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.

Regular season

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 30 19 11 0 38 90 77
Saskatoon Sheiks 30 18 11 1 37 93 64
Victoria Cougars 30 15 11 4 34 68 53
Portland Rosebuds 30 12 16 2 26 84 106
Calgary Tigers 30 10 17 3 23 71 80
Vancouver Maroons 30 10 18 2 22 64 90

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 was 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 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
Gagné, ArtArt Gagné Edmonton Eskimos 24 35 10 45 24
Cook, BillBill Cook Saskatoon Sheiks 30 31 13 44 26
Irvin, DickDick Irvin Portland Rosebuds 30 31 5 36 29
Denneny, CorbCorb Denneny Saskatoon Sheiks 30 18 16 34 12
Hay, GeorgeGeorge Hay Portland Rosebuds 30 19 12 31 4
Keats, DukeDuke Keats Edmonton Eskimos 30 20 9 29 134
Oliver, HarryHarry Oliver Calgary Tigers 30 13 12 25 14
Fredrickson, FrankFrank Fredrickson Victoria Cougars 30 18 8 24 89
Boucher, FrankFrank Boucher Vancouver Maroons 29 15 7 22 14
Stanley, BarneyBarney Stanley Edmonton Eskimos 29 14 8 22 47

Goaltending averages

Name Club GP GA SO Avg.
Hap Holmes Victoria 30 53 4 1.8
George Hainsworth Saskatoon 30 64 4 2.1
Herbert Stuart Edmonton 30 77 2 2.6
Hal Winkler Calgary 30 80 6 2.7
Hugh Lehman Vancouver 30 90 3 3.0
Red McCusker Regina 30 110 3.7

See also

References

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

External links

Preceded by
1924–25 WCHL season		 WHL seasons Succeeded by
1926-27 PHL season
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