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Detroit Falcons (CoHL, 1995-96)

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 explained the increase in attendance to a franchise-high 2,046 per game, second-lowest in the league.
     Detroit's offense was the sixth-best in the league in 1995-96, scoring 275 goals. East Lansing native Doug Smith led the Falcons in scoring, with 25 goals and 58 points in 53 games. Tim Harris (22) and Bob McKillop (21) were the only other 20-goal scorers on the team. Defenseman Arturs Kupaks, in his only season in the Colonial League, was second on the points list with 18 goals and 57 points. 
     Defense was a bit of a problem, as the Falcons allowed the fourth-most goals in the league with 310. With the departure of Maxim Michailovsky, the team went through six different goaltenders. Mike Risdale and Sergei Zvyagin returned this season, but both were gone by season's end. Zvyagin played 40 games and went 14-13-6 with a 3.62 GAA and a franchise record 4 shutouts. However, at the trade deadline, Zvyagin was dealt to the Quad City Mallards for veteran netminder Kevin Butt. Risdale played 10 games, going 2-4-1 with a 5.00 GAA before being dealt to the Saginaw Wheels. Dan Ryder, a 3-year veteran from the IHL and ECHL, played 28 games with a 11-12-1 with a 3.66 GAA. Kevin Butt, in 7 games, went 4-2-1 with a 5.17 GAA. Todd MacDonald and John Tanner were the other two netminders. Butt and Ryder split the goaltending duties. 
     For the fifth straight season, the Falcons qualified for the Colonial Cup Playoffs. Their first round opponents were the Muskegon Fury, a rematch from last season's playoffs. The Fury finished in first in the West Division, with a 40-27-7 record. After splitting the first two games, the Falcons won three straight games to upset Muskegon in five games. Their second round opponent was their arch-rivals, the Flint Generals. Flint had a dominating season, running away with the Tarry Cup championship with a 51-18-5 record, easily a league record. The Generals would down the Falcons in five games, outscoring them 18-9 in the process. Detroit avoided a sweep by winning Game 4, 2-1 in overtime. Todd MacDonald, on emergency loan from the AHL's Carolina Monarchs, played the last two games of the series for the Falcons.
     This is a 40-page program, all in black-and-white. It's similar in setup to the 1996-97 Port Huron   Border Cats program. The preview of the 1995-96 season is on page 13, talking about the hiring of Papista and Cameron, as well as Assistant Coach/Assistant GM John Blum, and the new working agreements with Las Vegas and Florida. Page 19 includes a recap of last season, with the franchise and individual records. I went to two games that season, both against the Flint Generals. Flint won both games, including Game 2 of the semifinals, 4-1. That game was a penalty-filled contest, as both teams were unafraid to play physical hockey. Local ads include London's Dairy, The Macomb Daily News, El Charro Mexican Restaurant, Gulyas Chiropractic, Kas-Mikha's Tae Kwon Do, and Woody's Chill & Grill.

Aftermath: By the playoffs, rumors were swirling that the Detroit Falcons were on the move, looking to relocate to Port Huron, Michigan. By this time, the metro Detroit area was overflowing with hockey options, including the IHL, OHL (2 teams) and NHL, leaving the Falcons struggling to draw decent crowds. The rumors became reality when the Falcons, after a failed season ticket drive, signed a lease agreement with McMorran Arena and relocated to Port Huron for the 1996-97 season, renaming themselves "Port Huron Border Cats". Fraser would eventually get another shot at minor league hockey with the UHL's Motor City Mechanics in 2004, but that team would fold after just two seasons. Fraser is currently home to the FPHL's Motor City Rockers, set to play in the 2021-2022 season.

References:
Colonial Hockey League Season Statistics: 1995-96, from hockeydb.com 
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