The Johnstown Red Wings were a professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

team based in Johnstown, Pennsylvania They were founded as a member of the

Eastern Hockey League The Eastern Hockey League was a minor professional United States ice hockey league. Eastern Amateur Hockey League (1933–1953) The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League (EAHL). The league was founded by Tommy Lockhart, ...

in the 1979-80 season. The Red Wings were used as an affiliate to the Adirondack Red Wings of the AHL. At the time, Adirondack was the primary affiliate of the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

History

A year after Johnstown's 1977 flood, former Jets Executive Director/GM John Mitchell founded the Johnstown Wings of the

Northeastern Hockey League The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...

. Mitchell used his connections with the NHL's

for the 1978-79 NEHL season. Mitchell worked with Lincoln Cavalieri, who was president of Olympia Stadium Corporation. At the time, Olympia Stadium Corporation owned the Detroit team, and Mitchell was able to secure an affiliation with the Red Wings. Johnstown worked closely with Detroit General Manager Ted Lindsay and Assistant GM Jim Skinner to develop players. Mitchell eventually ran into financial difficulties. With the assistance of local businesses and a local television station ( WJAC-TV) ran a "Keep Hockey Alive" promotion, enough donations were raised to help fund the Wings' expenses for the season. The following season, a group of 10 prominent local business people took over the team, now the Johnstown Red Wings (with the NEHL taking on the league name of the former

). The 1979-80 team had difficulties on the ice and also lost money, but negotiations with the War Memorial for a new lease were underway when the EHL folded. The Red Wings hired a new coach for the 1979-80 EHL season. Marty Read, the new coach of the Red Wings, had previously played his college hockey at University of Michigan. The Red Wings had a mascot, a red bird named "Reddy", who was brought on midway through the season. The Red Wings played for one season, disbanding after a 24-45-1 season. The team averaged 2,309 fans per game, and had four games where they drew over 3,000 fans. Following the 1979-80 season, the team ceased operations. Johnstown would go without hockey until January 1988, when the Johnstown Chiefs were brought back as part of the AAHL's inaugural 1987-88 season.

Season-by-season results

Eastern Hockey League seasons only.

Regular season

Playoffs

None

Notable Personnel

* Jim Cardiff, played three seasons in the WHA as a member of the

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Vancouver Blazers The Vancouver Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1973 to 1975. The Blazers played at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, sharing the facility with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hocke ...

. Played two partial seasons with the Johnstown Jets before finishing his career as a member of the Red Wings. Briefly coached the team during the final 23 games of the 1979-80 season. * Ron Docken, starting goalie for Johnstown Wings in 1978-79, had minor role in Slap Shot as backup goalie "Lebrun". * Lorry Gloeckner, played 13 games for the

, sat out a season due to injuries, played final season in Johnstown before retiring. * John Hilworth, former Detroit Red Wings draft pick (55th overall, 1977 NHL Entry Draft) who played 57 games over three seasons with Johnstown's parent club. *

Claude Legris Claude Legris (born November 6, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played four games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings during the 1980–81 NHL season, 1980–81 and 1981–82 NHL season, 1981–8 ...

, former Detroit Red Wings draft pick (120th overall,

1976 NHL Entry Draft The 1976 NHL Amateur Draft was the 14th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the NHL office in Montreal, Quebec, on June 1, 1976. It's notable as featuring one of the weakest first rounds in draft history, as only two players ( Rick Green and Bernie F ...

) who made one appearance in Johnstown. Legris remained in Detroit's system until his eventual retirement in 1983. * Ted Lindsay, member of the Hockey Hall Of Fame who briefly accepted position as General Manager with the team. * Dave MacQueen, leading scorer for the Red Wings in 1979-80, former

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...

assistant coach. * Harry Shaw, played 15 years of professional hockey. * Paul Steigerwald, started broadcasting career as the play-by-play announcer for the Johnstown Red Wings. He later held the same role as the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

as a color analyst on radio (1985-2004) and play by play announcer on television (2006-2017). Steigerwald moved to the Penguins' front office and assumed the role of communications and marketing advisor, a role that he continues to hold in 2020. * Wayne Wood, former

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

draft pick (83rd overall,

1971 NHL Entry Draft The 1971 NHL Amateur Draft was the ninth NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 10, 1971, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. The last active player in the NHL from this draft class was Larry Robinson, who retired after the 1991– ...

References

{{reflist 1978 establishments in Pennsylvania 1980 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Defunct sports teams in Pennsylvania Defunct ice hockey teams in the United States Detroit Red Wings Eastern Hockey League (1978–1981) teams Ice hockey clubs established in 1978 Sports clubs disestablished in 1980