The Toledo Blades and Hornets were the International Hockey League franchise of

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

from 1963 to 1974. The first four years (1959-1963) of the franchise was in

Omaha, NE Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest ci ...

as the

Omaha Knights The Omaha Knights was the name of three minor league professional ice hockey teams from 1959 to 1965 and from 1966 to 1975, based in Omaha, Nebraska, at the Ak-Sar-Ben Arena. The Knights were founded in 1959 as members of the International Hoc ...

. After moving to Toledo for the 1963-64 season, they were renamed the Blades. The team name was changed to Hornets in 1970. The franchise left Toledo after the 1973–74 season for

Lansing, MI Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...

, where they became the

Lansing Lancers The Lansing Lancers were a professional ice hockey team playing in the International Hockey League. They were based in Lansing, Michigan and played their games at Metro Ice Arena. They were a member of the league during the 1974–1975 season, a ...

. The Blades were the Regular Season Champions in 1963–64, with 86 points and were awarded the Huber Trophy. The Blades won the

Turner Cup The Turner Cup was the championship trophy of the International Hockey League from 1945 to 2001 and the renamed United Hockey League from 2007 to 2010. The Cup was named for Joe Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario. Turner became professi ...

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

and

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

. The Leading Rookie Award was awarded to Blades players Don Westbrook in 1964, Bob Thomas in 1965, and Wayne Zuk in 1970. Blades goaltender, Glenn Ramsay, won the

James Norris Memorial Trophy The James Norris Memorial Trophy, or simply the Norris Trophy, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top " defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position". It is named after Ja ...

for the fewest goals against during the 1963–64 regular season, his third Norris Trophy in a row. Glenn also won his sixth and final Norris Trophy in 1967. In 1965, team captain,

William "Chick" Chalmers William Junior Chalmers (January 24, 1934 – December 7, 1994), was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played one game in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers during the 1953–54 season. The rest of his career, which l ...

, was awarded the

James Gatschene Memorial Trophy The James Gatschene Memorial Trophy was awarded annually to the International Hockey League player selected as most valuable through his display of outstanding playing ability and sportsmanlike conduct over the course of the regular season, as ch ...

, for the player voted most valuable through his display of outstanding playing ability and sportsmanlike conduct over the course of the regular season by the league coaches. After the Hornets left in 1974, the IHL awarded a new franchise to Toledo, the Goaldiggers.

Season-by-season record

Franchise records

All-time leaders

References

External links

A to Z Encyclopaedia of Ice Hockey Toledo Blades/Hornets History
International Hockey League (1945–2001) teams Sports teams in Toledo, Ohio Defunct ice hockey teams in the United States Ice hockey clubs established in 1963 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1970 1963 establishments in Ohio 1970 disestablishments in Ohio {{Ohio-sport-team-stub