1925–26 WHL season

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.

Off-season

Regina's team folded, and a Portland club was formed and the Regina players transferred to it. There was discussions of moving the Edmonton team to Regina but it stayed in Edmonton. The new New York Americans bought Joe Simpson, John Morrison and Roy Rickey from Edmonton,[1] but Edmonton would have enough talent left to win the WHL title.

Teams

1925–26 Western Hockey League
TeamCityArenaCapacity
Calgary Tigers Calgary, Alberta Victoria Arena N/A
Edmonton Eskimos Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton Stock Pavilion 2,000
Portland Rosebuds Portland, Oregon Portland Ice Arena 2,000
Saskatoon Sheiks Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Crescent Arena N/A
Vancouver Maroons Vancouver, British Columbia Denman Arena 10,500
Victoria Cougars Victoria, British Columbia Patrick Arena 4,000

Map of teams

WHL Teams

Regular season

Final standing

Note GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points

Team GP W L T GF GA Pts
Edmonton Eskimos 30 19 11 0 94 77 38
Saskatoon Sheiks 30 18 11 1 93 64 37
Victoria Cougars 30 15 11 4 68 53 34
Portland Rosebuds 30 12 16 2 84 110 26
Calgary Tigers 30 10 17 3 71 80 23
Vancouver Maroons 30 10 18 2 64 90 22

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 12Victoria3Saskatoon3
March 16Saskatoon0Victoria18'10" 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 was played in Vancouver.

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
March 20Edmonton1Victoria3
March 22Victoria2Edmonton2

Victoria wins two-game, total-goals series 5–3.

Stanley Cup Finals

The Cougars faced the National Hockey League 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.

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
March 30Victoria Cougars0Montreal Maroons3
April 1Victoria Cougars0Montreal Maroons3
April 3Victoria Cougars3Montreal Maroons2
April 6Victoria Cougars0Montreal Maroons2

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Bill CookSaskatoon Sheiks3031134426
Dick IrvinPortland Rosebuds303153629
Corb DennenySaskatoon Sheiks3018163412
Art GagneEdmonton Eskimos3021123320
George HayPortland Rosebuds301912314
Duke KeatsEdmonton Eskimos3020929134
Harry OliverCalgary Tigers3013122514
Frank FredricksonVictoria Cougars301882489
Frank BoucherVancouver Maroons291572214
Barney StanleyEdmonton Eskimos291482247

Goaltending averages

Name Club GP GA SO Avg.
Hap Holmes Victoria305341.8
George Hainsworth Saskatoon306442.1
Herbert Stuart Edmonton307722.6
Hal Winkler Calgary308062.7
Hugh Lehman Vancouver309033.0
Red McCusker Regina301103.7

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Western Canada Hockey Squads Prepare for Championship Grind". Ottawa Citizen. November 6, 1925. p. 11.
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