Detroit Whalers
Encyclopedia
The Detroit Whalers were a junior ice hockey
team in the Ontario Hockey League
for two seasons from 1995 to 1997. The Whalers were based in the greater Detroit, Michigan
area.
's Detroit Red Wings
from Mike Ilitch
. The Junior Red Wings severed all ties with the NHL Red Wings when the relationship soured after the 1994–95 season ended.
When the Detroit Junior Red Wings were evicted from Joe Louis Arena
in 1995, the franchise changed names and home arenas again. Karmanos renamed his franchise the Detroit Whalers, in association through common ownership with the NHL's Hartford Whalers
team which Karmanos bought, instead of the Detroit Red Wings
.
The Whalers found temporary home ice at its training base, the Oak Park Ice Arena
, along with The Palace of Auburn Hills
. The next year, the team had a permanent facility in Plymouth Township, Michigan
. The team played for two seasons before renaming themselves again to the Plymouth Whalers.
1995–96
Shortly after the Jr. Red Wings were finished playing in the Memorial Cup
, general manager & head coach Paul Maurice
was promoted to the Hartford Whalers. He would be replaced by the assistant coach Peter DeBoer
, as new general manager & head coach. DeBoer would remain with the Whalers organization until 2001.
The Whalers attendance suffered in their first season after losing much of its fan base in downtown Detroit. The loss of the "Junior Red Wings" name also lowered the team's profile. Peter DeBoer set about rebuilding a new image and fan base for the franchise.
DeBoer's task for his team on the ice was to prepare to play on two completely opposite home ice surfaces. The tiny Oak Park Arena favored a hard checking team while the spacious Palace (25 miles away) was an NHL size ice surface. In spite of the difference between Oak Park and the Palace, the Whalers had the OHL's best home-ice record in 1995–96 (25-6-2), and won their second consecutive Western Division title and the Bumbacco Trophy
.
The 1996 playoffs started with a cross-border matchup of Detroit vs. Windsor that fans had wanted since 1990. Detroit finished 38 points ahead of Windsor during the regular season, but the series took seven games to decide. Detroit won the first three games of the series, but Windsor won the next three games. Detroit clinched the series with a 9-2 victory in game seven. The Whalers moved on to defeat the Kitchener 4 games to 1 in the second round. The Whalers were eliminated in the semi-finals, losing to the Peterborough Petes in five games.
On March 1, 1996, Whalers owner Peter Karmanos finalized plans to build a 4,000 seat arena in Plymouth Township for his team. The arena was to be ready for the 1996–97 season.
1996–97
The Whalers had arrived in Plymouth in 1996–97, and began to build a new fan base, and rebuild the team on the ice. DeBoer and newly appointed assistant coach Steve Spott chose a team full of rookies, and a handful of veterans. The Whalers revamped their roster with a hard-working scouting staff. First round pick Harold Druken scored 27 goals with 31 assists in his first season.
The Whalers made the playoffs despite finish with a losing record of 26-34-6. Detroit met their old foe, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the playoffs. After losing the first three games, the Whalers came from three goals behind in the fourth game to prolong the series, winning 4-3 in double overtime. The game was the longest in the franchise's history (90 minutes, 2 seconds). The Greyhounds won the next game 8-3, but the Whalers' rookies gained valuable experience for the next season.
in 1995–96 as the most outstanding defenceman in the OHL. The same season he was the Canadian Hockey League
Defenceman of the Year.
NHL alumni
Playoffs
.
Karmanos arranged to build the Whalers a new home in Plymouth Township as soon as the 1995–96 season ended. The new arena was constructed in 6 months, in time for the 1996–97 season. The Detroit Whalers played all games of their second season at the Compuware Sports Arena.
More information on arenas from The OHL Arena & Travel Guide.
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
team in the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
for two seasons from 1995 to 1997. The Whalers were based in the greater Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
area.
History
The creation of the Detroit Whalers resulted after a failed takeover bid by Peter Karmanos to buy the National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
from Mike Ilitch
Mike Ilitch
Michael "Mike" Ilitch Sr. is an American entrepreneur and owner of the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers. In addition to his sports ownerships, he is the founder and owner of Little Caesars Pizza since 1959, which has become an international fast food franchise...
. The Junior Red Wings severed all ties with the NHL Red Wings when the relationship soured after the 1994–95 season ended.
When the Detroit Junior Red Wings were evicted from Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed The Joe and JLA is a hockey arena located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. It is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight...
in 1995, the franchise changed names and home arenas again. Karmanos renamed his franchise the Detroit Whalers, in association through common ownership with the NHL's Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
team which Karmanos bought, instead of the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
.
The Whalers found temporary home ice at its training base, the Oak Park Ice Arena
Oak Park Ice Arena
Oak Park Ice Arena is an indoor arena located in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, Michigan. It was built in 1971 and was a temporary home for the Detroit Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League in 1996....
, along with The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association...
. The next year, the team had a permanent facility in Plymouth Township, Michigan
Plymouth Township, Michigan
The Charter Township of Plymouth is a charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 27,524 at the 2010 census...
. The team played for two seasons before renaming themselves again to the Plymouth Whalers.
1995–96
Shortly after the Jr. Red Wings were finished playing in the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
, general manager & head coach Paul Maurice
Paul Maurice
Paul Maurice is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and twice head coach of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes. At age 43, Maurice became the youngest coach in NHL history to coach 1,000 games. Maurice reached this milestone on November 28, 2010...
was promoted to the Hartford Whalers. He would be replaced by the assistant coach Peter DeBoer
Peter DeBoer
Peter DeBoer is the head coach of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League and current part-owner of the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League...
, as new general manager & head coach. DeBoer would remain with the Whalers organization until 2001.
The Whalers attendance suffered in their first season after losing much of its fan base in downtown Detroit. The loss of the "Junior Red Wings" name also lowered the team's profile. Peter DeBoer set about rebuilding a new image and fan base for the franchise.
DeBoer's task for his team on the ice was to prepare to play on two completely opposite home ice surfaces. The tiny Oak Park Arena favored a hard checking team while the spacious Palace (25 miles away) was an NHL size ice surface. In spite of the difference between Oak Park and the Palace, the Whalers had the OHL's best home-ice record in 1995–96 (25-6-2), and won their second consecutive Western Division title and the Bumbacco Trophy
Bumbacco Trophy
The Bumbacco Trophy is awarded annually to the regular season champion of the Ontario Hockey League's West Division. The trophy was inaugurated in 1994–1995 when the league realigned into three divisions. The award is named after former Sault Ste...
.
The 1996 playoffs started with a cross-border matchup of Detroit vs. Windsor that fans had wanted since 1990. Detroit finished 38 points ahead of Windsor during the regular season, but the series took seven games to decide. Detroit won the first three games of the series, but Windsor won the next three games. Detroit clinched the series with a 9-2 victory in game seven. The Whalers moved on to defeat the Kitchener 4 games to 1 in the second round. The Whalers were eliminated in the semi-finals, losing to the Peterborough Petes in five games.
On March 1, 1996, Whalers owner Peter Karmanos finalized plans to build a 4,000 seat arena in Plymouth Township for his team. The arena was to be ready for the 1996–97 season.
1996–97
The Whalers had arrived in Plymouth in 1996–97, and began to build a new fan base, and rebuild the team on the ice. DeBoer and newly appointed assistant coach Steve Spott chose a team full of rookies, and a handful of veterans. The Whalers revamped their roster with a hard-working scouting staff. First round pick Harold Druken scored 27 goals with 31 assists in his first season.
The Whalers made the playoffs despite finish with a losing record of 26-34-6. Detroit met their old foe, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the playoffs. After losing the first three games, the Whalers came from three goals behind in the fourth game to prolong the series, winning 4-3 in double overtime. The game was the longest in the franchise's history (90 minutes, 2 seconds). The Greyhounds won the next game 8-3, but the Whalers' rookies gained valuable experience for the next season.
Players
Bryan Berard won his second consecutive Max Kaminsky TrophyMax Kaminsky Trophy
The Max Kaminsky Trophy is awarded each year to the most outstanding defenceman in the Ontario Hockey League. Prior to 1969, the same trophy was awarded to the most sportsmanlike player in the league; since then, that player has been awarded the William Hanley Trophy.The award is named in honour of...
in 1995–96 as the most outstanding defenceman in the OHL. The same season he was the Canadian Hockey League
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
Defenceman of the Year.
NHL alumni
|
|
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Yearly results
Regular season| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Pct % | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing |
| 1995–96 1995–96 OHL season The 1995–96 OHL season was the 16th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Seventeen teams each played 66 games. The Peterborough Petes won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Guelph Storm. The Detroit Junior Red Wings become the Detroit Whalers.-Notes:... |
66 | 40 | 22 | 4 | 84 | 0.636 | 319 | 243 | 1st Western |
| 1996–97 1996–97 OHL season The 1996–97 OHL season was the 17th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Seventeen teams each played 66 games. The Oshawa Generals won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's... |
66 | 26 | 34 | 6 | 58 | 0.439 | 230 | 270 | 4th Western |
Playoffs
- 1995–96 - Defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 3 in division quarter-finals.
Defeated Kitchener Rangers 4 games to 1 in quarter-finals.
Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 1 in semi-finals. - 1996–97 - Lost to S.S.Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 1 division quarter-finals.
Arenas
During the 1995–96 season, the Detroit Whalers played 21 regular season home games at The Palace of Auburn Hills, and the remaining 12 regular season home games and playoff home games at the Oak Park Ice ArenaOak Park Ice Arena
Oak Park Ice Arena is an indoor arena located in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, Michigan. It was built in 1971 and was a temporary home for the Detroit Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League in 1996....
.
Karmanos arranged to build the Whalers a new home in Plymouth Township as soon as the 1995–96 season ended. The new arena was constructed in 6 months, in time for the 1996–97 season. The Detroit Whalers played all games of their second season at the Compuware Sports Arena.
More information on arenas from The OHL Arena & Travel Guide.