Yinzers,This is old news from February, but we have not covered it here on the Morning Steel Mill. A great legend in western Pennsylvania has come to an end. The Johnstown Chiefs are moving to Greenville, South Carolina following this year's ECHL season. The Chiefs were the only remaining original member of the East Coast Hockey League. Much like the fictitious Charlestown Chiefs of the Federal Hockey League in the movie Slapshot, this decision was a "business decision," except this time there is no conspiracy theory of a retirement community in Florida.
Who knows what will happen to the Cambria County War Memorial? It may be used as a concert venue or, God forbid, strictly for figure skating. However, there is still a lot of support for local hockey teams, even though the Chiefs will no longer be gracing the War Memorial. It is the end of a long era of minor league hockey in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. There has been a minor league team in Johnstown since the Johnstown Jets, who played in the War Memorial from 1950-77, before the Chiefs took over in the 1980s.
The Chiefs have seen some NHL talent glide across the ice at the War Memorial. Currently, they have one local boy from Pittsburgh: goaltender Kyle Mayotte. Some notables from the Chiefs are goaltenders Arturs Irbe formerly of the Carolina Hurricanes and Dany Sabourin formerly of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Peter Skudra formerly of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and several of the Penguins' front office staff including equipment manager Dana Heinze.
All who read this blog are required to watch the movie Slapshot tonight.To an end to an era in western Pennsylvania,
B Brog
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