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Toledo Storm (ECHL, 1991-92)

1991-92 Regular Season
Storm vs. Nashville Knights
     In the summer of 1991, professional hockey returned to Toledo after a 6-year absence. After decades in the International Hockey League, the northern Ohio city was now a member of the Double-A East Coast Hockey League. The Toledo Storm joined the ECHL as an expansion franchise owned by Chicago businessman Barry Soskin (who would later own, among other teams, the FPHL's Port Huron Prowlers). The team would play in the ancient Toledo Sports Arena, which sat 5,160 for hockey. The Storm were affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings and wore uniforms virtually identical to their parent club. The team's first Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations was Chris McSorley, who played for the IHL's Toledo Goaldiggers from 1984-86. 
     Low attendance (thanks to a weak economy) was one of the things that eventually dragged the Goaldiggers under. Even with dominant teams in the early 1980s and three straight trips to the Turner Cup Finals, the Diggers still struggled to average over 2,000 per game. The Sports Arena, considered outdated by the 1970s, was left in the dust during the IHL's expansion. The result was heavy financial losses that helped end the city's long run in that league.
     The saying "Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder" must have applied to Toledo hockey fans. The new Storm were a smash hit in their first season, as the team averaged 4,803 per game, or a 93% capacity. The team's on-ice performance helped, as the Storm soared to 46-15-3. Their 95 points were good enough for first place in the West Division and first overall, five points ahead of East-leading Greensboro.
     The Storm had the ECHL's best offense, pumping in 367 goals in the 64-game season. Rookie center Mike Maurice led the scoring attack, with 39 goals and 111 points in 62 games. Former Michigan center and Montreal Canadiens prospect Brad McCaughey led the team in goals, with a career-best 56 (100 points) in 58 games. Mike Casselman (39) and Dave Flanagan (34) were the other 30-goal scorers. Future Port Huron Border Cats coach Greg "Chief" Puhalski (29), Bruce McDonald (29) and Don Stone (26) were the 20-goal scorers.
     The Storm also had an excellent defense, allowing just 240 goals, second only to the Hampton Roads Admirals. Toledo used seven goaltenders that year. The goalie with by far the most games played was former Ferris State Bulldog (and Quebec Nordique draft pick) Mike Williams. Williams played in 44 games, with an excellent 32-8-3 record and a 3.81 GAA. None of the other netminders played more than 7 games for the Storm. Scott King (4-2-1, 3.54 GAA) and Dave Gagnon (4-2-0, 3.05 GAA) each played in seven games, while Paul Cohen was in net for six games (4-1-0, 3.06 GAA). Other netminders include Mark Romaine, Mark Reimer and Joe Matty. Reimer and Williams played in the playoffs.
     The Storm qualified for the Riley Cup Playoffs and opened against the Louisville Icehawks. The Icehawks had an ordinary season, finishing in 6th place with a 31-25-8 record, 25 points behind Toledo. However, the Icehawks finished the season on a hot streak, going 11-4 in their last 15 games. The Storm took the first game in overtime, but then lost four straight to get knocked out of the playoffs. Louisville reached the Riley Cup Finals, but fell in four straight to Hampton Roads.

     This is the first Storm program I've seen online. Toledo programs from the IHL days, especially the Goaldiggers, are much more common. The Storm were a very popular team, especially in their early years, and ended up lasting for 15 seasons, the longest run in Toledo hockey history. As for the program, it's 76 pages, all in black-and-white. This program is from the January 19, 1992, game against the Nashville Knights. In front of a sellout crowd, the Storm blew out the Knights, 9-1, to improve to 28-9-1 on the season. The usual parts to a hockey program are here, including welcome letters from the affiliate and the league office, the history of the league, and the team directory. 
     Local advertisements include WTOD 1560 AM and 95.7 FM (95.7 was the radio home of the Storm), Ricardo's Elegant Dining, Value City Department Stores, East River Gym, Wolfie's Home Plate Sports Cards and Collectibles, and Shrader Tire and Oil. On page 65, the Storm have an offer for VHS copies of home games for $25 a piece. 


Aftermath: The Storm would capture the next two Riley Cup Championships, defeating Wheeling in 1992-93 and Raleigh in 1993-94. As stated earlier, the Storm would stick around through the 2006-07 season. While only missing the playoffs three times in their existence, the team saw attendance begin to decline after a peak average of 4,947 in 1995-96. The Toledo Sports Arena, considered obsolete by the late 1970s, was beyond decrepit by 2007 and was torn down after that season. The Storm was sold that year to Toledo Arena Sports, Inc. (which also owns the Toledo Mud Hens baseball team) and were mothballed for two seasons as the 8,000-seat Huntington Center was built. The team was renamed "Toledo Walleye", and continue to play in the ECHL to this day.  

Reference:
ECHL Season Statistics: 1991-92, from hockeydb.com

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