Hockey Programs

1986-87 Regular Season--Wings vs. Moncton Golden Flames      After the 1982-83 season, the Wings hired Bill Dineen as their sixth head coach (seventh if you count Larry Wilson, who died before the first season). Dineen brought something the franchise never had: coaching stability and winning seasons. He remained as head coach through the 1988-89 season, by far the longest any coach lasted in Glens Falls. He guided the Wings to their first winning season in 1983-84, and only had one losing season during his tenure.      Dineen was joined by returning General Manager Neil Smith, who was only 32 when hired in 1985. The Wings were again the primary affiliate of Detroit and owned by Mike Illitch.      The previous season was an interesting one for the organization. While Adirondack claimed their second Calder Cup in 1985-86, Detroit suffered through it's worst season in franchise history, winning only 16 games. The defending c...

1982-83 Regular Season--Wings vs. Maine Mariners      The Adirondack Red Wings were back for their fourth season of play in 1982-83. They were still the primary farm team of the Detroit Red Wings and now owned by Red Wings owner Mike Illitch. Jimmy Devellano, also Detroit's GM, served as AHL Wings' GM that season. Original GM Ned Harkness was gone by then, pushed out of both the AHL Wings and the Glens Falls Civic Center. Jack Kelley was the new GM of the arena and Adirondack's Director of Operations. They had yet another new coach, with Bill Mahoney this time behind the bench.      Adirondack had another mediocre season in '82-83, finishing 36-39-5, good enough for fourth place. Their 77 points were just two ahead of Moncton and 21 behind first-place Fredericton. Despite another so-so year, Adirondack had another strong season at the gate, averaging 4,872 per game, third-best in the AHL.      The Wings finished eighth in...

Forgot I had a program from the Wings' inaugural season. Usually I try to go in chronological order with particular teams, but we'll bend the rules with this team. 1979-80 Regular Season--Wings vs. Nova Scotia Voyageurs      The Adirondack Red Wings joined the American Hockey League for the 1979-80 season. The franchise was originally the Tidewater/Virginia Red Wings that suspended operations after the 1974-75 season. The team was the primary affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings (hence the name and unis), replacing the defunct Kansas City Red Wings of the CHL. They were owned by Bruce Norris, then NHL Red Wings owner. The team played it's home games in the Glens Falls Civic Center, a 4,794-seat arena built just before the team arrived.      The franchise's first GM was former Detroit coach/GM Ned Harkness, who was also GM of the Glens Falls Civic Center. Originally, the team was going to be coached by former Red Wings forward Larry Wil...

Always wanted a few Adirondack Red Wings programs, but for some reason they were hard to come by. I did end up finding a few. Here's one from 1981-82. 1981-82 Regular Season--Wings vs. Binghamton Whalers           In 1981-82, the Red Wings were coming off their first Calder Cup Championship. That team received a mid-season dose of veteran talent cast off by the NHL Wings, which helped push the team into the postseason and the championship. This was a format the AHL Wings would use throughout their existence. The team would be made up of a mixture of young prospects and seasoned veterans, in order to keep the team competitive.      Doug McKay was named head coach for 1981-82, replacing Wayne Maxner. Ned Harkness returned as General Manager. The Wings stumbled to fourth place in the Southern Division, with a mediocre 34-37-9 record. Their 77 points were 21 back of first-place Binghamton, that night's opponent. The off...