Port Huron Flags (IHL: 1965-66)

1965-66 Regular Season:
Flags vs. Toledo Blades 

     The Port Huron Flags were in their fourth season of operation in the International Hockey League, playing their home games at 3,300-seat McMorran Arena. Lloyd Maxfield was head coach and Frank Gallagher was General Manager. The Flags were coming off a successful regular season in 1964-65, finishing in first place in the IHL with a 43-22-5 record, six points ahead of Fort Wayne. Port Huron was then upset in Round One by Des Moines in seven games. 

     The Flags dropped to third place in 1965-66, finishing with a 34-32-4 record. Their 72 points were four points ahead of fourth-place Dayton, but 25 behind league-best Muskegon. On offense, the team was led by three 40-goal scorers. Leading the way was veteran left winger Bill LeCaine, who tallied 41 goals and 116 points. Future NHLer Frank St. Marseille was next with 45 goals and 90 points. Right winger Frank Golembrosky had the most goals, with 46, to go along with 83 points. Future Flags coach (and NHL coach) Bob McCammon tallied 15 goals and 64 points in 70 games. As a unit, the Flags scored 308 goals, good enough for fourth in the six-team IHL.

     The Flags had a strong season on defense, as the team surrendered just 274 goals, second only to Fort Wayne. Three goaltenders were guarded the Port Huron nets that season, led by Bob Sneddon. Sneddon played in 66 games that season, posting five shutouts and a 3.83 GAA. Bob would go on to a long career, mostly in the minor leagues, except for a five-game stint with the California Golden Seals in 1970-71. Speaking of the Seals, another one of their future net minders, Gary Simmons, made a brief appearance with the Flags. Rounding out the goaltending corps was original Flags goaltender Norm Jacques, who played in 1 game, surrendering six goals.

     The Flags were back in the playoffs, and drew the top-seeded Muskegon Mohawks in Round 1 of the Turner Cup Playoffs. Port Huron made quick work of Muskegon, sweeping the Mohawks in four straight, outscoring them 24-10 in the process, to advance to their first-ever Turner Cup Finals berth. They would face the Dayton Gems, who defeated second-place Fort Wayne in six games. The series was a best-of-seven format that rotated back and forth between McMorran Arena and Dayton's Hara Arena. The Flags and Gems split the first two games, then Port Huron swept the last three, including a 5-4 overtime in win Game 5 to win their first Turner Cup championship.

     This game was from the February 6, 1966, game between the Flags and the Toledo Blades. Toledo would finish in last place with a 20-48-2 record. No idea who won the game. On the cover is Frank St. Marseille, one of the best players the Flags ever had, scoring on Blades goaltender Glenn Ramsay. St. Marseille came to Port Huron from the defunct Chatham Maroons, and scored 124 goals and 305 points in 210 games while with the Flags. He would sign with the St. Louis Blues after the 1966-67 season, and would go on to a 10-year NHL career with the Blues and Los Angeles Kings. He scored 140 goals and 425 points in 707 NHL games, to go along with 20 goals and 45 points in 88 playoff games. Surprisingly, his number isn't hanging from the rafters at McMorran Arena yet. 

     Multiple Flags players on this program's roster had played in all four seasons of the team's existence, including: Bill LeCaine, Lloyd Maxfield, Bob McCammon, Bill Sinnett, Marcel Goyette and Ken Gribbons. Norm Jacques, while not in this program, was another original Flag. Maxfield, LeCaine and McCammon all have banners hanging from McMorran Arena.

     As stated earlier, Toledo had a miserable season in 1965-66, but would bounce back next year by winning the Turner Cup over Fort Wayne in 6 games. Goaltender Glenn Ramsay had a 17-year career, spent entirely in the minor leagues. He spent most of his career in the IHL, and played for three different Toledo franchises: the Mercurys, Blades and Hornets. However, the closest he got to the NHL was a 9-game stint with the AHL's Springfield Indians. Ramsay was later inducted in the Toledo Hockey Hall of Fame. Top goal-scorer for the Blades in 1965-66 was center Chick Chalmers, with 28 goals and 93 points in 70 games. Former player/coach Moe Benoit had 15 goals and 48 points in 56 games on the blue line.

     As for the program, it's a small one, just 19 pages long, all in black and white. On page 7, there's a picture of the Flags' broadcasting team of announcer Lyle Stieg (WHLS Sports Director), and commentator Jim Gosger. Gosger, a Port Huron native, was then the centerfielder for the Boston Red Sox. Gosger still lives in Port Huron, and here's an article about him from the Times Herald.

     The team photo of last season's regular season champions is on page 14, while statistics from that campaign are on page 15. The IHL directory is on page 17. An article about Port Huron being the "Number 2 City in Michigan for Amateur Hockey Enthusiasm, Program" is on page 18, and includes a picture of multiple Mighty Mites games being played on McMorran ice. 

     Local ads include the Brass Rail Bar (which still exists), Valley Coach Lines, Vernors, Sears Roebuck and Co., and Sperry's Department Store (now Sperry's Movie House). 

References:

International Hockey League Statistics: 1965-66,  from hockeydb.com