Eastern Hockey League

The Eastern Hockey League was a minor professional United States ice hockey league.

Eastern Amateur Hockey League (1933 to 1953)

The league was founded in 1933 with seven teams as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League (EAHL). The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972. Lockhart, who operated a small intramural hockey league at New York City's Madison Square Garden, offered his teams—and the use of the MSG ice—in exchange for joining the league.

Three teams folded after the first season, and the league reorganized, electing Frederick Rubien, secretary of the United States Olympic Association, as its new president.

Lockhart was a great promoter of the sport and equally great at finding trophies for the league. Initially, the league championship trophy was found by Lockhart in a pawn shop. The James J. Walker Trophy, was found in 1935 after being named and donated by New York City Mayor James J. Walker in 1926. Lockhart also collected the Hershey Cup, which was originally given to the Tri-State Hockey League by the Hershey candy company, and the Atlantic City Boardwalk Trophy, originally given to the winner of the 1932 AAU hockey tournament winner by Atlantic City resort managers and hotel owners. In the late 1930s, the league divided the year into three sections and awarded a trophy to the winner of each one. First teams would play for the Hershey Cup, then play a tournament for the Boardwalk Trophy, then go on to play another tournament for the Walker Cup. [cite news|author = Chuck Miller|title = From Atlantic City to Toronto: The Boardwalk Trophy and the Eastern Hockey League|url = http://members.aol.com/boardwalk7/ehl.pdf|publisher = Hockey Ink! Vol. III, Iss. 2–3|date =
accessdate = 2007-08-10] ["Five clubs enter Eastern U.S. loop," The Globe and Mail, September 23, 1939, p. 14.]

There was no 1948–49 season, but the league returned for the 1949–50 season with eight teams. The league again did not operate during the 1953–54 season.

Teams

* Atlantic City Seagulls (1933–34 to 1941–42; 1947–48 to 1951–52)
* Baltimore Clippers (1945–46 to 1949–50)
* Baltimore Orioles (1933–34 to 1941–42; 1944–45)
* Boston Olympics (1940–41 to 1951–52)
* Bronx Tigers (1933–34 to 1933–34; 1937–38)
* Cleveland Knights (1949–50)
* Grand Rapids Rockets (1949–50)
* Hershey B'ars/Hershey Bears (1933–34 to 1937–38)
* Hershey Cubs (1938–39)
* Johnstown Bluebirds (1941–42)
* Johnstown Jets (1950–51 to 1952–53)
* Milwaukee Clarks (1949–50)
* New Haven Crescents/Brooklyn Crescents (1943–44)
* New Haven Nutmegs (1952–53)

* New Haven Tomahawks (1951–52)
* New York Athletic Club (1933–34)
* New York-Hamilton Crescents (1933–34 to 1934–35)
* New York Rovers (1935–36 to 1951–52)
* Philadelphia Falcons (1942–43 to 1945–46; 1951–52)
* Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets (1935–36 to 1936–37)
* River Vale Skeeters (1939–40 to 1941–42)
* St Nicholas Hockey Club (1933–34)
* Springfield Indians (1951–52 to 1952–53)
* Toledo Buckeyes (1949–50)
* Troy Uncle Sam Trojans (1952–53)
* U.S. Coast Guard (1942–43)
* Washington Eagles (1939–40 to 1941–42)
* Washington Lions (1944–45 to 1946–47; 1951–52 to 1952–53)

Champions

* 1953–54 — DID NOT OPERATE
* 1952–53 — Johnstown Jets
* 1951–52 — Johnstown Jets
* 1950–51 — Atlantic City Sea Gulls
* 1949–50 — New York Rovers
* 1948–49 — DID NOT OPERATE
* 1947–48 — Baltimore Clippers
* 1946–47 — Boston Olympics
* 1945–46 — Boston Olympics
* 1944–45 — Boston Olympics
* 1943–44 — Boston Olympics

* 1942–43 — U.S. Coast Guard
* 1941–42 — New York Rovers
* 1940–41 — Atlantic City Sea Gulls
* 1939–40 — Baltimore Orioles
* 1938–39 — New York Rovers
* 1937–38 — Atlantic City Sea Gulls
* 1936–37 — Atlantic City Sea Gulls
* 1935–36 — Baltimore Orioles
* 1934–35 — New York-Hamilton Crescents
* 1933–34 — Baltimore Orioles

Note: This list is from the NHL-sanctioned book "Total Hockey", edited by Dan Diamond, et al. It does not always accurately list the teams that were considered to be the league champions. For example, the Hershey B'ars won the 1935–36 league championship, ["Hersheys all alone, have title cinched," "Toronto Star", February 20, 1936, p. 16] while the Orioles finished in last place.

Eastern Hockey League (1954 to 1973)

The league started back up for the 1954–55 season and changed its name to the Eastern Hockey League.

The league operated between 1954 and 1973. It began with five teams and grew into two divisions for the 1959–60 season. The league reached it peak in terms of team number in the 1967–68 when it had twelve teams in two divisions. In its final season the league had twelve teams split into three divisions.

The EHL ceased operations after the 1972–73 season, after which it was succeeded by the North American Hockey League and the Southern Hockey League, both of which consisted mostly of previous EHL teams.

Teams

* Baltimore Clippers (1954–55 to 1955–56)
* Cape Cod Cubs (1972–73)
* Charlotte Checkers (1956–57 to 1972–73)
* Clinton Comets (1954–55 to 1972–73)
* Greensboro Generals (1959–60 to 1972–73)
* Jacksonville Rockets/Florida Rockets (1964–65 to 1971–72)
* Jersey Devils (1964–65 to 1970–71; 1972–73)
* Jersey Larks (1960–61)
* Johnstown Jets (1955–56 to 1972–73)
* Knoxville Knights (1961–62 to 1967–68)
* Long Island Ducks (1961–62 to 1972–73)
* Nashville Dixie Flyers (1962–63 to 1970–71)

* New England Blades (1972–73)
* New Haven Blades (1954–55 to 1971–72)
* New York Rovers (1959–60 to 1960–61; 1964–65)
* Philadelphia Ramblers (1955–56 to 1963–64)
* Rhode Island Eagles (1972–73)
* Roanoke Valley Rebels (1971–72 to 1972–73)
* St Petersburg Suns/Suncoast Suns (1971–72 to 1972–73)
* Salem Rebels (1967–68 to 1970–71)
* Syracuse Blazers (1967–68 to 1972–73)
* Washington Lions (1954–55 to 1956–57)
* Washington Presidents (1957–58 to 1959–60)
* Worcester Warriors (1954–55)

Champions

* 1972–73 — Syracuse Blazers
* 1971–72 — Charlotte Checkers
* 1970–71 — Charlotte Checkers
* 1969–70 — Clinton Comets
* 1968–69 — Clinton Comets
* 1967–68 — Clinton Comets
* 1966–67 — Nashville Dixie Flyers
* 1965–66 — Nashville Dixie Flyers
* 1964–65 — Long Island Ducks

* 1963–64 — Clinton Comets
* 1962–63 — Greensboro Generals
* 1961–62 — Johnstown Jets
* 1960–61 — Johnstown Jets
* 1959–60 — Johnstown Jets
* 1958–59 — Clinton Comets
* 1957–58 — Washington Presidents
* 1956–57 — Charlotte Checkers
* 1955–56 — New Haven Blades
* 1954–55 — New Haven Blades

Eastern Hockey League (1979 to 1981)

In 1979 the Eastern Hockey League name was revived. This league was not successful and folded after only two seasons.

Teams

* Baltimore Clippers (1979–80 to 1980–81)
* Erie Blades (1979–80 to 1980–81)
* Hampton Aces (1979–80 to 1980–81)
* Johnstown Red Wings (1979–80)
* Richmond Rifles (1979–80 to 1980–81)
* Salem Raiders (1980–81)
* Syracuse Hornets (1980–81)
* Utica Mohawks (1979–80)

Champions

* 1980–81 — Erie Blades
* 1979–80 — Erie Blades

ources

* [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/ehl1934.html Eastern Hockey League, HockeyDB]
* [http://members.aol.com/boardwalk7/ehl.pdf Article from Hockey Ink! about the EHL]
* Dan Diamond, et al, "Total Hockey", Total Sports, 1998, pp. 384–400.

References