Detroit Vipers

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Detroit Vipers
founding 1969
resolution 2001
history Salt Lake Golden Eagles
1969-1994
Detroit Vipers
1994-2001
Stadion Palace of Auburn Hills
Location Auburn Hills , Michigan
Team colors white, turquoise, black
Turner Cups 1996/97

The Detroit Vipers were an ice hockey team in the International Hockey League . They played at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills , Michigan , USA from 1994 to 2001 .

history

Ice hockey tradition in Detroit

Detroit had a long history of ice hockey before the Detroit Vipers played their first game in the mid-1990s. With the Detroit Red Wings , a traditional team of the National Hockey League played in the city, which was founded in 1926 and had won the Stanley Cup seven times . There were always other teams like the Detroit Olympics , who settled in Detroit and played in lower-class leagues, but they usually did not stay in the city for a long time.

Salt Lake City to Detroit

In 1969, the team of the Salt Lake Golden Eagles in the US state of Utah was founded, who played their first five years in the Western Hockey League before moving to the Central Hockey League . However, when the league stopped playing in 1984, the Golden Eagles were accepted by the International Hockey League , where they played another ten years.

In 1994, Palace Sports and Entertainment bought the franchise and relocated it to Auburn Hills , a suburb of Detroit. Through a sponsorship deal with the car manufacturer Chrysler , who sold the Dodge Viper with its subsidiary Dodge , the team was finally named Detroit Vipers.

Rick Dudley , who previously worked for the Buffalo Sabers , was hired as head coach, and for the 1994/95 season, the Vipers began their game operations. Benefiting from the delayed start of the NHL season due to a lockout , the team was able to play in front of a large number of spectators and booked almost 17,000 tickets sold per game. The team also enjoyed success on the ice in their first season when they finished third after the regular season. The strikers Daniel Shank , Lonnie Loach and Peter Ciavaglia , who was to be a leading player in the team for several years, stood out in particular .

For the 1995/96 season, the Vipers were able to book a prominent newcomer with Peter Bondra , who could not reach an agreement on a new contract with the Washington Capitals from the NHL. Both sides agreed after a few weeks, and Bondra ended his guest appearance in the IHL after seven games with eight goals. They also signed Rich Parent, a young goalkeeper who was only used to a limited extent as number two, but was able to convince by winning the same number of games as regular goalkeeper Darrin Madeley , who had twice as many appearances. In addition, veteran defender Brad Shaw joined the team. The Vipers finished the season again among the best teams, but failed in the playoffs in the second round.

Achievements and Turner Cup victory

In the summer of 1996, the signing of 17-year-old Sergei Samsonov , who had come from Russia and was about to start his first season in North America, was announced. Samsonow reinforced the well-established offensive around Peter Ciavaglia, Todd Simon and Stan Drulia . On defense, Brad Shaw and Phil Von Stefenelli stood out, and on goal, Rich Parent and Jeff Reese formed a good tandem. In addition, Steve Ludzik was a new coach behind the gang. The Vipers ended up being the strongest team during the regular season and their players won multiple awards. The goalkeepers received the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the fewest goals conceded and Samsonow the Garry F. Longman Memorial Trophy for the best rookie . The team also dominated the competition in the playoffs and ultimately won the Turner Cup . Peter Ciavaglia received the NR "Bud" Poile Trophy as the most valuable player in the finals thanks to his 33 scorer points in the 21 playoff games .

For the 1997/98 season, Jimmy Carson and Brent Fedyk, two experienced professionals, belonged to the team, with Fedyk changing during the season. John Grudden reinforced the defense and in attack Dan Kesa and Steve Walker made their breakthroughs as they became the best offensive forces of the season within the team. The Vipers built on the good performance of previous years and were again among the best teams in the league. Also in the playoffs they had success again and reached the final again, but this time they were defeated by the Chicago Wolves .

A special highlight of the 1997/98 season was a brief stint by 69-year-old ice hockey legend Gordie Howe , who had enjoyed great success with the Detroit Red Wings. With his comeback, Howe became the only professional ice hockey player to be on the ice in six decades.

Led by Walker, Ciavaglia, Drulia and Shaw, the Vipers completed another successful season in 1998/99 and reached the 100 point mark in the main round for the fifth time in a row. The goalkeepers Kevin Weekes and Andrei Trefilow , who conceded the fewest goals in the league, were also an important source of support. The playoffs ended in a hard-fought semi-final against the Orlando Solar Bears , which the Vipers only lost in the seventh and decisive game in extra time.

Sporty and economic descent

In the summer of 1999 there were some changes in the organization of the Vipers. Their operating company, Palace Sports and Entertainment, bought the NHL team Tampa Bay Lightning , for which the Vipers acted as the farm team with immediate effect. Her previous coach, Steve Ludzik, was appointed head coach of Tampa Bay and Paulin Bordeleau was his successor in Detroit. In addition, the team had to cope with the departures of Stan Drulia, Brad Shaw and the two goalkeepers Weekes and Trefilow and due to the recall of players to the NHL by the Lightning, the regular formation changed frequently during the season. The result was a sporty decline, so that after five very successful years the Vipers ended the 1999/2000 season behind in last place in the league.

For the 2000/01 season, former defender Brad Shaw took over as coach in Detroit. Meanwhile, Peter Ciavaglia and Steve Walker left the team, which now consisted almost entirely of inexperienced players in their early 20s. The Vipers continued the bad season of the previous year and finished last in the IHL, 25 points behind the next best team.

The sporting crisis had economic consequences and the Detroit Vipers recorded the worst attendance average in the league. Palace Sports and Entertainment then decided to look for a new farm team for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The league itself had struggled with economic problems in previous years and decided to stop playing in the summer of 2001. The Detroit Vipers decided to take the same step.

Achievements and honors

Club records

Career

Surname number
Most games Peter Ciavaglia 355 (in 6 seasons)
Most goals Peter Ciavaglia 108
Most templates Peter Ciavaglia 249
Most of the points Peter Ciavaglia 357 (108 goals + 249 assists)
Most penalty minutes Darren Banks 777
Most wins as a goalkeeper Rich parent 54
Most shutouts Rich Parent
Jeff Reese 		8th

season

Surname number season
Most goals Daniel Shank 44 1994/95
Most templates Peter Ciavaglia 59 1994/95
Most of the points Lonnie Loach 86 (35 goals + 51 assists) 1995/96
Most penalty minutes John Craighead 368 1995/96
Most wins as a goalkeeper Rich parent 31 1996/97

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