Pacific Hockey League (1994) Explained

For the late 1970s ice hockey league, see Pacific Hockey League.

Pacific Hockey League
Formerly:Pacific Southwest Hockey League
Pacific Northwest Hockey League
Replaced:West Coast Hockey League (partial)
Sport:Ice hockey
Founded:1994
Folded:1995
Teams:6
Champions:Alaska Gold Kings
Most Champs:Alaska Gold Kings (1)

The Pacific Hockey League (PHL) was a short lived semi-professional ice hockey league in the western United States in the 1990s. The league was formed by a merger of two previous semi-professional leagues, the Pacific Southwest Hockey League and Pacific Northwest Hockey League. Several PHL teams became charter members of the professional West Coast Hockey League in 1995.

The PHL played only one season, 1994–95. In addition to its league schedule the Anchorage Aces played several out-of-league games, while the Fresno Falcons also played opponents from the Florida-based Sunshine Hockey League. The Fairbanks-based Alaska Gold Kings were the league's sole champions.

After the season three PHL teams, the Aces, Falcons and Gold Kings, joined the WCHL. A fourth team, the Los Angeles Bandits, briefly joined the dubious North American League before folding.[1]

Teams

Northwest Division

Team name City
Fairbanks, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Vancouver, Washington
(played in Seattle)

Pacific Southwest Division

Team name City
Anaheim, California[2]
Fresno, California
Los Angeles, California

Notes and References

  1. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/414.html Pacific Hockey League (1994-1995) history and statistics
  2. Klein, Gary. "Background Helped Callahan Sharpen His Skills for Blades", Los Angeles Times, July 7, 1994. (accessed 11 June 2015)