Professional Hockey in Philadelphia

Philadelphia has been a hockey town since 1897. Before and even during the Philadelphia Flyers’ tenure, other teams—the Ramblers, the Quakers and the Firebirds, among others—called the city home, for better or for worse. The first of its kind, this comprehensive history covers the teams and players that graced the ice from the turn of the 20th century through the 2009 demise of the Philadelphia Phantoms. Offering something for every Philly hockey fan, the author tells the stories of the 10 pro teams that played the world’s fastest game in the City of Brotherly Love.

Alan Bass has been a contributor to The Hockey News magazine since 2009 and his writing has appeared on various national platforms, from NHL.com to CNN. He lives in Wenonah, New Jersey.

Alan Bass

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 237
Bibliographic Info: 76 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2020
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8269-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4064-8
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vii
Preface 1
Introduction: Philadelphia Professional Hockey 5
1. Quaker City Hockey Club: American Amateur Hockey League, 1900–01 11
2. The Arrows: ­Canadian-American Hockey League (CAHL), 1927–35 22
3. The Quakers: National Hockey League (NHL), 1930–31 42
4. The Comets: ­Tri-State Hockey League (­T-SHL), 1932–33 57
5. The Ramblers: Canadian-American Hockey League (CAHL), 1935–36; International-American Hockey League (­I-AHL), 1936–40; American Hockey League (AHL), 1940–41 64
6. The Rockets/Falcons: American Hockey League (AHL), 1941–42; Eastern Amateur Hockey League (EAHL), 1942–46; American Hockey League, 1946–49; Eastern Amateur Hockey League, 1951 79
7. The Ramblers: Eastern Hockey League (EHL), 1955–64 93
8. The Flyers: National Hockey League (NHL), 1967–Present 106
9. The Blazers: World Hockey Association (WHA), 1972–73 130
10. The Firebirds: North American Hockey League (NAHL), 1974–77; American Hockey League (AHL), 1977–79 150
11. The Phantoms: American Hockey League (AHL), 1996–2009 178
Epilogue 197
Appendix: The History of the Philadelphia Arena 199
Chapter Notes 211
Bibliography 221
Index 225

• “This fine book should interest not only Philadelphia hockey fans, but those of the game elsewhere as it gives a fascinating picture of how pro hockey grew in the United States in both the minor pros as well as the NHL.”—HockeyBuzz

• “Bass writes about [the] teams in a fascinating, brilliantly researched book that includes tidbits of corny-but-amusing copy from local newspapers. The newspaper accounts, written in an old-timey manner, give the flavor of those eras.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer