American Hockey Association [1992-1993] history and statistics

The American Hockey Association was a short-lived league that operated in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. It formed late in October of 1992 with 5 teams: St. Paul Fighting Saints, Green Bay Ice, (Hibbing) Minnesota Iron Rangers, Bismark Bulls, and Fargo-Moorhead Express.

The president and principal investor of the league was Charlie Hodgins, an accountant from Saskatchewan. The teams were all owned by the league which was based in St. Paul. The league did not actually begin play until late November.

Many of the players in the league were local to the area, and many had a college hockey background. The league was called "a league for players whose dreams refused to die". Players who would not have otherwise played minor league hockey found a home in the AHA - probably because the AHA allowed them to stay close to home.

The league was independent, with no affiliations with higher leagues. However, the league mimicked at least one rule of the IHL -... [Click for more] the shootout - which was staged after an overtime period.

Attendance was poor across the league throughout the season, with the exception of Fargo-Moorehead, which was the only team breaking even with an average of 1,400 fans per game. The league scheduled exhibition games with the Russian Red Army, who also played an all-star game against the league’s best players.

The league was considering granting a franchise to Omaha, if the USHL Omaha Lancers were to move from Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum to the Omaha Civic Center.

However the league simply ran out of money. The financial strain due to a central ownership was immense. The players in Green Bay were said to have staged a revolt when the league missed several paychecks, and after the league folded the equipment in Green Bay was reported missing. The tension among the teams was strong, and this may have played a role in an ugly incident in Bismark where an on-ice brawl spilled into the stands.

The players accepted the idea of a pay cut in January after having played the entire month for free, but financing for the league never materialized. On January 29, 1993 Charlie Hodgins announced that the league had suspended operations, and that all employees were terminated. The league was finished. Many of the players simply returned to their normal lives, abandoning any further dreams of hockey.

Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press.