Dallas Metros Relocate to Milwaukee

Just weeks after the Pittsburgh Stingers hoisted the Lewis Cup, PHL president Alan Garcia made the announcement everyone had been speculating about for months. Milwaukee millionaire Jerry Drum had purchased the financially struggling Dallas Metros with plans to move the team to Milwaukee in time for the 1985-86 season. "This is a very exciting time to be a Milwaukee sports fan" said Drum. "I think the fans in Wisconsin will really embrace this team. Milwaukee has always been a strong sports market when it comes to Baseball, Basketball, and Football and I don't think Hockey will be any different."

Garcia commented that he is excited for Milwaukee but expressed his disappointment for Dallas at the same time. "It's unfortunate to leave Dallas, there were a lot of true hockey fans there who really fell in love with the game through watching the Metros. At the same time, we are very excited to welcome Milwaukee into the PHL fold. We feel we have a strong owner in Mr. Drum and I think the city's presence will be very good for the league and the game."

Three weeks after the announcement, the club unveiled it's new name and wordmark. The team will be named the Milwaukee Choppers, after the famous Harley Davidson Motorcycles that were originally made in Milwaukee. Drum, an avid motorcycle enthusiast who owns three Harleys himself, said he had the name picked long before the purchase of the team was finalized. "I knew immediately if I ever owned a team I would want to put a bike on the front" said Drum. "I think it's a great name for a hockey team. The name and logo will represent speed and power, two things I want our club to be about."

The team's wordmark, which will appear on promotional material as well as some merchandise, was also unveiled, revealing the team colour scheme of Black, Gold, and White. The logo and uniforms will be unveiled prior to the start of the 1985-86 season.