The Best Hockey Teams in Town, Hon!

We all know that Baltimore is the best city in town. But did you know that the best city in town also had the best hockey teams in town? Most of them played for the American Hockey League (AHL), which is the league below the National Hockey League (NHL). What were the best teams in town? Here we go:

Baltimore Clippers (1962-1976 AHL; 1976-1977 SHL) Home Arena: Baltimore Civic Center

The Clippers were actually a competent team. They won their division 3 times. Which division were they in? The East, West, and South Divisions! (Not all at the same time.) Yes, a team from Baltimore was in the West Division. They made it to the Calder Cup finals in the 1971-1972 season, but lost to the Nova Scotia Voyaguers, who eventually became the Hamilton Bulldogs (an affiliate of the Montréal Canadiens). In 1976, the Clippers left the AHL to join the Southern Hockey League, which promptly folded at the end of the season. The Clippers withdrew from the AHL halfway through the 1974-1975 season (one in which they weren't doing to well anyway), only to reform and come back for the 1975-1976 season. Why? Because...

Baltimore Blades (1974-1975 AHL) Home Arena: Baltimore Civic Center

...the Baltimore Blades came to town! Formerly the Michigan Stags of the World Hockey Association (WHA -- who gave the NHL the Hartford Whalers, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, and Québec Nordiques when it folded), the team moved to Baltimore in the 1974-1975 season when troubles on (terrible players) and off (terrible attendance) the ice cause the Stags to fold. By "the team" moved, I mean all the players on the WHA Stags just played on the AHL Blades. Since the Clippers had withdrawn and didn't need their jerseys, the Blades simply sewed their logos on top of the Clippers logos. Sadly, the Blades/Stags sucked no matter where they played. They ended the season with a 3-13-1 record. (That's wins-losses-ties, for you non-hockey people.) The team promptly folded (and the Clippers returned the next season).

Baltimore was without professional hockey for a handful of years until...

Baltimore Skipjacks (1981-1982 ACHL; 1982-1993 AHL) Home Arena: Baltimore Arena

...the Skipjacks! The Baltimore Skipjacks were in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL) for one season before being taken over by the AHL's Erie Blades (no relation to the Baltimore Blades). A slew of Blades players and their coach moved to Baltimore and the Skipjacks entered the AHL in 1982. The Skipjacks lost in the Calder Cup finals of the 1984-1985 season to the Sherbrooke Canadiens (formerly the Nova Scotia Voyageurs)! Bastards! During their 10 years, they made (and lost in the) the playoffs 5 times and won the Southern division only once. They were the AHL affiliate for the Boston Bruins, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Washington Capitals. (Not all at the same time, I'm sure.) The team relocated in 1993 to Portland, ME to become the Portland Pirates (who, while the Capitals affiliate, gave us Alexander Semin).

Two more years of nothing until:

Baltimore Bandits (1995-1997 AHL) Home Arena: Baltimore Arena

The Baltimore Bandits were an affiliate of (sigh) the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The Bandits made it to the playoffs in both seasons they played, beating the Hershey Bears in the first round of the first season. The team was minimally successful financially, so they moved in 1997 to Cincinatti, becoming the Cincinatti Mighty Ducks. In 2005, Disney, who had owned the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim since their beginning in 1993, sold the franchise. The new owners promptly changed the name to the less gay Anaheim Ducks. The Cincinatti Mighty Ducks became the Rockford IceHogs, whose logo looks awfully familiar....