Sandia Mountain Hockey League

The Sandia Mountain Hockey League operated in New Mexico as a semi-pro league from 1951-1960. The Albuquerque Ice Arena opened in 1948, hosting series between Colorado College and the Wichita Flyers and North Dakota and Michigan that November and December, respectively. On February 26, 1949, an Albuquerque team composed of men from Sandia Base, Kirtland Field, and the Air National Guard faced Los Alamos at the Ice Arena, winning 8-1. They played another game on March 18, Albuquerque again winning, this time 11-2. The Fresno Falcons visited Albuquerque on March 25 and 26, defeating the local side 7-4 and 25-0, respectively.

The Albuquerque Hilltoppers and Los Alamos Rams played exhibition games in 1950. The following year, the Hilltoppers, Rams and Sandia Base All-Stars were active. High school teams from Albuquerque and Los Alamos also played.

The Sandia Mountain League was formed for the 1951-52 season. It was composed of the New Mexico Lobos college team, Los Alamos Rams, Kirtland Flyers, and Sandia Bombers. There was no league play for 1953-54, but it returned for 1954-55, the Albuquerque Falcons replacing the Lobos. The Manzano Tigers took the place of Los Alamos for 1955-56. Manzano withdrew from the league after the 1957-58 season. Sandia became known as the Sandia Thunderbirds for 1959-60.

Seasons

 * 1949-50 (exhibitions)
 * 1/21: Albuquerque Hilltoppers - Los Alamos Rams 9:7 @ Los Alamos
 * 1/29: Los Alamos Rams - Albuquerque Hilltoppers 6:5 @ Los Alamos
 * 2/4: Albuquerque Hilltoppers - Los Alamos Rams 10:4 @ Albuquerque
 * 3/4: Military All-Stars - Albuquerque Hilltoppers 12:4
 * 3/11: Military All-Stars - Albuquerque Hilltoppers 9:6
 * 3/24: Wichita Boeing Bombers - Albuquerque All-Stars 11:10
 * 3/25: Wichita Boeing Bombers - Albuquerque All-Stars 9:6


 * 1950-51 (exhibitions)
 * 1/27: Albuquerque Hilltoppers - Los Alamos Rams 8:7 @ Los Alamos
 * 2/9: Sandia Base All-Stars - Albuquerque Hilltoppers 4:2 @ Albuquerque
 * 3/3: Albuquerque Hilltoppers - Los Alamos Rams @ Albuquerque


 * 1951-52


 * 12/22: New Mexico - Kirtland 5:3 - exhibition
 * 1/5: Sandia - Kirtland 7:6
 * 1/12: New Mexico - Sandia 12:5
 * 1/26: New Mexico - Los Alamos 7:5
 * 2/9: New Mexico - Sandia 8:1
 * 2/16: New Mexico - Kirtland 8:4
 * 2/23: Kirtland - Los Alamos 9:3
 * 3/5: Los Alamos - Sandia 7:6
 * 3/8: New Mexico - Sandia
 * 3/15: New Mexico - Kirtland 3:2
 * 3/22: New Mexico - Los Alamos 13:2
 * 3/26: Sandia - Kirtland 13:7
 * 4/5: New Mexico - Kirtland 10:8


 * 1) New Mexico Lobos
 * 2) Los Alamos Rams
 * 3) Kirtland Flyers
 * 4) Sandia Bombers

Other games
 * 2/2: Wichita Boeing Bombers - Sandia Mountain All-Stars 9:7
 * 2/3: Wichita Boeing Bombers - Sandia Mountain All-Stars 19:6


 * 1952-53


 * 12/4: Sandia - Kirtland 5:3
 * 12/11: Los Alamos - New Mexico 6:5
 * 12/18: Kirtland - Los Alamos 6:5
 * 1/8: Sandia - Nww Mexico 10:1
 * 1/15: New Mexico - Kirtland 12:3
 * 1/16: Sandia - Los Alamos 11:1
 * 1/29: New Mexico - Sandia 10:4
 * 2/5: New Mexico - Los Alamos 7:5
 * 2/19: Kirtland - Los Alamos 9:5
 * 2/26: Sandia - Kirtland 7:4
 * 3/5: New Mexico - Kirtland 5:3
 * 3/12: Sandia - Los Alamos 7:6


 * 1953-54
 * 1/24: Albuquerque All-Stars - Los Alamos Rams 7:6 @ Los Alamos (exhibition)


 * 1954-55


 * 11/27: Sandia - Albuquerque 11:8
 * 12/4: Kirtland - Los Alamos 4:3
 * 12/11: Sandia - Kirtland 8:1
 * 12/12: Los Alamos - Albuquerque 7:6
 * 12/18: Kirtland - Albuquerque 9:6
 * 12/19: Sandia - Los Alamos 9:2
 * 1/8: Albuquerque - Sandia 4:3
 * 1/9: Kirtland - Los Alamos 7:2
 * 1/15: Sandia - Kirtland 12:6
 * 1/16: Albuquerque - Los Alamos 5:3
 * 1/22: Albuquerque - Kirtland 8:5
 * 1/23: Sandia - Los Alamos 10:4
 * 1/29: Sandia - Albuquerque 6:2
 * 2/12: Sandia - Kirtland 6:5


 * 1) Sandia Bombers 7-1
 * 2) Kirtland Flyers 4-4
 * 3) Albuquerque Falcons 3-5
 * 4) Los Alamos Rams 2-6


 * 3/5: Sandia Bombers - Kirtland Flyers 8:2 - one game final


 * 1955-56

Manzano Tigers, Sandia Bombers, Kirtland Flyers, Albuquerque Falcons. Falcons won the league title.


 * 11/5: Kirtland - Sandia 12:8
 * 11/12: Albuquerque - Sandia 7:5
 * 11/26: Kirtland - Manzano 12:4
 * 12/3: Albuquerque - Manzano 15:4
 * 12/17: Albuquerque - Kirtland 9:4
 * 1/7: Manzano - Sandia 7:6 OT
 * 1/14: Sandia - Kirtland 21:10
 * 1/28: Albuquerque - Manzano 11:4
 * 2/4: Manzano - Kirtland 11:2
 * 2/18: Albuquerque - Kirtland 13:3
 * 2/25: Albuquerque - Sandia
 * 3/3: Manzano - Sandia 3:3
 * 3/10: Manzano - Sandia 10:8

Other games
 * 2/10: Trail Rockets - Albuquerque Falcons 10:6
 * 2/11: Trail Rockets - Sandia Mountain All-Stars 19:6


 * 1956-57


 * 11/10: Albuquerque - Manzano
 * 11/17: Sandia - Kirtland 6:4
 * 11/24: Albuquerque - Sandia 14:7
 * 12/1: Manzano - Kirtland 6:2
 * 12/8: Kirtland - Albuquerque 11:8
 * 12/15: Manzano - Sandia 6:4
 * 1/5: Manzano - Sandia 11:8
 * 1/12: Kirtland - Albuquerque 10:6
 * 1/19: Kirtland - Manzano 5:3
 * 1/26: Albuquerque - Sandia 6:5
 * 2/2: Sandia - Kirtland 10:9
 * 2/9: Manzano - Albuquerque 10:6
 * 2/13: Kirtland - Albuquerque 8:7 - second place tiebreaker


 * 1) Manzano 4-2
 * 2) Kirtland 4-3
 * 3) Albuquerque 3-4
 * 4) Sandia 2-4

Other games
 * 2/15: Trail Rockets - Manzano Tigers 13:7

Rocky Mountain Semi-Pro Championship
 * 3/1: Sandia Mountain All-Stars - Salt Lake City Icelanders 5:5
 * 3/2: Salt Lake City Icelanders - Sandia Mountain All-Stars 5:4


 * 1957-58
 * 10/26: Kirtland - Albuquerque 13:9
 * 11/2: Kirtland - Manzano 14:5
 * 11/9: Albuquerque - Manzano 19:3
 * 11/16: Kirtland - Sandia 9:3
 * 11/23: Manzano - Sandia 9:8
 * 11/30: Albuquerque - Sandia 11:7
 * 12/14: Kirtland - Manzano 10:0
 * 12/21: Albuquerque - Sandia 12:5
 * 1/4: Sandia - Manzano 14:6
 * 1/11: Albuquerque - Kirtland 10:5
 * 1/18: Albuquerque - Manzano 16:5
 * 1/25: Sandia - Kirtland 12:11
 * 2/1: Kirtland - Manzano 28:7
 * 2/8: Albuquerque - Sandia 10:9
 * 2/15: Kirtland - Sandia 10:3
 * 3/15: Kirtland - Albuquerque 8:6 - Kirtland clinched title

Other games
 * 11/23: Albuquerque Falcons - Phoenix Flyers 7:6 @ Phoenix
 * 12/7: Phoenix All-Stars - Sandia Mountain All-Stars 16:7 @ Albuquerque
 * 12/28: Sandia Mountain All-Stars - Phoenix All-Stars 8:6 @ Albuquerque
 * 2/22: Trail Rockets - Sandia Mountain All-Stars 9:8 @ Albuquerque
 * 2/23: Trail Rockets - Sandia Mountain All-Stars 11:7 @ Albuquerque
 * 3/1: Sandia Mountain All-Stars - Salt Lake City Icers 6:4 @ Albuquerque
 * 3/2: Sandia Mountain All-Stars - Salt Lake City Icers 11:10 @ Albuquerque


 * 1958-59
 * 10/4: Sandia - Kirtland 8:5
 * 10/11: Kirtland - Albuquerque 11:10
 * 10/25: Sandia - Kirtland 8:5
 * 11/1: Sandia - Albuquerque 9:8 2OT (7:7 after regulation)
 * 11/8: Albuquerque - Kirtland 6:4
 * 11/15: Kirtland - Sandia 9:6
 * 11/22: Albuquerque - Sandia 5:4
 * 11/29: Albuquerque - Kirtland 9:4
 * 12/6: Sandia - Kirtland 8:6
 * 12/20: Sandia - Albuquerque 8:7
 * 1/10: Kirtland - Albuquerque 8:7 OT
 * 1/17: Kirtland - Sandia 10:6
 * 1/31: Kirtland - Albuquerque 11:7
 * 2/21: Kirtland - Albuquerque 9:6
 * 3/21: Albuquerque - Sandia 10:2
 * 4/4: Kirtland - Sandia 8:4 - final

Standings as of 2/21: Sandia 9-4, Kirtland 7-5, Albuquerque 3-9.

Other games
 * 12/13: Denver Bears - Albuquerque All-Stars 11:4
 * 3/28: Salt Lake City - Kirtland Flyers 6:5


 * 1959 (fall)
 * 10/3: Albuquerque - Kirtland 9:8
 * 10/10: Sandia - Kirtland 7:5
 * 10/17: Albuquerque - Sandia 14:7
 * 10/24: Albuquerque - Kirtland
 * 10/31: Kirtland - Sandia 7:2
 * 11/7: Albuquerque - Sandia 10:9
 * 11/14: Albuquerque - Kirtland
 * 11/21: Sandia - Kirtland
 * 11/28: Albuqerque - Sandia 5:2
 * 12/5: Albuquerque - Kirtland

Albuquerque won.


 * 1960
 * 1/16: Albuquerque - Kirtland 10:5
 * 1/23: Sandia - Kirtland 10:9 OT
 * 1/30: Albuquerque - Sandia 6:4
 * 2/6: Kirtland - Albuquerque 8:4
 * 2/13: Sandia - Albuquerque 6:4
 * 2/20: Kirtland - Sandia 5:4
 * 3/12: Kirtland - Albuquerque 7:4
 * 3/19: Albuquerque - Sandia 10:8
 * 3/26: Kirtland - Sandia 6:3 - Kirtland clinched title

Other games
 * 2/27: Amarillo Wranglers - New Mexico All-Stars 10:5
 * 3/5: New Mexico All-Stars - Salt Lake City Seagulls 11:8