List of ice hockey teams in Michigan explained

The following is a list of ice hockey teams in Michigan, past and present. It includes the league(s) they play for, and championships won.

Major professional

World Hockey Association 1972–79

Minor professional

All American Hockey League 2008–2011

Current teams

Federal Prospects Hockey League 2010–present

Also called Federal Hockey League from 2010 to 2019.

Team	City	Established	Commissioner's Cups	Notes
Battle Creek Rumble Bees	Battle Creek	2019		Joined the Federal Hockey League in 2019
		2022	0	Joined the Federal Hockey League in 2022
		2015	1	Joined the Federal Hockey League in 2015
		2016–17	0	Joined the Federal Hockey League in 2016, relocated to Kingsville, Ontario, in 2017

International Hockey League 2007–2010

Former teams

Team	City	Established	Turner Cups	Notes
		2007–2010	0
		2007–2010	0
		2007–2010	0

Mid-Atlantic Hockey League 2007–08

Current teams

Team	City	Established	League Titles	Notes
		2008	0
		2008	0
		2008	0
		2008	0

United Hockey League 1997–2007

Team	City	Existed	Colonial Cups	Notes
		1997–2007	1
		2000–2007	1	Played as the Madison Kodiaks in 1999–2000
		2004–2006	0	Franchise suspended for 2006–2007 season
		1997–2007	4
		2002–2005	0	Became the Roanoke Valley Vipers in 2005
		1997–2002	0
		2005–2007	0
		1998–1999	0	Became the Ohio Gears on December 20, 1999
		1997–1998	0	Became the Saginaw Gears in 1998

Colonial Hockey League 1991–97

Team	City	Existed	Colonial Cups	Notes
		1992–1996	0
		1991–1993	0	Became the Utica Bulldogs in 1993
		1993–1997	1
		1992–1997	0
		1991–1992	0	Became the Detroit Falcons in 1992
		1996–1997	0
		1996–1997	0
		1994–1996	0	Became the Saginaw LumberKings in 1996

International Hockey League 1945–2001

Team	City	Existed	Turner Cups	Notes
	Detroit	1945–1951	1
	Detroit	1945–1949	0
	Detroit	1949–1952	0
	Detroit	1948–1949	0
	Detroit	1946–1948	0
		1994–2001	1
		1969–1985	1	Became the Flint Spirits in 1985
		1985–1990	0
		1996–2001	0	Joined the American Hockey League in 2001
		1977–1980	0
		1950–1956	0
		1974–1995	2	Became the Michigan K-Wings in 1995
		1974–1975	0	Suspended operations January 16, 1975 after 41 games
		1995–2000	0
		1984–1992	2	Became the Cleveland Lumberjacks in 1992
		1965–1984	1	Became the Muskegon Lumberjacks in 1984
		1960–1965	1	Became the Muskegon Mohawks in 1965
		1962–1971	2	Became the Port Huron Wings in 1974
		1974–1981	0
		1971–1974	1	Became the Port Huron Flags in 1974
		1972–1983	2
		1985–1987	0
		1987–1989	0

International Independent Hockey League 2003–04

Team	City	Existed	League Titles	Notes
		2003–2004	0
	Detroit	2003–2004	0
		2003–2004	1
		2003–2004	0

All-American Hockey League 1986–89

Team	City	Existed	League Titles	Notes
		1986–1987	0
		1986–1989	0
		1988–1989	0
		1987–1988	0	Suspended operations during the season
		1987–1988	0

United States Hockey League 1961–79

Team	City	Existed	League Titles	Notes
		1972–1973	0
		1974–1976	?
		1973–1974	?
		1976–1977	?
		1968–1969	?
		1964–1976	?
		1975–1977	?

Ohio State Hockey League 1946–48

Team	City	Existed	League Titles	Notes
		1947–1948	0
	Detroit	1947–1948	0

Eastern Amateur Hockey League 1933–53

Early Leagues

International Professional Hockey League 1904–07

Team	City	Existed	League Titles	Notes
		1904–1907	0
		1904–1907	1
		1904–1907	2

College

NCAA Division I

Big Ten Conference 2013–present

The Big Ten started its men's hockey league in 2013.

Team	City	Big Ten tenure	Regular-season titles	Tournament titles	NCAA Titles (in Big Ten)	Notes
		2013–present	1	0	9 (0)
		2013–present	0	0	3 (0)

Central Collegiate Hockey Association 1971–2013, 2021–present

The original CCHA, a casualty of the conference realignment brought on by the formation of the Big Ten hockey league, disbanded in 2013. The league was revived in 2020, with play starting in 2021–22, by seven members of the men's Western Collegiate Hockey Association, four of which had played in the final season of the original CCHA.

Current teams

Team	City	CCHA tenure	Regular season titles	Mason Cups	NCAA Titles (in CCHA)	Notes
		1976–2013, 2021–present	1	0	0 (0)	Played in the WCHA during the CCHA's hiatus.
		1972–2013, 2021–present	4	4	3 (3)	Played in the WCHA during the CCHA's hiatus.
		1981–1984, 2021–present	0	0	3 (0)	Played in the WCHA through 1980–81; returned to the WCHA in 1984–85 and played there until the revival of the CCHA.
		1977–1984, 1997–2013, 2021–present	2	2	1 (0)	Played in the WCHA from 1984–1997 and again during the CCHA's hiatus.

Former teams

Team	City	CCHA tenure	Regular season titles	Mason Cups	NCAA Titles (in CCHA)	Notes
		1981–2013	8	7	9 (2)	Played in WCHA 1951–81; now plays in its full-time home of the Big Ten.
		1981–2013	7	11	3 (2)	Played in WCHA 1951–81; now plays in its full-time home of the Big Ten.
		1975–2013	0	1	0	Now plays in the NCHC.

College Hockey America 1999–2008 (men), 2002–present (women)

CHA was founded as a men-only league. It added women's hockey in 2002 and remains in operation today as a women-only league.

Men

Women

National Collegiate Hockey Conference 2013–present

The NCHC, formed during the early-2010s Division I hockey conference realignment brought on by the formation of the Big Ten hockey league, began play in 2013. It has been a men-only league throughout its history.

Western Collegiate Hockey Association 1951–2021

The WCHA was formed 30 years before the NCAA began sponsoring women's sports, and did not establish a women's league until 1999. No Michigan school has ever been a member of the women's WCHA. In late 2019, seven of the 10 then-current men's members announced they would leave the WCHA after the 2020–21 season; shortly thereafter, they announced that they would form a revived CCHA. With the departure of these seven schools, plus an eighth WCHA men's member announcing that it would drop men's hockey after 2020–21, the men's WCHA is all but certain to fold. It will remain in operation as a women-only league.

Former teams

Team	City	WCHA tenure	MacNaughton Cups	Broadmoor Trophies	NCAA Titles (in WCHA)	Notes
		1951–1981	?	?	9 (7)
		1951–1981	?	?	2
		1951–1981, 1984–2021	6	9	3 (3)	Played in CCHA from 1981–1984; returned to the revived CCHA in 2021.
		1984–1997	??	?	1 (1)

NCAA Division III

Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association 1998–

Team	City	Established	Conference titles	NCAA Titles	Notes
		2007	1	1
Finlandia Lions		2004	0	0

Junior

Ontario Hockey League 1980–

Current teams

Team	City	Established	J. Ross Robertson Cups	Memorial Cups	Notes
		2015	2	0	Also known as the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors (1990–92), Detroit Junior Red Wings (1992–95), Detroit Whalers (1995–97), and Plymouth Whalers
		2002	0	1^[2]	Was previously the North Bay Centennials

Junior A Tier II Hockey Leagues

North American Hockey League 1975–

The NAHL was known as the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League from 1975–1984.^[3]

Former teams

Team	City	Existed	Season titles	Playoff/League titles	Notes
		2005–2010	0	0	Previously the Toledo IceDiggers, became the Corpus Christi IceRays
		1987–1990	0	0	Became Lakeland Jets
		2000–2003	0	0	Previously Grand Rapids Rockets
		1990–1991	0	0	Became Michigan Nationals
		1994–1996	0	0	Previously Michigan Nationals, became St. Louis Sting
	Detroit Plymouth Oak Park	1984–1992 1992–2000 2000–2003	8	11
Detroit Falcons		1986–1987	0	0	Formerly the St. Clair Shores Falcons
		1992–1997	1	0	Became Chicago Freeze
		1975–1983; 1987–1992	0	0
		1975–1976	1	1
		1981–1984	0	0
		1976–1980	0	0
		1995–1998	0	0	Became Grand Rapids Bearcats
		1998–1999	0	0	Ceased operations December 31, 1999. Team became Grand Rapids Rockets
		1999–2000	0	0	Previously the Grand Rapids Bearcats. Became the Capital Centre Pride
		1985–1987	0	0
		2011–2013	0	0
		1989–1994	1	2	Became the Danville Wings
		1990–1995	0	0	Previously Bloomfield Jets, became Soo Indians
		2006–2010	0	0	Became the Michigan Warriors
		1989–1990	0	0
		1982–1983	0	0
		1991–1994	0	0	Previously Dearborn Magic, became Dearborn Heights Nationals
		2010–2015	0	0	formerly the Marquette Rangers, folded after being displaced by the OHL Flint Firebirds
		2008–2011	0	0	Became the Jamestown Ironmen
		1989–1990	0	0
		1975–1976	0	0
		1975–1984	7	7
		2010–2014	0	0	Became the Keystone Ice Miners
		1975	0	0	Withdrew November 21, 1975
		1978–1984; 1987–1989	0	0
		1991–1995	0	0	Became the Gaylord Grizzlies in December 1995
		1983–1986	2	2	Became the Detroit Falcons
		2012–2015	0	0	purchased Traverse City North Stars franchise; joined from NOJHL NAHL franchise relocated to become the New Jersey Junior Titans; Soo Eagles rejoined the NOJHL
Soo Indians		1995–2005	1	0
		2005–2012	0	0	Franchise became the Soo Eagles
		1997–2010	0	0
		1981–1982	0	0
		1976–1980	1	0	National Champs 1980
		1988–1989	0	0	Became Kalamazoo Jr. Wings

Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League 1978–

Current teams

Former teams

Team	City	Established	League titles	Dudley Hewitt Cups	Royal Bank Cups	Notes
		2006–2008	1	0	0	Became Soo Eagles in 2008
		2003–2006	0	0	0	Became Soo Indians in 2006
		1962–1964	0	0	0

Continental Elite Hockey League 2001–2004

Team	City	Established	League titles	Notes
		?	0
		?	1
		?	0
		2001–2004	0

Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League 1970–1976

Team	City	Established	League titles	Notes
	Detroit	1970–75	1
		1973–74	0

Wolverine Junior Hockey League 1972–1975

The Wolverine Junior Hockey League and the Michigan Junior Hockey League combined in 1975 to form the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League which later became the North American Hockey League. ^[4]

Team	City	Existed	Season titles	Playoff titles	Notes
Flint		1973-197?	?	?
Kalamazoo		1973-197?	0	0
Livonia		1973-197?	0	0
Oak Park		1972-197?	?	?
		1972–1975	0	0	Oak Park and Southfield started the annual contest for the Purple Paddle (a goalie stick painted purple) in 1972–73. It was awarded to the winner of the season series by the mayors of each city. The same purple paddle was continued into the 1990s by the successors of these two teams who were eventually in the North American Hockey League.
Trenton		1972–1973	0	0

Michigan Junior Hockey League 197?–1975

Team	City	Existed	Season titles	Playoff titles	Notes
		1972–1975	?	?
	Plymouth, Michigan	1972–1974	?	?
Dearborn Fabricating	Dearborn	?	?	?
St. Clair Shores Saints		1970-?	?	?
		1972–1975	?	?

Junior A Tier III Hockey Leagues

Central States Hockey League

Current Teams

Team	City	Established	Regular season titles	Hurster Cups	USA Hockey Silver Cups	Notes
		1999	?	?	?
		1999	?	?	?
		1989	1	2	1
		1997?	?	?	?

Former Teams

Team	City	Existed	Regular season titles	Hurster Cups	USA Hockey Silver Cups	Notes
		1997?–1998	?	?	?
		1998–1999	0	0	0
		1998–1999	0	0	0
		1999–2001?	?	?	?

Western Junior B Hockey League

League, regional and national championships

Championship	Times won	Description
Stanley Cup	11	National Hockey League champion
Turner Cup	14	International Hockey League champion
Calder Cup	2	American Hockey League championship
Commissioner's Cup	1	Federal Prospects Hockey League championship
Colonial Cup	7	United Hockey League champion
Memorial Cup	0	Canadian Major-Junior national champion
J. Ross Robertson Cup	1	Ontario Hockey League champion
NCAA title	18	NCAA Men's Ice Hockey champion
CCHA regular season champion	22	CCHA regular season champion
Mason Cup	25	CCHA playoff champion
MacNaughton Cup	6?	WCHA regular season champion
Broadmoor Trophy	9?	WCHA playoff championship
R.H. "Bob" Peters Cup	1	CHA regular season champion
Bruce M. McLeod Trophy	3	CHA playoff champion
Gibson Cup	?	(1938–1958) Michigan Ontario Hockey League and (1968–current) played for in the Great Lakes Hockey League between the Portage Lake Pioneers and Calumet Wolves

See also

• List of ice hockey teams in Ontario
• USA Hockey

Notes and References

1. Web site: Stanley Cup Champions and Finalists . 2006-12-10 . nhl.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090629213230/http://www.nhl.com/cup/champs.html . June 29, 2009 .
2. Web site: Szumowicz . Austin . Pearson . Mark . 2024-06-03 . Saginaw Spirit are Memorial Cup Champions . 2024-06-03 . www.wnem.com . en.
3. Web site: North American Hockey League [1984-2015] history and statistics]. HockeyDB. March 20, 2015.
4. Web site: http://www.playyourgame.com/nahl.html.