The Vancouver Canucks were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 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 25 seasons in the WHL between 1945 and 1970. They were replaced by an expansion National Hockey League franchise of the same name in 1970, joining that league with the expansion 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.
Contents
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. Hume Cup
Phil Maloney, F, 1961–62
Phil Maloney, F, 1962–63
Phil Maloney, F, 1967–68
Outstanding Defenceman – Hal Laycoe Cup
Larry Cahan, D, 1966–67
Marc Reaume, D, 1969–70
Leading Scorer Award
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)
* – 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
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