Portland Buckaroos
{{Short description|American ice hockey team (1928–41, 1960–75)}}
{{Pro hockey team
| text_color = #000000
| bg_color = background:#FFFFFF; border-top:red 5px solid; border-bottom:black 5px solid;
| team = Portland Buckaroos
| logo = Portlandbuckaroos.png
| logo_alt = Portland Buckaroos WHL logo (1960–1974)
| logosize = 200px
| city = Portland, Oregon
| league = Western Hockey League
| operated = 1960–1974
| arena = Memorial Coliseum
| colors = Red, White, and Black
| name1 = Portland Buckaroos
| dates1 = 1928–1941 (PCHL/NWHL)
| name2 = Portland Buckaroos
| dates2 = 1960–1974 (WHL)
| name3 = Portland Buckaroos
| dates3 = 1975 (WIHL)
}}
The Portland Buckaroos was the name of several professional ice hockey teams based in Portland, Oregon.
PCHL/NWHL era (1928–1941)
The first incarnation of Portland Buckaroos played their home games at the Portland Ice Arena. The Buckaroos initially played in the four-team Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL) from 1928 to 1931.{{cite web| title =Minor Professional Hockey Leagues| publisher =History of North American Hockey| url =http://www.hockeyleaguehistory.com/minor_professional_hockey_leagues.htm| access-date =2007-04-23 }} The PCHL folded in 1931, and in 1933, the Buckaroos joined the new North West Hockey League.{{cite web| title =North West Hockey League| publisher =History of North American Hockey| url =http://www.hockeyleaguehistory.com/North_West_Hockey_League_1933.htm| access-date =2007-04-23 }} In 1936, the Buckaroos rejoined the reconstituted four-team PCHL, and won league championships in 1937 and 1939.{{cite web| title =Pacific Coast Hockey League (1936–41)| publisher =History of North American Hockey| url =http://www.hockeyleaguehistory.com/Pacific_Coast_Hockey_League_1936.htm| access-date =2007-04-23 }}
With the onset of World War II, the PCHL folded again in 1941. In 1944, it was again resurrected, but this time, Portland's team was the Portland Eagles (known as the Portland Penguins for one season).{{cite web| title =Pacific Coast Hockey League (1944–52)| publisher =History of North American Hockey| url =http://www.hockeyleaguehistory.com/Pacific_Coast_Hockey_League_1944.htm| access-date =2007-04-23 }}
WHL/WIHL era (1960–1975)
In 1960, Portland was granted a franchise in the minor league Western Hockey League (WHL) for its newly built 10,500 seat Memorial Coliseum, and the Buckaroos name was reincarnated. The new Buckaroos were composed mostly of players and coaches from the New Westminster Royals, including its head coach Hal Laycoe. The Buckaroos went on to beat the Seattle Totems in the league championship and win the Lester Patrick Cup in its first season of existence.{{cite web| title =Portland Buckaroos & Western Hockey League History and Memorabilia| publisher =PortlandBuckaroos.com| url =http://www.portlandbuckaroos.com/index.shtml| access-date =2007-04-23| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160119033508/http://portlandbuckaroos.com/index.shtml| archive-date =2016-01-19| url-status =dead}}{{cite web| title =Historic Trophies: The Lester Patrick Cup| publisher =Hockey Hall of Fame| url =http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/silver_splashlesterpatrickcup.htm| access-date =2007-04-23| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20061210210115/http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/silver_splashlesterpatrickcup.htm| archive-date =2006-12-10}}
That 1960–61 Buckaroos team was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.{{cite web|url=http://oregonsportshall.org/inductee-members.html|title=Hall of Fame Roll of Honor Members|publisher=Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum|access-date=February 1, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727152755/http://www.oregonsportshall.org/inductee-members.html|archive-date=July 27, 2011|url-status=dead}}
The Buckaroos won another league championship under Laycoe in 1964–65, and a third in 1970–71 under coach and former team captain Gord Fashoway. In the early '70s, the Buckaroos served as a minor league affiliate for a variety of National Hockey League teams, most notably the Los Angeles Kings.
In 1974, the WHL folded and the Buckaroos moved to the semi-pro Western International Hockey League for the 1974–75 season,{{cite web
| title =1974–75 Western International Hockey League| publisher =hockeyDB.com| url =http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/wihl19611975.html| access-date =2007-04-23 }} and to the startup Northwest Hockey League the next year,{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/159.html |title=Northwest Hockey League history and statistics |website=hockeydb.com}} but that league did not last a full season.{{cite web
| title =Pacific Northwest Hockey League| publisher =OGP Enterprises| url =http://www.officialgamepuck.com/Pacific%20Northwest%20Hockey%20League/PNHLhistory.htm| access-date =2007-04-23 }}
Notable Buckaroos
An incomplete list of noted Buckaroos players:
=PCHL/NWHL era=
- Andy Aitkenhead (goalie; 1987 Oregon Sports Hall of Fame inductee)
=WHL era=
- Marv Edwards (WHL Outstanding Goaltender Award)
- Gord Fashoway (1960–61 team captain; 1960–61 Fred Hume Cup for sportsmanship; coach from 1969–1973)
- Don Head (1960–61 WHL Rookie of the Year; three-time Outstanding Goaltender Award; 1993 Oregon Sports Hall of Fame inductee)
- Andy Hebenton (five-time Fred Hume Cup for sportsmanship)
- Art Jones (two-time George Leader Cup for most valuable player; six-time Leading Scorer Award; 1984 Oregon Sports Hall of Fame inductee)
- Dave Kelly (1963–64 WHL Rookie of the Year; two-time WHL Outstanding Goaltender Award)
- Connie Madigan (Hal Laycoe Cup for outstanding WHL defenseman)
- Jimmy McLeod (four-time WHL Outstanding Goaltender Award)
- Doug Messier (father of NHL Hall of Famer Mark Messier)
- Cliff Schmautz (1965–66 Leading Scorer Award)
- Pat Stapleton (Hal Laycoe Cup for outstanding WHL defenseman)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.portlandbuckaroos.com/buckaroos-players.html Portland Buckaroo Players from 1962-1974]
- [http://www.portlandbuckaroos.com/ Portland Buckaroos & Western Hockey League History and Memorabilia]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20091027124827/http://geocities.com/texliebmann/hockey/buckaroo/buckaroo.htm Unofficial Homepage of the Old Portland Buckaroos]
- [http://www.hockeydb.com The Internet Hockey Database]
- [http://www.hockeyleaguehistory.com/index.html History of North American Hockey Leagues]
{{Ice hockey teams based in Portland, Oregon}}
Category:Defunct ice hockey teams in the United States
Category:Defunct sports clubs and teams in Oregon
Category:Western International Hockey League teams
Category:Defunct ice hockey teams in Oregon
Category:1928 establishments in Oregon
Category:1960 establishments in Oregon
Category:1974 disestablishments in Oregon
Category:Western Hockey League (1952–1974) teams
Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1928
Category:Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1941