The
Calgary Tigers were a professional ice hockey team based in
Calgary,
Alberta, Canada. They were a member of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) and played from
1920 to
1927. The team was founded in
1918 as the
Calgary Tigers Hockey Club and later joined the WCHL in
1921.
During their time in the league, the
Calgary Tigers were a competitive and successful team. They had a strong rivalry with the
Edmonton Eskimos (not related to the CFL team) and the
Victoria Cougars. In the
1923-
1924 season, the Tigers won the Western Canada Hockey League championship and later faced the
Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Finals. Despite their efforts, they were not able to secure the championship.
Unfortunately, the team's success was short-lived. In
1927, financial difficulties led to the sale of the
Calgary Tigers to a group of investors from the United States. The new ownership relocated the team to the United States and renamed them the "
Chicago Black Hawks" (later spelled as "
Chicago Blackhawks"). The move was primarily to take advantage of the larger market in
Chicago and to expand the popularity of ice hockey in the U.S.
Although the
Calgary Tigers are no longer active in the
NHL, their legacy remains as part of the city's hockey history. The team's departure paved the way for the eventual arrival of the
Calgary Flames in
1972, who have since become an integral part of the city's sports culture. The
Calgary Tigers are remembered for their contributions to ice hockey in Western Canada and their brief but notable presence in the
NHL's early years.