Western Pennsylvania Hockey League
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The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, commonly known as the WPHL, was a semi-professional ice hockey league from the early 1900s. The league lured players from Canada with promises of high-paid employment and small cash incentives. At this time, all hockey leagues in Canada were amateur, and they were able to get many great players such as future Hockey Hall of Famers Alf Smith, Hod Stuart and Cyclone Taylor. The league played their games in Pittsburgh at the Duquesne Gardens, which was one of two artificial ice surfaces in North America. The champion of this league competed against the Portage Lakes Hockey Club for the "Championship of the United States" until the Portage Lakes club helped form the International Professional Hockey League in the 1904-05 season.
Teams that played in the WPHL include:
- Pittsburgh Keystones
- Pittsburgh Lyceum
- Pittsburgh Victorias
- Pittsburgh PAC
- Pittsburgh Duquesne
- Pittsburgh Bankers
[edit] Seasons
| Season | Teams | Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | Pittsburgh Keystones, Pittsburgh PAC, Pittsburgh Duquesne, Pittsburgh Bankers | Pittsburgh PAC |
[edit] References
- The International Hockey League and the Professionalization of Ice Hockey, 1904-1907 by Daniel S. Mason
