The Motor City Mechanics were a professional ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 team of the United Hockey League

United Hockey League

The United Hockey League was a low-level professional ice hockey league , with teams in the United States...

. The Mechanics played their first two seasons, from 2004–2006, at Great Lakes Sports City Superior Arena

Great Lakes Sports City Superior Arena

Great Lakes Sports City Superior Arena is a 3,400-seat multi-purpose arena in Fraser, Michigan. It is the largest of the 5 rinks inside of the Great Lakes Sports City building. The arena was the home of the Motor City Mechanics of the former United Hockey League...

 in Fraser, Michigan

Fraser, Michigan

Fraser is a city in Macomb County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,297 at the 2000 census. The city is part of the Metro Detroit region.The Village of Fraser was incorporated by an act of the state legislature in 1894...

. After being swept in the first round of the UHL playoffs, the Mechanics announced that they would suspend operations for the 2006-07 UHL season.

After looking to relocate, the franchise was sold to a new owner who planned to keep the team in the Detroit area, with home games at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum

Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum

Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum is a 5,600-seat multi-purpose arena in Detroit, Michigan. It is home to the Wayne State University Warriors ice hockey team. The arena was also host to the 2006 men's and women's College Hockey America conference tournament...

, starting in 2008; however, there has been no word on the team's fate.

Facts

Founded: 2004

Arena: Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum

Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum

Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum is a 5,600-seat multi-purpose arena in Detroit, Michigan. It is home to the Wayne State University Warriors ice hockey team. The arena was also host to the 2006 men's and women's College Hockey America conference tournament...

 (capacity 5,600)

Uniform colours: maroon, black & white

Logo design: A puck with the initials MC and a wrench

Division titles won: 0

League championships won: 0

Season-by-season records

Season	GP	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	GF	GA	PIM	Finish	Playoffs
2004-05	80	37	36	-	7	81	229	262	1872	3rd Central Division	Out of playoffs
2005-06	76	40	30	6	-	86	251	246	1768	3rd Central Division	Lost 1st round

First season and the NHL lockout

The team got a major boost during their first year when a lockout wiped out the 2004-05 NHL season, thus leaving the Mechanics the only professional hockey team in the Detroit market. The Mechanics signed three 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...

 players: Chris Chelios

Chris Chelios

Christos Kostas Tselios is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently the Executive Advisor to Ken Holland, the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, a role that Steve Yzerman held before leaving to become general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.Chelios played...

, Derian Hatcher

Derian Hatcher

Derian Hatcher is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers...

, and Kris Draper

Kris Draper

Kristopher Draper is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. Draper is a four-time winner of the Stanley Cup, a Frank J. Selke Trophy winner and scored over 100 goals in the Red Wings uniform. Draper was a member of the famous Grind Line in Detroit, consisting of himself, Kirk Maltby...

. All three players had local ties; Hatcher had even played at the Mechanics' arena as a youth. However, due to visa problems, Kris Draper (a Canadian) never played a game for the Mechanics. Later, Motor City also signed Bryan Smolinski

Bryan Smolinski

Bryan Anthony Smolinski is an American professional ice hockey center. The Boston Bruins drafted him 21st overall in 1990. He has played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks and...

 and Sean Avery

Sean Avery

Sean Christopher Avery is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He formerly played for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars and New York Rangers. Prior to the NHL, Avery played for the Owen Sound Platers and the...

, suiting up four active NHL players, more than any other North American pro team during the lockout. Despite the signings, however, the Mechanics barely played .500 hockey and missed the playoffs. Dennis Menard (a well known Zamboni driver in the local Detroit area) was the Zamboni driver for the Mechanics during their time spent at Great Lakes Sports City Ice Arena.

Following a league investigation concerning the February 2, 2005 game played against the Flint Generals

Flint Generals

The Flint Generals were a professional ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan.They were a member of the International Hockey League and played their home games at Perani Arena and Event Center in Flint, Michigan....

, UHL commissioner Richard Brosal suspended Mechanics' coach Steve Shannon for the rest of the season for offering his players $200 to "take out" Generals forward Kevin Kerr

Kevin Kerr (ice hockey)

Kevin Kerr is a retired professional hockey player and former head coach of the Flint Generals of the International Hockey League. Kerr was drafted in Round 3, 56th overall of the 1986 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.-External links:...

.

The Assembly Line

Echoing the famous Red Wings' Production Line

Production line (hockey)

The Production Line was a nickname for one of the most famous scoring lines in the NHL's history. The line consisted of Gordie Howe, Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay, all members of the Detroit Red Wings....

 of a half-century earlier, the Mechanics sponsored a contest to name its top scoring line of Adam Edinger, Peter Szabo and Brent Gretzky

Brent Gretzky

Brent Gretzky is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, and the brother of Wayne and Keith Gretzky. He briefly played in the National Hockey League for the Tampa Bay Lightning....

. On March 3, 2006, “The Assembly Line” was announced as the winner on the Mechanics' web site, beating out three other finalists: “Pit Crew,” “Engine Line” and “Motor City Drive Train.” The winning name was submitted by David Bolam.