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Port Huron Flags (IHL: 1967-68)

 

1967-68 Regular Season:
Flags vs. Des Moines Oak Leafs
     The Port Huron Flags were coming off a disappointing 1966-67 season, which saw the team miss the postseason after capturing the 1966 Turner Cup, finishing with a 34-33-5 record, three points back of fourth-place Des Moines. Former NHL right wing Jerry Toppazzini was the new head coach, replacing Lloyd Maxfield. Flags owner John Wismer doubled as General Manager. The team played at 3,300-seat McMorran Arena.

     1967-68 was another down season, which saw the Flags drop to sixth place in the seven-team IHL with a 25-36-11 record. Their 61 points were 12 back of fourth place Fort Wayne and 37 behind league-best Muskegon.

     Port Huron scored 269 goals on the year, fifth in the IHL. Leading the way was right wing Randy Prior. The 22-year old North Bay native had a career year, scoring 56 goals and 90 points. Prior's 56 goals would be a record for Port Huron pro hockey until Grant Judd scored 61 for the 1987-88 Clippers. 

     Marty Reynolds was the next-highest scorer for the 1967-68 Flags, scoring 38 goals and 86 points. Ken Gribbons and Frank Golembosky were the only other Flags that had at least 20 goals on the season. 

     The Flags were especially weak on defense this season, allowing 343 goals, worst in the IHL. Port Huron used three different goaltenders. The top net minder was Ray Reeson, who played in 54 games with a 4.33 GAA and two shutouts. Original Flag Norm Jacques was in net for 27 games, sporting a 5.60 GAA and no shutouts. Gaye Cooley made it into one game, allowing four goals in 29 minutes of action. The top goal-scoring defenseman was Marcel Goudreau, acquired from Toledo, who had 12 goals and 41 points in 63 games. Coach Toppazzini had 11 goals and 37 points in 37 games. 

     Once again, no playoffs for the Flags this season. They probably wouldn't have lasted too long in the Turner Cup Playoffs anyway. The Muskegon Mohawks crushed both the Columbus Checkers and Dayton Gems in just 9 games to win the 1968 Turner Cup. The 1968 Mohawks wear a loaded team, one of IHL's all-time best, that featured former Leafs defenseman Carl Brewer on the blue line.

     This program is from the November 25, 1967, game between the Flags and Des Moines Oak Leafs. This program is 19 pages long and is in all black and white. Des Moines was by far the western-most IHL team, as the rest of the league was based in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. The Oak Leafs were the only team worse than the Flags, finishing in last with a 19-43-10 record. 

     The cover has a great action shot of a game between the Flags and Columbus Checkers, featuring a maskless Checkers goaltender. The 1967-68 Flags roster is featured on page 4. The road schedule is on page 6, including broadcast times on WHLS 1450 AM. The home schedule is on page 15, with all games starting at 8:00. Page 9 features an ad for an upcoming Harlem Globetrotters game, with tickets ranging from $2.50 to 3.50. The team photo of the 1966-67 Flags is found on page 17. 

 Take a look at the scoresheet, no space for penalties! 

     Des Moines' roster included long-time IHL forward Nelson LeClair, who would later coach the Grand Rapids Owls in the late 1970s. Goaltender Phil Headley would later play two seasons for the Flags from 1969-71.      

     Local advertisements include Acme Signs, Bowl-o-Drome, Black Label Beer, WHLS 1450 AM and 107.1 FM (owned by Flags owner John Wismer), Blue Water Dodge, and Sperry's Department Store (now Sperry's Movie House).


Aftermath: Toppazzini would be replaced as head coach by Ted Garvin, who would lead the Flags/Wings franchise to four Turner Cup Finals berths and two championships before being hired by the Detroit Red Wings in 1973. Wismer would eventually sell the Flags to the City of Port Huron, which would continue to operate the franchise until it folded after the 1980-81 season.


References:

International Hockey League Statistics: 1967-68,  from hockeydb.com






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