Maine Mariners

The Maine Mariners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Portland, Maine, USA at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

History
The Philadelphia Flyers were the Mariners’ first NHL affiliation. There were three bids to put an AHL team in Portland from Quebec, the Rhode Island Reds, and Philadelphia. Quebec wanted a team to play in both Lewiston and Portland. The previous year they had placed a team in Lewiston called the Maine Nordiques. The Rhode Island Reds were an established AHL franchise (They had played the first professional hockey game in the new Cumberland County Civic Center in the Spring of 1977 against the Springfield Indians) and wanted to schedule just a few home games in Portland. Philadelphia made the only offer to put an AHL franchise in Portland only. The Maine Nordique franchise folded once the Maine Mariners began.

Bob McCammon was the team's first head coach. The first regular season game in franchise history was against the Binghamton Broome Dusters at Portland.

The Mariners are the only franchise in league history to win the Calder Cup title in their first two seasons (1977–78, 1978–79) and are just the second team ever to capture the Calder Cup during their inaugural season. The feat was also matched by the team that brought AHL hockey back to Portland, the Portland Pirates.

Maine returned to the Calder Cup final in 1980–81 and first-year goaltender Pelle Lindbergh became the only goaltender in AHL history, and just the third player ever, to win the AHL regular season MVP and AHL outstanding rookie award in the same season. Bob McCammon won his second AHL coach of the year award.

In 1983–1984 the franchise was taken over by the New Jersey Devils of the NHL. The same season Maine became only the fourth team in AHL history to win a Calder Cup title with a losing regular season record. The Mariners defeated the Rochester Americans in a rematch of the previous year’s finals four games to one. It was the local’s third Calder Cup crown and their fifth finals appearance in seven years. Maine’s championship year was truly a team effort as no members of the club made the all-star team, won a league award during the regular season, or placed in the regular season top ten in scoring. Bud Stefanski was the first recipient of the new AHL playoff MVP award.

The affiliation changed again after the 1986-87 season when the Mariners were moved to New York and became known as the Utica Devils. An expansion team was created that same winter and was supplied by players from the Boston Bruins. The affiliation not only changed but also the team colors. The Mariners had always worn the uniform colors of the Philadelphia Flyers, orange and white with black trim. Boston changed the colors to Bruins black, gold and white. Boston had the franchise in Portland for five years, until 1991–1992. The 1991–1992 campaign was the final one for the Maine Mariners as the franchise was moved to Providence, RI and renamed the Providence Bruins.

This market was previously served by: This market is now the home to:
 * Maine Nordiques of the (NAHL) (1973–1977)
 * Portland Pirates (1993-present)

Playoffs
† Two game combined total goals series.