International Hockey League (1994-1996)
Tombstone
Born: December 16, 1993 – IHL expansion franchise
Moved Announced: December 7, 1995 (Manitoba Moose)1Blount, Rachel. “Moose head north to Winnipeg”. The Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN). December 8, 1995
First Game: October 1, 1994 (L 4-1 @ Denver Grizzlies)
Final Game: April 14, 1996 (L 5-4 @ Kansas City Blades)
Turner Cup Championships: None
Arenas
1994-1996: Saint Paul Civic Center (15,594)
Opened: 1973
Demolished: 1998
1995-1996: Target Center (16,824)
Opened: 1990
Branding
Team Colors: Dark Purple, Forest Green & Black
Ownership
Owners: Kevin MacLean & Roger Sturgeon
Trophy Case
Leo P. Lamoureux Memorial Trophy (Regular Season Scoring Champion)
- 1994-95: Stephane Morin
FWIL FAVORITE
Minnesota Moose Logo T-Shirt
In 1995, The Hockey News rated the Minnesota Moose logo to be the best in all of minor league hockey. Team souvenirs bearing the image of mascot “Mick E. Moose” racked up over $1.4 million in sales that winter, an astounding figure for a minor league club at the time.
This design is also available as a Crewneck or Hooded Sweatshirt from our friends at Old School Shirts!
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Background
The Minnesota Moose were a high-caliber minor league hockey team that played two seasons in the Twin Cities shortly after the departure of the NHL’s Minnesota North Stars for Dallas in 1993. The Moose played mostly out of the Saint Paul Civic Center, but also played 14 dates at the Target Center in Minneapolis during their second and final season.
The Moose’ debut game in St. Paul on October 7, 1994 – a 2-1 loss to the Milwaukee Admirals – attracted 11,652 fans. Attendance dropped off quickly and the Moose finished the year ranked 12th in the 17-team International Hockey League with average crowds of 6,787. It was a somewhat disconcerting result for an expansion team in what should have been its honeymoon phase. On the plus side, the team’s fun, eye-catching logo was a big hit. The Hockey News named the Minnesota Moose logo as the best in all of minor league hockey in February 1995. The team would later claim an eye-popping $1.3 million in souvenir sales during their inaugural season.
Performance
On the ice, the Moose squeaked into the 1995 Turner Cup playoffs with 34-35-12 record. They were swiftly dispatched by the eventual champion Denver Grizzlies in a three-game sweep in the first round.
Center Stephane Morin led the 1994-95 IHL in scoring with 38 goals and 71 assists. The team’s big name was Minnesota native Dave Christian, a 14-year NHL veteran and member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey “Miracle On Ice” squad. Christian finished second on the team in scoring with a 38-42-80 line.
In 1995 the City of St. Paul launched a courtship to persuade the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets to relocate to Minnesota. The prospect of the NHL returning to the Twin Cities forced the Moose to look for a new home. Ultimately the Jets jilted Minneapolis-St. Paul for the Arizona desert at the 11th hour. But the die had already been cast for the Moose. A few days after the Jets’ move to Phoenix was revealed in December 1995, the Moose announced a sale and relocation of their own – to Winnipeg to replace the Jets at Winnipeg Arena.
The Moose played out their second and final season in Minnesota as lame ducks. They missed the playoffs with a 30-45-7 record.
The franchise flourished in Winnipeg, lasting 15 seasons at the Manitoba Moose. The team was displaced by the NHL (and the Jets!) once again in 2011 when the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg to become a revival of the Winnipeg Jets. The hockey franchise that started out as the Minnesota Moose in 1995 to Newfoundland and plays on today as the St. John’s IceCaps of the American Hockey League.
Minnesota Moose Shop
Downloads
1995 Minnesota Moose Postseason Review & Media Guide
1995 Minnesota Moose Postseason Media Guide
Links
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One Response
Being from Minnesota I was a Moose fan from the get go and have a game quality jersey. They seemed to generate considerable buzz the first season although it could be argued that the IHL had over expanded. I going to add that Stephanie Morin died after collasping on the bench in a game when he was playing in Germany 1998.