- 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 are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They have been part of the National Hockey League (NHL) since 1925 and have won five Stanley Cup championships over their storied history. The Pirates were one of the original six teams to make up the NHL when it was formed in 1926, alongside fellow members such as Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.
From 1925-1926 to 1929-1930, the Pirates had some great success on ice with four consecutive playoff appearances from 1927–28 season through the 1930–31 season while never missing out on a postseason spot. During this time, they also made two trips to Stanley Cup Finals but unfortunately fell short against Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins in the 1927 & 1928 seasons. Despite not winning any Championships during these years, the team did manage to achieve some impressive individual accolades with Hall Of Fame inductees like goaltender Roy Worters (who led league goaltenders for shutouts twice between 1926 -27 & 1929 – 30 )and forward Lionel Conacher who scored at least 20 goals each year between those same four seasons.
In addition, they also had other notable players like defenseman Eddie Shore who was named an All-Star 3 times between those four years, along with forwards Bill Cook, Bun Cook & Frank Fredrickson, all having multiple successful campaigns throughout that era which helped them reach postseasons every single year despite being unable to win any titles. Overall, although they couldn’t capture any Championship trophies during these five years, they still managed to put together memorable performances by making playoffs every time, which is no small feat considering how competitive NHL has become today!
Established
1925
City
Pittsburgh – Philadelphia
League History
1925 – 1931 / National Hockey League
Team History
1930 – 1931 / Philadelphia Quakers
1925 – 1930 / Pittsburgh Pirates
Nickname
Pirates – The Pittsburgh Pirates have a long and storied history in the National Hockey League, dating back to 1925. During this period, they were known by several different nicknames. From 1925-1930, the team was known as “the Steel City Six” about their home city of Pittsburgh being nicknamed “Steel City” due to its many steel mills and factories. This nickname also paid homage to the six players who made up their starting lineup during that era: Mickey MacKay at center ice; Bill Cook at left wing; Dit Clapper at right-wing; Lionel Conacher on defense; Eddie Shore on defense and Roy Worters between the pipes as a goaltender.
In the 1926-27 season, however, another nickname emerged for them – The Flying Dutchmen – which was inspired by legendary coach Cyclone Taylor whose aggressive style of play earned him his moniker (Cyclone) but also led fans of opposing teams to call him Dutchman or Der Deutscher due his German heritage. The name stuck with both fans and media alike, so much so it eventually became synonymous with all those associated with the Pirates hockey club, including players like Max Bentley (who won two Stanley Cups while playing for them), Babe Siebert, Hooley Smith, King Clancy & more!
Finally, from 1927 until 1930, when they moved into the new arena Mellon Arena (now PPG Paints Arena), they were referred to simply as "The Bucs" - a short form derived from the word Buccaneers which itself originated with the Spanish term bucanero meaning pirate or sea robber - perfect fit considering how close team's logo resembles skull & crossbones symbol found most commonly among pirates' flagships! So next time you hear someone mention "Bucs," don't forget about its roots going all way back early days NHL franchise located deep within the heart of America's Steel City...
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