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monochameleon · 12-07-2015, 01:49 AM

History of the Atlantic Hockey League

Founded in 1900, the Atlantic Hockey League's founding members were the Halifax Hunters, the New York Players, the Chicago Athletics Club, the Charlottetown Islanders, the Lehigh Valley Hockey Club, and the Toronto Greenshirts. The early seasons were dominated by the Hunters, who won seven championships between 1902 and 1910. Though the Hunters won two more championships after this, they were never as consistently successful again, and the pressure of being a very small market team took its toll, leading to the team being the first to fold in 1942.

The Charlottetown Islanders have won the championship six times, most recently in 1985. Though never a dynastic team, the Islandrs have made the playoffs 39 times and are almost always competitive. The Toronto Greenshirts – now Aces – have had a much more changeable time of it. The Greenshirts have only won three championships and made 24 playoff appearances. Of the Founding Four, the Aces are the least successful, with a 2331/2526 record. But they benefit from good loyalty in a huge market that has always kept them afloat.

The New York Players existed from foundation to 1983 and won 13 championships. They were the home of Zak Miles, the league's leading point scorer, for his most prolific seasons. The Players folded in dramatic circumstances in 1983 as financial mismanagement and the struggles of the league at large to compete with the NHL left them unable to continue despite their obvious on-ice talent which had led them to back-to-back premierships in 1980 and 1981.

Lehigh Valley Hockey Club – known since 1971 as the Phantoms – became the league's second dynasty when they won five premierships between 1930 and 1936. The club have won 11 in total, most recently in 1984.

The Chicago Athletics Club, now the Chicago Cougars, have won 6 premierships over their time in the league, although none since 1966. Due to the destruction of their home building, Heights Arena, the team moved to St. Louis between 1917 and 1926, when the city of Chicago brought them back with the International Amphitheatre. Like the Greenshirts, home fan loyalty has kept the club alive at times when they might otherwise struggle. A team with a strong goaltending tradition, Vaclav Kiriz remains one of the team's all time greats.

The league expanded for the first time in 1906 when it added the Pittsburgh Knights and Ottawa Nationals. The Knights would lead a turbulent existence: they were never successful or attractive at the box office in Pittsburgh, leading to a move in 1913 to Detroit where they became the Michigan Gold. Their first year in Detroit brought them their first championship, however, success was the exception, not the rule, and the Michigan club eventually moved to Oakland though retained the Gold moniker. In Oakland, the club won three further championships in 1929, 1933 and 1950, but fan loyalty fluctuated and eventually, in 1964, the club folded.

The Nationals, however, have won more championships than any other club: 14 in total. They have also been runners-up a further 14 times, a league record. Their most dominant periods were in the 1920s, under the leadership of team all-time scoring leader Austin Couture, and the late-'30s/early-'40s, when they were captained by goalie Kenneth Jensen, who is the team's all time best goalkeeper, holding club records for GAA, save percentage, wins and shutouts.

In 1934, the league expanded again, with two clubs that are completely intertwined: the Vancouver Giants and the Seattle Warriors. The two teams rose quickly through the league, and Vancouver won their first championship in 1940. But the rivalry between these two teams became legendary in the early 1950s when both were consistently among the best in the league: from 1950 to 1964, one or the other was in the final every year except once (1953). The two teams played each other in the playoffs every year except twice (1953 and 1956) during this period, and in the finals four times, splitting these appearances two each. The rivalry cooled slightly in 1968 when the Warriors, seeking better financial climes, moved to Winnipeg and became the Manitoba Warriors, but the two teams are still often though of as a pair and match-ups between the two are always entertaining.

In 1979, the disbanding of the WHA left the Quebec Nordiques and New England Whalers all dressed up with nowhere to go, and the Whalers opted to join the Atlantic League, which had shrunk to eight teams in 1964 with the end of the Oakland Gold franchise. The Whalers are a particularly promising franchise, arriving virtually pre-built as a franchise meaning that they were able to win their first two titles in 1982 and 1983, missing out on a third in 1984 with a finals loss to the Phantoms.

Finally, in 1980, the league added the San Francisco Arrows to give California a team in the league for the first time since Oakland folded. The Arrows are yet to make the playoffs.

In 1985, the league merged with the Mountain Hockey Association to become the Premier Hockey League.

History of the Mountain Hockey Association

The Mountain Hockey Association was formed in 1959 for play in the 1960/61 season by three clubs: the Colorado Eagles, the St. Paul Cardinals and the Michigan Stags. Before play began, the league had expanded to six teams, with the Calgary Mustangs, the Seattle Nightmare and the Los Angeles Sharks joining the league. The Eagles won five of the first six championships, largely thanks to the efforts of Carter Battistelli, who epitomised the Eagles' brutal, physical game and led them in scoring through this period. The Eagles cooled after this, winning again in 1972 but recently going through a renaissance that included four more championships, most notably three back-to-back in 1982, 83 and 84.

The Calgary Mustangs were the other highlight team in the early years. As well as winning the second championship in the league's history, they then appeared in six finals on the trot between 1966 and 1971, winning back-to-back titles in 1967 and 1968. Since their fourth win, in 1974, the Mustangs have been been less successful, appearing only in four further playoff campaigns, despite the efforts of their stalwart team hero Bob Fischer, who is rapidly approaching retirement.

The LA Sharks brightest moment came in 1979 when they finally won the championship in just their second trip to the finals, their first having been in the first ever season of the league. Hopes of further success seem to have been dashed by the departure of star player Jakob Hjerpe, who was traded to the Montreal Victoire in 1981 on the basis that he had started to fade. This didn't stop him from adding a further points award (1982) and goal scorer award (1985) that the Sharks could have sorely used. This phenomenon has been referred to by the Sharks fans as “having been struck down with Hjerpes”.

The St. Paul Cardinals have the second best record in the league, with 6 championships, four of them coming in a dynasty-worthy run 1975-78. Their team's greatest star during this period was unquestionably power-forward Luca Charron, who won MVP twice and playoff MVP three times. The Seattle Nightmare's single championship came in 1969, which was the culmination of a decade of hard work in which they had been one of the unluckiest teams in the league, having played 7 playoffs and reaching the finals only the once. Since that championship, the team quickly faded, reaching only 7 more playoffs and no more finals.

The Michigan Stags were the most consistent team in the league for quite some time, appearing in every post-season between 1964 and 1980 except 1976. They managed only two championships in this time – 1971 and 73 – and five premierships. The Stags best era was anchored by Will Lobban – a star centre who leads the team for points until his trade to the Colorado Eagles in 1974 – and Alexander Hedlund, the team's leading goal scorer.

In 1970, the league expanded to 8 teams, adding sides in New York and Montreal, moving the teams out of the mountains and into the east. The Montreal Champions are yet to encounter any major success, having finished in the bottom three every year from 1971 to 1979, but solid drafting led them to five straight playoff runs between 1980 and 1984, only to drop back to last place in 1985.

The New York Centrals, meanwhile, have had more sporadic success. Only 5 playoff campaigns, spread over their entire lifespan, leading to their first ever championship, and the only Mountain League expansion club victory in 1985. The Centrals star player, Steven Shinault, was their first major success in drafting, having been taken at number 1 in 1972. He went on to win Rookie of the Year in 1974 and finally Playoff MVP and Defenceman of the Year in the Central's 1985 championship season.

In 1979, the Quebec Nordiques joined the league from the WHA, but many players left the side, leading to the Nordiques needing to rebuild during the early 1980s. As yet, they have finished in the playoffs only once, in 1984.

On January 1^st 1985, the Mountain Hockey Association confirmed a deal with the Atlantic Hockey League to merge, founding the Premier League Hockey organisation.

NEW YORK, NY: Quinn MacMurray, president of the Atlantic Hockey League, and Jason Walker, president of the Mountain Hockey Association, tonight confirmed that the two leagues have worked out a merger deal that will see them continue as a joint-venture for at least the next five seasons.

Talk of the possible merger began as long ago as 1967, when the NHL expansion threatened the western-oriented Mountain Association, but only truly reached fever pitch two years ago, when the New York Players of the Atlantic League announced that they would be forced to fold despite having one of the most successful teams in the league at the time.

The new league, to be called Premier League Hockey, will use the two existing leagues as conferences. The leagues will remain semi-independent, but will play inter-league games and a mid-season all-star fixture.

MacMurray, a huge champion for the merger since his election to the post of President in 1981, said that the successful negotiations were "a relief."

"I'm glad we can stop worrying as much about the administration and get back to the hockey," he said.

"We've just ensured that a lot of guys - players, coaches, administrators, you name it - still have a job next year, and for a few years after that."

Both leagues have felt the pressure of the National Hockey League since the 1967 expansion put that league on a larger stage. The abortive WHA, from which each league inherited a team, also caused both leagues headaches.

The new league will be administered from New York, as an extension of the older Atlantic League offices. New awards will be issued and the previous individual awards will retire with their leagues, though the top team in each league will still receive their championship trophies: the Harris Shield for the Mountain League and the St. Lawrence Trophy for the Atlantic League. Two new, as yet un-named team awards will also be issued: one for the winner of the playoffs and another for the team with the best regular-season record across the two leagues.

Both leagues will finish out the 1985 season using their current formats, before joining together for the 1985/86 season.

12-07-2015, 01:49 AM	#3
monochameleon Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: New South Wales, Australia Posts: 114	December 21st 1984 History of the Atlantic Hockey League Founded in 1900, the Atlantic Hockey League's founding members were the Halifax Hunters, the New York Players, the Chicago Athletics Club, the Charlottetown Islanders, the Lehigh Valley Hockey Club, and the Toronto Greenshirts. The early seasons were dominated by the Hunters, who won seven championships between 1902 and 1910. Though the Hunters won two more championships after this, they were never as consistently successful again, and the pressure of being a very small market team took its toll, leading to the team being the first to fold in 1942. The Charlottetown Islanders have won the championship six times, most recently in 1985. Though never a dynastic team, the Islandrs have made the playoffs 39 times and are almost always competitive. The Toronto Greenshirts – now Aces – have had a much more changeable time of it. The Greenshirts have only won three championships and made 24 playoff appearances. Of the Founding Four, the Aces are the least successful, with a 2331/2526 record. But they benefit from good loyalty in a huge market that has always kept them afloat. The New York Players existed from foundation to 1983 and won 13 championships. They were the home of Zak Miles, the league's leading point scorer, for his most prolific seasons. The Players folded in dramatic circumstances in 1983 as financial mismanagement and the struggles of the league at large to compete with the NHL left them unable to continue despite their obvious on-ice talent which had led them to back-to-back premierships in 1980 and 1981. Lehigh Valley Hockey Club – known since 1971 as the Phantoms – became the league's second dynasty when they won five premierships between 1930 and 1936. The club have won 11 in total, most recently in 1984. The Chicago Athletics Club, now the Chicago Cougars, have won 6 premierships over their time in the league, although none since 1966. Due to the destruction of their home building, Heights Arena, the team moved to St. Louis between 1917 and 1926, when the city of Chicago brought them back with the International Amphitheatre. Like the Greenshirts, home fan loyalty has kept the club alive at times when they might otherwise struggle. A team with a strong goaltending tradition, Vaclav Kiriz remains one of the team's all time greats. The league expanded for the first time in 1906 when it added the Pittsburgh Knights and Ottawa Nationals. The Knights would lead a turbulent existence: they were never successful or attractive at the box office in Pittsburgh, leading to a move in 1913 to Detroit where they became the Michigan Gold. Their first year in Detroit brought them their first championship, however, success was the exception, not the rule, and the Michigan club eventually moved to Oakland though retained the Gold moniker. In Oakland, the club won three further championships in 1929, 1933 and 1950, but fan loyalty fluctuated and eventually, in 1964, the club folded. The Nationals, however, have won more championships than any other club: 14 in total. They have also been runners-up a further 14 times, a league record. Their most dominant periods were in the 1920s, under the leadership of team all-time scoring leader Austin Couture, and the late-'30s/early-'40s, when they were captained by goalie Kenneth Jensen, who is the team's all time best goalkeeper, holding club records for GAA, save percentage, wins and shutouts. In 1934, the league expanded again, with two clubs that are completely intertwined: the Vancouver Giants and the Seattle Warriors. The two teams rose quickly through the league, and Vancouver won their first championship in 1940. But the rivalry between these two teams became legendary in the early 1950s when both were consistently among the best in the league: from 1950 to 1964, one or the other was in the final every year except once (1953). The two teams played each other in the playoffs every year except twice (1953 and 1956) during this period, and in the finals four times, splitting these appearances two each. The rivalry cooled slightly in 1968 when the Warriors, seeking better financial climes, moved to Winnipeg and became the Manitoba Warriors, but the two teams are still often though of as a pair and match-ups between the two are always entertaining. In 1979, the disbanding of the WHA left the Quebec Nordiques and New England Whalers all dressed up with nowhere to go, and the Whalers opted to join the Atlantic League, which had shrunk to eight teams in 1964 with the end of the Oakland Gold franchise. The Whalers are a particularly promising franchise, arriving virtually pre-built as a franchise meaning that they were able to win their first two titles in 1982 and 1983, missing out on a third in 1984 with a finals loss to the Phantoms. Finally, in 1980, the league added the San Francisco Arrows to give California a team in the league for the first time since Oakland folded. The Arrows are yet to make the playoffs. In 1985, the league merged with the Mountain Hockey Association to become the Premier Hockey League. History of the Mountain Hockey Association The Mountain Hockey Association was formed in 1959 for play in the 1960/61 season by three clubs: the Colorado Eagles, the St. Paul Cardinals and the Michigan Stags. Before play began, the league had expanded to six teams, with the Calgary Mustangs, the Seattle Nightmare and the Los Angeles Sharks joining the league. The Eagles won five of the first six championships, largely thanks to the efforts of Carter Battistelli, who epitomised the Eagles' brutal, physical game and led them in scoring through this period. The Eagles cooled after this, winning again in 1972 but recently going through a renaissance that included four more championships, most notably three back-to-back in 1982, 83 and 84. The Calgary Mustangs were the other highlight team in the early years. As well as winning the second championship in the league's history, they then appeared in six finals on the trot between 1966 and 1971, winning back-to-back titles in 1967 and 1968. Since their fourth win, in 1974, the Mustangs have been been less successful, appearing only in four further playoff campaigns, despite the efforts of their stalwart team hero Bob Fischer, who is rapidly approaching retirement. The LA Sharks brightest moment came in 1979 when they finally won the championship in just their second trip to the finals, their first having been in the first ever season of the league. Hopes of further success seem to have been dashed by the departure of star player Jakob Hjerpe, who was traded to the Montreal Victoire in 1981 on the basis that he had started to fade. This didn't stop him from adding a further points award (1982) and goal scorer award (1985) that the Sharks could have sorely used. This phenomenon has been referred to by the Sharks fans as “having been struck down with Hjerpes”. The St. Paul Cardinals have the second best record in the league, with 6 championships, four of them coming in a dynasty-worthy run 1975-78. Their team's greatest star during this period was unquestionably power-forward Luca Charron, who won MVP twice and playoff MVP three times. The Seattle Nightmare's single championship came in 1969, which was the culmination of a decade of hard work in which they had been one of the unluckiest teams in the league, having played 7 playoffs and reaching the finals only the once. Since that championship, the team quickly faded, reaching only 7 more playoffs and no more finals. The Michigan Stags were the most consistent team in the league for quite some time, appearing in every post-season between 1964 and 1980 except 1976. They managed only two championships in this time – 1971 and 73 – and five premierships. The Stags best era was anchored by Will Lobban – a star centre who leads the team for points until his trade to the Colorado Eagles in 1974 – and Alexander Hedlund, the team's leading goal scorer. In 1970, the league expanded to 8 teams, adding sides in New York and Montreal, moving the teams out of the mountains and into the east. The Montreal Champions are yet to encounter any major success, having finished in the bottom three every year from 1971 to 1979, but solid drafting led them to five straight playoff runs between 1980 and 1984, only to drop back to last place in 1985. The New York Centrals, meanwhile, have had more sporadic success. Only 5 playoff campaigns, spread over their entire lifespan, leading to their first ever championship, and the only Mountain League expansion club victory in 1985. The Centrals star player, Steven Shinault, was their first major success in drafting, having been taken at number 1 in 1972. He went on to win Rookie of the Year in 1974 and finally Playoff MVP and Defenceman of the Year in the Central's 1985 championship season. In 1979, the Quebec Nordiques joined the league from the WHA, but many players left the side, leading to the Nordiques needing to rebuild during the early 1980s. As yet, they have finished in the playoffs only once, in 1984. On January 1^st 1985, the Mountain Hockey Association confirmed a deal with the Atlantic Hockey League to merge, founding the Premier League Hockey organisation. NEW YORK, NY: Quinn MacMurray, president of the Atlantic Hockey League, and Jason Walker, president of the Mountain Hockey Association, tonight confirmed that the two leagues have worked out a merger deal that will see them continue as a joint-venture for at least the next five seasons. Talk of the possible merger began as long ago as 1967, when the NHL expansion threatened the western-oriented Mountain Association, but only truly reached fever pitch two years ago, when the New York Players of the Atlantic League announced that they would be forced to fold despite having one of the most successful teams in the league at the time. The new league, to be called Premier League Hockey, will use the two existing leagues as conferences. The leagues will remain semi-independent, but will play inter-league games and a mid-season all-star fixture. MacMurray, a huge champion for the merger since his election to the post of President in 1981, said that the successful negotiations were "a relief." "I'm glad we can stop worrying as much about the administration and get back to the hockey," he said. "We've just ensured that a lot of guys - players, coaches, administrators, you name it - still have a job next year, and for a few years after that." Both leagues have felt the pressure of the National Hockey League since the 1967 expansion put that league on a larger stage. The abortive WHA, from which each league inherited a team, also caused both leagues headaches. The new league will be administered from New York, as an extension of the older Atlantic League offices. New awards will be issued and the previous individual awards will retire with their leagues, though the top team in each league will still receive their championship trophies: the Harris Shield for the Mountain League and the St. Lawrence Trophy for the Atlantic League. Two new, as yet un-named team awards will also be issued: one for the winner of the playoffs and another for the team with the best regular-season record across the two leagues. Both leagues will finish out the 1985 season using their current formats, before joining together for the 1985/86 season. Last edited by monochameleon; 12-22-2015 at 05:56 AM.