Skip to main content

Kalamazoo Wings (1982-83, IHL)

1982-83 Regular Season--Wings vs. Saginaw Gears
     Before I give the recap for this season, take a look at the cover. See what the K-Wings foward is wearing? Those are called Cooperalls, a long-legged hockey pant that was around during the early 1980s. Two NHL teams, Hartford and Philadelphia, even wore these things at this time. Cooperalls were much lighter than traditional equipment, and allowed players more agility. However, they were also a safety risk, as they greatly reduced friction, sending players hurtling quicker across the ice. They were soon declared unsafe and discontinued. Note the continuation of the pants stripes along the sides of the K-Wings' jerseys.
     Anyway, on to that season. 1982-83 saw the IHL expand to eight teams with the arrival of the Peoria Prancers. They also brought back the two-division format after a one-year hiatus. Kalamazoo was now in the Western Division, along with Milwaukee, Muskegon and Peoria. They were still part of the Detroit Red Wings farm system.
     The 1982-83 K-Wings were again coached by JP LeBlanc, and finished second in the new West Division. However, their miserable 32-44-6 record was their worst in several seasons. Milwaukee ran away with the division crown that year, 22 points ahead of the K-Wings.
     Offense was a big letdown that season, as Kalamazoo scored the fewest goals in the league, 311. Bill MacNaught's 82 points (21 goals) led the team. Steve Banonis led the team in goals with 42. Four other players scored at least 20 goals.
     The K-Wings were middle-of-the-pack on the defensive side of the puck. The team allowed 341 goals that season, good enough for fourth in the IHL. Three different goaltenders defended the K-Wings net that year, led by Georges Gagnon, who played in 56 games. Michel Dufour played in 23 games before being dealt to Milwaukee. Larry Lozinski returned to play in 12 games.
     Despite their weak record, Kalamazoo again qualified for the Turner Cup Playoffs. They would face third-place Muskegon in Round One, and knocked off the Mohawks in four games (best of 5). They then ran into first place Milwaukee, who clipped the K-Wings in five games (best of 7), outscoring them 18-9 in the process. Milwaukee would fall to defending champion Toledo in six games in the Finals.
     Another nice program, 38 pages just like the previous two. Lots of black-and-white local ads, from Fetzer Broadcasting to Gilmore's ("A Kalamazoo Tradition since 1881"). That night's opponent was the Saginaw Gears, who were in their final season. No idea when the game was played, since there is no insert. And you can't forget the picture of the infamous Cooperalls!

Sources:
Rosenhek, Eric, The Death of the Cooperall. The Good Point, May 12, 2009.
Wikipedia Article: Cooperalls
International Hockey League Statistics: 1982-83 (from hockeydb.com)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Port Huron Hockey: Flags/Wings (1962-81)

Now, on to Port Huron.      Port Huron has had a long, yet checkered, history of pro hockey. The most successful franchise, by far, was the Port Huron Flags (also called Wings for a few years) of the IHL. The Flags were, for the most part, a competitve team on the ice, making the Turner Cup Finals seven times and winning the Cup on three occasions. For three years, (1971-74), the franchise was a farm team of the Detroit Red Wings, and sent numerous players on to the NHL in it's existence. However, the team had problems drawing big enough crowds. While the Flags lasted for nearly 20 years, former GM Morris Snider later admitted that the franchise could have folded three years before it actually did, due to declining attendance. I've found some Flags/Wings programs online over the years, and here's what I have. 1963-64 Regular Season--Flags vs. Windsor       1963-64 was the second year of existence for the Flags. After missing the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Indianapolis Checkers (IHL, 1985-86)

1985-86 Regular Season Checkers vs. Flint Spirits      The Indianapolis Checkers were back for their second season in the IHL after five seasons in the defunct Central Hockey League. The Checkers remained a secondary affiliate of both the New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars. Larry Woods purchased the Checkers after the 1984-85 season and moved the team to the 15,900-seat Market Square Arena, home of the NBA's Indiana Pacers. The team kept their Islanders-styled uniforms, but changed the logo.      Former Port Huron Flags coach Ron Ullyot was named Coach/GM of the Checkers, and his team greatly improved on their first IHL season. Indy finished with a 41-35-6 mark. They finished last in the very competitive West Division, which had all the teams win at least 40 games. The Checkers' 88 points would have easily taken fourth place in the East.     Indy scored just 296 goals that year, better than only Flint and Toledo. Longtime minor lea...
Post a Comment
Read more

Chatham Wheels (CoHL, 1993-94)

1993-94 Regular Season Wheels vs. Detroit Falcons      The Chatham Wheels were in their second season of play in the Colonial Hockey League. The team was named after the Wheels Inn, a hotel/indoor amusement complex in town that closed in 2009. The Wheels were owned by a group led by Tom Kirkconnell and played their home games at the 3,300-seat Chatham Memorial Arena.       The Wheels were coming off a last place finish in 1992-93, going 24-32-4, 12 points back of 6th place Flint. Attendance was brutal as well, as the team drew just 1,174 per game to Memorial Arena. Changes were made, as longtime junior coach Tom Barrett was hired as Head Coach/GM and Governor, replacing Ron Caron. Barrett added veteran talent to the roster, including former Flint Spirits John Vecchiarelli and Brett MacDonald, and former St. Thomas Wildcats goaltender Kevin Butt, to go along with holdover Jim Ritchie.      Barrett's moves paid off, as the Wheels surged up...
2 comments
Read more