The Cincinnati Mohawks was the name of two 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 ...

teams in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

who played their home games at the Cincinnati Gardens. The first Mohawks' club were members of 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 ...

(AHL) between 1949 and 1952 while the second Mohawks' club played in the International Hockey League from 1952 to 1958. In 1949, the Washington Lions relocated to Cincinnati and took on the name Mohawks. The club would be the first ice hockey team to serve the city of Cincinnati and were a farm team to the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

from 1949 to 1951 and the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

from 1950 to 1952. The AHL variation of the Mohawks were less than impressive on the ice and finished last in their first two seasons. The club managed a playoff berth in the third season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs where they were knocked out by the

Providence Reds The Providence Reds were a hockey team that played in the Canadian-American Hockey League (CAHL) between 1926 and 1936 and the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The t ...

3 games to 1. However, during the AHL Mohawks three-year run, the club reportedly lost $200,000 so ownership decided to take a leave of absence from the league and reorganize. The organization formed a new company called the Cincinnati Mohawks, Inc., and obtained a franchise in the smaller and more manageable IHL. The new Mohawks club were loaded with highly-talented young players such as Phil Goyette, Don Marshall, Charlie Hodge, Duke Edmundson, Billy Goold, John "Bun" Smith, Eddie Kachur, and coach Rollie McLenahan. Most of the club's players were provided by the

. While the Canadiens dominated 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 ...

during the era, the Mohawks dominated the IHL. In their six-year stint in the league, Cincinnati's dynasty won six-straight regular season titles and five Turner Cup Championships. The IHL never saw another club match the Mohawks success during its 56-year run as a league.

Regular season

Cincinnati Mohawks of the AHL Cincinnati Mohawks of the IHL

Playoffs

Cincinnati Mohawks of the AHL Cincinnati Mohawks of the IHL

References

10-23-1975 – Cincinnati Enquirer (Page 57)

External links

AHL statsIHL stats
International Hockey League (1945–2001) teams Sports clubs and teams in Cincinnati Defunct ice hockey teams in Ohio Ice hockey clubs established in 1949 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1958 Montreal Canadiens minor league affiliates New York Rangers minor league affiliates 1949 establishments in Ohio 1958 disestablishments in Ohio {{Cincinnati-sport-stub