A History Of Victory/Continental Cup Winners (Part 2)

[dstevensonjr 445]

Here is the follow up to Part 1 of this article!

 

Toronto Legion

Four times: S21, S29, S48, S50

 

The Toronto Legion were the sixth of the original eight franchises to do the double dip. They came close in S10 after winning the Victory Cup, but lost in a seven game heartbreaker in the Continental Cup final. The Legion would win the Victory Cup again in S17 before finally pulling off the double in S21. Following a 58-11-3 regular season, the Legion would close out Davos in five games to complete their first double. Toronto would claim the VC in S22 and S24 again before winning both trophies in S29. The Legion went 50-15-7 in the regular season to capture the VC, and then defeated Davos again in six games to win the CC. Nearly twenty seasons later (including a failed attempt in S36 that saw a VC and a seven game loss in the CC), the Legion would double down again. S48 saw the Legion go 55-16-1 with 111 points to win the VC, and then defeat Helsinki in five games to add the CC. One season later the Legion would miss out on the VC by two points before winning the CC, and then S50 saw the Legion do it right again, claiming the double for the fourth and final time. The Legion went 56-11-5 with 117 points to add another VC to their trophy case, and followed that up with a seven game series victory over Davos to win the CC.

 

Vasteras Iron Eagles

One time: S26

 

The Vasteras franchise was in the VHL from S1 to S57 under four different names: Vasteras IK, Madrid Thunder, Vasteras Iron Eagles, and the Stockholm Vikings. Their run in the VHL under the Iron Eagles brand came from S21 to S40, and in that time they managed to make the Continental Cup Final one time, and only won one Victory Cup. Those two events both came together to happen in S26, when the Iron Eagles went 58-10-4 in the regular season, stacking up 120 points. In the playoffs that season, they beat the New York Americans in five games to clinch their only double dip in franchise history.

 

Helsinki Titans

Five times: S34, S45, S46, S55, S66

 

The second of the two teams who have double dipped five times, the Titans did it all five times in a 33 season span. The first 33 seasons for Helsinki saw them win the Victory Cup once (S33), while picking up four Continental Cups (S6, S15, S22, S27). In S34, they opened up an era of dominant seasons. S34 saw the Titans go 55-12-5 with 115 points to win the VC, and they followed it up with a tight seven game series win over Calgary. Just over a decade later, Helsinki doubled up on a double up, going back to back in S45 and S46. In the S45 regular season, the Titans went 52-15-5 with 109 points, and then finished it off by defeating Calgary in seven games again. The following season, S46 saw Helsinki improve to 54-12-6 with 114 points. They also defeated Calgary again, this time in five games, to win the CC and complete their third double dip. Helsinki would win the Continental Cup again in S54, but it would be one more season before they double dipped again. S55 had Helsinki go 58-12-2 with 118 points to win another Victory Cup for the franchise. In the playoffs that season, they would defeat Quebec City in seven games to win the CC. Just more than a decade later (including a CC in S60), the Titans notched their fifth and final double to date. The S66 regular season was a 55-14-3 effort for Helsinki with 113 points, and the playoffs saw them sweep Vancouver to win another title.

 

Quebec City Meute/Vancouver Wolves

Four times: S35, S80, S81, S82

 

Another franchise that has split time in two places, the current Vancouver Wolves were the Quebec City Meute from S31 to S64 before changing cities. The first 49 seasons in franchise history were solid for Quebec City and Vancouver, as they won six Victory Cups (S35, S42, S44, S49, S69, S71) and four Continental Cups (S35, S56, S67, S74). That run included the double dip in S35. In that regular season, Quebec City went 55-14-3 with 113 points to capture their first Victory Cup in just their fifth season. The playoffs ended for them in a six game victory over the Helsinki Titans, capping the fifth season with the first Continental Cup and first double dip. With all due respect to those accolades listed above, the true run of dominance came for Vancouver from S80 to S82. The only franchise in VHL history to accomplish the trifecta of double dips in a row is the Vancouver Wolves, showing a run of dominance that still remains unmatched to this day. The S80 regular season saw Vancouver go 57-11-4 with 118 points, before winning a tight seven game series against Moscow to capture the Continental Cup. The following season had the most wins of this stretch, as the Wolves went 58-12-2, another 118 point season. The CC final brought a familiar foe, and Vancouver closed out Moscow in six games to once again hoist the Cup. In S82, Vancouver capped the trio of doubles with a 53-15-4 record in the regular season. The 110 points was the lowest mark of the three seasons, but it ended up being the quickest playoff finish, as the Wolves swept Moscow aside in four games to defeat them for the third season in a row. Three straight double dips had been unheard of to that point, and seems likely to never be repeated again.

 

Moscow Menace

One time: S70

 

Moscow entered the VHL in S65, and it only took them six seasons to earn their first of six Victory Cups (S70, S74, S76, S83, S84, S89), as well as their first of two Continental Cups (S70, S94). In the regular season in S70, the Menace lived up to their name by going 50-17-5 with 105 points to claim first place in the VHL. They capped off the franchises first and only double dip by defeating the Calgary Wranglers in six games to win their first Continental Cup.

 

Malmo Nighthawks

One time: S79

 

Malmo joined the season following Moscow in S66, and in just their third season (S68) they won the Victory Cup, the first of their four VC's (S79, S92, S93). In that same season, Malmo made it to the Continental Cup final, but couldn't complete the double. A decade after their inception, the Nighthawks won their first Continental Cup in S75. Four seasons later, the Nighthawks accomplished their franchises lone double dip. A regular season that saw them go 53-19-0 with 106 points was followed up by a six game defeat of Seattle to win the Continental Cup.

 

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Thank you for reading Part 2 of my article! I was really hoping that the S94 Legion could join this list, but it was still a fun article to research!

[dstevensonjr 445]

1000+ words Week 2.

[Banackock 8,143]

No Seattle 

[Daniel Janser 2,217]

12 hours ago, Banackock said:

No Seattle 

read the linked first part of this series

[Victor 11,021]

Moscow Moscow Moscow