Teams that called Mellon Arena home

Today,we welcome a guest writer to our home as Big Don makes his debut with a piece on teams that called Mellon Arena home.
Thanks to Big Don for the work and we hope to have him back soon with another post on his personal experiences at the Igloo...

The Teams That Have Called Mellon Arena Home

The first event at Mellon Arena was an Ice Capades show on September 19,1961. Besides being a home for the Civic Light Opera, the following teams have called

Mellon Arena home.

Pittsburgh Renaissance (Rens) (ABL basketball) 1961-1962 The Rens were led by Connie Hawkins. Hawkins was named MVP for the 1961-1962 season. Hawkins is also the ABL all-time leading scorer, and a basketball hall of famer. The Rens were one of the four remaining teams when the ABL folded on

December 31,1962

Pittsburgh Hornets (AHL hockey) 1961-1967 The Hornets started in Detroit in 1927 as the Detroit Olympics. The Olympics were moved to Pittsburgh in 1936, and were renamed the Hornets. The Hornets played in Duquesne Gardens until it was demolished in 1956. The Hornets were dormant for five years, and were reactivated when the Mellon Arena opened. The Hornets first season in Mellon Arena resulted in a last place finish. The Hornets last season in Mellon Arena resulted in a Calder Cup championship.

Pittsburgh Pipers (ABA basketball) 1967-1968, 1969-1970 The Pipers were also led by Connie Hawkins. The Pipers won the ABA championship in 1968. The Pipers moved to Minnesota for one season, and then the Pipers were moved back to Pittsburgh, and were renamed the Condors in 1970.

Pittsburgh Condors (ABA basketball) 1970-1972 The Condors were never successful on the court, or at the box office. The Condors were led by John Brisker. Brisker was a talented basketball player with a hostile personality. John was known as "the heavyweight champion of the ABA" because he would often start fights with opponents. Sometimes, he would start fights with his own teammates at practice. Brisker was known to carry a gun, and one day even brought one to practice, causing the team to be dismissed from practice. In the spring of 1972, the Condors started playing "home games" everywhere except Mellon Arena. After the Condors folded, the remaining uniforms were sent to Attica prison in New York state, and were used by the Attica Prison basketball league.

Pittsburgh Triangles (WTT tennis) 1974-1976 The Triangles won the WTT Championship in 1975. The Triangles were renamed the Pennsylvania Keystones after the 1976 season. The intention was to play home games for 1977 in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but instead the Triangles folded.

Pittsburgh Spirit (MISL soccer) 1978-1980, 1981-1986 The Spirit were led by 1981-1982 co-MVP Stan Telecki, the Spirit were usually a winning team, but the Spirit never won a championship.

Pittsburgh Gladiators (Arena Football League) 1987-1990 The Gladiators were a reasonably successful team. The Gladiators made it to the Arena Bowl in 1987, in a game in which I attended, and in 1989, and lost to Denver and Detroit respectively. I attended about half of the home Gladiators games in their history. In 1988, The Gladiators became the first team of any sport that I had a full season ticket for.

Pittsburgh Bulls (MILL lacrosse) 1990-1993 (The Bulls were a terrible team during their four years. The Bulls main problem was offense. The Bulls would not score a lot of goals, but they surely beat the hell out of their opponents. I attended about half of the Bulls home games, and I still have a Pittsburgh Bulls jersey somewhere.

Pittsburgh Phantoms (RHI roller hockey) 1994 The Phantoms had NHL Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier, as well as Erin Whitten. On October 30,1993 while playing for the Toledo Storm of the ECHL, Erin Whitten became the first female to win a professional hockey game. The Phamtoms also had a bunch of players that could score a lot of goals. The Phamtoms started out the only season 12-0, but ended the season 13-9. The Phantoms lost to Minnesota Arctic Blast in the playoffs, but they won the home playoff game against Minnesota that I attended.

Pittsburgh Stingers (CISL soccer) 1994-1995 The Stingers had players such as Kia, who had won championships with the Canton Invaders of the AISA. The Stingers also had some aging former MISL players, and some local players that were not very good. The Stingers made the playoffs in 1994, and lost two straight playoff games, including one that I attended, against the Dallas Sidekicks.

Pittsburgh Crossfire (NLL lacrosse) 2000 The Crossfire featured Paul Gait and Gary Gait- two of the greatest lacrosse players ever, but due to weak defense and goaltending, this team finished with a 6-6 record. Two of my friends and I were not season ticket holders, but we attended all six Crossfire home games. We always sat close because the attendance was always around 1000. Pittsburgh had an unseasonably warm winter, so no one could blame the weather for not attending the games.

Pittsburgh Xplosion (ABA 2000, CBA) 2005-2008 This team was doomed from the start. In 2004, Freddie Lewis, a former ABA player and McKeesport,PA native that put a basketball team (The Pennsylvania Pit Bulls) on the campus of Penn State Greater Allegheny in Mckeesport,PA. I thought he was nuts, but the Pit Bulls played about one mile from my house, so I attended a few games anyway. My friend Mike and I attended the first Pit Bulls game, and saw another former ABA player and coach Tom "Trooper" Washington, have a heart attack and die right before our eyes. At the end of 2004-2005 season, Freddie Lewis announced that he was moving his team to Mellon Arena, and that they would hold a contest to rename the team. When I read this I thought "How in the hell is he going to make money in a building that it costs $20,000 just to turn the lights on, when the average attendance is about 500 a game"? I used to refer to this team as the Pittsburgh Implosion, because I knew that it was just a matter of time before Pittsburgh would see another basketball team come and go.

Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL hockey) 1967 -2010 The Penguins have experienced many things. On October 21,1967, the Penguins defeated the Chicago

Blackhawks, to become the first expansion team to defeat an original six team. In 1970, Penguin Michel Briere was 70 miles from his home, and was involved in a one car accident, in which Briere had severe brain trauma. Briere spent almost one year in the hospital and then he died. In 1975, after having the team offices padlocked, the Penguins declared bankruptcy for the first time. For the 1982-1983 and 1983-1984 seasons, the Penguins had the worst record in the NHL. The 1982-1983 record appears to be legitimate, but the 1983-1984 is not. Towards the end of the 1983-1984 season, the New Jersey Devils had the worst record in the NHL. According to former Penguins coach Lou Angotti, the Penguins lost 18 of the last 21 games of the season. Many of these games were lost on purpose, so that the Penguins could finish with the worst record, and draft Mario Lemieux in 1984. In 1991 and 1992, the Penguins defeated the Minnesota North Stars and Chicago Blackhawks respectively, to win the Stanley Cup. In 1992, former head coach "Badger" Bob Johnson dies from cancer. Johnson coached the Penguins 1992 Stanley Cup team, and was known for saying "It's a great day for hockey". When Johnson died, many Pittsburghers thought and said "It's a sad day for hockey". In 1998, the Penguins declared bankruptcy for the second time. This cause of this bankruptcy was former owner Howard Baldwin signing players to large contracts and deferring most of the money. In 2009, the Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup.

Photo Credit-Pittsburgh Post Gazette