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The International Hockey League (IHL) was a Professional Ice Hockey league in the United States and Canada from 1945 to 2001. IHL playoff champions were awarded the '''Turner Cup'''. EARLY YEARS The IHL was formed in December 1945 and initially consisted of four cross-border teams in and Chatham, Ontario . Windsor dropped out in 1950, and expansion into the U.S. began again, with Toledo rejoining the league and new teams in Grand Rapids, Michigan (1950), Troy, Ohio , (1951), Cincinnati (1952), Fort Wayne, Indiana (1952), and Milwaukee (1952). At the same time, the last Canadian team left the league in 1952, when the Chatham Maroons pulled out. Three new U.S. cities were added in 1953. The league would expand and shrink between five and nine teams through the 1950s, with another major expansion in 1959. After 11 seasons as a strictly-U.S. league, the IHL admitted two Canadian teams in 1963, with the Windsor Bulldogs and the return of the Chatham Maroons. Both teams dropped out after one season. The International league wouldn't again have any franchises based outside of the U.S. until 1997. MAJOR MARKET EXPANSION Starting in the late 1960s, the IHL's quality of play significantly upgraded until by the mid-1970s, it was on par with the American Hockey League (AHL), the longtime top feeder league for the National Hockey League . Many IHL teams became the top Farm Team s of NHL teams. In 1984, the league swallowed up many surviving members of the Central Hockey League , which ceased operations. From the late 1980s on, the IHL began to expand into major markets such as Houston , Chicago , Detroit , Los Angeles , San Francisco , Kansas City , San Diego , Cincinnati , Cleveland , Atlanta , Salt Lake City , Orlando , Denver , Minneapolis-St. Paul and Phoenix . It even placed teams in markets that already had NHL teams, such as Chicago, Detroit, and Long Beach (near Los Angeles ). Its expansion into larger markets was rapid, and many of the smaller cities fell away (with many clubs, such as Fort Wayne, Peoria , Muskegon, Flint, and Kalamazoo joining lower-level leagues such as the United Hockey League or the East Coast Hockey League ). DECLINE AND COLLAPSE The IHL's expansion into NHL markets put a strain on relationships between the leagues. There was some speculation that the IHL would end up competing directly with the NHL, especially when a lock-out in 1994 threatened to wipe out the NHL season."League's founding father watches over 50th year," David Eminian, ''The Hockey News'', January 27 , 1995 . However, in the 1995-96 season, the IHL's "soft" Salary Cap was just $1.5 million,"Ufer trying to sell league on structured salary cap," David Eminian, ''The Hockey News'', November 10 , 1995 . while the lowest NHL team payroll that season was $11.4 million.1 In response, many NHL clubs shifted their affiliations to the AHL. In 1997-98, only four of 18 IHL teams had NHL affiliations."The Modern Minors," Eric Zweig, p. 381, in ''Total Hockey'', ed. Dan Diamond, Total Sports, 1998. With the loss of subsidized salaries, high expansion fees (by the end the league was charging as much as $8 million US for new teams), exploding travel costs and the NHL itself moving into some of its markets, the league's rapid expansion proved a critical strain, and it folded after the 2001 season. Six IHL franchises (the Chicago Wolves , Grand Rapids Griffins , Houston Aeros , Utah Grizzlies , Milwaukee Admirals and Manitoba Moose ) were admitted into the AHL as expansion teams for the 2001-02 season, and then between them won the next three AHL Calder Cup championships (2002, 2003, 2004) and appeared in the Cup finals in the next two years (2005, 2006). The IHL's last champions, the Orlando Solar Bears , were not taken in because their owner, Rich DeVos , also owned the Griffins. TEAMS
INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE TROPHIES Turner Cup This trophy is named for Joe Turner, a Windsor, Ontario, boy, who distinguished himself as an amateur goaltender before World War II. He turned professional with the Detroit Red Wing organization and played one season with the Indianapolis Capitals in the American Hockey League. He was killed in Belgium during World War II, while serving with the United States Army. The Fred A. Huber Trophy was awarded annually to the International Hockey League's team with the most points during the regular season. The trophy for the league championship was originally named for J. P. McGuire, a well know Detroit sports enthusiast and automobile dealer. The Commissioner's Trophy was an award given to the Head Coach in the International Hockey League who was judged to have contributed the most to his team's success. The Leo P. Lamoureux Memorial Trophy was awarded annually to the International Hockey League's leading point scorer. The trophy was donated by Melvin T. Ross, General Manager, Indianapolis Fairgrounds Coliseum, in memorium of Leo Lamoureux , coach of the Indianapolis Chiefs , who passed away during the 1960-1961 season. Prior to the 1960-1961 season, Lt.-Col., George H. Wilkenson, V.D., a Windsor, Ontario, jeweler and one of the league's most enthusiastic supporters donated a trophy to the scoring leader. The Gary F. Longman Memorial Trophy , was awarded annually to the International Hockey League's leading rookie as voted on by the league's coaches. Prior to 1967-1968, the award was known as the "Rookie of the Year", as voted on by the media. The James Norris Memorial Trophy IHL was awarded annually to the International Hockey League goaltender(s), with the least goals against during the regular season. James Norris Sr., was the former owner of the Detroit Red Wings and one of the most beloved men in the game until his death in 1952. He was one of the men who kept the National Hockey League “alive” during the “black” years and helped the IHL gain stature in the early years. The James Gatschene Memorial Trophy was awarded annually to the International Hockey League player selected as most valuable plus showing outstanding playing ability and sportsmanlike conduct for one season. The trophy was originally presented at the close of the 1946-1947 season by workers of the Chrysler Motors Limited of Windsor, Ontario, as a memorial to Gatschene, a former Chrysler employee and hockey star in the border cities (Detroit and Windsor). Gatschene was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, killed in action during World War II. The Ken McKenzie Trophy was awarded annually, starting in 1978, to the "Most Outstanding American born rookie". REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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