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...

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...

  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 Gra...

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 4...

1967-68 Regular Season Flags vs. Dayton Gems      The 1967-68 season was the sixth season in the International Hockey League (IHL) for the Port Huron Flags. The Flags were owned by John Wismer, who also owned radio stations WHLS and WSAQ. Jerry Toppazzini, who spent twelve years in the NHL, mostly with the Boston Bruins, was player/coach that year, taking over for Lloyd Maxfield, who was now Administrative Assistant to the President. The Flags played their home games at the 3,400-seat McMorran Arena.      Maxfield's Flags just missed the playoffs in 1967, finishing three points behind fourth-place Des Moines. Toppazzini's Flags fared much worse in 1968, finishing in sixth place (out of seven) with a 25-36-11 record. Their 61 points were twelve points behind the fourth-place Fort Wayne Komets and 37 behind the league-leading Muskegon Mohawks.      The Flags owned the third worst offense (269 goals scored) and the worst defense (343 allow...

1977-78 Regular Season: Flags vs. Fort Wayne Komets       The Port Huron Flags were in their fifteenth season of IHL hockey during the 1977-78 season. They were a secondary farm club of the St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals that season. The Flags played their home games at McMorran Arena, which had a capacity of 3,582.      The Flags were coming off a disastrous 1976-77 campaign, a mess both on and off the ice. The Flags slumped to a league-worst 27-43-8 record, nine points behind the next worst team, Columbus. Off the ice, attendance slumped to dangerously low levels. A last-minute cash donation of about $50,000 kept the team afloat for the following season.      Morris Snider returned as General Manager (he was also GM of McMorran Arena), and the team had a new face behind the bench: former Komets center Ron Ullyot. This was Ullyot's rookie year as a head coach, and he helped pull the Flags out of the cellar....