Somewhere, Reggie Dunlop is spinning in his grave.
In a scene straight out of the last reel of the classic hockey movie "Slapshot," Johnstown Chiefs owner and former New York Rangers GM Neil Smith announced that the team would move to Greenville, S.C., for the beginning of the 2010-2011 season. Just as in the movie, the Chiefs died at the box office right along with a steel town whose economy had nothing left to give.
Where are the Hanson brothers when you need them?
Johnstown's place in hockey lore is safe forever thanks to the 1977 flick, starring Paul Newman (who did all of his own skating and on ice stunt work for the film). But 60 years of hockey history will end on Sat., Apr. 2, when the final horn sounds at the ancient Johnstown War Memorial.
Pro hockey in Johnstown survived through those 60 years and three leagues. But it could not survive the latest economic downturn. Neil Smith had been trying to find local investors to take the club off of his hands, but found no interested parties. The Chiefs almost didn't take the ice this season after they lost their NHL affiliations and a ton of money. But they were sp ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Tim King
ECHL’s Johnstown Chiefs Heading for Greenville, S.C. in 2010-2011
February 15th, 2010 by Tim King Leave a reply »
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