The Portland Pirates have been a franchise in the American
Hockey League since the 1993-94 season and are currently affiliated with the
Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL. The Pirates have roots in the Erie Blades, an AHL
team that began play in 1975-76. In between Erie and Portland, the franchise
made a stop in Maryland and were known as the Baltimore Skipjacks from 1982-83
to 1992-93. In this article, when referring to team records and championships,
it is just for the Portland Pirates from 1993-94 forward.
1. The Pirates have been crowned Calder Cup champions on
just one occasion. It happened to be their first year in Portland, 1993-94. The
team finished third overall during the regular season and took out the Albany
River Rats and Adirondack
Red Wings in the first two rounds. Portland received a bye through the
semi-finals before meeting up with the Moncton Hawks in the finals. The Pirates
came away with the championship in six games.
17. The most career shutouts by a goaltender in a Portland
Pirates jersey is 17 by Maxime Ouellet. Ouellet played for the Pirates from
2001-02 to 2004-05 but the 17 shutouts all occurred in the 2002-03 and 2003-04
seasons with seven the first year and 10 the next.
2003-04 was a really unique year for a goalie to record ten
shutouts. Maxime played 52 of Portland’s games. The Pirates won just 15 games,
meaning 67% of the games they won were when they did not allow a single goal.
Ouellet was a first round pick by the Philadelphia Flyers at
the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, 22nd overall. On March 19, 2002, he was
traded to Washington from Philadelphia for Hockey Hall of Fame member Adam
Oates. Maxime played in the National Hockey League from 2000-01 to 2005-06
with the Flyers, Washington Capitals and Vancouver Canucks.
37. Olaf Kolzig wore the number 37 for the Pirates between 1993-94
and 1995-96. Each of those three years were split between Portland and the
Washington Capitals. In the two previous seasons, Olaf played for the Baltimore
Skipjacks.
In 1993-94, Kolzig was honoured with the Harry Holmes Trophy
for the AHL’s best goaltending duo. He was also awarded the Jack Butterfield
Trophy as the AHL’s Calder Cup playoff MVP. Olaf went on to win the Vezina
Trophy in 1999-00. He played for the Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning between
1989-90 and 2008-09. His time in Tampa was limited to just eight games in his
final NHL season. Olaf Kolzig is an honoured member of the ECHL Hall of Fame.
41. The most goals scored in a single season for the Pirates
is 41 by Michel Picard over just 61 games in 1993-94. Picard played 166 regular
season games in the NHL between 1990-91 and 2000-01 with the Hartford Whalers,
San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers and
Philadelphia Flyers. In 1990-91, he led the AHL in goal scoring with 56 as a
member of the Springfield Indians.
48. In 1998-99, the Portland Pirates lost 48 games, the most
in any single season for the franchise. Portland finished last in the Eastern
Conference with 55 points, 16 points behind the next team, the Saint John
Flames. Overall, the Pirates were 17th in the 19 team league.
53. In 2005-06, the Pirates set a team record for most wins
in a season with 53. Their 114 points placed them first in the Eastern
Conference and second overall in the AHL behind the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Portland then fell in the Eastern Conference finals to the Hershey Bears. The
series went the full seven games with three decided in overtime, including game
seven.
355. Mark Major set the club’s record for most penalty
minutes in a single season in 1997-98 with 355 over 79 games. He then sat 52
minutes over ten playoff games that year. Over 364 career AHL regular season
games, Major sat 1,238 PIM playing for the Providence Bruins, Adirondack Red
Wings, Portland and the Hershey Bears. As a junior in the Ontario Hockey
League, he sat 691 PIM over 183 games with the North Bay Centennials and Kingston
Frontenacs. In the IHL, it was 927 minutes over 320 games with the Muskegon
Lumberjacks, Detroit Vipers and Houston Aeros. Mark played two games in the NHL
with the Detroit Red Wings in 1996-97.
