Detroit Junior Red Wings " This article is about the Junior Red Wings team in the Ontario Hockey League . For the team in the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League from the 1970s , see Detroit Jr . Red Wings ( SOJHL ) . " The Detroit Junior Red Wings were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League for three seasons from 1992 to 1995 . The Jr . Red Wings were based in Detroit , Michigan . History . The Compuware Ambassadors were renamed the Detroit Junior Red Wings in 1992 and played in the same arena as the NHL Detroit Red Wings . The Junior team was the most popular attraction in town during the NHL lockout of 1995 , setting attendance records for the Ontario Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League . After a failed takeover bid by Peter Karmanos to buy the NHL Red Wings from Mike Ilitch , the relationship between the two clubs soured after the season ended . The Jr . Red Wings played for three seasons before severing all ties with the NHL Red Wings and renaming themselves as the Detroit Whalers , in association with the NHL Hartford Whalers . 1992 – 93 . Former Windsor Compuware Spitfires coach Tom Webster was hired to coach for the 1992 – 93 season , with Paul Maurice as his assistant coach . Webster worked previously with Jr . Red Wings President Jim Rutherford and owner Peter Karmanos , when Windsor won the OHL title in 1987 – 88 . Webster was returning from NHL coaching duties with the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings . Key acquisitions made to build the team during the season were , defenceman Jamie Allison , forwards Kevin Brown and Cameron Gruich , and goalie Fred Brathwaite . Jim Rutherford was chosen OHL Executive of the Year in 1992 – 93 for role as team president and general manager in building the expansion franchise into a winning team . The Jr . Wings played a run - and - gun style game . They were led in scoring by the " Junior Production Line " featuring , Pat Peake , Bob Wren and Kevin Brown . The trio combined for 163 goals on the season . Todd Harvey also scored 50 goals playing on the second line . Detroit finished the season with 81 points , and second place in the Emms division . The Junior Red Wings defeated the Guelph Storm in the first round of the playoffs , but lost Pat Peake for the rest of the season when he suffered a broken collarbone . Detroit Defeated the rival London Knights in second round to play the division champs Sault Ste . Marie Greyhounds in the division finals . The more experienced Greyhounds team won the series . The highlight of the round was the game three win , when with only three seconds left and the opposing net empty , goalie Fred Brathwaite set franchise history when he scored a goal . 1993 – 94 . Before the start of the season , assistant coach Paul Maurice was promoted to head coach , when Tom Webster was relieved of his duties after a disagreement in team policies . Maurice brought along an old teammate as his new assistant , close friend Peter DeBoer . The two played together with the Windsor Compuware Spitfires in the mid to late 1980s . Maurice and Deboer led the Junior Red Wings to their first division title after several years of chasing Sault Ste . Marie . Detroit posted a franchise - best record of 42 - 20 - 4 , second overall in the OHL to the North Bay Centennials . Jim Rutherford was chosen OHL Executive of the Year for the second consecutive year in 1993 – 94 . After the trading deadline , the Junior Wings won 16 of 23 games over the last two months of the regular season to win the Emms Division title . Detroit finally eliminated Sault Ste . Marie in the division finals during the playoffs . As Emms Division champions , they moved on to meet the North Bay Centennials in the OHL Finals . Despite leading the series 3 games to 2 , Detroit came up short as North Bay came back to win the series and the J . Ross Robertson Cup . Although the team fell short of its ultimate goal , it was a breakthrough season nonetheless . 1994 – 95 . Paul Maurice took over as general manager after Jim Rutherford moved to take over managing the NHL Hartford Whalers . Maurice would continue to serve as the coach in a dual role . The OHL realigned into three divisions for the 1994 – 95 season . Detroit would now play in the West Division versus Windsor , London , Sarnia and Sault Ste . Marie . As the season unfolded , the Junior Wings quickly developed into a balanced team that could play the game in many strategic ways . The team finished with a franchise best record of 44 - 18 - 4 for 92 points . It was the best defensive year to date for the team . Junior hockey in Detroit received a boost when the National Hockey League owners locked out their players until the middle of January . The Jr . Wings set an all - time Canadian Hockey League attendance record when 19 , 875 packed Joe Louis Arena on February 5 , 1995 in a 5 - 5 tie with Windsor . NHL scouts regularly attended the OHL games as did Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman was a regular at the games . Looking to fill gaps in coverage , Red Wing broadcasters Dave Strader and Mickey Redmond broadcast games several games for PASS - TV . In addition , The Junior Wings received regular coverage in the Detroit News and Free Press and found a friend in WDIV ' s Van Earl Wright . The Junior Wings rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs , sweeping the London Knights and Peterborough Petes . In the third round versus the Sudbury Wolves , the visiting team won each of the first six games in overtime . Detroit won game seven on May 8 , 1995 playing on home ice , scoring an 11 - 4 victory . The Junior Red Wings defeated the first place Guelph Storm in the league finals to win their first J . Ross Robertson Cup as OHL Champions , and get their first berth in the Memorial Cup Tournament . Memorial Cup 1995 . The Canadian Hockey League championship in 1995 was hosted in Kamloops , British Columbia at the Riverside Coliseum . The Junior Red Wings would face off in the Memorial Cup Tournament against the QMJHL champions Hull Olympiques , the WHL finalists Brandon Wheat Kings , and the Kamloops Blazers as hosts and WHL champions . The Junior Wings finished the round - robin in second place . They defeated Brandon again 2 - 1 in the semi - final game to advance to the finals against the defending champion Blazers . During that game vs . Brandon , there was an online report that said that Milan Kostolny scored the winning goal , but in fact after video research , the goal was scored by Matthew Ball , off of Wade Redden ' s foot Detroit then started the final game vs Kamloops shorthanded , playing without Shayne McCosh ( broken wrist ) and Bryan Berard , trying to play with a bad charley horse . The Blazers blew the game open in the second period and went on to win 8 - 2 . Players . The Detroit Junior Red Wings sent 13 players onto the NHL while only operating for three seasons . Pat Peake was the first MVP for the franchise . His # 14 would be retired by the Whalers organization . Cameron Gruich was chosen 3rd in the 2nd round by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft . Todd Harvey was chosen 9th overall by the Dallas Stars in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft in the first round . Bryan Berard was the most awarded player for the 1994 - 95 season in the Canadian Hockey League . He was chosen 1st overall in the first round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators . Yearly results . Regular season Playoffs Arena . The Junior Red Wings played at Joe Louis Arena concurrently with the NHL Detroit Wings . The Junior Red Wings set OHL attendance records for three consecutive years . The Junior Wings set a Canadian Hockey League attendance record at the time , on February 5 , 1995 , when 19 , 875 fans packed Joe Louis Arena to see a 5 - 5 tie with the local rival Windsor Spifires .