Waterloo hockey fans have seen many amazing players right here in the Cedar Valley.  In the original "senior" era, there were former pro stars like Bill Dobbyn and future U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Johnson, not to mention visiting players as accomplished as Herb Brooks, John Mayasich, and Bill Masterton.

Almost all of the players who skated at McElroy Auditorium for the Iowa Stars in 1969/70 made it to the NHL.  The same goes for their Central Hockey League opponents who were among the leading prospects for a half dozen National Hockey League clubs that winter.
 
After the transition to junior hockey, Jason Blake and Joe Pavelski were Waterloo scoring stars.  More recent Hawks like Brandon Montour, Brock Boeser, Jack Drury, and Sam Rinzel are all building remarkable careers on top of their local exploits.

Yet, there was probably never a more impressive collection of hockey talent in Waterloo on one night than September 30, 1984.  Less than two weeks before the start of the NHL season, the Minnesota North Stars met the Washington Capitals here during an exhibition game.  

The matchup was organized by second-year Hawks Head Coach Harry Ray and intended as a fundraiser as the team struggled through the 1980s.  Tickets sold for between $8 and $10, approximately doubling the general admission prices for seats for a USHL game at that time.  Still, it was a bargain compared to regular season NHL prices at $60 or more in Minnesota's Met Center or the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Unfortunately, after initial enthusiasm, the effects of the Farm Crisis and a struggling local manufacturing economy put a lid on local ticket sales.

Neither NHL team spent much time in Waterloo ahead of the game.  The North Stars had skated against the Quebec Nordiques the night before.  Their itinerary took them through Toronto and Chicago before landing in Waterloo.  Washington also arrived from Toronto, where they had just played the Maple Leafs less than 24 hours earlier.  The Caps and Stars were also scheduled to play again in Bloomington two nights after their stop in Waterloo.

Here's how the exhibition at McElroy was noted in the 2011 book Black Hawks Chronicle; Five Decades of Teams, Games, and Players.

September 30, 1984
Capitals 6, North Stars 1

The NHL came to Waterloo for one game.  A preseason matchup pitted the Minnesota North Stars against the Washington Capitals at McElroy Auditorium two weeks before the Black Hawks took the ice for the first time in the regular season.  In the Waterloo Courier, the contest was billed as the first National Hockey League game played in Iowa.

The opening faceoff was delayed an hour and 20 minutes after a shipping mix-up sent the Capitals' gear to Cedar Rapids and Minneapolis.  Undaunted, the Caps blasted the North Stars 6-1, behind two goals and an assist from Gary Sampson. Washington pulled ahead with three scores in the second period, breaking a 1-1 tie. 

The Capitals' roster included four future Hall of Famers (Rod Langway, Larry Murphy, Scott Stevens, and Mike Gartner), 1980 Olympic gold medal winner Dave Christian, and former Green Bay Bobcat goalie Bob Mason.  The North Stars were led by All-Star Brian Bellows; Brian Lawton, Curt Giles and Dirk Graham also appeared.  Lawton was one of the most highly touted American forwards of the decade.  Giles and Graham each went on to play more than a dozen NHL seasons.
 
Washington finished third overall in 1984-1985 with a 46-25-9 record and 101 points in the regular season.  They were ousted in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the New York Islanders.  Meanwhile, after completing the season fourth in the Norris Division, Minnesota upset the St. Louis Blues before bowing to the Chicago Blackhawks.

The exhibition was enjoyed by some in attendance and considered boring by others.  Just 2,398 tickets were sold, after expectations had been set for a crowd around 4,000.  Afterwards, the Courier estimated that the game was a $10,000 loss.

Postscript – Despite the disappointing sales figures, Harry Ray chose to take an optimistic outlook, noting, "The intentions and efforts of the people who brought this game here in hopes of firing up some hockey interest in local programs were 100 percent genuine.  Even though it wasn't a success financially, it was a personal success.  We did it and we brought it to our own backyard.  It was a hell of a thing for Waterloo."

The Black Hawks would go on to one of their best seasons during the decade, posting a 21-27-0 record.  Rod Taylor set a still unbroken team record with 54 regular season goals in just 48 games.  Tom Bissett also produced a still-standing mark of 103 points, on his way to becoming one of the first Waterloo Black Hawks to reach the NHL.  Bissett skated for the Detroit Red Wings during a brief call up in 1990.

Where Are They Now features are presented by Karen's Print Rite, 2515 Falls Avenue in Waterloo.