Hockey Programs

1982-83 Regular Season--Komets vs. Flint Generals      As you can see by the program, 1982-83 was the 31st straight season of Komets Hockey. By now, the team had changed their colors slightly, dropping black for royal blue. Former Komets center Ron Ullyot was back behind the bench, and the team was a secondary affiliate of Vancouver, Washington and Winnipeg.      Ullyot's Komets had a fine season in '82-83, with an excellent 45-26-11 record, giving them 101 points on the year. They finished second place in the Eastern Division and overall in the IHL. the Komets were second only to Huber Trophy champion Toledo and 21 points ahead of third place Flint.      Fort Wayne had the second-best offense in the IHL that year, piling up 377 goals on the year. Ron Ullyot had a pair of 50-goal scorers that season, as both Ron Leef and Barry Scully each had 57. Leef led the team in points with 120. Two others scored at least 30 goals, a...

I already covered the Flags/Wings franchise early in this blog, but I wanted to give the '71-72 Wings their own post. I did some research on the Flags/Wings this past Saturday at the St. Clair County Library in Port Huron, browsing through the Times Herald microfilm.      Shortly after winning their second Turner Cup, the Port Huron Flags signed a working agreement with the 1971-72 Regular Season--Wings vs. Dayton Gems Detroit Red Wings. As a nod to their new affiliation, the Flags changed their name to the Port Huron Wings, and wore uniforms identical to the parent club. Detroit would also use McMorran Arena as their home for training camp. Ted Garvin was back behind the bench, along with General Manager Morris Snider.       Garvin's new-look Wings finished the 1971-72 season in second place, with a 37-31-4 record. Their 78 points put them 11 points ahead of third place Flint, but 22 behind Huber Trophy-winning Muskegon. Despite the second-...

1977-78 Regular Season--Whalers vs. Indianapolis Racers      The New England Whalers were one of the original members of the World Hockey Association, the second major league that was born in 1972. The Whalers, originally playing in Boston, won the first Avco Cup championship (the WHA's equivalent to the Stanley Cup). The Whalers would then relocate to Hartford, Connecticut, and the new Hartford Civic Center.      In 1977-78, the Whalers won a bidding war for Gordie, Mark and Marty Howe. The Howes had played the past several seasons with the Houston Aeros, but left that team after a falling out with ownership. The Howes were joined by former NHL stars Dave Keon and Johnny McKenzie, along with Jack and Steve Carlson (two-thirds of the infamous Hanson Brothers of Slapshot fame). Harry Neale was coach of the Whalers that year, with Jack Kelley as Director of Hockey Operations.      The 1977-78 Whalers had an excellent season...

Even though I have a ton of programs, there are still a few programs I'm still looking for. Here are my "White Whales": 1. 1980-81 Port Huron Flags : The final season of the Flags. Haven't seen a program for that franchise in awhile on eBay. The team didn't draw too well that final season, so a program from that season might be a bit tricky to find. 2. 1978-79 Muskegon Mohawks: 3-32-3 in the first half of the season. The Mohawks that year didn't just hit rock bottom, they slammed head-first into it at 100 mph. Have only seen schedules from that season on eBay and nothing at trade shows/flea markets. 3. Flint Spirits: I bought my first Spirits program at Gibraltar Trade Center in Mount Clemens, and got a 1989-90 Spirits program on eBay. Again, have only seen schedules and the occasional pack of cards online since.  Would love to have more Spirits programs 4. 1987-88 Saginaw Hawks: The only Hawks program I own is from a Hawks-Spirits game Dad and I we...

1979-80 Regular Season--Gears vs. Flint Generals      The Saginaw Gears were in their eighth year of existence in 1979-80. The Gears were a secondary affiliate of both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings. Don Perry was Coach/GM and Wren Blair was owner.       After going .500 in 1978-79, the Gears improved to 43-27-10 in '79-80, second place in the North Division. They were just one point ahead of third place Port Huron and three back of league champ Kalamazoo. Saginaw featured the third-best offense in the IHL that year, scoring 349 goals. Rookie sniper Scott Gruhl led the Gears with 53 goals and 93 points--not bad for a rookie season! Warren Holmes, Marcel Comeau and Claude LaRochelle each scored over 30 goals that year, and five other Gears scored at least 20.       Saginaw finished third in the league on defense, allowing 306 goals. They used four different goaltenders that season. Bob Froese, w...

1971-72 Regular Season--Braves vs. Rochester Americans      In 1971-72, hockey was red-hot in Boston, where Bobby Orr and the Bruins dominated the NHL. Hockey was so popular, the Bruins purchased an AHL expansion franchise to play at Boston Garden. The new team was called the Braves, and were, naturally, the top affiliate of the Bruins. The team was coached by Bep Guidolin, a former NHL forward who would go on to coach the Bruins a year later.      The Braves would have their best season, on and off the ice, in 1971-72. Off the ice, the Braves were a smash success, averaging 11,208 per game, easily the highest in the league. The Braves finished in second place in the East Division, with a sparkling 41-21-14 record, just behind league best Nova Scotia. Guidolin's Braves had the fifth-best offense in the AHL, scoring 260 goals. They were led by former NHL winger Doug Roberts, who scored 35 goals and 75 points. Garry Peters led the team in goals...

1973-74 Regular Season--Roadrunners vs. Denver Spurs      There have been numerous teams that have been called "Phoenix Roadrunners" over the years, in leagues from the ECHL to the WHA. The first version played in the Western Hockey League, a minor-pro circuit in Western North America, from 1967-74. The Roadrunners previously played as the Victoria Maple Leafs in British Columbia. The team played their home games at the Arizona Veterans' Memorial Coliseum. They were coached by Alex "Sandy" Hucul, a long-time minor league defenseman who played the last five years of his career in Phoenix.      Coming off their first Patrick Cup championship, the Roadrunners finished in first place in the WHL. Their 43-32-3 record was three points ahead of second place Salt Lake. Hucul's squad boasted the second-best offense in 1973-74, scoring an even 300 goals. Murray Koegan led the charge, with 31 goals and 87 points. Former Detroit Red Wing Howie Young led ...

1967-68 Regular Season--Komets vs. Des Moines Oak Leafs      1967-68 was the sixteenth season of Fort Wayne Komets hockey, all in the IHL. The team was coached by Ken Ullyot, who had been with the franchise since 1958. The Komets played      Having lost to Toledo in the 1967 Turner Cup Finals, the Komets slipped to fourth place in '67-68. While Muskegon ran away with first place, the battle for the second-fifth slots was hotly contested. Fort Wayne finished 30-29-13, their 73 points one ahead of Toledo and just five behind second place Dayton.      The Komets were also in fourth place in offense, scoring 282 times that year. Fort Wayne legend Len Thornson led the team with 38 goals and 97 points. Three others, Bob Baird, Randy Gates and Merv Dubchak, joined Thornson in the 30+ goal club. Three others scored at least 20 goals.      The Komets had the second-best defense in the IHL that season, allowing just...

1974-75 Regular Season--Gears vs. Lansing Lancers      1974-75 was the third season of Saginaw Gears hockey. The Gears were coming off a surprise run to the Turner Cup Finals in 1973-74, which they lost to the Des Moines Capitols. Don Perry returned as Coach/GM, and the Gears were a secondary affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, after two seasons in the Minnesota farm system.      Saginaw would build on their Cinderella season by going 43-29-3, third place in the Eastern Division. Their 89 points put them 10 points behind the regular season champions, the Muskegon Mohawks, and ten points ahead of the fourth place Port Huron Flags.      Perry's crew pumped in 302 goals that season, third-highest in the league. They were led on offense by power forward Dennis Desrosiers. "Rosie" scored 44 goals to go along with 80 points and 225 penalty minutes. Stu Irving, a member of the 1972 USA Olympic hockey team, had 32 goals and 76 ...