The Joseph Turner Memorial Cup

Named for Windsorite Joe Turner, a goalie turned soldier during World War 2, the cup was given annually to the winner of what would become the International Hockey League.

The Joseph Turner Memorial Cup

Photo Credit: Hockey Hall of Fame. Trophy: Turner Cup. Digital image. Joseph Turner Memorial Cup. The Hockey Hall of Fame, n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2016.

Because of WWII, the Michigan-Ontario Hockey League was forced to shut down during the 1940’s. After the war, with only 6 teams in the NHL and a considerable number of hockey players, there was a need for a new developmental league to feed into professional ranks. With a sudden influx of available players and nowhere to put them, a meeting was held December 5th, 1945 at the Norton Palmer Hotel in Windsor between hockey legend Jack Adams of the Detroit Red Wings, several other Red Wings officials, and other professionally non-affiliated local hockey supporters including Gerald McHugh – a Windsor lawyer who would become the league’s first commissioner.

This meeting produced what grew into the IHL. The league was initially created to provide opportunities for local hockey players returning home from the war to play, with thoughts that it could eventually expand beyond Windsor-Detroit.

The first four teams in the league that would eventually spread across North America included the Detroit Auto Club, Detroit Bright’s Goodyear, the Windsor Spitfires, and the Windsor Gotfredsons. Windsor teams would win the trophy twice: the 1946-47 Windsor Spitfires, and the 1948-49 Windsor Hettche Spitfires were both champions before the league bypassed the area. The last Canadian team to win the trophy was the 1949-50 Chatham Maroons.

The trophy would live on until 2000-01, when the Orlando Solar bears were the final winner. The league folded after that season with the American Hockey League and East Coast Hockey League being the predominant feeder leagues for the NHL.

List of All-Time Winners

2000-01 Orlando Solar Bears
1999-00 Chicago Wolves
1998-99 Houston Aeros
1997-98 Chicago Wolves
1996-97 Detroit Vipers
1995-96 Utah Grizzlies
1994-95 Denver Grizzlies
1993-94 Atlanta Knights
1993-94 Atlanta Knights
1992-93 Fort Wayne Komets
1991-92 Kansas City Blades
1990-91 Peoria Rivermen
1989-90 Indianapolis Ice
1988-89 Muskegon Lumberjacks
1987-88 Salt Lake Golden Eagles
1986-87 Salt Lake Golden Eagles
1985-86 Muskegon Lumberjacks
1984-85 Peoria Rivermen
1983-84 Flint Generals
1982-83 Toledo Goaldiggers
1981-82 Toledo Goaldiggers
1980-81 Saginaw Gears
1979-80 Kalamazoo Wings
1978-79 Kalamazoo Wings
1977-78 Toledo Goaldiggers
1976-77 Saginaw Gears
1975-76 Dayton Gems
1974-75 Toledo Goaldiggers
1973-74 Des Moines Capitols
1972-73 Fort Wayne Komets
1971-72 Port Huron Flags
1970-71 Port Huron Flags
1969-70 Dayton Gems
1968-69 Dayton Gems
1967-68 Muskegon Mohawks
1966-67 Toledo Blades
1965-66 Port Huron Flags
1964-65 Fort Wayne Komets
1963-64 Toledo Blades
1962-63 Fort Wayne Komets
1961-62 Muskegon Zephyrs
1960-61 St. Paul Saints
1959-60 St. Paul Saints
1958-59 Louisville Rebels
1957-58 Indianapolis Chiefs
1956-57 Cincinnati Mohawks
1955-56 Cincinnati Mohawks
1954-55 Cincinnati Mohawks
1953-54 Cincinnati Mohawks
1952-53 Cincinnati Mohawks
1951-52 Toledo Mercurys
1950-51 Toledo Mercurys
1949-50 Chatham Maroons
1948-49 Windsor Hettche Spitfires
1947-48 Toledo Mercurys
1946-47 Windsor Spitfires
1945-46 Detroit Auto Club

Sources:

100 Things Red Wings Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die (2014). Duff, Bob. Allen, Kevin. Available Via Hoopla:
https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11313062

HockeyDB: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/134.html

The Hockey Hall of Fame: https://www.hhof.com/htmlSIlverware/silver_splashturner.shtml

Joe Turner – HockeyDB page:
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=17145