Michigan

Michigan (roughly MISH-uh-gun) is a Midwestern state of the United States, located in the east north central states, as defined by the Census Bureau. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigami, meaning "large water" or "large lake".

Its population is about 10,000,000.

The capital is Lansing and the largest city is Detroit.

History of hockey in Michigan

The Detroit Skating & Curling Club beat the Light Infantry club 3-0 on February 17, 1892. The next day, the former club hosted the Chatham Hockey Club from Ontario and were defeated 5-0. The Detroit Hockey Club played the Light Infantry on February 4, 1893, and beat the soldiers by a score of 6-2. On January 17, 1895, the Chatham Hockey Club sent a team to Detroit to face the Michigan AA, but two of the players on the home team were sick, so the game was postponed. There were also activities in Kalamazoo that winter. College beat High School 12-1 and Kalamazoo Town 5-2. 1897 was a busy hockey season in Detroit, with the College of Medicine facing teams from Windsor and Sarnia, Ontario.

Although some ice polo had previously been played, the first hockey game to take place in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was on December 29, 1897, when the Reds and Whites from Dollar Bay played a 0-0 game at the Skating Pavilion in Calumet. On January 7, 1898, the two Dollar Bay clubs played in Ripley, an unincorporated community close to Houghton. Dollar Bay also defeated Marquette, Lake Linden, and Laurium that winter. On February 26, the Berlin Hockey Club (ON) thumped the Detroit College of Medicine 18-9. The Portage Lakes ice hockey team was established in 1899, and the University of Michigan had an informal team, which faced Waterford, Sarnia, and Windsor, Ontario. Watford (ON) blasted the Port Huron Hockey Club 9-1 on February 14, 1900. In 1901, Portage Lakes won the Copper Country Championship, but lost the New Ontario-Upper Peninsula Championship to the Canadian Soo.

In 1902, Portage Lakes beat Minneapolis, St. Paul, Canadian Soo, and then the Kenwood Country Club of Chicago for the Western Championship, and split a series against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club for the Championship of the United States. American Soo had a hockey club by 1903, and Portage Lakes faced the Pittsburgh Bankers for the US Championship. In 1904, they beat the Pittsburgh Victorias in this series. The Portage Lakes Hockey Club, Calumet Miners, and Michigan Soo Indians joined the International Professional Hockey League, which also featured the Canadian Soo and the Pittsburgh Pros, for the 1904-05 season. The league lasted until 1907. The Border Hockey League was formed for 1905-06. It consisted of the Detroit Athletic Club and the Essex, Amherstburg, Tilbury, and Chatham, Ontario teams. It only lasted one year, and the Detroit AC played exhibition games in 1906-07.

The Copper Country Amateur Hockey Association was organized for 1907-08, and featured teams from Houghton, Hancock, Calumet, and Laurium. Hancock won the league in 1908 and 1909, and Mohawk captured the title in 1910. Grand Rapids had a hockey league by 1911. Detroit AC became known as the Detroit Arena club in 1912 and the Detroit Hockey Club in 1915. Portage Lakes HC played an independent schedule in 1913, and claimed the national amateur title after defeating Cleveland and Duluth. For 1913-14, Portage Lakes, Calumet, and the American Soo joined the American Amateur Hockey Association, remaining in the league until 1916. Portage Lakes and American Soo re-joined the league when it started play again in 1919-20. The two clubs and Calumet were founding members of the United States Amateur Hockey Association in 1920-21. They all withdrew after two seasons. The Detroit Hockey League (Border Cities League from 1923-1926) was contested from 1919-1926.

The American Amateur Hockey Association was re-formed in 1926-27, Calumet, Marquette, Ironwood, and Portage Lakes vying for the MacNaughton Cup. The league lasted until 1932, after which the cup went to the best Western Upper Peninsula team until 1951. Teams from Detroit played in the Michigan-Ontario Hockey League from 1932-1942. Dearborn, Pontiac and Muskegon also had teams in the league some years. The Muskegon Sailors played an independent schedule in 1938-39, and spent 1939-40 in the Chicago Amateur League. The Gibson Cup was first awarded to the champion of the Northern Michigan Hockey League, which dated back to 1937, in 1939, and in more recent times has been awarded to the winner of a challenge series between Portage Lake and Calumet.

The Detroit Red Wings have played in the National Hockey League since their founding in 1926 as the Detroit Cougars. The Detroit Greyhounds began the 1926-27 season in the American Hockey Association, but folded after only six games. The Detroit Olympics played in the Canadian Professional Hockey League from 1927-1929 and the International Hockey League from 1929-1936. The Michigan Stags played part of the 1974-75 season in the World Hockey Association, but moved to Baltimore on January 18. The Grand Rapids Griffins have played in the American Hockey League since 2001.

At the major junior level, the Detroit Whalers (known as Compuware Ambassadors from 1990-1992 and Jr. Red Wings from 1992-1995), played in the Ontario Hockey League from 1990-1997, before moving to Plymouth, where they played from 1997-2015, the Saginaw Spirit have played in the league since 2002, and the Flint Firebirds have competed in it since 2015. College hockey is very popular in Michigan, and the state currently has seven NCAA Division I programs.

List of minor professional franchises

Detroit Greyhounds - (AHA) - (1926-1927)
Detroit Olympics - (CPHL) - (1927-1929)
Detroit Olympics - (IHL) - (1929-1936)
Detroit Auto Club - (IHL) - (1945-1951)
Detroit Bright's Goodyears - (IHL) - (1945-1949)
Detroit Metal Mouldings - (IHL) - (1946-1948)
Detroit Teamsters - (OSHL) - (1947-1948)
Dearborn Barons - (OSHL) - (1947-1948)
Detroit Jerry Lynch - (IHL) - (1948-1949)
Detroit Hettche - (IHL) - (1949-1952)
Grand Rapids Rockets - (EHL) - (1949-1950)
Grand Rapids Rockets - (IHL) - (1950-1956)
Muskegon Zephyrs - (IHL) - (1960-1965)
Port Huron Flags - (IHL) - (1962-1971, 1974-1981)
Marquette Iron Rangers - (USHL) - (1964-1976)
Muskegon Mohawks - (IHL) - (1965-1984)
Grand Rapids Bruins - (USHL) - (1968-1969)
Flint Generals - (IHL) - (1969-1985)
Port Huron Wings - (IHL) - (1971-1974)
Calumet-Houghton Chiefs - (USHL) - (1972-1973)
Saginaw Gears - (IHL) - (1972-1983)
Copper Country Islanders - (USHL) - (1973-1974)
Copper Country Chiefs - (USHL) - (1974-1976)
Kalamazoo Wings - (IHL) - (1974-1995)
Lansing Lancers - (IHL) - (1974-1975)
Traverse City Bays - (USHL) - (1975-1977)
Grand Rapids Blades - (USHL) - (1976-1977)
Muskegon Lumberjacks - (IHL) - (1984-1992)
Flint Spirits - (IHL) - (1985-1990)
Saginaw Generals - (IHL) - (1985-1987)
Downriver Stars - (AAHL) - (1986-1987)
Jackson All-Americans - (AAHL) - (1986-1989)
Port Huron Clippers - (AAHL) - (1987-1988)
Michigan Stars - (AAHL) - (1987)
Saginaw Hawks - (IHL) - (1987-1989)
Lincoln Park Patriots - (AAHL) - (1988-1989)
Detroit Falcons - (CoHL) - (1991-1996)
Flint Bulldogs - (CoHL) - (1991-1993)
Muskegon Fury - (CoHL) - (1992-1997)
Flint Generals - (CoHL) - (1993-1997)
Detroit Vipers - (IHL) - (1994-2001)
Saginaw Wheels - (CoHL) - (1994-1996)
Michigan K-Wings - (IHL) - (1995-2000)
Grand Rapids Griffins - (IHL) - (1996-2001)
Port Huron Border Cats - (CoHL) - (1996-1997)
Saginaw Lumber Kings - (CoHL) - (1996-1997)
Saginaw Lumber Kings - (UHL) - (1997-1998)
Port Huron Border Cats - (UHL) - (1997-2002)
Flint Generals - (UHL) - (1997-2007)
Muskegon Fury - (UHL) - (1997-2007)
Saginaw Gears - (UHL) - (1998-1999)
Kalamazoo Wings - (UHL) - (2000-2007)
Grand Rapids Griffins - (AHL) - (2001-present)
Port Huron Beacons - (UHL) - (2002-2005)
Motor City Mechanics - (UHL) - (2004-2006)
Port Huron Flags - (UHL) - (2005-2007)
Port Huron Icehawks - (IHL) - (2007-2010)
Flint Generals - (IHL) - (2007-2010)
Kalamazoo Wings (IHL) - (2007-2009)
Muskegon Fury - (IHL) - (2007-2008)
Muskegon Lumberjacks - (IHL) - (2008-2010)
Detroit Dragons - (AAHA) - (2008-2009)
Battle Creek Revolution - (AAHL) - (2008-2011)
Detroit Hitmen - (AAHL) - (2009)
Kalamazoo Wings - (ECHL) - (2009-present)
West Michigan Blizzard - (AAHL) - (2009-2010)
Lapeer Loggers - (AAHL) - (2010-2011)
Michigan Moose - (AAHL) - (2010-2011)
Port Huron Prowlers - (FHL) - (2015-present)
St. Clair Shores Fighting Saints - (FHL) - (2016-2017)
Battle Creek Rumble Bees - (FHL) - (2019-2020)
Motor City Rockers - (FHL) - (2022-present)

List of Division I college hockey teams

Michigan Tech Huskies (1919-present)
Michigan State Spartans (1921-present)
Michigan Wolverines (1922-present)
Lake Superior State Lakers (1966-present)
Western Michigan Broncos (1973-present)
Ferris State Bulldogs (1975-present)
Northern Michigan Wildcats (1976-present)
Wayne State Warriors (1999-2008)
Hillsdale Chargers (Division II, 1969-1978)

American States
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Michigan

History of hockey in Michigan

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