Victoria Cougars (PCHA)

This article is about the professional Victoria Cougars in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League. For other teams see Victoria Cougars (disambiguation).
The Victoria Cougars were a Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) (and after its merger with the Western Canada Hockey League, the Western Canada Hockey League) ice hockey team based in Victoria, British Columbia. The original Victoria franchise of the PCHA, the Senators, were formed in 1911, and became the Aristocrats in 1913. That incarnation is best known for defeating the Stanley Cup champion Quebec Bulldogs in a 1913 exhibition series. The Aristocrats officially challenged the Toronto Blueshirts for the Cup the following year, but lost. In 1916 the team was forced to move to Spokane, Washington after having their arena (Patrick Arena) commandeered by the Canadian military in World War I. The club folded the following year as the Spokane Canaries.
A new team was formed in 1918 and again were dubbed the Aristocrats. In 1922 they changed their name to the Victoria Cougars. Led by coach Lester Patrick, the Cougars would finally win a Stanley Cup in 1925 against the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Cougars were the last non-NHL team to hoist the Stanley Cup as well as the last west coast team to win the Cup, until the Anaheim Ducks won the Cup in 2007. They would attempt to repeat as champions in 1926 but they were unsuccessful as they lost the final series to the NHL's Montreal Maroons. The WHL dissolved the following year and the rights to many players from the Stanley Cup finalist team were purchased and relocated to Detroit, MI. The new NHL franchise would retain the nickname "Cougars" in tribute. The Detroit Cougars would later be re-named the Detroit Falcons, and would ultimately be re-named the Detroit Red Wings as they remain today.
Among the notable players in uniform for the Cougars were Hall of Famers Frank Foyston and Frank Fredrickson, goaltender Hec Fowler, Harry Meeking and Clem Loughlin.
==Seasons==
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against
Season 	Name 	League	GP	W 	L 	T	GF	GA 	Finish	Playoffs
1912 	Senators 	PCHA 	16	7 	9 	0	81	90 	3rd 	-
1912–13	Senators 	PCHA 	15	10	5 	0	68	56 	1st 	-
1913–14	Aristocrats	PCHA 	15	10	5 	0	80	67 	1st 	Lost Stanley Cup challenge to Toronto Blueshirts
1914–15	Aristocrats	PCHA 	17	4 	13	0	64	116	3rd 	-
1915–16	Aristocrats	PCHA 	18	5 	13	0	74	102	4th 	-
1916–17	Canaries 	PCHA 	24	8 	15	0	89	143	4th 	-
1918–19	Aristocrats	PCHA 	20	7 	13	0	44	81 	3rd 	-
1919–20	Aristocrats	PCHA 	22	10	12	0	57	71 	3rd 	-
1920–21	Aristocrats	PCHA 	24	10	13	1	21	72 	3rd 	-
1921–22	Aristocrats	PCHA 	24	11	12	1	61	71 	3rd 	-
1922–23	Cougars 	PCHA 	30	16	14	0	94	85 	2nd 	Lost in PCHA playoff
1923–24	Cougars 	PCHA 	30	11	18	1	78	103	3rd 	-
1924–25	Cougars 	WCHL 	28	16	12	0	84	63 	3rd 	Won WCHL, Won Stanley Cup
1925–26	Cougars 	WHL 	30	15	11	4	68	53 	3rd 	Won WHL, Lost Stanley Cup final
==Gallery==
22748019 web1 200909-OBN-hockey-violence-history- 2-1280x720.jpg| 1912-13 team
1925_Victoria_Cougars.jpg|1925 Stanley Cup winning Victoria Cougars.
Cougars.jpg|1925 Stanley Cup winning Victoria Cougars.
25-26VicCou.jpg|1925-26 Victoria Cougars.
==External Links==
*Victoria Aristocrats of the PCHA (1920-22)
*Victoria Cougars of the PCHA (1922-24)
*Victoria Cougars of the WHL (1924-26)
Category:Canadian ice hockey teams
Category:Pacific Coast Hockey Association teams
Category:Established in 1911
Category:Disestablished in 1926
Category:Defunct Teams
Category:Western Canada Hockey League team