir | Seattle-New Westminster | 220 |
3.05 |
1950-51 | Lucien Dechene | New Westminster | 198 |
2.82 |
1951-52 | Lucien Dechene | New Westminster | 199 |
2.84 |
Presented to Goaltender or Goaltenders who play with team with fewest goals scored
against during regular season. To be eligible, player must participate
in 25 complete games or a minimum of 100 minutes