The IPHL was instrumental in changing the nature of top-level senior men's ice hockey from amateur to professional.

Houghton's team had played against Pittsburgh's for a de facto United States national championship in ice hockey.

[2] A number of cities were considered for this new professional league including Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, and Duluth.

The representatives of the Canadian Soo suggested a revenue sharing plan that would divide gate receipts in a 60–40 home-visitor split.

This revenue sharing plan would make the long journey to Pittsburgh possible, considering that team played at the 5,000-seat capacity Duquesne Gardens.

The WPHL, which had been paying players to play ice hockey since 1901, put its best professionals into one team, the Pittsburgh Pros, and dissolved.

After the 1906–07 season, Canada finally established individual professional teams and, soon after, leagues were formed drawing back many players to play for their home crowds.

In addition, it was apparent that, while the league was talking about expanding to larger centres such as Toronto, Cleveland and Duluth, there were problems among the existing clubs.

The Pittsburgh franchise was seeking a league closer to home to play in and the champion Houghton-Portage Lakes club wasn't interested in another season.

Canadian Soo re-signed Ambrose Degray, Hugh Lehman, Newsy Lalonde, Edwin "Dutch" Schaefer and Jack Marks.