Hockey Programs

1995-96 Colonial Cup Playoffs Falcons vs. Flint Generals      1995-96 was the fifth season of Falcons hockey at The Falcondome. The team was coming off a strong season in 1994-95, yet made a few changes off-ice. The team lost the Detroit Vipers affiliation to the Flint Generals, joining the Florida Panthers system as well as the IHL's Las Vegas Thunder. Costa Papista was hired as GM. Dave Cameron was hired as Head Coach, replacing Larry Floyd, who was hired as coach of the CHL's Huntsville Channel Cats. This was the only time in franchise history that those jobs were split between two people.      The Falcons took a step back on the ice, dropping to third place in the Colonial League's East Division, with a 33-32-9 record. Their 75 points were four points ahead of fourth place Saginaw, but 32 points behind first place (and Tarry Cup-winning) Flint. On the other hand, the team set a league record for penalty minutes, by spending 2,545 minutes in the box. This probably explai

1994-95 Regular Season Falcons vs. Muskegon Fury      After the Falcons' embarrassing end to the 1993-94 season, changes were made for the following season. Lou Franceschetti was replaced as head coach/GM by San Diego Gulls forward Larry Floyd. The team added an affiliation, now working as a farm team for the IHL's Detroit Vipers.      The Falcons had a strong season in 1994-95, finishing in first place in the Western Division with a 45-27-2. The franchise-record 92 points were three points better than second place Muskegon, and 8 behind Tarry Cup Champion Thunder Bay. The Falcons set franchise records for wins, points and, oddly enough, losses. Attendance dropped by 413 fans per game, as the Falcons had the second-lowest average in the Colonial Hockey League (1,578). This was likely due to the arrival of the Vipers, who played at the nearby Palace of Auburn Hills and were drawing record-breaking crowds in their first season in the IHL.      Detroit had the fifth-best offense i

1993-94 Regular Season Opponent Unknown      Heading into the 1993-94 season, the Detroit Falcons were under new leadership. GM/Coach Terry Christiansen took over as head coach of the NAHL's Detroit Freeze (who also played at Fraser Ice Arena) and was replaced by former Port Huron Flag and NHL veteran Lou Franceschetti.       The Colonial Hockey League expanded to 8 teams, with the arrival of the Flint Generals. For the first time, the league was split into two divisions. Lou's Falcons dropped to third place in the Colonial League's Western Division, with a 34-25-5. Their 73 points were tied with last-place Flint and 12 behind first-place Chatham. Attendance jumped to 1,991 per game, third lowest in the league but still the highest in franchise history.      Detroit scored the third-fewest goals in the league, with 296 in 74 games. Newcomer Andy Rymsha (who played 6 games for the Quebec Nordiques in 1991-92), led the team in scoring with 24 goals and 62 points in 48 games.

2012-13 Regular Season: Griffins vs. Hamilton Bulldogs      Despite being one of the largest cities in Michigan, Grand Rapids had trouble making professional hockey work in town. The last pro franchise in town was the IHL's Owls, who arrived midway through the 1977-78 season from Dayton, Ohio. Despite a successful 1978-79 season, the team ended up folding in 1980 after being evicted from Stadium Arena due to unpaid rent bills. Stadium Arena was considered obsolete for the IHL even then, so pro hockey went dark in Kent County.       That changed in 1996, with the opening of Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids and the arrival of the IHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. The Griffins were a huge hit in town, and were one of the highest-drawing teams in the IHL's later years. When that league folded in 2001, the Griffins joined the American Hockey League.       By 2011-12, the Griffins were the top farm club of the Detroit Red Wings for the past ten years. Unfortunately, that didn&

1991-92 Regular Season Falcons vs. Flint Bulldogs Got this for Christmas this year! Michigan Falcons stuff is rare.      The Colonial Hockey League was founded in 1991 by former Peoria Rivermen GM Leslie "Skip" Probst. The league was an independent "Double A" circuit based in Michigan and Ontario. The five teams making up the league in the inaugural 1991-92 season included: Flint Bulldogs Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks St. Thomas Wildcats Brantford Smoke Michigan Falcons      The Michigan Falcons were based out of Fraser Ice Arena and were owned by Mostafa Afr, a certified public accountant in Oak Park. The team's original colors were black, silver and white. The jerseys were similar to the Los Angeles Kings jerseys of the time, with the Falcon logo and the word "FALCONS" on the crest.  Afr hired MSU assistant Terry Christiansen as the team's first General Manager/Head Coach. Tom Viggiano was his assistant coach.      The Falcons had a fine inaugural se

2012-13 Regular Season: Sting vs. Brampton Batallion       OHL hockey arrived in the Blue Water area when Robert and Dino Ciccarelli purchased the Newmarket Royals and relocated them to Sarnia, Ontario, renaming the team "Sarnia Sting". After playing it's first four seasons at Sarnia Arena, the Sting moved in to the new 5,500-seat Progressive Auto Sales Arena, located on the campus of Lambton College.      The 2012-13 season was the eighteenth season of operation for the Sting. Former London Knights assistant Jacques Beaulieu was in his second season as head coach and general manager. Sarnia finished in third place in the Western Division with a 35-28-5 record, 18 points behind first place Plymouth. The Sting drew 3,282 per game that year, about middle-of-the-pack in the OHL.      The Sting scored the sixth-most goals in the OHL that season with 247. Leading the way on offense was center Charles Sarault, who scored 22 goals and 108 points. Leading the way in goals was lef

1993-94 Regular Season: K-Wings vs. Indianapolis Ice      The Kalamazoo Wings were celebrating their 20th season in the International Hockey League (IHL) in 1993-94. The Wings were the primary affiliate of the Dallas Stars and wore identical jerseys, with the green, gold and black K-Wing on the chest. The team's ECHL affiliate was the Dayton Bombers.      Kalamazoo was coming off a rare down season in 1992-93. That year, the Wings missed the Turner Cup Playoffs for the first time since their inaugural season in 1974-75. After stepping in as interim coach last season, GM Bill Inglis hired former Philadelphia Flyers assistant coach Ken Hitchcock as Head Coach for 1993-94. His assistant coach was former Bombers coach Claude Noel, who played in the IHL with the Wings and Toledo Goaldiggers.      The Wings rebounded to finish in first place in the oddly-named Atlantic Division (no team in that division was farther east than the Cleveland Lumberjacks), with a 48-26-7 record. Their 103 po

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 the standings in Year 2, winning the Western

1996-97 Regular Season Thunder Cats vs. Saginaw Lumber Kings       The northwestern Ontario town of Thunder Bay was home to one of the original Colonial Hockey League franchises. Established in 1991 as the Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks, the team appeared in four of the first five Colonial Cup Finals, winning it all in 1992, 1994 and 1995. The team was also a Double-A farm club of the Ottawa Senators from 1993-96, switching their name to Thunder Bay Senators.       By 1996, the team renamed itself again, now going by Thunder Bay Thunder Cats. The team wore jerseys similar to the style the Washington Capitals wore at the time (same colors and striping pattern). Tom Warden was brought back as head coach, as was GM Gary Cook. The core of the team's successful run was intact as well: Jason Firth, Bruce Ramsay, Barry McKinlay, Mel Angelstad and Brant Blackned.       Despite dropping to third in the Western Division, the Thunder Cats improved on last season's record, finishing with a 43-2

1975-76 Regular Season: Gems vs. Flint Generals       The Dayton Gems iced one of their strongest teams ever in 1975-76. Affiliated with the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals, the Gems absolutely dominated the IHL Southern Division, finishing with a 47-21-10 record. Their 104 points broke the franchise's season record, and placed them 34 points ahead of second-place Fort Wayne in the South. The Gems also earned the Huber Trophy as regular season champions, 9 points ahead of North Division champ Saginaw.       Dayton scored the most goals in the IHL, lighting the lamp 340 times, just one ahead of second-place Saginaw. Leading the way was right winger Brian Kinsella, a Washington Capitals prospect. Kinsella scored a career-best 43 goals and 88 points. Right Winger Mike Powers, acquired early in the season from Columbus, chipped in 33 goals and 81 points. Steve Self (36), Paul Nicholson (35) and Bill Riley (35) were the other 30-goal scorers for the Gems. Future Bruin enforcer Sta

1977-78 Regular Season: K-Wings vs. Port Huron Flags      1977-78 was the fourth season of hockey for the Kalamazoo Wings in the International Hockey League. The franchise was still a secondary affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings and owned by Ted and Martha Parfet. After a rough inaugural season, the K-Wings quickly built into a contender, making the postseason the next two years. The fans flocked to Wings Stadium, as attendance figures ranked in the top three each season in the IHL.       Kalamazoo had it's best season yet in 1976-77, finishing 38-27-13, just two points behind league-best Saginaw. Head Coach Bob Lemieux was back behind the bench, the only coach the K-Wings had known. However, a slow start in 1977-78 led to Lemieux being replaced by Peter Slater as coach. The Wings still finished in second place in the North Division, but their 35-31-14 record was 12 points back of first place Saginaw.      On offense, the K-Wings had the fifth-most goals in the IHL, lighting

1985-86 Regular Season: Goaldiggers vs. Kalamazoo Wings Goaldiggers vs. Indianapolis Checkers      Since their inception in 1974, the Toledo Goaldiggers had been one of the top teams in the International Hockey League. The Diggers reached the Turner Cup Finals six times in their 12 years of existence, bringing home four Cups in the process. During their first several seasons, the team was very popular on the ice as well, often playing to jam-packed crowds at the ancient Toledo Sports Arena.      By the mid-1980s, the franchise was in decline. Attendance had fallen by more than half, even with the powerhouse teams in 1981-84. The franchise nearly went out of business twice, only to be rescued by new investors in time for the next season.      1985-86 was a difficult season for the Goaldiggers. Toledo was coming off a dismal 1984-85 season, which saw the team drop to last place in the Eastern Division with a 32-42-8 record, losing in the first round to Muskegon. Ted Garvin, the popular h

1989-90 Regular Season: Wings vs. Fort Wayne Komets       The Kalamazoo Wings were in their fifteenth season of operation in the International Hockey League by 1989. Owned by Ted and Martha Parfet, the Wings were the primary affiliate of the Minnesota North Stars, hence the green, gold and black jerseys. The team played it's home games at the 5,113-seat Wings Stadium, just off I-94. Long-time IHL executive Bill Inglis was back as General Manager, and John Marks returned behind the Kalamazoo bench.      Coming off a 4th place, 39-36-7 record in 1988-89, the K-Wings improved significantly the following season. Marks led the team to a 53-23-6 record, setting a new franchise record for wins in a regular season. Their 112 points were good enough for second place in the Eastern Division and third overall in the league. The Wings' 389 goals not only led the league, but set a franchise record. Right Winger Mitch Messier led the team in points with 80 (34 goals), while Darcy Norton

1960-61 Regular Season: Rangers vs. Detroit Red Wings      The New York Rangers were entering some pretty lean seasons by 1960-61. In fact, in the last ten seasons of the Original Six era (1957-67), New York qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs just three times, all first-round exits. The typical Rangers season during this era saw the team finish in fifth place, about 12-15 points out of the final postseason berth.      1960-61 was no different for the "Broadway Blueshirts". While New York was able to climb out of the basement, their forgettable 22-38-10 record kept them out of the playoffs. The Rangers' 54 points were twelve behind fourth-place Detroit for the final playoff spot.      It wasn't that the Rangers didn't have talented players on their roster. Indeed, during the Original Six era, even bottom feeders like Boston and New York had a couple Hall-of-Famers on their lineups. Unfortunately, neither the Bruins or Rangers had the depth to match the ot

     Every now and then, a minor-league team fails after one season, whether it's from non-existent fan support, a poor on-ice product, questionable owners or bad facilities. I have a few programs from "one and done" hockey teams, and here's the latest addition to that group.      The Cincinnati Tigers joined the Central Hockey League in 1981 as an expansion franchise. The franchise came to be when the Toronto Maple Leafs, tired of sharing the AHL's New Brunswick Hawks with Chicago, added the Tigers to the Queen City as their top affiliate. The new Tigers would be coached by former Flint Generals coach/GM Doug Carpenter, and would play their home games at the 14,453-seat Riverfront Coliseum.      Most expansion franchises struggle in the first season, but the Tigers were quite the opposite. Cincinnati finished in second place in the CHL's North Division, sporting an excellent 46-30-4 record. Their 96 points were just one point behind league-leading Salt La

1983-84 Regular Season: Wings vs. Muskegon Mohawks      1983-84 was the tenth season of operation for the Kalamazoo Wings in the International Hockey League. Owned by Ted and Martha Parfet, the Wings were a secondary affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings and played their home games at 5,121-seat Wings Stadium.      Kalamazoo had been one of the more competitive franchises in the IHL since joining in 1974. After missing the postseason in their inaugural campaign, the K-Wings had qualified each year since, including three straight Turner Cup Finals appearances (1979-81), winning two Cups in 1979 and 1980.      Kalamazoo was coming off a mediocre 1982-83 season, which saw the team drop to 32-44-6 (2nd in the IHL West, 5th overall) and a second round exit at the hands of Milwaukee. Coach (and former Red Wing) JP LeBlanc was back behind the bench for his third year in 1983-84.      The IHL shrunk to seven teams and dropped the division format when the Saginaw Gears folded after last yea