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This United States Amateur Hockey Association (USAH) team called the Yellowjackets have their roots into the NHL with the passing of years to come...
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After the Yellowjackets won the USAHA Championship in 1924 and 1925, the team was sold to James F. Callahan who wanted the Yellowjackets to be part of the NHL.
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The Yellowjackets of the USAHA become on of the first of two new American teams in the NHL. The team was named the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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The Pittsburgh Pirates were sold once again, but this time moved cross-state to Philadelphia in the 1930s. The team was called the Philadephia Quakers.
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Due to the economic stress caused by the Great Depression, the cash flow stopped to the hockey team. The Pittsburgh/Philadelphia franchises offically folds. The NHL would then only play six teams for 25 years....
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After 25 years of only having a six team league, the NHL decides to expand into more teams. To make an NHL expansion team, it depended on votes from the NHL owners.
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Jack McGregor, a state sentor from the Kittaning area, began talking about bringing a hockey franchise back into Pittsburgh. He began lobbying for local support as a tool towards the NHL. McGregor formed a group of Pittsburgh investors that included Art Rooney; Richard Mellon Scaife, and H.J. Heinz III. McGregor then asked Art Rooney to petition votes from James D. & brother Bruce Norris (owners of the Blackhawks & Red Wings).
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National Hockey League awards the city of Pittsburgh an expansion team for the 1967-68 season. They paid $2.5 million for their entry and $750,000 for start up costs.
