International Hockey League

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"IHL" redirects here. For the article about International Humanitarian Law, click here.

See also: International Hockey League (1929-36) and International Professional Hockey League.

The International Hockey League (IHL) was a professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada from 1945 to 2001. An older league, also named the International Hockey League, existed from 1929 through 1936.

The IHL was originally a semi-pro league based around the Great Lakes and traditionally based in smaller cities such as Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Flint, Toledo, Muskegon and Port Huron. However, starting in the mid-1970s, IHL teams began to be the major affiliates of National Hockey League (NHL) teams, and from the late 1980s on, the IHL began to expand into major markets such as Houston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Kansas City, San Diego, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Atlanta, Orlando, Denver, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and Phoenix. Its expansion into such markets was rapid, and as the smaller cities fell away (with many clubs, such as Fort Wayne, Peoria, Muskegon, Flint, and Kalamazoo joining lower leagues such as the United Hockey League or the East Coast Hockey League), several hockey writers speculated that the IHL would end up competing directly with the NHL.^[1] ^[2] However, in the 1995-1996 season, the IHL's "soft" salary cap was just $1.5 million^[3], while the lowest NHL team payroll in that season was $11.4 million.^[4]

In response, many NHL clubs shifted their affiliations to the American Hockey League (AHL)^[5]. With the loss of subsidized salaries, high expansion fees (by the end the league was charging as much as $8 million US for new teams), exploding travel costs and the NHL itself moving into some of its markets, the league's overexpansion proved a critical strain, and it folded after the 2001 season. Six of its franchises (the Chicago Wolves, Grand Rapids Griffins, Houston Aeros, Utah Grizzlies, Milwaukee Admirals and Manitoba Moose) were admitted into the AHL as expansion teams for the 2001-2002 season, and then promptly won the next three AHL Calder Cup titles, with at least one of the six teams having made the Calder Cup Finals in each of the past five seasons.

Playoff champions were awarded the Turner Cup trophy.

1 Competition in last season (2001)
2 Turner Cup
3 Teams
4 See also
5 External link
6 References

[edit] Competition in last season (2001)

^ = plays in AHL

@ = dormant AHL franchise

+ = plays in ECHL

Note: The Utah Grizzlies franchise will relocate to Cleveland, OH, and resume AHL play for the 2007-08 season.

[edit] Turner Cup

Year	Winner	Finalist	Games
2000-01	Orlando Solar Bears	Chicago Wolves	4-1
1999-2000	Chicago Wolves	Grand Rapids Griffins	4-2
1998-99	Houston Aeros	Orlando Solar Bears	4-3
1997-98	Chicago Wolves	Detroit Vipers	4-3
1996-97	Detroit Vipers	Long Beach Ice Dogs	4-2
1995-96	Utah Grizzlies	Orlando Solar Bears	4-0
1994-95	Denver Grizzlies	Kansas City Blades	4-0
1993-94	Atlanta Knights	Fort Wayne Komets	4-2
1992-93	Fort Wayne Komets	San Diego Gulls	4-0
1991-92	Kansas City Blades	Muskegon Lumberjacks	4-0
1990-91	Peoria Rivermen	Fort Wayne Komets	4-2
1989-90	Indianapolis Ice	Muskegon Lumberjacks	4-0
1988-89	Muskegon Lumberjacks	Salt Lake Golden Eagles	4-1
1987-88	Salt Lake Golden Eagles	Flint Spirits	4-2
1986-87	Salt Lake Golden Eagles	Muskegon Lumberjacks	4-2
1985-86	Muskegon Lumberjacks	Fort Wayne Komets	4-0
1984-85	Peoria Rivermen	Muskegon Lumberjacks	4-3
1983-84	Flint Generals	Toledo Goaldiggers	4-0
1982-83	Toledo Goaldiggers	Milwaukee Admirals	4-2
1981-82	Toledo Goaldiggers	Saginaw Gears	4-1
1980-81	Saginaw Gears	Kalamazoo Wings	4-0
1979-80	Kalamazoo Wings	Fort Wayne Komets	4-2
1978-79	Kalamazoo Wings	Grand Rapids Owls	4-3
1977-78	Toledo Goaldiggers	Port Huron Flags	4-3
1976-77	Saginaw Gears	Toledo Goaldiggers	4-3
1977-76	Dayton Gems	Port Huron Flags	4-0
1974-75	Toledo Goaldiggers	Saginaw Gears	4-3
1973-74	Des Moines Capitols	Saginaw Gears	4-2
1972-73	Fort Wayne Komets	Port Huron Wings	4-2
1971-72	Port Huron Wings	Muskegon Mohawks	4-2
1970-71	Port Huron Flags	Des Moines Oak Leafs	4-2
1969-70	Dayton Gems	Port Huron Flags	4-3
1968-69	Dayton Gems	Muskegon Mohawks	3-0
1967-68	Muskegon Mohawks	Dayton Gems	4-1
1966-67	Toledo Blades	Fort Wayne Komets	4-2
1965-66	Port Huron Flags	Dayton Gems	4-1
1964-65	Fort Wayne Komets	Des Moines Oak Leafs	4-2
1963-64	Toledo Blades	Fort Wayne Komets	4-2
1962-63	Fort Wayne Komets	Minneapolis Millers	4-1
1961-62	Muskegon Zephyrs	St. Paul Saints	4-0
1960-61	St.Paul Saints	Muskegon Zephyrs	4-1
1959-60	St.Paul Saints	Fort Wayne Komets	4-3
1958-59	Louisville Rebels	Fort Wayne Komets	4-2
1957-58	Indianapolis Chiefs	Louisville Rebels	4-3
1956-57	Cincinnati Mohawks	Indianapolis Chiefs	3-0
1955-56	Cincinnati Mohawks	Toledo-Marion Mercurys	4-0
1954-55	Cincinnati Mohawks	Troy Bruins	4-3
1953-54	Cincinnati Mohawks	Johnstown Jets	4-2
1952-53	Cincinnati Mohawks	Grand Rapids Rockets	4-0
1951-52	Toledo Mercurys	Grand Rapids Rockets	4-2
1950-51	Toledo Mercurys	Grand Rapids Rockets	4-1
1946-50	Chatham Maroons	Sarnia Sailors	4-3
1948-49	Windsor Hettche Spitfires	Toledo Mercurys	4-3
1947-48	Toledo Mercurys	Windsor Hettche Spitfires	4-1
1946-47	Windsor Spitfires	Detroit Bright's Goodyears	3-0
1945-46	Detroit Auto Club	Detroit Bright's Goodyears	2-1

[edit] Teams

Akron Americans (1948-1949)
Albany Choppers (1990-1991)
Atlanta Knights (1992-1996; became Quebec Rafales)
Chatham Maroons (IHL 1949-52) (1949-1952)
Chatham Maroons (IHL 1963-64) (1963-1964)
Chicago Wolves (1994-2001; plays in AHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones (1992-2001)
Cincinnati Mohawks (1952-1958)
Cleveland Lumberjacks (1992-2001)
Colorado Rangers (1987-1988; became Denver Rangers)
Columbus Checkers (1966-1970; became Columbus Seals)
Columbus Owls (1973-1977; became Grand Rapids Owls)
Columbus Seals (1971-1973; became Columbus Owls)
Dayton Gems (1964-1977; became Milwaukee Admirals)
Dayton Gems (1979-1980)
Denver Grizzlies (1994-1995; became Utah Grizzlies)
Denver Mavericks (Half of 1959; became Minneapolis Millers)
Denver Rangers (1988-1989; became Phoenix Roadrunners)
Des Moines Capitols (1972-1975)
Des Moines Oak Leaves (1963-1972; became Des Moines Capitols)
Detroit Auto Club (1945-1951)
Detroit Bright's Goodyears (1945-1949)
Detroit Hettche (1949-1952)
Detroit Jerry Lynch (1948-1949)
Detroit Metal Mouldings (1946-1948)
Detroit Vipers (1994-2001)
Flint Generals (1969-1985; became Saginaw Generals)
Flint Spirits (1985-1990)
Fort Wayne Komets (1952-1999; plays in UHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins (1996-2001; plays in AHL)
Grand Rapids Owls (1977-1980)
Grand Rapids Rockets (1950-1956)
Houston Aeros (1994-2001; plays in AHL)
Huntington Hornets (1956-1957)
Indianapolis Checkers (1984-1987; became Colorado Rangers)

Indianapolis Chiefs (1955-1962)
Indianapolis Ice (1988-1999; subsequently played in CHL)
Johnstown Jets (1953-1955)
Kalamazoo Wings (1974-1995; became Michigan K-Wings)
Kansas City Blades (1990-2001)
Lansing Lancers (1974-1975)
Las Vegas Thunder (1993-1999)
Long Beach Ice Dogs (1996-2000; plays in ECHL)
Los Angeles Ice Dogs (1995-1996; became Long Beach Ice Dogs)
Louisville Blades (1948-1949)
Louisville Rebels (1957-1959)
Louisville Shooting Stars (1953-1954)
Manitoba Moose (1996-2001; plays in AHL)
Marion Barons (1953-1954)
Michigan K-Wings (1995-2000; plays in UHL as the Kalamazoo Wings)
Milwaukee Admirals (1977-2001; plays in AHL)
Milwaukee Chiefs (1952-1954)
Milwaukee Clarks (1948-1949)
Milwaukee Falcons (1959-1960)
Minneapolis Millers (1959-1963)
Minnesota Moose (1994-1996; became Manitoba Moose)
Muncie Flyers (1948-1949)
Muskegon Lumberjacks (1984-1992; became Cleveland Lumberjacks)
Muskegon Mohawks (1965-1984; became Muskegon Lumberjacks)
Muskegon Zephyrs (1960-1965; became Muskegon Mohawks)
Omaha Knights (1959-1963)
Orlando Solar Bears (1995-2001)
Peoria Prancers (1982-1984; became Peoria Rivermen)
Peoria Rivermen (1984-1996; became San Antonio Dragons)
Phoenix Roadrunners (1989-1997)
Port Huron Flags (1962-1971; became Port Huron Wings)
Port Huron Flags (1974-1981)

Port Huron Wings (1971-1974; became Port Huron Flags)
Quebec Rafales (1996-1998)
Russian Penguins (1993-1994; Touring Russian club that played one game against each of the 13 IHL Teams)
Saginaw Gears (1972-1983)
Saginaw Generals (1985-1987; became Saginaw Hawks)
Saginaw Hawks (1987-1989)
Salt Lake Golden Eagles (1984-1994)
San Antonio Dragons (1996-1998)
San Diego Gulls (1990-1995; became Los Angeles Ice Dogs)
San Francisco Spiders (1995-1996)
Sarnia Sailors (1949-1951)
St. Paul Saints (1959-1963)
Toledo Blades (1963-1970; became Toledo Hornets)
Toledo Goaldiggers (1974-1986)
Toledo Hornets (1970-1974; became Toledo Goaldiggers)
Toledo Mercurys (1947-1949)
Toledo Mercurys (1950-1955; became Toledo-Marion Mercurys)
Toledo Mercurys (1956-1959; became Toledo-St. Louis Mercurys)
Toledo Mercurys (1960-1962)
Toledo-Marion Mercurys (1955-1956; became Toledo Mercurys)
Toledo-St. Louis Mercurys (1959-1960; became Toledo Mercurys)
Troy Bruins (1951-1959)
Utah Grizzlies (1995-2001; played in AHL)
Windsor Bulldogs (1963-1964)
Windsor Gotfredsons (1945-1946)
Windsor Hettche Spitfires (1947-1949; became Detroit Hettche)
Windsor Ryancretes (1948-1950)
Windsor Spitfires (IHL) (1945-1947; became Windsor Hettche Spitfires)
Windsor Staffords (1946-1948; became Windsor Ryancretes)

[edit] See also

List of ice hockey leagues

[edit] External link

International Hockey League 1945-2001 Internet Hockey Database - Standings and Statistics

[edit] References

^ "The Modern Minors," Eric Zweig, p. 381, in Total Hockey, ed. Dan Diamond, Total Sports, 1998.
^ "League's founding father watches over 50th year," David Eminian, The Hockey News, January 27, 1995.
^ "Ufer trying to sell league on structured salary cap," David Eminian, The Hockey News, November 10, 1995.
^ NHL Teams' Payrolls. Retrieved on 2006-11-23.
^ Zweig, p. 381