1925-26 WHL season
Encyclopedia
The 1925–26 WHL season was the fifth and last season for the now defunct Western Canada Hockey League
(WCHL), which was renamed Western Hockey League (WHL) at the start of the season due to one of its Canadian teams, the Regina Capitals
, moving to Portland, Oregon
in the United States
and being renamed the Portland Rosebuds
. Six teams played 30 games each. At season's end, some of the teams reorganised to create a semi-pro league called the Prairie Hockey League
that lasted for two seasons. The WHL was the last league other than the National Hockey League
to contest for the Stanley Cup
.
Victoria wins two-game, total-goals series 4–3.
In the final, the Cougars faced off against the Edmonton Eskimos. As there was no ice available in Edmonton, Edmonton's 'home' game were played in Vancouver.
Victoria wins two-game, total-goals series 5–3.
champion Montreal Maroons
in a best-of-five series, losing three games to one. After the WHL folded at the end of this season, the Stanley Cup would no longer be contested as a challenge tournament between league champions, but would be automatically awarded to the NHL champion, a custom formalized in 1947.
Western Canada Hockey League
The Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.-History:...
(WCHL), which was renamed Western Hockey League (WHL) at the start of the season due to one of its Canadian teams, the Regina Capitals
Regina Capitals
The Regina Capitals were a professional ice hockey team originally based in the city of Regina, Saskatchewan in the Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921.-Franchise history:...
, moving to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and being renamed the Portland Rosebuds
Portland Rosebuds
Portland Rosebuds is the name of at least three professional teams based in Portland, Oregon during the first half of the 20th century. Two were professional men's ice hockey teams playing their home games at the Portland Ice Arena, one from 1914 to 1918 and another in 1925-6...
. Six teams played 30 games each. At season's end, some of the teams reorganised to create a semi-pro league called the Prairie Hockey League
Prairie Hockey League
The Prairie Hockey League was a Canadian professional ice hockey league in Alberta and Saskatchewan that was created following the demise of the Western Hockey League in 1926. It operated for two seasons....
that lasted for two seasons. The WHL was the last league other than the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
to contest for the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
.
Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points| Western Hockey League | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Eskimos Edmonton Eskimos (hockey) The Edmonton Eskimos were a Canadian amateur and later professional men's ice hockey team that existed from 1905 to 1927. The Eskimos challenged three times for the Stanley Cup, losing each time; in 1908 versus the Montreal Wanderers, in 1910 versus the Ottawa Senators, and Ottawa again in 1923... |
30 | 19 | 11 | 0 | 38 | 90 | 77 |
| Saskatoon Sheiks Saskatoon Sheiks The Saskatoon Sheiks were a professional ice hockey team in the Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League from 1922 to 1928. The team was based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, except for the end of the 1922 season, when they played in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.The team entered the WCHL in... |
30 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 37 | 93 | 64 |
| Victoria Cougars Victoria Cougars The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1922 to 1924, and in the Western Hockey League from 1924 to 1926... |
30 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 34 | 68 | 53 |
| Portland Rosebuds Portland Rosebuds Portland Rosebuds is the name of at least three professional teams based in Portland, Oregon during the first half of the 20th century. Two were professional men's ice hockey teams playing their home games at the Portland Ice Arena, one from 1914 to 1918 and another in 1925-6... |
30 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 26 | 84 | 106 |
| Calgary Tigers Calgary Tigers The Calgary Tigers, often nicknamed the Bengals, were an ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 1920 until 1927 as members of the Big Four League, Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League. The Tigers were revived in 1932, playing for a short-lived four years in the... |
30 | 10 | 17 | 3 | 23 | 71 | 80 |
| Vancouver Maroons | 30 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 22 | 64 | 90 |
Goalkeeper Averages
| Name | Club | GP | GA | SO | Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holmes, Harry Hap Holmes Harry George "Hap" Holmes was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. As a professional, Holmes won the Stanley Cup four times, with four different teams. He tied the record of his 1914 Stanley Cup winning Toronto Blueshirts teammate Jack Marshall, who also has won Cups with four different... |
Victoria | 30 | 53 | 4 | 1.8 |
| Hainsworth, George George Hainsworth George Hainsworth was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League, and the Saskatoon Crescents in the Western Canada Hockey League.... |
Saskatoon | 30 | 64 | 4 | 2.1 |
| Stuart, Herbert | Edmonton | 30 | 77 | 2 | 2.6 |
| Winkler, Hal | Calgary | 30 | 80 | 6 | 2.7 |
| Lehman, Hugh | Vancouver | 30 | 90 | 3 | 3.0 |
| McCusker, Red | Regina | 30 | 110 | 3.7 | |
Playoffs
As in the previous season, the third place Victoria Cougars won the playoff championship. In the semi-final, the Cougars met the Saskatoon Sheiks.| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 12 | Victoria | 3 | Saskatoon | 3 | |
| March 16 | Saskatoon | 0 | Victoria | 1 | 8'10" overtime |
Victoria wins two-game, total-goals series 4–3.
In the final, the Cougars faced off against the Edmonton Eskimos. As there was no ice available in Edmonton, Edmonton's 'home' game were played in Vancouver.
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 20 | Edmonton | 1 | Victoria | 3 | |
| March 22 | Victoria | 2 | Edmonton | 2 |
Victoria wins two-game, total-goals series 5–3.
Stanley Cup Final
The Cougars faced the National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
champion Montreal Maroons
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons was a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935...
in a best-of-five series, losing three games to one. After the WHL folded at the end of this season, the Stanley Cup would no longer be contested as a challenge tournament between league champions, but would be automatically awarded to the NHL champion, a custom formalized in 1947.
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 30 | Victoria Cougars | 0 | Montreal Maroons | 3 | |
| April 1 | Victoria Cougars | 0 | Montreal Maroons | 3 | |
| April 3 | Victoria Cougars | 3 | Montreal Maroons | 2 | |
| April 6 | Victoria Cougars | 0 | Montreal Maroons | 2 |
See also
- List of Stanley Cup champions
- List of pre-NHL seasons
- 1925–26 NHL season
- 1925 in sports1925 in sports-American football:NFL championship* Chicago Cardinals win a controversial National Football League title.* Five new teams join the NFL: New York Giants, Detroit Panthers, Providence Steam Roller, a new Canton Bulldogs team and the Pottsville Maroons....
- 1926 in sports1926 in sports-American football:NFL championship* Frankford Yellow Jackets win the National Football League championship with a league record of 14–1–1College championship...