Clinton Comets
Encyclopedia
The Clinton Comets were an American
ice hockey
team in Clinton, New York
.
Founded in 1927–28 as the Clinton Hockey Club and nicknamed the Comets in 1949, the team played primarily at the Clinton Arena
from 1949 until 1973. The team was originally started by Ed Stanley who acted as manager to build a team from local high school students and helped to provide finances for the team to buy equipment and take road trips. He quickly was able to build a very successful team which in the 1933-1934 season played in the National Amateur Championship at Madison Square Garden
against the Hershey Bears
. Stanley, along with Albert Prettyman who brought college hockey to nearby Hamilton College went on to be the only two people from the same town or city on the 1940 Olympic hockey committee. The 1940 Winter Olympics
were scheduled for Sapporo, Japan but were canceled because of the start of World War II
, as well as the hopes of Comets players Wilfred Goering and Art Scoones who were trying out for the Olympic team.
From 1954 until 1973, the Comets participated in the Eastern Hockey League
, dominating for ten of their nineteen seasons. Most notably, under head coach Pat Kelly
, the Comets posted a 315–208–64 (wins-losses-ties) record over eight seasons. During that period, in the 1967–68 season, the Comets produced an awe-inspiring 57–5–10 record. The Comets won the EHL playoffs in 1958-59, 1963–64, 1967–68, 1968–69 and 1969-70.
Later, when the team began playing games in the Utica Memorial Auditorium, it changed its name to the Mohawk Valley Comets. That team played in the North American Hockey League
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team in Clinton, New York
Clinton, Oneida County, New York
Clinton is a village in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. It was named for George Clinton, a royal governor of the colony of New York....
.
Founded in 1927–28 as the Clinton Hockey Club and nicknamed the Comets in 1949, the team played primarily at the Clinton Arena
Clinton Arena
Clinton Arena, also known as Edward W. Stanley Recreation Center, is an indoor arena in Clinton, New York. Originally built in 1948-49, the arena burned down on September 11, 1953. It was then rebuilt in 1954. It is built of concrete block and is two stories high. It consists of two blocks: the...
from 1949 until 1973. The team was originally started by Ed Stanley who acted as manager to build a team from local high school students and helped to provide finances for the team to buy equipment and take road trips. He quickly was able to build a very successful team which in the 1933-1934 season played in the National Amateur Championship at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
against the Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
. Stanley, along with Albert Prettyman who brought college hockey to nearby Hamilton College went on to be the only two people from the same town or city on the 1940 Olympic hockey committee. The 1940 Winter Olympics
1940 Winter Olympics
The anticipated 1940 Winter Olympics, which would have been officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, were to be celebrated in 1940 in Sapporo, Japan.The games were cancelled due to the onset of World War II...
were scheduled for Sapporo, Japan but were canceled because of the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as well as the hopes of Comets players Wilfred Goering and Art Scoones who were trying out for the Olympic team.
From 1954 until 1973, the Comets participated in the Eastern Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
, dominating for ten of their nineteen seasons. Most notably, under head coach Pat Kelly
Patrick J. Kelly
Patrick J. Kelly was one of the founders and the first commissioner of the East Coast Hockey League in 1989. Kelly was named Commissioner Emeritus of the ECHL following the 1995–96 season, after serving as Commissioner for the first eight seasons of the ECHL. The league playoff champions wins a...
, the Comets posted a 315–208–64 (wins-losses-ties) record over eight seasons. During that period, in the 1967–68 season, the Comets produced an awe-inspiring 57–5–10 record. The Comets won the EHL playoffs in 1958-59, 1963–64, 1967–68, 1968–69 and 1969-70.
Later, when the team began playing games in the Utica Memorial Auditorium, it changed its name to the Mohawk Valley Comets. That team played in the North American Hockey League
North American Hockey League
The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League...
.
Notable alumni
Notable alumni of the Clinton Comets include:- Ed Giacomin, who went on to become an all-star goaltenderGoaltenderIn ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
with the New York RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. - Benny WoitBenny WoitBenedict Francis Woit was a National Hockey League defenceman of the 1950s.-Playing career:Woit made his presence known as a junior while playing for the Port Arthur Flyers and Bruins of the TBJHL and the St. Mike's Majors of the OHA. He began playing for the Indianapolis Capitals of the AHL for...
, former player for the Detroit Red WingsDetroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. - Pete BabandoPete BabandoPeter Joseph Babando born May 10, 1925 in Braeburn-Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania and raised in South Porcupine, Ontario) is a former National Hockey League player who skated for the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, and New York Rangers. During six NHL seasons, Babando scored 86...
, former player for the Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
and Chicago Black HawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. - Pat KellyPatrick J. KellyPatrick J. Kelly was one of the founders and the first commissioner of the East Coast Hockey League in 1989. Kelly was named Commissioner Emeritus of the ECHL following the 1995–96 season, after serving as Commissioner for the first eight seasons of the ECHL. The league playoff champions wins a...
, went on to later become head coach of the Colorado Rockies (NHL)Colorado Rockies (NHL)The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
, was the founder and first league commissioner of the East Coast Hockey League. He also had the ECHL's championship trophy named after him, the Kelly CupKelly CupThe Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the play-off champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup. The current cup is named after Patrick J. Kelly, the league's first commissioner. The cup is loaned to the winning...
.
Other Hockey Teams in the Mohawk Valley
- Utica Mohawks of the East Coast Hockey League (1978–80)
- Mohawk Valley Stars of the Atlantic Coast Hockey league (1981–84)
- Mohawk Valley Comets of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (1985–87)
- Utica DevilsUtica DevilsThe Utica Devils were an ice hockey team of the American Hockey League. The team played in Utica, New York at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.-History:...
of the American Hockey League (1987–93) - Utica Bulldogs of the Colonial Hockey league (1993–94)
- Utica Blizzard of the Colonial Hockey League (1994–97)
- Mohawk Valley Prowlers of the United Hockey League (1998–2001)
- Mohawk Valley IceCats of the North Eastern Hockey League (2006–07)