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1979-80 Turner Cup Playoffs
Flags vs. Flint Generals |
The Port Huron Flags were entering their 18th season of operation in the International Hockey League in 1979-80. They were the second-oldest franchise in the IHL, behind the Fort Wayne Komets. The Flags played in the smallest arena and the smallest city, playing home games at 3,582-seat McMorran Arena in downtown Port Huron, population about 33,981. The Flags were affiliated with the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues. Former Flags forward Doug Hinton was in his first season as head coach, while McMorran Place General Manager Morris Snider was in his 10th season as GM of the Flags (a job he received no extra pay for).
In 1978-79, the Flags iced one of their strongest lineups in franchise history. Port Huron finished in first place in the North Division with a 44-29-7 record, three points ahead of second-place Kalamazoo. Their 44 wins and 95 points were both franchise records, as were the 393 goals they scored. Expected to make a deep run in the postseason, the Flags were stunned in round 1 by arch-rival Flint in seven games.
The 1979-80 Flags debuted a new look for the new decade, adding yellow trim to their jerseys and a stylized "Flags" logo in place of the iconic crossed sticks logo they have had since inception. The new uniforms can be seen on the program cover.
Though slipping in the standings, the "new-look" Flags had another strong season, finishing with a 38-26-16 record. Their 92 points put them in third place in the North Division, nine points ahead of fourth-place Flint and seven behind first-place (and defending Turner Cup Champion) Kalamazoo. The Flags scored 352 goals that season, second only to Kalamazoo. Second-year left wing Denis Houle, a Blues prospect, led the team with 49 goals and 104 points in 80 games. Brian Kinsella, a 6th round pick of the Capitals in 1974, was the other Flag to hit the 40-goal plateau, scoring a career-high 43 goals to go with 83 points in 73 games. Thirty-goal scorers in Port Huron that season include Ken Federko (34), Gary Murphy (33), Steve Blue (31) and Serge Menard (34).
Port Huron was just as stingy on defense, allowing 300 goals, second-fewest in the league to Kalamazoo. The two main goaltenders that season were Bob Parent and Paul Skidmore, who played nearly the same amount of games. Parent played in 37 games, sporting a 15-15-6 record and 3.72 GAA. Skidmore, a Blues prospect, played 36 games, with a 19-10-8 record and 3.68 GAA with 2 shutouts. Other goaltenders that season included Dave Jennings and John Rockwell. The leading scorer on defense was Dan Fergus, with 15 goals and 57 points in 78 games. Team captain Jim Bannatyne had 7 goals and 54 points in 75 games.
As for penalties, Port Huron racked up 1,241 minutes that season. Leading the way was defenseman Brian Schnitzler, who had 183 minutes in 73 games. Defenseman Bruce McKay had 138 PIM in 68 games. For Flags players who played over 50 games, Ken Federko (brother to Hockey Hall of Famer Bernie Federko) had the fewest, with just 11 minutes.
For the third straight season, the Flags qualified for the Turner Cup Playoffs. Their first round opponent was a rematch from last year, the fourth-place Flint Generals, that night's opponent. The Flags got their revenge and dumped the Generals in five games (best of 7). The series was closely contested, however, as Port Huron only outscored Flint by a 19-18 margin, and two games went to overtime (including the fifth game). In Round 2, the Flags faced the Kalamazoo Wings for the right to advance to the Turner Cup Finals. Kalamazoo advanced in six games, with three games going into overtime. The Wings would then repeat as Turner Cup Champions, downing Fort Wayne in six games.
This is another good program from the Flags. It's 48 pages, all in black and white and loaded with the usual program stuff. It's a similar setup to the previous season's program, with their alternate eagle logo on the directory page. GM Morris Snider has his message on page 3, and included an ominous message:
"There have been changes in the Flags' scheme of things, both on and off the ice. My concern with the rising cost of operating a hockey club have forced some of them."
A brief record section is on page 6, with some player and team records. The parent teams were included on pages 16-17, while pictures of the 1979-80 season are on page 23. The league's final standings for 1979-80 are included on page 26, while the roster is on page 27. Final team statistics for the regular season are on page 28, while the league's mileage chart is on page 30. This is still in the "bus league" era of the IHL, as all the IHL teams are located in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin. By the end of the 1980s, that will change drastically.
As stated earlier, the first round opponent was the Flint Generals, coached by former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Marc Boileau. Left Winger Mike Rusin was a tough-as-nails player for the Generals, piling up 250 PIM in 67 games. His name would pop up years later when Bruins goaltender (and Davison native) Tim Thomas listed Rusin as his favorite hockey player. Pierre Giroux was a Blackhawks prospect that scored 199 goals in six full seasons with the Generals (1976-84), most in franchise history. The team's leading scorer was Gerry Leroux, with 36 goals and 72 points in 67 games in his final season of play. No idea what game this is from. There were three home games in this series for the Flags: Game 1 was a 6-3 Flags win, Game 3 was a 4-3 OT win for the Flags, and Game 5 was a 3-2 OT win for the Flags. Take your pick.
The following images are scans from a Michigan National Bank insert featuring the 1979-80 Flags in game action photos. Goaltenders Bob Parent and Paul Skidmore both made it to the NHL, albeit briefly. Parent played in 3 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1981-83. Skidmore played just two games for the 1981-82 Blues, sporting a 3.00 GAA.
Larry Gould played five seasons with the Flags, scoring over 30 goals in four of those seasons. He finished his career in 1981-82, split between Muskegon and Flint, scoring 33 goals and 93 points between the Mohawks and Generals. Gould is one of several Flags to have a banner in East Endzone of McMorran Arena.
Serge Menard, a 1978 Blues draft pick (12th round, 188th overall) played his only three years of pro hockey in Port Huron. He was a 50-goal scorer in his rookie season and scored 128 goals in three seasons with the Flags.
Jim Bannatyne came over from the Dayton Gems and served as Flags captain for 3 1/2 seasons (1977-81) before being traded to Flint. Bannatyne made a career out of the IHL, playing his entire 15-year pro career in the league (except for 2 games in the AHL with Montreal in 1969-70). He helped lead the 1975-76 Gems to the Turner Cup and the 1977-78 Flags to within one win of the championship. He finished his career in 1983-84 with Milwaukee and later had his number raised to the East Endzone of McMorran Arena.
Brian Kinsella was a teammate of Bannatyne's with the 1975-76 Gems, and played 10 games with the Washington Capitals before arriving in Port Huron in 1977-78. He was with the Flags for the remainder of their existence, then finished his career with the Toledo Goaldiggers, winning two more Turner Cups in 1981-82 and 1982-83. 1979-80 was a career year for Kinsella, as he notched 43 goals and 83 points in 73 games.
Local advertisements include the Zebra Lounge, Ruiz Taco Hut, Michigan National Bank of Port Huron, Leath Furniture and Carpeting, the Fogcutter, Dawn Donuts and Cawood Auto.
Aftermath: The "ominous message" mentioned earlier was in reference to the financial problems plaguing the Port Huron Flags. The franchise had always been a money loser, and it was getting worse each year. The team nearly went out of business in 1977 after losing $150,000, only to be revived with a $50,000 community donation that offseason. By 1980, losses had soared to $200,000, as attendance dipped to dangerous levels due to a nationwide recession. In 1980-81, the team lost $250,000, forcing Snider to recommend that the McMorran Authority fold the franchise.References:
International Hockey League Season Statistics from this program and
HockeyDB.com
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