Pacific Northwest Hockey League
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2024) |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1973 |
| Ceased | 1976 |
| Country |  |
The Pacific Northwest Hockey League (PNWHL) was junior ice hockey league in British Columbia from 1973 to 1976. The league had 10 teams in its 1973–74 season, 9 teams in 1974–75, and 6 teams in 1975–76.[1] The teams that played in the league were of both the Junior and Intermediate level due to the distances between towns in the area. The Intermediate teams were the Smithers Totems, Houston Luckies, Burns Lake Bears, Kitimat Eagles and Prince Rupert Kings. The Junior teams were the Prince George Spruce Kings, Vanderhoof Bears, Smithers Nats, Terrace Centennials and Kitimat Cohoes.
Notable alumni
There were a number of notables that played in the PNWHL. One was Bill Riley who won scoring titles playing for the Kitimat Eagles and made the jump to the NHL with the Washington Capitals.[2][3] Another was Larry Playfair who played for the Jr. Bears in Vanderhoof and went on to an NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres. There were a number of players with outstanding talent including Dave Pickett with the Prince Rupert Kings, Doug Stumpf, Gord Cook and brothers Hugh and Harry Bell, all of whom played for the Houston Luckies. Many of the young junior players moved on to Junior Leagues such as the Western Canada Tier 1 after honing their talent against the Intermediate teams in the PNWHL.
References
- ^ "Pacific Northwest Hockey League [1973-1976] history and statistics". hockeydb.com. HockeyDB.com. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ Aubé, Benjamin (22 May 2017). "Barilko's gravestone cleaned as one former NHLer honours another". timminspress.com. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "Legends of Hockey". hhof.com. Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
Further reading
- Fanshaw, Caden (5 November 2021). "'It was a different style of play': Spruce Kings 1970's legends look back on retro night". ckpgtoday.ca. Pattison Media. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- Campbell, Kevin (8 January 2016). "Kings return to Jim Ciccone ice". The Northern View. Black Press Media. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- McCarthy, James (13 January 2016). "Kings of old honoured". The Northern View. Black Press Media. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
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