# Vancouver Canucks (WHL)

The Vancouver Canucks were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Inaugurated in 1945 with the PCHL, they became a WHL team with the merger of the PCHL with the Western Canada Senior Hockey League in 1952. The Canucks played 25 seasons in the WHL between 1945 and 1970. In 1970 they joined the National Hockey League along with fellow expansion team, the Buffalo Sabres.
The Vancouver Canucks won six President's/Lester Patrick Cups (the trophy was renamed in 1960 after the death of Lester Patrick), two PCHL titles (1946 and 1948) and four WHL titles (1958, 1960, 1969 and 1970). They were also regular season champions four times. They played home games in the PNE Forum arena at the Pacific National Exhibition in east Vancouver, before moving for their last two seasons into the Pacific Coliseum just to the north.

## Personnel
### Players

Five Canucks players have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Andy Bathgate (inducted in 1978) played with Vancouver for four years (1952–54 and 1968–70) and was on the team for their final two championships. In 1969–70, he recorded 108 points in 72 games, earning the George Leader Cup as league MVP. Johnny Bower, Tony Esposito, Allan Stanley and Gump Worsley – all Hall of Fame inductees – have all played one season with the Canucks.

### Coaches

1948–49: Bill Cowley
1949–50: Bill Carse
1950–51: Bill Carse replaced by Murph Chamberlain
1951–52: Murph Chamberlain; replaced by Hugh Currie; replaced by Joe Carveth
1959–61: Art Chapman
1961–62: Phil Maloney (11–35–3); replaced by Hugh Currie (7–13–1) (February 7, 1962)
1962–63: Max McNab
1966–67: Bert Olmstead
1967–68: Jim Gregory
1968–69: Joe Crozier
1969–70: Joe Crozier; replaced by Hal Laycoe

### General Managers

1948–49: Bill Cowley
1949–50: Coleman E. Hall
1950–51: –
1960–61: Coley Hall
1961–62: Art Chapman (temp); replaced by Dave Dauphine (after Nov.)
1962–63: Max McNab
1967–68: Annis Stukus
1968–69: Joe Crozier
1969–70: Joe Crozier; replaced by Bud Poile

### Presidents

1948–61: Coleman E. Hall
1962–63: Fred J. Hume (owner)
1968–69: Cyrus McLean
1969–70: Cyrus McLean; replaced by Thomas K. Scallen

## Honoured members
### Hall of famers
#### Players

* Andy Bathgate, C, 1952–54 & 1968–70, inducted 1978
* Johnny Bower, G, 1954–55, inducted 1976
* Tony Esposito, G, 1967–68, inducted 1988
* Allan Stanley, D, 1953–54, inducted 1981
* Gump Worsley, G, 1953–54, inducted 1980

### WHL league award winners
#### Players

Leader Cup – MVP
* Emile Francis, G, 1952–53
* Lorne Worsley, G, 1953–54
* Phil Maloney, F, 1955–56
* Hank Bassen, G, 1959–60
* Phil Maloney, F, 1962–63
* Billy McNeill, F, 1964–65
* Billy McNeill, F, 1965–66
* Andy Bathgate, F, 1969–70
Rookie Award
* Orland Kurtenbach, D, 1957–58
* Bruce Gamble, G, 1958–59
* Jim Baird, G, 1961–62
* Gilles Villemure, G,
* Ron Boehm, F, 1966–67
* Brad Selwood, F, 1969–70
Most Gentlemanly Player – Fred J. Hume Cup
* Phil Maloney, F, 1961–62
* Phil Maloney, F, 1962–63
* Phil Maloney, F, 1967–68
Outstanding Defenseman – Hal Laycoe Cup
* Larry Cahan, D, 1966–67
* Marc Reaume, D, 1969–70
Leading Scorer Award
* Phil Maloney, F, 1955–56 (95 points)
Outstanding Goaltender Award
* Emile Francis, G, 1952–53 GA-216 GAA-3.08
* Lorne Worsley, G, 1953–54 GA-168 GAA-2.40
* Johnny Bower, G, 1954–55 GP-63 GA-171 GAA-2.71
* Ray Mikulan, G, 1955–56 GA-181 GAA-2.54
* Marcel Pelletier, G, 1957–58 GA-173 GAA-2.43
* Hank Bassen, G, 1959–60 GA-172 GAA-2.48
* George Gardner, G, 1969–70 GA-171 GAA-2.88

## Year by year standings

| Presidents'/Lester Patrick Cup champions | Division/reg. season champions | League Leader |
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | League | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1945–46 | PCHL | 64 | 37 | 27 | 0 | 74 | 308 | 247 | | Won Championship |
| 1946–47 | PCHL | 60 | 30 | 29 | 1 | 61 | 267 | 287 | | |
| 1947–48 | PCHL | 66 | 34 | 29 | 3 | 71 | 284 | 264 | | Won Championship |
| 1948–49 | PCHL | 70 | 33 | 31 | 6 | 72 | 262 | 256 | 3rd North | |
| 1949–50 | PCHL | 70 | 33 | 28 | 9 | 75 | 300 | 264 | 3rd North | |
| 1950–51 | PCHL | 70 | 19 | 34 | 17 | 55 | 216 | 285 | 6th overall | |
| 1951–52 | PCHL | 70 | 23 | 38 | 9 | 55 | 226 | 283 | 8th overall | |
| 1952–53 | WHL | 70 | 32 | 28 | 10 | 74 | 222 | 216 | 2nd overall | |
| 1953–54 | WHL | 70 | 39 | 24 | 7 | 85 | 218 | 174 | 1st overall | |
| 1954–55 | WHL | 70 | 31 | 30 | 9 | 71 | 207 | 202 | 3rd overall | |
| 1955–56 | WHL | 70 | 38 | 28 | 4 | 80 | 252 | 181 | 1st Coast | |
| 1956–57 | WHL | 70 | 27 | 37 | 6 | 60 | 203 | 231 | 4th Coast | |
| 1957–58 | WHL | 70 | 44 | 21 | 5 | 93 | 238 | 174 | 1st Coast | Won Championship |
| 1958–59 | WHL | 70 | 31 | 28 | 11 | 73 | 219 | 214 | 2nd Coast | |
| 1959–60 | WHL | 70 | 44 | 20 | 6 | 94 | 230 | 177 | 1st overall | Won Championship |
| 1960–61 | WHL | 70 | 38 | 29 | 3 | 79 | 208 | 191 | 3rd overall | |
| 1961–62 | WHL | 70 | 18 | 48 | 4 | 40 | 223 | 324 | 4th Northern | |
| 1962–63 | WHL | 70 | 35 | 31 | 4 | 74 | 243 | 234 | 1st Northern | |
| 1963–64 | WHL | 70 | 26 | 41 | 3 | 55 | 229 | 258 | 6th overall | |
| 1964–65 | WHL | 70 | 32 | 32 | 6 | 70 | 263 | 244 | 3rd overall | |
| 1965–66 | WHL | 72 | 33 | 35 | 4 | 70 | 252 | 233 | 3rd overall | |
| 1966–67 | WHL | 72 | 38 | 32 | 2 | 78 | 228 | 215 | 3rd overall | |
| 1967–68 | WHL | 72 | 26 | 41 | 5 | 57 | 213 | 258 | 5th overall | |
| 1968–69 | WHL | 74 | 36 | 24 | 14 | 86 | 259 | 223 | 2nd overall | Won Championship |
| 1969–70 | WHL | 72 | 47 | 17 | 8 | 102 | 334 | 219 | 1st overall | Won Championship |
| Season | League | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |