Hockey Programs

Covered the Saginaw Gears earlier in this blog, but I wanted to give the 1980-81 season it's own post, since I have two programs from that year. 1980-81 Regular Season--Gears vs. Milwaukee Admirals     The Saginaw Gears were the first pro hockey team in Saginaw. They joined the International Hockey League as an expansion franchise in 1972, owned by former Bruins and North Stars executive Wren Blair. The Gears played their home games at the Saginaw Civic Center's Wendler Arena (now Dow Event Center), built shortly before the team's arrival. Their nickname was a nod to the Saginaw Steering Gear factory, now called Nexteer, on M46 on the east edge of town.      1980-81 was the ninth season of the franchise, which had established itself as one of the elite clubs in the IHL. They had already been to three Turner Cup Finals (1974, 1975, 1977), winning the Cup once (1977). Off the ice, the Gears were very popular in the Tri-Cities, often filling the 5500-seat Wendler

1981-82 Turner Cup Playoffs--Admirals vs. Saginaw Gears      The Milwaukee Admirals were in their fifth season in the IHL in 1981-82. They joined the league after their former league, the USHL, switched from minor-pro to junior hockey for the 1976-77 season. The Admirals were owned by Lloyd Pettit, the long-time announcer for the Chicago Blackhawks, and his wife Jane. They were led by Coach/GM Phil Whitliff, a Port Huron native who previously played for the Admirals and would go on to a long career with the team in the front office. Milwaukee was affiliated with Edmonton, St. Louis and Quebec.      1981-82 was the finest season for the Admirals in their five years in the IHL. Milwaukee went 41-34-7, giving them 89 points on the season. They finished in second place, just ahead of third-place Kalamazoo and 22 points behind league-best Toledo. Whitliff's squad was third-best in goals scored, pumping in 385 on the year. They were led on offense by Fred Berry, who scored 47 goals

1976-77 Regular Season--Indians vs. Rhode Island Reds      The Springfield Indians franchise is one of the oldest minor-pro hockey franchises in North America. The Indians were born in 1926 in the Canadian-American Hockey League, lasting for seven seasons before folding. In 1935, the franchise was revived in the American Hockey League when the Quebec Beavers relocated to Springfield.      In 1939, Boston Bruins legendary defenseman Eddie Shore purchased the Indians franchise. He ran the franchise for the next 28 years (with a short hiatus during World War 2) before selling the team to the new Los Angeles Kings, who renamed the Indians after the parent club. Shore returned during the 1974-75 season, restoring the Indians name and jerseys, and leading the team to it's fifth Calder Cup before selling the Indians the following year.      By 1976-77, the Indians were struggling. The team slumped to a 28-51-1 record, fifth place in the six-team AHL. The Indians abysmal 57 points

1988-89 Regular Season--Komets vs. Flint Spirts      The Komets played their 35th consecutive season in the IHL in 1988-89. The franchise was owned by local businessman David Welker. Welker, owner of Hoosier Culverts and W&W Concrete, purchased the Komets out of bankruptcy court for a paltry $300,000 in the summer of 1987.      The Komets, coached by former player Robbie Laird, had numerous affiliations that year. The Komets were a farm team of Boston, Quebec, Washington, Winnipeg and Edmonton. Quite a group of parent clubs!      As you can tell, the team had radically changed their look over the course of the 1980s. The traditional orange and black jerseys with the fireball logo were long gone. In their place, were red-white-blue unis with a silhouette of Indiana (the Komets script on the front of the program was on the road jerseys). They also had a koala bear for a secondary logo, which was supposedly for non-alcoholism and "A2D2" (Athletes Against Drunk Driving)

1970-71 Regular Season--Gems vs. Des Moines Oak Leafs      After the 1970 Turner Cup win, Wilson stepped down as coach and was replaced by Gems winger Gerry Moore. Moore's first Gems squad finished in third place in the IHL, with a 36-29-7 record. Dayton finished a distant 12 points behind league champion Muskegon.      Here's an unusual stat: the Gems scored the same amount of goals as they allowed that season--263. The offense finished third overall in the league. Moore's bunch were led by Barry Merrell, who scored 28 goals to go with 73 points. Clem Trembley was right behind him, with 68 points and a team-high 39 goals. Three other players had at least 20 goals on the year and six had at least 10.      The Gems defense allowed the third-highest in the league, trailing only Toledo and Port Huron. Dayton used two goaltenders that season. Michel Dumas played the majority of the games for the Gems, getting into 49 games with a 3.56 GAA. Veteran netminder Pat Rupp made

1968-69 Regular Season--Gems vs. Muskegon Mohawks       The city of Dayton, Ohio, joined the International Hockey League in the 1964-65 season as an expansion franchise. The team was run by Lefty McFadden, who was general manager of Dayton Speedway then. A "Name the Team" contest was held and "Dayton Gems" was the winning vote, a nod to the city's "Gem City" nickname.      The Gems were a very popular and successful franchise for most of their 16-year history.  By Year Two, they were in the Turner Cup Finals, but came up short against Port Huron. After the 1967-68 season, original coach Warren Back resigned and was replaced by former Red Wing Larry Wilson.      Wilson inherited a team on the verge of greatness. They had won the Huber Trophy as regular season champions two years ago (44-25-3). They would do the same in 1968-69, topping the IHL with a strong 40-21-11 mark. They need every one of their 91 points, as they finished ahead of Tol

1962-63 Turner Cup Playoffs--Komets vs. Muskegon Zephyrs      Their has been a Fort Wayne Komets franchise in minor league hockey since 1952. That's an incredible run for any minor league sport. Teams and entire leagues have come and gone, but Komets hockey has endured. The current team in the ECHL is actually the third incarnation of the Komets. The original franchise joined the IHL in 1952 as an expansion franchise. They played their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, which opened in 1952 and originally held 8,103.       Ken Ullyot coached the Komets in 1962-63. That year's squad won a hotly contested regular season title, going 35-30-5, just a point ahead of Minneapolis and two ahead of third place Muskegon. The cover picture is from the postgame celebration in Omaha. The Komets hammered the Knights, 7-1, to win the team's seventh league title in 11 years!      Fort Wayne was third in the league in scoring, with 283 goals. Pacing the Komets attac

     (Note: A great website for Goaldiggers history is toledoretrohockey.com . It includes tons of pictures from the various minor league teams in that town, even an online store to buy Goaldiggers apparel. I bought a shirt there awhile back. Very nice!) 1984-85 Regular Season--Goaldiggers vs. Fort Wayne Komets      The Goaldiggers returned to the Turner Cup Finals in 1983-84, but their quest for 3 straight Cups ran into a buzzsaw called the Flint Generals, who swept them aside in four straight. Bill Inglis stepped down after 3 1/2 successful seasons to take the Coach/GM position in Kalamazoo.      Toledo replaced Inglis with former netminder Tony Piroski. Piroski didn't last too long behind the bench, and after a 7-14-4 start, was replaced by former Diggers coach Ted Garvin.      The Diggers slumped to a 32-42-5 record, their worst since 1980-81. They brought up the rear in the Eastern Division, 17 points behind Inglis' K-Wings and 31 points behind division champion Mu

1982-83 Regular Season--Goaldiggers vs. Saginaw Gears      After winning the 1977-78 Turner Cup, the Goaldiggers stumbled through a few forgettable seasons. By 1980-81, the team hired Bill Inglis as head coach midway through the season. Inglis built a powerhouse team in 1981-82, which set team records for victories (53), then flattened the Saginaw Gears in five games to win the Turner Cup.       Inglis' 1982-83 Diggers were almost as good. They repeated as regular season champions, with an excellent 51-21-10 record, 10 points ahead of second place Fort Wayne. They were 25 points ahead of Western Division champion Milwaukee.      The Diggers featured the third best offense in the IHL in '82-83, lighting the lamp 362 times. Future NHLer Dirk Graham led the way with 70 goals and 125 points (amazingly, not the league leader in goals!). Dave Falkenberg was next in goal-scoring with 51 goals. Five other players had at least 20 goals on the year for Inglis' squad.      Tole

1977-78 Regular Season--Opponent Unknown      The Toledo Goaldiggers joined the IHL as an expansion franchise shortly after the Hornets skipped town. They wisely hired ex-Port Huron Wings coach Ted Garvin as head coach/GM, and made the playoffs in their first season. The Diggers then stormed to the Turner Cup Finals, completing the legendary "Miracle on Main Street" by defeating the Saginaw Gears in seven games to win the Cup in their inaugural season.      The Toledo Goaldiggers existed from 1974-86, and are considered by many fans to be the glory years of pro hockey in Toledo. By 1977-78, the Diggers were firmly established as a dangerous team in the IHL. They were coming off a seven-game defeat in the Finals to Saginaw, and the Sports Arena was packed on a nightly basis. Ted Garvin's squad were affiliated with the New York Rangers and Cleveland Barons.      Toledo finished in second place in the South Division, with a solid 34-28-18. Their 86 points were third hi

1972-73 Regular Season--Hornets vs. Saginaw Gears       The Hornets had their best season in their four years of existence, but it wasn't anything special. Toledo finished third in the Northern Division, with an ordinary 36-33-5 record. Their 77 points was just one point ahead of fourth place Muskegon and twelve behind division champion Flint. Fred Burchell was behind the bench this season.      Toledo had the second-worst offense in the IHL that season, scoring just 257 goals. The Hornets were led by Harold White, who scored 27 goals and 63 points. Moe Brunel led the team in goals with 30. Only four other players had at least 20 goals that season.      The Hornet defense was much better, allowing the fifth-fewest goals in the league, 261. Glenn Ramsay was back for another season in the Toledo net, and had a fine season. Ramsay, one of the iron men of the IHL, played in 70 games, posting 3 shutouts and a 3.21 GAA. Dean Jeffrey was his backup that season, making it into 9 game

1971-72 Regular Season--Opponent Unknown       The Toledo Blades were renamed Hornets after the 1969-70 season. The Hornets were led by President/GM Paul Bright, and coached by Bill Needham. The Hornets four-year run is considered the low point of pro hockey in Toledo. While the Blades and Mercurys won 5 Turner Cups between them, the Hornets never made it past the first round. Finishing over .500 only once, the Hornets failed to capture the imagination of Toledo hockey fans, often playing in front of small crowds at the Sports Arena.      The 1971-72 Hornets didn't improve much on the previous season, going a lackluster 26-46-0. That was good enough for dead last in the North Division, 15 points behind third place Flint and 48 behind division champ Muskegon.      The Hornets had the third-worst offense in the league that year, scoring 270 goals. Needham's bunch were led by Jim Paterson, who had 46 goals and 86 points. Three other Hornets scored at least 20 goals. 1971-

1969-70 Regular Season--Blades vs. Fort Wayne Komets      In 1969-70, the IHL split into two, four-team divisions with the arrival of the expansion Flint Generals. Toledo joined the Southern Division with Dayton, Des Moines and Columbus. Bill Mitchell was the coach of the Blades for this season, the seventh in franchise history.      The Blades finished second place in the South. Their mediocre 32-33-7 record earned them 71 points, nine behind first place Dayton and 29 behind league-leading Muskegon.      Toledo tied for the second-fewest goals in the league that year, scoring only 241. Mitchell's club was led by Ray Germain, who had 22  goals to go along with 70 points. Wayne Zuk led the team in goals with 41. Five other players on the roster had over 20 goals.      On the other hand, the Blades defense was stellar. Toledo allowed 265 goals, second-fewest in the IHL that year. Glenn Ramsay had a solid season for the Blades, playing in 61 games, before being loaned to Port H

1967-68 Regular Season--Opponent Unknown      The Toledo Blades were the third professional hockey club to play in Toledo, Ohio. They were members of the International Hockey League from 1963-70, when they were renamed Toledo Hornets. They played their home games at the Toledo Sports Arena, a 5,230-seat arena.      The Blades were coming off their second Turner Cup victory in 1966-67, having defeated Fort Wayne in the Finals. The 1967-68 Blades slipped to fifth place in the IHL that year, with a 29-29-14 record. While Muskegon ran away with the regular season title, the battle for the second-fourth playoff seeds was hotly contested, as only six points separated second place Dayton and fifth place Toledo.      Coach Terry Slater's squad scored only 261 goals, second-fewest in the league. Stan Maxwell led the charge on offense, with 34 goals and 78 points. Richard Balon led the Blades in goals with 41. Five other players scored at least 20, including two players with over 30 go

Quite a few programs from the CHL, eh? 1974-75 Regular Season--Opponent Unknown        The Fort Worth Texans were members of the Central Hockey League from 1967-82. The Texans were the third pro hockey franchise in Fort Worth since 1941. The franchise arrived in town after a three-year stay in Memphis, Tennessee. The Texans played their home games at the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum, which seats 6500.      For the first seven years of it's existence, the Texans were called "Fort Worth Wings" and were a farm team of the Detroit Red Wings. In 1974, the Wings became Texans and were affiliated with the up-and-coming New York Islanders, hence the logo. This program is from the team's first season as the Texans.      Head Coach Ed Chadwick's Texans struggled through a rough 1974-75 campaign, bringing up the rear in the CHL. Their 26-40-12 record gave them a paltry 68 points. They tied Tulsa for fewest points, but earned dead last by having the fewest po

1990-91 Regular Season--Wings vs. Peoria Rivermen      By 1990-91, the K-Wings were the primary affiliate of the Minnesota North Stars. They also dropped their original red-white-blue color scheme for the North Stars green and gold look.      Ted Parfet still owned the franchise, then in it's 16th season in the IHL. Bill Inglis was by then just General Manager. John Marks was behind the bench for the fourth straight season.      The IHL was becoming a coast-to-coast league with many teams in major US cities. Many of Kalamazoo's longtime rivals, such as Flint, Saginaw, Port Huron and Toledo, were long gone from the IHL. In their places were cities as far west as San Diego and as far east as Albany.      The K-Wings were still in the Eastern Division, and captured the division crown in 1990-91. Their sparkling 52-29-1 record was good for 105 points, 16 behind league-best Peoria. John Marks' squad was third-best in offense that year, lighting the lamps 354 times. Steve

1985-86 Regular Season--Wings vs. Salt Lake Golden Eagles      The Kalamazoo Wings were back for their 11th season of IHL hockey in 1985-86. They were still part of the Red Wings farm system, but were also affiliated with Vancouver and Philadelphia. Ted Parfet was still owner of the franchise. Bill Inglis returned as coach/GM for a second season after three years in Toledo.      The IHL emerged from the recession of the early 1980s to begin expanding across the continent to much larger towns. The demise of the Central Hockey League brought teams from Salt Lake City, Utah, and Indianapolis, Indiana, into the IHL for the 1984-85 season. Peoria became the Rivermen and Muskegon became the Lumberjacks. After the 1984-85 season, the Flint Generals would move to Saginaw and would be replaced by the expansion Flint Spirits.      Bill Inglis' 1985-86 K-Wings finished in second place in the Eastern Division. Their 47-29-6 record gave them an even 100 points just five behind first place

1982-83 Regular Season--Wings vs. Saginaw Gears      Before I give the recap for this season, take a look at the cover. See what the K-Wings foward is wearing? Those are called Cooperalls, a long-legged hockey pant that was around during the early 1980s. Two NHL teams, Hartford and Philadelphia, even wore these things at this time. Cooperalls were much lighter than traditional equipment, and allowed players more agility. However, they were also a safety risk, as they greatly reduced friction, sending players hurtling quicker across the ice. They were soon declared unsafe and discontinued. Note the continuation of the pants stripes along the sides of the K-Wings' jerseys.      Anyway, on to that season. 1982-83 saw the IHL expand to eight teams with the arrival of the Peoria Prancers. They also brought back the two-division format after a one-year hiatus. Kalamazoo was now in the Western Division, along with Milwaukee, Muskegon and Peoria. They were still part of the Detroit Re

1981-82 Regular Season--Wings vs. Fort Wayne Komets      The country was going through a recession during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the industrial Midwest was especially hit hard. With fewer and fewer fans having disposable income for hockey games, attendance began to drop off for many IHL franchises. The league was coming off a forgettable offseason in 1981. The Grand Rapids Owls and Port Huron Flags both ceased operations after the season's end. The Saginaw Gears filed for bankruptcy protection shortly after winning the Turner Cup, and Muskegon came close to being evicted from their arena. The league, now down to 7 teams, scrapped their divisional setup.      The Kalamazoo Wings opened the 1981-82 season in an unfamiliar role: ex-champions. The K-Wings were routed in the 1981 Turner Cup Finals by a red-hot Gears squad in five games, ending their two-year dynasty. Coach Doug McKay moved on to coach the AHL's Adirondack Red Wings and was replaced by JP LeBlanc. T

1979-80 Regular Season--Wings vs. Port Huron Flags      The Kalamazoo Wings joined the International Hockey League as an expansion franchise in 1974-75. They were a farm team of the Detroit Red Wings and were owned by Ted Parfet. The Wings played their home games in new Wings Stadium, a 5,121-seat stadium.      In 1978-79, the Wings captured their first-ever Turner Cup championship, besting the Grand Rapids Owls in seven games. New head coach Doug McKay would improve on that success in 1979-80. The Wings would win the regular season title that year, going 45-26-9, three points ahead of second place Saginaw and six ahead of Southern Division leader Fort Wayne.      McKay's K-Wings led the league in both offense and defense. Kalamazoo potted 366 goals on the year. They were led by Tom Milani's 49 goals and 111 points. Tom Ross joined Milani in the 40-goal club, lighting the red light 43 times to go with 103 points. Seven other K-Wings scored over 20 goals on the season.   

1966-67 Regular Season--Knights vs. Florida Rockets      The Knoxville Knights were part of the old Eastern Hockey League from 1961-68. The franchise originally began as the Washington Lions in 1954, heading to Tennessee in 1961 after a one-year stop in New Jersey. The Knights played their home games at the Civic Auditorium-Coliseum, a 7,141 seat arena.      Doug Bentley, former Red Wings forward, was back behind the bench for the 1966-67 season. The Knights slumped that season to a 27-42-3 record, fourth place in the Southern Division, just a point ahead of last place Florida and two ahead of league-worst New Haven.      Knoxville scored the third-fewest goals in the league that year, with only 232. Chuck Stuart led the team with 37 goals and 83 points. Five other players reached 20 goals, but most split time between Knoxville and other EHL teams.      The Knights were middle-of-the-pack on defense, allowing 268 goals. They went with two goaltenders that season, Wayne Doll and