Vancouver Canucks (WHL)
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The Vancouver Canucks were a team in the minor professional Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The Vancouver Canucks, who played 25 seasons in the PCHL/WHL, were founded for the 1945/46, and left the league after the 1969/70 to join the National Hockey League, along with fellow expansion team the Buffalo Sabres. The PCHL was founded for the 1944/45, and renamed the WHL for the 1952/53 season. WHL was disbanded following the 73/74 season.
The Vancouver Canucks won 6 Championships, including their first and last years in the League (45/46, 47/48, 57/58, 59/60, 68/69, 69/70). Along with winning the Presidents Cup/Lester Patrick cup six times, (it was renamed after the death of Lester Patrick in 1960), they were also regular season champions 4 times. The Canucks, prepping to become an NHL club and coached by Joe Crozier, win two straight cups in their last two seasons in the WHL.
The Canucks geographic rivals would have been the New Westminster Royals and the Victoria Cougars/Maple Leafs, and to a lesser extent Seattle Ironmen/Totems and Portland Buckeroos.
Coaches:
48–49 Bill Cowley 49–50 Bill Carse 50–51 Bill Carse replaced by Murph Chamberlain 51–52 Murph Chamberlain replaced by Hugh Currie then by Joe Carveth 59–61 Art Chapman 61–62 Phil Maloney (11–35–3); was replaced by Hugh Currie (7–13–1) (Feb 7) 62–63 Max McNabb 66–67 Bert Olmstead 67–68 Jim Gregory 68–69 Joe Crozier 69–70 Joe Crozier replaced by Hal Laycoe
GM's:
48–49 Bill Cowley 49–50 Coleman E. Hall 50–51 -- 60–61 Coley Hall 61–62 Art Chapman (temp); Dave Dauphine (after Nov.) 62–63 Max McNabb 67–68 Annis Stukus 68–69 Joe Crozier 69–70 Joe Crozier replaced by Bud Poile
Presidents:
President
48–61 Coleman E. Hall 62–63 Fred Hulme (owner) 68–69 Cyrus McLean 69–70 Cyrus McLean replaced by Thomas K. Scallen