Spokane Bombers | |
---|---|
City | Spokane, Washington |
League | Pacific Coast Hockey League |
Founded | 1936 |
Folded | 1941 |
Home arena | Oakland Ice Rink (1936–1937) Spokane Arena (1937–1941) |
Franchise history | |
1936 | Spokane Indians |
1936–1937 | Oakland Clippers |
1937–1939 | Spokane Clippers |
1940–1941 | Spokane Bombers |
The Spokane Bombers were a minor professional ice hockey team from Spokane, Washington that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey League. [1]
In 1936, three teams from the North West Hockey League made plans to reform the PCHL and included a new franchise from Spokane in their plans. The Spokane Indians were scheduled to begin play in the fall of 1936, however, before the team played its first game, owner Arthur C. Rud changed tack and relocated the team to Oakland, California. The renamed club began play as the 'Clippers' but very quickly discovered several problems with their move. The team's home arena, the Oakland Ice Rink, had several columns in the stands that led to obstructed views. That problem was secondary, however, to the dearth of spectators as the team did not draw many fans for their games. The poor attendance numbers exacerbated the financial strain that was caused by the team having to travel long distances to face any of their league opponents. After a snowstorm in early February caused two games to be delayed and one of Oakland's 'home' games to be played in Portland, Rud decided to end his foray into California and moved the team back to Spokane. The turmoil of the year left the Clippers 3rd in the 4-team league but they managed to win their semifinal series and advance to the championship.
The second season wasn't any better for the club as they ended up missing the playoffs and saw continued poor attendance. After the start of the third season, Rud announced that he was looking to sell the team but there were few willing to spend the time or money to try and save the Clippers. On November 21, Rud withdrew the club from the PCHL and the team suspended operations. After a week, Rud was eventually convinced to turn over control of the Clippers to the players who, in order to keep the team alive, agreed to halve their salaries and travel by car instead of train. Rud remained owner of the club in name until it was sold to Roy Hotchkiss and H.R. Gilkey, who jointly owned a car dealership. The Clippers finished out the season and then quietly disbanded. [2]
A year later, the franchise restarted as the 'Bombers' and finished first in the league. Unfortunately, the timing could not have come at a worse time; due in part to World War II, the PCHL suspended play after the season. When it returned three years later, the Spokane franchise was left dormant.
Season | GP | W | L | T | Pts | Finish | Coach(es) | Postseason |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1936–37 | 40 | 14 | 19 | 7 | 35 | 3rd | Jack Arbour | Runner-Up |
1937–38 | 42 | 16 | 21 | 5 | 37 | 4th | Jack Arbour | missed |
1938–39 | 48 | 14 | 27 | 7 | 35 | 4th | Jack Arbour / Connie King | missed |
1940–41 | 48 | 25 | 18 | 5 | 55 | 1st | ||
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). As of the 2023–24 AHL season, 31 of the 32 AHL teams had an official affiliation with an NHL team; immediately following season's end, the Chicago Wolves and Carolina Hurricanes finalized an affiliation agreement, resulting in all AHL teams having an NHL affiliation for the upcoming 2024–25 season. Historically, when an NHL team does not have an AHL affiliate, its players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL franchises.
The Montreal Maroons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935. They were the last non-Original Six team to win the Stanley Cup until the expansion Philadelphia Flyers won in 1974.
The California Golden Seals were a professional ice hockey club that competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967 to 1976. Based in Oakland, California, they played their home games at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of the 1967 NHL expansion. Initially named the California Seals, the team was renamed the Oakland Seals during the 1967–68 season and then the Bay Area Seals in 1970 before becoming the California Golden Seals the same year.
The St. Louis Eagles were a professional ice hockey team that played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Based in St. Louis, the Eagles played for only one year, the 1934–35 NHL season.
The San Francisco Seals were a minor league hockey team which played in the Western Hockey League from 1961 to 1967.
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 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.
Duncan McMillan "Mickey" MacKay was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and rover who played primarily in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHL) and Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) for the Vancouver Millionaires. He moved to the National Hockey League (NHL) after the collapse of professional hockey in the west, and finished his career playing with the Chicago Black Hawks, Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Bruins.
The Pittsburgh Hornets were a minor-league professional men's ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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 Spokane Flyers were a junior ice hockey team that played one and a half seasons in the Western Hockey League from 1980–1982. They played in Spokane, Washington, United States.
The 1934–35 St. Louis Eagles season was the Eagles' only season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Eagles finished last in the Canadian Division and did not qualify for the playoffs. The team made a coaching change, replacing Eddie Gerard after a 2–11 start, with Buck Boucher, who could not turn the team around.
The 1916–17 PCHA season was the sixth season of the professional men's ice hockey Pacific Coast Hockey Association league. Season play ran from December 1, 1916, until March 2, 1917. The season was expanded to 24 games per team, except that the final game was cancelled. The Seattle Metropolitans club would be PCHA champions. After the season the club would play the Stanley Cup finals series against the Montreal Canadiens, NHA champions. Seattle would win the best-of-five series 3–1 to win the Cup.
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 Pacific Coast Professional Football League (PCPFL), also known as the Pacific Coast Football League (PCFL) and Pacific Coast League (PCL) was a professional American football minor league based in California. It operated from 1940 through 1948. One of the few minor American professional sports leagues that competed in the years of World War II, the PCPFL was regarded as a minor league of the highest level, particularly from 1940 to 1945, at a time in which the National Football League (NFL) did not extend further west than Chicago and Green Bay. It was also the first professional football league to have a team based in Hawaii.
The Los Angeles Bulldogs were a professional American football team that competed from 1936 to 1948. Formed with the intention of joining the National Football League in 1937, the Bulldogs were the first team on the major league level to play its home games on the American West Coast. They were considered "the best football team in existence outside the NFL".
The 2009–10 ECHL season was the 22nd season of the ECHL. It ran from October, 2009 until April, 2010, followed by the Kelly Cup playoffs which lasted until May 21, 2010 as the Cincinnati Cyclones won their second Kelly Cup championship in three years by defeating the Idaho Steelheads in five games. The league welcomed two franchises to the league for the 2009–10 season with the return of the Toledo Storm as the Toledo Walleye, who will play in the Lucas County Arena in Toledo, Ohio, after a two-year suspension of the franchise to allow for the construction of their new arena, and the admission of the Kalamazoo Wings as an expansion franchise who will play in Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The ECHL held its annual All-Star Game and Skills Challenge on January 19–20 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California, home of the Ontario Reign.
The Los Angeles Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team, active from 1944–1950, in the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL). The Monarchs are the first professional ice hockey team to win a league championship for the city of Los Angeles. They played in the southern division of the PCHL, alongside teams from the neighboring cities such as the Pasadena Panthers, the Hollywood Wolves, and the San Diego Skyhawks. The southern division also included the San Francisco Shamrocks, Oakland Oaks and, in 1947, the Fresno Falcons.
Sports in San Diego includes one major professional league team, other highest-level professional league teams, minor league teams, and college athletics. The San Diego Padres play in Major League Baseball (MLB). San Diego FC begins play in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2025. San Diego State Aztecs teams play in NCAA Division I (FBS). The Farmers Insurance Open is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played annually at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Ice hockey in Seattle, Washington includes professional teams as early as 1915, such as the Seattle Metropolitans, the first United States-based team to win the Stanley Cup. The city has been represented by various teams in the iterations of the Western Hockey League since 1944, of which the major junior Seattle Thunderbirds are the latest. Presently, the city has a National Hockey League franchise, the Seattle Kraken, who began play in the 2021–22 season.