PHL: 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