1961-62

Season Summary:

Tension had been building between the PHL and a group of potential team owners in western North America since the late 50s as several wealthy business men out west had been pushing for franchises and again and again the league continued to reject them. Among these men was former Vancouver Bighorns owner Gerald Smythe, who had been trying to have the Bighorns revived since they folded in 1949. Smythe once again presented a proposal to bring his franchise back in the summer of 1961, only to be rejected again by a league still shell-shocked from it's previous experience in Vancouver. Smythe vowed he would make the league regret it's decision. A new batch of potential stars entered the league in 1961, including Don Banks in Detroit, Guy Dupont in Montreal, Will Pratt in Hamilton, and Guy Benoit in Quebec. Benoit joined and already star-studded cast in Quebec as the Nationale chased their third consecutive title. meanwhile, Don Banks produced one of the best rookie seasons ever with 52 goals as he helped lead the Detroit Mustangs to a second place finish. In Montreal, Guy Dupont formed a deadly combination with veteren Pierre Drouin to lift the Royale back into the playoffs.

The playoffs looked very familiar as the both the Quebec Nationale and the Detroit Mustangs once again found themselves in the Lewis Cup Finals for the second straight year. This time it was much closer, the Mustangs were a much stronger team and it showed as they jumped to a 2-0 series lead before Quebec took the next three to put the Mustangs on their heels for game 6. Game 6 would go to triple overtime as Detroit goaltender Bobby Cole made 67 saves before Andy Reid finally scored the winner, sending the series to a 7th game in Quebec. Game 7 would prove to be a heartbreaker for Detroit, as Gilbert Girouix scored with less than a minute to go to give the Nationale a 4-3 victory and their third consecitive Lewis Cup. Quebec became the first team since the 1946 Boston Bulldogs to win a third cup in a row.

Uniform & Logo Changes

• Several more teams add coloured gloves.

Standings:

Canadian Division

1. Quebec
2. Toronto
3. Montreal
4. Ottawa
5. Nova Scotia
6. Hamilton

American Division

1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Philadelphia
4. New York
5. Chicago
6. Buffalo

Classic Games:

Playoffs:

1960-61

Season Summary:

The Philadelphia Redshirts entered the 1960-61 season with high hopes after reaching the Lewis Cup final the year before. As the season began, however, so did the nightmare in Philly. In October, goaltender David Zimmer broke his leg, ending his season and threatening his career. A month later, both Vince Ward and Richie Moore were sidelined for the remainder of the season as well. The depleted Redshirts finished in 5th place in the American Division and missed the playoffs. In Hamilton, a 47-goal effort from Jeff Lee helped lift the Kings into a playoff spot, while Ottawa proved their successful first year was no fluke, making the playoffs once again. History was made in Detroit on January 26, when goaltender Bobby Cole made his PHL debut. Cole became the first PHL goaltender to wear a facemask. Cole was followed by Hamilton's Fred Lukas a year later. Chicago owner Fred Garfield said that no goaltender would ever wear a mask on his team and even protested to the league that he felt they should be banned.

In the playoffs, the defending champion Nationale made short work of the Hamilton Kings, sweeping them in four straight, while Toronto downed Ottawa in six. South of the border, the Chicago Shamrocks defeated the Boston Bulldogs in six, while the Detroit Mustangs upset the New York Civics in an emotional 7-game series. Both division finals would go to seven games as Quebec would defeat Toronto and Detroit would pull off another upset, this time against Chicago to reach the Lewis Cup final for the first time in their history. Detroit's unexpected magic would run out in the championship round, however, as they managed just one victory against the powerful Quebec club. Quebec won the series in five game to take their second consecutive title.

Standings:

Canadian Division

1. Toronto
2. Quebec
3. Hamilton
4. Ottawa
5. Montreal
6. Nova Scotia

American Division

1. Boston
2. New York
3. Detroit
4. Chicago
5. Philadelphia
6. Buffalo

Classic Games:

Playoff Tree:

1959-60

The final season of the 1950s began with two new additions to the league in the Ottawa Beavers and the Nova Scotia Claymores. While the Claymores had a predictably tough first year, finishing last place with a 13-40-7 record, the Beavers had a surprisingly big first year, finishing in third place in the Canadian Division and earning a playoff spot on a strong effort from goaltender Jeff Hood. The Toronto Racers once again had a spectacular year, losing only 8 games with rookie Bobby Kitchen scoring 44 goals and Mark Benson scored 50 goals for the second time in his career. The Philadelphia Redshirts, with a strong effort from rookie Frank McDermit and a Whyte trophy winning season from goaltender David Zimmer, ran away with first place in the American division. In New York, Skippy Cleveland, at just 36 years old, became the second player to reach the 4-decade club. The season was a disaster for the Civics, however, as they fell to fifth place in the American Division, missing the playoffs.

The playoffs began with a classic battle between two bitter rivals as the Philadelphia Redshirts took out the Chicago Shamrocks in 7 games. The series was highlighted by consecutive bench-clearing brawls in games 4 and 5, before the league warned both teams that they would be fined if the violence continued. Both teams managed to settle down in time for games 6 and 7. Ottawa continuedto shock everybody by winning the first two games in Quebec, before the Nationale won the next four straight to take the series. It was the battle of Quebec in the Canadian Division finals after Montreal pulled off a stunning upset over Toronto, Quebec won a physical, fight-filled series in 6 to move on to the Lewis Cup Finals. In the American Division, the defending champion Bulldogs never stood a chance against the surging Redshirts, who won the series in 6 games to face Quebec for the Cup. Philadelphia was heavily favoured to win the series against Quebec after their big year, but one win was all they could muster as the Nationale won the series, and their first Lewis Cup, in five games.

Logo & Uniform Changes:

• Expansion franchises are added in Ottawa and Halifax, the Beavers and Claymores.

Standings:

Canadian Division

1. Toronto
2. Quebec
3. Ottawa
4. Montreal
5. Hamilton
6. Nova Scotia

American Division

1. Philadelphia
2. Boston
3. Buffalo
4. Chicago
5. New York
6. Detroit

Classic Games:

Playoff Tree:

1958-59

Season Summary:

As the 1958-59 season began, all eyes were on Boston Bulldogs' rookie Don Greer. Greer had set scoring records playing junior hockey in Mississauga and he made an immediate impact on the Bulldogs, scoring 44 goals and leading the Bulldogs to a 1st place finish. In Philadelphia another rookie, Vince Ward, had a fantastic rookie season, with 39 goals and 47 assists leading the Redshirts to second place in the American Division. The Chicago Shamrocks suffered a disasterous season despite the efforts of Norwegian rookie Bjorn Rasmussen, finishing last in the division and missing the playoffs for the first time in their PHL history. New York superstar Skippy Cleveland reached a significant milestone in February, 1959, becoming the first player ever to score 500 career goals.

Heading into the playoffs, Quebec was the team to beat in the Canadian Division. Montreal, on the other hand, had struggled throughout the regular season. The tables would turn in the playoffs, however, as Montreal came back from a 3-1 deficit to win a very physical series in 7 games before losing to Toronto in the Canadian Division finals. In the American Division, Boston finally shook off their recent playoff demons, defeating Detroit and Philadelphia to reach the finals against the defending champions. In the finals, Boston jumped to a 2-0 series lead before giving up games 3 and 4 in Toronto. The Bulldogs then won game 5 at home to set up an opportunity to win another championship in game 6. A hat-trick in game 6 from Mark Benson forced a seventh and deciding game. In game 7, Don Greer and Jack MacDonald each scored as Boston won 2-1 to claim their 6th Lewis Cup.

Logo & Uniform Changes:

• The Toronto Racers update their logo to better match the new team colous
• Quebec removes the wordmark from the above the logo on their uniforms.

Standings:

Canadian Division

1. Quebec
2. Toronto
3. Hamilton
4. Montreal
5. Buffalo

American Division

1. Boston
2. Philadelphia
3. Detroit
4. New York
5. Chicago

Classic Games:

Playoff Teams:

1958 Off-Season

In the summer of 1957, the PHL had expressed interest in expansion. After taking applications throughout the 1957-58 season, the league finally announced that new franchises in Ottawa and Halifax would begin play in the fall of 1959. The Ottawa franchise will be called the Ottawa Beavers, while the Halifax franchise will be called the Nova Scotia Claymores. Logos will be revealed in in the summer of 1959.

News of expansion was not welcomed by everyone. Several western cities had once again been rejected by the league, including Vancouver. Former Vancouver Bighorns owner Gerald Smythe had recovered from his financial difficulties and had been pressuring the PHL to allow the Bighorns back into the league. When his proposal was rejected once again in 1958, he began to explore creating a new league based in the west.

In other off-season news, the Boston Bulldogs signed highly touted prospect Don Greer to his first contract. Greer had been playing in the Bulldogs system since 1954, when he was only 14. Greer had scored a record 62 goals in his final season with the Mississauga Nationals of the Ontario Junior league and was projected to be a future hall-of-famer. Boston also hired former superstar George Allen as their new head coach. Allen had played his final season in Boston, retiring with 466 goals and 874 Points.

1957-58

Season Summary:

George Allen never told anyone that he planned to retire after 21 seasons at the end of the 1956-57 season. He had planned all along to anounce his retirement during the Lewis Cup celebration if the Mustangs managed to win. Ultimately, the Mustangs lost to Allen's longtime former team, the New York Civics, in game 7 of the American Division final. During the off-season, the Mustangs, who were trying to get younger, released Allen, who then retired, but he was still hungry to win his first Lewis Cup. In December, Allen anounced he would return to the game, this time with his former hated rivals, the Boston Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were struggling in last place and desperately needed a boost. Allen's presence lifted Boston into 4th place, good enough for a playoff spot, George Allen would have one more shot at hockey's biggest prize. Meanwhile, Detroit greatly regretted cutting Allen, as an injury to star forward Any Reid in November caused the team to plummet to last place. In Toronto, the heartbreak of 1957 quickly faded as the Racers dominated the regular season. David Stairs and Mark Benson tore up the scoring race, finishing 1st and 2nd respectively.

Toronto continued to dominate in the playoffs, taking out arch-rivals Hamilton in 6 before defeating the Montreal Royale to advance to the Lewis Cup finals for the second consecutive season. In Boston, the Bulldogs finally avenged New York's pouching of their former coach, James Simmons, as well as the playoff losses to the Civics the previous two seasons with an emotional game 7 victory to end a very hate-filled series between the two rivals. George Allen also got his revenge over his former team in game 5, scoring a hat-trick. In the division final against Philadelphia, the Bulldogs looked like a team destined for their 6th championship. However, the Redshirts managed to come from behind twice in a row in games 6 and 7 to stun the Bulldogs and advance to the Lewis Cup finals to face the Racers. George Allen, arguably the greatest player in PHL history, would retire having never hoisted the Lewis Cup. In the finals, The Redshirt fans chanted "nine-teen fort-y" at the Racers in all three games in Philadelphia, as the Racers had not won since the league's inaugral season in 1940. The Racers would have the last laugh, however, winning the series in 7 games to claim their second league championship and their first Lewis Cup.

Standings:

Canadian Division:

1. Toronto
2. Montreal
3. Quebec
4. Hamilton
5. Buffalo

American Division

1. New York
2. Philadelphia
3. Chicago
4. Boston
5. Detroit

Classic Games:

Playoff Tree:

1956-57

Season Summary:

The Toronto Racers continued their rebuild in the summer of 1956, recruiting 17-year old Mark Benson. Benson led the Ontario junior league with 53 goals and was predicted to be a future superstar. In his first season with the Racers, Benson became the second player in history to score 50 goals in a season. Despite Benson's efforts, the Racers fell to 4th place thanks in part to a late-season injury to David Stairs. In the American Division, the Civics continued their domination, losing only 6 games all season. just days after Mark Benson scored his 50th of the season, Skippy Cleveland became the 3rd player in PHL history to score 50 goals in a season. A new concept was introduced in February, the PHL All-Star Game. The Canadian Division All-Stars took on the American Division All-Stars in NewYork. The American Division took the game 6-4 with Dave Riley scoring a hat-trick.

As the playoffs began, Toronto dropped three straight to Buffalo before winning the next four to take the series. They continued their hot streak in the Canadian Division finals, sweeping Quebec to reach the Lewis Cup final for the first time since 1942. In the American Division, the Boston Bulldogs gave New York all the could handle before the Civics won game 7 in overtime thanks to a goal by defenseman Red O'Ryan. the Civics would face the Detroit Mustangs in the American Division final. The Mustangs had pulled off an upset of their own, taking down the Chicago Shamrocks in five games. Detroit would also take the Civics to a full seven games before running out of gas in game 7 as New York won in a 8-0 blowout. In the finals, the Racers managed to skate with the Civics for all seven games before Skippy Cleveland and Bearnie Bassen each scored two in game seven to give the Civics a 2-0 win and their second straight Lewis Cup.

Logo & Uniform Changes:

• The Toronto Racers update their uniforms, adding navy blue to their colour scheme.
• The league holds it's first-ever annual All-Star Game, between the Canadian Division All-Stars and the American Division All-Stars.

Standings:

Canadian Division

1. Buffalo
2. Montreal
3. Quebec
4. Toronto
5. Hamilton

American Division

1. New York
2. Chicago
3. Detroit
4. Boston
5. Philadelphia

Classic Games:

Playoff Tree:

1955-56

Season Summary:

The New York Civics continued to make headlines during the 1955 off-season. Shortly after the 1955 playoffs ended, the Civics approached Boston Bulldogs coach/general manager James Simmons with an enormous offer of $30,000. Simmons jumped at the offer and immediately took the reins of the Civics. The Bulldogs were furious and swore revenge on their hated rivals for pouching the architect behind their dynasty. The Civics weren't finished there. In June, they recruited highly touted prospect Dave Riley, a kid from western Michigan projected to be the first American-born star in the PHL. Immediately, the Detroit Mustangs protested, claiming that they had the rights to all Michigan-born players. The league ruled in favour of the Civics, however, as Riley was already 18 and eligible for free agency, according to the pre-draft PHL rules at that time. Both additions paid immediate dividends for New York, as Riley, combined with established star Skippy Cleveland, made the Civics the most dangerous offensive team in hockey while 11-year veteran Red O'Ryan played more minutes on defense than anyone in league history as the Civics ran away with first place overall. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs never missed a beat after losing their coach, finishing second with Don Loach scoring 43 goals, the most ever in a PHL season to date. In Philadelphia, defenseman Tom Lapin had anounced before the start of the year that he would retire at season's end. When it appeared that the Redshirts would once again miss the playoffs, they dealt him to Montreal in exchange for young star Jean Lerouix. Lapin would lead the Royale to a first-place finish in the Canadian Division.

The Royale started their first round series strong against Quebec, jumping to a 2-0 series lead, before Quebec stormed back with four straight victories to complete the upset. The Civics ran into all sorts of adversity, coming back from two consecutive 2-0 series deficits in two consecutive 7-game series to reach the finals for the first time in 10 years. In the Canadian Division the Quebec Nationale continued their impressive run pulling off what would be the biggest upset in PHL history over the Hamilton Kings. In the finals, New York jumped to a 2-0 lead before Quebec won the next three straight. Facing elimination in game 6, the Civics nursed a 1-0 lead before erupting for 7 goals in the third period in an 8-1 victory. In game 7, Dave Riley and Skippy Cleveland each scored two goals as the New York Civics won their first-ever Lewis Cup.

Standings:

Canadian Division

1. Montreal
2. Hamilton
3. Toronto
4. Quebec
5. Buffalo

American Division

1. New York
2. Boston
3. Detroit
4. Chicago
5. Philadelphia

Classic Games:

Playoff Tree:

1954-55

Logo & Uniform changes:

• Chicago updates their white sweater to match their green with a slightly different logo as well as "Chicago" written above the logo.

Season Summary:

In the summer of 1954, one big question loomed over the PHL, what sweater would superstar George Allen be wearing when the 1954-55 season began. Allen, who to date was arguably the greatest player in PHL history, had refused to ever play another game for the New York Civics after an ugly feud with Civics owner Harold Donovan. On June 14, 1954, Donovan pulled the trigger on what would go down as one of the most famous trades in league history, dealing Allen to Detroit for veteran Louis Gilbert and rookie goalie Harry Willis. with the addition of Allen, the Mustangs suddenly became a legitimate contender in the American Division, winning 51 games. The biggest turnaround, however, was in Toronto, as super rookie David Stairs helped lift the Racers from the basement to second place in the Canadian Division. In Boston, the Bulldogs finally said goodbye to longtime goaltender Max Marchand, sending him to Montreal. Rookie Glen Stevenson did an admirable job in net, preventing the Bulldogs from missing the playoffs.

The playoffs began with a very spirited 7-game series between the Hamilton Kings and the Quebec Nationale. The Kings bounced back from a 3-1 defecit to defeat the Nationale in seven games, after what proved to be an ugly game 6 that saw multiple fights and over 250 penalty minutes handed out. Hamilton would go on to defeat Toronto in a 7-game battle of Ontario to reach the finals for a third straight season. In the American Division, Chicago lost the first game against New York, but then rolled over them before defeating Boston to face Hamilton once again in the Lewis Cup finals. The Lewis Cup proved to be a close series, with teams alternating wins right up to game 7, where Johnny Garfield's hat-trick gave the Chicago Shamrocks their fourth Lewis Cup.

Standings:

Canadian Division

1. Hamilton
2. Toronto
3. Buffalo
4. Quebec
5. Montreal

American Division

1. Chicago
2. Detroit
3. Boston
4. New York
5. Philadelphia

Classic Games:

Playoff Tree:

1953-54

Logo & Uniform Changes:

• Boston reveals a new look, enlarging the logo and removing the text above the logo.
• For greater contrast, the Philadelphia Redshirts make the bell on the red sweater white.

The 1953-54 season saw a lot of changes in the PHL, specifically coaching changes. No less than three teams hired new coaches in the summer of 1953. Detroit hired their former star winger Johnny Chadwick, while Toronto hired former defenseman Ed Carpenter. Perhaps the most surprising hiring, however, was when the New York Civics hired former Hamilton Kings star Gilbert Wriggley for his first coaching job. Wriggley was known as a hot-tempered player and many wondered how his fiery personality would fit in with the Civics, a team built on skill and speed. But the bigger question was how would he get along with Civics superstar George Allen, a player he had had a falling out with when the two played together for the Windsor Wings a decade earlier. Immediately, tension arose between the two. Things came to a head in a December game in Montreal when Allen attacked his coach behind the bench after a lengthy verbal confrontation. Civics owner Harold Donovan suspended Allen for the remainder of the season and threatened similar treatment to anyone who followed his lead. Allan vowed he would never play for the Civics again while the team plummeted to last place. In Chicago, 69-year-old head coach Arthur Walsh anounced in January that this would be his last season after 18 years behind the Chicago bench. The Shamrocks finished a dissapointing 30-24-6 in the regular season but avoided missing the playoffs with an 8-game winning streak after Walshes anouncement. Under new coach Johnny Chadwick's leadership, the Detroit Mustangs improved to third place in the American Division, returning to the Lewis Cup playoffs.

Chicago's magic continued into the playoffs as they upset Boston in the first round in 5 games before sweeping Philadelphia to reach the finals. Quebec managed to win their first-ever playoff series with a 7-game upset over Buffalo, but would lose in the Canadian Division final to Hamilton in 6, giving the Kings their second straight berth in the finals. For Arthur Walsh, it was almost a storybook ending to a great coaching career. Almost. The Shamrocks won the first two games of the final, but lost the next four in a row as the Hamilton Kings repeated as Lewis Cup Champions.

Standings:

Canadian Division

1. Hamilton
2. Buffalo
3. Quebec
4. Montreal
5. Toronto

American Division

1. Boston
2. Philadelphia
3. Detroit
4. Chicago
5. New York

Playoff Tree:

Classic Games:

1952-53

Season Summary:

The 1952-53 season was interesting for a variety of reasons ranging from the revival of a once dormant franchise to a very bizzare case of insubordination from another franchise. It all began when the league, in an attempt to improve it's television product, instituted a rule that all teams must wear white sweaters for road games. This of course meant that the league's lone one-sweater holdout, the Chicago Shamrocks, would need to introduce a new uniform. Team owner Fredrick Garfield refused at first, insisting "we wear green. period. If the league wants to fine us, we'll pay the fine." Garfield finally gave in when the TV network threatened to pull all Shamrocks games from it's broadcast schedule if they didn't comply, but he did so by introducing a plain white sweater with only the players' number on the back and the name "Chicago" on the front. In Philadelphia, after years of losing and uncertainty, the fans' patience finally paid off as their beloved Redshirts climbed to the top of the American Division standings on the strong play of sophomore Richie Moore, who scored 36 goals.

In the playoffs, The Redshirts faced the Shamrocks in a tough, 7-game series, where they had to come back from a 3-1 deficit. David Zimmer made a heroic 51-save performance in game 7, giving Philadelphia their first playoff series victory since joining the PHL thirteen years earlier. In the American Division final, the Redshirts shocked the defending champion Boston Bulldogs in 4 straight before facing the Hamilton Kings in the Lewis Cup finals. Hamilton had run away with first place in the Canadian Division before winning two 7-game series against Buffalo and Montreal en route to the final. The two teams traded victories through the first 6 games, setting up a game 7 for the ages. Philly winger Bobby Kelly opened the scoring in the first period before Ted Forbes tied it late in the third, sending it to overtime. The game remained scoreless through two extra periods as both David Zimmer and Fred Lukas stood on their heads in net before Hamilton's Frankie Jenkins finally scored late in the second OT, giving Hamilton it's second Lewis Cup and breaking the hearts of the Redshirts fans who thought for sure that this was their year.

Logo & Uniform Changes:

• Hamilton makes some slight changes to their uniforms
• The Chicago Shamrocks are forced to introduce new white sweaters as part of a league-wide rule that road teams must wear white uniforms.

Standings:

Canadian Division

1. Hamilton
2. Montreal
3. Quebec
4. Hamilton
5. Toronto

American Division

1. Philadelphia
2. Boston
3. New York
4. Chicago
5. Detroit

Classic Games:

Playoff Tree: