- 1925
- 1928
- 1930
-
Pirates Hockey Team Formation
Pittsburgh was granted a franchise by the National Hockey League on November 7, 1925. The move came after Eddie Livingstone, the former owner of the Toronto Shamrocks and the Toronto Blueshirts of the National Hockey Association saw Pittsburgh as a possible member for a proposed rival league to the NHL; Pittsburgh had, in the 1890s, been the first metropolitan area ... -
Financial Problems
In 1928, financial problems forced James Callahan to sell the team to an ownership group which included Bill Dwyer, an early Prohibition gangster and bootlegger, and Benny Leonard, a fight promoter and ex-lightweight boxing champion, as his frontman. Despite the sale of the team, things didn’t improve on the ice for the Pirates. The team’s coach, Odie Cleghorn left the ... -
Relocate to Philadelphia
On October 18, 1930, at the NHL Board of Governors meeting, Leonard moved the team across Pennsylvania, to Philadelphia, and renamed them the Philadelphia Quakers. However, Leonard’s intention was to return the team to Pittsburgh as soon as a new arena was built. Thirteen players from the Pirates were transferred to the Philadelphia Quakers after the Pittsburgh franchise relocated. These ...
History of the Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL), based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1925 – 1926 to 1929 – 1930. The nickname comes from the baseball team also based in the city. For the 1930 – 1931 season, the team moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played one season as the Philadelphia Quakers.
Established
1925
City
Pittsburgh – Philadelphia
League History
1925 – 1931 / National Hockey League
Team History
1930 – 1931 / Philadelphia Quakers
1925 – 1930 / Pittsburgh Pirates
Nickname
Pirates – Owner Callahan renamed his team the Pittsburgh Pirates, after he received permission from Barney Dreyfuss, the owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team.
Championship
Stanley Cup 0
Arena
1930 – 1931 / Philadelphia Arena
*Pittsburgh*
1925 – 1930 / Duquesne Gardens
Owner
1928–1931 / Benny Leonard and Bill Dwyer
1925–1928 / James F. Callahan
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history