Central Hockey League (1963-1984)

The Central Hockey League was a minor professional league that operated in the United States from 1963 to 1984. Initially named the Central Professional Hockey League, it was owned and operated by the National Hockey League and served as a successor to the Eastern Professional Hockey League, which had folded after the 1962-63 season. Four of the CHL's initial franchises were, in fact, relocations of the previous year's EPHL teams. Its founding president was Jack Adams, who served in the role until his death in 1968. The CHL's championship trophy was called the Adams Cup in his honor. 
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==History==
In the league's first season, all five teams were affiliated with an NHL club. The CHL initially consisted of the Indianapolis Capitals (formerly Sudbury Wolves) with the Detroit Red Wings, Minneapolis Bruins (formerly Kingston Frontenacs) with the Boston Bruins, Omaha Knights (formerly Hull-Ottawa Canadiens) with the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Braves with the Chicago Black Hawks) and the St. Paul Rangers with the New York Rangers. The New York Rangers had not had a farm team in the EPHL in 1962-63.
The only NHL team without a CHL affiliate that year, the Toronto Maple Leafs, joined the league through its affiliation with the Tulsa Oilers in the CHL's second season.
In that first season, 1963-64, the Capitals were forced to relocate because of a terrible accident in their arena. They became the Cincinnati Wings.
From 1964 to 1970, teams from this league played exhibition games during the season against the Canadian national team.
After Adams's death, Emory Jones served as interim president until the appointment of lawyer Joe Kane in August 1968. Kane served one year as president, retiring in June 1969. Kane was succeeded by Jones, who held the job until retiring in 1974. Max McNab served as league president from 1974 until becoming general manager of the Washington Capitals during his second season. Ray Miron was hired as president in August 1976, but resigned less than three weeks later to accept the job as general manager of the Colorado Rockies. Before the end of the month, Bud Poile became league president and would hold the job until the CHL folded in 1984.
For the 1974-75 season, the CHL absorbed three teams, the Denver Spurs, Salt Lake Golden Eagles, and Seattle Totems, from the folding Western Hockey League. Denver and Seattle would play only one season, but Salt Lake would stay in the league until the end and would continue in the International Hockey League for the 1984-85 season, after the CHL ceased operations. For 1979-80, the CHL added the Cincinnati Stingers and Birmingham Bulls, the two teams from the World Hockey Association that were not admitted to the NHL that year.
Also during the 1979-80 season, the United States Olympic hockey team played games against each team in the CHL that counted in the standings. The team went on to win the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics. In the 1983-84 season, both the U.S. and Canadian Olympic hockey teams played games in the CHL.
The CHL's final champions, the Tulsa Oilers, were left without a home during their championship 1983-84 season when the team owners went into receivership. The league stepped in to keep the team operating, and the Oilers played all their games on the road from mid-February through the end of the playoffs. Their Cup-winning game on April 27, 1984 was the last game played in the CHL. The league folded the following month.
==Teams==
Team 	Location 	Arena 	Tenure 	Notes
Indianapolis Capitals 	Indianapolis, Indiana 	Pepsi Coliseum 	1963-1963	relocated to Cincinnati due to arena explosion October 31, 1963; renamed
Minneapolis Bruins 	Minneapolis, Minnesota 	Minneapolis Arena 	1963-1965	relocated to Oklahoma City; renamed Oklahoma City Blazers (1965-1977)
Omaha Knights 	Omaha, Nebraska 	Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum 	1963-1965	relocated to Houston; renamed Houston Apollos
St. Paul Rangers 	St. Paul, Minnesota 	St. Paul Auditorium 	1963-1965	renamed Minnesota Rangers
St. Louis Braves 	St. Louis, Missouri 	St. Louis Arena 	1963-1967	relocated to Dallas; renamed Dallas Black Hawks when city gets NHL team
Cincinnati Wings 	Cincinnati, Ohio 	Cincinnati Gardens 	1963-1964	relocated to Memphis; renaned Memphis Wings
Memphis Wings 	Memphis, Tennessee 	Mid-South Coliseum 	1964-1967	relocated to Fort Worth; renamed Fort Worth Wings
Tulsa Oilers 	Tulsa, Oklahoma 	Tulsa Convention Center (1964-1983) Expo Square Pavilion (1983-1984)	1964-1984	fold with league after team being taken over by league
Houston Apollos 	Houston, Texas 	Sam Houston Coliseum 	1965-1969	folded as Montreal Canadiens move farm team to Montreal
Minnesota Rangers 	St. Paul, Minnesota 	St. Paul Auditorium 	1965-1966	
relocated to Omaha; renamed Omaha Knights
Oklahoma City Blazers (1965-1977)	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Fairgrounds Arena 	1965-1972	
Omaha Knights 	Omaha, Nebraska 	Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum 	1966-1975	fold
Dallas Black Hawks 	Dallas, Texas 	State Fair Coliseum 	1967-1982	ceased operations
Fort Worth Wings 	Fort Worth, Texas 	Will Rogers Coliseum 	1967-1974	renamed Fort Worth Texans
Kansas City Blues 	Kansas City, Missouri 	American Royal Building 	1967-1972	fold
Memphis South Stars 	Memphis, Tennessee 	Mid-South Coliseum 	1967-1969	relocated to Waterloo, Iowa; renamed Iowa Stars
Amarillo Wranglers 	Amarillo, Texas 	Amarillo Civic Center 	1968-1969	ceased operations; return for 1970-71 season
Iowa Stars 	Waterloo, Iowa 	McElroy Auditorium 	1969-1970	fold
Amarillo Wranglers 	Amarillo, Texas 	Amarillo Civic Center 	1970-1971	fold
Albuquerque Six Guns 	Albuquerque, New Mexico	Tingley Coliseum 	1973-1974	fold
Oklahoma City Blazers (1965-1977)	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	The Myriad 	1973-1977	fold
Denver Spurs 	Denver, Colorado 	McNichols Sports Arena 	1974-1975	ownership awarded World Hockey Association franchise
Fort Worth Texans 	Fort Worth, Texas 	Will Rogers Coliseum 	1974-1982	
Salt Lake Golden Eagles 	Salt Lake City, Utah 	Salt Palace 	1974-1984	
Seattle Totems 	Seattle, Washington 	Seattle Center Coliseum 	1974-1975	
Tucson Mavericks 	Tucson, Arizona 	Tucson Community Center 	1975-1976	
Kansas City Blues 	Kansas City, Missouri 	Kemper Arena 	1976-1977	renamed Kansas City Red Wings
Kansas City Red Wings 	Kansas City, Missouri 	Kemper Arena 	1977-1979	
Phoenix Roadrunners 	Phoenix, Arizona 	Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 	1977-1977	withdrew December 12, 1977; join Pacific Hockey League
Oklahoma City Stars 	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Cox Convention Center 	1978-1982	
Birmingham Bulls 	Birmingham, Alabama 	Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center 	1979-1981	fold during season
Cincinnati Stingers 	Cincinnati, Ohio 	Riverfront Coliseum 	1979-1980	
Indianapolis Checkers 	Indianapolis, Indiana 	Pepsi Coliseum 	1979-1984	
Houston Apollos 	Houston, Texas 	Sam Houston Coliseum 	1979-1981	
Wichita Wind 	Wichita, Kansas 	Kansas Coliseum 	1980-1983	
Cincinnati Tigers 	Cincinnati, Ohio 	Riverfront Coliseum 	1981-1982	
Nashville South Stars 	Nashville, Tennessee 	Nashville Municipal Auditorium 	1981-1982	
Birmingham South Stars 	Birmingham, Alabama 	Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center 	1982-1983	fold
Colorado Flames 	Denver, Colorado 	McNichols Sports Arena 	1982-1984	
Montana Magic 	Billings, Montana 	Yellowstone METRA 	1983-1984	fold with league
==Adams Cup champions==
* 1984 — Tulsa Oilers ‡
* 1983 — Indianapolis Checkers
* 1982 — Indianapolis Checkers
* 1981 — Salt Lake Golden Eagles
* 1980 — Salt Lake Golden Eagles
* 1979 — Dallas Black Hawks
* 1978 — Fort Worth Texans
* 1977 — Kansas City Blues
* 1976 — Tulsa Oilers
* 1975 — Salt Lake Golden Eagles
* 1974 — Dallas Black Hawks
* 1973 — Omaha Knights
* 1972 — Dallas Black Hawks
* 1971 — Omaha Knights
* 1970 — Omaha Knights
* 1969 — Dallas Black Hawks
* 1968 — Tulsa Oilers
* 1967 — Oklahoma City Blazers
* 1966 — Oklahoma City Blazers
* 1965 — St. Paul Rangers
* 1964 — Omaha Knights
‡ Oilers team was left without a home after its owners in Tulsa went into receivership; played the last two months of the season and all playoff games as a road team, with salaries and expenses paid by the league.
==Individual Trophies==
*Leading Scorer (Phil Esposito Trophy)
*Most Valuable Player (Tommy Ivan Award)
*Leading Defenceman (Bobby Orr Trophy)
*Leading Goalie (Terry Sawchuk Trophy)
*Rookie of the Year (Ken McKenzie Trophy)
*Player whose impressive performances during the season did not correspond to any of the usual award categories (Don Ashby Memorial Trophy)
Category:Central Hockey League (1963–1984)
Category:Defunct ice hockey leagues
Category:Established in 1963
Category:Disestablished in 1984