Regina Capitals
Encyclopedia
The Regina Capitals were a professional ice hockey
team originally based in the city of Regina
, Saskatchewan
in the Western Canada Hockey League
(WCHL), founded in 1921
.
(PCHA) before being able to challenge for the Stanley Cup
. Unfortunately, the up-start Capitals lost to the Vancouver Millionaires
of the PCHA. Vancouver went on to face the Toronto St. Patricks
of the National Hockey League
(NHL), but would lose the best-of-five series for the Stanley Cup 3 games to 2.
They finished second overall in each of their first three seasons, with their third season only one point behind first place, but that first season would be the only one in which they would win the playoffs and advance to the next series. After three seasons well above .500, they fell to last place overall in their fourth season (1924-25
) with only 8 wins in 28 games.
The Capitals tried spending their way out of their difficulties, but that only caused more problems. With the team in debt and losing money, they followed the NHL's example of heading south across the border and moved to Portland, Oregon
for the start of the 1925-26 WHL season
. The Regina Capitals renamed themselves the Portland Rosebuds
, which was a rekindling of an older, then defunct, team from the PCHA. With that move, they became the only United States
based team in their league. Since they moved to the States, the league had to change its name to reflect that not all of its teams were based in Canada anymore. So, the "Canada" part of the league's name was dropped and it was renamed the Western Hockey League.
The move didn't help the on-ice performance of the team very much. They didn't finish last overall, but with an extra eight games played from the previous season, they only managed to better their total wins by 4 giving them 12 wins in 36 games.
After that season, the Western Hockey League folded. The National Hockey League bought every contract of ever player from the WHL for $258,000.
(PrHL). A "new" Regina Capitals were born. They finished third overall in the inaugural season of the PrHL, but faltered badly for the second season with only two wins in 26 games. That second season would be the final season for both the Regina Capitals and the Prairie Hockey League as the league disbanded following the season's end.
Note: The Rosebuds relocated to Chicago as the Chicago Black Hawks
(NHL). The Capitals' team that started in the PrHL in Regina was a newly formed team.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team originally based in the city of Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
in the Western Canada Hockey League
Western Canada Hockey League
The Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.-History:...
(WCHL), founded in 1921
1921-22 WCHL season
The 1921–22 WCHL season was the first season for the now defunct Western Canada Hockey League. Four teams played 24 games each. The Regina Capitals defeated the Edmonton Eskimos in a two-game total-goals series to win the inaugural league championship....
.
Franchise history
In the Regina Capitals' first season in the new Western Canada Hockey League, they finished second overall and then upset the Edmonton Eskimos in the playoffs to win the league championship. Winning the league championship meant that the team had to face the winner of the Pacific Coast Hockey AssociationPacific Coast Hockey Association
The Pacific Coast Hockey Association was a professional men's ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League...
(PCHA) before being able to challenge for the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. Unfortunately, the up-start Capitals lost to the Vancouver Millionaires
Vancouver Millionaires
The Vancouver Millionaires were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League between 1911 and 1926...
of the PCHA. Vancouver went on to face the Toronto St. Patricks
Toronto St. Patricks
The Toronto St. Patricks professional men's ice hockey team started as an amateur ice hockey organization. In 1919, the club purchased the Toronto National Hockey League franchise from the NHL. The club renamed the franchise the Toronto St. Patricks club and operated the franchise until 1927, when...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL), but would lose the best-of-five series for the Stanley Cup 3 games to 2.
They finished second overall in each of their first three seasons, with their third season only one point behind first place, but that first season would be the only one in which they would win the playoffs and advance to the next series. After three seasons well above .500, they fell to last place overall in their fourth season (1924-25
1924-25 WCHL season
The 1924–25 WCHL season was the fourth season for the now defunct Western Canada Hockey League. With the collapse of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association , two teams, the Vancouver Maroons and Victoria Cougars joined the WCHL...
) with only 8 wins in 28 games.
The Capitals tried spending their way out of their difficulties, but that only caused more problems. With the team in debt and losing money, they followed the NHL's example of heading south across the border and moved to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
for the start of the 1925-26 WHL season
1925-26 WHL season
The 1925–26 WHL season was the fifth and last season for the now defunct Western Canada Hockey League , which was renamed Western Hockey League at the start of the season due to one of its Canadian teams, the Regina Capitals, moving to Portland, Oregon in the United States and being renamed the...
. The Regina Capitals renamed themselves the Portland Rosebuds
Portland Rosebuds
Portland Rosebuds is the name of at least three professional teams based in Portland, Oregon during the first half of the 20th century. Two were professional men's ice hockey teams playing their home games at the Portland Ice Arena, one from 1914 to 1918 and another in 1925-6...
, which was a rekindling of an older, then defunct, team from the PCHA. With that move, they became the only United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
based team in their league. Since they moved to the States, the league had to change its name to reflect that not all of its teams were based in Canada anymore. So, the "Canada" part of the league's name was dropped and it was renamed the Western Hockey League.
The move didn't help the on-ice performance of the team very much. They didn't finish last overall, but with an extra eight games played from the previous season, they only managed to better their total wins by 4 giving them 12 wins in 36 games.
After that season, the Western Hockey League folded. The National Hockey League bought every contract of ever player from the WHL for $258,000.
Prairie Hockey League Capitals
With the collapse of the WHL, many of the players and teams that didn't become part of the NHL re-grouped and formed a new semi-pro league called the Prairie Hockey LeaguePrairie Hockey League
The Prairie Hockey League was a Canadian professional ice hockey league in Alberta and Saskatchewan that was created following the demise of the Western Hockey League in 1926. It operated for two seasons....
(PrHL). A "new" Regina Capitals were born. They finished third overall in the inaugural season of the PrHL, but faltered badly for the second season with only two wins in 26 games. That second season would be the final season for both the Regina Capitals and the Prairie Hockey League as the league disbanded following the season's end.
Season-by-season record
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points| Season | Team name & League | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1921-22 1921-22 WCHL season The 1921–22 WCHL season was the first season for the now defunct Western Canada Hockey League. Four teams played 24 games each. The Regina Capitals defeated the Edmonton Eskimos in a two-game total-goals series to win the inaugural league championship.... |
Regina Capitals (WCHL Western Canada Hockey League The Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.-History:... ) |
24 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 28 | 94 | 78 | 2nd in WCHL | Won league Championship |
| 1922-23 1922-23 WCHL season The 1922–23 WCHL season was the second season for the now defunct Western Canada Hockey League. Four teams played 30 games each.-Final standings:Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points... |
Regina Capitals (WCHL) | 30 | 16 | 14 | 0 | 32 | 93 | 97 | 2nd in WCHL | Lost in WCHL finals |
| 1923-24 1923-24 WCHL season The 1923–24 WCHL season was the third season for the now defunct Western Canada Hockey League . Four teams played 30 games each. The Calgary Tigers defeated the Regina Capitals to win the WCHL title... |
Regina Capitals (WCHL) | 30 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 36 | 83 | 67 | 2nd in WCHL | Lost in WCHL finals |
| 1924-25 1924-25 WCHL season The 1924–25 WCHL season was the fourth season for the now defunct Western Canada Hockey League. With the collapse of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association , two teams, the Vancouver Maroons and Victoria Cougars joined the WCHL... |
Regina Capitals (WCHL) | 28 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 16 | 72 | 121 | 6th (last) in WCHL | Out of playoffs |
| 1925-26 1925-26 WHL season The 1925–26 WHL season was the fifth and last season for the now defunct Western Canada Hockey League , which was renamed Western Hockey League at the start of the season due to one of its Canadian teams, the Regina Capitals, moving to Portland, Oregon in the United States and being renamed the... |
Portland Rosebuds (WHL Western Canada Hockey League The Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.-History:... ) |
36 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 26 | 84 | 106 | 4th in WHL | Out of playoffs |
| 1926-27 1926-27 PrHL season The 1926–27 season was the first year for the Prairie Hockey League . The PHL was, in essence, a reorganisation of the Western Hockey League after it folded the previous year... |
Regina Capitals (PrHL Prairie Hockey League The Prairie Hockey League was a Canadian professional ice hockey league in Alberta and Saskatchewan that was created following the demise of the Western Hockey League in 1926. It operated for two seasons.... ) |
32 | 14 | 16 | 2 | 30 | 110 | 117 | 3rd in PrHL | |
| 1927-28 1927-28 PrHL season The 1927–28 season was the second and last season of the Prairie Hockey League . Two of the league's three remaining teams played 26 games while the third team played 28.-Regular season:... |
Regina Capitals (PrHL) | 26 | 2 | 19 | 5 | 9 | 46 | 89 | 3rd (last) in PrHL |
Note: The Rosebuds relocated to Chicago as the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
(NHL). The Capitals' team that started in the PrHL in Regina was a newly formed team.
See also
- Western Canada Hockey LeagueWestern Canada Hockey LeagueThe Western Canada Hockey League , founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.-History:...
- Pacific Coast Hockey AssociationPacific Coast Hockey AssociationThe Pacific Coast Hockey Association was a professional men's ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League...
- List of pre-NHL seasons
- Portland RosebudsPortland RosebudsPortland Rosebuds is the name of at least three professional teams based in Portland, Oregon during the first half of the 20th century. Two were professional men's ice hockey teams playing their home games at the Portland Ice Arena, one from 1914 to 1918 and another in 1925-6...
- Chicago Black HawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
- List of ice hockey teams in Saskatchewan