The Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL) was a minor professional ice hockey league that operated primarily in Ontario and Quebec from 1959 to 1963. While the NHL had established working relationships with teams in leagues such as the AHL and WHL, these leagues and their teams were not fully under the control of the NHL, and in this era they operated more independently than is the case today. The Eastern Professional Hockey League was created in 1959 as the first farm league fully run and controlled by the NHL. While the league proved to be a success on the ice, it largely failed off the ice. Attendance in these smaller cities could not support professional hockey, and by 1962, the league was reduced to just four teams. While the intent was for the EPHL to be the primary development league for the NHL, the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

did not participate until the final season, and the Toronto Maple Leafs never had an affiliate. During its final season the league played an interlocking schedule with the International Hockey League. Following the demise of the EPHL, the NHL created the new Central Hockey League of minor-pro farm teams in larger, midwestern U.S. cities. Four of the CHL's initial five franchises were relocations of the previous season's EPHL teams.

Member teams

Hull-Ottawa Canadiens The Hull-Ottawa Canadiens were a semi-professional ice hockey franchise from 1959 until 1963. History The Hull-Ottawa Canadiens were formed as members of the Eastern Professional Hockey League in 1959. The professional team was granted to the are ...

(1959–1963) *

Kingston Frontenacs The Kingston Frontenacs are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Frontenacs play home games at Leon's Centre, which opened in 2008. Team history predates the OHA, back to 1945, to a te ...

(1959–1963) * Montreal Royals (1959–1961) *

Sault Thunderbirds The Sault Thunderbirds were a professional ice hockey team in the Eastern Professional Hockey League from 1959 to 1962. The Thunderbirds were based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and played at the Sault Memorial Gardens. Players Hockey Hall of F ...

(1959–1962) (moved to Syracuse for 1962-63 season) *

Sudbury Wolves The Sudbury Wolves are an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) ice hockey team based in Greater Sudbury, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Sudbury has had various hockey teams competing at the Junior ice hockey, junior and senior ice hockey levels of the game k ...

(1959–1963) * Trois-Rivières Lions (1959–1960) (moved to Kitchener for 1960-61 season) * Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen (1960–1961) * Kitchener Beavers (1961–1962) * North Bay Trappers (1961–1962) * Syracuse Braves (1962–1963) (moved to St. Louis during the 1962-63 season) *

St. Louis Braves The St. Louis Braves were a minor league hockey club located in St. Louis, Missouri. The team originated as the Syracuse Braves in the Eastern Professional Hockey League's final season of 1962–63. The team was moved to St. Louis mid-season, ...

(1962–1963)

League champions

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

- Montreal Royals *

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

- Hull-Ottawa Canadiens *

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...

- Hull-Ottawa Canadiens *

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

- Kingston Frontenacs

References

hockeyleaguehistory.com

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eastern Professional Hockey League (1959-63) Defunct ice hockey leagues in Ontario Defunct ice hockey leagues in Quebec Sports leagues established in 1959 1959 establishments in Canada 1963 disestablishments in Canada