The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. The Canucks are members of the National Hockey League (NHL) and are currently members of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. The Canucks' team was founded in 1945 as a member of the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL), winning the President's Cup in its first season, and another in 1948. In 1952, the PCHL was renamed the Western Hockey League (WHL), where the Canucks captured four more league titles in 1958, 1960, 1969 and 1970. In 1960, the President's Cup was renamed the Lester Patrick Cup to honour the late Lester Patrick.
After a failed attempt to gain an expansion team in the NHL's first expansion in 1967, a group from Vancouver tried to move the financial struggling Oakland Seals to town in 1969. However, the NHL prevented the move from happening. Prior to the 1970 NHL expansion a Minneapolis, Minnesota based company, Medicor, purchased the WHL Canucks, gaining their name, franchise history and roster of players. Medicor parleyed their new Canucks ownership into gaining an NHL franchise and the WHL Canucks were promoted to the NHL beginning in the 1970–71 season. The Canucks have not enjoyed the same success in the NHL, having thus far been unable to capture the Stanley Cup. The Canucks franchise has captured three conference titles, 1981–82, 1993–94, and 2010–11, and ten division titles in its NHL history.