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

1989-90 Regular Season

As the 1980s drew to a close, the PHL was once again transitioning into a new era. Alan Garcia was serving his final season as league commissioner, while the league welcomed two new franchises, the Kansas City Twisters and the Miami Stingrays. The Twisters opened their inaugural season against the Denver Bulls on October 8, 1989. Former Calgary Wranglers defenseman Brian Trask scored the first goal in Twisters history, while Chris Withrow made 28 saves as Kansas City earned their first win in franchise history. In Miami, the Stingrays inaugural game was not quite as successful. Facing the Nova Scotia Claymores, the Stingrays never got into the game, losing 9-0. They would be shut out again by Washington in game two before finally redeeming themselves in their second home game with a 3-2 win against Toronto. Brett Flores scored the first goal in Stingrays history, and the fans gave their new team a standing ovation in the final minutes of the game. It would be one of the only bright spots in the Stingrays inaugural season, as the team finished the year with only eleven wins. The Twisters, on the other hand, actually looked like they could make good on Bill Truman’s bold aim of making the playoffs when they actually came within two points of eighth place in late January. Ultimately, the team finished just shy of the post-season with a very respectable 30 wins with Roni Laukkanen making the most of his increased playing time with his first-ever 40-goal season.

The California Nuggets started the season strong, winning their first four games in a row, before disaster struck. The LA Wizards were in town in October 17, and the teams were just arriving at the rink when the building suddenly began to shake violently. A magnitude 6.9 earthquake had hit San Francisco, forcing the league to postpone the game as the Golden State Coliseum suffered severe damage. The Nuggets had to scramble to find a temporary home while the city recovered and engineers assessed the damage to the arena. On October 20, the Nuggets played the Vancouver Bighorns in Vancouver as the home team. On October 25, the team played another home game against the Twisters at the 5,000-seat Sutter Arena in Sacramento. When the assessment of the Coliseum was complete, it was determined that the work to restore it to safety standards would be extensive, the team would be unable to return home until at least late November. The Nuggets and the PHL began to search for a consistent home until the repairs were complete. The solution would come in the form of the Dallas Metroplex, the former home of the Dallas Metros. The Professional Basketball League’s Texas Marshalls had moved into a new arena the previous year and the Metroplex now sat vacant. The Nuggets played seven home games in Dallas, each one to a full house. Many Nuggets fans made the journey to Texas to see their team but several locals came out as well, excited to have a team back in town, if only for a few games. Surprisingly, the team actually seemed to bond over the experience, winning five of the seven games in Texas. After returning home to the Coliseum on November 29, The Nuggets continued their strong play, remaining in playoff contention until the final day of the regular season, when they were barely edged out by Winnipeg.

Meanwhile, in St. Louis, the Spirits enjoyed another very successful season, finishing first place in the Western Conference and second overall in the league. One of the highlights of the season occurred on December 15, 1989, when David Appleby scored his 1812^th PHL point to pass the recently retired Stuart Holly for second place in the all-time scoring list. By season’s end, Appleby had 1881 career points and was poised to pass Skippy Cleveland as the PHL’s all-time leading scorer in 1990-91, sitting just 25 points away from the top spot. The Spirits finished just a single point ahead of the two-time defending champion Milwaukee Choppers. The Choppers finished with 106 points despite losing start forward Travis Curry for two months with a dislocated shoulder.

In the Eastern Conference, Vincent Ducharme and the Montreal Royale finally enjoyed the breakout season they had been waiting for, winning the Northeast Division with 94 points while Ducharme scored 61 goals to lead the league. However, it was not enough for first place in the East as the Long Island Concordes took the league regular season title with an all-time franchise high 114 points. Unlike past off-seasons, the Concordes had avoided making changes to their roster, choosing to rely on team chemistry. It seemed to work, as the Concordes finished the regular season as the clear-cut favorite to win the Lewis Cup. In Pittsburgh, Danny Stevenson announced this would be his final season as a PHL player. The aging Stingers finished in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, while Stevenson scored 29 goals. In his final regular season game at the Beehive, the crowd gave their captain a standing ovation that lasted 45 minutes.

The Eastern Conference saw several power shifts during the year, but few were as dramatic as the turnaround in two of the league’s biggest markets, Toronto and New York. The Racers, boosted by a big year from rookie goaltender Tom Branson and a breakout year from towering defenseman Randy Fernandez, made a big push for the playoffs late in the season, fighting tooth and nail with the Civics for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Civics were enjoying a breakout year as well from several of their young stars. Aaron Duplacy and rookie Tim Dixon emerged as one of the league’s new dynamic duos, while Lamar Jackson showed steady improvement on the blueline. It would come right down to the wire between the two clubs. By the time the Civics’ season ended on April 4, they held the final position with 77 points, while the Racers had 76 with two games in hand. The Racers faced Montreal for their second last game and came up big, winning 3-2 to clinch only their second playoff berth since 1981. Fans in Toronto were ecstatic as their team was finally making some huge strides. Civics’ fans were disappointed, but encouraged, as their club had shown huge improvement during the season, finally climbing out of the league basement.

Throughout the year, the entire hockey world had been keeping an eye on the situation in eastern Europe, as communism began to fall in several countries, the climax coming when the Berlin Wall separating East and West Germany was torn down on November 9. During the season, negotiations had also begun between the PHL and the Soviet government about the possible release of Soviet players. On February 3, 1990, following the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, Czech forward Pavel Vana was allowed to leave the country and would join the Minnesota Lumberjacks in time for the playoffs. The Soviet Union was still unwilling to part with star players Sergei Krayev and Alexei Yolkin, but PHL officials were satisfied that progress was being made. “We’re very confident about the possibility of Russian talent arriving in our league very soon, we’ve made some big strides” said deputy commissioner Darryl Byrd. 

1989 Off-Season

1989 Entry Draft

 After a successful expansion draft, the Kansas City Twisters continued their successful off-season when they were awarded the first overall draft pick after winning the draft lottery. The Twisters selected big defenseman Scott Drayton with the pick. Drayton, a standout in junior hockey, stood at 6’4” and weighed in at 221 pounds. He was already PHL-ready at age 18. Tim Dixon, projected to go second, ended up sliding to third after Ottawa took another defenseman, Kevin Drake. Dixon went to the New York Civics. At number four, Miami made power forward Jeremy Sutton the first draft pick in their franchise history. Calgary took a monumental risk with pick number five, selecting Soviet superstar Sergei Krayev. Krayev was the first Soviet player selected since Vladimir Gaganov in 1978. The Wranglers decided to take the gamble amidst rumours that some Soviet players might be released to play in North America in the near future. Two other players were also selected from Eastern Bloc countries in the 1989 draft, Minnesota selected Czech forward Pavel Vana, while Philadelphia selected Soviet phenom Alexei Yolkin with the 24^th overall pick.

1.      KC – Scott Drayton, D, USA

2.      OTT – Kevin Drake, D, CAN

3.      NYC – Tim Dixon, F, CAN

4.      MIA – Jeremy Sutton, F, CAN

5.      CGY – Sergei Krayev, F, RUS

6.      LA – Eric Mitchell, D, CAN

7.      CAL – Matt Pope, F, USA

8.      DEN – Jeff Parker, D, USA

9.      TOR – Tom Branson, G, CAN

10.   MTL – Jarkko Vesa, D, FIN

11.   MIN – Pavel Vana, F, CZE

12.   CHI – Steve Mathis, D, CAN

13.   WSH – Tomas Axelsson, F, SWE

14.   QUE – Luke Mann, D, CAN

15.   VAN – Sylvain Dupont, D, USA

16.   BOS – Ricky Meyer, D, USA

17.   WPG – Greg Carr, F, CAN

18.   DET – Magnus Ohlsson, F, SWE

19.   WSH (From PIT) – Jake Borman, G, CAN

20.   EDM – Joey Hamilton, F, CAN

21.   LI - Ashton Nichol, D, USA

22.   STL – Anti Paavola, G, FIN

23.   NS – Mike Singer, F, CAN

24.   PHI – Alexei Yolkin, F, RUS

25.   MIL – JP Laporte, D, CAN

26.   SEA – Eric Butler, D, USA

Notable Retirements:

Stuart Holly – LA, PHI, 1970-1989

Everyone knew Stuart Holly would be a special player when he was selected fifth in the 1970 draft, but the question was just how special. Joined in his second season by dynamic playmaker Ray Fowler, “Captain Hollywood” led the Wizards to a Pacific Division championship. I was a sign of things to come, as the Wizards eventually became one of the most dominant dynasties in PHL history, winning three consecutive Lewis Cups from 1976-78 with Holly leading the way. Holly and the Wizards would not win another championship but Holly continued to be one of the more dangerous scorers in the league well into the 1980s. During his final season, Holly passed George Allen for second on the all-time scoring list, before being traded to the Philadelphia Redshirts for one last run to the finals, where the Redshirts lost to the Milwaukee Choppers.

Gerry Stokes – HAM/WSH, MTL, 1968-1989

Drafted in the first-ever PHL amateur draft by the Hamilton Kings, Stokes was the lone bright spot in the Kings’ dark final years in Hamilton. After the team moved to Washington, Stokes was named team captain and led the Generals to two straight finals appearances in 1980 and 1981. Despite speculation he would retire in 1988, Stoked returned for a 21^st season with the Montreal Royale, were he was largely ineffective until scoring his final goal in his final game, nearly putting the Royale in the playoffs.

Russell Buchanan – NS, 1969-1989

During his 21-year career, Russell Buchanan was never seen as an “elite” talent in the PHL. However, his grit and work ethic quickly endeared him to hockey fans across Atlantic Canada. The Claymores struggled through the 1970s, but by the late 1980s, with Buchanan serving as captain, the team managed to win the Northeast Division in seven consecutive seasons and reach the Lewis Cup Finals in 1987, where they lost in seven games to the dynastic St. Louis Spirits. With Buchanan at the helm, the Claymores reached the Eastern Conference finals twice more in ’88 and ’89. Russell Buchanan retired after 1988-89, having never won the Lewis Cup.

Warren Jensen – CGY, 1970-1989

Jensen joined the Calgary Wranglers just a year after they entered the PHL. He spent his first seasons in the league playing on a line with the legendary Sam “Skippy” Cleveland before becoming the team captain himself after Cleveland’s retirement. In 1981, Jensen led Calgary to their first and only Lewis Cup title. In his final years, Jensen served as a mentor to young Calgary stars Shannon Micheals and Jonathan Adams.

James Cummings – MIN, 1971-1989

Cummings served as Guy Dupont’s wingman in Minneapolis throughout the 1970s, helping the Lumberjacks to Lewis Cup titles in 1972 and 1979. Cummings’ experience also played in important role in the ‘Jacks’ return to the post-season in the late ‘80s.

Notable Trades

Washington Trades F Jeff Leroy to Pittsburgh in exchange for 1^st round pick.

Pittsburgh adds to their depth in an attempt to make one last run before Danny Stevenson’s expected retirement. Washington commits fully to their rebuild, trading an important veteran and using the pick to select goaltender Jake Borman.

Calgary trades F Trevor Ramsay to Montreal in exchange for F Patrick Garnier.

Montreal acquires struggling but talented young forward Ramsay in the hopes that he will click with Vincent Ducharme as the Royale prepare to transition from rebuilder to contender. Calgary acquires another strong prospect in Garnier.

 Key Free Agents

 Theodore Gill (WPG) signs five-year deal with Philadelphia worth $1 Million/year.

After their heartbreaking loss in the ’89 final, the Redshirts add star forward Gill in an effort to load up for another run.

 

JC Girard (QUE) signs four-year deal with Montreal worth $1.5 Million/year.

Girard enrages Nationale fans, signing with the hated Royale, his hometown team. Quebec fans burn Girard jerseys outside the arena.

Craig Tucker (WSH) signs one-year deal with Miami worth $700,000/year.

39-year-old Tucker was expected to retire, but was talked into joining the expansion Stingrays. Tucker is the final active PHL player to have played for the Hamilton Kings, and will now be among the first to suit up for the Stingrays.

News

Just Prior to the 1989-90 season, Alan Garcia finally made the announcement that the upcoming season would be his last as PHL Commissioner. Darryl Byrd would succeed Garcia beginning in 1990-91. “My last act as Commissioner will be to present the Lewis Cup to the winning team in May, 1990” said Garcia. “It has been an honor to serve this league these past 23 years.”

 

The expansion clubs in Kansas City and Miami had yet to play a game when already, rumours about the next expansion already began to circulate. Dallas-based billionaire Clint Love approached the board of governors about the possibility of a second franchise in Dallas. Deputy Commissioner Darryl Byrd stated his own desire to continue league expansion and that he would address the matter when he took over as commissioner in June, 1990.

1989 PHL Expansion Draft

The PHL held its first expansion draft in 13 years on June 7, 1989 to stock the rosters of its newest teams, the Kansas City Twisters and the Miami Stingrays. Each existing team was allowed to protect one goalie, three defensemen, and four forwards from their twelve-man roster. Teams also had the option of protecting two goalies, as long as they made a second defenseman available. One a team lost on player, they could not lose any more. The draft went twelve rounds, with goalies selected first, defensemen next, followed by forwards. Kansas City was given the first pick and selected sophomore goaltender Jason Lind from the St. Louis Spirits.  Next up, another second-year goaltender, Patrick Grevais from the Long Island Concordes, became the first player in Miami Stingrays history.

For the most part, the teams were stocked with tough, gritty veterans who had served as depth players on their former teams. Among the highlights, Washington’s starting goaltender Don Lapin, Dawson Robb, a key depth defenseman in LA’s dynasty during the 70s, and Dave Farris, a key veteran from the Pittsburgh Stingers, were selected by Miami. Most analysts felt that Kansas City “won” the draft, particularly with the selection of Roni Laukkanen, an important depth player from the Philadelphia Redshirts who would be counted on in a starring role in KC. Some other key players taken by the Twisters included former star defenseman and 15-year veteran Brian Trask, Vancouver goaltender Chris Withrow, and Nova Scotia enforcer James Russell. “It sounds bold but I think we can even push for a playoff spot” said Twisters GM Bill Truman. “I’m very happy with the core we have here.” Of course, Kansas City and Miami will have their chance to select their first true franchise players on June 20 at the PHL entry draft.

Kansas City

G - Chris Withrow, VAN

G – Jason Lind, STL

D – Reijo Rantala, SEA

D – Jim Ward, MIL

D – Svell Pahlsson, EDM

D – Brian Trask, CGY

F – Roni Laukkanen, PHI

F – James Russell, NS

F – Joe Gaines, NYC

F – Filip Holmgren, OTT

F – George Dickerson, WPG

F – Louis St. Laurent, MTL

Miami

G – Patrick Grevais, LI

G – Don Lapin, WSH

D – Marcus Ekman, CHI

D – Elliot Andrews, DET

D – Dawson Robb, BOS

D – JP Leclerc, QUE

F – Kevin Trainor, LA

F – Dave Farris, PIT

F – Brett Flores, MIN

F – Pasi Villanen, TOR

F – Rod Skelton, CAL

F – Kevin Jones, DEN

Miami Stingrays Unveil Logo, Uniforms

Just one week after the Lewis Cup Finals ended, the expansion Miami Stingrays unveiled their much-anticipated logo and uniforms. The logo features a black stingray dribbling a puck superimposed on a triangle in the team colors of Teal, Black, and "Hot Pink". The secondary logo, which will be worn on the shoulders, is an simple orange/pink sun. The uniforms are some of the most unusual uniforms seen in the PHL. The road jerseys will be Teal, trimmed in Pink, Black, White, and Silver, with the home whites simply swapping the Teal with White. The uniforms also feature a very unusual font for the numbers and names, similar to the font used in the team's wordmark.

"We are very excited to finally reveal our club's identity" said owner Hector Cruz. "The uniform is very unique, but we are not like the other teams, we wanted a unique look." GM/Head Coach David Zimmer admitted the look needed to grow on him a bit, but was excited nonetheless. "It's definitely very different, but I think it fits Miami well" said Zimmer. "It'll look even better someday with the Lewis Cup raised above it." 

Despite receiving mixed reviews from PHL players and fans around the league, the look proved to be a huge hit with locals, quickly outselling expansion cousin Kansas City in merchandise, and even mounting a serious challenge to the Lewis Cup champion Milwaukee Choppers, currently the top team in the league in merchandise sales.

The expansion draft for both the Stingrays and Twisters will be held June 7, 1989.

1989 Lewis Cup Finals

The 1989 Lewis Cup Finals pitted the Philadelphia Redshirts, still in search of their first Lewis Cup, against the defending champion Milwaukee Choppers. Game one in Milwaukee was a tight one, as the teams were deadlocked 2-2 halfway through the second period. With just 20 seconds to go in the second, Travis Curry broke the tie, giving the Choppers a 3-2 lead. Scott Daffney stole the show in the third period as Milwaukee drew first blood with a 3-2 win. In game two, Philadelphia responded with a 4-2 win thanks to a big third period goal from veteran Bobby Ford to break another 2-2 tie. Heading home to Philadelphia for game three, the Redshirts were a very confident team, having stolen home ice advantage. Once again, the two teams were tied 2-2, except this time the game would go to overtime. Milwaukee had several golden opportunities, but Antero Parvainen came up big for the Redshirts, forcing the game to a second OT, where Etienne St. Laurent beat Daffney to give Philly a 3-2 win and a 2-1 series lead. Game four would also go to overtime, with the teams knotted 3-3. This time, Daffney was spectacular, stopping 17 shots in OT. Parvainen also came up big, until Choppers tough guy Shayne Boggs jammed in a rebound to win the game for Milwaukee and tie the series. Back in Milwaukee for a pivotal game five, the Choppers felt good about their chances despite being outplayed all series by the Redshirts. “We’re winning games we really don’t deserve to win. We just need to find a way to keep pressuring them and hope the results will keep coming” said Choppers captain Bruce Gratton.

Game five wasn’t even close. Milwaukee came flying out of the gate, peppering Parvainen with shot after shot. By the end of the first period, the score was 4-0 and Philly chose to pull Parvainen in favour of backup Darren Beauport. Beauport actually played quite well in his first-ever playoff action, while Magnus Swedberg and Stuart Holly each scored to put the Redshirts on the board, but it was too little too late. Gratton added a fifth goal to make it 5-2, sealing the game and giving Milwaukee an opportunity to defend their title at the PhillyDome in game six. Game six was another tight contest. Philadelphia scored first on a brilliant end-to-end rush from Swedberg before Milwaukee responded with two quick ones to steal the lead. Early in the second period, Swedberg scored his second of the game to tie it. Just minutes later, Gary Johnson’s point shot gave Philly their second lead of the game, which held until the third period. Just three minutes into the third, Terry Hawkins scored a big goal for the Choppers to tie the game at 3-3. The sellout crowd at the PhillyDome chanted “We Want the Cup!” as the Redshirts pushed hard for the go-ahead goal. With just two minutes to go, Scott Daffney made a brilliant save on Bobby Ford. Milwaukee defenseman Olivier Meloche cleared the puck and hit Travis Curry with a brilliant pass, springing him on a break. Curry faked out Parvainen and beat him top corner. Milwaukee now led the game 4-3 and stood just under two minutes away from their second straight Lewis Cup. Mike Fleming sealed the game with the empty netter just 20 seconds later and the Milwaukee Choppers went on to celebrate their second straight Lewis Cup title. “This is unbelievable” said Choppers captain Bruce Gratton. “I started with this team in their second year in Dallas, I was here for the move, there were some tough years here. To be able to do this two years in a row now is just unreal.”

For Philadelphia, the loss was beyond disappointing, as the drought continued for the PHL’s only remaining original franchise without a Lewis Cup. “I don’t know what else to say, we had the heart, we had the determination, we just couldn’t finish it off” said Gary Johnson. As for legend Stuart Holly, he would not comment on his future or whether or not this was the end of his career. “I’ll have to make that decision this summer” said Holly.

1989 Playoffs

1989 would be a big year for upsets once the post-season began. The Long Island Concordes, after another series of big off-season moves, hoped to return to the Lewis Cup Finals a year after losing to Milwaukee. The Concordes narrowly missed out on a division title, losing to Boston in overtime in their final game. It would prove to be extremely costly. The Concordes faced those same Bulldogs in the first round. The teams were tied 2-2 after the first four before disaster struck for Long Island. Pascal Renaud was chased from the net in an ugly 8-4 win for the Bulldogs to give them a 3-2 series lead. The Concordes were simply unable to withstand Boston’s grit and tight-checking style, and that continued right through game six as Craig Bush and Jason Luna each scored twice in a 6-3 win as the Bulldogs completed the upset and moved on. The Philadelphia Redshirts also got quite a scare in their first-round series with Washington, as the Generals jumped to a 2-0 series lead. The Redshirts managed to win two games on the road, however, before winning two more to take the series in six. Philly avoided being the second contending team to be upset in the first round, the Pittsburgh Stingers, however, were not so lucky, losing a stunner to Detroit in four straight. Nova Scotia also advanced in a surprisingly tight five-game series against Quebec.

In the West, St. Louis had high hopes of winning Lewis Cup number five despite dropping to a third-place finish in their conference. Almost nobody gave the Vancouver Bighorns a chance against Dave Appleby and the Spirits, but Vancouver’s critics were quieted after a surprising 5-3 Vancouver win in game one. Game two would go to St. Louis, but veteran forwards Brett Townsend, Donald Stone, and Joe Tyler showed up big in the remainder of the series, while rookie goaltender Niklad Asplund shut the door as the Bighorns stunned the Spirits in five games. It was a shocking upset and the first playoff series victory in the 20-year PHL history of the Bighorns. Another team that built a surprising series lead early was the Minnesota Lumberjacks, who went up 2-0 on the first-overall Seattle Grey Wolves with budding superstar Jason Crowley leading the way. The Wolves would rebound on the road, tying the series before taking a 3-2 lead and an opportunity to eliminate the plucky Lumberjacks. Minnesota played an incredible at home however in game six, as Crowley scored twice in a 5-3 win.

Game seven took place on April 20, 1989 and would make history for a few reasons. The game was tight right through to the end of regulation, reaching overtime. Nobody had any idea what would follow, however. Goaltenders Brian Westin and Jeff Brackley put on a show for the ages as the game went to two, than three, than four extra periods. The fifth overtime nearly ended when Jake Fairbanks beat Brackley but hit the post. The fifth overtime ended and the sixth began as the game became the longest in PHL history. The exhausted teams simply could not get anything together as the goaltenders continued to dominate. At 2:30 AM local time, the unprecedented seventh overtime began as fans on the east coast were surprised to find the game still on instead of the morning news. Just three minutes into the tenth period, defenseman Jeff Winslow blasted a hard shot from the point that beat Brian Westin and finally ended the marathon, completing another stunning upset and sending the Lumberjacks to the second round. “I’m just glad that’s over” said an exhausted Winslow after the nearly seven-hour game.

In other Western Conference action, Edmonton won their rematch against Winnipeg in another hard-fought seven-game series, while Milwaukee eliminated Chicago in five games.

The second round would feature one of the most heated rivalries in PHL history when the Philadelphia Redshirts took on the Boston Bulldogs. Philadelphia found themselves in an even worse position than they had against Washington, going down 3-1 as the Bulldogs tough checking proved to be too much for the aging Redshirts. Game five was a must-win game at the PhillyDome and the Redshirts responded in a big way, skating through a 3-3 tie deep into the third period before exploding for three goals in only two minutes from Jeff Waters, Roni Laukkanen, and Stuart Holly. The lead held and Philly won 6-3 to stay alive. Prior to game six, most experts felt Boston would finally wrap up the series on home ice. They were stunned when Philadelphia routed the Bulldogs 7-1 to force a game seven. At the end of the game, emotions finally boiled over as two line brawls erupted with the fighting even spilling into the stands as security struggled to maintain order. “Just another Philly/Boston showdown, what else is new” said commentator Don Chafee. Game seven at the PhillyDome was much tighter, as the Redshirts nursed a 2-1 lead throughout most of the game. Laukkanen managed to increase the lead to 3-1, but Boston responded quickly with a goal from Colin Fleming to make it a one-goal-game once again. In the dying minutes it was all up to goaltender Antero Parvainen to preserve the lead as the Bulldogs peppered the Philly goal. Parvainen lived up to the challenge as the Redshirts completed the comeback and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals.

The Redshirts would face Nova Scotia for the Eastern Conference title after the Claymores defeated the Detroit Mustangs in five games. In the West, Milwaukee would face Edmonton after sweeping Vancouver, while the Northern Lights took six games to defeat Minnesota. Philadelphia certainly had an uphill battle against a powerful Claymores squad playing in the Eastern Conference Final for the fourth time in five years. Philadelphia took control of the series early on, winning the first two games at home. Back in Halifax, however, the Redshirts struggled while the Claymores rode the enthusiasm and noise of their fans to a pair of wins of their own to tie the series including an emotional overtime win in game four where veteran Russel Buchanan, playing in his final post-season, scored the winner. Game five would be pivotal, as the winner would have an opportunity to close out the series two nights later. Nova Scotia appeared to have the upper hand, carrying a 3-2 lead into the third period. Late in the third, however, Stuart Holly tied the game for the Redshirts, sending it to overtime. Dave Mack had an incredible chance to end the game just minutes into OT, but Parvainen stood tall. Finally, Holly came up big once again, winning the game with his second goal of the night. Game six back in Halifax was a must-win for the home team. A capacity crowd of 13,500 packed into the Barrington Arena as fans from all over the Maritimes showed up to support their desperate team. Mack, Buchanan, James Russell, and Owen Kennedy each scored in a big 4-2 win to force game seven. The Milwaukee Choppers were now awaiting the winner, having won a hard-fought series with Edmonton in six games. In Philadelphia, the PhillyDome was packed nearly to capacity. In Halifax, thousands of fans gathered at Grand Parade in downtown Halifax to watch the game on a projector. The game was a tight one, tied at two through two periods. In the third, Jeff Waters beat Brent MacDonald to give the Redshirts their second lead of the game. Nova Scotia pushed hard for the tying goal, pulling MacDonald for the extra attacker. The move backfired as Roni Laukkanen scored the empty-netter to make in 4-2. With only 13 seconds to go, Dave Mack scored for the Claymores to bring it within one, but it was too little too late, as Philadelphia advanced to the Lewis Cup Finals for the first time since 1974, where they would face the defending champion Milwaukee Choppers. “This is unbelievable” said captain Gary Johnson, about to appear in his first-ever finals. “I’ve been in this league a long time and to finally reach this point after seventeen years, I can’t even describe it.”

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3