For the league of the same name that ran from 2007 to 2010, please see International Hockey League (2007–2010).
 International Hockey League (1945–2001) | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1945 |
| Country(ies) |  United States Canada |
| Ceased | 2001 |
| Last champion(s) | Orlando Solar Bears |
| Most championships | Cincinnati Mohawks (5) |
The International Hockey League (IHL) was a minor professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1945 to 2001. The International Hockey League served as the National Hockey League's alternate farm system to the American Hockey League (AHL). After 56 years of operation with financial instability, the International Hockey League ceased operations after the 2000-01 season. Six teams from the IHL merged into the rival American Hockey League as expansion teams in 2001.
History[]
Early years[]
The IHL was formed in December 1945 and initially consisted of four cross-border teams in Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. In 1947, a team from Toledo, Ohio joined the league, and the following year the IHL expanded significantly, with teams in four additional U.S. cities. The expansion did not take hold, and for 1949–50, the league was back down to teams in Detroit and Windsor as well as two nearby Canadian cities, Sarnia, Ontario and Chatham, Ontario. Windsor dropped out in 1950, and expansion into the U.S. began again, with Toledo rejoining the league and new teams in Grand Rapids, Michigan (1950), Troy, Ohio, (1951), Cincinnati (1952), Fort Wayne, Indiana (1952), and Milwaukee (1952). At the same time, the last Canadian team left the league in 1952, when the Chatham Maroons pulled out. Three new U.S. cities were added in 1953. The league would expand and shrink between five and nine teams through the 1950s, with another major expansion in 1959. In the 1962–63 season, the IHL played an interlocking schedule with the NHL-owned Eastern Professional Hockey League, which itself folded in 1963. After 11 seasons as a strictly U.S.-based league, the IHL admitted two Canadian teams in 1963, with the Windsor Bulldogs and the return of the Chatham Maroons. Both teams dropped out after one season. The league did not have a Canadian team again until 1996.
Major market expansion[]
Starting in the late 1960s, the IHL's quality of play significantly improved. By the mid-1970s it was on par with the American Hockey League (AHL), the longtime top feeder league for the National Hockey League. Many IHL teams became the top farm teams of NHL teams. In 1984, the league absorbed many surviving members of the Central Hockey League, which had ceased operations. Beginning in the late 1980s, the IHL began an expansion into major markets such as Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Orlando, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, and San Francisco. Many of these were markets that had been served by the defunct World Hockey Association or abandoned by the NHL, but the IHL also placed teams in markets that already had NHL teams, such as Chicago, Detroit, and Long Beach (near Los Angeles). In the mid-1990s, the IHL moved its Atlanta and Minneapolis–Saint Paul franchises to Quebec City and Winnipeg respectively, restoring the league's Canadian presence and filling the void left by the departure of the NHL's Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets.
The league's expansion into larger markets was rapid, spearheaded by media mogul Ted Turner, and many of the smaller-market teams (such as Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo) fell away, joining lower-level leagues such as the United Hockey League and the East Coast Hockey League.
Decline and collapse[]
The IHL's expansion into NHL markets put a strain on relationships between the leagues. There was some speculation that the IHL was intending to compete directly with the NHL, especially when a lock-out in 1994 threatened to wipe out the NHL season.[1] However, in the 1995-96 season, the IHL's "soft" salary cap was just $1.5 million,[2] while the lowest NHL team payroll that season was $11.4 million.[3]
In response, many NHL clubs shifted their affiliations to the AHL, and by 1997–98, only four of 18 IHL teams had NHL affiliations.[4] 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, the NHL itself moving back into some of its markets, and the league's rapid expansion proved a critical strain, the 2000-01 season ended up being the final season of the IHL. The IHL did not merge into the American Hockey League. Instead, six franchises from the IHL merged into the AHL as expansion franchises and the IHL ceased operations.
The six IHL franchises that were admitted into the American Hockey League as expansion teams were the Chicago Wolves, Grand Rapids Griffins, Houston Aeros, Utah Grizzlies, Milwaukee Admirals and Manitoba Moose for the 2001-02 season. Among them, the Chicago Wolves (2002, 2008), Houston Aeros (2003), and Milwaukee Admirals (2004) have all won Calder Cup titles since joining the AHL from the IHL. The Cincinnati Cyclones were admitted back to the East Coast Hockey League, which hosted the team from 1990-1992 before they moved to the IHL. The Orlando Solar Bears (the final IHL champions) and the Kansas City Blades were not admitted into the AHL because their owner, Rich DeVos, also owned the Griffins, and could only own one AHL franchise. The league's other two teams (the Cleveland Lumberjacks & the Detroit Vipers) ceased operations with the league.
Two of the former IHL teams that moved to the AHL have since relocated, as the Utah Grizzlies moved to Cleveland, Ohio to become the Lake Erie Monsters in 2007, and the Manitoba Moose moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador to become the St. John's IceCaps in 2011. As well, two IHL franchises have been relaunched in the ECHL since the IHL's demise, those being the Utah Grizzlies (formerly the Lexington Men O' War) in 2005 and the expansion Orlando Solar Bears in 2012. Also, the Worcester IceCats moved to Peoria, Illinois in 2005 and took the name of yet another former IHL franchise, the Peoria Rivermen.
Trophies and awards[]
See Also List of International Hockey League trophies
| Award name | Seasons | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Turner Cup | 1945–2001 | League playoff champions. |
| Fred A. Huber Trophy | 1945–2001 | Regular season champions. |
| Commissioner's Trophy | 1984–2001 | Coach of the Year. |
| Leo P. Lamoureux Memorial Trophy | 1946–2001 | Top point scorer. Known as "George H. Wilkinson Trophy" (1946-1960). |
| James Gatschene Memorial Trophy | 1946–2001 | MVP / Sportsmanship. |
| Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy | 1988–2001 | Playoffs MVP. |
| Gary F. Longman Memorial Trophy | 1961–2001 | Rookie of the Year. Known as "Leading Rookie Award" (1961-1967). |
| Ken McKenzie Trophy | 1977–2001 | American-born Rookie of the Year. |
| Governor's Trophy | 1964–2001 | Best defenseman. Known as "Larry D. Gordon Trophy" (1998-2001). |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy | 1955–2001 | Goaltenders with lowest GAA. |
| John Cullen Award | 1996–2001 | Comeback Player of the Year. Known as "Comeback Player of the Year Award" (1996-1998). |
| Ironman Award | 1988–2001 | Durability / Longevity. |
| IHL Man of the Year | 1992–2001 | Outstanding community service. Also known as "I. John Snider, II Trophy." |
Teams[]
Franchise timeline with moves[]
| Founding year |
Team name(s) | Years of operation |
Number of seasons |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Detroit Auto Club | 1945–1951 | 6 | |
| 1945 | Detroit Bright's Goodyears | 1945–1949 | 4 | |
| 1945 | Windsor Gotfredsons Windsor Staffords Windsor Ryan Cretes |
1945–1946 1946–1948 1948–1950 |
5 | |
| 1945 | Windsor Spitfires Windsor Hettche Spitfires Detroit Hettche |
1945–1947 1947–1949 1949–1952 |
7 | |
| 1946 | Detroit Metal Mouldings Detroit Jerry Lynch |
1946–1948 1948–1949 |
3 | |
| 1947 | Toledo Mercurys | 1947–1949 1950–1962 |
14 | Played in North and South divisions (1948–1949). Played as Toledo Buckeyes (EAHL) (1949–50). Played as Toledo-Marion Mercurys (1955–1956). Played as Toledo-St. Louis Mercurys (1959–1960). |
| 1948 | Akron Americans | 1948–1949 | 1 | |
| 1948 | Louisville Blades | 1948–1949 | 1 | Transferred to USHL in 1949. |
| 1948 | Milwaukee Clarks | 1948–1949 | 1 | Transferred to EAHL in 1949. |
| 1948 | Muncie Flyers | 1948–1949 | 1 | |
| 1949 | Sarnia Sailors | 1949–1951 | 2 | Transferred to OHA Sr. A in 1951. |
| 1949 | Chatham Maroons | 1949–1952 1963–1964 |
4 | Played in OHA Sr. A (1952–1963). |
| 1950 | Grand Rapids Rockets Huntington Hornets Louisville Rebels |
1950–1956 1956–1957 1957–1960 |
10 | |
| 1951 | Troy Bruins | 1951–1959 | 8 | |
| 1952 | Cincinnati Mohawks | 1952–1958 | 6 | Transferred from AHL in 1952. |
| 1952 | Fort Wayne Komets Albany Choppers |
1952–1990 1990–1991 |
39 | Original Fort Wayne Komets replaced in 1990 by relocated Flint Spirits franchise. |
| 1952 | Milwaukee Chiefs | 1952–1954 | 2 | |
| 1953 | Johnstown Jets | 1953–1955 | 2 | Transferred from EAHL in 1953 Transferred to EHL in 1955. |
| 1953 | Louisville Shooting Stars | 1953–1954 | 1 | |
| 1953 | Marion Barons | 1953–1954 | 1 | |
| 1955 | Indianapolis Chiefs | 1955–1962 | 7 | |
| 1959 | Milwaukee Falcons | 1959–1960 | 2 | Ceased operations November 26, 1960 during second season. |
| 1959 | Denver Mavericks Minneapolis Millers |
1959 1959–1963 |
4 | Denver relocated mid-season to Minneapolis on December 3, 1959. |
| 1959 | Omaha Knights | 1959–1963 | 4 | Transferred to Central Professional Hockey League in 1963. |
| 1959 | St. Paul Saints | 1959–1963 | 4 | |
| 1960 | Muskegon Zephyrs Muskegon Mohawks Muskegon Lumberjacks Cleveland Lumberjacks |
1960–1965 1965–1984 1984–1992 1992–2001 |
41 | |
| 1962 | Port Huron Flags Port Huron Wings Port Huron Flags |
1962–1971 1971–1974 1974-1981 |
19 | |
| 1963 | Des Moines Oak Leafs Des Moines Capitols |
1963–1972 1972–1975 |
12 | |
| 1963 | Toledo Blades Toledo Hornets Lansing Lancers |
1963–1970 1970–1974 1974–1975 |
12 | |
| 1963 | Windsor Bulldogs | 1963–1964 | 1 | Transferred from OHA Sr. A in 1963. |
| 1964 | Dayton Gems | 1964–1977 1979–1980 |
14 | Team on hiatus from 1977–1979. |
| 1966 | Columbus Checkers Columbus Golden Seals Columbus Owls Dayton Owls Grand Rapids Owls |
1966–1970 1971–1973 1973–1977 1977 1977–1980 |
23 | Franchise on hiatus from 1970–71. Dayton relocated mid-season to Grand Rapids on December 15, 1977. |
| 1969 | Flint Generals Saginaw Generals Saginaw Hawks |
1969–1985 1985–1987 1987–1989 |
20 | |
| 1972 | Saginaw Gears | 1972–1983 | 11 | |
| 1974 | Kalamazoo Wings Michigan K-Wings |
1974–1995 1995–2000 |
26 | |
| 1974 | Toledo Goaldiggers Kansas City Blades |
1974–1986 1990-2001 |
23 | |
| 1977 | Milwaukee Admirals | 1977–2001 | 24 | Transferred from USHL in 1977. Transferred to AHL in 2001. |
| 1982 | Peoria Prancers Peoria Rivermen San Antonio Dragons |
1982–1984 1984-1996 1996–1998 |
16 | |
| 1984 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles Detroit Vipers |
1984–1994 1994–2001 |
17 | Transferred from CHL in 1984. |
| 1984 | Indianapolis Checkers Colorado Rangers Denver Rangers Phoenix Roadrunners |
1984–1987 1987–1988 1988–1989 1989–1997 |
13 | Transferred from CHL in 1984. |
| 1985 | Flint Spirits Fort Wayne Komets |
1985–1990 1990–1999 |
14 | Transferred to UHL in 1999. |
| 1988 | Indianapolis Ice | 1988–1999 | 11 | Transferred to CHL in 1999. |
| 1990 | San Diego Gulls Los Angeles Ice Dogs Long Beach Ice Dogs |
1990–1995 1995–1996 1996–2000 |
10 | Transferred to WCHL in 2000. |
| 1992 | Atlanta Knights Quebec Rafales |
1992–1996 1996–1998 |
6 | |
| 1992 | Cincinnati Cyclones | 1992–2001 | 9 | |
| 1993 | Las Vegas Thunder | 1993–1999 | 6 | |
| 1993 | Russian Penguins | 1993–1994 | 1 | Touring Russian team. |
| 1994 | Chicago Wolves | 1994–2001 | 7 | Transferred to AHL in 2001. |
| 1994 | Houston Aeros | 1994–2001 | 7 | Transferred to AHL in 2001. |
| 1994 | Minnesota Moose Manitoba Moose |
1994–1996 1996–2001 |
7 | Transferred to AHL in 2001. |
| 1994 | Denver Grizzlies Utah Grizzlies |
1994–1995 1995-2001 |
7 | Transferred to AHL in 2001. |
| 1995 | Orlando Solar Bears | 1995–2001 | 6 | |
| 1995 | San Francisco Spiders | 1995–1996 | 1 | |
| 1996 | Grand Rapids Griffins | 1996–2001 | 5 | Transferred to AHL in 2001. |
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "The Modern Minors," Eric Zweig, p. 381, in Total Hockey, ed. Dan Diamond, Total Sports, 1998.
External links[]
- International Hockey League 1945-2001 Internet Hockey Database - Standings and Statistics
- International Hockey League 1945-2001 Internet Hockey Database - IHL Awards
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