The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, USA at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.
Desirous of promoting a winning atmosphere, Detroit ensured that the Adirondack Red Wings would have, for a minor league franchise, an unusually stable, veteran-laden roster. Veterans such as Glenn Merkosky, Jody Gage, Greg Joly, Norm Maracle and Dennis Polonich bolstered a team that saw over thirty players have 200 or more games with the franchise, including nine with over 300 and two (Merkosky and Joly) with over 400. In consequence, the Red Wings missed the playoffs only once in their twenty-year history.
The Red Wings' uniforms were identical to their parent club, with the white jersey featuring the distinctive red sleeves that the Detroit franchise has worn since 1956. During their final two seasons, the Adirondack Red Wings also wore a third jersey, based on Detroit's throwback design from 1991-92, replacing the word "DETROIT" on the front of the jersey with the winged wheel logo.
The franchise was replaced by:
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OTL | Points | Goals for | Goals against | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–72 | 76 | 22 | 45 | 9 | — | 53 | 197 | 275 | 6th, West |
| 1972–73 | 76 | 38 | 22 | 16 | — | 92 | 258 | 221 | 3rd, West |
| 1973–74 | 76 | 22 | 44 | 10 | — | 54 | 216 | 307 | 6th, South |
| 1974–75 | 75 | 31 | 31 | 13 | — | 75 | 254 | 250 | 1st, South |
| 1979–80 | 80 | 32 | 37 | 11 | — | 75 | 297 | 309 | 4th, North |
| 1980–81 | 80 | 35 | 40 | 5 | — | 75 | 305 | 328 | 2nd, South |
| 1981–82 | 80 | 34 | 37 | 9 | — | 77 | 299 | 285 | 5th, South |
| 1982–83 | 80 | 36 | 39 | 5 | — | 77 | 329 | 343 | 4th, North |
| 1983–84 | 80 | 37 | 29 | 14 | — | 88 | 344 | 330 | 2nd, North |
| 1984–85 | 80 | 35 | 37 | 8 | — | 78 | 290 | 336 | 5th, North |
| 1985–86 | 80 | 41 | 31 | 8 | — | 90 | 339 | 298 | 1st, North |
| 1986–87 | 80 | 44 | 31 | — | 5 | 93 | 329 | 296 | 2nd, North |
| 1987–88 | 80 | 42 | 23 | 11 | 4 | 99 | 306 | 275 | 3rd, South |
| 1988–89 | 80 | 47 | 27 | 6 | — | 100 | 369 | 294 | 1st, South |
| 1989–90 | 80 | 42 | 27 | 11 | — | 95 | 330 | 304 | 2nd, South |
| 1990–91 | 80 | 33 | 37 | 10 | — | 76 | 320 | 346 | 5th, South |
| 1991–92 | 80 | 40 | 36 | 4 | — | 84 | 335 | 309 | 2nd, North |
| 1992–93 | 80 | 36 | 35 | 9 | — | 81 | 331 | 308 | 2nd, North |
| 1993–94 | 80 | 45 | 27 | 8 | — | 98 | 333 | 273 | 1st, North |
| 1994–95 | 80 | 32 | 38 | 10 | — | 74 | 271 | 294 | 4th, North |
| 1995–96 | 80 | 38 | 32 | 8 | 2 | 86 | 271 | 247 | 2nd, Central |
| 1996–97 | 80 | 38 | 28 | 12 | 2 | 90 | 258 | 249 | 2nd, Empire State |
| 1997–98 | 80 | 31 | 37 | 9 | 3 | 74 | 245 | 275 | 4th, Empire State |
| 1998–99 | 80 | 21 | 48 | 8 | 3 | 53 | 184 | 280 | 4th, Empire State |
| Season | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–72 | Out of Playoffs | |||
| 1972–73 | W, 4-3, Hershey | L, 2-4, Cincinnati | — | — |
| 1973–74 | Out of Playoffs | |||
| 1974–75 | L, 1-4, New Haven | — | — | — |
| 1979–80 | L, 1-4, New Brunswick | — | — | — |
| 1980–81 | W, 4-2, Binghamton | W, 4-2, Hershey | — | W, 4-2, Maine |
| 1981–82 | L, 2-3, New Brunswick | — | — | — |
| 1982–83 | L, 2-4, Fredericton | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | L, 3-4, Maine | — | — | — |
| 1984–85 | Out of Playoffs | |||
| 1985–86 | W, 4-2, Fredericton | W, 4-1, Moncton | — | W, 4-2,Hershey |
| 1986–87 | W, 4-2, Moncton | L, 1-4, Sherbrooke | — | — |
| 1987–88 | W, 4-3, Rochester | L, 0-4, Hershey | — | — |
| 1988–89 | W, 4-1, Newmarket | W, 4-3, Hershey | — | W, 4-1, New Haven |
| 1989–90 | L, 2-4, Baltimore | — | — | — |
| 1990–91 | L, 4-14, Hershey † | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | W, 4-1, New Haven | W, 4-0, Springfield | W, 2-1, Rochester | W, 4-3, St. John's |
| 1992–93 | W, 4-0, Capital District | L, 3-4, Springfield | — | — |
| 1993–94 | W, 4-2, Springfield | L, 2-4, Portland | — | — |
| 1994–95 | L, 0-4, Albany | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | L, 0-3, Rochester | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | L, 1-3, Albany | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | L, 0-3, Albany | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | L, 0-3, Rochester | — | — | — |