Maine Mariners The Maine Mariners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They played in Portland , Maine , USA at the Cumberland County Civic Center . History . The Philadelphia Flyers were the Mariners ’ first NHL affiliation . There were three bids to put an AHL team in Portland from Quebec , the Rhode Island Reds , and Philadelphia . Quebec wanted a team to play in both Lewiston and Portland . The previous year they had placed a team in Lewiston called the Maine Nordiques . The Rhode Island Reds were an established AHL franchise ( They had played the first professional hockey game in the new Cumberland County Civic Center in the Spring of 1977 against the Springfield Indians ) and wanted to schedule just a few home games in Portland . Philadelphia made the only offer to put an AHL franchise in Portland only . The Maine Nordique franchise folded once the Maine Mariners began . Bob McCammon was the team ' s first head coach . The first regular season game in franchise history was against the Binghamton Broome Dusters at Portland . The Mariners are the only franchise in league history to win the Calder Cup title in their first two seasons ( 1977 – 78 , 1978 – 79 ) and are just the second team ever to capture the Calder Cup during their inaugural season . The feat was also matched by the team that brought AHL hockey back to Portland , the Portland Pirates . Maine returned to the Calder Cup final in 1980 – 81 and first - year goaltender Pelle Lindbergh became the only goaltender in AHL history , and just the third player ever , to win the AHL regular season MVP and AHL outstanding rookie award in the same season . Bob McCammon won his second AHL coach of the year award . In 1983 – 1984 the franchise was taken over by the New Jersey Devils of the NHL . The same season Maine became only the fourth team in AHL history to win a Calder Cup title with a losing regular season record . The Mariners defeated the Rochester Americans in a rematch of the previous year ’ s finals four games to one . It was the local ’ s third Calder Cup crown and their fifth finals appearance in seven years . Maine ’ s championship year was truly a team effort as no members of the club made the all - star team , won a league award during the regular season , or placed in the regular season top ten in scoring . Bud Stefanski was the first recipient of the new AHL playoff MVP award . The affiliation changed again after the 1986 - 87 season when the Mariners were moved to New York and became known as the Utica Devils . An expansion team was created that same winter and was supplied by players from the Boston Bruins . The affiliation not only changed but also the team colors . The Mariners had always worn the uniform colors of the Philadelphia Flyers , orange and white with black trim . Boston changed the colors to Bruins black , gold and white . Boston had the franchise in Portland for five years , until 1991 – 1992 . The 1991 – 1992 campaign was the final one for the Maine Mariners as the franchise was moved to Providence , RI and renamed the Providence Bruins . This market was previously served by : This market is now the home to : Season - by - season results . Playoffs . Two game combined total goals series .