After recently penning an article on American Hockey League teams who have achieved one hundred points in a single season, I stumbled across a plethora of team names never to have crossed my radar and of course no longer in operation.

The idea of researching dormant AHL teams appealed to me and this is the first of what I hope is a series of articles taking a look back through history in what I hope are entertaining and informative reads.

I’ll begin on slightly familiar ground as far as I’m concerned with Part One, taking a look at three teams affiliated with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

New Brunswick Hawks 1978-1982

The New Brunswick Hawks operated for just four seasons but gave fans much to cheer about during their short tenure in the American Hockey League.
The Hawks were twice regular season divisional champions, recorded four winning seasons and were crowned Calder Cup Champions in 1982, the last year of their existence.
New Brunswick lost a mere four games in three rounds on route to lifting the trophy, defeating Adirondack Red Wings, Nova Scotia Voyageurs and Binghamton Whalers

Chicago Blackhawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs jointly operated the team until Leafs owner Harold Ballard had his own ideas by the time 1980 rolled around.
Under Ballard’s instruction, Maple Leaf Gardens Limited launched the Cincinnati Tigers in the old Central Hockey League to serve as the lone Leafs affiliate, while still keeping a shareholding in New Brunswick.
Despite this bold move the Cincinnati venture dive-bombed, struggling with attendances and losing a sizeable amount of money in the process.
With Toronto looking elsewhere, New Brunswick’s existence looked even further in danger when the Chicago organisation pulled out in favour of affiliating with Springfield Indians (likely because of Ballard’s antics).

As was his want during an eventful career, Ballard bullied all parties to get his way, eventually moving the franchise to St. Catharine’s despite objections from the Buffalo Sabres who felt they should have had at least a say in the matter but backed down after protests in Niagara and a threat of being sued by Ballard.

The residents of Moncton would not got without hockey however as the Edmonton Oilers were given permission to purchase an AHL team, leading to the establishment of the Moncton Alpines who would be coached for their two seasons of existence by Doug Messier (father of HOF Mark Messier).

Notable players and coaches

Two-time Stanley Cup winning head coach Darryl Sutter won the Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award as Rookie of the Year in 1979-80.

Rocky Saganiuk won the Les Cunningham Award in 1978–79 as the league’s Most Valuable Player and would go on to play for the Leafs for three seasons.

Dave Farrish was voted top defenseman in 1980-81, winning the Eddie Shore Award and is still involved in hockey as a scout with the St. Louis Blues.

A member of the 1980 Winter Olympics United States “Miracle on Ice” national team, Jack O’Callahan played two seasons for New Brunswick and was a part of the Calder Cup winning team before going on to have a seven year career in the NHL.

Eddie Johnston was the first Head Coach of the Hawks but he held the job for just one season like his successors would. The Quebec native is now in his 80’s and best known for his long-time working relationship with the Pittsburgh Penguins, holding the roles of General Manager, Asst. General Manager, Head Coach and Asst. Coach during his 25 years with the organisation.

St. Catharines Saints 1982-1986

Despite being the personal brainchild of Harold Ballard, the St. Catharines Saints would last just four years before having the plug pulled.
Two winning records in four years for Toronto’s first standalone AHL farm team included a pair of playoff runs but no progress further than the second round.

The problems that had belied the CHL venture in Cincinnati reared their head again as Toronto’s affiliate failed to draw the crowds.
After averaging 2,338 fans during the inaugural season, that number dropped off to 1,459 by year four and relocation was inevitable by that point.

Notable players and coaches

Former Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks and now Minnesota Wild Head Coach Bruce Boudreau did suit up for New Brunswick but it was for the Saints that he put up huge numbers with 97 goals and 231 points in 160 games.

Steve Thomas was AHL Rookie of the Year (Red Garrett Memorial Award) during the 1984-85 season with St. Catharines, after helping himself to ninety points (42-48-90) in 64 games. The British-born forward would go on to play over 1200 NHL games and became a fan favourite with the Leafs despite playing just four full seasons in Toronto.

Goaltender Allan Bester played 80 games for the Saints after being selected 48th overall by Toronto in 1983. The Hamilton native spent four complete seasons with the Leafs during what was a difficult period in their history and after a total of eight years with the organisation was traded to Detroit. A minor league for the remainder of his career, Bester would win a Calder Cup with Adirondack

Defenseman Bob McGill suited up on 77 occasions in-between establishing himself with the Maple Leafs. After playing over 700 NHL games the Alberta native took on coaching and scouting roles in professional and junior hockey before returning to Toronto to work for Leafs TV (now Leafs Nation Network).

Doug Carpenter would be head coach of News Brunswick for one season, in charge for the lone campaign of existence for Cincinnati Tigers and then spent two years in St. Catharines before receiving his shot in the NHL.
After four years with New Jersey Devils and a one year spell back in the AHL, Carpenter would be appointed to the Leafs in 1989. After a .500 record in his first year and a first round playoff defeat, Carpenter was fired early during his second season after just one win in the opening eleven games.

Newmarket Saints 1986-1991

It was a case of déjà vu in Newmarket, Ontario, with the second team to be called the Saints lasting just five seasons.
The recently built Ray Twinney Complex was not fit for purpose as an AHL arena and Toronto’s affiliate would only average attendances of around 1700 during the first two season’s of operation.
That would increase to over 2000 but only peak at 2189 in the final 1990-91 campaign.

A losing product did nothing to help matters, Newmarket recording just 156 victories in 400 games and just one season with a winning record which ended with a comprehensive defeat in the first round of the playoffs.

The Maple Leafs organisation would move the Saints to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador for the 1991–92 season where they became the St. John’s Maple Leafs. The void in Newmarket would be filled by the transfer of OHL team Cornwall Royals to Newmarket, thus becoming the Newmarket Royals.

Notable players and coaches

Tie Domi played just one year in Newmarket but unsurprisingly set the single season franchise record for penalty minutes with 285. The enforcer would go on to enjoy a fifteen year career in the NHL, suiting up for New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets but notably finishing with eleven straight seasons for the Leafs who originally drafted him in 1988.

Jim Ralph played his last game of professional hockey during the 1988-89 season having to retire due to a knee injury. The former goaltender has turned to broadcasting since then and Ralph is best known for his current gig alongside Joe Bowen (colour) commentating on Toronto Maple Leafs games on the radio for TSN and Sportsnet.

Derek Laxdal bounced between the Maple Leafs and both Saints teams during his time in the organisation after being drafted 151st overall and the NHL rather passed him by.
Since accepting his first head coaching role in 2003, Laxdal has won one ECHL championship, lifted the WHL trophy twice in four seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings and most recently took the Texas Stars to the Calder Cup final but lost out to the Toronto Marlies.

Steve Spott featured in just twenty games for the Saints after graduating from Colgate University and his professional playing career only amount to three seasons. Coaching exclusively in junior from 1995-2013, his first professional role was to replace the outgoing Dallas as Head Coach of the Toronto Marlies.
Spott guided the Marlies to the Conference Finals and was rewarded with an assistant coaching gig in the NHL with Toronto.
The Toronto native spent only one season with the Leafs before moving on and is currently hired by San Jose, also as an assistant coach.