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...

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...

1979-80 Turner Cup Playoffs Flags vs. Flint Generals      The Port Huron Flags were entering their 18th season of operation in the International Hockey League in 1979-80. They were the second-oldest franchise in the IHL, behind the Fort Wayne Komets. The Flags played in the smallest arena and the smallest city,  playing home games at 3,582-seat McMorran Arena in downtown Port Huron, population about 33,981. The Flags were affiliated with the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues. Former Flags forward Doug Hinton was in his first season as head coach, while McMorran Place General Manager Morris Snider was in his 10th season as GM of the Flags (a job he received no extra pay for).       In 1978-79, the Flags iced one of their strongest lineups in franchise history. Port Huron finished in first place in the North Division with a 44-29-7 record, three points ahead of second-place Kalamazoo. Their 44 wins and 95 points were both franchise records, as...

2025-26 Regular Season (Note: This will be updated when the season is finished.)      The Port Huron Prowlers are in their eleventh season of operation in the Federal Prospects Hockey League. One of the oldest teams in FPHL, they play their home games at McMorran Arena, one of the oldest rinks in the league.  The Prowlers are the second-oldest franchise in Port Huron's long history of hockey. The only other franchise to last longer than them is the Flags/Wings of the IHL, which played nineteen seasons (1962-81)      The Prowlers are coming off an eventful 2024-25 season, both on and off the ice. Off the ice, longtime  owner Barry Soskin sold the franchise to Ken Andrews, who also owns the dormant Motor City Rockers. Improvements to the game experience included multiple cameras, on-ice projectors and a new team store.       On the ice, the Prowlers won their first playoff series since 2018, defeating the Danbury Hat Tricks in th...

Note: Years ago, I had a post about "White Whales" for programs. A Port Huron Clippers program was one of them. I saw this on eBay last week and grabbed it immediately.        1987-88 AAHL Playoffs Clippers vs. Danville Fighting Saints      The 1980s were a bit of a "lost decade" for hockey in Port Huron. Following the folding of the IHL's Port Huron Flags in 1981, the city was represented by the Port Huron Jr. Flags from 1981-84. The Jr. Flags were a successful team in its first two seasons, going to the national championship tournament and dominating the Great Lakes Jr. B Hockey League. Their final season was a different story, as the team went 3-42-3 in the much stronger Western Jr. B Hockey League, based out of Ontario. Despite being welcomed back by that league for 1984-85, McMorran Arena folded the Jr. Flags when they could not get permission from USA Hockey to continue playing in that circuit. Other than high school hockey and the occasional sen...

1980-81 Regular Season Flags vs. Flint Generals      The Port Huron Flags were in their 19th season of operation in the International Hockey League, the third-oldest franchise in the league (behind Fort Wayne and Muskegon). Despite low attendance and rising financial losses, the Flags were one of the more competitive franchises in the IHL, making the postseason four of the past five years, including a Turner Cup Finals berth in 1978 and a North Division championship in 1979. Home games were played at McMorran Arena. Former Michigan Wolverines assistant Doug Hinton returned for his second season as Flags coach, while Morris Snider was general manager. The Flags were a farm club of the St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals.      Port Huron went through 35 players in 1980-81, as the team constantly battled injuries and limped to a 31-35-16 record. Their 78 points were good enough for second place in the North Division, six points ahead of thi...

  1976-77 Regular Season: Flags vs. Saginaw Gears      The Port Huron Flags were in their fifteenth season of operation in the International Hockey League in 1976-77. The team was coming off a surprise run to the 1976 Turner Cup Finals, where they lost to the Dayton Gems in four straight. Former Flag Bob McCammon returned as head coach, while Morris Snider was back as general manager. The Flags were a secondary affiliate of the New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues.       1976-77 was a big step backward for the team, both on and off the ice. The Flags slumped to a 27-43-8 record, dead last in the league. Their 62 points were nine points back of the next-worst team, the Columbus Owls. Off the ice, the Flags lost $150,000 on the season, putting the franchise's future in jeopardy.       Port Huron scored the fewest goals in the IHL in 1977, with just 268. The team's leading scorer was Larry Gould, with 35 goals and 106 points. The Flags...

2000-01 Regular Season: Border Cats vs. Muskegon Fury      The Port Huron Border Cats were in their fifth season of play in the United Hockey League since relocating from Fraser in 1996.  The team was successful on the ice and in the box office. The Cats were one of the better teams in the UHL during their run, and had were drawing over 2500 per game in each of the previous four seasons of play, some of the highest averages in Port Huron hockey history.      However, trouble was brewing behind the scenes. Owner Mostafa Afr had attempted to renegotiate his lease at, then later try to buy McMorran Arena, to no avail. After this failed, Afr announced plans to build a new 5,000-seat stadium, Kimball Entertainment and Sports Arena, near an outlet mall in the Port Huron suburb. Unfortunately, construction was halted in 2000 when finances dried up. The Border Cats were planning on moving into the new arena during the 2000-01 season, but the halt left the team...