1991-92 Regular Season

After a disappointing ending to the 1990-91 season, the Boston Bulldogs got off to a huge start in the fall of 1991. Captain Craig Bush scored a hat-trick on opening night in a 6-0 win over Washington and the team never looked back, winning their first 14 games of the year. The Bulldogs would not lose a game in regulation until their 26^th game on December 2, Ultimately finishing with 57 wins and 122 points to take first place overall in dominating fashion. Bush finished with 104 points, while Jason Luna broke out with 89 points of his own. “We just played with so much confidence right out of the gate” said Bush. “Everyone is playing their role and we’re just having a lot of fun out there.” The Bulldogs weren’t the only team in the East enjoying success. The Montreal Royale finished with one more win than the previous year, with 51, while Vincent Ducharme actually improved on his scoring totals with 115 points while finishing just one shy of 60 goals to once again run away with the league scoring title. One of the few teams that did give the Royale difficulties was their provincial rivals, the Quebec Nationale. The two teams met six times during the season with Quebec shockingly winning five out of the six. Patrick Lemoine was enjoying a breakout year in net that would eventually lead to a Whyte Trophy while young Czech forward Rostislav Stransky also broke out with an 86 point year as the Nationale finished in fifth place in the East.

One of the biggest developments of the year came on December 26, 1991, when after much anticipation, the Soviet Union finally collapsed. Suddenly, all the Russian players who had previously been unavailable would be on their way to North America. The Toronto Racers finally had their prized prospect in Alexei Yolkin and Yolkin did not disappoint after signing with the Racers in late January. Yolkin had 32 points in 28 games as the Racers climbed to fourth place. Meanwhile, 33-year-old superstar Alexander Orlov finally realized a lifelong dream when he joined his old friend Vladimir Gaganov and signed with Chicago. Orlov and Gaganov, along with young rookie Vladimir Kozakov formed the “Russian Connection” line for the Shamrocks and managed to turn the season around in Chicago. The Shamrocks had been floundering near last place by the time Orlov arrived. After a few bumps early on, the line found chemistry and took the team on a 12-game winning streak in February. The Shamrocks only lost 16 games in the second half of the year as they just managed to take eighth place in the Western Conference, edging out the third-year Kansas City Twisters by seven points for the final playoff spot.

Meanwhile, it was a disastrous season for the Seattle Grey Wolves. After watching their captain, Pete Holloway leave for Milwaukee, the Wolves started the season with six straight losses. By the trade deadline, with the season long gone, new GM Bobby Vail made a very bold move, trading the other half of the once-great duo, Jake Fairbanks, to the Quebec Nationale in exchange for young defenseman Luke Mann. The Wolves finished tenth in the Western Conference and out of the playoffs for the first time in ten years. “It’s very hard to see someone like Jake go when he’s meant so much to this franchise” said Vail. “I think the fans will appreciate in time what Luke brings to the team.” Fairbanks went to Quebec and added valuable veteran leadership to an already strong Nationale team.

1992 was a year of change across the league, with several great teams from the 1980s dropping in the standings. The defending champion St. Louis Spirits lost a lot of veteran players in the off-season and in turn, lost a lot more games than usual in ’91-92. Appleby, playing alongside Adam Lawless, still proved to be a dangerous offensive threat, scoring 47 goals in what some speculated could be his final season. The Spirits managed to salvage their season and grab the seventh playoff spot in the West. The Pittsburgh Stingers continued the painful front-end of their rebuild, while the Nova Scotia Claymores, racked with uncertainty about the future, dropped out of the post-season for the first time since 1981. Year three was a huge improvement for the Miami Stingrays, who climbed out of the league basement and won 28 games. Vancouver also saw enormous improvement, finishing third in the west with their first-ever 100+ point season.

In Alberta, 1992 was an exciting time to be a hockey fan. The Edmonton Northern Lights finally finished in first place in the conference, primarily on the strength of their depth. “We don’t really have and big-name superstar players” said head coach Rick Camford, “we do have a lot of very good players who play their roles very well, I’m confident we can beat anyone in the league come playoff time.” In Calgary, the Wranglers finally made their long-awaited return to the post-season for the first time since 1983. Sergei Krayev finished the year with 109 points, good for second in the league, while Shannon Micheals finally enjoyed a breakout year with 90 points of his own. Jonathan Adams was a human wrecking ball as he became known league-wide for his devastating hits. On March 5, the Wranglers entered a game against California on a six-game losing skid. Within the first few seconds of the game, Adams managed to take out Matt Pope and Ilya Severov with just one huge hit. The Wranglers beat the Nuggets 3-1 and went on the win their next eight in a row. Analyst and former player Doug Barry summed it up best the night before the 1992 playoffs; “I’ll tell you something, the way Calgary’s goin’ right now, with Adams, Karov (Krayev), and my buddy Micheals and everythink like that, They’re ready to go and I’d hate to be the team that has to play Calgary in the first round.”

1991 Off-Season

1991 Entry Draft

After a tough season, the Winnipeg Pioneers held the first overall pick in the PHL draft for the first time in franchise history. The Pioneers finally got a true franchise player when they selected Dan Crow, a superstar in the Ontario Junior league who had scored 58 goals in 1990-91. The Miami Stingrays finally had their franchise defenseman after selecting Edmonton native Brad Little with the second pick. Little won defenseman of the year honours in the Canadian Junior Hockey League at only 17 in 1990-91. The California Nuggets added to their European nucleus with the selection of Finnish winger Teppo Saari to round out the top three. As Communism continued to fall apart, several Eastern European players were selected, including three Soviet players, Stanislav Zykov went to Minnesota, Vladimir Kozakov was selected by Chicago, and Ilya Severov was the last player picked by the California Nuggets, while Czech forward David Havel was selected by Toronto.

1.      Winnipeg – Dan Crow, F, CAN

2.      Miami – Brad Little, D, CAN

3.      California – Teppo Saari, F, FIN

4.      Ottawa – Jean Francois Belanger, D, CAN

5.      Washington – Justin Hill, D, USA

6.      Kansas City - Travis Watson, F, USA

7.      Denver – Alexander Simard, D, CAN

8.      Calgary – Jonas Andersson, F, SWE

9.      Pittsburgh – Brendan Bittner, F, CAN

10.   Quebec – Anders Henriksson, F, SWE

11.   LA – Luke Webb, D, USA

12.   New York – Ryan Cobb, F, CAN

13.   Detroit – Igor Kharitonov, F, USSR

14.   Nova Scotia – Teemu Nurminen, D, FIN

15.   Minnesota – Stanislav Zykov, F, USSR

16.   Chicago – Vladimir Kozakov, F, USSR

17.   Vancouver – Trevor Kerwick, D, CAN

18.   Toronto – David Havel, F, CZE

19.   Seattle – Jason Whitaker, F, CAN

20.   Philadelphia – Jay Lydon, D, CAN

21.   Milwaukee – Brent Zahorsky, D, CAN

22.   Long Island – Niklas Jonsson, F, SWE

23.   Edmonton - Elliott Reese, F, CAN

24.   Boston – Jeffery Kaiser, F, CAN

25.   St. Louis – Ryan McCarthy, F, CAN

26.   California (from Montreal), Ilya Severov, F, USSR

Notable Retirements:

Grant Millen – STL, 1973-1991

Playing alongside the greatest scorer in PHL history, Grant Millen forged a reputation of his own as one of the league’s genius playmakers. Millen played most of his 18-year career on hockey’s most dominant line with David Appleby and Niklas Ekberg. Together the three superstars led the St. Louis Spirits to five Lewis Cups in a nine year span. Millen retires as the Spirits’ second leading scorer all-time, behind only Appleby.

Alan Chadwick – CAL, LI, 1973-1991

Alan Chadwick played most of his 18-year career with the Nuggets, helping lead them to a Lewis Cup victory in 1980 and eventually serving as their captain. In 1987, Chadwick was traded to the Long Island Concordes, where in 1990, he won his second championship.

Terry Wolfe – STL, 1972-1991

Another key piece of the St. Louis dynasty, Terry Wolfe was a steady presence on the Spirits’ blueline for nearly two decades. Wolfe was selected seventh overall by the Spirits in 1972 and a decade later, helped lead St. Louis to their first of what would be five Lewis Cups in nine seasons.

Clint Allen – MIN, 1973-1991

The son of PHL legend George Allen, Clint Allen played a valuable role in the Lumberjacks 1979 Lewis Cup victory, playing alongside Guy Dupont. In the latter years of his career, Allen served as a mentor to younger Lumberjacks Jason Crowley and Pavel Vana and played a key role in Minnesota’s surprising run to the finals in 1990.

Craig Tucker – HAM/WSH, MIA, 1970-1991

Selected second overall by Hamilton in the 1970 draft, Tucker retires as the final PHL player to have played for the Kings in Hamilton. Tucker played 19 years with the Kings/Generals franchise before signing with the expansion Miami Stingrays in 1989, where he played the final two years of his career.

Toby Griffin – STL, 1971-1991

Griffin was yet another important part of the St. Louis Spirits’ depth on the blueline during their dynasty years in the 1980s.

Notable Trades

Philadelphia trades F Alexei Yolkin to Toronto in exchange for F Jonathan Stafford.

Redshirts captain Gary Johnson will likely retire at the conclusion of the 1991-92 season, so the Redshirts are desperate to make a run. With continued uncertainty about the future of the Soviet Union, It may be a while before Yolkin can come to North America so the Redshirts sent him to Toronto in exchange for an established star in Stafford.

Quebec trades G John Gage to Chicago in exchange for F Graham Boswell.

The Nationale add to their forward depth. Patrick Lemoine is expected to take on the goaltending duties, so Quebec could afford to part with Gage. Chicago finally gets the number one goaltender they need, at the cost of one of their most popular players.

California trades D Evan Flowers to Montreal in exchange for 26^th overall draft pick.

Montreal strengthens their defense while the Nuggets continue their rebuild, using the pick to select Soviet forward Ilya Severov.

Key Free Agents

Pete Holloway (SEA) signs 3-year deal with Milwaukee worth $2 Million/year.

The Choppers get a veteran star as Holloway leaves Seattle for a chance to win his first Lewis Cup.

Dawson Robb (MIA) signs 2-year deal with Long Island worth $1 Million/year.

Robb joins his fourth team, adding veteran experience to the Concordes’ blueline.

Pascal Renaud (LI) signs 3-year deal with Quebec worth $1.5/year.

In a surprising move, Renaud leaves Long Island to sign with his hometown team, leaving 20-year-old Jeff Pickard as the number one goaltender on the Island.

Brett Zimmer (WSH) signs 4-year deal with Minnesota worth $900,000.

Zimmer, looking for his first championship, gives the Lumberjacks some defensive depth.

News

The first major announcement of the 1991 off-season came when the Boston Bulldogs announced that plans for a new 20,000 downtown arena had been approved and construction would begin in the spring of 1992. The Bulldogs and the PBL’s Boston Muskets would move into the new building by the 1994-95 season.

In other arena news, the Nova Scotia Claymores approached the city of Halifax about funding for a new arena. Owner Jim MacDonald still hoped to find a buyer who would keep the team in Nova Scotia and hoped securing the funding for a new facility would make the team more attractive to any potential buyer. It was a long shot and the city was more than a little hesitant about giving financial support to a franchise with such an uncertain future. By late July, Darryl Byrd advised MacDonald to widen his search for both a new owner and a new building to include other markets.

Cleveland made a big step during the summer of 1991 towards acquiring a PHL franchise. The city finally approved David Farber’s 18,000 seat arena, meaning construction would begin in early 1992. “This is a huge step in the right direction for the city of Cleveland” said Byrd. “The fact that there will now be a tangible building changes everything.” Meanwhile, Clint Love also said he was close to securing the approval he needed to build a 20,000-seat arena in Dallas as he continued to lobby for a PHL franchise of his own. The other cities rumoured to be bidding for expansion franchises include Atlanta, Cincinnati, New Orleans, and Houston. Byrd has yet to make an official announcement on when the next expansion will take place or if and when he plans to assemble an expansion committee as his predecessor did to decide which cities will be admitted.

In other news Seattle overhauled their front office, firing both GM Bob Creelman and Head Coach Grant Dunlop. Former Grey Wolves Winger Bruce Dickenson was named Head Coach, while former Detroit Mustang Bobby Vail was named GM. Quebec also fired head coach Jean-Pierre Boisvert, replacing him with former Ottawa coach Jacques Colette.

Bulldogs Unveil New Look

The Boston Bulldogs will open the 1991-92 season with an updated look. The classic color scheme of Black, Red, and White will remain, as will the same basic dog face found on all the previous uniforms in the team's history, but with a few changes. The Dog's face has been updated to look more aggressive and intimidating. Changes have also been made to the striping design on the uniforms. The secondary "pawprint" logo has also been updated, but will still appear only on the right shoulder of the jerseys, as per team tradition. "We felt we could use an update, this new look is sleek and intimidating and I think it reflects our hockey club very well" said GM Bob Canton.

Though Boston is the only team making changes in 1991, it has been reported that two teams will make major changes to their identities in the summer of 1992.

1991 Lewis Cup Finals

The PHL’s past met its future in the 1991 Lewis Cup Finals. The St. Louis Spirits, led by David Appleby, now statistically the greatest player in PHL history, were seeking their fifth Lewis Cup in a decade. The Montreal Royale, led by young superstar Vincent Ducharme, were seeking the third championship in their history and the first since 1968.

Game one in Montreal was close. St. Louis gained the lead early and despite the Royale continuously tying the game, the Spirits always retook the lead. St. Louis held a 4-3 lead with only 13 seconds left in the game when Sylvain Landry tied it once again. Goaltenders Victor Malmsten and Jaroslav Danek then put on the performance of a lifetime, forcing the game into triple overtime. With only 33 seconds left in the third OT, Adam Lawless scored to give St. Louis the win and a 1-0 series lead. Game two was another close one, with Montreal once again pressing for the tying goal in the final minutes down a goal. With just 19 seconds left, Ducharme was sprung on a breakaway. The Montreal crowd rose to their feet and began to roar as Ducharme got closer to the net. He deked Danek, attempting to squeeze the puck past him on the far left side. Somehow, Danek stretched out his pad and stopped Ducharme cold. Seconds later, Grant Millen put the puck in the empty net to seal the win for St. Louis and give them a 2-0 lead in the series.

Heading to St. Louis for game three, things did not look good for Montreal. After losing the first two games at home, the Royale now had to win at least two in St. Louis. Game three looked good, as Montreal jumped to a 3-0 lead on the strength of a Ducharme hat-trick. As the second period began, the Spirits began to push. David Appleby scored twice in 28 seconds to bring the Spirits within one. Ducharme completed the hat-trick to give Montreal a 4-2 lead late in the second period, before Niklas Ekberg responded quickly to once again make it a one-goal game. Montreal pressed hard to regain their two-goal lead, but Danek met every challenge. Finally, with less than two minutes left, 20-year veteran defenseman Toby Griffin scored to tie the game. Five minutes into overtime, Appleby completed a hat-trick of his own to give St. Louis a commanding 3-0 series lead. The showdown everyone had been anticipating between Appleby and Ducharme had arrived and the veteran Appleby clearly had the upper hand.

With the Cup in the arena for game four, Montreal was in pure survival mode. St. Louis opened the scoring on a goal from Lawless, before Montreal responded with a goal from JC Girard. Just moments later, Grant Millen gave St. Louis a 2-1 lead before Appleby made it 3-1. It appeared the Spirits had the Cup in their grasp. Late in the second period, Roy Jones took a roughing penalty, giving Montreal a powerplay. The Royale wasted no time, with Ducharme scoring to bring the game within one. Back in the game, Montreal was not prepared to give up. Trevor Ramsey scored his first goal of the series to tie the game. It looked like the game would go to OT once again. With just 1:18 left in the third period, Montreal defenseman Hannes Rehnquist gave Montreal the lead with a hard shot from the point. St. Louis pushed for the tying goal but Sylvain Landry scored the empty-netter to secure the win for Montreal and push the series to a game five back home. The Royale now had a chance to get back into the series with a win on home ice. Ducharme opened the scoring. Just three minutes later, Girard made it 2-0. It looked like the series was headed to a sixth game as the first period closed and the second began. Suddenly, Appleby hit Lawless with a long pass, springing him on a breakaway. Lawless deked Malmsten and scored. The crowd was silent, as if they knew what was about to happen. Appleby and Ekberg each scored just minutes later to give the Spirits a 3-2 lead. In the third period, things finally unraveled for Montreal, as Appleby scored his second of the game, Kevin Cummins scored his first of the playoffs, and Grant Millen scored what would ultimately be his final PHL goal. The aging Spirits took home their fifth Lewis Cup in less than a decade with a 6-3 win. Grant Millen and Terry Wolfe both announced their retirement during the celebration, while Toby Griffin stated he too was unsure if he would be back. For Montreal, the loss was disappointing, but there was no question the Royale had a very special player in Ducharme, who had scored some huge goals for the team and was a valuable leader throughout the post-season. Ducharme and Appleby had indeed provided a battle for the ages and though Ducharme and the Royale were clearly the better team on paper, Appleby and the veteran Spirits simply knew how to win, even against an arguably superior opponent. Despite the loss, Don Shelburne felt the Royale had made some important strides and learned some valuable lessons during the run. “Our team really grew up this spring” said Shelburne. “Sometimes you have to lose to learn how to win. I have full confidence this is a championship team, the next step is to finish the job.”

1991 Playoffs

Almost a year after their surprising trip to the finals in the spring of 1990, the Minnesota Lumberjacks were determined to make up for a mediocre regular season with another deep run in the playoffs. Facing Edmonton in the first round was a daunting challenge and the Northern Lights wasted no time taking a 3-1 series lead. Game four got nasty when Dwight Ingram violently threw Pavel Vana into the glass. A line brawl ensued with Clint Allen and Jason Crowley both trying to reach Ingram. Vana had a concussion and would miss game five, as would Ingram, who was suspended for two games. The hit seemed to spark the Lumberjacks, who won game five in overtime on a goal from Jacob Lundholm. Despite missing Vana once again for game six, the ‘Jacks managed a 2-0 win to force game seven. Both Vana and Ingram returned for game seven in Edmonton, which also went to overtime. Eight minutes into the extra period, Gary Clayton scored for Edmonton, putting an end to Minnesota’s comeback bid.

In other Western Conference action, the LA Wizards gave the St. Louis Spirits quite a scare, taking a 3-2 series lead before the Spirits stormed back to win in seven with David Appleby and Adam Lawless leading the way. Milwaukee dispatched the Chicago Shamrocks in six games, while Vancouver upset their Pacific Northwest rivals Seattle in a four-game sweep.

In the Eastern Conference, Boston played from behind early in their series against the Detroit Mustangs, losing game one at home then falling behind 2-1. Desperately needing a win in game four, Jason Luna provided the overtime winner as the Bulldogs tied the series. The would not look back, winning game five 4-0 and taking game six 4-1 to take the series. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Redshirts faced a tough series of their own against the Toronto Racers. The teams were tied 2-2 heading into game five with the home team winning every game. Game five would be tight, with the teams tied 3-3 heading towards what appeared to be a sure overtime when suddenly, Magnus Swedberg beat Tom Branson to give Philly a stunning 4-3 lead with 21 seconds left. The lead would hold as the Redshirts won game five to take a 3-2 series lead. Game six did go to overtime, where Gary Johnson’s point shot found the back of the net to send the Redshirts to the second round. In other action New York’s return to the post-season proved to be short-lived, as Vincent Ducharme and the Montreal Royale ousted the Civics in five games, while the defending champion Concordes swept the Nova Scotia Claymores in four straight.

For the fifth time in six season the Long Island Concordes would face the Boston Bulldogs in a playoff series. Boston had won three of the four matchups with Long Island winning the latest series a year earlier. The Concordes’ chances of beating their increasingly bitter rivals again looked very good when they found themselves ahead three games to two in what turned out to be an extremely physical series. Game six would be no different, as Long Island had an opportunity to close out the series at home. After the Concordes opened the scoring in game six, Boston went on to score four unanswered goals to send the series to a seventh and deciding game. As game six wound down, several fights broke out as tension between the two rivals finally boiled over. “We just wanted to play the right way and they insisted on mugging our guys every chance they got. It’s disappointing a team is allowed to play that way” said Long Island coach Cam Norton. Boston coach Gary Shantz was quick to respond; “If they were playing the ‘right’ way you’d think they would’ve won.” Game seven was close, tied 3-3 through two periods. Early in the third, Craig Bush gave Boston the lead with a scrappy goal in front of the net. Pascal Renaud protested, along with Norton and the rest of the Concordes, claiming he was interfered with. Nevertheless, the goal stood and minutes later, Kyle Boone added another one to give Boston a 5-3 win, sending them to the Eastern Conference finals. “I’m very disappointed” said Norton after game seven. “I guess this league just really didn’t want another repeat. It amazes me that we get officiating like this at this level.” Shantz once again responded; “I can’t believe that idiot’s name is on the friggin’ cup.”

Montreal continued to roll, sweeping Philadelphia in four straight. Vincent Durcharme once again led the way, scoring six goals in the series including a hat-trick in game four. St. Louis defeated Vancouver in five games with Adam Lawless continuing his strong play, playing on a line with Appleby and Grant Millen.

Edmonton faced another uphill climb facing Milwaukee in round two. After Edmonton won game one, the Choppers won the next three straight to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Facing elimination in game five, Edmonton needed a big game from their best players. Glen Childs, Dwight Ingram, and Gary Clayton each scored in a 3-2 win, extending the series. The Choppers were on their heels in game six, not wanting to return to Edmonton for a seventh game. Despite a two-goal effort from Travis Curry, the game went into overtime, tied 4-4. After Northern Lights’ goaltender Wes Simmons made several big saves to maintain the tie before rookie winger Joey Hamilton scored the winner to force the series to game seven. Edmonton won game seven 4-2 to complete the comeback and advance to the Western Conference Finals to face St. Louis.

The Northern Lights’ magic seemed to have finally run out in the Western Conference Finals, where they quickly found themselves down 3-1 to the St. Louis Spirits. In a must-win game five, former Washington General Tommy McGuire scored twice while Neil Nichols added another as Edmonton jumped to a 3-0 lead. In the third period, however, David Appleby showed yet another glimpse of his greatness, scoring a hat-trick to single-handedly bring the Spirits back and tie the game. Victory seemed certain for the Spirits heading into overtime, until Joey Hamilton struck again just two minutes into the extra frame to salvage the win for Edmonton. The thrilling win would prove to be too little too late, as a four-point effort from Adam Lawless in game six would help the Spirits to a decisive 5-2 win, and a trip to the Lewis Cup Finals for the fifth time in ten seasons.

The Spirits would have to wait until the following day to find out who they would face in their quest for number five, as the Montreal Royale led the Boston Bulldogs three games to two. Boston was in a similar position to Edmonton, coming off a big win in game five to prolong the series after facing a 3-1 deficit. Game six would be a wild one. Jari Pukki opened the scoring for Boston, rushing from end-to-end and beating almost everyone on the ice before flipping the puck over Victor Malmsten’s glove. Toward the end of the first period, Montreal responded with two quick goals from Ducharme and Trevor Ramsey to take the lead. That lead would only last until halfway through the second, when Jason Luna tied it with a beautiful backhand shot that went top shelf. Just over a minute into the third period, young enforcer Kyle Boone tipped a Dale Knight point shot to give Boston their second lead of the game. The Bulldogs valiantly held on to the lead entering the final moments of the game, with Ron Buckner making several spectacular stops, mostly with his glove. With just 23 seconds left, JC Girard finally beat Buckner with a hard wrist shot to tie the game and send it to overtime, where Ducharme quickly ended the contest with a wrister of his own. It was a coming-of-age moment for Ducharme and the Royale, as they jumped off the bench and mobbed their veteran goalie Malmsten in celebration. Five years after drafting Ducharme and six years after hiring Don Shelburne, the Royale would finally play for their first Lewis Cup in 23 years.

1990-91 Regular Season

In the fall of 1990, the eyes of the hockey world were on David Appleby as he drew closer to Skippy Cleveland for the all-time PHL points record. Entering a home-and-home series with Kansas City on November 2, Appleby sat just one point away from the record. The first game was in Kansas City and as the clock wound down, the Spirits’ captain remained without a point. Finally, with just 43 seconds left, Appleby assisted on a Niklas Ekberg goal to tie the record as St. Louis skated to a 2-0 win. Two nights later in St. Louis, Appleby was determined to surpass Cleveland in front of the home crowd. They wouldn’t have to wait long, as Appleby beat goaltender Chris Withrow just three minutes in to give St. Louis a 1-0 lead. Appleby was now officially the PHL’s all-time leading scorer. The game was stopped temporarily while Appleby was honored by commissioner Darryl Byrd and Rob Cleveland, Skippy’s oldest son, who congratulated Appleby on behalf of his late father. “My father always said records are made to be broken and I know he would be very happy to see such a great player break his record tonight” said Cleveland. Appleby finished the year with 84 points, his lowest total since the mid-1970s, but nonetheless led St. Louis to first place in the Western Conference.

In Montreal, Vincent Ducharme and the Royale enjoyed their best season yet, winning the Eastern Conference title and first place overall in the league with 108 points. Ducharme also won the scoring crown for the first time in his career with 112 points including 58 goals while Don Shelburne was named coach of the year. Boston also had their best regular season in years, winning the Atlantic Division with 107 points. The addition of star defenseman Jari Pukki paid dividends for the Bulldogs, as Pukki scored 103 points, the most for a defenseman all year while Ron Buckner enjoyed a career year, finishing as a finalist for the Whyte Trophy, awarded to the league’s best goaltender. The defending champion Concordes had another strong season, finishing third in the East as Stuart Burns once again led the team in scoring with 92 points while Pascal Renaud won his first career Whyte trophy. The Toronto Racers followed up their return to the post-season in 1990 with a big 90-point season in ’91. Defenseman Randy Fernandez became the first defenseman in franchise history to lead the Racers in scoring. With his booming slapshot, the 6’10” defenseman excelled as a powerplay quarterback. Racers freshman Tory Partridge earned rookie of the year honors with 47 goals while also proving to be a physical force playing alongside longtime enforcer Rex Hull. Elsewhere in the East, Miami endured another tough year, while Pittsburgh dropped out of the post-season picture for the first time in 14 years. The New York Civics finally returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1982 as Aaron Duplacy, Jeremy Kitchen, and Lamar Jackson all enjoyed breakout years. There was, however, one dark moment early in the season when Lamar Jackson was suspended for six games after jumping into the Pittsburgh bench to fight Stingers forward Scott Lindsay after Lindsay had crosschecked him in a scrum in front of the bench. “He’s a good kid but he’ll need to learn to control his emotions. That comes with experience and discipline” said Civics coach Bruce Irvine.

1990-91 was the season of the enforcer out west, as heavyweight showcases were frequent. Vancouver tough guy Cedric Thibault proved himself as one of the most feared fighters in the league after more than holding his own against seasoned pugilists like Rex Hull, Shayne Boggs, and Roy Jones. One of the most anticipated fights took place in February when Edmonton’s Dwight Ingram knocked out Bighorns’ star forward Brett Townsend with a clean but devastating hit. “I think there’s no choice but to respond” said Thibault. “This is why I’m here and when we go to Edmonton, I need to do my job and make sure they get the message.” The next meeting came on March 1 and there was not an empty seat in the house as everyone eagerly awaited the promised tilt. It finally came in the third period. With Thibault already on the ice, Edmonton coach Rick Camford tapped Ingram on the shoulder and the hulking defenseman lined up beside his rival as the crowd began to roar. Before the puck even hit the ice, Thibault and Ingram immediately dropped their gloves, removed their elbow pads as the roar from the crowd grew louder. They sized eachother up for a few seconds, then held nothing back for nearly a minute and a half. Though Ingram appeared to have the victory by a slim margin, Thibault had held his own against one of the most intimidating players in the game. While Thibault helped his Bighorns to a fifth place finish – and a first-round date with their Pacific Northwest rivals Seattle, Ingram and the Northern Lights continued to crash and bruise their way to a Pacific Division title.

It was a tough season in Winnipeg, the lowlight being when star defenseman Dwayne Gibbons was arrested for a DUI in November. Gibbons, who had battled addiction throughout his career was forced to check into rehab and he would not return to the club until March. Just weeks after Gibbons’ arrest, winger Mike Wheeler was sidelined with a knee injury and also missed most of the season. The Pioneers fell all the way to last place in the PHL with a horrific 23 wins. “This was a year I think we’d all like to forget” said head coach Bruce Winter. In Calgary, the Wranglers received a big surprise in January, when Sergei Krayev snuck away from the Soviet National team while playing in a tour across the United States. Krayev quickly signed with the Wranglers and was in their lineup by mid-February. The Soviet superstar gave Calgary a huge boost, taking them from the league basement into a neck-and-neck battle with LA for the final playoff spot. After playing their final game of the season, Calgary held the final seed. A California win over LA would ensure the Wranglers would stay in eighth place. However, the Wizards, who had reaped the benefits of a 109 point season from Viktor Skogg, returned to the post-season after a decisive 7-0 win to close out an eventful regular season for themselves and the PHL. 

1990 Off-Season

1990 Entry Draft

The first entry draft of the 1990s was not an overly strong one, but that’s not to say the talent wasn’t there. LA won the draft lottery and therefore held the first pick. The Wizards decided to pass on junior scoring champion Brad Lowry to select talented offensive defenseman Kyle Bennett. Ottawa took American college goaltender Kevin Stroud with the third pick. At number four, Quebec selected Rostislav Stransky, the highest Czech player ever selected. The 20-year-old Stransky already had experience playing against pros in the 1988 World Hockey Classic. Amidst all the uncertainty surrounding the future of communism in Eastern Europe, teams became bolder about selecting Soviet talent. 21-year-old Igor Travkin, another WHC veteran, was selected seventh by Washington, while 18-year-old Soviet phenom Sergei Vetrov was selected 22^nd by Montreal.

1.      LA – Kyle Bennett, D, CAN

2.      MIA – Brad Lowry, F, CAN

3.      OTT – Kevin Stroud, G, USA

4.      QUE – Rostislav Stransky, F, CZE

5.      DEN – Chris Falkner, F, CAN

6.      KC – Brett Delaney, F, CAN

7.      WSH – Igor Travkin, F, USSR

8.      CGY – Brendan Dwyer, D, USA

9.      NYC – Lukas Edstrom, D, SWE

10.   CAL – Alpo Viitanen, F, FIN

11.   WPG – Trevor Nolen, F, CAN

12.   TOR – Tory Partridge, F, CAN

13.   CHI – Jay Peak, F, CHI

14.   DET – Johan Persson, F, SWE

15.   MIN – Christian Grayson, G, USA

16.   PIT – Dwayne Berube, F, CAN

17.   VAN – Corey Glass, D, CAN

18.   NS – Blair Schmitt, F, CAN

19.   BOS – Greg Wilson, F, USA

20.   EDM – Carl Leblanc, D, CAN

21.   PHI – Travis Smith, F, USA

22.   MTL – Sergei Vetrov, F, USSR

23.   MIL – Aki Mikkola, D, FIN

24.   SEA – Chris Clarkson, F, CAN

25.   STL – Brent Rawlings, D, CAN

26.   LI – Steve Millard, D, USA

Notable Retirements:

Danny Stevenson – PIT, 1970-1990

Danny Stevenson served as the face of the Stingers franchise for the first two decades of the team’s PHL existence. Stevenson and the Stingers got off to a slow start, almost annually finishing in the league basement until 1978, when Stevenson scored 91 goals in a breakout year, leading the Stingers to a division championship and a trip to the Lewis Cup Finals, where they lost to the LA Wizards. Stevenson would lead Pittsburgh to the finals twice more in the 1980s before leading the team to their first and only championship in 1985. Danny Stevenson retires as Pittsburgh’s all-time leading scorer and the PHL’s 5^th all-time leading scorer with 1660 career points.

Don Newman – CHI, 1968-1990

In a career that spanned four decades, Don Newman was the unquestioned leader of the Shamrocks franchise. Drafted in the first-ever PHL draft in 1968, Newman began to lead the Shamrocks deeper and deeper into the playoffs until finally, they found themselves in the Lewis Cup Finals, where Newman assisted on what was forever known as “The Goal” scored by rookie Graham Boswell to win the Cup. Newman retires as Chicago’s all-time points leader with 1416 points.

Brian Hunt – DEN, 1968-1990

Brain Hunt bears the distinction of being the first player ever selected in the PHL amateur draft. For the following 22 years, Hunt served as the face of the Bulls franchise. Just three years into his career, the team relocated from Buffalo to Denver. Hunt played a big role in promoting the game in Denver, becoming a fan-favorite with his hard-working play and quiet leadership. Though best known for his years in Colorado, Hunt retires as the final PHL player to have played for the Bulls in Buffalo.

Dennis Yates – CAL, 1972-1990

Dennis Yates played a key role for California for nearly two decades. He was an important piece in the Nuggets’ 1980 Lewis Cup run and retires as the all-time leader in games played for the franchise.

Notable Trades

California trades D Jari Pukki to Boston in exchange for D Ricky Meyer.

Boston adds a star defenseman do strengthen their blueline, while Meyer brings youth to the Nuggets’ blueline.

Edmonton trades F Marshall Jackson to Washington in exchange for F Tommy McGuire.

The Northern Lights acquire a solid veteran in McGuire, Washington continues their rebuild, adding gritty young power forward Marshall Jackson.

Key Free Agents

Vladimir Gaganov signs new 10-year deal with Chicago worth $4 Million/year.

Gaganov’s unprecedented deal makes him the highest paid player in the game and all but ensures he will be a Shamrock right into the new millennium.

Dave Mack signs new 5-year deal with Nova Scotia worth $2 Million/year.

The Claymores lock up their captain until 1995, making him among the league’s richest players.

Dennis Aguilar (PIT) signs 3-year deal with Detroit worth $1.5 Million/year.

Aguilar is on the move again, this time signing with the Mustangs. The 35-year-old brings veteran leadership to a relatively young Mustangs team.

Roland Webb (EDM) signs 3-year deal with Denver worth $.5 Million/year.

Webb will likely finish his career in Denver, where the Bulls hope he can be a valuable mentor to their young core.

Doug Lyons (NS) signs 4-year deal with Long Island worth $1.2 Million/year.

The Claymores could not afford to bring back Lyons after signing the Mack deal, so Lyons now joins the defending Lewis Cup champions, hoping to help strengthen their defense.

News

On June 1, 1990, Darryl Byrd officially became the second commissioner in PHL history, and it’s fourth leader as long time President/commissioner Alan Garcia retired. Byrd’s first act as commissioner was to address the ownership situation in California. Byrd worked closely with owner James Coleman to find an owner who would keep the team in the San Francisco bay area. On September 2, Byrd and Coleman were finally successful. Two wealthy investors, Neal Gantt and Bill Pike, agreed to buy the team and keep them in San Francisco.

The Nuggets were secure, but the same could not be said for the Nova Scotia Claymores. The Claymores’ lease at the old Barrington Arena would be up in 1994 and the new commissioner insisted the team secure a new building by 1994. “To be frank, buildings like the one in Halifax are simply no longer suitable for PHL hockey moving forward” said Byrd. In an address to the league in July, Byrd named Nova Scotia, Denver, Boston, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Quebec as teams in need of new buildings. New York and Chicago already had new arenas on the way, and two days after the address, the Bulls announced a new downtown Denver arena would be completed by the fall of 1993. “Preferably, I would like to see new buildings in these Cities by the year 2000” said Byrd.

Byrd also continued talks about expansion with potential owners who were interested in acquiring franchises. Billionaire Clint Love continued to push for a new franchise in Dallas. Love had briefly courted the league about purchasing the Nuggets, but was turned away due to his admitted intent to relocate the team to Dallas.

In August, Winnipeg was announced as the host for the 1992 Word Hockey Challenge. It will be the first time the tournament is played in Canada since the first event in 1976.

Two Teams Unveil 25th Anniversary Logos, Minnesota Unveils New Uniforms

Two PHL franchises will celebrate a quarter-century in the PHL in 1990-91. The Minnesota Lumberjacks and the Winnipeg Pioneers were the PHL's first successful attempt at expansion to Western North America in 1966 and will both commemorate 25 years in the league with special logos that will be worn on the jerseys throughout the 1990-91 season.

The Minnesota Lumberjacks also unveiled their new logo and uniforms just weeks after their thrilling run to the Lewis Cup Finals ended. A cleaned up, modernized version of the classic saw logo remains the focal point, with the color scheme adjusted. Steel Blue replaces the Royal Blue, while the Green remains unchanged. The jersey striping has also been overhauled with a new angled design meant to invoke treetops. This is the first alteration the Lumberjacks have made to their uniforms since 1978 and the first to the logo in the team's history.

1990 Lewis Cup Finals

The 1990 Lewis Cup Finals featured the first overall Long Island Concordes, and the Cinderella Minnesota Lumberjacks. Long Island was making their third appearance in the championship round after proving unsuccessful in their previous two visits. For the young Lumberjacks, this was the first trip to the finals. Only one player, defenseman Clint Allen, had experienced Minnesota’s last Lewis Cup victory in 1979.

Game one on Long Island turned out to be closer than expected. After Long Island took a 3-0 lead early on thanks to goals from Stuart Burns, Craig Davidson, and Don Taylor. Minnesota scored twice before surrendering another goal, this time from Alan Chadwick. It appeared that Long Island had control already. Suddenly, halfway through the third period, the “Cardiac ‘Jacks” struck once again, scoring two quick goals from Jason Crowley and Jacob Lundholm to tie the game at 4-4. The game would go into overtime, where Doug Macintyre would be the hero for Long Island as the Concordes won 5-4.

Game two would also go into overtime, where goaltenders Pascal Renaud and Jeff Brackley both turned in a stellar performance as one extra period turned into two, then three. About halfway through the third overtime, Theo Sprouse’s point shot beat Brackley to give Long Island a 2-0 series lead. Game three in Minnesota was unofficially a must-win game for the Lumberjacks as another loss would put them in a 3-0 hole. “We know what we need to do and we’re confident we can get it done at home” said Jeff Winslow. Minnesota opened the scoring on a goal from Matt Cunningham, and the ‘Jacks held on through to the end of the second period, when two quick goals from Burns and Davidson gave the Concordes the lead. Minnesota made a desperate push in the third period to tie the game, pulling Brackley for the extra attacker. Brian Reese slid the puck into the empty net and the Concordes hung on for a 3-1 victory and a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Now playing for pride, the Lumberjacks were determined to get at least one win in game four. The game was tied after two periods, before Pavel Vana broke the tie with a breakway goal. Jason Crowley would score late in the game to extend the lead to 4-2 as the Minnesota crowd gave their team a standing ovation. Heading back to the Island for game five, the Concordes had an opportunity to win their first Lewis Cup on home ice, and they would not disappoint the 18150 fans in attendance. Stuart Burns, who would ultimately be named playoff MVP, would score two goals while Sprouse and Macintyre each added goals as well in a 4-1 win as the Concordes won their first Lewis Cup in franchise history. In his final act as PHL Commissioner, Alan Garcia handed the Lewis Cup, which now had a new section added to hold more names, to Stuart Burns. It was a fitting end to Garcia’s tenure, as the Commissioner had pushed for a second New York franchise since taking over in 1966. Darryl Byrd would now officially take over as head of the PHL as the league embarked on a new era.

1990 Playoffs

 The Milwaukee Choppers entered the 1990 post-season with the high hopes of completing a “three-peat” and becoming a true dynasty. Facing the young, inexperienced Minnesota Lumberjacks, Choppers fans expected round one to be a minor inconvenience.  A 5-2 victory in game one all but confirmed this in the minds of the fans. Game two went to overtime, where Minnesota earned a stunning victory on a goal from defenseman Jeff Winslow. Talented rookie Paval Vana stepped up big for the ‘Jacks in game three, scoring a goal and earning two assists in a 4-2 win. The Choppers had never expected to fall behind against Minnesota, but remained confident they could tie the series in game four. Travis Curry and Terry Hawkins each scored as Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead. It appeared the Choppers were back in control of the series, when the Lumberjacks suddenly exploded for three goals in the second period. Early in the third period, Jason Crowley scored a fourth goal to give Minnesota a 4-2 lead. Defenseman Olivier Meloche scored to bring Milwaukee within a goal, but it was too late, Minnesota now had a very unexpected 3-1 series lead. Facing elimination in game five, Milwaukee came out flying, ultimately winning 5-3 to force a game six. With most believing that the Choppers would win a game seven at home, game six was essentially a must win for both teams. Jason Crowley, Paval Vana, and Jacob Lundholm each scored while goaltender Jeff Brackley earned a shutout as Minnesota held on for a 3-0 win to stun the Choppers in six games. The win would be the largest upset in the first round of the playoffs, as St. Louis defeated Winnipeg in five games, Seattle swept Chicago, and Edmonton took down Vancouver in a hard-fought six-game series.

Toronto gave Long Island a scare, jumping to a 2-1 series lead. But unlike the Choppers, the Concordes found their game again in time to win the tougher-than-expected series in seven games. Montreal also won their series with Detroit in seven, while Boston and Nova Scotia went to a game seven as well, where the Claymores gave up a 3-1 lead in the third period as the Bulldogs won in overtime to advance. Pittsburgh faced Philadelphia in a hard-fought rivalry matchup that would turn out to be Danny Stevenson’s final series as a PHL player. Stevenson’s last goal turned out to be the winner in game four, as Philadelphia won the series in six games. At the conclusion of game six, the Pittsburgh crowd gave Stevenson a standing ovation as he skated several laps, waving goodbye.

In the second round, Long Island faced their old nemesis, the Boston Bulldogs. This time, rather than attempt to out-grit the Bulldogs, the Concordes forced Boston to play a more wide-open game. Boston managed a win in game two, but simply could not match Long Island’s speed and ultimately succumbed to the Concordes in five games. Montreal continued to roll as well, winning a tough, six game series with Philadelphia thanks in large part to a eight-goal effort from Vincent Ducharme, including a hat-trick in game three. Seattle goaltender Brian Westin turned in one of his best performances ever against Edmonton, as the Grey Wolves defeated the Northern Lights in five games.

After taking out the two-time defending champions in round one, the Minnesota Lumberjacks now had to be taken seriously. Still, entering their second-round matchup with David Appleby and the Spirits, the Jacks were still the overwhelming underdog amongst fans and the media. “We’re just having a lot of fun right now” said Jason Crowley. “We know our job is just to go out and play hockey, while all the pressure is on them, just like the last series.” Crowley’s confidence took the form of a two-goal, three-point performance in game one, as the ‘Jacks won 6-4. By game five, the series was tied 2-2. Appleby scored twice as St. Louis nursed a 3-2 lead throughout most of the game, when Minnesota responded with three fast goals in the third period to take the win and a 3-2 series lead. In game six, the Spirits were only seconds away from forcing game seven with another 3-2 lead, when Vana scored to tie the game. Just nineteen seconds later, rookie Greg Willis scored to give Minnesota a 4-3 lead. The Lumberjacks would hold on to pull off their second major upset of the year, their flair for the dramatic earning them the nickname; “Cardiac ‘Jacks”.

There would be one last challenge the Lumberjacks would need to face to reach their first Lewis Cup final in eleven years, the Seattle Grey Wolves, a team that had only lost one game throughout the post-season. After big wins in games one and two in Seattle, Minnesota headed home with a 2-0 lead. The Grey Wolves were in trouble. In game three, captain Pete Holloway put the Wolves on his back with a four-point performance including a goal and three assists in a 5-2 win. Seattle would then win game four, also by a score of 5-2 to tie the series. Game five would be critical for both teams. Seattle held a 3-1 lead entering the third period when Ted Lovell was called for an elbow. Hindrik Hjertsson scored on the powerplay to pull Minnesota within one. With just seconds left in the third period, Crowley delivered the tying goal to send it to OT, the Cardiac ‘Jacks had struck again. Just 45 seconds into the overtime, Greg Willis scored  the first overtime goal of his career to give the Lumberjacks the win and an opportunity to advance to the Lewis Cup Finals at home. Game six was a tight, but high-scoring contest all the way through, with the teams knotted at 4-4 by the third period. Late in the third, Jake Fairbanks had a golden opportunity to put Seattle ahead when he beat Jeff Brackley on a breakaway. Unfortunately, the puck hit the post and the game remained tied. With less than four minutes remaining, Marcus Renberg’s point shot finally found the back of the net to give the Lumberjacks a 5-4 lead. After withstanding a late push from Seattle, the Lumberjacks poured off the bench, Minnesota was headed to the Lewis Cup Finals.

The Eastern Conference Finals would pit the Long Island Concordes, the league’s top team during the regular season, against the Montreal Royale, a talented young team on the rise. The Royale would manage to steal home ice advantage with a 3-1 win in game two, but they were unable to get back into the series after that. Long Island won the next two in Montreal, before decisively ending the series with a 7-0 victory in game five. Stuart Burns finished the series with an incredible 9 points, nearly two points per game, while Pascal Renaud never game the Royale a chance in net. It would be Long Island’s third trip to the Spring Classic, and facing the Cinderella Minnesota Lumberjacks, the Concordes hoped the third time would be the charm.

Round One

Round Two

Round Three