Detroit Vipers (IHL, 1995-96)

1995-96 Regular Season:
Vipers vs. Atlanta Knights

      This was the second season of Detroit Vipers hockey. The team was originally the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, and was purchased by Palace Sports and Entertainment in the summer of 1994. Rick Dudley returned as Head Coach/GM, with former Muskegon Fury Head Coach Steve Ludzik as his assistant. Home games were played at the 20,804-seat Palace of Auburn Hills. The Vipers' farm team was the Flint Generals.

     The Vipers were moved to the IHL's Central Division, and had another strong season, going 48-28-6. Their 102 points were good enough for second place, eight points back of the Orlando Solar Bears, and tied for fourth overall in the IHL. Attendance dipped a little bit, but Detroit was still tops in the league, averaging 13,305 per game. 

     Detroit had the fifth-best offense in the IHL that season, scoring 310 goals. The leading scorer was former Flint Spirit and Saginaw Hawk Lonnie Loach. The 27-year old left winger and team captain had 35 goals and 86 points in 79 games. Right behind him was former Flames prospect Peter Ciavaglia. Ciavaglia had 22 goals and 78 points in 75 games. Dave Emma (30) and Bill Armstrong (34), the innovator of "The Michigan Goal", were the other two Vipers with at least 30 goals. Guy Larose had 28 goals before being traded to the Las Vegas Thunder.

     The Vipers were also the fifth-best defense in the league, surrendering just 274 goals. The Vipers went through six goalies this year. Last season's All-Star, Rick Knickle, played 18 games (9-5-1, 3.44 GAA) before being sent to Las Vegas. The main netminder that year was former Senator Darrin Madeley. Madeley played 40 games, with a 16-14-4 record and 3.17 GAA. Next on the list is Rich Parent. Parent started the season with the Colonial League's Muskegon Fury, going 23-7-4 in 36 games. Parent was outstanding with the Vipers, with a 16-0-1 with a 2.77 GAA and 1 shutout in 19 games. Former Canucks backup Kay Whitmore played 10 games (3-5-0) before heading to the Los Angeles Ice Dogs. Ex-Winnipeg Jet Daniel Berthiaume and Generals net minder Chris Gordon also saw action for the Vipers that year. Parent and Madeley were in net for the playoffs. Brad Shaw was the leading scorer on defense, scoring 7 goals and 61 points in 79 games. 

     The Vipers were back in the Turner Cup Playoffs that year, drawing the Indianapolis Ice in the best-of-five first round. The Vipers knocked off the Ice in a close five-game series, with each team scoring 16 goals. The Vipers then faced the Orlando Solar Bears. Detroit took a 3-2 series lead before Orlando won the last two games and the series, outscoring the Vipers 30-24 in seven games. Orland would eventually lose in the Turner Cup Finals to Utah in four straight.

     The Detroit Vipers always put out a great-looking program, and this one is no exception. It's 112 pages, mostly in color. The usual ads, stats and records are all included in this program. Each player has a bio in the middle of the program, while each IHL opponent has a directory and stats section in the back. The list of all the previous Turner Cup champions is on page 94. Michigan-based teams would end up winning the trophy 14 times, with the 1997 Vipers being the final one. The Year in Review is on page A4 and A6 (near the back of the program). Commissioner Bob Ufer added a welcome letter to Vipers fans on page A10. 

     I went to several Vipers games during that season. This program is from the December 29, 1995, game between the Vipers and Atlanta Knights. Atlanta would finish 32-41-9, fourth place in the Central Division. Detroit won this game, 4-2, to improve to 21-16-3 on the year. Kay Whitmore got the start in goal for the Vipers, while Derek Wilkinson was in net for the Knights. Detroit outshot the Knights, 21-18. 

     Here is the roster for the Vipers. As you can see, the team had three goaltenders at this point in the season. Rick Knickle would leave for Las Vegas before too long. John Craighead was the team's tough guy that year, piling up 368 penalty minutes in 63 games. He would eventually play 5 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1996-97. Greg Andrusak was one of the few Colonial League players that would eventually make his way up to the NHL, playing in 28 games with Pittsburgh and Toronto over five years. Ian Herbers would play six seasons with the Vipers and eventually make it to the NHL, playing 43 games with the Lightning and Islanders (he also played 22 games in Edmonton in 1993-94). He was part of the 1997 Turner Cup championship squad. Darryl Williams was another bruiser for the Vipers, with 294 minutes in 72 games. He is currently an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers.

     Here's Atlanta's roster. This is the final season the Knights would play in Georgia, as they would move to Quebec City for the 1996-97 campaign. Their top scorer was right wing Stan Drulia, who had 38 goals and 94 points in 75 games. Drulia would join the Vipers in 1996-97, and play the last two seasons of his pro career with the Lightning. He would later become head coach of the Port Huron Flags and Port Huron Icehawks in the late 2000s. Mark Grieg would bounce between the minors and the NHL throughout his career, with stops in Hartford, Toronto, Calgary and Philadelphia over the course of nine years. In Atlanta, he had 25 goals and 73 points in 71 games. Goaltender Tyler Moss would eventually play for the Flames and Hurricanes in his career. Head Coach John Paris, Jr., was hired by the Knights in 1993-94 as a midseason replacement and became the first black coach in pro hockey history. He would lead the Knights to the 1994 Turner Cup in an upset over the defending champion Fort Wayne Komets. Unfortunately, Paris would be fired a couple weeks after this game, replace by assistant coach Scott Gordon. 

     Local advertisements include Al Dittrich Oldsmobile Aurora and GMC Truck, E.A. Graphics, Quasar Industries, B&R Sports, Salvatore Scallopin Ristorante Classico, Metro25 Tire, and Belle Tire.

Reference:

International Hockey League Statistics: 1995-96, from hockeydb.com