The Kalamazoo Wings / Michigan K-Wings were a minor league hockey institution in southwestern Michigan for nearly 30 seasons. Founder Ray Parfet (usually known as “Ted” or “R.T.”) owned the original Wings franchise for its entire run from 1974 until 2000. Parfet was the chairman and chief executive of the Upjohn Company, the pharmaceutical giant that was one of Kalamazoo’s largest employers for decades.
The Flint Generals were the long-time minor league hockey franchise for the auto-making city of Flint, Michigan. The club derived its name from the city’s once close association with General Motors. The Generals finest hour came in the spring of 1984. Flint swept the Toledo Goaldiggers in a best-of-7 series to win their first and only Turner Cup as champions of the International Hockey League. A little over a year later, the Generals moved to Saginaw, Michigan following a dispute with IMA Sports Arena officials over playing dates.
Central Hockey League (1979-1984) International Hockey League (1984-1987) Born: August 1, 1979 – The Fort Worth Texans relocate to Indianapolis, IN Suspended Operations: August 10,
A 1990’s minor league outfit that was one of countless iterations of the “Phoenix Roadrunners” hockey brand to set up shop in the Arizona city. This 1989 re-boot was named in tribute to the original Roadrunners of the Western Hockey League and the World Hockey Association, who played from 1967 to 1977. Like previous versions of the ‘Runners, this International Hockey League club played at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Atlanta Knights were a minor league hockey franchise that played at the Omni Coliseum from 1992 through 1996. The arrival of the Knights marked the return of pro hockey to Atlanta for the first time since 1980, when the NHL’s Atlanta Flames departed for Calgary. The Knights won the Turner Cup as champions of the International Hockey League in 1994. In 1996, the team moved to Quebec City and became the Quebec Rafales.
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