1925–26 WHL season
The 1925–26 WHL season was the fifth and last season for the now defunct Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), which was renamed Western Hockey League (WHL) at the start of the season due to one of its Canadian teams, the Regina Capitals, moving to Portland, Oregon in the United States and being renamed the Portland Rosebuds. Six teams played 30 games each. At season's end, some of the teams reorganised to create a semi-pro league called the Prairie Hockey League that lasted for two seasons. The WHL was the last league other than the National Hockey League to contest for the Stanley Cup.
Regular season
Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
| Western Hockey League | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Eskimos | 30 | 19 | 11 | 0 | 38 | 90 | 77 |
| Saskatoon Sheiks | 30 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 37 | 93 | 64 |
| Victoria Cougars | 30 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 34 | 68 | 53 |
| Portland Rosebuds | 30 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 26 | 84 | 106 |
| Calgary Tigers | 30 | 10 | 17 | 3 | 23 | 71 | 80 |
| Vancouver Maroons | 30 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 22 | 64 | 90 |
Playoffs
As in the previous season, the third place Victoria Cougars won the playoff championship. In the semi-final, the Cougars met the Saskatoon Sheiks.
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 12 | Victoria | 3 | Saskatoon | 3 | |
| March 16 | Saskatoon | 0 | Victoria | 1 | 8'10" overtime |
Victoria wins two-game, total-goals series 4–3.
In the final, the Cougars faced off against the Edmonton Eskimos. As there was no ice available in Edmonton, Edmonton's 'home' game was played in Vancouver.
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 20 | Edmonton | 1 | Victoria | 3 | |
| March 22 | Victoria | 2 | Edmonton | 2 |
Victoria wins two-game, total-goals series 5–3.
Stanley Cup Final
The Cougars faced the National Hockey League champion Montreal Maroons in a best-of-five series, losing three games to one. After the WHL folded at the end of this season, the Stanley Cup would no longer be contested as a challenge tournament between league champions, but would be automatically awarded to the NHL champion, a custom formalized in 1947.
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 30 | Victoria Cougars | 0 | Montreal Maroons | 3 | |
| April 1 | Victoria Cougars | 0 | Montreal Maroons | 3 | |
| April 3 | Victoria Cougars | 3 | Montreal Maroons | 2 | |
| April 6 | Victoria Cougars | 0 | Montreal Maroons | 2 |
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
Goalkeeper Averages
| Name | Club | GP | GA | SO | Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hap Holmes | Victoria | 30 | 53 | 4 | 1.8 |
| George Hainsworth | Saskatoon | 30 | 64 | 4 | 2.1 |
| Herbert Stuart | Edmonton | 30 | 77 | 2 | 2.6 |
| Hal Winkler | Calgary | 30 | 80 | 6 | 2.7 |
| Hugh Lehman | Vancouver | 30 | 90 | 3 | 3.0 |
| Red McCusker | Regina | 30 | 110 | 3.7 | |
See also
- List of Stanley Cup champions
- List of pre-NHL seasons
- 1925–26 NHL season
- 1925 in sports
- 1926 in sports
References
| Preceded by 1924–25 WCHL season |
WHL seasons | Succeeded by 1926-27 PHL season |