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Cincinnati Tigers (CHL, 1981-82)

     Every now and then, a minor-league team fails after one season, whether it's from non-existent fan support, a poor on-ice product, questionable owners or bad facilities. I have a few programs from "one and done" hockey teams, and here's the latest addition to that group.
     The Cincinnati Tigers joined the Central Hockey League in 1981 as an expansion franchise. The franchise came to be when the Toronto Maple Leafs, tired of sharing the AHL's New Brunswick Hawks with Chicago, added the Tigers to the Queen City as their top affiliate. The new Tigers would be coached by former Flint Generals coach/GM Doug Carpenter, and would play their home games at the 14,453-seat Riverfront Coliseum.
     Most expansion franchises struggle in the first season, but the Tigers were quite the opposite. Cincinnati finished in second place in the CHL's North Division, sporting an excellent 46-30-4 record. Their 96 points were just one point behind league-leading Salt Lake.
         Carpenter had a strong team on both sides of the puck. On offense, the Tigers scored the second-most  goals in the CHL that year, with 375 (Dallas led the way with 394). The Tigers were led by former WHA and CHL Stinger Reg Thomas. The former Chicago draft pick scored 47 goals and 110 points in 80 games. Future Washington and Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau was right behind Thomas, scoring 42 goals and 103 points. Center Ernie Godden, a 1981 Leafs draft choice, had a fine rookie season, with 32 goals and 69 points in 67 games.
     The Tigers were not as strong on defense, surrendering 340 goals, fourth-most in the CHL. The team used four different goaltenders, and the overall GAA was at 4.25, a little high for even the free-wheeling 1980s. The goalie with the most work that year was former Port Huron Flag Bob Parent. Parent played 65 games and sported a 34-24-3 record with 2 shutouts and a team best 4.11 GAA. Former Leaf and Canuck Curt Ridley was his main backup. Ridley played in 22 games, with a 10-6-1 record and 4.20 GAA. Jiri Crha, who defected from Czechoslovakia in 1980 after signing with Toronto, played in 2 games, while Doug Dragasevich played in one.
     Cincinnati qualified for the Adams Cup Playoffs and faced the Dallas Black Hawks in the opening round (best of five). After splitting the first two games at Riverfront Coliseum, the Black Hawks swept both games in Dallas to take the series, 3-1. The Hawks would reach the Adams Cup Finals before falling to the Indianapolis Checkers in 6 games.
     On the ice, the Cincinnati Tigers had a very successful season. Off the ice was a far different story. Cincinnati had become a graveyard for professional hockey recently. The WHA Stingers had drawn mediocre crowds during their existence and were left out of the WHA-NHL merger in 1979. A new Stingers franchise joined the CHL for the 1979-80 season, but lasted only 33 games before folding, due to serious financial problems and non-existent attendance. Despite their success on the ice, the Tigers didn't fare much better in the stands. The team averaged about 1,500 per game and lost about $750,000 in their inaugural season. After taking such a financial beating, the Leafs pulled the plug on the franchise and went back to the AHL, moving the New Brunswick Hawks to Newmarket, Ontario.
     This is a good, albeit small, program. It has 31 pages, all in black-and-white. Page 11 has information on tickets for the 1981-82 season. Ticket price for the Tigers were $3 (Seniors 65+), $5 (Youth 16 and under) and $6 (Adults). Fans were also given the option of buying a "Tigers' Coupon Book", which consisted of twelve coupons good for a 15% discount on tickets. A full page ad for WXIX TV 19 is on Page 13. WXIX was the TV home of the Tigers, as five games were broadcast (two of which were home games), with Andy MacWilliams as announcer. Promotional dates are listed on Page 22, and include College Hockey Doubleheader Nights, Pennant Night,  and Kahn's Ham Shoot Night (score a goal, win a Christmas ham!). My favorite is WUBE Country Western Night, where fans can get a $1.50 discount on a ticket if they wear a Western hat.
     There aren't a lot of ads (possibly another reason the team struggled). Local ads include Cincinnati Bell, Sleep Out Louie's, McLevy's Pub and Hamm's Beer. And don't forget Red River Cattle Co., home of the "World's Largest Steaks", and the 6 lb. Challenge.

Aftermath: After the financial bloodbath of the CHL Stingers and Tigers, pro hockey would not return to Cincinnati until the Cincinnati Cyclones joined the ECHL in 1990. The Cyclones were a hit off the ice, and joined the IHL for the 1992 season. After the IHL folded, the Cyclones rejoined the ECHL and, except for a 2-year absence (2004-06), are still in town to this day. From 1997-2005, the Queen City was home to two minor-pro teams, as the AHL's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks called the Cincinnati Gardens home. That franchise is now the Rockford Ice Hogs.
References:
Central Hockey League Regular Season Statistics, 1981-82 , from hockeydb.com
"Cincinnati Tigers Hockey Club: 1981-82 Souvenir Program", Cincinnati Tigers Hockey Club.
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