Cleveland Barons (1937–1973)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cleveland Barons | |
 |
|
| City: | Cleveland, Ohio |
|---|---|
| League: | American Hockey League |
| Operated: | 1937 to Feb. 1973 |
| Home Arena: | Cleveland Arena |
| Colors: | Royal Blue & White |
| Franchise history | |
| 1929 to 1934 IHL: | Cleveland Indians |
| 1934 to 1936 IHL: 1936 to 1937 AHL: |
Cleveland Falcons |
| 1937 to February, 1973: |
Cleveland Barons |
| February, 1973 to 1973-74 Season: |
Jacksonville Barons |
| Championships | |
| Regular Season Titles: | eight (1937-38, 1943-44, 1944-45, 1946-47, 1947-48, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1952-53) |
| Division Championships: | ten (1937-38, 1940-41, 1943-44, 1944-45, 1946-47, 1947-48, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1952-53, 1961-62) |
| Calder Cups: | nine (1938-39, 1940-41, 1944-45, 1947-48, 1950-51, 1952-53, 1953-54, 1956-57, 1963-64) |
The Cleveland Barons were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Cleveland, Ohio, USA at the Cleveland Arena. The most successful team in AHL history, the original incarnation of the Barons played in the AHL from 1937 to 1973. In that time they won ten division titles and nine Calder Cups, which although the team has been defunct for over three decades both remain unsurpassed AHL records.
Contents |
[edit] History
The team traces its roots back to the 1929-30 season of the International Hockey League, as the "Cleveland Indians." The Indians played for five seasons, until being renamed the Cleveland Falcons for the 1934-35 season. The Falcons played for three more years, when they became the Barons in 1937-38.
For many years, the team was owned by Al Sutphin, who was also an owner of the Braden-Sutphin Ink Company in Cleveland. Sutphin, a true sportsman, was known to often pay better salaries than NHL teams at the time ('30s and '40s), and some players preferred to remain in "minor league" Cleveland instead of playing in the "major" NHL. Sutphin built the Cleveland Arena, at the time one of the largest and most beautiful hockey facilities in North America. It was rumored that the dormant Montreal Maroons franchise would be transferred to Cleveland but nothing came of it.
Sutphin sold the team and arena in 1949. Afterwards, Cleveland sought a National Hockey League franchise during the early 1950s, but purported financing irregularities caused the NHL to turn down the bid. During the '40s and '50s, the Barons played to standing-room-only audiences.
The preeminent star of the franchise was Fred Glover, the team's career leader in goals, assists, points, penalty minutes and seasons, (and second in league history in all those categories). Also notable was Hall of Famer goaltender Johnny Bower, who before he starred in the NHL played brilliantly for the Barons for nine seasons and is the AHL's career shutout leader. The longtime general manager for the franchise was James C. Hendy, a Hall of Fame Builder and the first prominent statistician in the history of the sport. Other notable players included Les Cunningham, a five-time league All-Star for whom the AHL's MVP award is named, Jack Gordon, Norm Beaudin, Bill Needham (the team's career leader in games played), Cal Stearns, Fred Thurier and Les Binkley.
When the World Hockey Association (WHA) Cleveland Crusaders began play in 1972, it shrank the market for the Barons and caused their demise. The Barons could not compete with the WHA practice of hiring ex-NHL players whose contracts had expired and consequently lost many fans. In addition, creation of the new "major league" drew talent away from the AHL. The owner, Nick Mileti, who also owned the Crusaders, decided the team could not co-exist with the new Crusaders in Cleveland and moved the Barons mid-season (in February, 1973) to Jacksonville, Florida. The Jacksonville Barons played to poor audiences and folded for good the next season, ending the franchise's long and illustrious history.
The team was replaced in this market by:
- Cleveland Crusaders of the WHA (1972-1976)
- Cleveland Lumberjacks of the IHL (1992-2001)
- A second Cleveland Barons AHL team (2001-2006)
- Lake Erie Monsters (2007 - present) of the AHL
[edit] Team records
- Single Season
- Goals: Lou Trudel, 45, 1945
- Assists: Fred Glover, 69, 1960
- Points: Glover, 107, 1960
- Career
- Career Goals: Glover, 410
- Career Assists: Glover, 695
- Career Points: Glover, 1105
- Career Penalty Minutes: Glover, 2164
- Career Goaltending Wins: Johnny Bower, 284
- Career Shutouts: Bower, 38
- Career Games: Bill Needham, 981
[edit] Season-by-season results
- Cleveland Indians 1929–1934 (International Hockey League)
- Cleveland Falcons 1934–1936 (International Hockey League)
- Cleveland Falcons 1936–1937 (International-American Hockey League)
- Cleveland Barons 1937–1940 (International-American Hockey League)
- Cleveland Barons 1940–1972
- Cleveland / Jacksonville Barons 1972–1973
- Jacksonville Barons 1973–1974
[edit] Regular Season
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929–30 | 42 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 57 | 125 | 78 | 1st, IHL |
| 1930–31 | 48 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 54 | 131 | 112 | 3rd, IHL |
| 1931–32 | 48 | 15 | 25 | 8 | 38 | 110 | 142 | 7th, IHL |
| 1932–33 | 42 | 10 | 27 | 5 | 25 | 100 | 147 | 6th, IHL |
| 1933–34 | 44 | 16 | 24 | 4 | 36 | 104 | 121 | 6th, IHL |
| 1934–35 | 44 | 20 | 23 | 1 | 40 | 115 | 132 | 4th, IHL |
| 1935–36 | 48 | 25 | 19 | 4 | 54 | 149 | 146 | 2nd, West |
| 1936–37 | 48 | 13 | 27 | 8 | 34 | 113 | 152 | 3rd, West |
| 1937–38 | 48 | 25 | 12 | 11 | 61 | 126 | 114 | 1st, West |
| 1938–39 | 54 | 23 | 22 | 9 | 55 | 145 | 138 | 3rd, West |
| 1939–40 | 56 | 24 | 24 | 8 | 56 | 127 | 130 | 4th, West |
| 1940–41 | 56 | 26 | 21 | 9 | 61 | 177 | 162 | 1st, West |
| 1941–42 | 56 | 33 | 19 | 4 | 70 | 174 | 152 | 3rd, West |
| 1942–43 | 56 | 21 | 29 | 6 | 48 | 190 | 196 | 4th, West |
| 1943–44 | 54 | 33 | 14 | 7 | 73 | 224 | 176 | 1st, West |
| 1944–45 | 60 | 34 | 10 | 16 | 78 | 256 | 199 | 1st, West |
| 1945–46 | 62 | 28 | 26 | 8 | 64 | 269 | 254 | 3rd, West |
| 1946–47 | 64 | 38 | 18 | 8 | 84 | 272 | 215 | 1st, West |
| 1947–48 | 68 | 43 | 13 | 12 | 98 | 332 | 197 | 1st, West |
| 1948–49 | 68 | 41 | 21 | 6 | 88 | 286 | 251 | 3rd, West |
| 1949–50 | 70 | 45 | 15 | 10 | 100 | 357 | 230 | 1st, West |
| 1950–51 | 71 | 44 | 22 | 5 | 93 | 281 | 221 | 1st, West |
| 1951–52 | 68 | 44 | 19 | 5 | 93 | 265 | 166 | 2nd, West |
| 1952–53 | 64 | 42 | 20 | 2 | 86 | 248 | 164 | 1st, AHL |
| 1953–54 | 70 | 38 | 32 | 0 | 76 | 269 | 227 | 3rd, AHL |
| 1954–55 | 64 | 32 | 29 | 3 | 67 | 254 | 222 | 2nd, AHL |
| 1955–56 | 64 | 26 | 31 | 7 | 59 | 225 | 231 | 4th, AHL |
| 1956–57 | 64 | 35 | 26 | 3 | 73 | 249 | 210 | 2nd, AHL |
| 1957–58 | 70 | 39 | 28 | 3 | 81 | 232 | 163 | 2nd, AHL |
| 1958–59 | 70 | 37 | 30 | 3 | 77 | 261 | 252 | 2nd, AHL |
| 1959–60 | 72 | 34 | 30 | 8 | 76 | 267 | 229 | 4th, AHL |
| 1960–61 | 72 | 36 | 35 | 1 | 73 | 231 | 234 | 3rd, AHL |
| 1961–62 | 70 | 39 | 28 | 3 | 81 | 255 | 203 | 1st, West |
| 1962–63 | 72 | 31 | 34 | 7 | 69 | 270 | 253 | 2nd, West |
| 1963–64 | 72 | 37 | 30 | 5 | 79 | 239 | 207 | 3rd, West |
| 1964–65 | 72 | 24 | 43 | 5 | 53 | 228 | 285 | 4th, West |
| 1965–66 | 72 | 38 | 32 | 2 | 78 | 243 | 217 | 2nd, West |
| 1966–67 | 72 | 36 | 27 | 9 | 81 | 284 | 230 | 3rd, West |
| 1967–68 | 72 | 28 | 30 | 14 | 70 | 236 | 255 | 4th, West |
| 1968–69 | 74 | 30 | 32 | 12 | 72 | 213 | 245 | 2nd, West |
| 1969–70 | 72 | 23 | 33 | 16 | 62 | 222 | 255 | 4th, West |
| 1970–71 | 72 | 39 | 26 | 7 | 85 | 272 | 208 | 2nd, West |
| 1971–72 | 76 | 32 | 34 | 10 | 74 | 269 | 263 | 4th, West |
| 1972–73 | 76 | 23 | 44 | 9 | 55 | 251 | 329 | 5th, West |
| 1973–74 | 76 | 24 | 44 | 8 | 56 | 244 | 334 | 5th, South |
[edit] Playoffs
| Season | 1st round | 2nd round | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1929–30 | W, 2–0, London | — | W, 3–1, Buffalo |
| 1930–31 | 3rd place in double round robin. | ||
| 1931–32 | Out of Playoffs | ||
| 1932–33 | Out of Playoffs | ||
| 1933–34 | Out of Playoffs | ||
| 1934–35 | L, 0–2, London | — | — |
| 1935–36 | L, 1–3, Buffalo | — | — |
| 1936–37 | Data unavailable | ||
| 1937–38 | Data unavailable | ||
| 1938–39 | ?? | ?? | W, 3–1, Philadelphia |
| 1939–40 | Out of Playoffs | ||
| 1940–41 | W, 3–1, Providence | bye | W, 3–2, Hershey |
| 1941–42 | W, 2–0, Washington | L, 1–2, Hershey | — |
| 1942–43 | W, 2–0, Providence | L, 0–2, Indianapolis | — |
| 1943–44 | W, 4–3, Hershey | — | L, 0–4, Buffalo |
| 1944–45 | W, 4–2, Buffalo | — | W, 4–2, Hershey |
| 1945–46 | W, 2–0, Providence | W, 2–1, Pittsburgh | L, 3–4, Buffalo |
| 1946–47 | L, 0–4, Hershey | — | — |
| 1947–48 | W, 4–1, Providence | bye | W, 4–0, Buffalo |
| 1948–49 | W, 2–1, Springfield | L, 0–2, Hershey | — |
| 1949–50 | W, 4–1, Buffalo | bye | L, 0–4, Indianapolis |
| 1950–51 | W, 4–0, Buffalo | bye | W, 4–3, Pittsburgh |
| 1951–52 | L, 2–3, Providence | — | — |
| 1952–53 | W, 3–1, Syracuse | — | W, 4–3, Pittsburgh |
| 1953–54 | W, 3–0, Buffalo | — | W, 4–2, Hershey |
| 1954–55 | L, 1–3, Buffalo | — | — |
| 1955–56 | W, 3–1, Pittsburgh | — | L, 0–4, Providence |
| 1956–57 | W, 4–3, Hershey | — | W, 4–1, Rochester |
| 1957–58 | L, 3–4, Springfield | — | — |
| 1958–59 | L, 3–4, Hershey | — | — |
| 1959–60 | L, 3–4, Rochester | — | — |
| 1960–61 | L, 0–4, Springfield | — | — |
| 1961–62 | L, 2–4, Springfield | — | — |
| 1962–63 | W, 2–0, Rochester | L, 2–3, Hershey | — |
| 1963–64 | W, 2–0, Rochester | W, 3–0, Hershey | W, 4–0, Quebec |
| 1964–65 | Out of Playoffs | ||
| 1965–66 | W, 3–0, Pittsburgh | W, 3–0, Springfield | L, 2–4, Rochester |
| 1966–67 | L, 2–3 Rochester | — | — |
| 1967–68 | Out of Playoffs | ||
| 1968–69 | L, 2–3, Quebec | — | — |
| 1969–70 | Out of Playoffs | ||
| 1970–71 | W, 3–1, Hershey | L, 1–3, Springfield | — |
| 1971–72 | L, 2–4, Baltimore | — | — |
| 1972–73 | Out of Playoffs | ||
| 1973–74 | Out of Playoffs | ||
[edit] External links
- The Internet Hockey Database - Cleveland Barons (AHL)
- The Internet Hockey Database - Cleveland Barons (IAHL)
