New Haven Blades
The New Haven Blades were not the first hockey team to play in Connecticut's Elm City, but they were one of the most enduring and popular. Hockey has been played in New Haven since the 1920s, and a variety of teams have called New Haven Arena home over the years. But it wasn't until the Blades arrived on the scene in 1954 that a long-lasting franchise truly took root in the area.
For the 1954-55 season, the Blades joined the Eastern Hockey League. The EHL was a bus league featuring teams from all across the Northeast that eventually spread as far south as Florida. The Blades won the EHL title in only their second season, 1955-56, earning 43 of 64 regular season wins and defeating longtime EHL powerhouses Johnstown and Clinton in the playoffs. Don Perry, a long-time EHL player/coach and future NHL coach, headed the Blades at the time. Perry was a club staple, spending 12 seasons in New Haven as a player/coach or a coach.
Despite their early success, the Blades would never win the EHL championship again, but they would remain a dominant force in the league for the next two decades. Blake Ball and John Brophy, both EHL stalwarts, would play for the Blades, and the team would make the playoffs in 15 of its 18 seasons. They would also reach the EHL Finals three more times, but each time they would lose. The Blades folded following the 1971-72 season, and the EHL followed suit as the hockey environment shifted dramatically in the 1970s.
The Blades' legacy is carried on today by New Haven Nighthawks Brewing and their Dave's Kick Save IPA, named after Blades and Nighthawks goalkeeper Dave Hainsworth.
For the 1954-55 season, the Blades joined the Eastern Hockey League. The EHL was a bus league featuring teams from all across the Northeast that eventually spread as far south as Florida. The Blades won the EHL title in only their second season, 1955-56, earning 43 of 64 regular season wins and defeating longtime EHL powerhouses Johnstown and Clinton in the playoffs. Don Perry, a long-time EHL player/coach and future NHL coach, headed the Blades at the time. Perry was a club staple, spending 12 seasons in New Haven as a player/coach or a coach.
Despite their early success, the Blades would never win the EHL championship again, but they would remain a dominant force in the league for the next two decades. Blake Ball and John Brophy, both EHL stalwarts, would play for the Blades, and the team would make the playoffs in 15 of its 18 seasons. They would also reach the EHL Finals three more times, but each time they would lose. The Blades folded following the 1971-72 season, and the EHL followed suit as the hockey environment shifted dramatically in the 1970s.
The Blades' legacy is carried on today by New Haven Nighthawks Brewing and their Dave's Kick Save IPA, named after Blades and Nighthawks goalkeeper Dave Hainsworth.
