Canadian-American Hockey League
The Canadian-American Hockey League existed from 1926 until the 1936. Following the 1935-36 season the CAHL merged with the original International Hockey League to form the International-American Hockey League for the 1936 season. The International-American Hockey League became the American Hockey League in 1940.
For its first ten years the Can-Am's membership varied between five and six teams. However, when the Boston Bruin Cubs dropped out after the 1935–36 season, the league was reduced to just four active teams (Philadelphia, Providence, Springfield, and New Haven). At the same time, the Rust Belt-based International Hockey League had also been cut down to just four teams; Syracuse, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. With both leagues at the bare minimum number of teams to be viable, they decided to form a temporary "circuit of mutual convenience" known as the International-American Hockey League. For the next two years, the two leagues played an interlocking schedule with the Can-Am clubs serving as the IAHL's Eastern Division and the IHL as its Western Division.
At a meeting held in New York City on June 28, 1938, the two leagues formally merged into a unified eight-team circuit operating under the IAHL name with the addition of the EAHL's then three-time defending champion Hershey Bears, which was awarded an IAHL franchise that day to replace the defunct Buffalo club. The league changed its name to the current American Hockey League in 1940.
Two current AHL franchises have roots in the old Can-Am. The Hartford Wolf Pack is descended from the old Providence Reds franchise, which moved to Binghamton, New York in 1977 before moving to Hartford in 1997. The Utica Comets are descended from the old Springfield Indians franchise, which moved to Worcester, Massachusetts in 1994 before relocating to Peoria in 2005, and to Utica in 2013.
Teams
- Boston Tigers (named Tigers from 1926–1931 and in 1935, Cubs from 1931–1933, Tiger Cubs in 1933–34 and Bruin Cubs from 1934–1936)
- Bronx Tigers (1931–32)
- New Haven Eagles (1926–27 to 1935–36; joins IAHL)
- Newark Bulldogs (1928–29)
- Philadelphia Arrows (1927–28 to 1934–35)
- Philadelphia Ramblers (1935–36; joins IAHL)
- Quebec Castors (Beavers) (1926–27 to 1927–28; 1932–33 to 1934–35)
- Providence Reds (1926–27 to 1935–36; joins IAHL)
- Springfield Indians (1926–27 to 1932–33; 1935–36; joins IAHL)
Champions
| Season | Regular season | Fontaine Cup Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 1935-36 | Philadelphia Ramblers | Philadelphia Ramblers |
| 1934-35 | Boston Bruin Cubs | Boston Bruin Cubs |
| 1933-34 | Providence Reds | Providence Reds |
| 1932-33 | Philadelphia Arrows | Boston Cubs |
| 1931-32 | Providence Reds | Providence Reds |
| 1930-31 | Springfield Indians | Springfield Indians |
| 1929-30 | Providence Reds | Providence Reds |
| 1928-29 | Boston Tigers | Boston Tigers |
| 1927-28 | Springfield Indians | Springfield Indians |
| 1926-27 | New Haven Eagles | Springfield Indians |
References
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