Victoria Cougars

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This article is about the professional Victoria Cougars ice hockey team. For other uses, see Victoria Cougars (disambiguation).

The Victoria Cougars were a Pacific Coast Hockey Association (and after its merger with the Western Canada Hockey League, the Western Hockey League) hockey team based in Victoria, British Columbia. The original Victoria franchise of the PCHA, the Senators, were formed in 1911, and became the Aristocrats in 1913. That incarnation is best known for challenging the Quebec Bulldogs for the Stanley Cup in 1913 and winning, but having their challenge declared invalid by the Cup's trustees. The Aristocrats challenged the Toronto Blueshirts for the Cup the following year, but to no avail. In 1916 the team was forced to move to Spokane, Washington after having their arena (Patrick Arena) commandeered by the Canadian military. The club folded the following year as the Spokane Canaries.

A new team was formed in 1918 and again were dubbed the Aristocrats. In 1922 they changed their name to the Victoria Cougars. Led by coach Lester Patrick, the Cougars would finally win a Stanley Cup in 1925 against the Montreal Canadiens. The Cougars were the last non-NHL team to hoist the Stanley Cup. They would attempt to repeat as champions in 1926 but they were unsuccessful as they lost the final series to the NHL's Montreal Maroons. The WHL dissolved the following year and the rights to many players from the Stanley Cup finalist team were purchased and relocated to Detroit, MI. The new NHL franchise would retain the nickname "Cougars" in tribute. The Detroit Cougars would later be re-named the Detroit Falcons, and would ultimately be re-named the Detroit Red Wings as they remain today.