The PCHA record book
- Greg Nesteroff
- Aug 4
- 4 min read
With nearly 50 pages of appendices and statistics, Craig Bowlsby’s Empire of Ice is the chief resource for data on the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. But I’ve never seen a list of league records, so I’ve created one below.
Some records are easily compiled by browsing game-by-game results and season-by-season standings. Others are more tentative. They draw on things I’ve come across in various newspapers and the work of other historians, but some outstanding performances may have eluded me. There are also discrepancies between different sources.
(Image generated by ChatGPT)
Unless otherwise noted, these records encompass the 1911-12 through 1923-24 seasons, and don’t include the two seasons following the PCHA’s merger with the Western Canada Hockey League. The records are mostly based on the regular season, but I’ve thrown in a few noteworthy playoff and exhibition games. Although Spokane was technically a relocation of the Victoria franchise and Portland a relocation of the New Westminster franchise, I’ve treated Spokane and Portland as entirely separate teams.
I’ll continue to add to this page as I come across other things.
SEASON, TEAM
Best winning percentage
.764: Vancouver, 1914-15
Worst winning percentage
.235: Victoria, 1914-15
Most wins
16: Seattle, 1916-17 (24-game schedule); Vancouver 1922-23 (29-game schedule)
Fewest wins
4: Victoria, 1914-15
Most losses
18: Victoria, 1923-24
Fewest losses
4: Vancouver, 1914-15
Most ties
1: Seattle, Victoria, 1920-21; Seattle, Victoria, 1921-22; Vancouver 1922-23; Vancouver, Victoria, 1923-24
Most goals for
131: Vancouver, 1916-17
Most goals against
143: Spokane, 1916-17
Fewest goals for
44: Victoria, 1918-19
Fewest goals against
46: Seattle, 1918-19
Best goal differential:
+45: Seattle, 1916-17
Worst goal differential:
-54: Spokane, 1916-17
SEASON, INDIVIDUAL
Most games played
30: Many tied from 1922-23 and 1923-24 seasons
Most goals
43: Gordon Roberts, Vancouver, 1916-17
Most assists
22: Cyclone Taylor, Vancouver, 1914-15
Most points
55: Frank Fredrickson, Victoria, 1922-23 (30-game schedule)*
54: Bernie Morris, Seattle, 1916-17 (24-game schedule)
* Craig Bowlsby notes in Empire of Ice that one of Fredrickson’s 55 points came in a disputed game of Feb. 2, 1923 whose results were ultimately thrown out by the league, so it is debatable whether the individual stats should count.
SINGLE GAME, TEAM
Most goals by both teams
25: March 2, 1915, Vancouver 14, Victoria 11
20: Feb. 13, 1916, Vancouver 12, Spokane 8
20: Feb. 1, 1916, Vancouver 16, Victoria 4
Most goals by one team
16: Feb. 1, 1916, Vancouver 16, Victoria 4
16: Feb. 2, 1917, Seattle 16, Spokane 1
Largest margin of victory
15: Feb. 2, 1917, Seattle 16, Spokane 1
Longest overtime
60 minutes: March 4, 1921, Seattle 4, Victoria 4. This was the first tie in league history. In subsequent seasons, overtime was limited to 20 minutes before a tie was declared.
SINGLE GAME, INDIVIDUAL
Most points
8: Cyclone Taylor, Feb. 1, 1916. Vancouver 16, Victoria 4. Taylor had six goals and two assists, including four goals in the third period alone.
8: Cully Wilson, Feb. 29, 1916. Seattle 14, Portland 6 (exhibition). All goals.
7: Cyclone Taylor, March 2, 1915. Vancouver 14, Victoria 11. Taylor had four goals and three assists.
7: Bernie Morris, Feb. 8, 1916. Seattle 8, Victoria 4. Morris had four goals and three assists. In his next game three days later, he had another four-goal game as Seattle beat Portland, also 8-4.
7: Bernie Morris, Feb. 29, 1916, Seattle 14, Portland 6 (exhibition). Morris had four goals and three assists.
7: Bernie Morris, Jan. 12, 1917. Seattle 12, Vancouver 3. Morris had five goals and two assists.
Most goals
8: Cully Wilson, Feb. 29, 1916. Seattle 14, Portland 6 (exhibition).
6: Frank Patrick, March 6, 1912. Vancouver 10, New Westminster 6. This remains the professional record for a defenceman.
6: Cyclone Taylor, Feb. 1, 1916. Vancouver 16, Victoria 4.
6: Bernie Morris, March 26, 1917, Seattle 9, Montreal 1 (playoffs). This game clinched the Stanley Cup championship for Seattle.
Most assists
4: Bobby Rowe, Jan. 31, 1913. Victoria 7, New Westminster 3
4: Smoky Harris, Jan. 4, 1916. Portland 10, Victoria 5
LIFETIME, TEAM
Most games played
272: Vancouver, 1911-24
Best winning percentage
.538: Seattle, 1915-24
Worst winning percentage
.348: Spokane, 1916-17
Most wins
142: Vancouver, 1911-24
Most losses
127: Vancouver, 1911-24; Victoria, 1911-16, 1918-24
Most ties
3: Victoria, 1911-16, 1918-24
Most goals for
1,106: Vancouver, 1911-24
Most goals against
1,025: Vancouver, 1911-24
Best goal differential
+81: Vancouver, 1911-24
Worst goal differential
-192: Victoria, 1911-16, 1918-24
LIFETIME, INDIVIDUAL SKATERS (PCHA only)
Most games played
257: Bobby Rowe, Victoria/Seattle 1911-24
Most goals
194: Tom Dunderdale, Victoria/Portland, 1911-23
Most assists
104: Cyclone Taylor, Vancouver 1912-23
Most points
263: Cyclone Taylor, Vancouver 1912-23
LIFETIME, INDIVIDUAL GOALTENDERS (PCHA only)
Most games played
262: Hugh Lehman, New Westminster/Vancouver, 1911-24
Most shutouts
17: Hugh Lehman, New Westminster/Vancouver, 1911-24Â Â
LIFETIME, INDIVIDUAL SKATERS (PCHA and WHL/WCHL combined)
Most games played
257: Bobby Rowe, Victoria/Seattle 1911-24
Most goals
198: Mickey MacKay, Vancouver 1914-19, 1920-26
Most assists
104: Cyclone Taylor, Vancouver 1912-23
Most points
290: Mickey MacKay, Vancouver 1914-19, 1920-26
CAREER, INDIVIDUAL GOALTENDERS (PCHA and WHL/WCHL combined)
Most games played
303: Hugh Lehman, New Westminster/Vancouver, 1911-26
Â
Most shutouts
20: Hugh Lehman, New Westminster/Vancouver, 1911-26
One record that wasn’t: The Vancouver Province of Nov. 23, 1921 incorrectly claimed that Vancouver was down 8-0 after two periods on Jan. 26, 1912 and came back to win by scoring 10 goals in the third period. The score in that game was indeed 10-8 for Vancouver, but Vancouver led 5-1 after the first and 6-2 after the second. Victoria had six goals in the third period, but I don’t know how close that came to a record.