THE JOSEPH TURNER MEMORIAL CUP
The Turner Cup, circa 2001	The Turner Cup, circa 2000

The Turner Cup was unique among the championship trophies awarded on the Professional level in hockey, in that its namesake never saw or knew of the league of the trophy bearing his name.

Joseph Turner was a minor-league goaltender who played in only one NHL game in his career - a 3-3 tie in goal for the Detroit Red Wings. The life of the Windsor native was cut short in the Belgium theater in World War II. However, his hockey-playing friends in the Detroit and Windsor area remembered him when, in December of 1945, they formed a new professional hockey league.

The Trophy is not huge by any sense; it only rises about four feet high, and is not wide of girth. However, its cup supported by eight bands, with the 55 separate championship winning teams engraved on those same bands, is easily recognizable. The wooden platforms supporting each band is even more noticeable on close inspection.

When the Chicago Wolves won the Cup in 2000, they made an effort to refurbish the Cup to the trophy seen above. If you notice in the photo on the right, the lip around the Cup has been changed - and the dents have been taken out.

Sadly, of the two trophies pictured, the Admirals have only won one - the one to my right in the photo from 2000, the Ken Ullyot Trophy. They won it in 1982-83, sandwiched between two seasons when the IHL was a one-division league.

Unfortunately, the words "Milwaukee Admirals" will never appear on the Turner Cup. The International Hockey League ceased operations in June of 2001, and the Admirals have expanded into the American Hockey League. The trophy was donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame after the Orlando Solar Bears won the final Cup.

Perhaps someday the Admirals will win the Frank Calder Cup, the championship trophy of the American Hockey League. But this trophy will be the one Admiral fans - myself included - would most want to take home.

THE 56 TURNER CUP CHAMPIONS
1946	Detroit Auto Club	1947	Windsor Spitfires	1948	Toledo Mercurys	1949	Windsor Spitfires
1950	Chatham Maroons	1951	Toledo Mercurys	1952	Toledo Mercurys	1953	Cincinnati Mohawks
1954	Cincinnati Mohawks	1955	Cincinnati Mohawks	1956	Cincinnati Mohawks	1957	Cincinnati Mohawks
1958	Indianapolis Chiefs	1959	Louisville Rebels	1960	Saint Paul Saints	1961	Saint Paul Saints
1962	Muskegon Zephyrs	1963	Fort Wayne Komets	1964	Toledo Blades	1965	Fort Wayne Komets
1966	Port Huron Flags	1967	Toledo Blades	1968	Muskegon Mohawks	1969	Dayton Gems
1970	Dayton Gems	1971	Port Huron Flags	1972	Port Huron Wings	1973	Fort Wayne Komets
1974	Des Moines Capitols	1975	Toledo Goal Diggers	1976	Dayton Gems	1977	Saginaw Gears
1978	Toledo Goal Diggers	1979	Kalamazoo Wings	1980	Kalamazoo Wings	1981	Saginaw Gears
1982	Toledo Goal Diggers	1983	Toledo Goal Diggers	1984	Flint Generals	1985	Peoria Rivermen
1986	Muskegon Lumberjacks	1987	Salt Lake Golden Eagles	1988	Salt Lake Golden Eagles	1989	Muskegon Lumberjacks
1990	Indianapolis Ice	1991	Peoria Rivermen	1992	Kansas City Blades	1993	Fort Wayne Komets
1994	Atlanta Knights	1995	Denver Grizzlies	1996	Utah Grizzlies	1997	Detroit Vipers
1998	Chicago Wolves	1999	Houston Aeros	2000	Chicago Wolves	2001	Orlando Solar Bears