1945-46

Logo & Uniform Changes:

• Two expansion teams join the league, the Vancouver Bighorns, who make their debut wearing Maroon and orange uniforms, and the Buffalo Bulls, who wear red and green.
• The Philadelphia Redshirts change their uniforms to a more modern look.

Standings:

1. Detroit
2. New York
3. Buffalo
4. Hamilton
5. Boston
6. Toronto
7. Montreal
8. Chicago
9. Philadelphia
10. Vancouver

Season Summary:

The PHL's seventh season would see the league experiment with western expansion for the first time as the Vancouver Bighorns joined the league. A second franchise, the Buffalo Bulls also made their debut. 1945-46 would also see many star players return from the war including George Allen, who would finally make his debut with the New York Civics over a year after being claimed in the dispersal draft. Allen would team up with Skippy Cleveland and talented rookie Bernie Bassen to form the ABC line, leading the Civics to second place. The Detroit Mustangs, led by rookie Allan Keenan climbed to first place. But the real surprise was the expansion Buffalo, who finished in third place. The playoff format was changed once again to include eight teams and the final series was extended to a best of 7. New York continued their impressive run through the playoffs, reaching the finals for the first time in their history. The Boston Bulldogs continued their dominance, however, defeated the Civics in 7 games to take their fourth consecutive Lewis Cup.