PHL: 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