Portland Buckaroos

The Portland Buckaroos was the name of several professional ice hockey teams based in Portland, Oregon.

Portland Buckaroos
CityPortland, Oregon
LeagueWestern Hockey League
Operated1960–1974
Home arenaMemorial Coliseum
ColorsRed, White, and Black
Franchise history
1928–1941 (PCHL/NWHL)Portland Buckaroos
1960–1975 (WHL)Portland Buckaroos
1975 (WIHL)Portland Buckaroos

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.[1] The PCHL folded in 1931, and in 1933, the Buckaroos joined the new North West Hockey League.[2] In 1936, the Buckaroos rejoined the reconstituted four-team PCHL, and won league championships in 1937 and 1939.[3]

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).[4]

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.[5][6] That 1960–61 Buckaroos team was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.[7]

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.[6] In the early '70s, the Buckaroos served as a minor league affiliate for a variety of National Hockey League teams, most notably, the 2011-12 champion 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,[8] and to the startup Northwest Hockey League the next year,[9] but that league did not last a full season.[10]

Notable Buckaroos

An incomplete list of noted Buckaroos players:

PCHL/NWHL era

WHL era
  • Marv Edwards (WHL Outstanding Goaltender Award winner)
  • Gord Fashoway (1960–61 team captain; 1960–61 Fred Hume Cup for sportsmanship winner; coach from 1969–1973)
  • Don Head (1960–61 WHL Rookie of the Year; three-time Outstanding Goaltender Award winner; 1993 Oregon Sports Hall of Fame inductee)
  • Andy Hebenton (five-time Fred Hume Cup for sportsmanship winner)
  • Art Jones (two-time George Leader Cup for most valuable player; six-time Leading Scorer Award winner; 1984 Oregon Sports Hall of Fame inductee)
  • Dave Kelly (1963–64 WHL Rookie of the Year; two-time WHL Outstanding Goaltender Award winner)
  • Connie Madigan (Hal Laycoe Cup for outstanding WHL defenseman winner)
  • Jimmy McLeod (four-time WHL Outstanding Goaltender Award winner)
  • Doug Messier (father of NHL Hall of Famer Mark Messier)
  • Cliff Schmautz (1965–66 Leading Scorer Award winner)
  • Pat Stapleton (Hal Laycoe Cup for outstanding WHL defenseman winner)
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References
  1. "Minor Professional Hockey Leagues". History of North American Hockey. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  2. "North West Hockey League". History of North American Hockey. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  3. "Pacific Coast Hockey League (1936–41)". History of North American Hockey. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  4. "Pacific Coast Hockey League (1944–52)". History of North American Hockey. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  5. "Portland Buckaroos & Western Hockey League History and Memorabilia". PortlandBuckaroos.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-19. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  6. "Historic Trophies: The Lester Patrick Cup". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2006-12-10. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  7. "Hall of Fame Roll of Honor Members". Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
  8. "1974–75 Western International Hockey League". hockeyDB.com. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  9. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/159.html
  10. "Pacific Northwest Hockey League". OGP Enterprises. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
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