Editing Lester Patrick (section)

==Pacific Coast Hockey Association==
Joe sold his lumber company in January 1911, making a profit of around $440,000, of which he gave both Lester and Frank $25,000. In a separate transaction Joe also sold a private interest he had, earning a further $35,000.<ref>{{harvnb|Whitehead|1980|pp=92–93}}</ref> With this money Joe solicited ideas from his family on what to invest in, and Frank suggested they establish their own hockey league, one based in BC and that they controlled. It was put to a vote, with both Joe and Frank voting in favour and Lester against, so they agreed to move forward, and the family moved to [[Victoria, British Columbia]].<ref>{{harvnb|Whitehead|1980|pp=93–95}}</ref> They incorporated the new league, the [[Pacific Coast Hockey Association]] (PCHA), on December 7, 1911.<ref>{{harvnb|Bowlsby|2012|p=15}}</ref>

The initial plan was to place teams in large cities in Western Canada, with one each in [[Vancouver]] and Victoria (both in BC), and one in [[Edmonton]] and [[Calgary]] (both in [[Alberta]]). Issues in finding support for the Alberta-based teams meant that the new league would only be based in BC initially.<ref>{{harvnb|Wong|2018|p=679}}</ref> The mild weather on the West Coast meant that unlike Central and Eastern Canada natural ice could not be used for games, and so the Patrick family built two arenas: the [[Denman Arena]] in Vancouver and the [[Patrick Arena]] in Victoria.<ref>{{harvnb|Wong|2018|pp=679–680}}</ref> While the arenas were being built Patrick went east to recruit players, offering up to twice the salary they were making in the NHA to join the new league, and was able to recruit several high-profile names.<ref>{{harvnb|Bowlsby|2012|pp=10–13}}</ref> Patrick managed and played for the [[Victoria Cougars|Victoria team]],<ref name="Wong 64">{{harvnb|Wong|2005|p=64}}</ref>{{efn|The Victoria team would be known variously as the "Capitals", "Aristocrats", and "Cougars" during its existence.<ref>{{harvnb|MacLeod|2021|pp=18, 65, 169}}</ref>}} while Frank would do the same for the [[Vancouver Millionaires|Vancouver team]].{{efn|The team would later be known as the "Millionaires".<ref>{{harvnb|Bowlsby|2012|pp=18–19}}</ref>}} Patrick played all 16 games for the team in the inaugural [[1912 PCHA season|1912 season]], finishing tied for third on the team in scoring with 10 goals.<ref>{{harvnb|MacLeod|2021|p=11}}</ref> At a height of {{height|ft=6|in=1}} and weight of {{convert|180|lb|kg}} Patrick was larger than many other hockey players of the era, and historian Alan Livingstone MacLeod notes that in team photos Patrick was "at least half a head taller than the other players".<ref>{{harvnb|MacLeod|2021|p=21}}</ref>

Buoyed by an influx of players from the east (16 of the 23 players in the PCHA's first season had played in the NHA previously), the league did well and demonstrated early it could be a serious challenger to the supremacy of the NHA.<ref>{{harvnb|MacLeod|2021|p=22}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Bowlsby|2012|pp=29–30}}</ref>

[[File:Patrick Arena Victoria BC.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Patrick Arena]] in 1912. It was built and owned by the Patrick family, it hosted three games of the [[1925 Stanley Cup Finals]]. It burned down in 1929.]]
Prior to the start of the [[1913–14 PCHA season|1913–14]] Patrick broke a bone in his left arm, keeping him from playing until mid-way through the season, though he continued to serve as coach.<ref>{{harvnb|Bowlsby|2012|pp=58–59}}</ref> Victoria started the season badly, but with Patrick returning they finished strong and won the league championship, with 10 wins in 16 games. Patrick played eight of the games, and had ten points.<ref>{{harvnb|Bowlsby|2012|pp=59–60}}</ref> With a new agreement reached between the PCHA and NA, Victoria played the NHA champions, the [[Toronto Blueshirts]], for the Cup. The teams played a best-of-five series, which Toronto won 3 games to 0.<ref>{{harvnb|Zweig|2012|p=281}}</ref> Patrick played all three games and had two goals.<ref>{{harvnb|Bowlsby|2012|p=65}}</ref>

In January 1916 the Victoria Arena was commandeered by the Canadian military for use as a training facility for new recruits.<ref>{{harvnb|MacLeod|2021|p=73}}</ref> Prior to the [[1916–17 PCHA season|1916–17]] Patrick moved his team from Victoria to [[Spokane, Washington]], where they were renamed the [[Spokane Canaries]]. The reason for the move is not clear, though MacLeod speculates that Patrick thought the military may allow the team to continue to use it, which was not to be the case.<ref>{{harvnb|MacLeod|2021|pp=78–79}}</ref> After that season the Canaries were disbanded, and Patrick joined the Stanley Cup champion [[Seattle Metropolitans]].<ref>{{harvnb|MacLeod|2021|p=97}}</ref>

The Aristocrats were revived in 1918 as the [[Victoria Cougars]], and Patrick took over as player-manager. Despite playing in only about half the games, he retired as a player after the 1922 season. Remaining with the Cougars as head coach, Patrick became the last non-NHL coach to win the [[Stanley Cup]] [[1925 Stanley Cup Finals|in 1925]].<ref>{{harvnb|Zweig|2012|p=255}}</ref>

In January 1926 Patrick returned to the ice for the Cougars in an effort to help the team, which was playing poorly.<ref>{{harvnb|MacLeod|2021|p=228}}</ref>