International Hockey League (1959-1963)
Tombstone
Born: 1959
Re-Branded: 1963 (St. Paul Rangers)
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Turner Cup Champions: 1960 & 1961
Arena
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Ownership & Affiliation
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Background
It’s hard to keep track of all the various Saints that call St. Paul, Minnesota home. The Saints moniker has been adopted by multiple generations of local teams dating back to the 1920’s (ice hockey) and the late 19th century (baseball).
This FWiL entry concerns the 1959-1963 hockey Saints of the International Hockey League, a short-lived minor league powerhouse that appeared in three Turner Cup finals in its four seasons of operation. Head Coach Fred Shero guided the club for all four seasons, including Cup wins in 1960 over the Fort Wayne Komets and 1961 over the Muskegon Zephyrs. Muskegon and St. Paul met again in the 1961 final with the Zephyrs avenging the previous spring’s defeat with a 4-0 sweep of the Saints.
Shero went on to coach the Philadelphia Flyers during the Broad Street Bullies era of the 1970’s. He repeated his back-to-back titles achievement in the NHL, leading the Flyers to Stanley Cup wins in 1974 and 1975, followed by a third straight finals appearance (a loss) in 1976. Shero was inducted posthumously into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013.
Name Change & Move To Omaha
In the spring of 1963 both the Saints and their cross-river rivals the Minneapolis Millers defected from the International Hockey League to join the newly formed Central Professional Hockey League. St. Paul formed an affiliation with the NHL’s New York Rangers and changed their name to the St. Paul Rangers for the 1963-64 Central League season.
In 1966 the former Saints/Rangers left St. Paul for Omaha, Nebraska. The Omaha Knights eventually went out of business in 1975.
Trivia
Career minor-leaguer Elliott Chorley (Saints ’59-’63) was St. Paul’s all-time leading scorer during the IHL era with 101 goals and 142 assists.
St. Paul Saints Shop
In Memoriam
Saints head coach Fred Shero passed away on November 24, 1990 at the age of 65 following a battle with cancer. New York Times obituary.
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