| Bg Color: |
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| Text Color: | white |
| Team: | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| City: | Dubuque, Iowa |
| League: | USHL |
| Arena: | Five Flags Center |
| Founded: | 1962 |
| Operated: | 1980–2001 |
| Name1: | Waterloo Black Hawks |
| Dates1: | 1962–1980 |
| Name2: | Dubuque Fighting Saints |
| Dates2: | 1980–2001 |
| Name3: | Tulsa Crude |
| Dates3: | 2001–2002 |
| Reg Season Titles: | Anderson Cup 2 (1980–81, 1982–83) |
| Championships: | Clark Cup 3 (1980–81, 1982–83, 1984–85) |
The Dubuque Fighting Saints were a Tier I junior ice hockey team that played in the United States Hockey League (USHL) from 1980 to 2001. The team moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to become the Tulsa Crude in 2001 citing low attendance and rising costs. A new team would use the same name when Dubuque was granted an expansion franchise in the USHL in 2010.
The Saints glory years lasted from 1980 to 1981 through to 1984–85, when they played under the coaching supervision of Jack Barzee who left to become a central figure in the National Hockey League's Central Scouting Staff, and later, received the Lester Patrick Trophy [1] from USA Hockey and the NHL for his exceptional contribution to the development of hockey in the United States. During their first season in 1980–81, the Fighting Saints record was 52–11–2, a league record. In 1982–83, the Saints went on to win their second national championship in three years.
Prior to 1979, the USHL was a semi-professional hockey league operating in midwestern United States. The Waterloo Black Hawks made the transition to a junior hockey team in 1979 as the league switched to junior hockey as the associated costs with paying professionals were rising. After one season, head coach and general manager, Jack Barzee, had the Black Hawks relocated to Dubuque, Iowa, and renamed the team the Fighting Saints. The team would prove to be very successful under Barzee and would win two national championships, three playoff championships, and two regular season titles before Barzee left in 1985.[2]
After Barzee's departure, the team began to struggle on and off the ice. The team's record decreased every season until it finally finished last in 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons. It was not until Chris and Peter Ferraro joined the team in 1990–91 did the team start to play competitively again. Coach Cary Eades took over in 1991–92 and brought the team back to contention including a National Tournament championship in 1992–93 before he left in 1993. Owner Brian Gallagher would eventually take over as head coach in the 1997–98 season and the team would only make the playoffs once in his tenure. In 2001, Gallagher announced he was moving the team to Tulsa, Oklahoma, citing rising costs and low attendance. He renamed the team the Tulsa Crude but only lasted one season before ceasing operations.
| Season[3] | GP | W | L | T | OTL | SOL | PTS | GF | GA | PIM | Regular Season Results | Playoff Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–81 | 48 | 38 | 9 | 1 | 77 | 351 | 187 | -- | 1st of 4, Southern Conference 1st of 8, USHL Anderson Cup Champions | Clark Cup Champions | |||
| 1981–82[4] | 48 | 29 | 19 | 0 | 58 | 274 | 232 | -- | 2nd of 7 | ||||
| 1982–83[5] | 48 | 39 | 8 | 1 | 79 | 350 | 217 | -- | 1st of 7 Anderson Cup Champions | Clark Cup Champions | |||
| 1983–84[6] | 48 | 20 | 23 | 2 | 45 | 227 | 246 | -- | 5th of 8 | ||||
| 1984–85[7] | 48 | 30 | 14 | 0 | 64 | 267 | 232 | -- | 3rd of 10 | Clark Cup Champions | |||
| 1985–86[8] | 48 | 27 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 60 | 247 | 190 | -- | 4th of 9 | |||
| 1986–87 | 48 | 25 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 52 | 263 | 236 | -- | 5th of 10 | |||
| 1987–88 | 48 | 6 | 39 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 158 | 349 | -- | 9th of 10 | |||
| 1988–89 | 48 | 7 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 185 | 380 | -- | 10th of 10 | |||
| 1989–90 | 48 | 8 | 39 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 152 | 323 | -- | 10th of 10 | |||
| 1990–91 | 48 | 22 | 26 | 0 | 46 | 245 | 222 | -- | 6th of 10 | ||||
| 1991–92 | 48 | 27 | 19 | 2 | 58 | 256 | 212 | -- | 4th of 10 | ||||
| 1992–93 | 48 | 30 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 67 | 229 | 163 | -- | 3rd of 10 | |||
| 1993–94 | 48 | 29 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 61 | 224 | 177 | -- | 5th of 10 | |||
| 1994–95 | 48 | 24 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 54 | 175 | 169 | -- | 6th of 11 | |||
| 1995–96 | 46 | 15 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 33 | 145 | 214 | -- | 10th of 11 | |||
| 1996–97 | 54 | 17 | 34 | 0 | 3 | 37 | 157 | 211 | 1700 | 4th of 6, South Division | Did not qualify | ||
| 1997–98 | 54 | 19 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 159 | 238 | 1657 | 6th of 6, South Division | Did not qualify | ||
| 1998–99 | 56 | 22 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 46 | 164 | 217 | 1232 | 3rd of 4, East Division | Lost Quarterfinals 0–3 to Omaha Lancers | ||
| 1999–00 | 58 | 16 | 39 | 3 | 35 | 141 | 230 | 1248 | 7th of 7, East Division | Did not qualify | |||
| 2000–01 | 56 | 15 | 37 | 0 | 4 | 34 | 148 | 219 | 879 | 5th of 6, East Division | Did not qualify | ||
| Tulsa Crude | |||||||||||||
| 2001–02 | 61 | 12 | 43 | 0 | 6 | 30 | 121 | 237 | 1185 | 7th of 7, West Division | Did not qualify | ||
-- = Penalty Minutes (PIM) were not a recorded league stat until the 1996–97 season.
Clark Cup
Awarded each year to the winner of the USHL's Tier I Junior Hockey playoff champions. Dubuque won this Cup three of its first five years as a franchise.
Anderson Cup
Won by the team that accumulates the most points in the standings at the end of the regular season. Dubuque won the Anderson Cup in two of the franchise's first three seasons.