The Toledo Goaldiggers were a minor professional ice hockey club based in Toledo, Ohio, from 1974 to 1986. They played in the International Hockey League (IHL) and held their home games at the Toledo Sports Arena on the east side of Toledo. Prior to the Goaldiggers, Toledo had two minor league franchises: The Mercurys (1947–1962) and Blades/Hornets (1963–1974).
The Saginaw Gears were a minor-league ice hockey franchise based in Saginaw, Michigan, that played in the defunct International Hockey League (IHL). The Gears existed from 1972 to 1983 and played their home games at Wendler Arena in the Saginaw Civic Center.
The Baltimore Skipjacks were a minor league professional ice hockey team from Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The Skipjacks originated in 1979, and played as the Baltimore Clippers in the Eastern Hockey League for two seasons. The team was renamed to Skipjacks in 1981, and played the following season in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League. The Skipjacks then played eleven seasons as members of the American Hockey League (AHL), from 1982 until 1993. The Skipjacks were one of three AHL teams to have been based in Baltimore, including the Baltimore Clippers, and the Baltimore Bandits. The Skipjacks operated as a farm team to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals for five seasons each, and were previously a farm team to the Minnesota North Stars for two seasons, the Boston Bruins for one season. The team played its home games at the Baltimore Civic Center, which was renamed to the Baltimore Arena in 1986.
The Southern Hockey League was a low-level minor professional ice hockey league that operated from 1973 to 1977. The league was formed when the Eastern Hockey League split in two; the southern teams became the Southern Hockey League, and the northern teams became the North American Hockey League. It was the first professional hockey league to operate wholly within the Southern United States, and followed the establishment of the Atlanta Flames in the National Hockey League; and also the Richmond Robins and the Tidewater Wings in the American Hockey League. The Southern Hockey League was a feeder league for the recently started World Hockey Association. Tedd Munchak was appointed the league's first commissioner, and was owner of the Greensboro Generals. The championship trophy of the league was named the James Crockett Cup, after local figure Jim Crockett Sr. The league disbanded during its fourth season, when four of its seven teams folded due to financial issues.
The Central Professional Hockey League was a minor professional ice hockey league that operated in the United States from 1963 to 1984. Named the Central Hockey League for the 1968–69 season and forward, it was owned and operated by the National Hockey League and served as a successor to the Eastern Professional Hockey League, which had folded after the 1962–63 season. Four of the CHL's initial franchises were, in fact, relocations of the previous year's EPHL teams, while the fifth came from the International Hockey League. Its founding president was Jack Adams, who served in the role until his death in 1968. The CHL's championship trophy was called the Adams Cup in his honor.
The Denver Rangers were a professional hockey team based in Denver, Colorado that played for two seasons in the late 1980s. They were a member of the International Hockey League, and an affiliate of the New York Rangers. The team was originally known as the Indianapolis Checkers, but after the 1986–1987 season the team moved to Denver. The team was originally known as the Colorado Rangers for the 1987–1988 season. After the 1988–1989 season the team moved to Phoenix, Arizona and became known as the Phoenix Roadrunners.
Robert Bruce Affleck is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League between 1975 and 1984. Currently he serves as an executive for the St. Louis Blues, the team with which he spent most of his playing career.
Gordon M. Dineen is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman and coach who most recently served as an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. He is a former head coach for the AHL's Toronto Marlies and a longtime assistant with several other teams.
Fred Creighton was a Canadian ice hockey centre and coach. Creighton is best known for his time as an NHL head coach.
Kevin Scott Conway is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played mainly in the United Kingdom. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Columbus Checkers were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League from 1966 to 1970, and the first professional hockey team in Columbus, Ohio.
Ronald Scott is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Scott played 28 games in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings between 1984 and 1990. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1983 to 1991, was spent in the minor leagues.
The original St. Louis Steamers played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League from 1979 through 1988. Their home fixtures were held at the St. Louis Arena. The Steamers were popular for a number of years, with average attendance exceeding 12,000 for each season from 1980–81 through 1984–85, and outdrawing the NHL's St. Louis Blues for four consecutive seasons from 1980–81 through 1983–84.
Ed Pizunski is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player.
The Charlotte Checkers were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The team began as the Baltimore Clippers in 1954, playing in the Eastern Hockey League. When the arena in Baltimore burned down, the team briefly played as the Charlotte Rebels, before permanently relocating to the Charlotte Coliseum in 1956, becoming the Charlotte Clippers. The team was renamed the Checkers in 1960, and played its final four seasons in the Southern Hockey League, before folding in 1977. The Clippers/Checkers franchise won five playoff championships in its existence, and were the first team to be based in the Southeast United States.
The 1979–80 CHL season was the 17th season of the Central Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. Nine teams participated in the regular season, and the Salt Lake Golden Eagles won the league title.
The 1981–82 CHL season was the 19th season of the Central Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. Nine teams participated in the regular season, and the Indianapolis Checkers won the league title.
The Danville Wings were a Tier I ice hockey team that played the North American Hockey League from 1994 until 2003 when they moved to the United States Hockey League for the 2003–04 season. After that season, the team was relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana and renamed the Indiana Ice. The Wings played their home games at the David S. Palmer Arena in Danville, Illinois.
Derek Edwardson is a retired American professional ice hockey player. He played US college hockey at Miami University and has played in the Italian Serie A.
Paul Skjodt is an American-Canadian businessman, and former ice hockey player.
