Detroit Jr. Red Wings

For the 1992-95 Ontario Hockey League team of the same name, please see the Detroit Junior Red Wings.

The Detroit Jr. Red Wings are a defunct Tier II Junior "A" team that was based out of Detroit, Michigan. They played out of the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League and were the feeder team for the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings.

History
The Jr. Red Wings started out in 1958 as a member of the Border Cities Junior B Hockey League. When the league folded in 1964, the team went back to the United States to play in the Michigan Junior Hockey League. During this time, 1964-1970, the team was known as the Detroit Olympia.

After the last great schism of Canadian junior hockey in 1970, the Detroit Jr. Red Wings became the first team to ever be crowned Tier II Junior "A" Central Canadian Champions, winners of the very first Dudley Hewitt Cup. The Championship allowed them entry into the 1971 Centennial Cup Playdowns. The team was led by league Most Valuable Player and Scoring Leader Mark Howe, son of hockey legend Gordie Howe.

In the 1974-75 season the Junior Wings defeated the Minnesota Junior Stars in the finals to capture the American Junior A National Championship. The Junior Wings were headed up by Tom Wilson (General Manager) who had put together a team that included such notables as Ken Morrow of New York Islander fame (4 Stanley Cup rings and an Olympic Gold Medal (1980) and Mark Wells (1980 Olympic Team).

Through the 1975-76 season, the team played out of Olympia Stadium with facilities next to the Red Wings. They entered the newly formed North American Hockey League in 1976. In the 1976-77 season Wilson was named Coach of the Year. They played there until 1983, when they went on hiatus. They seem to have come back a year later as the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors.

Notable alumni

 * Ken Morrow - 1980 U.S. Olympic Team/New York Islanders
 * Mark Wells - 1980 U.S. Olympic Team
 * Mark Howe - Philadelphia Flyers
 * Gordie Roberts - Hartford Whalers
 * Ron Serafini - Oakland Seals
 * Gordie Buynak - St. Louis Blues
 * Marty Howe - Boston Bruins
 * Dave Feamster - Chicago Blackhawks
 * Tom Wilson - Coach/General Manager
 * Pat Peake - Washington Capitals

Season-by-Season Results
(*) During the 1958-59 Season, the Jr. Red Wings played three 4-point games.