1948-49

Logo & Uniform Changes:

• The Hamilton Kings update their logo and adjust the striping on both sweaters
• Buffalo reverses the trim colours on their white jersey.

Standings:

Canadian Division

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

American Division

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

Season Summary:

The biggest story entering the 1948-49 season was the situations in Philadelphia and Vancouver. Milt Stevenson had been unable to sell the Redshirts during the off-season and by January, 1949 the team had lost so much money they could not meet payroll. It appeared that after 46 seasons in three different leagues, the Redshirts were finished, until veteren, defenseman Tom Lapin led the players and staff in a vote where they decided to play for free for the remainder of the season to give the franchise a chance to survive. "We loved Philly and we loved the game, that's why we did it." said a 90-year-old Lapin in 2010. "It was different back then, now it's all about money." The Redshirts not only survived the season, they won their final 14 games in a row to finish second in the American Division. Meanwhile in Vancouver, the Bighorns enjoyed their best season yet, finishing third in the Canadian Division. However, the travel expenses as well as the lack of interest at times from a fan base used to watching local junior hockey began to take a toll on the extremely isolated franchise. In New York, Skippy Cleveland suffered a horrific injury in November when he slid into the boards head-first. Cleveland fought for his life for 6 weeks before finally coming out of the coma in late December. He missed the rest of the season and the Civics slipped to last place in the American Division. In the playoffs, Buffalo finally caught fire, sweeping the Vancouver Bighorns in 4 straight before winning a classic battle with the Royale in 7 games to advance to the Lewis Cup finals. Boston defeated Philadelphia in a nasty 6-game series that saw a lot of fights including a brawl in game 4, while Chicago defeated Detroit in 5 games. After a tough 7-game series with the Bulldogs, the Chicago Shamrocks advanced to their second consecutive Lewis Cup final. Buffalo goaltender James Whyte turned in a couragous performance in the finals despite suffering from severe abdominal pain, including a 64-save shutout to claim the Lewis Cup in game 6. Buffalo finally won a big-league championship but it would come at a price. Less than two weeks after game six, James Whyte died of a liver infection at his home in Fredricton, New Brunswick. The league created the Whyte Trophy in his honour to be awarded to the league's top goaltender every year. In Philadelphia, a dramatic 3 years off the ice finally came to an end when a local Millionaire, Bob Wells, offered to purchase the team and keep it in Philadelphia. The Redshirts were saved, but Vancouver would not be so lucky. In June, 1949, Bighorns owner Gerald Smythe anounced both he and the team were bankrupt. The team was forced to fold, leaving the league at 9 teams.