New Haven Nighthawks
| Company type | Professional ice hockey team |
|---|---|
| Industry | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Defunct | 1992 |
| Fate | Rebranded as New Haven Senators in 1992; franchise relocated to Prince Edward Island in 1993 |
| Headquarters | New Haven , United States |
Area served | New Haven, Connecticut |
| Products | Ice hockey team |
The New Haven Nighthawks competed as a professional ice hockey squad in the American Hockey League from 1972 until 1992. Their NHL affiliations included the New York Islanders (1972–1973), Minnesota North Stars (1972–1977), New York Rangers (1977–1981 and 1984–1987), and Los Angeles Kings (1981–1991). The team played its home contests at the New Haven Coliseum.
History
Throughout their tenure, the Nighthawks reached the Calder Cup championship round on four occasions: during the 1974–75, 1977–78, 1978–79 seasons, and most notably in 1988–89. In that final run, they advanced from a fourth-place divisional finish to the finals, ultimately falling to the Adirondack Red Wings in a five-game series. The Adirondack Red Wings also ended their playoff journey in what became their last postseason appearance before the franchise transitioned to the New Haven Senators for the 1992–93 season.
Prominent players featured former Islanders talents Chico Resch and Bobby Nystrom, ex-Boston Bruins standout Willie O'Ree, and franchise icon Tom Colley, who leads in games played (534), goals scored (204), assists (281), and total points (485). The team’s leader in penalty minutes was Al Tuer, with 688. Additional notable alumni include WHA star Bobby Sheehan, along with Cam Connor, Bernie Nicholls, Blaine Stoughton, Mike Rogers, and goaltenders Ron Scott (153 games) and Doug Soetaert (101 games). In 1986, the franchise set an AHL record by utilizing 62 different players within a single season, highlighting extensive roster turnover.
In 1992, after securing a new NHL partnership with the Ottawa Senators, the team was rebranded as the New Haven Senators. The franchise relocated to Prince Edward Island the following year and currently operates as the Belleville Senators.
The final former Nighthawk to appear in an NHL game was goaltender Byron Dafoe, who participated in seven contests during the team’s concluding season. Meanwhile, the last player from New Haven active in professional hockey was Mario Chitarroni, who skated for the Nighthawks in 1988–89 and continued his career in Italy’s professional league as late as 2009.
Franchise and area history
Franchise names over time:
- New Haven Senators (1992–1993)
- Prince Edward Island Senators (1993–1996)
- Binghamton Senators (2002–2017)
- Belleville Senators (2017–present)
Subsequent local teams included:
- Beast of New Haven (1997–1999)
- New Haven Knights (UHL) (2000–2002)
- Bridgeport Islanders (2001–present)
Regular season
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OTL | Points | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–73 | 76 | 16 | 40 | 20 | — | 52 | 246 | 331 | 6th, East |
| 1973–74 | 76 | 35 | 31 | 10 | — | 80 | 291 | 275 | 4th, North |
| 1974–75 | 76 | 30 | 35 | 11 | — | 71 | 282 | 302 | 5th, North |
| 1975–76 | 76 | 29 | 39 | 8 | — | 66 | 261 | 295 | 3rd, South |
| 1976–77 | 80 | 43 | 31 | 6 | — | 92 | 333 | 287 | 2nd, AHL |
| 1977–78 | 80 | 38 | 31 | 11 | — | 87 | 313 | 292 | 2nd, South |
| 1978–79 | 80 | 46 | 25 | 9 | — | 101 | 346 | 271 | 1st, South |
| 1979–80 | 80 | 46 | 25 | 9 | — | 101 | 350 | 305 | 1st, South |
| 1980–81 | 80 | 29 | 40 | 11 | — | 69 | 295 | 321 | 4th, South |
| 1981–82 | 80 | 39 | 33 | 8 | — | 86 | 292 | 276 | 3rd, South |
| 1982–83 | (80) | 38 | (34) | 8 | (—) | 84 | (337) | (329) | 3rd, South |
| 1983–84 | (80) | 36 | (40) | 4 | (—) | 76 | (365) | (371) | 5th, South |
| 1984–85 | (80) | 31 | (41) | 8 | (—) | 70 | (315) | (341) | 5th, South |
| 1985–86 | (80) | 36 | (37) | 7 | (—) | 79 | (340) | (343) | 4th, South |
| 1986–87 | (80) | 44 | (25) | (—) | 11 | 99 | (331) | (315) | 3rd, South |
| 1987–88 | (80) | 33 | (37) | 7 | 3 | 76 | (288) | (307) | 5th, North |
| 1988–89 | (80) | 35 | (35) | 10 | — | 80 | (325) | (309) | 4th, North |
| 1989–90 | (80) | 32 | (41) | 7 | — | 71 | (283) | (316) | 7th, North |
| 1990–91 | (80) | 24 | (45) | 11 | — | 59 | (246) | (324) | 7th, North |
| 1991–92 | (80) | 39 | (37) | 4 | — | 82 | (305) | (309) | 3rd, North |
Playoff History
Throughout their tenure, the Nighthawks reached the Calder Cup finals four times, finishing as runners-up in the 1974–75, 1977–78, 1978–79, and 1988–89 seasons.
| Season | First Round | Second Round | Championship Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–73 | Did not qualify for playoffs | ||
| 1973–74 | Defeated Rochester, 4–2 | Fell to Providence, 0–4 | — |
| 1974–75 | Beat Virginia, 4–1 | Triumphed over Hershey, 4–1 | Lost to Springfield, 1–4 |
| 1975–76 | Eliminated by Richmond, 0–3 | — | — |
| 1976–77 | Knocked out by Rochester, 2–4 | — | — |
| 1977–78 | Victorious against Philadelphia, 3–1 | Won over Rochester, 4–2 | Defeated by Maine, 1–4 |
| 1978-79 | Received bye | Overcame Binghamton , 4–2 | Fell to Maine , 0–4 |
| 1979-80 | Swept Rochester , 4–0 | Eliminated by Hershey , 2–4 | — |
| (1980-81) | Swept out by Hershey , 0–4 | — | — |
| (1981-82) | Defeated by Rochester , 1–3 | — | — |
| (1982-83) | Advanced past Hershey , 4–1 | Lost to Rochester , 3–4 | — |
| (1983-84) | Missed playoffs | ||
| (1984-85) | Did not qualify for postseason | ||
| (1985-86) | Knocked out by Hershey , 1–4 | — | — |
| (1986-87) | Eliminated by Binghamton , 3–4 | — | — |
| (1987-88) | Failed to reach playoffs | ||
| (1988-89) | Defeated Sherbrooke , 4–2 | Triumphed over Moncton , 4–2 | Lost to Adirondack , 1–4 |
| (1989-90) | Did not participate in playoffs | ||
| (1990-91) | Absent from postseason | ||
| (1991-92) | Eliminated by Adirondack , 1–4 | — | |
See also
References
- Articles with short description
- New Haven Nighthawks
- Defunct American Hockey League teams
- Defunct ice hockey teams in Connecticut
- Ice hockey clubs established in 1972
- Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1992
- Minnesota North Stars minor league affiliates
- New York Islanders minor league affiliates
- Detroit Red Wings minor league affiliates
- New York Rangers minor league affiliates
- Colorado Rockies (NHL) minor league affiliates
- Los Angeles Kings minor league affiliates
- 1972 establishments in Connecticut
- 1992 disestablishments in Connecticut
- Ice hockey teams in New Haven, Connecticut