The Lester Patrick Cup was the championship trophy of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 1949 to 1974. Originally known as the Phil Henderson Cup and then in 1952 it was renamed to the President's Cup. The trophy was again renamed in 1960 to honour Pacific coast hockey pioneer Lester Patrick following his death on June 1 of that year.
The Lester Patrick Cup was retired following the demise of the WHL, and is on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Pacific Coast Hockey League
Season | Winner |
1944–45 | Seattle Ironmen |
1945–46 | Vancouver Canucks |
1946–47 | Los Angeles Monarchs |
1947–48 | Vancouver Canucks |
1948–49 | San Diego Skyhawks |
1949–50 | New Westminster Royals |
1950–51 | Victoria Cougars |
1951–52 | Saskatoon Quakers |
Following the merger of the PCHL with the Western Canada Senior Hockey League in 1951, the league renamed itself the Western Hockey League for the 1952–53 season.
Western Hockey League
Season | Winner |
1952–53 | Edmonton Flyers |
1953–54 | Calgary Stampeders |
1954–55 | Edmonton Flyers |
1955–56 | Winnipeg Warriors |
1956–57 | Brandon Regals |
1957–58 | Vancouver Canucks |
1958–59 | Seattle Totems |
1959–60 | Vancouver Canucks |
1960–61 | Portland Buckaroos |
1961–62 | Edmonton Flyers |
1962–63 | San Francisco Seals |
1963–64 | San Francisco Seals |
1964–65 | Portland Buckaroos |
1965–66 | Victoria Maple Leafs |
1966–67 | Seattle Totems |
1967–68 | Seattle Totems |
1968–69 | Vancouver Canucks |
1969–70 | Vancouver Canucks |
1970–71 | Portland Buckaroos |
1971–72 | Denver Spurs |
1972–73 | Phoenix Roadrunners |
1973–74 | Phoenix Roadrunners |
Curtis Lester Patrick was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach associated with the Victoria Aristocrats/Cougars of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, and the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Along with his brother Frank Patrick and father Joseph Patrick, he founded the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and helped develop several rules for the game of hockey. Patrick won the Stanley Cup six times as a player, coach and manager.
The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) was a professional ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). The PCHA was considered to be a major league of ice hockey and was important in the development of the sport of professional ice hockey through its innovations.
The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1911 to 1924 under various names, and in the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 1924 to 1926. The team was based in Victoria, British Columbia and won the Stanley Cup in 1925, becoming the final non-NHL team to win the Cup.
The Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.
The Western Hockey League (WHL) was a minor professional ice hockey league based in Western Canada that operated from 1952 to 1974. The league was managed for most of its history by Al Leader, and had roots in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League. The championship trophy of the WHL was the Lester Patrick Cup.
The Calgary Stampeders were a defunct ice hockey team that was based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The team existed from 1938 until 1972, playing in various senior amateur and minor professional leagues during that time. In 1946, the Stampeders captured the Allan Cup as Canadian senior hockey champions, the first Alberta based club to do so.
The Pacific Coast Hockey League was an ice hockey minor league with teams in the western United States and western Canada that existed in three incarnations: from 1928 to 1931, from 1936 to 1941, and from 1944 to 1952.
The Regina Capitals were a professional ice hockey team originally based in the city of Regina, Saskatchewan in the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), founded in 1921.
Frederick Murray "Muzz" Patrick was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and general manager. He played in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers from 1938 to 1941, and then from 1945 to 1946. He was general manager of the Rangers from 1955 to 1964, serving as coach on three separate occasions during that time. As a player Patrick won the Stanley Cup with the Rangers in 1940. He was part of the Patrick family, which had a long association with hockey: his father Lester had previously worked as the Rangers coach and manager, among other roles; his uncle Frank had founded the Pacific Coast Hockey Association with Lester; and Muzz's brother Lynn had played on the Rangers with him and later coached and managed the Boston Bruins.
Patrick Arena (1911–1929) was the main sports arena located in the Greater Victoria, British Columbia area. The wood construction, brick-faced arena was located in the suburb municipality of Oak Bay, on the northeast corner of Cadboro Bay Road and Epworth Street. Built in 1911 at a cost of $110,000 with a capacity for 4,000 spectators, it officially opened with public skating on December 25, 1911. More than 600 skaters enjoyed the thrill of opening day. The owners, Frank and Lester Patrick, built the arena primarily to accommodate their hockey team in the newly formed Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA). The Patrick Arena was destroyed by fire in 1929.
The Edmonton Flyers are a defunct ice hockey team that was based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The team existed from 1940 until 1963. The Flyers played in the Edmonton Gardens.
The Saskatoon Quakers were a Canadian ice hockey team that was based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The team played in various senior ice hockey leagues, and later played in minor league professional hockey. The Quakers represented Canada in 1934 World Ice Hockey Championships held in Milan, Italy where they won Gold. In 1952, they captured the President's Cup as Pacific Coast Hockey League champions.
The Portland Buckaroos was the name of several professional ice hockey teams based in Portland, Oregon.
The Phoenix Roadrunners were a professional ice hockey team in Phoenix, Arizona. They were a member of the Western Hockey League from 1967 to 1974. After the 1974 season, the franchise moved to the World Hockey Association. The team played at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, aka “The Madhouse on McDowell.”
The Seattle Totems were a professional ice hockey franchise in Seattle, Washington. Under several names prior to 1958, the franchise was a member of the Pacific Coast Hockey League between 1944 and 1974. In their last season of existence, the Totems played in the Central Hockey League in the 1974–75 season. They played their home games in the Civic Ice Arena and later at the Seattle Center Coliseum. The Totems won three WHL Lester Patrick Cup championships in 1959, 1967 and 1968.
The 1960–61 WHL season was the ninth season of the Western Hockey League. The Portland Buckaroos were the Lester Patrick Cup champions as they beat the Seattle Totems four games to two in the final series.
The 1966–67 WHL season was the 15th season of the Western Hockey League. Seven teams played a 72-game schedule, and the Seattle Totems were the Lester Patrick Cup champions, defeating the as Vancouver Canucks four games to three in the final series.