Albert C. Sutphin, also known as Al Sutphin and "the man in the red necktie", (1895–1974) was a sports promoter and businessman in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

. His name is closely connected with the

Cleveland Arena Cleveland Arena was an arena in Cleveland, Ohio. It was built and privately financed by local businessman Albert C. Sutphin during the height of the Great Depression in 1937 as a playing site for Sutphin's AHL team, the Cleveland Barons. The aren ...

, the

Ice Capades The Ice Capades were traveling entertainment shows featuring theatrical ice skating performances. Shows often featured former Winter Olympic Games, Olympic and United States Figure Skating Championships, US National Champion figure skating, figur ...

, and minor-league ice hockey. He was president of the Braden-Sutphin Ink Co. which produces graphic arts equipment, inks, printing materials and supplies. Sutphin was born in

Franklin, Ohio Franklin is a city in Warren County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,771 at the 2010 census. The Great Miami River flows through Franklin. Ohio State Routes 73, 123 and 741 pass through Franklin, while Interstate 75 passes on the ...

and moved to Cleveland as a teenager. He played hockey for his high school team, later playing semi-professional baseball and football. He was Cleveland's boxing commissioner in the early 1930s.

Sports promotion

In 1934 Sutphin bought the faltering Cleveland Indians hockey team. As its new owner, president, and treasurer, he renamed the team the

Cleveland Falcons The Cleveland Falcons were a professional ice hockey team in Cleveland, Ohio, that played home games in the Elysium Arena. The team was founded in 1929, as the Cleveland Indians as a member of the International Hockey League, where they played fo ...

; it soon became a charter member of the fledgling

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...

. Two years later he organized a team of investors to build the Cleveland Arena. After conducting a public contest for suggestions, he renamed the team the

Cleveland Barons The name Cleveland Barons has been used by three professional hockey teams and one junior team. *Cleveland Barons (NHL), the National Hockey League team that played between 1976 and 1978 *Cleveland Barons (1937–1973), the original American Hockey ...

. They were the Arena's prime tenant, but Sutphin heavily promoted it as the site for a variety of indoor events such as ice shows, rodeos, basketball from the high school through professional levels, track meets, and boxing matches. He sold the Arena and the team in 1949, but continued to support Cleveland sports until the end of his life. In February 1940, Al Sutphin and eight other arena managers organized the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutphin, Albert 1895 births 1974 deaths American ice hockey administrators