From Rockets To Griffins, Hockey’s Wild Ride In Grand Rapids

Unless you have a really good memory, you don't remember that Grand Rapids has had professional hockey here for several decades. However, before the Grand Rapids Griffins, professional hockey here was seriously ON and OFF.

The Rockets date back to the 50s, 1950 to the 1956 season, before moving to Huntington, West Virginia. They played in the IHL, International Hockey League.

Sadly, that seemed to be it for pro hockey in Grand Rapids for about two decades. But, years later, 1977 to be exact, Grand Rapids suddenly got another pro hockey team, The Owls.

We are so proud of our Grand Raids Griffins today, playing in the AHL, American Hockey League and a great part of the Detroit Redwings, but the Rockets and Owls were the precursors of professional hockey in Grand Rapids.

HOW DID WE GET THE OWLS?

For those of us who remember the Owls, but don't know or remember the back story, it goes like this.

 👇 BELOW: RELIVE SOME HISTORY OF MICHIGAN STATE HOCKEY! 👇

Seem that  Al Savill, former owner of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, also had an IHL team in Dayton, Ohio, the Owls, who also played in the IHL.

Sort of without warning, Savill packed up the Owls in 1977, no one was coming to their games, and moved them here, Grand Rapids. New owners took over and put the exciting new product on the ice at the old Stadium Arena. We knew the arena in later years as the Delta Plex.

People were thrilled and loved the games but the Owls had one good season out of three played here, the 1978 and 1979 season, reaching the IHL championship finals, losing to the K-Wings in the seventh and deciding game.

That was it for the Owls, folding in 1980.

The good news here is that in 1996, the Grand Rapids Griffins took the ice in the beautiful new Van Andel Arena, and professional hockey in Grand Rapids has never looked back!