Hockey Programs

1954-55 Regular Season Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins      The Detroit Red Wings were in their first Golden Age entering the 1954-55 regular season. The Wings had gone on an unprecedented streak of finishing in first place for six consecutive seasons, starting in 1948-49. Detroit reached the Stanley Cup Finals five times in the previous seven seasons, winning the Cup in 1949-50, 1951-52 and 1953-54. The team was loaded with talent in the both the major league roster and in the farm system.      General Manager Jack Adams was back as GM for his 27th season, while Jimmy Skinner was in his first season as head coach. Home games were played at 11,563-seat Olympia Stadium.       1954-55 was similar to the previous six seasons, as the Red Wings finished first overall once again, with a 42-17-11 record. However, arch-rival Montreal was closing the gap on the Wings, as the Canadiens finished just two points behind them in the standings. An overflow...

2018-19 Regular Season Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens      The Detroit Red Wings were in the early stages of a long-overdue rebuild in 2018-19. Years of attempting to extend their playoff streak (which reached 25 years) and poor drafting had left the farm system depleted and the roster burdened with bloated contracts. Due to these issues, the team had missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the past two seasons. The Wings played their home games at the 19,515-seat Little Caesar's Arena. Ken Holland was in his 22nd (and final) season as General Manager, while Jeff Blashill was in his fourth season as head coach.       The Wings continued their decline and slow rebuild in 2018-19, finishing with a 32-40-5-5 record. Their 74 points put them in 7th place in the Atlantic Division, 10 points ahead of last-place Ottawa but 54 points behind first-place Tampa Bay. Despite the record, attendance was at 19,121 per game, fifth-highest in the league.    ...

2024-25 Game Program      The Flint Firebirds completed their 10th season of operation in the Ontario Hockey League, playing it's home games out of the 4,021-seat Dort Federal Event Center (originally the IMA Sports Arena). The Firebirds trace their history back to 1990, as the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors. Head Coach Paul Flache returned behind the bench, and Dave McParlan was General Manager.       After a rocky start in their inaugural season, the Firebirds have stabilized both on and off the ice. The team has qualified for the postseason five times in nine years (the 2020 playoffs and 2020-21 season were canceled due to COVID-19) and attendance has steadily increased.      Flint finished the 2024-25 season with a mediocre 29-34-2-3 record, third place in the West Division. Their 63 points were 16 behind second-place Saginaw and 1 point ahead of the Soo Greyhounds. Average attendance climbed to 3,185 per game, the highest for the fra...

1992-93 Regular Season Smoke vs. Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks       The Brantford Smoke were in their second season of operation in the Colonial Hockey League (also in it's second season). The team operated out of the 3600-seat Brantford Civic Center, former home of, among other teams, the OHL's Brantford Alexanders. Doug Robertson was General Manager while Ken Mann was head coach. The team was a secondary farm club of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames.      In their inaugural season, the Smoke were 34-22-4, just three points back of first place Michigan. Brantford then lost in 6 games to the eventual Colonial Cup Champion Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks in the semifinals.       Brantford cruised to first place in their sophomore season, finishing with a 39-18-3 record. Their 81 points were five better than the second-place Detroit Falcons (formerly Michigan Falcons). Off the ice, the Smoke averaged 1,745 fans per game, fourth in the Col...

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...

     Programs have all sorts of interesting parts, from articles to statistics and player bios. One thing I scanned recently was the United Hockey League's directory from my 2001 Port Huron Border Cats program. I'll post the image, and then write whether each city still has a team. As of 2000-01, the UHL had 17 member teams, two of which were scheduled to arrive in 2001-02. In 2007, the UHL rebranded as the International Hockey League. Here's a breakdown of the league: 1. Adirondack Icehawks -- The Icehawks arrived from Winston-Salem in 1999, and remained in Glens Falls, NY, until 2006. The city is currently home to the ECHL's Adirondack Thunder, who have been in town since 2015. 2. Asheville Smoke-- The Smoke arrived from Brantford in 1998, and lasted in Asheville until 2002. The Asheville Aces lasted one season (2004-05) and folded. That was the last hockey team to call Asheville, NC, home. 3. BC Icemen --The Icemen were a 1997 expansion team, replacing the AHL's ...

1976-77 Regular Season Mohawks vs. Flint Generals       The Muskegon Mohawks were in their 17th year of operation in the International Hockey League. The team was coming off a fourth place finish in 1975-76 (34-31-13) and first round playoff loss to the Saginaw Gears. Former Muskegon Zephyr Morris "Moose" Lallo returned as General Manager, while his former teammate, Brian McLay was hired as head coach. Home games were played at 5,112-seat LC Walker Arena. The Mohawks were a secondary affiliate of the New York Islanders.      The Mohawks stumbled to a 17-20-7 start, leading to Lallo returning behind the bench to finish the season. Muskegon wound up back in fourth place, with a 31-36-11 record. Their 73 points were 11 ahead of last place Port Huron, but 18 behind the first place Saginaw Gears. The Mohawks would wind up with the third-worst record in the IHL that year.       Muskegon scored the second-fewest goals in the IHL in 1976-77, lig...

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...

1977-78 Regular Season: Barons vs. Chicago Black Hawks       Cleveland, Ohio, had a long successful run in minor league hockey, and attempted multiple times to join the National Hockey League, finally joining the NHL in 1977. The new Cleveland Barons barely made it through their first season in Ohio. Arriving late in the summer from Oakland, the Barons needed a bailout from the NHLPA and the owners to make payroll and pay off debt. Attendance was a league-worst 6,194 per game On the ice, the team was buried in last place in the powerful Adams Division, with a 25-42-13 record George and Gordon Gund purchased the franchise from Mel Swig, giving the team a much-needed influx of cash. Former Rangers defenseman Harry Howell was back as General Manager, while Jack "Tex" Evans returned as Head Coach. Home games were played at the 18,544-seat Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio.       Cleveland wasn't much better in 1977-78, finishing with a 22-45-13 record. Their 57 ...

1995-96 Regular Season: Vipers vs. Atlanta Knights       This was the second season of Detroit Vipers hockey. The team was originally the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, and was purchased by Palace Sports and Entertainment in the summer of 1994. Rick Dudley returned as Head Coach/GM, with former Muskegon Fury Head Coach Steve Ludzik as his assistant. Home games were played at the 20,804-seat Palace of Auburn Hills. The Vipers' farm team was the Flint Generals.      The Vipers were moved to the IHL's Central Division, and had another strong season, going 48-28-6. Their 102 points were good enough for second place, eight points back of the Orlando Solar Bears, and tied for fourth overall in the IHL. Attendance dipped a little bit, but Detroit was still tops in the league, averaging 13,305 per game.       Detroit had the fifth-best offense in the IHL that season, scoring 310 goals. The leading scorer was former Flint Spirit and Saginaw Hawk Lonnie...