Grand Rapids Owls™

The Grand Rapids Owls played in the International Hockey League at Grand Rapids Stadium Arena — now the DeltaPlex Arena & Conference Center — in Grand Rapids, Michigan, arriving partway through the 1977-78 season and lasting until 1980. In their first full season, 1978-79, the Owls reached the IHL finals, where they were beaten by the Kalamazoo Wings in seven games.

The franchise reached Michigan by a winding route. It began as the Columbus Golden Seals, then became the Columbus Owls for the 1973-74 season when its professional affiliation shifted from the Golden Seals to the Blues and its ownership changed as well. The Owls were one of the toughest teams in the IHL, leading the league in penalty minutes that first season. They made the playoffs in three of their four years in Columbus, but were mostly forced to play those games on the road or in Troy, Ohio, because the Fairgrounds was booked for other events.

For 1977-78 the club moved to Dayton's Hara Arena, taking over from the Dayton Gems, who had folded over the summer. Attendance in Dayton was no better, and after only 20 games the Owls packed up for Grand Rapids. After a poor showing in 1979-80, the Owls went out of business in 1980. Years later, the Owls would be re-born as a junior team.