Minor professional hockey leagues are the backbone of the NHL. These leagues over the years have served as training grounds for the NHL teams. Entertaining hockey in their own right and offering non NHL players a chance to earn a living.

Central Professional Hockey League (1963-69)

The Central Professional Hockey League (1963-69) was a minor league professional hockey in the USA. The league was known as the Central Professional Hockey League (CPHL) between 1963-69 and the Central Hockey League as of the 1969-70 season.

The original members of the league were the Omaha Knights, Minneapolis Bruins, St Paul Rangers, St Louis Braves and Cincinnati Wings (the Cincinnati franchise started in Indianapolis and moved to Cincinnati). The league was a developmental league for the NHL, with five of the six NHL teams being parent clubs in the first year.

The roots of the CHL go back to the old Eastern Professional Hockey League created by the NHL in 1959. The league essentially converted Senior Hockey teams in Ontario and Quebec into professional teams.

The league folded in 1984 with Indianapolis and Salt Lake City moving on to join the International Hockey League.

Central Professional Hockey League (1963-69) Franchises

Omaha Knights (1963-1965, 1966-1969)
Minneapolis Bruins (1963-1965)
St Paul Rangers (1963-1966)
St Louis Braves (1963-1967)
Cincinnati Wings (1963-1964)
Tulsa Ice Oilers (1964-1969)
Memphis Wings (1964-1967)
Houston Apollos (1965-1969)
Oklahoma City Blazers (1965- 1969)
Dallas Black Hawks (1967-1969)
Ft. Worth Wings (1967-1969)
Kansas City Blues (1967-1969)
Memphis South Stars (1967- 1969)
Amarillo Wranglers (1968-1969)

Central Professional Hockey League (1963-69) Champions

The league played a championship series for the Adams Cup.

Year
Playoff Champion
Regular Season Champion
1964
Omaha Knights
Omaha Knights
1965
St Paul Rangers
St Paul Rangers
1966
Oklahoma City Blazers
Minnesota Rangers
1967
Oklahoma City Blazers
Oklahoma City Blazers
1968
Tulsa Oilers
Oklahoma City Blazers
1969
Dallas Black Hawks
Oklahoma City Blazers

Central Professional Hockey League (1963-69) Seasons

1964 Season
GP
W
L
T
GF
GA
PTS
 
Omaha Knights
72
44
19
9
311
218
97
St. Paul Rangers
72
38
30
4
259
230
80
Minneapolis Bruins
72
36
29
7
294
270
79
St. Louis Braves
72
33
32
7
316
275
73
Cincinnati Wings
72
12
53
7
207
394
31
 
1965 Season
GP
W
L
T
GF
GA
PTS
 
St. Paul Rangers
70
41
23
6
281
223
88
Omaha Knights
70
37
25
8
246
238
82
Minneapolis Bruins
70
36
27
7
239
193
79
Tulsa Oilers
70
35
27
8
254
224
78
Memphis Wings
70
26
35
9
243
245
61
St. Louis Braves
70
13
51
6
189
329
32
               
1966 Season
GP
W
L
T
GF
GA
PTS
 
Minnesota Rangers
70
34
25
11
229
197
79
Oklahoma City Blazers
70
31
26
13
188
203
75
Tulsa Oilers
70
29
29
12
218
198
70
St. Louis Braves
70
30
31
9
226
217
69
Houston Apollos
70
27
32
11
221
244
65
Memphis Wings
70
25
33
12
200
223
62
 
1967 Season
GP
W
L
T
GF
GA
PTS
 
Oklahoma City Blazers
70
38
23
9
223
196
85
Omaha Knights
70
36
24
10
262
203
82
Houston Apollos
70
32
28
10
255
229
74
Memphis Wings
70
30
32
8
230
259
68
St. Louis Braves
70
24
26
20
229
236
68
Tulsa Oilers
70
14
41
15
183
269
43
 
1968 Season
GP
W
L
T
GF
GA
PTS
 
North Division
 
Tulsa Oilers
70
37
22
11
278
241
85
Kansas City Blues
70
31
29
10
249
243
72
Memphis South Stars
70
24
34
12
206
244
60
Omaha Knights
70
14
46
10
167
272
38
 
South Division
GP
W
L
T
GF
GA
PTS
 
Oklahoma City Blazers
70
38
20
12
245
174
88
Fort Worth Wings
70
34
25
11
245
199
79
Dallas Black Hawks
70
30
29
11
230
251
71
Houston Apollos
70
28
31
11
220
216
67
 
1969 Season
GP
W
L
T
GF
GA
PTS
 
North Division
 
Tulsa Oilers
72
28
28
16
250
240
72
Kansas City Blues
72
26
28
18
236
242
70
Omaha Knights
72
29
32
11
247
250
69
Memphis South Stars
72
14
41
17
208
304
45
 
South Division
GP
W
L
T
GF
GA
PTS
 
Oklahoma City Blazers
72
40
19
13
295
225
93
Dallas Black Hawks
72
37
25
10
264
218
84
Houston Apollos
72
34
26
12
224
204
80
Amarillo Wranglers
72
29
32
11
238
252
69
Fort Worth Wings
72
23
29
20
210
237
66

^ top

Central Professional Hockey League (1963-69) Award Winners

All Star Team Selections

1964 All-Stars
Player Team Position
Marcel Pelletier St. Paul Goal
Bob Woytowich St. Paul Defense
Barclay Plager Omaha Defense
Ray Cullen St. Louis Center
Bill McCreary Omaha Left-wing
John Brenneman St. Louis Left-wing
Alain Caron St. Louis Right-wing
 
1965 All-Stars
Player Team Position
Cesare Maniago Minneapolis Goal
Jean Gauthier Omaha Defense
Mike McMahon St. Paul Defense
Mike Walton Tulsa Center
Tom McCarthy Tulsa Left-wing
Marc Dufour St. Paul Right-wing
1967 All-Stars
     
First Team Position Second Team
Wayne Rutledge Omaha Goal Dave Dryden St. Louis
John Mizuk St. Louis Defense Al Hamilton Omaha
Mike McMahon Houston Defense Serge Savard Houston
Art Stratton St. Louis Center Gerry Melnyk St. Louis
         Alex Faulkner Memphis
George Konik Omaha Left-wing Wayne Maki St. Louis
Larry Mickey Omaha Right-wing Oscar Gaudet St. Louis
 
1968 All-Stars
     
First Team Position Second Team
Russ Gillow Oklahoma City Goal Ernie Wakely Houston
Bryan Watson Houston Defense John Arbour Oklahoma City
Irv Spencer Ft. Worth Defense Al Lebrun Dallas
Jim Lorentz Oklahoma City Center Ron Ward Tulsa
         Ron Buchanan Oklahoma City
Ken Campbell Tulsa Left-wing Gary Veneruzzo Kansas City
Len Haley Tulsa Right-wing Wayne Rivers Kansas City
 
1969 All-Stars
     
First Team Position Second Team
Marv Edwards Amarillo Goal Phil Myre Houston
Barry Gibbs Oklahoma City Defense Doug Barrie Amarillo
Barry Wilkins Oklahoma City Defense Ray Fortin Kansas City
Jim Lorentz Oklahoma City Center Juha Widing Omaha
Gary Veneruzzo Kansas City Left-wing Ross Lonsberry Oklahoma City
         Dan Johnson Tulsa
Steve Atkinson Oklahoma City Right-wing Bill Fairbairn Omaha

League Scoring Champions


Year
Player
Team
GP
G
A
Pts.
PIM
 
         
1964
Alain Caron
St. Louis
71
77
48
125
22
1965
Tom McCarthy
Tulsa
68
53
44
97
110
1966
Art Stratton
St. Louis
66
28
66
94
14
1967
Art Stratton
St. Louis
67
34
56
90
46
1968
Ron Ward
Tulsa
67
31
54
85
30
1969
Jim Lorentz
OKC
56
33
68
101
67

Most Valuable Player

Year
Player
Team
 
1964
Jeannot Gilbert
Minn.
1965
Cesare Maniago
Minn.
1966
Art Stratton
St. Louis
1967
Art Stratton
St. Louis
1968
Bryan Watson
Houston
1969
Jim Lorentz
OKC

Most Valuable Defenseman

Year
Player
Team
1964
Barclay Plager
Omaha
1965
Mike McMahon
St. Paul
1966
Al Labrun
Minn.
1967
Mike McMahon
Houston
1968
Bryan Watson
Houston
1969
Barry Gibbs
OKC

Leading Goaltenders

Year
Players
Team
GAA
       
1964
Ernie Wakely
Omaha
2.93
1965
Cesare Maniago
Minn.
2.75
1966
Wayne Rutledge
Minn.
2.81
1967
Gerry Cheevers
OKC
1968
Russ Gillow
OKC
2.16
1969
Phil Myre
Houston
2.83

Rookie of the Year

Year
Players
Team
     
1964
Garry Peters
Omaha
Poul Popiel
St. Louis
1965
Mike Walton
Tulsa
1966
Doug Roberts
Memphis
1967
Serge Savard
Houston
1968
Jim Lorentz
OKC
1969
Steve Atkinson
OKC