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Pan-American Hockey League: 1999-2000 Final Season


JCRGraphix

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Noooo not Toronto!

Don't worry! Markham will serve that market for a long time!

My wife is at work and my kids are with their grandparents, so I have nothing better to do that concepts all day, so expect a few more years today. I'd like to get into at least the mid-60s where you'll see some teams you will recognize...

The 1958-59 PAHL season had 14 teams playing 80 games each. The regular season was more competitive than previous seasons with no clear front-runners and nobody way behind until late in the season. The Guelph Royals and Hamilton Steelers each won 47 games to lead their respective divisions.
The 1959 playoffs followed the same format as the 1958 playoffs. In the Western Division semifinals, the fourth-ranked Kalamazoo Checkers upset the first-place Guelph Royals in only five games. The Windsor Ambassadors also defeated the higher-seeded Grand rapids Eagles in seven games. In the East, the Hamilton Steelers swept the Kingston Chiefs, and the Hartford Whalers eliminated the Camp Drum Rangers in six games.
The Division championship round was relatively short with each series only requiring five games to settle. The Kalamazoo Checkers defeated the Windsor Ambassadors, and the Hamilton Steelers knocked out the Hartford Whalers.
The 1959 Leif Erikson Cup finals featured two teams that had been runners-up in recent years (Kalamazoo 1957, Hamilton 1953). The contest was extremely close with the series requiring seven games to complete. The Hamilton Steelers won their first Leif Erikson Cup on a lucky bounce in overtime of game 7.
The Hartford Whalers added a white yoke to their road uniforms, and the Milwaukee Ales modernized their design, adding their logo to their uniforms.
Uniforms:

Camp Drum Rangers Home Away

Grand Rapids Eagles Home Away

Guelph Royals Home Away

Hamilton Steelers Home Away

Hartford Whalers Home Away

Kalamazoo Checkers Home Away

Kingston Chiefs Home Away

Lansing Governors Home Away

Markham Tigers Home Away

Milwaukee Ales Home Away

Plattsburgh Panthers Home Away

Syracuse Mohawks Home Away

Toledo Blades Home Away

Windsor Ambassadors Home Away

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Financial hardships again took their toll with the Plattsburgh Panthers and Grand Rapids Eagles franchises folding despite past successes on-ice. The players from each franchise were divided in another dispersal draft. The 1959-60 PAHL season had only 12 teams playing 76 games each. The Kingston Chiefs benefiting from some excellent free agent signings and trades had a dominant year with a stellar 54-17-5 record to finish first in the Eastern Division.
In the first round of the playoffs in the West, the Kalamazoo Checkers eliminated the Milwaukee Ales in five games and the Gueplh Royals took out the Lansing Governors in six. In the East, the Kingston Chiefs prevailed over the defending Leif Erikson champion Hamilton Steelers in a hard-fought seven game series and the Hartford Whalers skated to a victory in six games over the Camp Drum rangers. In the division finals, the Kalamazoo Checkers overcame the Guelph Royals in six games, and the Kingston Chiefs handled the Hartford Whalers four games to two.
In the tenth Leif Erikson Cup finals, the perennial favorite Kalamazoo Checkers fell to the dominant Kingston Chiefs in a five game series that featured high scoring games. The Chiefs captured their third championship in five years.
In uniform news, the Guelph Royals went back to blue pants, and the Syracuse Mohawks tried out gold pants for a season.
Uniforms:

Camp Drum Rangers Home Away

Guelph Royals Home Away

Hamilton Steelers Home Away

Hartford Whalers Home Away

Kalamazoo Checkers Home Away

Kingston Chiefs Home Away

Lansing Governors Home Away

Markham Tigers Home Away

Milwaukee Ales Home Away

Syracuse Mohawks Home Away

Toledo Blades Home Away

Windsor Ambassadors Home Away

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The 1960-61 PAHL season had 12 teams playing 76 games each. Competition was fierce all around with the Guelph Royals and Hartford Whalers finishing the season atop their respective divisions. The Kalamazoo Checkers would also finish strong before making some late-season deals to set them up for their playoff run.
The 1961 playoffs began with the Guelph Royals defeating the Toledo Blades in seven games and the Kalamazoo Checkers sweeping the Lansing Governors in the West. In the East, the Camp Drum Rangers defeated the heavily-favored Hartford Whalers in six games while the Markham Tigers edged the Kingston Chiefs in seven. The Tigers would also need seven for their division championship matchup with the Camp Drum Rangers, winning the series in overtime. The Kalamazoo Checkers would again dominate their foes, sweeping the Guelph Royals.
The Leif Erikson Cup final was a historic one with the Kalamazoo Checkers finally winning their first cup after finishing as runners-up three times (1957, 1959, 1960). What made this extra special was that the Checkers swept the Tigers completing the first perfect playoff run in league history.
During the regular season, a deal was made between the league and the Roberts Oil & Banking Corporation in which the corporation began subsidizing all team and league salaries in exchange for advertising and a controlling number of seats on the league's board of directors. The corporation's goal was to elevate the league to the point of direct competition with the NHL through aggressive television deals, expansion, and luring star players from the league with higher salaries.
The uniform changes for the 1960-61 changes were mostly about righting wrongs. The Syracuse Mohawks got rid of their gold pants, and the Markham Tigers went back to their original design. The Toledo Blades also modernized their look.
Uniforms:

Camp Drum Rangers Home Away

Guelph Royals Home Away

Hamilton Steelers Home Away

Hartford Whalers Home Away

Kalamazoo Checkers Home Away

Kingston Chiefs Home Away

Lansing Governors Home Away

Markham Tigers Home Away

Milwaukee Ales Home Away

Syracuse Mohawks Home Away

Toledo Blades Home Away

Windsor Ambassadors Home Away

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The 1961-62 PAHL season had two expansion teams increase the league's number to 14 teams playing 80 games each. The two teams would fare quite differently in their first season. The Pittsburgh Penguins would finish second in the Western Division with a respectable 39-34-7 record. The Philadelphia Flyers did not fare so well finishing dead last in the Eastern Division with a depressing 11-60-9 record.
The 1962 playoffs began with the Guelph Royals promptly sweeping the Windsor Ambassadors and the Kalamazoo Checkers ending the Pittsburgh Penguins' playoff hopes in five games. In the East, the Hartford Whalers took care of business, finishing the Syracuse Mohawks in five games, and the Markham Tigers squeaked by the Kingston Chiefs in seven games. The Hartford Whalers would also need seven games to defeat the Markham Tigers for the Eastern Division championship. The Checkers finished off the Guelph Royals in six games to win their division.
The 1962 Leif Erikson Cup finals featured the defending champion Kalamazoo Checkers and a motivated Hartford Whalers squad. After a back and forth battle, the Checkers finally eliminated the Whalers in game 7 to clinch their second Leif Erikson Cup.
In uniform news, the Camp Drum Rangers changed their striping a bit and the Hartford Whalers introduced a new logo. A contest was held to name it and Pucky beat out Earl by just a handful of votes.
Uniforms:

Camp Drum Rangers Home Away

Guelph Royals Home Away

Hamilton Steelers Home Away

Hartford Whalers Home Away

Kalamazoo Checkers Home Away

Kingston Chiefs Home Away

Lansing Governors Home Away

Markham Tigers Home Away

Milwaukee Ales Home Away

Philadelphia Flyers Home Away

Pittsburgh Penguins Home Away

Syracuse Mohawks Home Away

Toledo Blades Home Away

Windsor Ambassadors Home Away

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This is BULL the Grand Rapids Eagles had a great on ice performance.

The Owners must have been crooks....

Gone to Soon

PS keep it fictional and dont add NHL teams

I actually don't mind adding NHL teams...

There is a reason. As I said in my first post, this mixes the histories of the ABA, WHA, and IHL, so there will be mergers and whatnot. Just keep following and it will all make sense. It's part of the history.


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The 1962-63 PAHL season had 14 teams playing 80 games each. The Pittsburgh Penguins were dominant all year finishing atop the Western Division with a record of 47-24-9. The Hartford Whalers battled back from a slow start to finish first in the Eastern Division with a respectable 42-27-6 record. The Guelph Royals started well, but slumped late in the season and ended up missing the playoffs for the first time in their 13-year franchise history.
The 1963 playoffs were a messy affair full of injuries, and some exceptionally bad officiating, so bad in fact that the entire officiating crew was fired after the Pittsburgh-Lansing series that ended in game 7 on a bad call that gave the Governors a penalty shot in overtime. The Kalamazoo Checkers defeated the Windsor Ambassadors in six games, but lost their starting goalie in the effort. The Eastern Division semifinals were less messy with the Whalers beating the Chiefs in a clean five game series. The Markham Tigers edged the Camp Drum Rangers in seven games to win their matchup. In the Eastern Division championship, the Hartford Whalers swept the Markham Tigers to earn their second consecutive trip to the Leif Erikson Cup finals. The Lansing Governors beat the weakened Kalamazoo Checkers in five games to earn their way in.
The 1963 Leif Erikson Cup finals featured the Hartford Whalers and Lansing Governors fighting for their first cup. The Whalers emerged victorious in six games.
After the season, two more cities were identified for expansion for the 1963-64 season: Minneapolis and St. Louis.

No major changes were made to any uniforms, but don't worry. You'll be seeing some new threads next season.

Uniforms:

Camp Drum Rangers Home Away

Guelph Royals Home Away

Hamilton Steelers Home Away

Hartford Whalers Home Away

Kalamazoo Checkers Home Away

Kingston Chiefs Home Away

Lansing Governors Home Away

Markham Tigers Home Away

Milwaukee Ales Home Away

Philadelphia Flyers Home Away

Pittsburgh Penguins Home Away

Syracuse Mohawks Home Away

Toledo Blades Home Away

Windsor Ambassadors Home Away

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The 1963-64 PAHL season added two new franchises: the Minnesota North Stars and St. Louis Blues to increase the league to 16 teams playing 78 games each. The Hamilton Steelers franchise was sold to a new owner who decided to keep the club in Hamilton, but renamed it the Hammers. They would continue to wear the black and silver until the 1980s. During the regular season, the Minnesota North Stars did extraordinarily well winning more than 50 games in their debut season. They were only bested by the Windsor Ambassadors who had an amazing record of 52-10-16. The St. Louis Blues did not fare so well, only winning 12, losing 60 and tying 6.
As with the last few years, the top four teams from each division faced off for the playoffs. In the first round, the Windsor Ambassadors handled the Guelph Royals in six, the Kalamazoo Checkers downed the North Stars in five, the Camp Drum rangers swept the Hamilton Hammers, and the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated the Hartford Whalers in a very close seven game series. The Ambassadors took care of business, knocking out the Checkers in a six game series, and the Camp Drum Rangers overcame a two game deficit to knock out the Penguins in seven.
The Leif Erikson Cup featured an experienced Rangers squad taking on an Ambassadors team that had been dominant all season. The Ambassadors were not intimidated by the Rangers size or experience, and defeated them in five games to win their first Leif Erikson Cup.

Uniforms:

Camp Drum Rangers Home Away

Guelph Royals Home Away

Hamilton Hammers Home Away

Hartford Whalers Home Away

Kalamazoo Checkers Home Away

Kingston Chiefs Home Away

Lansing Governors Home Away

Markham Tigers Home Away

Milwaukee Ales Home Away

Minnesota North Stars Home Away

Philadelphia Flyers Home Away

Pittsburgh Penguins Home Away

St. Louis Blues Home Away

Syracuse Mohawks Home Away

Toledo Blades Home Away

Windsor Ambassadors Home Away

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Now for something completely different...

After the 1963-64 season playoffs, the PAHL worked out a deal with the top Soviet league for the top four PAHL teams to travel to Moscow to face the top four Soviet teams in a friendly tournament. The Soyuz Cup as it was called featured the Leif Erikson Cup champion Windsor Ambassadors, the runner-up Camp Drum Rangers, and the two teams with the best records during the regular season: the Kalamazoo Checkers and the Minnesota North Stars. The Soviet Union was represented by CSKA Moscow, Dynamo Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow, and Spartak Moscow. Each team played each other team to determine seeding for the tournament. CSKA Moscow dominated the competition to earn the first seed with five wins, one loss, and one tie.

In the first round of the tourney, CSKA Moscow defeated Lokomotiv Moscow 4-1. The Minnesota North Stars stunned Spartak Moscow 4-3. Dynamo Moscow shut out the Windsor Ambassadors 2-0, and the Camp Drum Rangers defeated the Kalamazoo Checkers 4-2. In the semifinal, CSKA Moscow doubled the Rangers 6-3, and Minnesota took down Dynamo Moscow 3-1. In the championship game, the Minnesota North Stars fought hard, but were shut out 3-0 by CSKA Moscow.

The teams wore standardized uniforms with the logos redesigned with Russian spelling. Each team only had one uniform set which led to some aesthetically interesting color vs. color matchups. The biggest uniform change was the Minnesota North Stars who wore golden jerseys with their logo changed to a cyrillic letter "C" for Cевер, the Russian word for North.

The tournament was such a success that the leagues agreed to do it every five years with each continent hosting every other tournament.

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The 1964-65 PAHL season had 16 teams playing 78 games each. After a successful Soyuz Cup, the Minnesota North Stars and Camp Drum Rangers put together solid regular seasons finishing atop their respective divisions. The Toledo Blades surprised a lot of people winning 17 straight games to recover from an early-season slump to finish second in the West.
The 1965 playoffs were exceptionally competitive and exciting. The Minnesota North Stars defeated the Kalamazoo Checkers in five games, and the Windsor Ambassadors came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Toledo Blades in seven games. In the East, the Camp Drum Rangers swept the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Hartford Whalers eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. In the division finals, the Minnesota North Stars beat the Windsor Ambassadors in six games, and the Camp Drum Rangers took seven games to knock out the Hartford Whalers.
In the Leif Erikson Cup finals, the Minnesota North Stars faced off against the Camp Drum Rangers in a heavyweight battle of first-place finishers. The Rangers proved too much for the North Stars to handle winning the series in five games to earn their third Leif Erikson Cup.
During the offseason, there was a vicious legal battle between the NHL and PAHL in which the NHL alleged the PAHL of unfairly targeting their intended markets. The PAHL alleged that the NHL was unfairly targeting talented players the PAHL was pursuing. As a result, the NHL would absord four PAHL franchises to be decided at a later date, and the PAHL would have more access to players, and with their financial backing, lure them with higher salaries.
Although no major design changes were made by any teams, TV numbers were added to all uniforms.

Uniforms:

Camp Drum Rangers Home Away

Guelph Royals Home Away

Hamilton Hammers Home Away

Hartford Whalers Home Away

Kalamazoo Checkers Home Away

Kingston Chiefs Home Away

Lansing Governors Home Away

Markham Tigers Home Away

Milwaukee Ales Home Away

Minnesota North Stars Home Away

Philadelphia Flyers Home Away

Pittsburgh Penguins Home Away

St. Louis Blues Home Away

Syracuse Mohawks Home Away

Toledo Blades Home Away

Windsor Ambassadors Home Away

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