Welcome to the Hockey History website. This site was created by hockey fans that were frustrated at finding a single resource organized in the way they wanted it about past hockey leagues. Although there were many sites that had the statistics, the interaction and history of the leagues was difficult to follow. During the NHL work stoppage they gathered over a few beers and decided to create a website dedicated to previous hockey organizations that were the basis of today's modern game.
Introduction
Organized hockey has it's origins in the late 1800's in Canada and the northern United States. Since we were concerned primarily with organized leagues we will not join the argument of what the exact roots are hockey are. Suffice it to say that someone figured out that hitting an object on ice and chasing it was a sport. Initially the sport of hockey was amateur and so were the leagues. As time progressed the distinction between paid and non reimbursed players became blurry and the first official pro leagues were formed in the early 1900's.
One league we have not covered at this time is the National Hockey League (NHL). There is a tremendous amount of information available on this league on the internet already. We do however have the Stanley Cup area since leagues other than the NHL have been awarded the trophy over the years.
The listings below contain both current and defunct leagues under some general classifications that we have found previously listed. For detailed player statistics or additional information on a league we would suggest visiting the hockey database at www.hockeydb.com. As we researched, if we found some additional informative websites specific to that league we have noted these.
Finally as with all efforts at re-creating the past we are sure that there will be some mistakes within our data. To allow for visitor interaction we have a message board for users to post their comments and corrections. In addition any information you can add to our historical information is appreciated and will be added accordingly.
Amateur Hockey leagues
Amateur Hockey Leagues formed the basis of hockey as we know it today. Starting with the Amateur Hockey Association in 1893 we look at these leagues and their history over time. In addition we look at the development of the Senior Hockey Leagues throughout North America.
Semi-professional hockey leagues
Trace the history of the modern day NHL through the early semi-professional leagues.
Minor Professional Hockey Leagues
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 caliber players a chance to earn a living.
professional hockey leagues
Over the years there have been many professional hockey leagues. This was especially true in the early 1900's until the NHL become solidified in the late 1920's. Leagues covered in this section include The Pacific Coast Hockey Association, the National Hockey Association and many of the first professional leagues. Also in this section is a look at the upstart WHA league of the 1970's, that transformed professional hockey as we know it today.
The Hardware
Originally awarded in 1893 the Stanley Cup is one of the oldest sport trophies in North America. Initially awarded to the best amateur club in the Dominion of Canada it was awarded in 1908 to a professional team.
The Alan Cup originated in 1908 to replace the Stanley Cup as the trophy to the winning amateur team.
The Turner Cup for many years represented the ultimate goal of the teams playing in the IHL.
The Calder Cup is still presented to the winners of the AHL.