Vancouver Canucks (WHL)

The Vancouver Canucks were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. Inaugurated in 1945 with the PCHL, they became a WHL team with the merger of the PCHL with the Western Canada Senior Hockey League in 1952. The Canucks played their final season in the WHL after 25 years in 1969–70 before joining the National Hockey League along with fellow expansion team, the Buffalo Sabres.

The Vancouver Canucks won six President's/Lester Patrick Cups (the trophy was renamed in 1960 after the death of Lester Patrick), two PCHL titles (1946 and 1948) and four WHL titles (1958, 1960, 1969 and 1970). They were also regular season champions four times. They played home games in the PNE Forum arena at the Pacific National Exhibition in east Vancouver, before moving for their last two seasons into the Pacific Coliseum just to the north.

Personnel

Players

Five Canucks players have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Andy Bathgate (inducted in 1978) played with Vancouver for four years (1952–54 and 1968–70) and was on the team for their final two championships. In 1969–70, he recorded 108 points in 72 games, earning the George Leader Cup as league MVP. Johnny Bower, Tony Esposito, Allan Stanley and Gump Worsley – all Hall of Fame inductees – have all played one season with the Canucks.

Coaches

1948–49: Bill Cowley
1949–50: Bill Carse
1950–51: Bill Carse replaced by Murph Chamberlain
1951–52: Murph Chamberlain; replaced by Hugh Currie; replaced by Joe Carveth
1959–61: Art Chapman
1961–62: Phil Maloney (11–35–3); replaced by Hugh Currie (7–13–1) (February 7, 1962)
1962–63: Max McNab
1966–67: Bert Olmstead
1967–68: Jim Gregory
1968–69: Joe Crozier
1969–70: Joe Crozier; replaced by Hal Laycoe

General Managers

1948–49: Bill Cowley
1949–50: Coleman E. Hall
1950–51: –
1960–61: Coley Hall
1961–62: Art Chapman (temp); replaced by Dave Dauphine (after Nov.)
1962–63: Max McNab
1967–68: Annis Stukus
1968–69: Joe Crozier
1969–70: Joe Crozier; replaced by Bud Poile

Presidents

1948–61: Coleman E. Hall
1962–63: Fred J. Hume (owner)
1968–69: Cyrus McLean
1969–70: Cyrus McLean; replaced by Thomas K. Scallen

Honoured members

Hall of famers

Players

• Andy Bathgate, C, 1952–54 & 1968–70, inducted 1978
• Johnny Bower, G, 1954–55, inducted 1976
• Tony Esposito, G, 1967–68, inducted 1988
• Allan Stanley, D, 1953–54, inducted 1981
• Gump Worsley, G, 1953–54, inducted 1980

WHL league award winners

Players

Leader Cup – MVP

• Emile Francis, G, 1952–53
• Lorne Worsley, G, 1953–54
• Phil Maloney, F, 1955–56
• Hank Bassen, G, 1959–60
• Phil Maloney, F, 1962–63
• Billy McNeill, F, 1964–65
• Billy McNeill, F, 1965–66
• Andy Bathgate, F, 1969–70

Rookie Award

• Orland Kurtenbach, D, 1957–58
• Bruce Gamble, G, 1958–59
• Jim Baird, G, 1961–62
• Gilles Villemure, G,
• Ron Boehm, F, 1966–67
• Brad Selwood, F, 1969–70

Most Gentlemanly Player – Fred J. Hulme Cup

• Phil Maloney, F, 1961–62
• Phil Maloney, F, 1962–63
• Phil Maloney, F, 1967–68

Outstanding Defenseman – Hal Laycoe Cup

• Larry Cahan, D, 1966–67
• Marc Reaume, D, 1969–70

Leading Scorer Award

• Phil Maloney, F, 1955–56 (95 points)

Outstanding Goaltender Award

• Emile Francis, G, 1952–53 GA-216 GAA-3.08
• Lorne Worsley, G, 1953–54 GA-168 GAA-2.40
• Johnny Bower, G, 1954–55 GA-63 GAA-1.71
• Ray Mikulan, G, 1955–56 GA-181 GAA-2.54
• Marcel Pelletier, G, 1957–58 GA-173 GAA-2.43
• Hank Bassen, G, 1959–60 GA-172 GAA-2.48
• George Gardner, G, 1969–70 GA-171 GAA-2.88

Year by year standings

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Year by year statistical leaders

Total points (team, season)

Year        Player            GP   Goals  Assists  Pts   PIM   Leading scorer
1952–'53    Larry Popein      70     25     44      59    23    Ian MacIntosh, Walt Atanas – 28
1953–'54    Larry Popein      70     34     32      66    22    Larry Popein
1954–'55    Doug Adam         67     30     22      52    53    Doug Adam
1955–'56    Phil Maloney      70     37     58      95    14    Phil Maloney
1956–'57    Phil Maloney      70     43     55      98     8    Phil Maloney
1957–'58    Phil Maloney      70     35     59      94     0    Jack McLeod – 44*
1958–'59    Ted Hampson       66     27     41      68    23    Dan Belisle – 31
1959–'60    Colin Kilburn     70     23     47      70    79    Jim Powers – 30
1960–'61    Bruce Carmichael  70     30     47      77    36    and Dan Belisle – 30
1961–'62    Phil Maloney      70     34     52      86     2    Barrie Ross – 35
1962–'63    Phil Maloney      69     24     61      90     8    Carl "Buddy" Boone – 44*
1963–'64    Phil Maloney      65     28     53      81    38    Carl "Buddy" Boone – 38
1964–'65    Billy McNeill     68     29     59      88    86    and Phil Maloney – 29
1965–'66    Billy McNeill     72     40     62     102    20    Billy McNeill
1966–'67    Gordon Vejprava   71     36     46      82    27    Gordon Vejprava
1967–'68    Phil Maloney      72     22     46      68     6    Bruce Carmichael – 31
1968–'69    Bob Barlow        74     36     48      84    50    Andy Bathgate – 37
1969–'70    Andy Bathgate     72     40     68*    108*   66    Paul Andrea – 44*
* – team record

 Team record for PIM/season   – 251, John Arbor, 1969–'70

Total points (team, playoffs)

Year        Player              GP   Goals  Assists  Pts   PIM
1952–'53    Larry Popein         9      5     10      15     0
1953–'54    Charles McCullough  13      5      8      13     0
1954–'55    Phil Maloney         5      2      2       4     0
1955–'56    Phil Maloney        15      8      7      15     4
1957–'58    Phil Maloney        11      8     17*     25*    4
1958–'59    (three players tied with 7 points in 9 games)
1959–'60    Ray Cyr             11      5     11      16    11
1960–'61    Bruce Carmichael     9      3      3       6     2
1962–'63    Phil Maloney         7      2      7       9     0
            Robert Kabel         7      5      4       9     2
1964–'65    Phil Maloney         5      1      5       6     0
            Billy McNeill        5      2      4       6     0
1965–'66    Larry Cahan          7      4     12      16     4
1966–'67    Bryan Hextall        8      3      5       8    11
1968–'69    Bryan Hextall        8      4      7      11    22
1969–'70    Murray Hall         11     10     11      21    10
            Gerry Glover        11      5     16      21    12
* – team record
Team record for goals/playoff – 14, Jack McLeod, 1957–'58

Team record for PIM/playoff   – 47, Ted McCaskill, 1969–'70

Goaltender stats, season

Year        Player                GP    GA  EN  SO  GAA    W   L   T   SVS   .PC
1952–'53    Emile Francis         70   216       5  3.09  32  28  10               – won Outstanding Goalkeeper
1953–'54    Lorne "Gump" Worsley  70   168       4  2.40  39  24   7               – won Outstanding Goalkeeper
1954–'55    Johnny Bower          63   171       7  2.71  30  25   8               – won Outstanding Goalkeeper
1955–'56    Ray Mikulan           71   181          2.54                           – won Outstanding Goalkeeper
1956–'57    Ray Mikulan           71   231   0   4  3.25               1772  .885
1957–'58    Marcel Pelletier      71   173   0   8* 2.43               1749  .910* – won Outstanding Goalkeeper
1958–'59    Bruce Gamble          65   199   2   7  3.06  29  26  20   1630  .891
1959–'60    Hank Bassen           69   172       5  2.45  44  19   6               – won Outstanding Goalkeeper
1960–'61    Claude Evans          53   147       6  2.77  27  23   3
1961–'62    Claude Evans          40   165       2  4.08  11  26   3
            Art LaRiviere         23
1962–'63    Gilles Villemure      70   228       5  3.26  35  31   4
1963–'64    Marcel Paille         70   254       2  3.60  26  41   3
1964–'65    Gilles Villemure      60   212       6  3.46  27  26   6
1965–'66    Gilles Villemure      69   223       5  3.20  32  34   3
1966–'67    Don Simmons           72   213   1   7  2.95  38  32   2
1967–'68    Tony Esposito         63   199   0   4  3.20  25  33   4   
            Jean-Guy Morissette   11    58   0   0  5.45   1   8   1
1968–'69    George Gardner        53   154   2   2  3.01  25  18   9
            Charlie Hodge         13    32   1   0  2.54   7   2   4
            Al Millar             12    34   0   0  3.52   4   4   1
1969–'70    George Gardner        60   171   0   3  2.88  41  14   6               – won Outstanding Goalkeeper
            Lynn Zimmerman        13    48   0   0  3.78

Related links

Billy McNeill

External links

• All-time pre-NHL Canucks roster