U.S. Invasion At The Memorial Cup

Canadian Hockey League teams have been based in the United States of America as early as 1976-77 when the Portland Winterhawks were relocated to Portland, Oregon from Edmonton, Alberta. Three times since, American teams have won the Memorial Cup as CHL champions. On four occasions, U.S. cities have hosted the tournament. Portland hosted in 1983 and 1986 while Seattle, Washington hosted in 1992 and Spokane, Washington hosted in 1998.

It might be called the Canadian Hockey League but teams based in the United States have participated since the Edmonton Oil Kings became the Portland Winter Hawks at the start of the 1976-77 WHL season. The CHL is made up of three leagues across Canada, the WHL, OHL and QMJHL).

Currently, there are three teams from the Ontario Hockey League based in the U.S. (Erie Otters, Plymouth Whalers, Saginaw Spirit) and five teams from the Western Hockey League (Everett Silvertips, Portland Winterhawks, Seattle Thunderbirds, Spokane Chiefs, Tri-City Americans). The Lewiston Maineiacs were the only U.S. team in the QMJHL and they were relocated back to Canada for the 2011-12 season.

Since Portland entered the league in 1976, on just three occasions have American teams been crowned Memorial Cup champions. Only twice has an American team has made an unsuccessful appearance in the final game and six U.S. franchises have gone to the tournament. The Winterhawks reached the final in 2013 before falling to the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL.

In 1983, the Portland Winterhawks beat the Oshawa Generals 8-3 on home ice in the Memorial Cup final to win their first. The Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP was handed out to Alfie Turcotte of the Winterhawks. Turcotte went on to play 112 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals. Future NHLers Ray Ferraro and Cam Neely led Portland offensively. In fact, the two were part of a group of six players on the team to reach the 100 point plateau. Read more about that excitingly offensive team here: 1982-83 Portland Winterhawks.

In 1991, the tournament was held in Quebec City and the Spokane Chiefs were the victor with a 5-1 win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the final. The Stafford Smythe Trophy went to Pat Falloon of Spokane. Falloon was the second overall pick of the San Jose Sharks at the 1991 NHL Entry Draft and played 575 NHL regular season games with the Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins. Falloon holds a bit of San Jose Sharks trivia as the player with the most points in a rookie season for the National Hockey League club. Trevor Kidd and Ray Whitney were team leaders for Spokane while NHL veteran Bryan Maxwell was the bench boss.

Portland returned to championship form in 1998 as the Winterhawks edged the OHL’s Guelph Storm 4-3 in overtime in the final that was hosted by the Spokane Chiefs in Spokane, Washington. The Smythe Trophy went to the goaltender on the losing team, Chris Madden. Portland was led by NHLers Marian Hossa and Brenden Morrow. The team was coached by Brent Peterson, another NHL veteran.

The latest U.S. teams to qualify for the Memorial Cup tournament before Portland’s 2013 loss to Halifax were the Lewiston Maineiacs and Plymouth Whalers in 2007. Despite the 50/50 odds, neither team made it to the final. The 1995 Detroit Junior Red Wings are the only other American team to make it to the final and lose. The Erie Otters and Seattle Thunderbirds are the only other U.S. based teams to qualify for the tournament. Erie went in 2002, while Seattle participated back in 1992 as the host city.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Nashville Predators Firsts

The Nashville Predators entered the National Hockey League in the 1998-99 season. The team has enjoyed moderate success for an expansion team, qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs in seven of fourteen NHL seasons. The Predators have won two playoff series, taking the opening round of the 2010-11 playoffs over the Anaheim and the opening round of the 2011-12 playoffs over the Detroit Red Wings. Nashville suffered a setback in 2012-13, not qualifying for the post season for the first time since the 2008-09 season.

There’s a first for everything. Test and expand your knowledge of the NHL’s Nashville Predators with the following four questions regarding ‘firsts’ in the team’s short history.

Q. Who was the first ever head coach of the Nashville Predators?

A. Barry Trotz is not only the first ever head coach of the Predators but he is also, as of 2013-14, the only head coach the team has ever had. Trotz played junior as a defenseman with the Regina Pats and Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL.

Before Nashville, Barry coached in the American Hockey League from 1992-93 to 1996-97. His first year was with the Baltimore Skipjacks. Trotz moved with the franchise to Portland where he coached the Pirates for the next five years. In 1993-94, the Portland Pirates won the Calder Cup championship, beating the Moncton Hawks 4-2 in the finals. That year, Barry was honoured with the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as AHL coach of the year.

Q. On October 13, 1998, what player scored the first ever goal for the Nashville Predators?

A. In his only season with Nashville, Andrew Brunette holds the honour of scoring the team’s first goal. Brunette retired after the 2011-12 season. Over his career, he appeared in 1,110 regular season NHL games with the Washington Capitals, Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks. Interestingly, he played for coach Barry Trotz for five years with the Portland Pirates in the AHL.

Q. Who was the first Nashville Predator to score on a penalty shot in overtime?

A. David Legwand was not only the first Predator to do this in 2000 but was also the first NHL player to ever accomplish this feat.

Q. Who was the first player ever selected by the Nashville Predators in the NHL Entry Draft?

A. David Legwand was selected second overall in 1998 NHL Entry Draft. Legwand played one game with the Predators in the team’s inaugural season and had been a mainstay with the club until a deadline trade in 2013-14 sent him to the Detroit Red Wings.

Legwand was drafted by Nashville after his first of two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Plymouth Whalers. In that 1998 NHL draft, only Vincent Lecavalier of the Rimouski Oceanic went higher, going first overall to the Tampa Bay Lightning.