Adirondack Red Wings

Last updated
Adirondack Red Wings
Adirondack red wings 200x200.png
City Glens Falls, New York
League American Hockey League
Operated 19791999
Home arena Glens Falls Civic Center
ColorsRed and White
Affiliate Detroit Red Wings
Franchise history
1971–1972 Tidewater Wings
1972–1975 Virginia Wings
1979–1999Adirondack Red Wings
2002–2020 San Antonio Rampage
2020–present Henderson Silver Knights
Championships
Division titles3
(1985–86, 1988–89,
1993–94)
Calder Cups4
(1980–81, 1985–86,
1988–89, 1991–92)

The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, United States at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.

Contents

History

Desirous of promoting a winning atmosphere, Detroit ensured that the Adirondack Red Wings would have, for a minor league franchise, an unusually stable, veteran-laden roster. Veterans such as Glenn Merkosky, Jody Gage, Greg Joly, Norm Maracle and Dennis Polonich bolstered a team that saw over thirty players have 200 or more games with the franchise, including nine with over 300 and two (Merkosky and Joly) with over 400. In consequence, the Red Wings missed the playoffs only once in their twenty-year history. They played for the Calder Cup four times, winning each time.

The Red Wings' uniforms were identical to the parent club, with the white jersey featuring the distinctive red sleeves that the Detroit franchise has worn since 1956. During their final two seasons, the Adirondack Red Wings also wore a third jersey, based on Detroit's throwback design from 1991–92, replacing the word "DETROIT" on the front of the jersey with the winged wheel logo.

The Red Wings prospered as Detroit's top affiliate. However, by the late 1990s, the parent club wanted to move the affiliation closer to Detroit in order to ease movement of players between the minors and the NHL. In early 1999, the Detroit Red Wings announced plans to move the team to Rossford, Ohio—a Toledo suburb—for the 2000–01 season. The Red Wings later suspended operations of the team following the 1998–99 season. As part of the agreement to relocate the franchise, the city of Rossford was to build a $48 million entertainment complex that included a 12,000-seat arena. However, the arena deal fell apart in late 2000. [1] The franchise remained dormant until 2002, when it was purchased by the ownership of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs and resurrected as the San Antonio Rampage. [2]

The franchise was replaced by:

Coaches

General managers

Season-by-season results

Regular season

SeasonGamesWonLostTiedOTLPointsGoals
for
Goals
against
Standing
1971–72 7622459531972756th, West
1972–73 76382216922582213rd, West
1973–74 76224410542163076th, South
1974–75 75313113752542501st, South
1979–80 80323711752973094th, North
1980–81 8035405753053282nd, South
1981–82 8034379772992855th, South
1982–83 8036395773293434th, North
1983–84 80372914883443302nd, North
1984–85 8035378782903365th, North
1985–86 8041318903392981st, North
1986–87 8044315933292962nd, North
1987–88 804223114993062753rd, South
1988–89 80472761003692941st, South
1989–90 80422711953303042nd, South
1990–91 80333710763203465th, South
1991–92 8040364843353092nd, North
1992–93 8036359813313082nd, North
1993–94 8045278983332731st, North
1994–95 80323810742712944th, North
1995–96 80383282862712472nd, Central
1996–97 803828122902582492nd, Empire State
1997–98 80313793742452754th, Empire State
1998–99 80214883531842804th, Empire State

Playoffs

Season1st round2nd round3rd roundFinals
1971–72 Out of Playoffs
1972–73 W, 4-3, Hershey L, 2-4, Cincinnati
1973–74 Out of Playoffs
1974–75 L, 1-4, New Haven
1979–80 L, 1-4, New Brunswick
1980–81 W, 4-2, Binghamton W, 4-2, Hershey W, 4-2, Maine
1981–82 L, 2-3, New Brunswick
1982–83 L, 2-4, Fredericton
1983–84 L, 3-4, Maine
1984–85 Out of Playoffs
1985–86 W, 4-2, Fredericton W, 4-1, Moncton W, 4-2, Hershey
1986–87 W, 4-2, Moncton L, 1-4, Sherbrooke
1987–88 W, 4-3, Rochester L, 0-4, Hershey
1988–89 W, 4-1, Newmarket W, 4-3, Hershey W, 4-1, New Haven
1989–90 L, 2-4, Baltimore
1990–91 L, 4-13, Hershey
1991–92 W, 4-1, New Haven W, 4-0, Springfield W, 2-1, Rochester W, 4-3, St. John's
1992–93 W, 4-0, Capital District L, 3-4, Springfield
1993–94 W, 4-2, Springfield L, 2-4, Portland
1994–95 L, 0-4, Albany
1995–96 L, 0-3, Rochester
1996–97 L, 1-3, Albany
1997–98 L, 0-3, Albany
1998–99 L, 0-3, Rochester

Two game combined total goals series in preliminary round.

Notable alumni

Team records

Career goals: Glenn Merkosky: 204
Career assists: Glenn Merkosky: 212
Career points: Glenn Merkosky: 416
Career penalty minutes: Gord Kruppke: 1,028
Career games: Glenn Merkosky: 430

Former affiliates (6 stations)

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References

  1. "New home is no home". Albany Business Review . November 20, 2000.
  2. Fischel, Mark (January 30, 2003). "San Antonio Rampage "Stampede" into the AHL". Hockey's Future. Archived from the original on 2008-10-14. Retrieved June 17, 2005.