Controversies

The Asterisk Cup

There has only been one season canceled since the #MAHL began in 1915/16, that was the 1942/43 season which was canceled after the Iron Range, Lake Superior, and Twin Cities Hockey Leagues all canceled due to players leaving to fight for their country in WW2. The following year, the Iron Range Hockey League and Twin Cities Hockey League opted to remain shut down temporarily, though the Lake Superior Hockey League decided to restart in an attempt to boost local morale. The league consisted of just 5 teams; The Grand Rapids Moose, Superior Lakers, Thunder Bay Giants, Two Harbors Timberwolves, and a combined team of the Duluth Hornets and Voyageurs for a team simply known as Duluth. That Duluth team would go on to win both the League Title as well as the Kellogg Cup, though there is some controversy as to the legitimacy of that Cup. Both the IRHL and TCHL filed complaints to the #MAHL saying that since there was only one league competing, the title “Champions of the MAHL” isn’t quite fair. The engraving on the Kellogg Cup was given an asterisk but remains engraved for all time. If you ask people in Duluth about the 1944 Cup, they’ll tell you it’s as legitimate as any, but if you ask down in St. Paul, you’re likely to hear something else.

A closer look at the band of the Kellogg Cup that shows the Asterisk Cup of 1944

Home Ice Advantage

For many years, the Kellogg Cup Playoffs were held at location, meaning if the home team is Bemidji, the game is in Bemidji. This caused a bit of an issue in the early days of the #MAHL when a lot of teams still played outside, exposed to the elements. This was still the way things were done when the International Falls Ice hosted the Duluth Voyageurs in the 1959 Kellogg Cup Final. The Ice played outdoors at Smokey Bear Park on the shores of the Rainy River. It was an absolutely incredible game with both teams tied at three at the end of regulation, sending them to overtime to determine the Kellogg Cup. One overtime wasn’t enough as they needed double overtime to decide a winner. After over 80 minutes of play on an outdoor sheet, the ice was less than ideal with large grooves and bumps throughout. This came into play right off the opening faceoff when Duluth won the draw but the defenseman tripped over a bump in the ice, giving the Ice a 3 on 1 which they converted on to win their second Kellogg Cup. The circumstances of the goal obviously led to controversy with Duluth appealing to the MAHL arguing they got cheated out of a Cup because of poor ice and argued the Playoffs should be played at indoor facilities to prevent this going forward. A few years later, the MAHL established the Super Series which sends the top 16 teams to St. Paul or Bloomington every other year for the final portion of the playoffs, allowing teams to still get home ice advantage through regions.

1959 Kellogg Cup Final held in International Falls, MN

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