Pittsburgh Hornets The Pittsburgh Hornets were a minor - league professional team based in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . The Pittsburgh Hornets did not evolve from the International Hockey League ' s Pittsburgh Shamrocks . The franchise started play in 1927 , playing their first nine seasons as the Detroit Olympics . Then on October 4 , 1936 , after winning the IHL championship , the Olympics moved to Pittsburgh to become the Hornets . Bill Anderson and Bill Hudson were the only two players from the Shamrocks to be on the Hornets roster at the start of the 1936 – 37 season . The Hornets wore wool jerseys that were likely recycled from the Olympics . The Hornets , which were still a minor - league farm team for the NHL ' s Detroit Red Wings , made their debut in the International - American Hockey League in 1936 – 37 . The league transformed into the American Hockey League in 1940 . Later on , the Hornets became a farm team for the Toronto Maple Leafs . The Hornets disbanded after the 1955 – 56 season . The franchise was suspended because the archaic Duquesne Gardens was torn down . The Hornets reappeared in the new Civic Arena in 1961 and , after a poor start , they became AHL contenders again , again as a farm club for the Detroit Red Wings . They won a division title in 1964 , won the Calder Cup in 1967 , then vanished for good . The second Hornets ceased operations , when the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins played their first season in the National Hockey League . The Hornets were three - time winners of the American Hockey League ' s Calder Cup . History . The team started as the Detroit Olympics in 1927 playing home games at the Detroit Olympia . The Olympics played nine seasons in the Canadian Professional Hockey League which later became the International - American Hockey League . In 1936 John Harris , a Pittsburgh theatre chain owner , purchased the Olympics in October 1936 and renamed the team the Pittsburgh Hornets . The Hornets were in originally in the Canadian Professional Hockey League , which was renamed the International American Hockey League in 1929 . The Hornets were led by former Olympics coach Don Hughes . the Hornets won their first two franchise games against the Cleveland Falcons on November 7 , 1936 , at the Duquesne Gardens . During the 1938 – 39 season , Larry Aurie replaced Don Hughes as the second coach in team history . That year Don Deacon led the IAHL with 41 assists and 65 points . In 1940 , the Hornets won 25 and made the playoffs and advance to the Calder Cup finals . The Hornets were originally the minor - league affiliate of the Red Wings who won the Stanley Cup in 1936 . Don Aurie , a member of that team , was a player - coach and led them to their first appearance in the Calder Cup Finals in 1940 where they were swept in three games by the Providence Reds . At the start of the 1940 – 41 season , the International - American Hockey League ( IAHL ) became the American Hockey League ( AHL ) . During the early 1940s the Hornets has mediocre finishes . However during this time frame , the team still continued to set league records . In 1942 , Red Heron set an AHL record by scoring six goals in one game or two hat tricks . Also in 1944 , Bob Gracie and Bob Walton were the AHL ' s top scorers with each recording 95 points in the season . Two AHL records were set on March 17 , 1945 : Pittsburgh the Cleveland Barons set the mark for most goals scored in one period by netting a combined 12 goals in the third period ( Pittsburgh 7 , Cleveland 5 ) . The total goals scored in the game - 22 - is also a one - game record . However not all records set by the Hornets were positive . During the 1943 – 44 season the Hornets did not win one game away from the Duqesne Gardens . The winless record on the road was the first occurrence of such a feat in the history of the AHL . Following the season Larry Aurie ended his stint as coach to finish with a record of 129 - 162 - 39 in 330 games , a . 450 winning percentage . Following Aurie ' s departure , Max Kaminsky became the third coach of the Hornets in 1944 . A year later , the Hornets became a minor - league club for the Toronto Maple Leafs ending their affiliation with the Red Wings . For the 1946 – 47 season the Hornets returned to the AHL Finals for the second time in team history , losing Game 7 to the Hershey Bears . The Maple Leafs success with four Stanley Cup championships between 1947 and 1951 helped solidify the minor league Hornets . The Hornets played the Maple Leafs ' style of hockey that involved hard , close checking that produced low scoring games . In 1948 , the Hornets lost only 18 games , for their best record since 1938 . Max Kaminsky would end his coaching career in 1947 with the Hornets . He had a . 562 winning percentage . Kaminsky won 91 games , lost 68 and tied 27 in his 186 games behind the bench . In 1948 the Hornets set the team all - time best record for goals scored in one season with 301 goals . Sid Smith became the first and only Hornets ' player to score 50 goals in one season , finishing with 55 goals and 57 assists , the highest in the AHL , to earn the John B . Sollenberger Trophy for leading scorer . His 112 - point total was also the highest in the league and the highest in Hornets ' history . However in 1949 tragedy struck the team when Hornets star goaltender Baz Bastien lost his right eye after being hit by a puck in preseason . He would later become the coach and general manager . The next year Bastien ' s replacement , Gil Mayer went on to win the Harry " Hap " Holmes Memorial Award . The Hornets made it again to the Calder Cup Finals in 1951 but lost in Game 7 to the Cleveland Barons . Despite the loss , forward Bob Solinger was named MVP of playoffs with ten goals and six assists . Calder Cup Champions . During the 1951 – 52 season , Pittsburgh finished first overall in the AHL , finishing with 46 wins and 95 points . The Hornets then finally won their first Calder Cup on April 20 , 1952 , by beating the Providence Reds in six games on a goal by Ray Hannigan during the game ' s second overtime at the Rhode Island Auditorium . Neither the AHL president , Maurice Podoloff , nor the Calder Cup Trophy , were not present when the Hornets earned the championship . They were later presented with the Cup while traveling en route to Pittsburgh . It was also during the 1951 – 52 season that the Hornets wore black and gold jerseys for the first time . The Hornets would return to the Calder Cup finals the next year only to lose again in Game 7 to the Cleveland Barons . However during the 1954 – 55 season Pittsburgh defeated the Buffalo Bisons in six games to capture the club ' s second Calder Cup Championship . The Hornets finish first overall in the regular season , the second time in team history , with 70 points . Willie Marshall won the MVP in the playoffs with an AHL - best 16 points ( 9 goals , 7 assists ) . A five year hiatus . The first Hornets ’ team ended after the 1955 – 56 season . On March 31 , 1956 , the Hornets played their final game at the Duquesne Gardens ; a 6 - 4 win over the Barons . The Hornets franchise was suspended for five years because Pittsburgh ’ s urban renewal project , Renaissance I , called for The Gardens to be torn down . Demolition started on August 13 , 1956 , to make way for the Park Plaza apartments and a local fixture , Stouffer ' s Restaurant . Today Duranti ' s Restaurant features the only remaining evidence of the Gardens , with 2 , 11 - feet wide sections of exposed redbrick wall . The wall would have been the front wall of the Gardens ' visiting team ' s dressing room . The Gardens would be replaced as the home rink of the city ' s pro hockey team as construction of the Pittsburgh Civic Arena began in 1958 , three miles to the west of the Gardens . At that time due to the disrepair of the arena , the team moved to Rochester , New York becoming the Rochester Americans . The Hornets II . In 1961 the franchise returned as a minor league team for the Red Wings , the Hornets emerged from five years of inactivity and played their first game at the Civic Arena , on October 14 , 1961 , in front of 9 , 317 fans . The Hornets were back but the records during the next two years gave little to cheer for . The Hornets set many AHL records during the 1961 – 62 season : Most times shut out in a season ( 9 ) ; most games lost in a season ( 58 ) and most games lost at home ( 27 ) . The team also finished in last place in the AHL , finishing with the fewest number of wins in team history ( 10 ) and their lowest point total in team history ( 22 ) . The next season the Hornets doubled their total of wins in their second season back from returning to the AHL . However the team established the AHL ' s record for the longest winless streak . The team went 0 - 22 - 1 before beating the Hershey Bears on March 26 . Things began to turn around during the 1963 – 64 seaon when goaltender Roger Crozier won the Dudley " Red " Garrett Memorial Award for being the AHL ' s Rookie of the Year . Crozier also won the Harry " Hap " Holmes Memorial Award for being the best goalkeeper in the AHL . It was the eighth time in the 23 - year history of the team that a Hornets ' goalie won the award . Exterminated . On February 8 , 1966 , Pittsburgh was granted an NHL franchise , which would become the Pittsburgh Penguins . To make room for the NHL , Pittsburgh ' s AHL franchise had to go . However the Hornets went out with bang . On April 30 , 1967 , they finished the sweep of Rochester Americans in the Calder Cup Finals after Billy Harris scored : 26 seconds into overtime in what would be the last goal in Pittsburgh Hornets ’ history . 31 years after the Hornets first game , Coach Baz Bastien was presented with the Calder Cup . The Hornets were Calder Cup Champions one last time . Season - by - season results . Playoffs . = Franchise leaders = Goals : 130 ( John " Peanuts " O ' Flaherty , 1940 – 50 and Bob Solinger , 1949 – 56 ) Assists : 253 ( Frank Mathers , 1948 – 56 ) Points : 319 ( John " Peanuts " O ' Flaherty , 1940 – 50 ) PIM : 442 ( Pete Backor , 1945 – 54 ) = Hall of Famers = Player Builder Other