wanted to attract more Canadians to Gonzaga so in 1936 the University began sponsoring ice hockey as a varsity sport.

After a year the team was established enough to join the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) along with other west-coast clubs like UCLA, USC and Washington.

Gonzaga also played jointly in the West Kootenai Hockey Association along with semi-professional teams from Canada.

[2] Gonzaga swiftly became one of the top teams in the PCC, winning the conference championship in each of its first two years.

Gonzaga's legacy, however, continued after the team was shuttered; starting goaltender Frank McCool played briefly in the NHL, winning the 1945 Calder Memorial Trophy and helping the Toronto Maple Leafs capture the Stanley Cup the same year.