Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is a state in the northeastern United States.

Its population is about 13,000,000.

The capital is Harrisburg and the largest city is Philadelphia.

History of hockey in Pennsylvania

see also: Pennsylvania Amateur Hockey (1946-1992)

There was an ice polo game played in Wilkes-Barre in 1885. In 1894, the Factoryville Polo Club beat Benton, the Keystone Academy, and Glenburn at ice polo. Factoryville lost twice to Glenburn in 1895. There were plans to play ice polo in Pittsburgh in 1895, but these did not come to fruition. The Schenley Park Casino opened in Pittsburgh on May 29, 1895. The main attraction at the Casino was the elliptical-shaped, 225 x 70-foot (21 m) ice surface. The first game at the rink, one of ice polo, took place on December 24, Western University of Pennsylvania edging Schenley Park Casino 3-1. Queen's University visited from Ontario at the end of the year and played four games against the local teams, winning them all, and ice hockey soon became the preferred style of play in the city. The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League commenced play on November 17, 1896, but was halted when a fire destroyed the Casino a month later.

In December 1897, the West Park Ice Palace opened in Philadelphia. The American Hockey League of Philadelphia was soon established and began play in January 1898. The Quaker City Hockey Club was also formed to face outside teams. An artificial ice rink at the Duquesne Gardens opened in Pittsburgh on January 23, 1899, and the WPHL was restarted. The West Park Ice Palace was closed in 1900, but reopened the following winter, and Quaker City competed in the American Amateur Hockey League. The rink burned down after the season. Despite this, the Quaker City club remained active, playing a series of games in Pittsburgh for the state title in February 1902.

The Pittsburgh teams were very strong, and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, Bankers and Victorias faced the Portage Lakes Hockey Club for the informal Championship of the United States in 1902, 1903 and 1904, respectively. For 1904-05, the WPHL was disbanded in favor of the International Professional Hockey League, composed of teams from Michigan, Ontario, and the Pittsburgh Pros. The league operated for three seasons, with the WPHL returning for 1907-08. In late December 1905, Quaker City faced Princeton University in a three game series in Norfolk, Virginia. The WPHL folded in 1909, so only exhibition games and the Duquesne Amateur League were contested in 1910. Duquesne Gardens then closed, and hockey activities were forced outdoors. Games were played sporadically in Pittsburgh from 1911-1914.

More hockey was played in Pittsburgh in 1915-16, with the opening of the Winter Garden at Exposition Hall rink, and the re-opening of the Duquesne Gardens. The Duquesne Garden and Winter Garden clubs both played exhibition schedules this winter. The Pittsburgh Athletic Association won 37 out of 40 games played in 1916-17. With the opening of the Winter Palace rink in Philadelphia, hockey was revived in the city. The Philadelphia Hockey Association was formed. In 1917-18, Pittsburgh AA played in the United States National Hockey League. After a year off, Pittsburgh AA spent 1919-20 as an independent team. For 1920-21, the Quaker City Hockey Club joined the United States Amateur Hockey Association. The Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets were added to the league for 1921-22. Quaker City withdrew from the league in 1922. In 1924-25, the Yellow Jackets were joined in it by Fort Pitt. The Philadelphia and Suburban Hockey League was established in 1923-24, and lasted two seasons.

The Pittsburgh Pirates joined the National Hockey League for the 1925-26 season, remaining in it until 1930, when they became the Philadelphia Quakers, who only lasted for the 1930-31 season. The Pittsburgh Yellowjackets competed in the International Hockey League from 1930-1932. Later the Shamrocks spent the 1935-36 season in the league, while the Yellow Jackets played an independent schedule in 1934-35, and competed in the Eastern Hockey League in 1935-36. The Hornets then competed in the American Hockey League from 1936-1956 and 1961-1967.

The Philadelphia Arrows played in the Canadian-American Hockey League from 1927-1935, before changing their name to the Ramblers. The Ramblers jumped to the American Hockey League, playing in it from 1936-1941. They then became the Rockets, who played in the AHL in 1941-42 and from 1946-1949. The Philadelphia Comets were members of the Tri State Hockey League in 1932-33 and the Falcons played in the EHL from 1942-1946 and later in 1951-52.

The first games at the Hershey Ice Palace were played in February 1931. In 1931-32, the Swarthmore Hockey Club played an independent schedule at the rink. The Hershey Bears were formed for the 1932-33 season and spent time in the Tri State Hockey League and the Eastern Hockey League, before joining the American Hockey League in 1938, a league they still play in now. The Pittsburgh Amateur Hockey League was contested intermittently between 1948 and 1961. The Erie Lions had a strong independent amateur team that was active from 1964-1974. The Pittsburgh Knights played in the same era.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers have both played in the NHL since 1967. The Philadelphia Blazers played in the World Hockey Association in 1972-73. The Philadelphia Firebirds and Phantoms played in the AHL from 1977-1979 and 1996-2009, respectively. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Lehigh Valley Phantoms have played in the AHL since 1999 and 2014, respectively. The Erie Otters have competed in the major junior Ontario Hockey League since 1996.

The University of Pennsylvania Quakers formed an ice hockey team for the 1896-97 season. The team played intermittently until 1930, and then again from 1965-1978. The Pennsylvania Intercollegiate League, composed of Carnegie Tech (who established their program in 1905-06), Pittsburgh, and Penn State, was contested in 1909-10. Duquesne, Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Tech played in the Penn-Ohio Intercollegiate Hockey League from 1937-1940 (Pitt dropped out after 1939). The Mercyhurst University Lakers have fielded an ice hockey team since 1987-88. The Robert Morris University Colonials played their first season in 2004-05. The Penn State Nittany Lions, who previously played in 1909-10 and from 1940-1947, have had Division I hockey since 2012-13.

List of minor professional teams

• Philadelphia Arrows - (CAHL) - (1927-1935)
• Pittsburgh Yellowjackets - (IHL) - (1930-1932)
• Hershey Bears - (TSHL) - (1932-1933)
• Philadelphia Comets - (TSHL) - (1932-1933)
• Hershey Bears - (EHL) - (1933-1938)
• Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets - (Independent) - (1934-1935)
• Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets - (EHL) - (1935-1936)
• Pittsburgh Shamrocks - (IHL) - (1935-1936)
• Philadelphia Ramblers - (CAHL) - (1935-1936)
• Pittsburgh Hornets - (AHL) - (1936-1956)
• Philadelphia Ramblers - (AHL) - (1936-1941)
• Hershey Bears - (AHL) - (1938-present)
• Hershey Cubs - (EHL) - (1938-1939)
• Johnstown Bluebirds - (EHL) - (1941-1942)
• Philadelphia Rockets - (AHL) - (1941-1942, 1946-1949)
• Philadelphia Falcons - (EHL) - (1942-1946)
• Johnstown Jets - (EHL) - (1950-1963, 1955-1973)
• Philadelphia Falcons - (EHL) - (1951-1952)
• Johnstown Jets - (IHL) - (1953-1955)
• Philadelphia Ramblers - (EHL) - (1955-1964)
• Pittsburgh Hornets - (AHL) - (1961-1967)
• Philadelphia Blazers - (WHA) - (1972-1973)
• Johnstown Jets - (NAHL) - (1973-1977)
• Philadelphia Firebirds - (NAHL) - (1974-1977)
• Erie Blades - (NAHL) - (1975-1977)
• Philadelphia Firebirds - (AHL) - (1977-1979)
• Erie Blades - (EHL) - (1978-1981)
• Johnstown Red Wings - (EHL) - (1978-1980)
• Erie Blades - (AHL) - (1981-1982)
• Erie Golden Blades - (ACHL) - (1982-1987)
• Erie Panthers - (ECHL) - (1988-1996)
• Johnstown Chiefs - (AAHL) - (1988)
• Johnstown Chiefs - (ECHL) - (1988-2010)
• Philadelphia Phantoms - (AHL) - (1996-2009)
• Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins - (AHL) - (1999-present)
• Reading Royals - (ECHL) - (2001-present)
• York IceCats - (NEHL) - (2003-2005)
• Philadelphia Comets - (NEHL) - (2005)
• Indiana Ice Miners - (MAHL) - (2007-2008)
• Mon Valley Thunder - (MAHL) - (2007-2008)
• Valley Forge Freedom - (MAHL) - (2007-2008)
• Williamsport Outlaws - (FHL) - (2012-2013)
• Lehigh Valley Phantoms - (AHL) - (2014-present)
• Steel City Warriors - (FHL) - (2014-2015)

American States

US Capital: Washington, D.C.

Alabama - Alaska - Arizona - Arkansas - California - Colorado

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Maine - Maryland - Massachusetts - Michigan - Minnesota - Mississippi

Missouri - Montana - Nebraska - Nevada - New Hampshire - New Jersey

New Mexico - New York - North Carolina - North Dakota - Ohio - Oklahoma

Oregon - Pennsylvania - Rhode Island - South Carolina - South Dakota - Tennessee

Texas - Utah - Vermont - Virginia - Washington

West Virginia - Wisconsin - Wyoming