Expanding the NHL: 1970-1972

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This article was first posted on the4thlinepodcast.com

In the first article in this series, we looked at the NHL’s 1967 expansion, when the league doubled in size. 1970 brought the addition of two new NHL teams, and the divisions were shuffled. The Chicago Black Hawks (the name change came in 1986) moved over to the West, making space in the East division for the new boys.

1970

Vancouver Canucks
The history of the Vancouver Canucks effectively starts in 1945, but ice hockey in BC’s largest city goes back much further than that. The Millionaires (later renamed The Maroons) represented Vancouver in the PCHA and WCHL for 15 years, and in that time brought home the Stanley Cup. A feat that to date, has not been repeated in Vancouver. In 1915 the winners of the PCHA and NHA competed for the cup, the Millionaires defeated the NHA’s Ottawa Senators (the original Senators) to lift the cup for the first and only time. In 1926 the team folded.
Fast forward 19 years and hockey returned, the Vancouver Canucks were formed, ‘canuck’ being a slang term for a Canadian and a foe of spellcheckers everywhere. Seven years in the PCHL led to 18 years in the WHL. When expansion came a-knocking in 1967, the Canucks applied but were rejected. 1970 was different, and along with the Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver was accepted into the NHL. The team picked up future coach and General Manager Pat Quinn in the 1970 expansion draft.
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