Empire of Ice by Craig H. Bowlsby, with cover art illustration by artist and designer Aaron White. As part of the Vancouver Historical Society’s lecture series, Craig will be speaking about the Pacific Coast Hockey Association on Thursday, February 27, 2014, 7:30pm at the Museum of Vancouver.
Vancouver’s only Stanley Cup, won by the Vancouver Millionaires in 1915, was brought about by the foresight, inventiveness and organization of the hockey-playing Patrick brothers. The Patricks achieved this by founding the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) in 1911 and constructing artificial ice arenas in Vancouver and Victoria. The PCHA also brought in the first American teams - Seattle, Portland and Spokane - to fight for the Stanley Cup. Further, their new rules modernized professional hockey and forced a faster game before the Association’s bizarre plummet in 1926. Consequently, the story of the PCHA has become an important part of the hockey story today…
And FYI, I will be speaking on Illustrated Vancouver next month on March 27, 2014; hope to see you there!