IHHL: Origin of the All Star Game

These days, the IHHL’s All-Star Game is a chance for the league to showcase its talent and raise awareness and funds for various charities, but it did not start off that way. The All Star Game started off on a much more personal level for the league. In 1925, just a few short years after the IHHL was formed and beginning to make headway, the league was devastated by a freak accident that resulted in the loss of one of the premier teams in the IHHL.

The Portland Mariners were a rising star in the IHHL, having won the Ice Bucket in the spring of 1924. The Mariners, a flourishing franchise in the league, benefited from the fact that they were able to use their location and connection to the local railways to expedite team travel to and from games. This helped to cut down on the expense of travel for the team as well as providing a convenient facility to host games.

A true working class team, the Mariners practiced and played in a converted train yard station in which the majority of the team worked at in the off season. League historians theorize that the work the players engaged in the off-season was comparable to the modern workout regime for players.

On January 19, 1925; the Portland Mariners were finishing their practice before leaving on a trip to Washington when the Portland Auditorium caught fire. The old wooden structure quickly lead to the blaze quickly sweeping through the arena, catching the the reigning champs on the ice. This tragic loss of the team led to the very first IHHL All Star game as a fundraiser for the families of the Mariners.

The IHHL came to a complete standstill as the owners debated whether or not to cancel the balance of the season. While the league deliberated, The Portland Star’s editor, Raymond Crowell, proposed that a benefit game be held for the families of the Mariners players. The owners of the Boston Shamrocks, Montreal Reds, and Cleveland Blackjacks, agreed that a benefit game would not only help the families but also help promote the league.

A meeting of the Board of Stewards was called in order to put the idea to a vote. Following the meeting, the Stewards announced that the Blackjacks would host the game with all revenue going to help the families of the Mariners. The game would pit two teams, comprised of the top two players per team from each conference against one another in a best of three series. The game was held a month following the tragedy; the Federal All Stars defeating the Continental All Stars two games to one in a spirited and emotional contest.

IHHL: Founding of the League

From the ashes of the International Canadian Hockey League (ICHL) and the Continental Hockey League (CHL) rose the Icehouse Hockey League (IHHL). In 1920 both the ICHL and the CHL were on the brink of collapse. The ICHL had spread itself too far across N. America with teams playing as far north as Yellowknife NWT, and as far south as Houston, TX. The financial strain of travel combined with the diminishing competitiveness of the league was proving to be fatal to the financial health of the league. The only teams that were able to generate enough interest to remain financially viable were the Seattle Wolves, Montreal Reds, Sioux Falls Scouts, and the Saskatoon Sasquatches. 

Meanwhile, the CHL's finances and attendance had been anemic at best, ever since the end of WWI. Again, the expense of travel and a depletion of quality players meant less games overall, and fewer games that were truly competitive. The only four teams that were able to consistently make ends meet were the Portland Mariners, Washington Winter Warriors, Cleveland Blackjacks, and the Boston Shamrocks.

On June 1, 1921 the owners of these teams met in Washington to discuss the creation of a new league. After a week of deliberation they founded the Icehouse Hockey League. League headquarters were established in Washington where they are still to this day. The league was separated into two conferences, the Federal Conference and the Continental Conference. The Federal Conference included Boston, Washington, Montreal, and Portland while the Continental Conference included Saskatoon, Cleveland, Seattle and Sioux Falls.

The first few seasons were rough going for the fledgeling IHHL. Transportation costs were a continuing pain point in the Continental Conference and there was a real risk of losing both the Scouts and the Pilots. The league soldiered on and by the spring of 1925, the IHHL found itself in a relatively stable position financially.

Original IHHL Teams

The original IHHL teams were located in Boston, Saskatoon, Cleveland, Portland (Maine), Seattle, Washington, and Montreal

• Boston Shamrocks
• Saskatoon Sasquatches
• Cleveland Blackjacks
• Portland Mariners
• Montreal Reds
• Seattle Wolves
• Washington Winter Warriors
• Sioux Falls Scouts

Barrel Riders Falling Out with Buffalo

In the wake of last weeks loss to the Washington Winter Warriors, more bad news is coming out for fans of the Barrel Riders of Buffalo. Following up on our report from last week about the kerfuffle between the city of Buffalo and the management of the Barrel Riders,it appears that the team is leaving Buffalo.

Over the past several months, team owner, Scott Hall, has been making out-of-state “business trips” to San Jose, California. When asked about these trips, Hall told Game Misconduct that he was simply looking at new arena designs for Barrel Riders; looking for inspiration on what could be done back in Buffalo. In addition to this, during IHHL Ice Bucket finals, Hall had the mayor of San Jose join him in the executive suite to watch the Barrel Riders play. Official word from the Barrel Riders states that the Mayor was merely invited to the game since he and team owner Scott Hall are old friends.

History of the Dispute

The dispute between the city and the Barrel Riders’ appears to have started shortly after the Barrel Riders won the Ice Bucket in 2013. The Barrel Riders, fresh from their victory and having secured the honor of hosting the first IHHL Winter Classic, began negotiating with the city for improvements to the Arena, and training facilities. Negotiations stalled near the start of the season and team Owner Scott Hall blamed many of the early season injuries on inadequate training facilities.

Talks between the Barrel Riders and the City broke down completely following the Barrel Riders’ loss of the Winter Classic. Hall was reportedly incensed by the lack of preparations taken by the city and state of the facilities.

Negotiations resumed near the start of the Ice Bucket playoffs, but sources inside of the Mayor's office said that the Barrel Riders never really seemed engaged and that the team was only going through the motions. These sources have confirmed that discussions on improvements on the existing arena and an extension of the Buffalo Riders contract to use the arena broke down early last week.

Barrel Rider Management has opted not to respond to requests for a comment on this story. It is not known for sure where the Barrel Riders will go, but it seems certain that their time in Buffalo has drawn to a close.

The IHHL appears to be floundering at this time with loss of two team owners, no partnership for the 2014/2015 seasons, and an apparent dearth of high caliber players to cover the 2013/2014 expansion. The Barrel Riders leaving of Buffalo may be the IHHL’s equivalent of the NFL Colts leaving Baltimore. What started out as a bright season for first year Commissioner Derek Heilman, may be his last unless these and other issues can be addressed.

Game Misconduct will continue to follow this, and other stories related to the IHHL as they unfold.

Off-Season News and Events

As a reminder, just because the IHHL season is over, does not mean that the news has stopped. Game Misconduct, in partnership with the IHHL, will be presenting “This Week in IHHL History”, as part of our retrospective series.

IHHL Playoff Summary: I'm gonna drop it at a higher level

The Icehouse Hockey League finished up the 2013/2014 season on Sunday, April 13, 2014. The final game of IHHL Ice Bucket Championship came down to a grudge match between the two division leaders. The Washington Winter Warriors held a two to one game edge in the matchup, besting the Barrel Riders of Buffalo on home ice in the IHHL Winter Classic. Over the course of the playoffs, both teams endured a grueling schedule leading up to the final seven games. In this last contest of the season, both teams were playing for pride, bragging rights, and the IHHL Ice Bucket.

For the Ice Chips finale, it all comes down to two teams with identical records. Team Moran, abandoned by their owner at the start of the playoffs, find themselves fighting not only for the first round draft pick, but to make themselves as appealing as possible to a possible owner. The Seattle Wolves, in their inaugural season, have established themselves as a solid team that will play havoc in the 2014/2015 season.

Ice Bucket

The Washington Winter Warriors took advantage of miscues by the Barrel Riders of Buffalo during the course of the week to gain a commanding lead of 28 points at the close of Friday’s matchup. In a reversal of fortunes, the Barrel Riders capitalize on sloppy play and poor line matchups by the Warriors during Saturday’s game, resulting in the Barrel Riders pulling to within two points for the final game of the season. All of this resulted in the championship coming down to the final game of the season.

Sunday’s game was a non-stop grind fest. The Barrel Riders, already done several key players called up players from the minors to bolster their ranks with the Warriors doing much the same. In the end, it was Frans Nielsen who came through for the Warriors; chipping in when it mattered most and bringing home the Ice Bucket to Washington.

Final Score: Warriors (16 and 3) 330 to Barrel Riders (16 and 6) 328.6.

Ice Chips

Team Moran dominated the matchup early on in the week and by Friday, held a 24 point lead over the Seattle Wolves. With the first round draft pick on the line, the Wolves came back hard on Friday and Saturday, erasing their deficit and went into the Sunday showdown with four point lead over Team Moran.

Come Sunday morning, the Wolves, battered and tired gathered for one last team meeting at Hip Stirs before the final game of the season. Meanwhile Team Moran, left rudderless since the departure of their team owner, barely made it to the arena in time for the pre-game skate. The Wolves executed their game plan, never letting Team Moran establish a presence in the game.

Final Score: Wolves (6 and 16) 223.3 to Team Moran (6 and 16) 198.8.

Gif of the Week

This week's gif showcases how the Washington Winter Warriors out hustled and outplayed the Barrel Riders of Buffalo. Ladies and gentlemen, your gif of the week: 

IHHL Playoffs: Final Week Mid-Point Update

With the final week of the IHHL playoffs half over, fans are watching an extremely competitive matchup take place for the Ice Bucket Championship. In the Ice Chip finals, the game is still competitive, but Team Moran is definitely seen to have the lead going into the final three games of the 2013 - 2014 season.

Ice Bucket

The Washington Winter Warriors are hosting a barn burner of a matchup with the Barrel Riders of Buffalo this week. The teams have been trading blows and wins on nearly a nightly basis. As of Tuesday, the two teams were tied for points and now the Barrel Riders hold a slim 8 point lead. With three games left to go, it is still very much anyone’s game.

Ice Chips

Team Moran continues their relentless march towards victory against the Seattle Wolves. With three games left in the week, Team Moran holds a 24 point lead. While this is not an insurmountable lead for the Wolves to overcome, Team Moran’s history in the playoffs has shown that they are tenacious when holding the lead.

Breaking News

As if the pressure of the playoffs and weathering injuries to key players were not drama enough for the Barrel Riders of Buffalo fans; it is now beginning to look like the team may not be in Buffalo for much longer. Sources inside of the Barrel Riders of Buffalo organization have told Game Misconduct that a huge rift is developing between team management and the City. The point of contention centers around the Barrel Riders facilities and the City’s refusal to pay for upgrades or adjust revenue sharing. Game Misconduct will have more on this story next week.

IHHL: Round Two Wrap Up: And the Song Bird Sings

Heartbreak and clutch play marked week two of the IHHL finals, as seemingly dominate teams collapsed under the pressures making it to the final round. Ladies and Gentlemen, we present you with the top teams in the Ice Bucket and Ice Chip finals.

For the final round of the Ice Bucket playoffs, the Washington Winter Warriors take on the Barrel Riders of Buffalo this week. Insiders are saying that this matchup is the Warriors to lose, with the Barrel Riders tired from a last minute surge and seemingly depleted from injuries.

In the race for the first draft pick of the 2014/2015 season, IHHL fans will watch as Team Moran and the Seattle Wolves fight for dominance. Team Moran is undefeated in the playoffs, while the Wolves rallied back from a deficit to put an explanation point on their win last week. Is Team Moran poised for a fall? Are the Wolves peaking at the right time?

Ice Bucket

The Washington Winter Warriors came into  playoffs cold and got off to a slow start in their matchup against the Saskatoon Sasquatches last week. Riding high off of last weeks win, the Sasquatches played a hard hitting game against the Warriors; by Friday, the Sasquatches were a mere 11 points behind the Warriors seemingly poised to continue their post season Cinderella run. By Saturday though, fatigue had set in and the Sasquatches fell to the Warriors. A deadly combination of sloppy mistakes and poor puck handling by the Sasquatches goalie spelled doom for the Sasquatches. Final Score: Warriors (19 and 3) 318.2 to Sasquatches (13 and 9) 268.5.

In a rematch of the 2013 IHHL Ice Bucket Championship game, the Denver Demon Donkeys challenged the Barrel Riders of Buffalo. The Donkeys took advantage of the Barrel Riders early and often; capitalizing on poor puck handling by the Barrel Riders and injuries. By Friday, the Donkeys held a 30 point lead over the Barrel Riders and seemed to have the match firmly in hand. Come Saturday, the Barrel Riders dug deep, seized control of the game and dominated the Donkeys to erase the 30 point deficit. On Sunday, the Donkeys were unable to get the line matchups they wanted as the Barrel Riders secured their second consecutive trip to the final round of the Ice Bucket championship. Final Score: Donkeys (18 and 4) 281.4 to Barrel Riders (16 and 6) 296.2.

Ice Chips

With a shot at the first round draft pick on the line, the Richmond Prexies took to the ice like a team possessed against the Seattle Wolves last week. The Prexies played their hearts out and by Friday, they had secured a 20 point lead over the Wolves. with so much at stake, the Wolves were not about to roll over and play dead. Friday night saw the Wolves tear into the Prexies and erase the 20 point difference. Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, the Seattle Wolves continued to dominate the Prexies and racked up an additional 40 points to secure the win and a berth to the Ice Chips final round. Final Score: Wolves (6 and 16) 151.6 to Prexies (0 and 22) 119.3.

Team Moran, still running on autopilot, has developed into a seemingly unstoppable force as they rolled over the Cleveland Blackjacks last week. The Blackjacks only managed to post two wins last week against Team Moran and ultimately fell short of the win by over 40 points. Final Score: Team Moran (6 and 16) 175.9 to Blackjacks (3 and 19) 131.3.

Gif of the Week

This week's gif showcases the Saskatoon Sasquatches and the lackadaisical play that ended up costing them a shot at the finals.

IHHL Playoffs: Week 2 Mid-Week Update

As the IHHL looks to  enter the last week of the season, we here at Game Misconduct take a look at how the past week is progressing. Can the Sasquatches continue their Cinderella journey and topple a second top seeded team? Will the Donkey's be kicking the Barrel Riders over the falls? We will find out in the next few days.

Ice Bucket

The Denver Demon Donkeys appear to be continuing their winning ways against the Barrel Riders of Buffalo this week. After a a small win on Monday, the Barrel Riders have steadily fallen behind the Donkeys in points as the week has wore on. With the Donkeys holding a nearly 30 point lead, things are not looking good for the Barrel Riders going into the weekend. 

Last week's bye for the Washington Winter Warriors may have proven to be determential for the matchup with the Saskatoon Sasquatches. The Warriors, heavily favored in the matchup, hold a slim 11 point lead and have dropped the last two games to the Sasquatches. Can the Sasquatches continue this Cinderella run and upset a second top seeded team?

Ice Chips

Team Moran continues to be a force to be reckoned with, despite the absence of their owner and coach, Mark Moran. After viewing the Cleveland Blackjacks performance this past week, we here at Game Misconduct suggest that fans start reserving tee times now, as it appears the Blackjacks will be hitting the links on Monday.

The Richmond Prexies, still stinging from their loss last week, have redoubled efforts to secure that first win of the season in the matchup against the Seattle Wolves. As both teams face mounting injuries, they continue to trade wins night after night. With only three games left this week, the Prexies hold a 20 point lead, but will that be enough?