Duluth Hornets

Duluth Hornets
CityDuluth, Minnesota
LeagueUnited States Amateur Hockey Association (USAHA)
Central Hockey League (CHL)
American Hockey Association (AHA)
Operated1914–1933
Home arenaDuluth Curling and Skating Club (1914–1924)
Duluth Amphitheater (1924–1932)
The Alaskan Ice Palace (1932–1933)
Colorsblue, orange
   
Franchise history
1914–1923Duluth Hockey Club
1923–1924Duluth Rangers
1924–1932Duluth Hornets
1932–1933Wichita Blue Jays
1933Wichita Vikings
Championships
Playoff championships1927

The Duluth Hornets were an amateur and professional ice hockey team in Duluth, Minnesota.[1]

History

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Amateur

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In 1914, in order to compete against several string amateur teams from Michigan and Canada, Joe Linder formed the Duluth Hockey Club. The team played on natural surfaces in the early days but still managed to be competitive. In 1920, Gordon Hegart took over control of the team and helped it secure a place in the United States Amateur Hockey Association, the top amateur league in the country.[2] The Hornets slowly built themselves into a respectable club but by 1925 the USAHA was splintering.[3] Duluth helped to form a new amateur league the following year, the Central Hockey League, and finished second in the standings.

Professional

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The CHL was dissolved in 1926 and all but one of the teams banded together to form the American Hockey Association. Now led by Dick Carroll, the Hornets won the inaugural league championship and nearly repeated as champions the following season. Carroll left in 1928 and the team was unable to sustain the same level of completion without him. It wasn't until Johnny Mitchell took over as player / coach in 1932 that the Hornets managed to make another finals appearance. Unfortunately, by that time the team's finances were jeopardizing its future. In the midst of the Great Depression, their already precarious position was made even worse when the Duluth Natives of the Central Hockey League hit the ice for the 1932–33 season. The Hornets were able to survive in the first half of the year but, during the mid-season break, they relocated to Wichita, Kansas.

Fate

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The Wichita Blue Jays did not fare well in the second half of the season and finished in last place. The team was renamed 'Vikings' for the following year but disbanded just 3 games into the season. The Natives, who had helped displace the Hornets, fared even worse and couldn't even last one season before suspending operations. The name 'Duluth Hornets' was revived by the two other teams in later years but neither lasted more than a season.

Year-by-year results

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USAHA

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Season GP W L T Pts Finish Coach(es) Postseason
1920–21 8 1 7 0 2 3rd in group Gordon Hegart missed
1921–22 12 4 8 0 8 4th in group Gordon Hegart missed
1922–23 20 8 12 0 16 5th in group Gordon Hegart missed
1923–24 20 6 14 0 12 5th in group Gordon Hegart missed
1924–25 20 11 8 1 2 2nd in group Gordon Hegart missed
20 6 12 2 14 6th in group

† regular season play was divided into two halves.

CHL

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Season GP W L T Pts Finish Coach(es) Postseason
1925–26 40 18 14 8 44 2nd Dick Carroll none

AHA

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Season GP W L T Pts Finish Coach(es) Postseason
1926–27 38 20 10 8 48 1st Dick Carroll Won Championship
1927–28 40 18 9 13 49 1st Dick Carroll Lost in Finals
1928–29 40 15 21 14 34 5th Shorty Green missed
1929–30 48 18 13 17 53 2nd Shorty Green Lost in Semifinals
1930–31 48 28 19 1 56 2nd Shorty Green Lost in Semifinals
1931–32 48 21 24 3 42 3rd Johnny Mitchell Lost in Finals
1932–33 42 17 24 1 34 4th Mike Goodman missed
1933–34 ¿ 3 0 3 0 0 withdrew J. Vernon Banks

‡ Second half of the season played in Wichita as the 'Blue Jays'.
¿ Played as the 'Wichita Vikings'; all three games were not counted in the standings after the team disbanded.

Notable players

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References

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  1. ^ "Duluth Hornets Statistics and History [AHA]". Hockey DB. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  2. ^ "DULUTH HORNETS (1914-1933)". Vintage Minnesota Hockey. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  3. ^ "Duluth Hornets". Elite Prospects. Retrieved February 22, 2024.