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{{Short description|Defunct professional ice hockey league}}
{{About|the professional minor league operating from 1952 to 1974|other leagues with the same name|Western Hockey League (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox sports league
|logo =
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|most_champs = [[Vancouver Canucks (WHL)|Vancouver Canucks]] (4)
}}
The '''Western Hockey League''' ('''WHL''') was a [[Minor league|minor professional]] [[ice hockey]] league based in [[Western Canada]] that operated from 1952 to 1974. The league was managed for most of its history by [[Al Leader]], and had roots in the [[Pacific Coast Hockey League]] and the [[Western Canada Senior Hockey League]]. The championship trophy of the WHL was the [[Lester Patrick Cup]].
== History ==
The league was founded in 1948 as the [[Pacific Coast Hockey League]] (PCHL). In 1951, it absorbed three teams from the [[Western Canada Senior Hockey League]]. In 1952, it adopted the WHL name.<ref>{{cite book|last=Stott|first=Jon C.|title=Ice Warriors: The Pacific Coast/Western Hockey League 1948–1974|year=2008|publisher=Heritage House Publishing|location=Surrey, British Columbia|isbn=978-1-894974-54-7|page=45}}</ref> In the late 1950s, [[Ron Butlin (ice hockey)|Ron Butlin]] and [[Arthur Ryan Smith]] hosted a [[hot stove league]] on radio broadcasts of the league.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Calgary+sporting+pioneer+dies/10239664/story.html|title=Calgary sporting pioneer dies in B.C. at age 89|last=Slade|first=Daryl |date=2014-06-26|work=Calgary Herald|access-date=June 26, 2020}}</ref>
The Western Hockey League was managed for most of its history by [[Al Leader]].
During the 1960s, the WHL moved into a number of large west coast markets including Los Angeles and San Francisco. There was speculation that the WHL could grow into a [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major league]] capable of rivalling even the long-entrenched [[National Hockey League]] (NHL).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121102082951/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/464114362.html?dids=464114362:464114362&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Mar+27,+1959&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Official+Says+Hockey+Would+Go+Big+Here&pqatl=google Los Angeles Times, 27 March 1959, p.C1: Official Says Hockey Would Go Big Here]</ref>
In the 1965–66 and 1967–68 seasons, the WHL played an interlocking schedule with the [[American Hockey League]]. Fears that the WHL (or a WHL/AHL merger) could become a rival major league was among the factors that finally convinced the NHL [[1967 NHL expansion|to expand for the 1967–68 season]].<ref>{{cite book| title=Net Worth: Exploding the Myths of Pro Hockey| author1=David Cruise| author2=Alison Griffiths| publisher=Stoddart Publishing| year=1991}}</ref>
Several factors led to the WHL's decision to cease operations after the 1973–74 season. The [[Vancouver Canucks (WHL)|Vancouver Canucks]], who had earlier applied for the 1967 NHL expansion, were finally accepted into the league as an expansion team for the 1970–71 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 Professional Hockey League|Central Hockey League]] (CHL). The [[Phoenix Roadrunners (WHL)|Phoenix Roadrunners]] franchise [[Phoenix Roadrunners (WHA)|jumped to the WHA]] for the 1974–75 season, while the Spurs jumped from the CHL to the WHA for the 1975–76 season (but folded mid-season).
The championship trophy of the WHL was the [[Lester Patrick Cup]], which is currently on display at the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]].
==Teams==
{{div col|colwidth=33}}
*[[Brandon Regals]] (1955–1957)
*[[Calgary Stampeders (ice hockey)|Calgary Stampeders]] (1952–1963)
*[[San Francisco Seals (ice hockey)|California Seals]] (1966–1967)
*[[Denver Invaders]] (1963–1964)
*[[Denver Spurs]] (1968–1974)
Line 33 ⟶ 44:
*[[Portland Buckaroos]] (1960–1974)
*[[Salt Lake Golden Eagles]] (1969–1974)
*[[San Diego Gulls (
*[[San Francisco Seals (ice hockey)|San Francisco Seals]] (1961–1966)
*[[Saskatoon Quakers]] (1952–1959)
*[[Seattle Americans]] (1955–1958)
*[[Seattle Bombers]] (1952–1954)
*[[Seattle Totems]] (1958–1975)
*[[Spokane Comets]] (
*[[Spokane Spokes]] (
*[[Tacoma Rockets (
*[[Vancouver Canucks (WHL)|Vancouver Canucks]] (1952–1970)
*[[Victoria Cougars (1949–1961)|Victoria Cougars]] (1952–1961)
*[[Victoria Maple Leafs]] (1964–1967)
*[[Winnipeg Warriors (minor pro)|Winnipeg Warriors]] (1955–1961)
{{div col end}}
===Timeline===
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PlotData=
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1954 text:[[Seattle Bombers]] (1952–1954) / [[Seattle Americans]] (1955–1958) / [[Seattle Totems]] (1958–1974)
bar:1 color:skyblue from:08/01/1955 till:07/01/1958 text:
bar:1 color:skyblue from:08/01/1958 till:07/01/1974 text:
bar:2 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1970 text:[[Vancouver Canucks (WHL)|Vancouver Canucks]] (1952–1970)
bar:3 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1963 text:[[Calgary Stampeders (hockey)|Calgary Stampeders]] (1952–1963)
bar:4 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1963 text:[[Edmonton Flyers]] (1952–1963)
bar:5 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1961 text:[[Victoria Cougars (1949–1961)|Victoria Cougars]] (1952–1961) / [[Los Angeles Blades (WHL)|Los Angeles Blades]] (1961–1967)
bar:5 color:skyblue from:08/01/1961 till:07/01/1967 text:
bar:6 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1956 text:[[Saskatoon Quakers]] (1952–1956)
bar:7 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1959 text:[[New Westminster Royals]] (1952–1959)
bar:8 color:skyblue from:08/01/1952 till:07/01/1953 text:[[Tacoma Rockets (PCHL and WHL)|Tacoma Rockets]] (1952–1953)
bar:9 color:skyblue from:08/01/1955 till:07/01/1961 text:[[Winnipeg Warriors (minor pro)|Winnipeg Warriors]] (1955–1961)
bar:10 color:skyblue from:08/01/1955 till:07/01/1957 text:[[Brandon Regals]] (1955–1957) / [[Saskatoon/Saint Paul's Regals]] (1957–1958) / [[Saskatoon Quakers]] (1958–1959)
bar:10 color:skyblue from:08/01/1957 till:07/01/1958 text:
bar:10 color:skyblue from:08/01/1958 till:07/01/1959 text:
bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1958 till:07/01/
bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/
bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1963 till:07/01/1964 text:
bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1964 till:07/01/1967 text:
bar:11 color:skyblue from:08/01/1967 till:07/01/1974 text:
bar:12 color:skyblue from:08/01/1960 till:07/01/1974 text:[[Portland Buckaroos]] (1960–1974)
bar:13 color:skyblue from:08/01/1961 till:07/01/1966 text:[[San Francisco Seals (hockey)|San Francisco Seals]] (1961–1966) / [[San Francisco Seals (hockey)|California Seals]] (1966–1967)
bar:13 color:skyblue from:08/01/1966 till:07/01/1967 text:
bar:15 color:skyblue from:08/01/1966 till:07/01/1974 text:[[San Diego Gulls (1966-1974)|San Diego Gulls]] (1966–1974)
bar:16 color:skyblue from:08/01/1968 till:07/01/1974 text:[[Denver Spurs]] (1968–1974)
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</timeline>
==List of champions==
{|class="wikitable"
|- align="center"
! Season !! Winner !! Runner-up
|- align="center"
| [[1952–53 WHL season|1952–53]] || [[Edmonton Flyers]] || [[Saskatoon Quakers]]
|- align="center"
| [[1953–54 WHL season|1953–54]] || [[Calgary Stampeders (hockey)|Calgary Stampeders]] || Edmonton Flyers
|- align="center"
| [[1954–55 WHL season|1954–55]] || Edmonton Flyers || Calgary Stampeders
|- align="center"
| [[1955–56 WHL season|1955–56]] || [[Winnipeg Warriors (minor pro)|Winnipeg Warriors]] || Vancouver Canucks
|- align="center"
| [[1956–57 WHL season|1956–57]] || [[Brandon Regals]] || [[New Westminster Royals]]
|- align="center"
| [[1957–58 WHL season|1957–58]] || Vancouver Canucks || Calgary Stampeders
|- align="center"
| [[1958–59 WHL season|1958–59]] || [[Seattle Totems]] || Calgary Stampeders
|- align="center"
| [[1959–60 WHL season|1959–60]] || Vancouver Canucks || [[Victoria Cougars (1949–1961)|Victoria Cougars]]
|- align="center"
| [[1960–61 WHL season|1960–61]] || [[Portland Buckaroos]] || Seattle Totems
|- align="center"
| [[1961–62 WHL season|1961–62]] || Edmonton Flyers || [[Spokane Comets]]
|- align="center"
| [[1962–63 WHL season|1962–63]] || [[San Francisco Seals (WHL)|San Francisco Seals]] || Seattle Totems
|- align="center"
| [[1963–64 WHL season|1963–64]] || San Francisco Seals || [[Los Angeles Blades]]
|- align="center"
| [[1964–65 WHL season|1964–65]] || Portland Buckaroos || Victoria Maple Leafs
|- align="center"
| [[1965–66 WHL season|1965–66]] || [[Victoria Maple Leafs]] || Portland Buckaroos
|- align="center"
| [[1966–67 WHL season|1966–67]] || Seattle Totems || Vancouver Canucks
|- align="center"
| [[1967–68 WHL season|1967–68]] || Seattle Totems || Portland Buckaroos
|- align="center"
| [[1968–69 WHL season|1968–69]] || Vancouver Canucks || Portland Buckaroos
|- align="center"
| [[1969–70 WHL season|1969–70]] || Vancouver Canucks || Portland Buckaroos
|- align="center"
| [[1970–71 WHL season|1970–71]] || Portland Buckaroos || Phoenix Roadrunners
|- align="center"
| [[1971–72 WHL season|1971–72]] || [[Denver Spurs]] || Portland Buckaroos
|- align="center"
| [[1972–73 WHL season|1972–73]] || [[Phoenix Roadrunners (WHL)|Phoenix Roadrunners]] || [[Salt Lake Golden Eagles]]
|- align="center"
| [[1973–74 WHL season|1973–74]] || Phoenix Roadrunners || Portland Buckaroos
|}
'''Championships by team'''
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Team !! Championships !! Runner-up
|- align="center"
| [[Vancouver Canucks (WHL)|Vancouver Canucks]] || 4 || 2
|- align="center"
| [[Seattle Totems]] || 3 || 2
|- align="center"
| [[Portland Buckaroos]] || 3 || 6
|- align="center"
| [[Edmonton Flyers]] || 3 || 1
|- align="center"
| [[Phoenix Roadrunners (WHL)|Phoenix Roadrunners]] || 2 || 1
|- align = "center"
| [[San Francisco Seals (hockey)|San Francisco Seals]] || 2 || 0
|- align = "center"
| [[Brandon Regals]] || 1 || 0
|- align = "center"
| [[Calgary Stampeders (hockey)|Calgary Stampeders]] || 1 || 3
|- align = "center"
| [[Denver Spurs]] || 1 || 0
|- align = "center"
| [[Victoria Maple Leafs]] || 1 || 1
|- align = "center"
| [[Winnipeg Warriors (minor pro)|Winnipeg Warriors]] || 1 || 0
|- align = "center"
| [[Saskatoon Quakers]] || 0 || 1
|- align = "center"
| [[New Westminster Royals]] || 0 || 1
|- align = "center"
| [[Victoria Cougars (1949–1961)|Victoria Cougars]] || 0 || 1
|- align = "center"
| [[Spokane Comets]] || 0 || 1
|- align = "center"
| [[Los Angeles Blades]] || 0 || 1
|- align = "center"
| [[Salt Lake Golden Eagles]] || 0 || 1
|}
==References==
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{{WHL (1952-1974) seasons}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Western Hockey League (1952-1974)}}
[[Category:Western Hockey League (
[[Category:Defunct ice hockey leagues in Canada]]
[[Category:Defunct ice hockey leagues in the United States]]
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