Greensboro Generals (1959–1977)
| Company type | Professional minor league ice hockey franchise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | Ken Wilson (owner who transferred the team) |
| Defunct | 1977 |
| Fate | Ceased operations; league dissolved |
| Headquarters | Greensboro, North Carolina , United States |
Area served | Eastern Hockey League, Southern Hockey League |
Key people | Ken Wilson (owner), Carson Bain (initial owner group leader), Roland McLenahan (first head coach), Ronnie Spong (player-coach) |
| Products | Ice hockey team |
Number of employees | N/A |
The Greensboro Generals were a professional minor league ice hockey franchise located in Greensboro, North Carolina. They participated in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) from 1959 through 1973 and later competed in the SHL from 1973 until 1977. The team was established when owner Ken Wilson transferred the Troy Bruins of the International Hockey League to Greensboro, joining the EHL and playing their home games at the newly constructed Greensboro Coliseum.
History
Initially, the franchise was owned by a group of local stakeholders led by Carson Bain, who hired Roland McLenahan as the inaugural head coach. Despite being designated as an amateur team, players were actively recruited and compensated for their participation. The Generals made their first appearance on November 11, 1959, securing a 4–1 victory against Washington before an audience of 3,014 spectators. Goaltender Norm Defelice was awarded the George Davis Trophy for achieving the lowest goals-against average during the 1959–60 campaign.
In 1960, Ronnie Spong took on the dual responsibilities of player and coach, a position he maintained until 1971. Under his leadership, the team posted winning records in every season except one. The Generals advanced to three straight championship finals between 1962 and 1964, capturing the league championship in 1963. Don Davidson, playing at center, earned the John Carlin Trophy as the league’s top scorer in the 1963–64 season. During the late 1960s, goaltenders Peter McDuffe and Ernie Miller received accolades as Rookie of the Year (1967–68) and George Davis Trophy winner (1969–70), respectively. Greensboro returned to the finals in 1970 but ultimately finished as runners-up.
In early 1971, ownership transitioned from Bain to Tedd Munchak, who also owned the Carolina Cougars basketball team. Don Carter served as player-coach in 1972 before Bob Smith assumed coaching duties in 1973. At that season’s conclusion, the Generals joined three other teams in departing from the EHL to establish the Southern Hockey League.
During the SHL’s first season under coach Ted Lanyon, Greensboro struggled and ended up third in the standings. Financial constraints necessitated relocating to the smaller Piedmont Arena in 1975, with Ronnie Spong returning to head coaching responsibilities. The team finished last in each of its final three seasons. Persistent monetary issues resulted in the Generals ceasing operations midway through the 1976–77 season on January 4, 1977; shortly thereafter, three additional SHL franchises folded, leading to the league’s dissolution on January 31.
Championships: 1963 EHL
Major league affiliations
Throughout their existence, the Greensboro Generals maintained primary affiliations with the World Hockey Association from 1972 until 1975 and held secondary partnerships with various National Hockey League teams between 1967 and 1977.
| Years | Affiliations |
|---|---|
| 1967–71 | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 1971–72 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 1972–74 | Los Angeles Sharks |
| 1974–75 | Michigan Stags, Baltimore Blades, New York Islanders |
| 1975–76 | Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals |
| 1976–77 | Atlanta Flames, Cleveland Barons, Colorado Rockies |
Numerous athletes from the Greensboro Generals progressed to careers in the National Hockey League or World Hockey Association, underscoring the team's significant contribution to nurturing professional hockey players:
- Ron Anderson
- Steve Andrascik
- Jamie Bateman
- Jacques Blain
- Kirk Bowman
- Don Burgess
- Brian Bye
- Brian Cadle
- Jack Caffery
- Jeff Carlson
- Lyle Carter
- Chick Chalmers
- Jack Chipchase
- Mike Conroy
- Tom Cottringer
- Claude Cyr
- Murray Davison
- Norm Defelice
- Brian Derksen
- Jerry Engele
- John Fisher
- Greg Fox
- Russ Gillow
- Don Gordon
- Bruce Greig
- Howie Heggedal
- Earl Heiskala
- Paul Hoganson
- Bill Horton
- Don Howse
- Mike Hyndman
- Mike Jakubo
- Eddie Johnston
- Ed Johnstone
- Jim Jones
- Doug Kerslake
- Jarda Krupicka
- Moe L'Abbé
- Michel Lachance
- Ted Lanyon
- Barry Legge
- Bernie MacNeil
- Peter McDuffe
- Jimmy McLeod
- Rick Morris
- Bob Perreault
- Tony Poeta
- Jan Popiel
- Steve Richardson
- Lorne Rombough
- Bob Russell
- Barry Salovaara
- Nick Sanza
- Danny Schock
- Steve Self
- Tom Serviss
- Bob Sicinski
- Fred Speck'
- Guy Trottier'
- Gordon Tumilson'
- Don Ward'
- Jim Watson'
- Steve West'
- Alton White'
- Ian Wilkie'
- Gary Williamson'
- Hal Willis'
- Bob Winograd'
- Roger Wilson'
- Bill Young'
Jerry Zrymiak Wayne Zuk
Results
A comprehensive overview of the season-by-season performances in both the Eastern Hockey League and Southern Hockey League is presented below.
| Season | League | Games Played | Wins | Losses | Ties | Points | Winning Percentage | Goals For | Goals Against | Penalty Minutes | Division Rank | Postseason Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959–60 | EHL | 64 | 26 | 33 | 5 | 57 | 0.445 | 236 | 253 | 841 | 3rd, Southern Division | Eliminated in first round |
| 1960–61 | EHL | 64 | 40 | 22 | 2 | 82 | 0.641 | 339 | 257 | 753 | 1st, Southern Division | Eliminated in first round |
| 1961–62 | EHL | 68 | 36 | 30 | 2 | 74 | 0.544 | 284 | 258 | 505 | 1st, Southern Division | Runner-up in finals |
| 1962–63 | EHL | 68 | 40 | 26 | 2 | 82 | 0.603 | 305 | 263 | 588 | 1st, Southern Division | Championship winners |
| 1963–64 | EHL | 72 | 41 | 29 | 2 | 84 | 0.583 | 294 | 257 | 877 | 1st, Southern Division | Runner-up in finals |
| 1964–65 | EHL | 72 | 37 | 33 | 2 | 76 | 0.528 | 333 | 301 | 619 | 2nd, Southern Division | Eliminated in first round |
| 1965–66 | EHL | 72 | 37 | 31 | 4 | 78 | 0.542 | 291 | 263 | 785 | 3rd, Southern Division | Eliminated in first round |
| 1966–67 | EHL | 72 | 35 | 37 | 0 | 70 | (0.486) | 265 | (279) | 997 | (3rd, Southern) | Lost in round 1 |
| 1967–68 | (EHL) | 72 | (46) | 20 | (6) | 98 | (0.681) | 364 | (248) | 906 | (1st, southern) | Lost in round 2 |
| 1968–69 | (EHL) | 72 | (41) | 22 | (9) | 91 | (0.632) | 350 | (279) | 681 | (1st, southern) | Lost in round 2 |
| 1969–70 | (EHL) | 74 | (45) | 22 | (7) | 97 | (0.655) | 333 | (241) | 1123 | (1st, southern) | Lost in finals |
| 1970–71 | (EHL) | 73 | (44) | 21 | (8) | 96 | (0.658) | 340 | (234) | 1132 | (2nd, southern) | Lost in round 2 |
| 1971–72 | (EHL) | 73 | (34) | 27 | (12) | 80 | (0.548) | 284 | (252) | 1229 | (2nd, southern) | Lost in round 2 |
| 1972–73 | (EHL) | 76 | (40) | 28 | (8) | 88 | (0.579) | 391 | (315) | 1382 | (2nd, southern) | Lost in round 1 |
| 1973–74 (SHL) | SHL | 71 | 33 | 37 | 1 | 67 | 0.472 | 285 | 310 | 1168 | 3rd, SHL | Lost in round 1 |
| 1974–75 (SHL) | SHL | 72 | 23 | 47 | 2 | 48 | 0.333 | 262 | 384 | 1280 | 5th, SHL | Out of playoffs |
| 1975–76 (SHL) | SHL | 72 | 18 | 42 | 12 | 48 | 0.333 | 221 | 317 | 1212 | 6th, SHL | Out of playoffs |
| 1976–77 (SHL) | SHL | 40 | 15 | 24 | 1 | 31 | 0.388 | 140 | 173 | 798 | 6th, SHL | folded |
| TOTALS | EHL | 992 | 542 | 381 | 69 | 1153 | 0.581 | 4409 | 3700 | 12418 | 7 division titles | 1 championship |
| TOTALS | SHL | 255 | 89 | 150 | 16 | 194 | 0.380 | 908 | 1184 | 4458 |