Forgotten glory: The story of Cleveland Barons hockey

Forgotten glory: The story of Cleveland Barons hockey by Gene Kiczek. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780964177291.

The CLEVELAND BARONS, charter members of the American Hockey League in 1936, won 9 regular season titles and 8 Calder Cup playoff championships. The years between 1936 and the late 1950s were golden years for the franchise, as the Barons were perennial winners, and crowds of over 10,000 were not unusual. Cleveland was the largest metropolitan region in minor-league hockey. In 1949 Sutphin sold the Barons to a group of Detroit businessmen. Although the Barons were set to join the National Hockey League (NHL) during the spring of 1952, the deal fell through. When average attendance fell in the late 1950s, Paul Bright bought the franchise, appointing Jackie Gordon general manager and Freddie Glover playing coach. Glover led the team to 1 more Calder Cup championship during the 1963-64 season. Nick Mileti bought the faltering franchise and the Arena for $2 million in 1968. But when he failed to persuade the NHL to accept the Barons, he bought a World Hockey Assn. franchise in 1972 and organized the Cleveland Crusaders. Mileti then moved the Barons to Jacksonville, FL, in Jan. 1973. Between 1976-78, an NHL franchise christened the Barons played at the Coliseum. Brought to Cleveland from Oakland by Mel Swig and George Gund III, the new Barons were plagued by low attendance, and after 2 seasons the team was merged with the Minnesota North Stars. Professional hockey disappeared from the Cleveland metropolitan area until 1993 when the CLEVELAND LUMBERJACKS began play.