Saginaw Gears (IHL)


The Saginaw Gears were a minor-league ice hockey franchise that played in the defunct International Hockey League. The Gears existed from 1972 to 1983. The Gears played their home games at Wendler Arena in the Saginaw Civic Center.
IHL hockey would later return to the Tri-Cities when the Flint Generals were moved to Saginaw, Michigan to become the Saginaw Generals for the 1985–86 season.

Championships

The Gears made the playoffs for nine straight seasons, from 1973–82. The Gears reached the Turner Cup Finals five times in that stretch, and won the following championships:
SeasonLeagueTrophy
1976–77IHLFred A. Huber Trophy
1976–77IHLTurner Cup
1980–81IHLTurner Cup

Trivia

The Turner Cup replica at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto has Saginaw misspelled as "Sagimaw" for the 1976-77 Championship

Notable players

The Gears sent several players to the National Hockey League in their 11-year existence. The biggest names include: