Minneapolis Bruins Hockey History

The story of the Minneapolis Bruins beginnings started in the Eastern Professional

Hockey League (EPHL) that was a minor professional ice hockey league that

operated primarily in Ontario and Quebec from 1959 to 1963. The NHL had

established working relationships with teams in leagues such as the AHL and WHL,

but these leagues were not fully under the control of the NHL. The EPHL was

created in 1959 as the first farm league fully run and controlled by the NHL. While

the league proved to be a success on the ice, it largely failed off the ice. Attendance

in these smaller cities could not support professional hockey, which ultimately led

to the leagues closure. By 1962, the EPHL was reduced to just four teams. One of which was the the Kingston Frontenacs, the Boston Bruins EPHL affiliate. During its final season the league played an interlocking schedule with the International Hockey League. Following the demise of the EPHL, the NHL created the new Central Hockey League of minor-pro farm teams

in larger, Midwestern U.S. cities. The Kingston franchise was

transferred essentially intact to Minneapolis where it played as

the Minneapolis Bruins. On July 9, 1963, the Boston Bruins of the

National Hockey League announced that they had allied

themselves with three Minneapolis business and professional

men and together would operate Boston's top farm club in

Minneapolis beginning in the 1963-64 season. The Minneapolis

Bruins of the Central Hockey League began in the 1963-64

season. The Bruins were one of the original five teams to enter

the newly formed C.P.H.L. Minneapolis had been without a

professional hockey team for 13 years since the Minneapolis

Millers were part of the United States Hockey League in 1950.

The Minneapolis franchise was operated locally by three

dedicated hockey fans: Walter Bush Jr., an attorney with a long

association with amateur hockey which includes manager of the

1964 United States Olympic hockey team. Robert McNulty, a

Minneapolis contractor along with executive Gordon Ritz, rounds

out the trio. The Bruins played two seasons in the league before

being moved to Oklahoma City following the 1964-65 season. The

Minneapolis Bruins played at the Minneapolis Arena . The Minneapolis Arena was an indoor arena in the "Uptown" area of Minneapolis. It hosted the various Minneapolis Millers teams from 1925 until 1963 and the Minneapolis Bruins of the Central Hockey League from 1963-1965. The arena held 5,500 people and was located at 2800 Dupont Ave S near Lake Street. The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers ice hockey team used the arena as one of their home rinks from the 1920s until 1950. Ticket prices were

a mere $1.50-$2.50 per seat!

Minneapolis Bruins All-Time Roster

Name Years Played

Don Awrey- 1963/64

Ed Bartoli- 1963-65

Ron Boehm- 1964/65

Ron Buchanan- 1964/65

Gord Butterworth- 1963/64

Bob Champoux- 1964/65

Ray Clearwater- 1964/65

Bill Cooper- 1963-65

Terry Crisp- 1963-65

Wayne Doll- 1964/65

Gary Dornhoefer- 1963/64

John Favell- 1964/65

George Gardner- 1963/64

Jeannot Gilbert- 1963/64

Stan Gilbertson- 1964/65

Andre Gill- 1963/64

John Gravel- 1964/65

Gary Harmer- 1963-65

Bob Heaney- 1964/65

Ted Hodgson- 1964/65

Brenton Hughes- 1964/65

Ted Irvine- 1963-65

Bill Knibbs- 1963-65

Skip Krake- 1964/65

Bruce Lea- 1964/65

Ross Lonsberry- 1964/65

Larry Lund- 1964/65

Duncan MacDonald- 1964/65

Mike Mahoney- 1963/64

Cesare Maniago- 1964/65

Wayne Maxner- 1963-65

Dennis Morin- 1963/64

Jack Norris- 1963/64

Gerry Ouellette- 1963-65

Claude Ouimet- 1963/64

Pete Panagabko- 1963-65

Jean-Paul Parise- 1963-65

Dunc Rousseau- 1964/65

Wayne Schultz- 1963-65

Ron Shock- 1963/64

Harry Sinden- 1963-65

Ken Stephanson- 1963-65

Joe Watson- 1963-65

Allen Willis- 1963/64

Ron Willy- 1963/64

Home Attendance - 1963/64: 61,004 / 1,694 per game

Home Attendance - 1964/65: 46,406 / 1,325 per game

1963/64 Most Valuable Player Award: Jeannot Gilbert

1964/65 All-Star Goaltender Most Valuable

Player Award, and Leading Goaltender: Cesare Maniago

1963-1964 Inaugural Season Minneapolis Bruins Team Photo

Ron Boehm 1964-1965

Cesare Maniago Bruins Goaltender and MVP 1964-1965