HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
team in the
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
. They played in
Glens Falls, New York Glens Falls is a City (New York), city in Warren County, New York, Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls, New York metropolitan area, Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,83 ...
, United States at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with 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 ...
of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
.


History

Desirous of promoting a winning atmosphere, Detroit ensured that the Adirondack Red Wings would have, for a minor league franchise, an unusually stable, veteran-laden roster. Veterans such as Glenn Merkosky, Jody Gage, Greg Joly, Norm Maracle and Dennis Polonich bolstered a team that saw over thirty players have 200 or more games with the franchise, including nine with over 300 and two (Merkosky and Joly) with over 400. In consequence, the Red Wings missed the playoffs only once in their twenty-year history. They played for the Calder Cup four times, winning each time. The Red Wings' uniforms were identical to the parent club, with the white jersey featuring the distinctive red sleeves that the Detroit franchise has worn since 1956. During their final two seasons, the Adirondack Red Wings also wore a third jersey, based on Detroit's throwback design from 1991–92, replacing the word "DETROIT" on the front of the jersey with the winged wheel logo. The Red Wings prospered as Detroit's top affiliate. However, by the late 1990s, the parent club wanted to move the affiliation closer to Detroit in order to ease movement of players between the minors and the NHL. In early 1999, the Detroit Red Wings announced plans to move the team to
Rossford, Ohio Rossford is a city in Wood County, Ohio, United States, located along the Maumee River in the Toledo metropolitan area. The population was 6,299 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town includes the intersection of Interstate 75 and ...
—a Toledo suburb—for the 2000–01 season. The Red Wings later suspended operations of the team following the 1998–99 season. As part of the agreement to relocate the franchise, the city of Rossford was to build a $48 million entertainment complex that included a 12,000-seat arena. However, the arena deal fell apart in late 2000. The franchise remained dormant until 2002, when it was purchased by the ownership of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
's
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
and resurrected as the San Antonio Rampage. The franchise was replaced by: * Adirondack IceHawks/Frostbite of the UHL (1999–2006). * Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL (2009–2014). * Adirondack Flames of the AHL (2014–2015). * Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL (2015–present).


Coaches

* Bill Purcell 1979–1980 * Wayne Maxner 1980–1981 * Doug McKay 1981–1982 * Bill Mahoney 1982–1983 * Bill Dineen 1983–1989 * Barry Melrose 1989–1992 * Newell Brown 1992–1997 * Glenn Merkosky 1997–1999


General managers

* Ned Harkness 1979–1982 * Jim Devellano 1982–1985 * Neil Smith 1985–1989 * Bill Dineen 1989–1990 * Barry Melrose 1990–1992 * Doug MacLean 1992–1994 * Ken Holland 1995–1997 * Don Waddell 1997–1999


Season-by-season results

* Tidewater Wings 1971–1972 * Virginia Wings 1972–1975 * Adirondack Red Wings 1979–1999


Regular season


Playoffs

Two game combined total goals series in preliminary round.


Notable alumni


Team records

:Career goals: Glenn Merkosky: 204 :Career assists: Glenn Merkosky: 212 :Career points: Glenn Merkosky: 416 :Career penalty minutes: Gord Kruppke: 1,028 :Career games: Glenn Merkosky: 430


Former affiliates (6 stations)

* WROW/590: Albany * WZZM-FM/93.5:
Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...
* WENU/101.7: Hudson Falls * WVKZ/1240: Schenectady * WSTL/1410: South Glens Falls * WKBE/100.5: Warrensburg


References


External links


The Internet Hockey Database - Adirondack Red Wings
{{Authority control Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1999 Ice hockey clubs established in 1979 Defunct ice hockey teams in New York (state) 1979 establishments in New York (state) 1999 disestablishments in New York (state) Sports in Glens Falls, New York Detroit Red Wings minor league affiliates Tampa Bay Lightning minor league affiliates