| Baltimore Skipjacks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Baltimore, Maryland |
| League | EHL (1979–1981) ACHL (1981–1982) AHL (1982–1993) |
| Operated | 1979–1993 |
| Home arena | Baltimore Civic Center (renamed Baltimore Arena in 1986) |
| Affiliates | Minnesota North Stars (1979–1981) Boston Bruins (1982–1983) Pittsburgh Penguins (1982–1987) Washington Capitals (1988–1993) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1979–1981 | Baltimore Clippers |
| 1981–1982 | Baltimore Skipjacks (ACHL) |
| merged with | Erie Blades in 1982 |
| 1982–1993 | Baltimore Skipjacks |
| 1993–2016 | Portland Pirates |
| 2016–present | Springfield Thunderbirds |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 1: (1983–84) |
| Division titles | 1: (1983–84) |
TheBaltimore Skipjacks were aminor league professionalice hockey team fromBaltimore,Maryland, United States. The Skipjacks originated in 1979, and played as the Baltimore Clippers in theEastern Hockey League for two seasons. The team was renamed to Skipjacks in 1981, and played the following season in theAtlantic Coast Hockey League. The Skipjacks then played eleven seasons as members of theAmerican Hockey League (AHL), from 1982 until 1993. In 1993, the Skipjacks relocated toPortland, Maine, becoming thePortland Pirates.
The Skipjacks were one of three AHL teams to have been based in Baltimore, including theBaltimore Clippers, and theBaltimore Bandits. The Skipjacks operated as afarm team to thePittsburgh Penguins andWashington Capitals for five seasons each, and were previously a farm team to theMinnesota North Stars for two seasons, theBoston Bruins for one season. The team played its home games at theBaltimore Civic Center, which was renamed to the Baltimore Arena in 1986.
Gene Ubriaco was the team's headcoach for seven seasons, and won theAHL Coach of the Year Award during the1983–84 AHL season, when he led the Skipjacks to a division title. The Skipjacks reached theCalder Cup finals in the1984–85 AHL season, but were defeated by theSherbrooke Canadiens. In the same season,Jon Casey won theAHL Goaltender of the Year Award andled the AHL in goals against average.Mitch Lamoureux is the team's career leader ingoals (119),assists (133), andpoints (252), and was inducted into theAHL Hall of Fame.
When theSouthern Hockey League folded due to financial issues in 1977, Baltimore no longer had a professional hockey team.[1] A group of businessmen formed the Baltimore Hockey Advocates in 1979, and raisedUS$100,000 to purchase anexpansion team for Baltimore.[1] TheEastern Hockey League (EHL) granted the Advocates an expansion team on September 12, 1979, which revived the Baltimore Clippers name.[2] The Clippers name paid homage to local history in theBaltimore Clipper, and thePort of Baltimore.[3]
The Clippers played in the EHL for two seasons, and were affiliated as afarm team of theMinnesota North Stars of theNational Hockey League from 1979 to 1981.[4] The team played in green, white and gold uniform colors, the same as its parent team in Minnesota.[2] Their first games was a 4–1 loss to theErie Blades on October 24, 1979.[2]
Gene Ubriaco was the team's first headcoach.[5] He had playedleft wing for a Baltimore team during the1967–68 AHL season, and retired as a player in 1970.[6] During the 1979–80 season, he briefly came out of retirement and played four minutes as an emergencygoaltender, stopping all three shots he faced.[7]
The Clippers won 41 games in the team's first season, tied for a second-place finish and five wins behind the first-place team.[8]Warren Young was the team's highest-scoringcenter, and led the league with 53goals scored.[9] In the 1980 Mitchell Cup playoffs, the Clippers reached the final round versus the defending champion Erie Blades, losing the series four games to one.[2]
In the 1980–81 season, the Clippers dropped to fourth place, winning 29 games.[5]Defenseman Gerry Ciarcia, tied for the league lead with 68assists.[10] In the 1981 playoffs, the Clippers faced the first place Erie Blades and lost all four games in the series.[11] In June 1981, the North Stars named Ubriaco coach andgeneral manager of theNashville South Stars in theCentral Hockey League.[12] On July 19, 1981, team owners mutually agreed to fold the EHL, and begin a new league.[8]
TheAtlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL) was founded in 1981 to replace the EHL.[13] The Advocates raised another US$100,000 to help establish the new league. Advocates' president John Haas stated the ACHL was set up "primarily to pay the financial obligations" of the EHL.[1] The team was rebranded as the Baltimore Skipjacks, to avoid paying US$10,000 intrademark rights for the Clippers' name.[1] The team name had maritime origins in theskipjack boat, which later became one of thestate symbols of Maryland in 1985.[14]
The Skipjacks did not affiliate as an NHL farm team during the season, and chose a green and white color scheme without the gold color used by the North Stars.[1] The new logo resembled aship's wheel, with the team name spelled out with ropes.[15]Moose Lallo became the new head coach, agreeing to a one-year contract.[16] He had won two championships during twenty years of coaching in theInternational Hockey League.[16]
The new Skipjacks' first game was a 6–4 victory versus theSalem Raiders on October 24, 1981.[3] Baltimore finished third place in the1981–82 ACHL season.[15]Jim Stewart was named anACHL first team all-star, as the league's best goaltender.[17] In the 1982 playoffs, Baltimore faced the second placeMohawk Valley Stars. In a high-scoring series with 72 goals, the Stars prevailed in seven games.[18]
Skipjacks team owners lobbied for anAmerican Hockey League team in Baltimore. In 1982, thePittsburgh Penguins relocated their farm team by merging players from theErie Blades into the ACHL's Skipjacks, and signing a three-year affiliation commitment.[1][17][19] CoachLou Angotti and sixteen Erie players made the move to Baltimore.[20] The Skipjacks also had a secondary affiliation with theBoston Bruins for the1982–83 AHL season.[21][22] Baltimore changed its uniform colors to black, gold and white, similar to both the Penguis and Bruins, and used a new logo.[3] For the 1982–83 season, salaries of fifteen players were paid by the Penguins, four players where paid by the Bruins, while two player additional players were signed by the Skipjacks.[1]
Mike Gillis led the team in scoring with 113points.[20]Mitch Lamoureux led the league with 57 goals,[23] and won theDudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL Rookie of the Year.[24] DefensemanGreg Tebbutt won theEddie Shore Award as the AHL Defenseman of the Year.[25] Lamoureux improved the offense, but the Skipjacks finished the season in fifth place and missed the playoffs.[26]
The Skipjacks went into the1983–84 AHL season affiliated only with Pittsburgh.[21] The Skipjacks unveiled a new logo for the season which resembled the word "JACKS" superimposed on a ship's wheel, and used the same black, gold and white color scheme of the Penguins.[27] Ubriaco was brought back as head coach, and led the team to its best record with 102 points, and 384 goals scored.[28] The Skipjacks won theJohn D. Chick Trophy as the regular season champions of the AHL's south division.[29][30] The offense was evenly spread out with 18 different players scoring at least 10 goals, andPaul Gardner led the team with 81 points.[31] The Skipjacks were bolstered by the conscious decision of the Penguins to keep its prospects in the AHL, in an effort to finish last in the1983–84 NHL season and win the right to selectMario Lemieux first overall in the1984 NHL Entry Draft.[3][17][32] In the playoffs, the Skipjacks defeated the fourth placeSpringfield Indians in four straight games, then waited 15 days for the second round start asRochester Americans andSt. Catharines Saints series went the full seven games.[32][33] The layoff possibly affected the Skipjacks, as they lost to Rochester in six games in the second round.[33] After the season, Ubriaco was given theLouis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's Coach of the Year.[34]
In the1984–85 AHL season, the Skipjacks set a professional ice hockey and a league record with 16 consecutive wins during February and March.[35][36] The Skipjacks featured seven different players with 20-goal seasons,[37] and finished second place in the south division with 98 points.[38] The defense was led by captainSteve Carlson,[3] and goaltenderJon Casey, on loan from the Minnesota North Stars.[17] Casey led the league with the lowestgoals against average to win theHarry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award,[39] and was voted the AHL's best goaltender, winning theAldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award.[40] In the playoffs, the Skipjacks defeated Rochester in the first round by four games to one, and then won all four games against the first placeBinghamton Whalers in the second round.[41] The Skipjacks' offense was shut down in the finals by rookie 19-year-old goaltenderPatrick Roy, and the team lost in six games to theSherbrooke Canadiens.[36][42]
The Skipjacks struggled in the1985–86 AHL season, even though Ubriaco stayed when many players moved up to the NHL. The offense was led byTom Roulston with 38 goals, and 87 points.[43] The team finished seventh place in the southern division, missing the playoffs.[44] In the1986–87 AHL season, Ubriaco improved the team to fifth place in the southern division, but still missed the playoffs.[45]Alain Lemieux led the team with 41 goals and 97 points,[46] and placed second overall in league scoring.[17] The Penguins did not renew the affiliation agreement after the season.[19][35]
Baltimore needed to find a new source of money, without the financial help from the Penguins. BusinessmanTom Ebright purchased the team for $250,000, and operated it as an independent franchise, without an NHL farm team affiliation for the1987–88 AHL season.[3][17] Baltimore's roster relied on players from several teams.[35] The Skipjacks began the season with eightteen consecutive losses, breaking a professional hockey record previously held by theWashington Capitals who lost 17 straight in the1974–75 NHL season.[35] The Skipjacks finished last in the AHL with 35 points, missing the playoffs.[47] The team's leading player was centerDoug Shedden, who scored 37 goals, and 88 points on the season.[48]
The Washington Capitals began a five-year farm team affiliation with the Skipjacks in the1988–89 AHL season.[21] The Skipjacks logo was switched to a red, white and blue color scheme to match the Washington Capitals.[27]Terry Murray was appointed the new head coach, and improved the team record to 30 wins, but the Skipjacks missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.[49] CentermanMike Richard led the team in scoring with 44 goals, and 107 points,[50] placing fourth overall in the league.[17]Mike Millar scored 47 goals, andScott McCrory added 37 goals.[50]
The Skipjacks began the1989–90 AHL season with a 26–17–2 record, before head coach Terry Murray was promoted to the NHL, and replaced byDoug MacLean.[17][19] The Skipjacks finished the season with 43 wins, and a third-place finish in the southern division.[51] GoaltenderJim Hrivnak won 24 games, and earned fourshutouts, and Mike Richard led the team in scoring again with 41 goals, and 83 points.[52] In the playoffs, the Skipjacks defeated the second placeAdirondack Red Wings in six games, in the first round, then lost to the first place Rochester Americans in six games in the second round.[53]
In the1990–91 AHL season,Rob Laird became the team's new head coach.[28]Kenny Albert began his professional broadcasting career as the play-by-play announcer of the Skipjacks in 1990.[54] The offense was led byAlfie Turcotte with 33 goals, and 85 points, and Jim Hrvniak won 20 games in goal.[55] The Skipjacks finished third place in the regular season,[56] received a bye in the first round, then faced theBinghamton Rangers in round two of the playoffs, losing in six games.[57]
The league realigned into three divisions for the1991–92 AHL season, with the Skipjacks remaining in the southern division. Washington also allocated theHampton Roads Admirals of theEast Coast Hockey League, as a farm team for the Skipjacks.[21] The offense was led bySimon Wheeldon with 38 goals and 91 points, in addition toJohn Purves, andReggie Savage, having 40-plus goal seasons.[58] Despite the goal scoring, the Skipjacks struggled in the new division placing fifth, and out of the playoffs.[59]
In the1992–93 AHL season,Barry Trotz became the new head coach.[28] At 30 years old, Trotz was the youngest head coach in the AHL that season.[60] The offense was led byJohn Byce with 35 goals, and 79 points, and goaltenderByron Dafoe played 48 of 80 games.[61]
On March 26, 1993, team ownership announced pending relocation of the team toPortland, Maine, for the next season.[3] The Skipjacks finished the season fourth place in the southern division,[62] with the playoffs beginning on April 16, 1993, three weeks after the announced move.[63] Facing first-place Binghamton in the playoffs, the Skipjacks extended the series to seven games, but lost 5–3 in the deciding game played on April 16, 1993.[3][63] The next season, the team played as thePortland Pirates.[3][17]
Three previous professional hockey teams in Baltimore were known as the Clippers including theBaltimore Clippers (1945–1949), theBaltimore Clippers (1954–1956), and theBaltimore Clippers (1962–1977).[3] In a home game on March 8, 1980, the Clippers defeated theUtica Mohawks 5–4 in overtime. Spectators were excited by fighting between the teams and threw beer and other debris onto ice surface, which resulted in injuries and at least one arrest.[64]
The Skipjacks were described as "beloved symbols" of Baltimore who adopted the city’sblue-collar worker persona as the grittyunderdogs,[60] and had an almost "belligerent pride" about being aworking class town supporting hockey.[1] Beginning in 1980, the Skipjacks had an uphill battle as they shared their arena with theBaltimore Blast of theMajor Indoor Soccer League. The hockey team was consistently outdrawn by the soccer team and given second choice for nights of play.[1][3] The Skipjacks did littlemarketing or promotion for the team.[65] Their home games had no high-tech displays for crowds, compared promotions for sellout crowds at indoor soccer games. The Skipjacks averaged 2,660 fans a game through its first 17 home games in the 1980–81 season, the second lowest total in the AHL.[1] Their arena could not make many Saturday nights from October to May available for hockey, and the team struggled to attract hockey fans from the suburbs toDowntown Baltimore, which has petty crime and homeless people on the street.[66]
Team owner Tom Ebright stated that while Baltimore avid hockey fans, "there just weren't enough of them".[67] Ebright claimed he lost $2.5 million in six years, and chose to relocate to Portland because of its "established fan base for hockey".[67]
The Skipjacks and Clippers had seven different head coaches in fourteen seasons of play.Gene Ubriaco coached seven seasons in Baltimore, and won theLouis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as American Hockey League Coach of the Year in the 1983–84 season.[34] Five of the seven Baltimore coaches, were also head coaches of NHL teams, including Ubriaco, Angotti, Murray, MacLean, and Trotz.[5][15][28]
| List of Baltimore Skipjacks head coaches | |
|---|---|
| Season(s) | Coach |
| 1979–81 | Gene Ubriaco (2) |
| 1981–82 | Moose Lallo |
| 1982–83 | Lou Angotti |
| 1983–88 | Gene Ubriaco (5) |
| 1988–89 | Terry Murray |
| 1989–90 | Terry Murray &Doug MacLean |
| 1990–92 | Rob Laird (2) |
| 1992–93 | Barry Trotz |
| Source:[5][15][28] (multiple seasons in parentheses) | |
Skipjacks alumni include over 140 players who also had NHL careers.[68]Jim Stewart was the only player from the ACHL Skipjacks to play in the NHL.[69] Thirteen players from the EHL Clippers went onto NHL careers.[70]Mitch Lamoureux is the Baltimore Skipjacks career leader in goals (119), assists (133), and points (252).[68] He was inducted into theAHL Hall of Fame in the class of 2011.[71] Three Skipjacks also won season awards:
| Annual AHL award winners | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Player | Award description | AHL award | |
| 1982–83 | Mitch Lamoureux | Rookie of the year | Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award | [24] |
| Greg Tebbutt | Defenceman of the year | Eddie Shore Award | [25] | |
| 1984–85 | Jon Casey | Best Goaltender | Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award | [40] |
| Lowest goals against average | Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award | [39] | ||
| Single season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season | Player | Statistic |
| 1982–83 | Mitch Lamoureux | 57 goals |
| 1982–83 | Mike Gillis | 81 assists |
| 1982–83 | Mike Gillis | 113 points |
| 1986–87 | Mitch Wilson | 353 penalty minutes |
| 1984–85 | Jon Casey | 4 shutouts |
| 1984–85 | Jon Casey | 2.63 goals against average |
| Career | ||
| Seasons | Player | Statistic |
| 1989–1993 | Tim Taylor | 259 games played |
| 1982–1986 | Mitch Lamoureux | 119 goals |
| 1982–1986 | Mitch Lamoureux | 133 assists |
| 1982–1986 | Mitch Lamoureux | 252 points |
| 1982–1987 | Gary Rissling | 868 penalty minutes |
| 1988–1992 | Jim Hrivnak | 55 goaltending wins |
Source:[17]
Season-by-season results in the regular season, and playoffs.[5][15][28]
| Season | Team | League | Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | OTL | Points | GF | GA | Standing | 1st round | 2nd round | Finals | |||
| 1979–80 | Clippers | EHL | 70 | 41 | 25 | 4 | — | 86 | 308 | 225 | 2nd, EHL | unknown | — | L, 1–4,Erie[2] |
| 1980–81 | Clippers | EHL | 72 | 29 | 36 | 7 | — | 65 | 278 | 286 | 4th, EHL | L, 0–4,Erie | — | — |
| 1981–82 | Skipjacks | ACHL | 48 | 22 | 23 | 3 | — | 47 | 204 | 189 | 3rd, ACHL | L, 3–4,Mohawk Valley | — | — |
| 1982–83 | Skipjacks | AHL | 80 | 35 | 36 | 9 | — | 79 | 362 | 366 | 5th, South | Out of playoffs | ||
| 1983–84 | Skipjacks | AHL | 80 | 46 | 24 | 10 | — | 102 | 384 | 304 | 1st, South | W, 4–0,Springfield | L, 2–4,Rochester | — |
| 1984–85 | Skipjacks | AHL | 80 | 45 | 27 | 8 | — | 98 | 326 | 252 | 2nd, South | W, 4–1,Rochester | W, 4–0,Binghamton | L, 2–4,Sherbrooke |
| 1985–86 | Skipjacks | AHL | 80 | 28 | 44 | 8 | — | 64 | 271 | 304 | 7th, South | Out of playoffs | ||
| 1986–87 | Skipjacks | AHL | 80 | 35 | 37 | — | 8 | 78 | 277 | 295 | 5th, South | Out of playoffs | ||
| 1987–88 | Skipjacks | AHL | 80 | 13 | 58 | 9 | 0 | 35 | 268 | 434 | 7th, South | Out of playoffs | ||
| 1988–89 | Skipjacks | AHL | 80 | 30 | 46 | 4 | — | 64 | 317 | 347 | 6th, South | Out of playoffs | ||
| 1989–90 | Skipjacks | AHL | 80 | 43 | 30 | 7 | — | 93 | 302 | 265 | 3rd, South | W, 4-2,Adirondack | L, 2–4,Rochester | — |
| 1990–91 | Skipjacks | AHL | 80 | 39 | 34 | 7 | — | 85 | 325 | 289 | 3rd, South | L, 2–4,Binghamton | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Skipjacks | AHL | 80 | 28 | 42 | 10 | — | 66 | 287 | 320 | 5th, South | Out of playoffs. | ||
| 1992–93 | Skipjacks | AHL | 80 | 28 | 40 | 12 | — | 68 | 318 | 353 | 4th, South | L, 3–4,Binghamton | — | — |