Clinton Comets

The Clinton Comets were an American ice hockey team in Clinton, New York.

Founded in 1927–28 as the Clinton Hockey Club and nicknamed the Comets in 1949, the team played primarily at the Clinton Arena from 1949 until 1973.

Clinton played in the Interstate Hockey League in 1946-47. In the semifinals, they defeated Amsterdam 16-4, while Syracuse thumped Pittsfield (MA) 9-4. The first game of the finals on March 9 was halted due to poor ice with Syracuse ahead 3-0. The teams were slated to meet again on the 13th, but no results were reported. Clinton defeated Massena 4-3 on March 16 to win the New York AAU title. On January 31, 1948, the University of Toronto beat Clinton 10-3. Clinton and the Syracuse Stars took part in a playoff series, Clinton winning the first game 5-4 on February 22. They beat the New York Mets 10-1 on March 2 to win the New York AHA State Championship. On March 13, 1949, the Lake Placid Roamers thumped Clinton 10-3 for the New York title. In 1949-50, the Comets played 46 games, going 33-11-2.

They played in the New York-Ontario League from 1950-51 to 1953-54 and in the 1954-55 OHA Senior B Season.

From 1954 until 1973, the Comets participated in the Eastern Hockey League, dominating for ten of their nineteen seasons. Most notably, under head coach Pat Kelly, the Comets posted a 315–208–64 (wins-losses-ties) record over eight seasons. During that period, in the 1967–68 season, the Comets produced an awe-inspiring 57–5–10 record. The Comets won the EHL playoffs in 1958-59, 1963-64, 1967-68, 1968-69 and 1969-70.

Later, when the team began playing games in the Utica Memorial Auditorium, it changed its name to the Mohawk Valley Comets. That team played in the North American Hockey League.