TORLAND HOCKEY LEAGUE (THL)
Founded 1960

For those of you who remember my baseball league (Torland Star League) based in my fictional country of Torland, this will take place in the same place, time and universe as the TSL. I have to completely revamp my structure for the TSL as it got out of hand with massive baseball rosters and simulations. In the meantime, I've been developing Torland's first professional hockey league. 1960 was a big year for sports in Torland, as leagues for American football, baseball and hockey all took off. This series will follow the hockey side of Torland. As in the TSL, I'll be sharing many details about Torland itself to illustrate the world in which these teams play. Any and all questions about Torland or its people, players, customs, culture and infrastructure are welcome!

An Introduction
The northern regions of Torland have long been a home to the sport of ice hockey. While the long and icy winter months kept the proud mariners and fishermen at bay, a strong tradition of hockey was seared into the very DNA of these hearty and competitive people. Rivalries were formed so deeply that marriages between rival families was essentially prohibited. It became more than just a pastime to pass the time during the winter. It became a way of life.

[ FULL MAP OF TORLAND: https://www.dropbox.com/s/rm59o41fthdzxlx/T2%20Map.png?dl=0 ]

After the second world war, with sporting and entertainment back on the rise, several independent team owners took notice of the sports leagues and teams being formed both in Torland and in the United States and Japan. Baseball was beginning to boom. The Dodgers had moved to LA and the Giants had taken over San Francisco. In Torland, Waterdee had become the new capital for baseball in the north Pacific and teams were joining rapidly as stadiums were being built or renovated.Collegiate hockey was a way of life in the northern coastal areas of Torland, even more so the numerous independent teams. With the resurgence of entertainment and organized sports back in the public eye, the smaller teams and their non-existent budgets were struggling to keep up with the demand. In the spring of 1958, Rey Marcotte, an aging businessman from Trowburgh, called a summit of fellow businessmen with interest and strong ties to ice hockey. They met in the lakeside retreat town of Lobure, Lismane, as a neutral location between all of the bad blood in their hockey veins.

Marcotte called in Wayne Leyva from Port Alrene who owned several independent teams and a decently-sized domed rink on the South Pier. From bitter rival Portarra, Seymour Duval was brought in as he was also an owner of several independent hockey teams and a large rink facility in his downtown. These would be the keystones of the new hockey quotient. Quiet, shy money mogul Claud Elam was brought from Chasonne, the quirky music capital of Torland with a strong hockey following. The captain of the brawling lot of the Isle of Kirk, known as “Sir” Captain Don Giordano was brought in to represent Kirkenport. Two mainlanders, Tamokeva-native Leo Rankin with business ties in Trowburgh and Lecayne-native Bernard Willard with business ties in hockey-crazed Kirlow rounded out the list. Both Rankin and Willard had played independent hockey in their younger days.

The topic at hand was how to build a league that would take advantage of the new demand for sporting entertainment and organize the talent in northern Torland along with the many international players who called Torland home. Leyva and Duval in particular were very well connected with international talent. A loose skeleton of a league structure was drafted and voted upon and each potential new league owner was in favor of moving ahead with the plans to found a new hockey league for Torland. The beginning of winter 1960 would be the target date for the inaugural season. In the meantime, each owner would begin building or renovating proper centers for league hockey games.

The new clubs would be formed from existing rosters of independent teams and leeway was given to each owner to have priority for players already signed to their current teams. There was some concern over roster weighting with owners such as Leyva, Duval and Elam already having talented players in their organizations, but to keep the process moving forward to start the league, no provision was made for an inaugural draft.


- Map of Inaugural THL Teams in Torland 

Wayne Leyva's club in Port Alrene kept their most famous local team name of the Anchors. Across the channel in Portarra, Seymour Duval went with Whales as his moniker. In Chasonne, Claud Elam, ever the historian, dug into the rich local history and chose Heralds. To the surprise of no one, Don Giordano, the self-proclaimed captain of the wild boys of Kirkenport chose Captains as his team name. Leo Rankin chose Lions for his new Trowburgh club and over in Kirlow, Bernie Willard went with a local favorite in the Kodiaks.


- Official THL League Logo

A 60-game season would be played with the top four teams qualifying for a seeded 7-game semi-final series with the winners advancing to a 7-game championship finals for a brand new large gold trophy which was dubbed the Marcotte Cup.

Rey Marcotte was elected the first acting commissioner for the fledgling new league which was named the Torland Hockey League. (THL)

Up Next: The Teams Are Assembled


THL League History:

Marcotte Cup Champions:

1960 - Portarra Whales
1961 - Port Alrene Anchors
1962 - Chasonne Heralds
1963 - Portarra Whales
1964 - Chasonne Heralds
1965 - Yubay Falcons
1966 - Port Alrene Anchors
1967 - Yubay Glaciers
1968 - Yubay Glaciers
1969 - Yubay Falcons
1970 - Yubay Falcons
1971 - Kirkenport Captains
1972 - Port Alrene Anchors
1973 - Kirkenport Captains
1974 - Chasonne Heralds
1975 - Kirkenport Captains
1976 - Narva Neptunes
1977 - Yubay Glaciers
1978 - Narva Neptunes
1979 - Fort Bevin Rockets
1980 - Chasonne Heralds
1981 - Chasonne Heralds
1982 - Chasonne Heralds
1983 - Trowburgh Herons
1984 - Kurohara Killers
1985 - Kavalos Electrics
1986 - Bancana Kings
1987 - Portarra Whales
1988 - Portarra Whales
1989 - Portarra Whales
1990 - Kirlow Kodiaks
1991 - Kirlow Kodiaks

UHA League History

Champions:

1975 - Vensessor Swans
1976 - Bancana Kings
1977 - Bancana Kings
1978 - Kurohara Killers
1979 - Vensessor Swans

Last edited by Steelman (4/11/2023 12:32 am)