Hockey Programs

1972-73 Regular Season: Red Wings vs. California Golden Seals      After hitting rock bottom in 1970-71, the Detroit Red Wings slowly started making their way up the standings. The team was able to turn their next-to-last finish that year into star forward Marcel Dionne, who teamed with former Canadiens forward Mickey Redmond to give the Wings a great 1-2 punch on offense. Thanks to their fine play, along with steady goaltending by Roy Edwards and Denis DeJordy, the Wings finished with a solid 37-29-12 record, good enough for fifth place in the competitive Eastern Division.      To show you how awful the "Dead Things" era (1966-86) was, consider this: the Wings' 86-point season was the second-best record they had in that time period. It was also the last time the team would finish above .500 until the 1987-88 season!      Former Wings forward Johnny Wilson, who took over as head coach early in the 1971-72 season, was back behind the bench. GM Ned Harkness returned t

1993-94 Regular Season Opener: Mighty Ducks vs. Detroit Red Wings      NHL hockey arrived in Anaheim, California, in 1993, as the Walt Disney Corporation purchased an expansion franchise. Disney executive Michael Eisner was named governor of the new team, called "The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim", in honor of the popular Mighty Ducks  kids movies. The Ducks called the new 17,174-seat Arrowhead Pond home. The Ducks were the third NHL franchise to call California home, the most of any state or province.      Jack Ferreira, formerly the Director of Pro Scouting for the Montreal Canadiens, was named the team's first General Manager. He, in turn, named Ron Wilson the franchise's first coach. Wilson, who played in the NHL with Toronto and Minnesota in the 1970s and 1980s, was an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks from 1990-93, helping lead the Canucks to two straight Smythe Division titles. The Ducks stayed in California when looking for a farm team, signing with t

1979-80 Regular Season: Gems vs. Milwaukee Admirals      The Dayton Gems returned to the IHL after a two-year hiatus. The franchise suspended operations due to financial problems after the 1976-77 season, but continued paying league dues during that time. Hara Arena was briefly the home of the Dayton Owls in 1977-78 (formerly of Columbus), but poor attendance and a struggling economy forced that team to move to Grand Rapids in December.      Harold and Ralph Wampler, majority owners of Hara Arena, led a group of stockholders that ran "The Second Coming" of the Gems franchise. The Gems were affiliated with the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets, who were both in the first season in the NHL. Keith Sprunk, formerly the assistant GM with the Grand Rapids Owls, was named GM and Vice-President. Bill Selman, former coach of St. Louis University's hockey program, was hired as "bench boss" in Dayton.      Hopes were high that the fanbase would come back in droves an

1977-78 Regular Season: Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins      The 1970s were a dark period for the Detroit Red Wings, to say the least. In fact, from 1966-86, the Wings made the playoffs a whopping 4 times in 20 years! The team cycled through 17 head coaches, 6 general managers and a near-endless parade of goaltenders.      In 1976-77, the team hit rock bottom, finishing with an ugly 16-55-9 record, worst in the league and in franchise history. General Manager/Coach Alex Delvecchio was fired midway through the season. He was replaced in both jobs by former teammates: Johnny Wilson as coach, and Production Line-mate Ted Lindsay.      Lindsay returned for 1977-78, vowing that "Aggressive Hockey Is Back In Town". He replaced Wilson with Bobby Kromm, former WHA Winnipeg Jets coach. Lindsay bolstered the lineup with the #1 overall draft pick, selecting St. Catherines sniper Dale McCourt. He followed that with trades for Andre St. Laurent from the Islanders and Errol Thompso

1994-95 Regular Season, Opponent Unknown      The Toronto Maple Leafs were coming off back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals in 1993 and 1994, resurrecting a franchise that had been mostly a bottom-feeder throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. The 1994-95 season started late due to a lockout, and was shortened to 48 games and not starting until January.      After that second straight conference finals loss, GM Cliff Fletcher shook up the roster. Fletcher dealt longtime Leafs captain Wendel Clark to Quebec for Mats Sundin, a young forward in just his fifth season. While a shocking trade at the time (Clark had just had a career year), the Leafs made out like bandits in the long run, as Sundin spent the next 14 years of his career in Toronto.      The Leafs stumbled in 1994-95, dropping to fourth place in the Central Division, with a mediocre 21-19-8 record. The team hovered around the .500 mark all year, but was still able to qualify for the playoffs.      The Leafs s

1992-93 Regular Season: Red Wings vs. St. Louis Blues      The Detroit Red Wings were and up-and-coming power in the NHL by 1992-93. After spending the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s in the basement, the franchise had been moving steadily upward since 1987. Led by Head Coach/GM Bryan Murray, the Wings had made the playoffs the previous two seasons, and had won the Norris Division regular season crown in 1991-92.      The Wings set a franchise record for wins in 1992-93, going 47-28-9. Their 103 points were just three less than division champion Chicago, and fifth overall in the NHL. After that strong season, the team was an early favorite in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.      The Red Wings of the early 1990s were an offensive juggernaut, and this season was no different. The Wings topped the NHL, scoring 369 goals. They were led by longtime captain Steve Yzerman. "Stevie Y" had another excellent season, scoring 58 goals and 137 points, fourth best in the league. Vete

1981-82 Regular Season: Goaldiggers vs. Kalamazoo Wings      The 1980-81 season was a disaster for the Toledo Goaldiggers. A contender for most of their existence, the Diggers collapsed to last place in the IHL, with a 26-47-11 record. Attendance was down to about 2,000 per game, forcing the team to suspend operations after losing $300,000 that year.      Former IHL commissioner Bill Beagan rescued the franchise from oblivion, signing a 2-year lease for the Toledo Sports Arena. Beagan kept head coach/GM Bill Inglis, who replaced former coach Jim Sanko during the previous campaign.      The 1981-82 season was a complete turnaround for the franchise on the ice. Toledo rocketed up the standings, finishing with a team record 53 wins (53-25-4). The Goaldiggers' 111 points easily clinched the Huber Trophy, 20 points ahead of second-place Milwaukee.      The Goaldiggers were loaded on offense in 1981-82, as their 407 goals lead the IHL. The team's top scorer was rookie Scott Ho