PHL: 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