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1965-66 Regular Season Opener
Flags vs. Fort Wayne Komets |
The Port Huron Flags were in their fourth season of operation heading into the 1965-66 season. The team was owned by John F. Wismer, owner of WHLS radio. Center Lloyd Maxfield returned as head coach, while Frank Gallagher returned as General Manager. Home games were played at 3500-seat McMorran Arena in downtown Port Huron.
The Flags were coming off their best season on ice in 1964-65. The team finished in first place in the IHL, with a 43-22-5 record, six points ahead of Fort Wayne, to win their only Huber Trophy (regular season champions). Unfortunately, the Flags were upset in Round 1 by the Des Moines Oak Leafs, blowing a 3-2 series lead to the third-place Oak Leafs.
1965-66 was a step back in the regular season. The Flags dropped to third place, with a 34-32-4 record. Their 72 points were 25 back of the first place Muskegon Mohawks. Port Huron had the third-fewest goals in the IHL, scoring just 308. Longtime Flags left wing Bill LeCaine led the team in scoring, with 41 goals and 116 points in 65 games. He was joined in the 40-goal club by Frank St. Marseille, who had 45 goals in 68 games, and Frank Golembosky, who led the team with 46 goals. Leading scorer on defense was Larry Mavety, with 19 goals and 62 points in 69 games.
Defense was the team's strong suit this season, as the Flags allowed just 274 goals, a mere 15 behind league-best Fort Wayne. Bob Sneddon was the starting goaltender that season, appearing in 66 games with a 3.83 GAA and 5 shutouts. Longtime Flags goaltender Norm Jacques (who recently passed away in 2025) played in just one game, as did trainer (and future NHL goaltender) Gary Simmons. Sneddon was in goal for the Turner Cup Playoffs.
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| April 18, 1966 edition of the Times Herald |
The Flags entered the playoffs against the top seed Muskegon Mohawks, who were 46-19-5 and led the league in scoring (376). No problem, Port Huron crushed the Mohawks in four straight, outscoring the Huber Trophy champs 24-10 in the process. They would face the Dayton Gems in the Turner Cup Finals. The Gems were just in their second season of existence, and finished fourth in the standings (33-35-2), just four points back of Port Huron. The Flags would make quick work of the Gems, downing Dayton in five games. Bob McCammon scored the winning goal just 49 seconds into overtime to clinch Port Huron's first Turner Cup championship.
This is a small program, just 19 pages long, all in black and white. Head Coach Lloyd Maxfield is featured on the cover, whistle around his neck, directing practice. Maxfield would play the last five seasons of his career (1962-67) with the Flags, then set down roots in the city. He would later coach the Port Huron Junior Flags from 1981-84. His #7 currently hangs on the east endzone wall of McMorran Arena.
This is the Flags roster for that night's contest against the Fort Wayne Komets. Bob Sneddon played just one season in Port Huron, and would go on to a long career in the minors. He made it all the way to the NHL, playing seven games in 1970-71 for the dreadful California Golden Seals. Bill LeCaine won all three Turner Cups in Port Huron, and played four games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1968-69. His number 11 is on the wall as well.
Ray Germain played pretty much his entire pro career with the Flags, winning two Turner Cups. Bob McCammon won all three Turner Cups with the Flags, and later coached the team for four seasons. He eventually would coach several seasons in the NHL. Defenseman Guy James was an ironman in the IHL, playing 780 consecutive games.
Frank St. Marseille was one of the best players to ever play for a Port Huron franchise. Coming over from the defunct Chatham Maroons, St. Marseille pumped in 126 goals and 305 points, in just three seasons with the Flags before going on to a long 10-year career in the NHL (St. Louis and Los Angeles). Oddly, his number never was added to the rafters at McMorran with his teammates.
This is the roster for that night's opponent, the Fort Wayne Komets. Len Thornson is widely considered the best player in the history of the International Hockey League. Len played 12 seasons with the Komets, winning two Turner Cups. Thornson won six MVP trophies and three scoring titles during his long career. Merv Dubchak scored 72 goals and 117 points in 70 games. He played the last seven years of his career in Fort Wayne. The leading scorer (points) was Bobby Rivard, with 42 goals and 133 points, winning the leading scorer award that year. Rivard would play 27 games for the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring 5 goals and 17 points in the process. Assistant Coach Eddie Long played 14 seasons in Fort Wayne, leading the team to the 1964-65 Turner Cup. Ken Ullyot was head coach for 13 seasons, one of the top coaches in league history. Right Wing Alton White made it to the majors, but in the World Hockey Association, playing three seasons for New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Michigan/Baltimore.
Fort Wayne finished with a 38-26-6 record, good enough for second place in the IHL, 15 points back of league-best Muskegon. On this night, in front of a record opening night crowd of 2,908, the Flags downed the Komets 5-4. St. Marseille scored twice, as did Dubchak.
This is the radio broadcast crew of the Flags for that season. Lyle Stieg doubled as broadcaster and sports director of WHLS. Jim Gosger, a Port Huron native, played ten seasons in Major League Baseball. In 1966, he split his time between the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Athletics. Gosger was a member of the 1969 World Champion New York Mets and 1973 NL Pennant-winning Mets. Gosger is still a resident of Port Huron. The sponsor for Flags broadcasts was Vernor's.
Local advertisements include Southeastern Michigan Gas Company, Max the Barber's, Maynard Markets, Quinlan's, and WHLS.
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April 18, 1966 edition of the Times Herald
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References:
Port Huron Times Herald, April 18, 1966, from newspapers.com
Port Huron Times Herald, October 30, 1965, from newspapers.com
International Hockey League Regular Season Statistics:
1965-66,
from hockeydb.com
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