• HS Baseball 5/3: Soithgate Anderson 14, Gladstone 3
  • HS Baseball 5/3: Kingsford 10, Menominee 0
  • HS Softball 5/3: Gladstone 10, Houghton 5
  • HS Softball 5/3: Negaunee 15, Marquette 0
  • HS Tennis 5/3: Escanaba 7, Munising 1
5918 articles
Sunday May 5, 2024
Marquette Electricians Hockey Program Disbanding

MARQUETTE---After struggling for the past two seasons to put a representative team on the ice, Marquette Junior Hockey President Jeff Cornock announced Monday that the Marquette Electricians 18U AAA Midget Major Hockey Team would be ceasing operations effective immediately.

The Electricians Operating Committee, headed by former Electricians player John Way in conjunction with Head Coach Nate Taurence made a concerted four month effort to attract quality players from around the State. That quest was unsuccessful.

The folding of the Electricians program, which supplied a stepping stone into the National Hockey League for Andy Roach (Kalamazoo – St. Louis Blues), Jeff Finger (Houghton – Toronto Maple Leafs), Mark Olver( Boise, ID – Colorado Avalanche) and Justin Florek (Marquette – Boston Bruins) and numerous local players that went on to play Division I and Minor Pro (list attached) will mean that local hockey players with aspirations to play at a higher level will have to leave home at 16 or 17 in order to pursue their goals.

“Coach Taurence went above and beyond in attempting to put a team on the ice.” Said Committee Chairman John Way. “He has driven back and forth between Marquette and Detroit almost weekly since early June.”

The Electricians, who began operations as a AAA program in the Fall of 1986, hosted the 2004 USA Hockey Tier I 18U National Championship and for many years was the host of the “Marquette Electricians Fall Classic”, which was, in the late ‘90’s and early ‘00’s the best Major Midget tournament in the country.

It also hosted teams from Sweden, Finland and Denmark, and in late December of 1999, went to Finland for 10 days where they were hosted by Marquette’s Sister City Kaajani, Finland.

According to new rules instituted by the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association last year, Marquette will not be able to reform a AAA Midget team in coming years without conforming to regulations which include having AAA teams at all levels (Pee Wee, Bantam and Midget 16U).

Choose team:
No schedule entries