The Eastern Hockey League was a minor professional United States
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
league.
Eastern Amateur Hockey League (1933–1953)
The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League (EAHL). The league was founded by
Tommy Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1937 to 1972. Lockhart, who operated a small intramural hockey league at New York City's Madison Square Garden, offered his teams – and the use of the MSG ice – in exchange for joining the league.
The EAHL operated between 1933–1948 and 1949–1953. The league had a somewhat tenuous existence. It began with seven teams, and had various numbers of teams, going as low as four. There was no 1948–49 season, but the league returned for the 1949–50 season with eight teams. The league again did not operate during the 1953–54 season.
Teams
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Atlantic City Seagulls (1932–33 to 1941–42)
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Atlantic City Seagulls econd franchise(1947–48 to 1951–52)
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Baltimore Blades / Clippers (1944–45 to 1949–50)
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Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
(1933–34 to 1941–42)
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Boston Olympics (1940–41 to 1951–52)
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Bronx Tigers (1933–34 to 1933–34; 1937–38)
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Brooklyn Crescents (1943–44)
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Cleveland Knights (1949–50)
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Crescent-Hamilton Athletic Club (1933–34 to 1934–35)
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Grand Rapids Rockets
The Grand Rapids Rockets are a defunct International Hockey League team. They were members of the IHL from the 1950–1951 season to 1955–1956 season. They were based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and played their home games in Stadium Arena. Th ...
(1949–50)
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Hershey B'ars / Bears (1933–34 to 1937–38)
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Hershey Cubs (1938–39)
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Johnstown Blue Birds (1941–42)
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Johnstown Jets
The Johnstown Jets were a professional ice hockey team from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The Jets were founded in the Eastern Hockey League, Eastern Amateur Hockey League for the 1950–51 season, playing at the newly constructed Cambria County War M ...
(1950–51 to 1952–53)
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Milwaukee Clarks
The Milwaukee Clarks were a professional ice hockey team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the we ...
(1949–50)
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New Haven Eagles
The New Haven Eagles were a professional ice hockey team that played in New Haven, Connecticut. The Eagles were one of five inaugural franchises in the Canadian American Hockey League, and a founding member of the American Hockey League.
Histor ...
(1943–44)
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New Haven Tomahawks / Nutmegs (1951–53)
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New York Athletic Club
The New York Athletic Club is a Gentlemen's club, private social club and athletic club in New York (state), New York state. Founded in 1868, the club has approximately 8,600 members and two facilities: the City House, located at 180 Central Pa ...
(1933–34)
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New York Rovers
The New York Rovers were a senior ice hockey team that was established in 1935. They played in the Eastern Hockey League as a farm team of the New York Rangers. The Rovers played alongside the Rangers in Madison Square Garden (1925), Madison Squ ...
(1935–36 to 1951–52)
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Philadelphia Falcons (1942–43 to 1945–46; 1951–52)
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Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets (1935–36 to 1936–37)
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River Vale Skeeters (1939–40 to 1941–42)
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St. Nicholas Hockey Club (1933–34)
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Springfield Indians
The Springfield Indians were two separate minor professional ice hockey franchises, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The original Indians were founding members of the American Hockey Leagu ...
(1951–52 to 1952–53)
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Toledo Buckeyes
The Toledo Mercurys is a discontinued International Hockey League (1945–2001), International Hockey League franchise from Toledo, Ohio. The Toledo Franchise was the first IHL franchise to be granted outside of the Windsor-Detroit area, for the c ...
(1949–50)
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Troy Uncle Sam Trojans (1952–53)
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United States Coast Guard Cutters
The United States Coast Guard Cutters were a senior amateur ice hockey team operated by the United States Coast Guard Yard on Curtis Bay, Baltimore. The team played in the Eastern Hockey League, Eastern Amateur Hockey League for parts of two s ...
(1942–43)
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Washington Eagles (1939–40 to 1941–42)
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Washington Lions (1944–45 to 1946–47; 1951–52 to 1952–53)
Timeline
Eastern Hockey League (1954–1973)

The league started back up for the 1954–55 season and changed its name to the Eastern Hockey League.
The league operated between 1954 and 1973. It began with five teams and grew into two divisions for the 1959–60 season. The league reached it peak in terms of team number in the 1967–68 when it had twelve teams in two divisions. In its final season the league had twelve teams split into three divisions.
The EHL ceased operations after the 1972–73 season. Some of its northern teams became the
North American Hockey League
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 50th season of operation in 2024–25. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...
, while most of its Southern teams became the
Southern Hockey League.
Teams
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Baltimore Clippers
The Baltimore Clippers were a minor league professional ice hockey team from in Baltimore, Maryland, playing in the Baltimore Civic Center. The Clippers were members of the American Hockey League from 1962 to 1976, and then played one season i ...
(1954–55 to 1955–56)
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Cape Cod Cubs (1972–73)
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Charlotte Checkers
The Charlotte Checkers are a professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affiliate of the ...
(1956–57 to 1972–73)
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Clinton Comets (1954–55 to 1972–73)
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Greensboro Generals (1959–60 to 1972–73)
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Jacksonville Rockets/Florida Rockets (1964–65 to 1971–72)
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Jersey Devils
The Jersey Devils were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
The Devils were formed when the Philadelphia Ramblers (EHL), Philadelphia Ramblers, a member of the Eastern Hockey League (EHL), relocated from Philade ...
(1964–65 to 1972–73)
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Jersey Larks (1960–61)
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Johnstown Jets
The Johnstown Jets were a professional ice hockey team from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The Jets were founded in the Eastern Hockey League, Eastern Amateur Hockey League for the 1950–51 season, playing at the newly constructed Cambria County War M ...
(1955–56 to 1972–73)
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Knoxville Knights (1961–62 to 1967–68)
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Long Island Ducks (1961–62 to 1972–73)
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Nashville Dixie Flyers
The Nashville Dixie Flyers were a professional minor league ice hockey team in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ...
(1962–63 to 1970–71)
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New England Blades (1972–73)
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New Haven Blades (1954–55 to 1971–72)
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New York Rovers
The New York Rovers were a senior ice hockey team that was established in 1935. They played in the Eastern Hockey League as a farm team of the New York Rangers. The Rovers played alongside the Rangers in Madison Square Garden (1925), Madison Squ ...
(1959–60 to 1960–61; 1964–65)
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Philadelphia Ramblers
The Philadelphia Ramblers were a minor professional ice hockey team based in the Philadelphia Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Ramblers played for six seasons during the infancy of the American Hockey League from 1935 to 1941.
Histor ...
(1955–56 to 1963–64)
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Rhode Island Eagles (1972–73)
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Roanoke Valley Rebels (1970–71 to 1972–73)
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Salem Rebels (1967–68 to 1969–70)
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St. Petersburg Suns (1971–72)
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Suncoast Suns (1972–73)
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Syracuse Blazers (1967–68 to 1972–73)
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Washington Lions (1954–55 to 1956–57)
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Washington Presidents (1957–58 to 1959–60)
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Worcester Warriors
Worcester Warriors are a professional rugby union club based in Worcester, England. They most recently played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby union, before being suspended by the Rugby Football Union, RFU in September 2 ...
(1954–55)
Timeline
References
External links
Eastern Hockey League, HockeyDBhttp://www.theEHL.com
{{Authority control
EHL