Canadian–American Hockey League

The Canadian–American Hockey League, popularly known as the Can-Am League, was a professional ice hockey league that operated from 1926 to 1936. It was a direct predecessor of the American Hockey League.

Canadian–American Hockey League

Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1926; 98 years ago (1926)
Ceased	1936; 88 years ago (1936)
No. of teams	6 (max)
Countries	United States Canada
Last champion(s)	Philadelphia Ramblers
Most titles	Springfield Indians (3)

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.^[1] The league changed its name to the current American Hockey League in 1940.

Two current AHL franchises have roots in the Can-Am. The Hartford Wolf Pack is descended from the Providence Reds franchise, which moved to Binghamton, New York, in 1977 before moving to Hartford in 1997. The Abbotsford Canucks are descended from the Springfield Indians franchise, which moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1994 before relocating to Peoria in 2005, to Utica in 2013, and to Abbotsford, British Columbia, in 2021.

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) (two separate franchises; first: 1926–27 to 1927–28, became the Newark Bulldogs; second: 1932–33 to 1934–35, became the Springfield Indians)
• Providence Reds (1926–27 to 1935–36; joins IAHL)
• Springfield Indians (two separate franchises; first: 1926–27 to 1932–33, folded; second: 1935–36, joins IAHL)

Timeline

Champions

The championship trophy was known as the Henri Fontaine Trophy.^[2]

Season	Regular season	Playoffs
1926–27	New Haven Eagles	Springfield Indians
1927–28	Springfield Indians	Springfield Indians
1928–29	Boston Tigers	Boston Tigers
1929–30	Providence Reds	Providence Reds
1930–31	Springfield Indians	Springfield Indians
1931–32	Providence Reds	Providence Reds
1932–33	Philadelphia Arrows	Boston Cubs
1933–34	Providence Reds	Providence Reds
1934–35	Boston Bruin Cubs	Boston Bruin Cubs
1935–36	Philadelphia Ramblers	Philadelphia Ramblers

References

1. "HERSHEY IN HOCKEY LEAGUE Admitted to Circuit as American-International Loops Unite" The Philadelphia Record, June 29, 1938
2. "Boston Tigers Lose Trophy". The Milwaukee Journal. April 4, 1930. p. 2. Retrieved November 20, 2012.

See also

• List of ice hockey leagues