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Flint Generals

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This article is about the minor league hockey team that existed from 1993–2010. For the hockey team that existed from 1969–1985, see Flint Generals (1969–1985).
Flint Generals
CityFlint, Michigan
LeagueInternational Hockey League
Founded1993
Folded2010
Home arenaPerani Arena
ColorsNavy blue, gold
Owner(s)Franke Family
Head coachJason Muzzatti
MediaWFNT(1470 AM) Flint Journal
Franchise history
1993–2010Flint Generals
Championships
Regular season titles2 (1996, 1997)
Colonial Cups2 (1996, 2000)

The Flint Generals were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan. They were a member of the International Hockey League and played their home games at the Industrial Mutual Association (IMA) Sports Arena. The Generals won two league championship Colonial Cups in the Colonial Hockey League and United Hockey League.

History

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Flint had been home to minor professional hockey in some incarnation since 1969, except a one-year break in the 1990–91 season. This incarnation of the Flint Generals came about in the 1993–94 season after the Colonial Hockey League's (CoHL) Flint Bulldogs owner Skip Probst moved the Bulldogs from Flint to Utica, New York. The following summer, Dr. Khaled M. Shukairy was granted an expansion franchise in the CoHL to play in Flint.

After a fan vote, "Generals" had been voted on by the fans to be the name of the new franchise after the original Generals' team that relocated to Saginaw in 1985. Flint won their first Colonial Cup against the Thunder Bay Senators in the 1995–96 season, in which the Generals claimed the championship in a six-game upset and won the final game by a score of 9–0. This team included such players as Kevin Kerr, who would later break the all time minor league hockey scoring record and coach the Generals; Robin Bouchard, who was traded early the next season in a lopsided trade that did not favor the Generals;[citation needed] Andrei Mezin, the goalie who would go on to play for his native Belarus in the Olympics and upset Sweden; and female goaltender, Erin Whitten.

The second Colonial Cup came in a 4–0 sweep of the Generals rival, the Quad City Mallards, in 2000. The Generals were coached by former NHL player Doug Shedden and included former NHL players Bobby Reynolds, Mark Major, and Nick Stajduhar, as well as two 100 point scorers in Ross Wilson and Don Parsons, UHL Defenseman of the Year Gary Roach, late season additions Cory Cyrenne and Vladmir Serov, and goalie Mark Richards. Serov and Cyrenne totaled 60 points in 37 regular season games, and in the 2000 finals, Serov scored the game-winning goal with 50 seconds left in game three, and the game-winning goal with 3:52 left in game four to preserve the victories for the Generals.

After several years of mediocre hockey and questionable ownership, the Generals finished the 2009–10 season on a hot streak, clinching the final Turner Cup playoff berth on the final day of the season. The Generals faced the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the first round of the Turner Cup playoffs, and after falling behind three games to one, came back to win the series in seven games. The Generals then fell to the Fort Wayne Komets in a five-game series; the Generals only win in the series was a 7–6 overtime win in Game 3. Despite the turnaround in 2009–10 and rumors of more stable ownership taking over, the Generals folded when Perani Arena management decided to give the arena lease to the junior Michigan Warriors of the North American Hockey League.[1]

Championships

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Year League Trophy
1995–96 Colonial Hockey League Tarry Cup
1995–96 Colonial Hockey League Colonial Cup
1996–97 Colonial Hockey League Tarry Cup
1999–00 United Hockey League Colonial Cup

Season-by-season results

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Season League GP W L T OTL SOL Pts GF GA Standing Playoffs
1993–94 CoHL 64 32 23 9 — — 73 328 314 4th, West Lost in round 2
1994–95 CoHL 74 34 34 6 — — 74 350 353 4th, West Lost in round 1
1995–96 CoHL 74 51 18 5 — — 107 347 248 1st, East Won Colonial Cup
1996–97 CoHL 74 55 18 1 — — 111 371 232 1st, East Lost in Finals
1997–98 UHL 74 46 22 — 6 — 98 371 278 1st, East Lost in Finals
1998–99 UHL 74 37 32 — 5 — 79 318 299 3rd, Central Lost in round 2
1999–2000 UHL 74 51 14 — 9 — 111 379 250 1st, Central Won Colonial Cup
2000–01 UHL 74 30 34 — 10 — 70 253 303 4th, West Did not qualify
2001–02 UHL 74 42 26 — 6 — 90 294 245 4th, West Lost in round 1
2002–03 UHL 76 32 36 — 8 — 72 257 298 5th, East Did not qualify
2003–04 UHL 76 39 27 — 10 — 88 253 244 2nd, East Lost in round 1
2004–05 UHL 80 33 33 — 14 — 80 237 236 4th, Central Did not qualify
2005–06 UHL 76 31 35 — — 10 72 236 294 4th, Central Did not qualify
2006–07 UHL 76 33 34 — — 9 75 250 286 3rd, Eastern Lost in round 1
2007–08 IHL 76 34 28 — 5 9 82 271 276 3rd, League Lost in round 1
2008–09 IHL 76 22 47 — 2 5 51 241 359 6th, League Did not qualify
2009–10 IHL 76 33 36 — 3 4 73 234 257 4th, League Lost in Finals
Totals   1268 635 497 21 78 37 1406 4990 4772    

Retired numbers

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References

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  1. ^ Cohn, Justin A. (June 17, 2010). "Flint, Port Huron bow out of IHL". The Journal Gazette. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
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