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Western Hockey League (Professional)This article refers to the 'pro Western Hockey League and not the amateur junior' Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) was a major ice hockey league that was founded as the Western Canada Hockey League in 1921 and merged with the Pacific Coast Hockey Association in 1924. In 1925, the WCHL's Regina franchise moved to Portland, Oregon, and the league dropped the "Canada" from its name, renaming itself the WHL. The 1925-26 season would be the last season of major-league hockey in western Canada for several decades. The Edmonton Eskimos placed first in the WHL's regular season standings, but lost in the playoffs to the Victoria Cougars, who were defeated in the Stanley Cup series by the Montreal Maroons. The Cougars were the last non-NHL team to challenge for the Stanley Cup. The WHL had been finding it increasingly difficult to compete for players with the National Hockey League, which had the advantage of a larger population in the east. After the 1925-26 season, WHL president Frank Patrick sold the rosters of the Portland and Victoria franchises, as well as many other WHL stars, to NHL teams. Some of the remaining franchises formed the Prairie Hockey League (1926). This league, which unlike its predecessor was not considered a major league, folded in 1928. Further reading - Diamond, Dan (ed.), Total Hockey, second edition (ISBN 189212985X)
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