| Buffalo Bisons | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada |
| League | International Hockey League |
| Operated | 1928–1936 |
| Home arena | Peace Bridge Arena |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 2:(1930–31, 1931–32) |
| Playoff championships | 2: (1931–32, 1932–33) |
The Buffalo Bisons were a professional ice hockey team representing Buffalo, New York, although they played home games in nearby Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, at the 5,000-seat Peace Bridge Arena.
The Bisons were founded in the Canadian Professional Hockey League for the 1928–29 season. The Bisons transferred to the International Hockey League for the next season. Buffalo were IHL league champions in 1931–32 and 1932–33, winning the F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy.
On March 17, 1936, with just nine days left in the season, the Bisons lost their home arena due to damage caused by thirteen inches of wet snow deposited by an early Spring storm. The arena (only eight years old at the time) was designed with a "Lamella Trussless" roof to improve indoor sightlines, and reduce support frames obstructing the view. The structure proved to be too weak and collapsed under the weight of the snow. The Bisons played the remainder of the 1935–36 season on the road. The arena was torned down and later replaced by Fort Erie Memorial Arena (c. 1947 and demolished 1977). [1]
The Bisons joined the International-American Hockey League for the 1936–37 season. The team started the season playing in an arena (likely Victoria Park Arena) in Niagara Falls, Ontario. It soon became clear that they wouldn't be able to make a profit and pay players' salaries from ticket sales in the smaller facility. The club permanently ceased operations on December 6, 1936, after playing just eleven games with a record of 3–8–0.
The original Bisons were replaced in 1940 when the Syracuse Stars relocated to Buffalo, becoming the new Bisons team, after the construction of Buffalo Memorial Auditorium on the American side of the border. The new Bisons played from 1940 to 1970, when the current Buffalo Sabres were founded.
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Goals for | Goals against | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928–29 | 42 | 17 | 18 | 7 | 41 | 89 | 72 | 5th, CPHL |
| 1929–30 | 42 | 26 | 12 | 4 | 56 | 102 | 67 | 2nd, IHL |
| 1930–31 | 48 | 30 | 13 | 5 | 65 | 115 | 76 | 1st, IHL |
| 1931–32 | 48 | 25 | 14 | 9 | 59 | 106 | 80 | 1st, IHL |
| 1932–33 | 44 | 26 | 12 | 6 | 58 | 128 | 70 | 2nd, IHL |
| 1933–34 | 44 | 20 | 13 | 11 | 51 | 90 | 66 | 2nd, IHL |
| 1934–35 | 44 | 20 | 18 | 6† | 40 | 113 | 100 | 3rd, IHL |
| 1935–36 | 48 | 22 | 20 | 6 | 50 | 109 | 101 | 2nd, IHL |
| 1936–37 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 30 | disbanded |
† Points not awarded for tied games during 1934–35 International Hockey League season.
| Season | 1st round | 2nd round | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928–29 | Out of playoffs | ||
| 1929–30 | — | W, 2-1, Detroit | L, 1-3, Cleveland |
| 1930–31 | 2nd place in double round robin. | ||
| 1931–32 | 1st place in double round robin. Champions | ||
| 1932–33 | 1st place in double round robin. Champions | ||
| 1933–34 | 3rd place in double round robin. | ||
| 1934–35 | Out of playoffs | ||
| 1935–36 | W, 3-1, Cleveland | L, 1-2, Windsor | — |
| 1936–37 | Did not complete season. | ||
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