RICHMOND, Va. -- You wouldn’t expect a team called the Shamrocks to have such rotten luck.
The Pittsburgh Shamrocks formed in September of 1935 and, two months later, the team got off to a rollicking 2-0 start, including a fanfare-rich home opener at Duquesne Gardens. Reality soon set in, however, and the team was forced to endure the firing of its coach and general manager, financial turbulence, player injuries and disappointing play. After a devastating flood in the region caused the the season’s final home game with the Detroit Olympias to be cancelled -- on St. Patrick’s Day of all days, ownership decided they’d lost enough money and made the decision to pull the plug.
The Olympias eventually did make that trip to Pittsburgh, however. After winning the International League championship in 1936, the team moved to the Canadian-American Hockey League, relocated to the Steel City and played as the Pittsburgh Hornets in several iterations over the next 31 years.
Have a safe and happy St. Patty’s, everyone!
ROB ULLMAN / DKPS
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