Hockey Programs

     Heading into the 1966-67 season, the Port Huron Flags were coming off their best two seasons in the five-year history of the franchise. In 1964-65, the Flags captured the Huber Trophy for finishing first overall. In 1965-66, the Flags won their first Turner Cup, downing Dayton in five games.      The core of the Turner Cup winning team was back at McMorran Arena for the 1966-67 season. Player/Coach Lloyd Maxfield had familiar faces like Bill LeCaine, Guy James, Marcel Goyette, Ray Germain and Bob McCammon. Longtime Flags goaltender Norm Jacques was back in the Port Huron net after a one-year absence. Home games were played at McMorran Arena. John Wismer of WHLS was owner/GM of the franchise.      The 1966-67 season was a disappointment, as the Flags dropped to fifth place, with a 34-33-5 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 1962-63. Their 73 points were just three back of fourth-place Des Moines and 18 behind Huber Troph...

1965-66 Regular Season Opener Flags vs. Fort Wayne Komets       The Port Huron Flags were in their fourth season of operation heading into the 1965-66 season. The team was owned by John F. Wismer, owner of WHLS radio. Center Lloyd Maxfield returned as head coach, while Frank Gallagher returned as General Manager. Home games were played at 3500-seat McMorran Arena in downtown Port Huron.       The Flags were coming off their best season on ice in 1964-65. The team finished in first place in the IHL, with a 43-22-5 record, six points ahead of Fort Wayne, to win their only Huber Trophy (regular season champions). Unfortunately, the Flags were upset in Round 1 by the Des Moines Oak Leafs, blowing a 3-2 series lead to the third-place Oak Leafs.       1965-66 was a step back in the regular season. The Flags dropped to third place, with a 34-32-4 record. Their 72 points were 25 back of the first place Muskegon Mohawks. Port Huron had the t...

1991-92 Regular Season Opponent Unknown       In the summer of 1990, the Franke family purchased the Flint Spirits, relocating the franchise to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to replace the recently departed Komets. The new team assumed the Komets name and history. While this move kept IHL hockey in Fort Wayne, it ended Flint's 21-year history in the league. An attempt to join the ECHL for 1990-91 fell flat, and Flint went without professional hockey for the first time since 1968-69.       It was inevitable that the IHL would pull out of Flint. The league had gradually expanded outside it's tradition Midwest footprint, adding such cities as Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver and Albany. Traditional smaller market cities such as Toledo, Port Huron, Saginaw and Dayton had drifted out of the IHL. Flint had been dealing with subpar attendance for about 15 years. While the Spirits (top affiliate of the New York Rangers) did average over 2500 per game in 1989-90, the tea...

2025-26 Regular Season Spirit vs. Sarnia Sting       This is the third online program in my collection. Again, I think this is the future of game programs. Instead of spending tons of money on printing thousands of game programs (and often having a bunch left over at season's end), teams can post a QR code throughout the arena and print off roster sheets.       The Saginaw Spirit are in their 23rd season of operation in Saginaw, Michigan. The franchise actually dates back decades, tracing it's origin all the way back to 1943 as the St. Catherines Falcons of the OHA. Prior to arriving in Saginaw in 2002, the team was the North Bay Centennials from 1982-2002. The Spirit are the fifth hockey team to call Dow Event Center's Wendler Arena home, and by far the longest-lasting. Auto dealer Dick Garber is majority owner of the Spirit, with partners Chris Osgood and Brandon Bordeaux. Craig Goslin is team president and Jimmy Devellano is advisor.     ...

2025-26 Regular Season Firebirds vs. Saginaw Spirit       This is the second online program I have in my collection. I think this is the future of hockey programs, as teams can cut out the cost of printing thousands of copies of yearbooks and programs and just have a QR Code posted throughout the arena.      2025-26 is the eleventh season of Flint Firebirds hockey. The franchise actually dates back to 1990-91, when they joined the OHL as the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors. Currently (as of January 26, 2026), the team is tied for first place with the Windsor Spitfires in the Western Division, with a 31-12-2-2 record. They are six points ahead of the third-place Soo Greyhounds. The Firebirds are currently averaging 3,139 per game at the Dort Financial Center (originally the IMA Sports Arena). The Flint Firebirds are the sixth franchise to call Flint, Michigan, home since 1969.      I'll do an in-depth review of the season this offseason. For now...

1993-94 Regular Season       The Detroit Jr. Red Wings were in their fourth season of operation in the 1993-94 season. Owned by Detroit businessman Peter Karmanos, the OHL franchise played it's home games at Joe Louis Arena, home of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings (hence the name). By 1992-93 the team emerged as a contender in the OHL, finishing 37-22-7 in the Emms Division. Paul Maurice was head coach/general manager.      The Jr. Red Wings continued to improve in 1993-94, winning the Emms Division with a 42-20-4 record. Their 88 points were 11 ahead of the second place Soo Greyhounds and nine points behind league-best North Bay. The Wings had the third best offense in the OHL that season, scoring 312 goals. Top scorer that year was Los Angeles Kings prospect (4th Round, 87th Overall in 1992) Kevin Brown, who scored a career best 54 goals and 135 points in 57 games. Another Kings prospect, Bob Wren (4th Round, 94th overall in 1993) had 45 goals and 109 points ...

1983-84 Regular Season Goaldiggers vs. Muskegon Mohawks      The Toledo Goaldiggers were coming off one of the greatest stretches in IHL history, winning back-to-back Turner Cups and dominating the regular season in 1981-82 and 1982-83. The Goaldiggers went 104-44-14-2 in those seasons, easily winning the Huber Trophy as regular season champions. Off the ice, it was a different story. While the Goaldiggers were a hot ticket in the 1970s, the economic downturn of the 1980s saw attendance collapse at the Toledo Sports Arena. Even a powerhouse squad could not pack in the fans at the old barn, as the team was losing buckets of money.       General Manager (and former IHL commissioner) Bill Beagan and Head Coach Bill Inglis were back with the Goaldiggers to try and win their third Turner Cup in a row. Home games were played at 5,230-seat Toledo Sports Arena.       The Goaldiggers slipped to fourth place on the season, finishing with a so...

1995-96 Regular Season Whalers vs. London Knights      The Detroit Whalers were in their sixth season of operation in 1995-96. The team, called the Detroit Jr. Red Wings from 1992-95, was coming off an OHL championship and a berth in the Memorial Cup Finals. However, Jr. Red Wings were evicted from Joe Louis Arena. Owner Peter Karmanos had the team play in two home arenas for the 1995-96 season: 250-seat Oak Park Arena and the 20,804-seat Palace of Auburn Hills, while construction of a new arena in Plymouth was ongoing. The team was renamed "Detroit Whalers", after the NHL's Hartford Whalers, which Karmanos also owned. Peter DeBoer replaced Paul Maurice as general manager and head coach (who was hired as Whalers coach that offseason).       The Whalers finished in first place in the OHL's Western Division, with a 40-22-4 record. Their 84 points were just two points ahead of second place Sarnia and 3 ahead of third place Sault Ste. Marie, but 11 points ...

    Here's another program blog I have, this one features programs from Central Michigan University athletics. I am a 2007 graduate of Central Michigan, and I have programs from CMU dating back to 1940, when they were still the  Central State Teacher's College Bearcats.  Here's the link: Central Michigan Programs Fire Up Chips!

1975-76 Regular Season Racers vs. Denver Spurs      The Indianapolis Racers were in their second season of operation in the World Hockey Association in 1975-76. They were the first pro hockey franchise to call Indy home since the CHL's Capitols, who were forced to relocate to Cincinnati in 1963 after the Indianapolis Coliseum was seriously damaged by explosion, killing 68 people in the process. The Racers played their home games at 15,993-seat Market Square Arena, also home to the ABA's Indiana Pacers.  The team was lead by head coach Gerry Moore and General Manager James Browitt.      The Racers nearly doubled their win total from their inaugural season, finishing with a 35-39-6 record. Despite having a sub-.500 record, their 76 point earned the Racers first place in the mediocre Eastern Division, 1 point ahead of second place Cleveland, and just five ahead of last place Cincinnati. Attendance jumped to 8,778 per game, or 55% capacity.    ...

1966-67 Regular Season Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens      1966-67 was the end of an era for the National Hockey League: the end of the Original Six era. Heading into the season, the Detroit Red Wings were coming off their third appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals in four years. Unfortunately, all three appearances were losses, often in heartbreaking fashion. The Wings were actually up 3-2 in the 1964 Finals, but lost Game 6 in Detroit in overtime, then lost Game 7 in Toronto. Two years later, the Wings won the first two games in Montreal, then lost four in a row, including a controversial overtime loss in Detroit.       Sid Abel returned as Head Coach and General Manager, a dual post he had held since 1963. His Red Wings were a team stocked with veterans. led by the ageless Gordie Howe, and a young goaltender, Roger Crozier, who won the 1966 Conn Smythe Trophy. Home games were played at the 13,375-seat Olympia Stadium.      The Wings...

1969-70 Regular Season Flags vs. Muskegon Mohawks      1969-70 was the eighth season of operation for the Port Huron Flags in the International Hockey League.  The team had been relatively successful in those eight years of play, winning the 1964-65 Huber Trophy (regular season champions) and 1965-66 Turner Cup. Former Flags forward Frank St. Marseille graduated from the Flags to the NHL with the St. Louis Blues.       Off the ice, it was a little more challenging. The Flags played in the smallest city and rink in the league and often brought up the rear in attendance average. Because of this, the franchise was perennially in the red financially, which would only worsen as the years go on. Attendance for the 1969-70 season was about 1,100 per game, easily the lowest in the IHL.      The Flags were owned by John Wismer, owner of WHLS 1450 AM. Ted Garvin was Head Coach/General Manager. The Flags played their home games at 3,582-seat M...

Séries éliminatoires de la Coupe Avco de 1976-77 Nordiques contre Racers d'Indianapolis       The Quebec Nordiques were French Canada's team in the World Hockey Association, and an original member of that league. The team played its home games at the 10,012-seat  Colisée de Québec. Former Pittsburgh Penguins coach (and Detroit Red Wings forward) Marc Boileau was behind the bench for Quebec, while Maurice Filion was General Manager.       The Nordiques had developed into one of the strongest franchises in the often unstable WHA, both on and off the ice. The team was coming off a 50-27-4 record in 1975-76, while they were frequently in the top three in attendance. 1976-77 was more of the same, as the Nordiques finished first in the Eastern Division with a 47-31-3 record. Their 97 points were 14 ahead of second-place Cincinnati and nine behind league-best Houston. Attendance dipped slightly at Le  Colisée, as the Nordiques averaged 8,598 per gam...