Hockey Programs

1970-71 Regular Season Rebels vs. Charlotte Checkers      The Roanoke Valley Rebels were members of the Eastern Hockey League. They began as the Salem Rebels in 1968, but relocated to Roanoke, VA, after the Roanoke Valley Civic Center was opened in time for the 1970-71 season.      Colin Kilburn was named Rebels head coach in 1969 and was behind the bench for 1970-71 as well. Kilburn's Rebs went 31-34-9, good enough for third place in the Southern Division. Their 71 points were 14 points ahead of the Nashville Dixie Flyers, but a whopping 46 behind first place Charlotte, the opponent for this program.      Roanoke scored the third-fewest goals that season, with a paltry 257--only Clinton and Jacksonville scored less. Dave Parenteau led the Rebel attack, potting 30 goals and 87 points. Late-season pickup Dale MacLeish scored 41 goals with three different teams that season. Three other Rebels scored at least 20.      Roanoke struggled keeping the puck out of the net that ye

1958-59 Regular Season Reds vs. Buffalo Bisons      The Rhode Island Reds were a storied franchise in the American Hockey League. The franchise was born (or is that "hatched"?) in 1926, and lasted for 51 seasons. They played their home games at the Rhode Island Auditorium, and were affiliated with the Boston Bruins for 1958-59.      Jack Crawford, longtime Bruins defenseman, was head coach for the Reds that season. Crawford's Reds collapsed to the AHL cellar, going 28-40-2. Their meager 58 points were four points behind fifth-place Springfield and 22 behind league-best Buffalo (the opponent for this program).      Rhode Island scored 222 goals that year, second-fewest in the AHL. Former Maple Leaf Cal Gardner was tops with 24 goals and 63 points in 68 games. Ray Ross was the only other Red with 20+ goals.      On defense, the Reds allowed the second-most goals in the AHL, as opponents scored 282 times. Three goaltenders were in the nets for Rhode Island that year.

1978-79 Regular Season Red Wings vs. Salt Lake Golden Eagles      Detroit's top farm club was back in Kansas City and the Central Hockey League for the second straight season. The Kansas City Red Wings, formerly the Kansas City Blues, played their home games at Kemper Arena, which held 16,031 fans.      Larry Wilson, former Detroit Red Wing, returned behind the bench. Ted Lindsay doubled as GM in both Detroit and Kansas City. The KC Wings were coming off a 33-40-3 fifth place season in 1977-78, missing the playoffs. Wilson's bunch improved to 37-36-3, good enough for third place in the CHL. Their 77 points were 24 points behind league-best Salt Lake (that night's opponent) and seven ahead of fourth-place Fort Worth.      The Wings could score that year, lighting the lamp 301 times, third overall in the league. Mal Davis led the way with 42 goals and 66 point in 71 games. Two other players, Roland Cloutier and Jim Malazdrewicz, were the other Wings to score at least 30

1964-65 Regular Season Buckaroos vs. Victoria Maple Leafs      The Portland Buckaroos were in their fifth season of existence in 1964-65. The franchise began as the New Westminster Royals, who played from 1945-59. The Buckaroos were members of the Western Hockey League, a minor-pro circuit based in the West Coast of the United States and Canada. This was prior to the NHL's 1967 Expansion, so the WHL was practically the closest thing to major league hockey.      Hal Laycoe, longtime NHL defenseman (mostly with Boston), followed the team from New Westminster and was back behind the bench this season. The team had yet to miss the playoffs, and 1964-65 was no different. Laycoe's Buckaroos went 42-23-5, first overall in the WHL. Portland's 89 points were 13 better than the second-place Seattle Totems. As a result of the great season,  just under 8,200 per game attended Buckaroos games.      The Buckaroos' offense pumped in 267 goals, tops in the league. They were led b

2000-01 Regular Season--Vipers vs. Orlando Solar Bears      The Detroit Vipers were in their seventh season of play by 2000-01. Since relocating from Salt Lake City Utah, the Vipers were a big success both on and off the ice. The team made the playoffs each season from 1994-99, reaching the Turner Cup Finals twice, winning the Cup in 1997. Off the ice, the Vipers rewrote the IHL record books for attendance. The franchise often packed the Palace of Auburn Hills and were at or near the top of the IHL in attendance average.      A turning point for the franchise came in 1999, when owner Bill Davidson purchased the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning.  After years of being an independent franchise, the Vipers became the Lightning's top farm club. The Lightning were a bottom feeder in the midst of a total rebuild, so the cupboards were not exactly stocked with talent. Due to a rash of injuries on the parent club, the Vipers used 63 players in 1999-2000. This led to the team crashing to t

2015-16 Regular Season--Spirit vs. Soo Greyhounds      The Saginaw Spirit just completed their 13th season in the Ontario Hockey League. The team is still owned by Dick Garber of Garber Buick and continues to play at Dow Event Center.      The Spirit iced one of the youngest teams in the OHL this past year. When I bought this program, only right winger Mitchell Stephens (Tampa Bay) was drafted, though the team did have two overage players.      Saginaw went into the season with higher expectations due to the experience the young roster gained last year. However, the team struggled from the start, costing coach Greg Gilbert his job. He was replaced midseason by scout Moe Mantha. Mantha coached the Michigan Warriors the past five seasons and was a former Spirit coach as well. Saginaw finished the season at a dismal 24-36-5-3 record. Their 56 points were good enough for fourth place in the West Division, 35 points behind first place Sarnia and 10 ahead of last place Flint. 3,354 fan

1985-86 Regular Season--Opponent Unknown      The Islanders were in their 15th year of existence by now. The first half of the 1980s was very kind to the Isles, as the team won 20 straight playoff series, make five straight Stanley Cup Finals appearances and win four straight Cups (1980-83). It's unlikely that the NHL will ever see a stretch of dominance like this again.      By 1985-86, while the Islanders were still a contender, the core of the dynasty was aging. The previous season saw the Islanders slip to third place and lose to Philadelphia in the division finals. 1985-86 proved to be more of the same. Al Arbour's club went 39-29-12 that season. Their 90 points were 20 behind first-place Philadelphia, and 12 ahead of the fourth place Rangers.      The Isles scored 327 goals in 1985-86, eighth-most in the high-flying NHL. As usual, they were led by sniper Mike Bossy. Bossy was a model of consistency in his NHL career, having scored at least 50 goals in each season at

1976-77 Regular Season--Opponent Unknown      The New York Islanders were in only their fifth season of existence in the NHL, yet were already considered a rising power in the league. Just three years into their existence, they came within a win from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. Their quick rise from expansion laughingstock to contender is quite impressive!      Bill Torrey was back as General Manager, as was Head Coach Al Arbour. The previous season saw the Islanders go 42-21-17 (2nd place, Patrick Division) and hand the Montreal Canadiens their sole loss in the playoffs in the semifinals. 1976-77 continued the franchise's steady ascent up the NHL ladder. The team again finished second in the Patrick Division, with a 47-21-12 mark. Their 106 points were just six behind division leader Philadelphia and 26 ahead of third-place Atlanta. 14,965 fans per game jammed Nassau Coliseum to see the Isles that season,      New York had the sixth-best offense that season, notching 28