Illinois Ice Hockey League

The Illinois Ice Hockey League was a short lived hockey league in Illinois that existed from 1956-1964.

Teams

• Chicago Hornets
• Chicago Firemen
• Fox Valley Falcons
• Elgin Blades
• Rayson Blades - Cafe Imperator Blades until 1960
• Chicago Vikings
• Reed Hornets
• Southwest Falcons - Chicago Falcons in 1961-62
• Kolski Boosters
• Wagon Wheel Cardinals (Rockton)

Champions

• 1957: Chicago Vikings (regular season), Southwest Falcons (McLaughlin Trophy)
• 1958: Cafe Imperator Blades
• 1959: Wagon Wheel Cardinals (17-1-1 record - 22-4-1 overall)
• 1960: Wagon Wheel Cardinals (regular season), Reed Hornets (McLaughlin Trophy)
• 1961: Wagon Wheel Cardinals (18-2-0 record), Reed Hornets (McLaughlin Trophy)
• 1962: Wagon Wheel Cardinals
• 1963: Wagon Wheel Cardinals (regular season), Elgin Blades (McLaughlin Trophy)
• 1964: Elgin Blades

Results

1956-57

• 12/3: Chicago Blades - Chicago Vikings
• 12/3: Southwest Falcons - West Side Royals
• Chicago Blades - Southwest Falcons 6:1
• Chicago Vikings - Chicago Blades 5:3
• 1/10: Chicago Vikings - Chicago Blades
• 1/10: La Grange Panthers - Southwest Falcons

Vikings were 6-1 and Blades 5-1-1 as of 1/8.

Semifinals

• 3/14: Southwest Falcons - Chicago Vikings 3:2 2OT

Final

• 4/1: Southwest Falcons - West Side Royals 2:1 (Southwest won series 2 games to 1)

1957-58

• 11/19: Chicago Vikings - Chicago Hornets 10:2
• 11/19: Southwest Falcons - Kolski Boosters 6:2
• 12/3: Southwest Falcons - Chicago Hornets 5:1
• 12/3: Kolski Boosters - Imperator Blades 4:3
• 3/25: Imperator Blades - Southwest Falcons 3:2 - final (Imperator won series 2 games to 1)

1958-59

Rockton Cardinals

• 10/26: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Falcons 7:3
• 11/16: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Falcons 3:2
• 11/30: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Vikings 7:5
• 12/7: Rockton Cardinals - Kolski Boosters 10:0
• 12/14: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Hornets 9:3
• 12/16: Southwest Falcons - Kolski Boosters 11:1
• 12/16: Chicago Vikings - Rayson Blades 2:1
• 12/21: Chicago Falcons - Rockton Cardinals 5:4
• 12/28: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Blades 7:1
• 12/30: Chicago Vikings - Southwest Falcons 10:5
• 12/30: Chicago Hornets - Kolski Boosters 4:0
• 1/4: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Vikings 6:1
• 1/11: Rockton Cardinals - Kolski Boosters 9:4
• 1/18: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Hornets 10:6
• 1/25: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Falcons 5:4
• 2/1: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Blades 4:4
• 2/8: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Vikings 6:5
• 2/15: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Hornets 8:1

Rockton Cardinals finished first with a 17-1-1 record. Vikings finished 13-7. Blades finished fourth at 10-8-2.

Semifinals

• Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Vikings 2:1 on series (2:4, 5:3, 7:4)
• Southwest Falcons - Rayson Blades (W:L, 2:6, 8:3)

Final

• 3/22: Rockton Cardinals - Southwest Falcons 10:3
• 3/29: Rockton Cardinals - Southwest Falcons 5:3

1959-60

as of February 27, 1960, Milwaukee Sentinel, Illinois Ice Hockey League

Team W L T PTS GF GA

Rockton 15 2 1 31 149 67

Reed 11 6 1 23 106 79

Rayson 8 8 3 19 73 71

Southwest 4 10 5 13 60 95

Kolski 4 15 0 8 75 117

Semifinals

• Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Vikings 2:1 on series (10:9, 5:6 OT, 13:3)
• Reed Hornets - Rayson Blades 2:0 on series (7:3, 8:1)

Final

• Reed Hornets - Rockton Cardinals 2:0 on series (8:7, 10:5)

1960-61

Standings as of 2/10

1. Rockton Cardinals 14-1-0-28
2. Reed Hornets 11-3-1-23
3. Southwest Falcons 8-7-0-16
4. Chicago Vikings 6-8-2-14
5. Rayson Blades 4-10-0-8
6. Chicago Rangers 0-14-1-1

Post 2/10 games:

• 2/11: Rockton Cardinals - Reed Hornets 4:3
• 2/18: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Rangers 16:2

The Rockton Cardinals won the regular season title with an 18-2 record. The Reed Hornets finished second (15-4-1). The Cardinals did not participate in the playoffs.

Final

• Reed Hornets - Southwest Falcons 2:1 on series (8:4 in game 3)

1961-62

• 11/4: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Hornets 13:2
• 11/11: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Falcons 8:2
• 11/18: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Blades 13:2
• 11/25: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Vikings 14:6
• 12/5: Chicago Falcons - Reed Hornets 7:2
• 12/5: Rayson Blades - Chicago Vikings 5:3
• 12/16: Chicago Falcons - Rockton Cardinals 5:0
• 1/6: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Blades
• 1/14: Rockton Cardinals' - Chicago Vikings 6:4
• 1/20: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Hornets 6:2
• 1/23: Chicago Falcons - Rayson Blades 2:2
• 1/23: Chicago Vikings - Reed Hornets 3:2
• 2/3: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Falcons 4:3
• 2/10: Rayson Blades - Rockton Cardinals 3:3
• 2/24: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Blades 6:4
• 2/25: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Vikings 6:5
• 3/17: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Falcons 6:4
• 3/24: Rockton Cardinals - Rayson Blades
• 3/31: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Vikings 19:1

Rockton Cardinals were 18-2-2 entering the finale. Chicago Falcons finished with 37 points.

1962-63

• 11/3: Rockton Cardinals - Southwest Falcons 6:3
• 11/10: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Vikings 18:2
• 11/17: Rockton Cardinals - Elgin Blades 7:3
• 11/24: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Hornets 5:5
• 12/1: Rockton Cardinals - Southwest Falcons 9:2
• 12/8: Rockton Cardinals - Dundee Vikings 13:4
• 12/23: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Hornets
• 1/5: Rockton Cardinals - Southwest Falcons 7:5
• 1/12: Rockton Cardinals - Dundee Vikings 10:1
• 1/19: Rockton Cardinals - Elgin Blades 10:3
• 1/26: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Hornets 10:1
• 2/2: Rockton Cardinals - Southwest Falcons 7:4
• 2/9: Fox Valley Falcons - Chicago Hornets 4:2
• 2/9: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Vikings 9:3
• 2/12: Elgin Blades - Chicago Hornets 10:3
• 2/16: Dundee Vikings - Chicago Hornets 8:7
• 2/16: Elgin Blades - Rockton Cardinals 9:1
• 2/19: Elgin Blades - Dundee Vikings 11:2
• 2/23: Rockton Cardinals - Chicago Hornets 7:2
• 2/26: Dundee Vikings - Fox Valley Falcons 6:2 - Fox Valley was 3-8-1, Dundee 2-9-1 after game
• 3/5: Fox Valley Falcons - Chicago Hornets 6:3
• 3/9: Dundee Vikings - Chicago Hornets 6:4
• 3/12: Dundee Vikings - Fox Valley Falcons 7:2
• 3/16: Fox Valley Falcons - Elgin Blades 4:4

Standings as of 2/1

1. Rockton Cardinals 10-0-1-21
2. Elgin Blades 4-3-0-8
3. Chicago Hornets 2-3-1-5
4. Fox Valley Falcons 1-5-1-3
5. Dundee Vikings 0-6-1-1

Rockton Cardinals won the championship with a 17-1-1 record. They did not compete in the playoffs. The Blades finished 11-3-1, Falcons 4-9-2, and Vikings 4-10-1.

Semifinals

• Fox Valley Falcons - Chicago Hornets (4:3 2OT g1, ?)
• Elgin Blades - Dundee Vikings (6:3 g1, ?)

Final

• Elgin Blades - Fox Valley Falcons (5:1 g1, ?)

Note: Semifinals and finals were best of 3.

• 4/13: Elgin Blades - Illinois League All-Stars 7:4

1963-64

• 10/23: Chicago Firemen - Dundee Vikings 7:4
• 10/30: Elgin Blades - Chicago Hornets 7:3
• 11/6: Elgin Blades - Chicago Firemen 7:0
• 11/9: Elgin Blades - Dundee Vikings 7:4
• 11/16: Elgin Blades - Chicago Firemen 12:4
• 11/20: Chicago Hornets - Chicago Firemen
• 12/4: Chicago Hornets - Chicago Firemen 6:1
• 12/7: Dundee Vikings - Chicago Firemen 4:2
• 12/14: Chicago Hornets - Dundee Vikings 8:2
• 12/28: Elgin Blades - Chicago Firemen 11:2
• 12/28: Chicago Hornets - Dundee Vikings 6:3
• 1/4: Chicago Hornets - Elgin Blades 9:5
• 1/11: Chicago Hornets - Chicago Firemen 5:2
• 1/12: Elgin Blades - Dundee Vikings 17:2
• 1/25: Elgin Blades - Chicago Firemen 11:0
• 2/1: Elgin Blades - Chicago Hornets 9:3
• 2/1: Chicago Firemen - Dundee Vikings 10:5
• 2/8: Chicago Firemen - Dundee Vikings 5:4
• 2/15: Elgin Blades - Chicago Hornets 9:7
• 2/29: Elgin Blades - Illinois League All-Stars 5:5 - exhibition
• 3/4: Chicago Hornets - Dundee Vikings 12:6
• 3/7: Chicago Hornets - Illinois League All-Stars 9:7 - exhibition
• 4/4: Illinois League All-Stars - Elgin Blades 11:4 - "

Blades finished first in regular season, Hornets second.

Final

• Elgin Blades - Chicago Hornets 4:1 on series (W:L, 11:4, W:L, 3:12, W:L)

Note: Aurora Falcons withdrew prior to season.

Sources

• Long before the IceHogs arrived on the scene there were the Wagon Wheel Cardinals