Liebmann's Hockey Links

Links to Leagues and Teams links to professional, collegiate and junior hockey leagues from around the world including:
NA Professional
Major Junior
Junior A
Europe

Links to Related Pages links to pages similar to this one

Links to Hockey Scores places to find hockey scores

Historical Hockey Links links to hockey's past including teams, leagues and players

Some of my own specialized pages

	Hockey History Mailing List an open forum to discuss the history of hockey
	Salt Lake Golden Eagles a look back into the team's history
	Portland Buckaroos a look back into the history of hockey in Portland, Oregon
	El Paso Raiders a short lived team from the 70s
	The Old WHL A look into the league's 26 year history plus the history of hockey in the west, from the Patricks on forward
	Utah's Hockey Homepage A wealth of links to hockey sites in the Beehive.
	Dallas Stars List An open forum for the discussion of the Dallas Stars and hockey in the Metroplex.

Quick Links
I feel these pages provide the very best in hockey links and information

an excellent reference containing many stats from hockey's major, minor and pro leagues

Comments or Suggestions

A Message to All Hockey Fans

This message is more directed to hockey fans outside the Northeastern US and Canada. You folks in this part of the globe have been supporting hockey very well for a long time. 

When I was seven years old, I visited a friend in British Columbia and found out what hockey was. I loved the sport and still do. As many of you know, during the 70s and 80s hockey was a hard sport to keep track of, mainly due to the lack of media coverage. We all know hockey is much more interesting than basketball, but it was never given a chance by TV and newspapers. The establishment (basketball) folks in the media have chosen to think of hockey as a caveman sport. The NHL's lack of promotion of the sport in the States during those two decades never helped either.

Something began happening in the early 90s, however. The NHL started to sell hockey outside of Canada and the Northeast US. An obvious result followed, it caught fire. Folks found out it was more interesting than basketball. Now, there are more pro hockey leagues in the US than you can count on your hand. Basketball can't say that. Texas alone opened the 96/97 with 10 professional teams (and only 3 basketball teams.)

Now we’re in a new decade, the 00s (or whatever they will come to be known as). Hockey has suffered a little with a lagging economy and a lockout based on greed alone, not what is in the best interest of the fans. In spite of the NHL, the sport has survived in the South. Dallas actually had high school programs and junior hockey has come to the state.

Now the real point of my message. 

Be sure to support hockey in your locality, whether it is high school, junior, college or minor league. Take friends to games and get them interested. They WILL be interested. That's the best way to get new converts to the sport. When you see people at games who don't know what's going on, be patient and explain things to them. Hockey fans need to be like a big family. We need to help each other out, just like a close knit family would. 

We should always welcome new members to our fold. This is the best investment you can make towards hockey's well-being in the future.

Liebmann's interest in Hockey and Hockey's History

My conversion to the sport

When I was seven years old, we went to visit some friends in Surrey, BC during Christmas time. They had a son who was a year and a half older than I. I went to see him, play. At his house I watched Hockey Night in Canada. I also thought his Summit Series posters were cool. When we left, he sent me home with a Koho hockey stick.

I was hooked.

I continued following the sport, although it was difficult. They had games on national TV for a short while. We had teams around like the Portland Buckaroos and later the Winterhawks. I was able to catch an occasional game in person as I was growing up. I always listened to the games on the radio. The Winterhawks had an excellent record back then. They never had a losing record the whole time I lived in Portland. The year I graduated high school, they won the Memorial Cup.

I joined the Army in 1984. From then to 1992, I almost had no contact with the sport. There wasn't much to follow in Texas and rural Germany at the time.

In 1992 I moved up to Utah. I followed the Salt Lake Golden Eagles during their last three years of existence. Then, their owner saw in his own best interest to get rid of the team. 94-95 was a dark year for hockey in Utah.

In 1995, the Grizzlies were forced out of Denver by the NHL. The Utah Grizzlies were born. That season they won the Turner Cup. Hockey was back and I was happy. The Grizzlies have never been as good as their first season in the Beehive State. I still hope for better hockey from them.

How I got interested in hockey history

It probably goes back to listening to the old timers tell me how the Portland Arena was or hear them tell about old Buckaroos games.

I really got serious about it in 1996 when the Utah Grizzlies won the Turner Cup Championship. In 1994 an auto dealer sold the Salt Lake Golden Eagles. In spite of the team's 25 year history, people were quickly forgetting about the team. I wasn't going to let it happen.

I made some trips to the Salt Lake City Library. Pretty soon I had enough stuff for a small homepage about the team.

Then I started to explore the WHL, a league that at its height was almost as good as the NHL. In fact in the 60’s when the WHL and AHL played interlocking schedules, they became the first leagues to play coast to coast hockey. This finally made the NHL wake up and consider expanding from the so-called original six.

Some of my favorite hockey moments

• Looking at old Buckaroos trophies at the Memorial Coliseum
• 1980 USA v USSR game
• 1983 Memorial Cup Championship
• 1996 Turner Cup Championship
• 1997 & 98 Presidents Cup Championships
• 1999 Stanley Cup Championship

Liebmann begins to play hockey

In 1998, I bought some hockey gear. 33 years is not the best time to begin playing hockey, but I figured if I was ever going to play hockey, I wouldn't have too many more years to do so.

On July 3, 1998, I took to the ice at the Cottonwood Recreation Center for puck practice. The next summer, I started playing in a league at the Peaks in Provo. I didn't play for 4 years after 9-11. A deployment by the military prevented that, but I am playing again.

No, I don’t claim to be a good player, but playing the game has helped me develop a greater appreciation of hockey. I would encourage every fan to try playing, no matter what your age is.

Liebmann in Calgary outside the Saddledome	Liebmann in Provo, Utah