Hockey Programs

1968-69 WHL Playoffs--Buckaroos vs. San Diego Gulls      The Portland Buckaroos were members of the Western Hockey League (WHL), a six-team minor-pro circuit based along the West Coast of the US and Canada. The Buckaroos were two-time Patrick Cup Champions (1961 and 1965) and played their home games at the 10,128-seat Memorial Coliseum.      Led by former NHLer Hal Laycoe, the Buckaroos had a fine season in 1968-69. Portland won the regular season title that year, with a 40-18-16 record, 10 points ahead of the Vancouver Canucks. Despite the strong showing on the ice, attendance dipped below 6,000 per game for the first time, as the Buckaroos drew 5,655 per game to the Coliseum. 1968-69 Team Photo      The Buckaroos topped the WHL in both offense and defense that season. Portland scored 291 goals in 1968-69. Longtime center Art Jones led the team in scoring, with 38 goals and 114 points. Bill Saunders, with the Buckaroos since 1961, ...

1964-65 Regular Season Buckaroos vs. Victoria Maple Leafs      The Portland Buckaroos were in their fifth season of existence in 1964-65. The franchise began as the New Westminster Royals, who played from 1945-59. The Buckaroos were members of the Western Hockey League, a minor-pro circuit based in the West Coast of the United States and Canada. This was prior to the NHL's 1967 Expansion, so the WHL was practically the closest thing to major league hockey.      Hal Laycoe, longtime NHL defenseman (mostly with Boston), followed the team from New Westminster and was back behind the bench this season. The team had yet to miss the playoffs, and 1964-65 was no different. Laycoe's Buckaroos went 42-23-5, first overall in the WHL. Portland's 89 points were 13 better than the second-place Seattle Totems. As a result of the great season,  just under 8,200 per game attended Buckaroos games.      The Buckaroos' offense pumped in 267 goals, to...