The AHL's History in Syracuse, New York

The Syracuse Crunch have been a steady member of the American Hockey League for nearly two decades. However, they weren’t the first to represent the New York city in the AHL. Syracuse and the AHL have a checkered past.

Syracuse Stars

The Stars brought hockey to Syracuse for the 1930-31 IHL season. This was the original IHL, a league that would evolve into the AHL over the following decade. The Stars franchise moved to Syracuse from Hamilton, Ontario, where they were known as the Hamilton Tigers. After the 1939-40 season, the franchise was moved back out of Syracuse to become the second coming of the Buffalo Bisons.

The Syracuse Stars were the first team to win the Calder Cup. In 1936-37, the inaugural year of the Calder, the Stars met the Philadelphia Ramblers in the finals and came out victorious three games to one. During the regular season, Syracuse finished first in the West Division and second overall in the eight team league. The team was led in scoring by Jack Markle and placed five players among the top ten for points.

Syracuse Warriors

The American Hockey League returned to Syracuse for the 1951-52 season. The city acted as a temporary home for the Springfield Indians for three seasons from 1951-52 to 1953-54. During that time, the team was named the Syracuse Warriors. The Warriors played just one playoff series, losing to the Cleveland Barons in the opening round of the 1952-53 Calder Cup playoffs.

Syracuse Eagles

During the 1973-74 AHL season, the Cleveland Barons, one of the league’s oldest franchises, relocated to Jacksonville midway through the year. The following year, the Jacksonville Barons became the Syracuse Eagles. 1974-75 was the only season for the Eagles, folding at the end of the year. With exception of the Baltimore Clippers, a team that folded after playing just 46 games, the Eagles had the worst record in the ten team league.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, the Syracuse Blazers of the North American Hockey League were enjoying great success. Even though the NAHL was a lower quality league, the city wasn’t big enough to support two pro hockey teams and the fans rallied behind the team that was winning.

 

Syracuse Firebirds

The Blazers died along with the NAHL after the 1976-77 season. Ironically, the AHL was revived in Syracuse for the 1979-80 season when a former NAHL team relocated to town. The Philadelphia Firebirds came into existence for 1974-75, the second of four years that the NAHL existed. They won the Lockhart Cup as NAHL post season champions in 1975-76. The franchise switched to the AHL after the 1976-77 season.

Moving to Syracuse was a last ditch effort for the franchise. After just one year, the Firebirds folded. The team did reach the post season but lost in the opening round to the Hershey Bears.

Syracuse Crunch

The city would go without AHL hockey for close to fifteen years before the Crunch came to town. Ironically, just like the Syracuse Stars, the Crunch are a relocated franchise from Hamilton, Ontario. It all started out as the Hamilton Canucks in 1992-93. Their time in Canada was short lived and the Crunch were born. The Crunch are an affiliate of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. They have yet to capture their first Calder Cup championship.

Syracuse Crunch Scoring Records

The Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League originated as the Hamilton Canucks in 1992-93. The franchise moved to Syracuse to become the Crunch for the 1994-95 AHL season. The team has yet to win a Calder Cup championship and are currently affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. The individual single season scoring records of the team are quite modest.

Goals – Lonny Bohonos

In just his second year of professional hockey, Bohonos set the Syracuse record for most goals in a season with 40 in 1995-96. Over 74 regular season games, Lonny also assisted on 39 for 79 points. That year, he also played three games in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks. The goal total tied him for ninth in the AHL that season, 28 goals behind the leader, Brad Smyth.

At the time, Bohonos was two years removed from leading the Western Hockey League in goals, assists and points. In 70 games with the Portland Winterhawks, Lonny scored 62 and assisted on 90 for 152 points to earn the Bob Clarke Trophy.

Lonny retired from professional hockey after playing for Adler Mannheim in Germany’s DEL during the 2005-06 season. Along the way, he played in 83 regular season NHL games with the Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs. In 2000-01, he led Switzerland’s National League A in points as a member of HC Davos.

Assists – Bill Bowler

Bowler set the mark for Syracuse in 2000-01 with 58 assists. In 72 games that year, he also scored 21 goals and totalled 79 points. It was also that year that he appeared in his only nine NHL games, playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

It comes as no surprise that Bowler would own a team’s assist record. After a stellar junior career in the Ontario Hockey League with the Windsor Spitfires, Bill is one of just 13 players in the history of the league to assist on 100 or more goals in a single season. In 1994-95, he assisted on 102. That total is the ninth best all-time in the OHL and 21 behind the league record of 123 set by Bobby Smith of the Ottawa 67’s in 1977-78.

Bowler owns the career record for assists in the OHL with 318 and the Windsor Spitfires record for most points in a career with 467. Windsor retired his number 9 in 2011. Bill retired from pro hockey after appearing in seven games for Krefeld Pinguine of the DEL in 2002-03.

Points – Lonny Bohonos and Bill Bowler

The Syracuse Crunch record for points in a season stands at 79. Bohonos reached the mark in 1995-96, the same year he set the record for goals. Bowler had 79 points in 2000-01, the year he set the record for assists. Not bad for two players not drafted into the NHL.