The Baltimore Clippers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1962 to 1976. The team was based in Baltimore, Maryland, and served as the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's (NHL) New York Rangers for most of its existence. The Clippers were a minor league professional ice hockey team in Baltimore, Maryland, playing in the Baltimore Civic Center.
The team name paid homage to local history in the Baltimore Clipper, and the Port of Baltimore. The Clippers also featured eight alumni who are now members of the AHL Hall of Fame.
The team was managed by Terry Reardon for its first fourteen seasons and won three division titles, but did not capture a Calder Cup title.
Baltimore began as a farm team for the New York Rangers and helped develop Hall of Fame players including Eddie Giacomin, Doug Harvey, Jacques Plante, and Jean Ratelle.
Jacques Plante, who spent a year with the Baltimore Clippers.
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Early Hockey in Baltimore
Records in The United States Hockey Hall of Fame indicate that Baltimore had possibly the earliest organized hockey games in the United States. This early hockey was associated with Johns Hopkins University. Baltimore is also credited with building the first indoor arena in North America with artificial ice.
The Sports Centre was the place to go for amateur hockey in Baltimore. It was built in 1932 at North Ave and Charles Street. The Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA) high school league operated for 23 winters, starting in 1933-34.
High School teams during this era included: Calvert Hall, Loyola, Mt St. Joseph, Poly, City, Gilman, Forest Park, and The Tome School of Port Deposit. In the late 1940’s, an unlimited age amateur hockey league played at the Sports Centre. It was known as The Baltimore Hockey League and operated for 3 winters, from 1946-47 to 1948-49.
In the fall of 1960, a league was formed for Baltimore and Washington unlimited age players. It was named the Metro League and was part of the Potomac Amateur Ice Hockey Association (PAIHA) based in Washington. The Metro League’s Baltimore games were played at Meadowbrook and the Memorial Stadium rink.
1962-1967: Early Years
The American Hockey League approved an expansion franchise for Baltimore on June 12, 1962. The approval came with the promise that the Baltimore Civic Center, which would be the largest rink in the AHL at that time, would be completed no later than November 1, 1962.
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The Baltimore Clippers were established in 1962 when the New York Rangers purchased the AHL franchise rights of the Philadelphia Ramblers and moved the team to Baltimore. The team's fight song, "Win, you Baltimore Clippers", was composed by lyricist Winifred Davis, and music teacher Jack D.
In their early years, the Clippers had a strong roster and found success, making it to the Calder Cup Finals in 1963 and 1966 but losing on both occasions.
The Baltimore Civic Center, home of the Baltimore Clippers.
Late 1960s and Early 1970s: Championships and Changes
The Clippers experienced their most successful run in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They won their first Calder Cup championship in the 1966-67 season under coach Scotty Bowman, a future Hall of Famer. The team repeated this success in the 1967-68 season, capturing their second consecutive Calder Cup title. During this time, the Clippers were a dominant force in the AHL.
In the 1970-71 AHL season, Terry Reardon returned to the dual role of head coach and general manager, and the Clippers affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings for one season. Baltimore had the top three scorers in the league, including Speck with 92 points, Marc Dufour with 82 points, and Rivers with 75 points. Speck also led the league in assists with 61, Rivers was second in goals scored, and Larry Johnston racked up the second most penalty minutes in the league with 198. Reardon won the Louis A. R.
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Veteran defenseman Jim Morrison was appointed co-coach with Reardon for the 1971-72 AHL season, in addition to playing. Baltimore switched NHL affiliations to the California Golden Seals for the season.
Baltimore negotiated an affiliation with the Detroit Red Wings for the 1973-74 AHL season. The Clippers returned to first place, winning the south division, and the John D. Kent Douglas was appointed co-coach with Reardon for the 1974-75 AHL season, and Baltimore affiliated with the Kansas City Scouts for one season.
Terry Reardon was the general manager of Baltimore for fourteen seasons, and coached the Clippers during nine seasons, winning the Louis A. R.
Nestor reviews history of Baltimore hockey in full color
1970s: Decline and Relocation
In the early 1970s, the Clippers' performance declined, and financial difficulties plagued the team. By January 1975, the Clippers were in trouble financially. When the Baltimore Blades did not return for a second season, Reardon led the drive to resurrect the Clippers.
In 1974, the Rangers sold the Clippers to a local group, but the financial struggles continued. As a result, the team was relocated to Providence, Rhode Island, in 1976 and became the Providence Reds.
The Arena Issue
There was once a time when Baltimore almost got an NHL team. Sadly this never happened. The NBA/ABA arena for the Bullets was shared by the Baltimore Clippers of the AHL. They both played at the Baltimore Civic Center.
However, once the early 70s arrived, both the NHL and NBA had more requirements for teams in their leagues. The Arena only sat 14,000 people for NBA games and about 8,000 for NHL games. Other NHL arenas Sat more than 14,000 at the time, and NBA arenas could easily seat 20,000 people.
There was a proposal to build a new arena to accommodate the Bullets and a potential new NHL team. However due to city funding and ownership, this never happened, and the new arena was constructed in Landover Maryland a few years later.
The CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.