Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
DUBUQUE FIGHTING SAINTS
DUBUQUE FIGHTING SAINTS.
Dubuque's first ICE hockey team. The 1980-1981 Saints, in their first year of existence, won the Anderson Trophy for the National Championship of the United States Hockey League. The Saints won the Hawkeye Cup as the Southern Division Champions, the Clark Trophy awarded to the U.S. Hockey League Playoff Champions, and the AHAUS Junior A Trophy that is awarded to the National Champions. The Saints record for 1980-81 was 52-11-2, a league record. In 1982-83, the Saints won their second national championship in three years.
Mike Carlson, Brian Collins, and Dean Thomas formed the famous Bull Dog Line, which was the best in the history of the United States Hockey League to that time. Collins made fifty-five goals and fifty-three assists, while Thomas was credited with thirty-three goals and forty-one assists. This was the first time in League history that two players on the same line scored more than fifty goals during one season. By 1985 the Saints had won an additional national title, come close to a third, and taken two league championships.
The same year, the owners announced they would end the franchise on April 30. On April 11, 1985, a "Save Our Saints" campaign was begun with Bill Blum president of the non-profit group called the Dubuque Fighting Saints Association. Within five days $13,000 was raised to pay the $8,000 franchise price and pay a $5,000 cash bond required by the hockey league.
In 2001-2002 Dubuque relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma and became the Tulsa Crude. During its years in Dubuque, the Saints produced such notable players as Gary Suter, Josh Blackburn, Nick Anderson and Peter and Chris Ferraro.