The popularity of ice hockey in southern California grew rapidly between World War I and the Great Depression, as the region experienced a massive influx of population from other parts of North America.
Los Angeles became a popular destination for relocated Canadians and New Englanders, and nearby mountain resorts offered tourists a venue for games on natural ice.
The California Amateur Hockey Association was founded after the 1925 opening of the modern Los Angeles Palais de Glace.
Within months of the league's founding, promoters issued "championship" challenges to top amateur teams across North America (including the Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets, Vancouver Monarchs, and Port Arthur Bearcats ).
Flush with cash from sponsors (including the namesake Richfield Oil Corporation), the teams quickly assembled rosters of experienced pro players from across North America.
Culver City became known as the Maroons, and a team sponsored by the Los Angeles Globe Ice Cream Company joined the league.
Pyle, who had failed in attempts to buy the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Americans, had a vision of a future "East-West World Series" to be played against the NHL.
He brought an influx of cash and an agreement to restructure the CPHL into a 4-team professional league comprising Los Angeles, Hollywood, San Francisco, and Oakland.
A second franchise, the Oakland Sheiks, was stacked with talented young players who had jumped en masse from western amateur leagues, particularly in Saskatoon.
While still clearly the lowest-level minor league in North America, it regularly graduated players into the higher levels and even produced an occasional NHL contract.
Its location opened up a variety of opportunities for publicity: boxing champion Willie Ritchie played goal for San Francisco, singer/actor Al Jolson and director Guy Empey owned shares of San Francisco and Hollywood respectively, and Hollywood stars regularly made cameos at games.
Attendance in the 2000-4000 range was comparable to most minor league hockey operations of the era, and all games were broadcast on radio (a luxury that even some NHL teams had not yet adopted).
However, the unexpected death of Tex Rickard and the economic crash of 1929 brought an end to the notion of major-league expansion to the west coast.
Hockey Hall of Famers Jack Walker, Tommy Dunderdale, and Moose Johnson played their final seasons in the California league before retiring.