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FaxCap
join:2002-05-25
Surrey, BC

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Re: [Hockey] Official~ NHL thread...........scores and highlites

said by vue666:

I think there is a good hockey market in Seattle and Seattle has long hockey tradition

Before the Canucks moved up to the NHL they were in the old
Western Hockey League. The Seattle team were the Totems and
Portland were the Buckaroos. All 3 had a great rivalry!!!

There were many a bloodbath at the old Vancouver Forum.

FaxCap
vue666 (banned)
Let's make Canchat better!!!
join:2007-12-07

vue666 (banned)

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said by FaxCap:

said by vue666:

I think there is a good hockey market in Seattle and Seattle has long hockey tradition

Before the Canucks moved up to the NHL they were in the old
Western Hockey League. The Seattle team were the Totems and
Portland were the Buckaroos. All 3 had a great rivalry!!!

There were many a bloodbath at the old Vancouver Forum.

FaxCap

In the late 1960s and early 70s I used to purchase the Hockey News. I remember they had a section on the WHL as well as the AHL, Central Pro Hockey League, EHL & IHL...

I can't remember correctly but I believe the WHL was somewhere between the NHL and AHL as far as talent. Wasn't the WHL more independent from the NHL as opposed to the AHL?

I believe there were rumours the WHL wanted to become a rival to the NHL and one of the reasons the Canucks were admitted into the NHL. This was of course prior to the WHA...

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

Gone

Premium Member

said by vue666:

I believe there were rumours the WHL wanted to become a rival to the NHL and one of the reasons the Canucks were admitted into the NHL. This was of course prior to the WHA...

I believe you're correct, yes. I also believe that the IHL tried to pull off something similar in the 90s despite acting as a farm league for the NHL, and the rapid expansion into NHL markets ended up killing the league.

shaner
Premium Member
join:2000-10-04
Calgary, AB

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I haven't looked it up, but I think the league you're referring to was the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL). I think the WHL was pretty much always a junior league because teams like the Edmonton Oil Kings, Saskatoon Blades, Regina St. Pats all have a long history of junior hockey, not pro.

As well, the International Hockey League (IHL) was the main rival to the NHL for decades, even though many of the teams had farm affiliations with the NHL. The I just never had the deep pockets to pay players top dollar. Through the 50's, 60's and 70's, the only things the NHL had going for them were some of the best players in the world, a monopolistic stranglehold on the biggest markets in the East, and HNIC. Those three things protected them from the plethora of pro leagues all over the continent.

Edit: it would appear we are talking about the same league as the WHL grew out of a merger with the PCHL.

»en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ ··· %931974)
vue666 (banned)
Let's make Canchat better!!!
join:2007-12-07

vue666 (banned)

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Shaner....thanks for the link. Nice find...