The Day the Detroit Red Wings Played Hockey Behind Bars

Detroit Red Wings Winter Classic: Red Wings vs. Marquette Prison Pirates

In the winter of 1954, something truly extraordinary happened in Marquette, Michigan—a professional hockey game behind prison walls. The Detroit Red Wings return to play the first outdoor game in NHL history against the Marquette Branch Prison’s inmate team, the “Prison Pirates.” This story is a blend of sportsmanship, innovation, and a setting that’s as unconventional as it gets: a makeshift rink inside a prison courtyard.

Detroit Red Wings take the ice in Marquette vs the Marquette Prison Pirates on February 2, 1954.How it Began

The tale begins with Red Wings General Manager Jack Adams and team captain Ted Lindsay visiting the prison during their 1953 summer tour. Warden Emery Jacques invited the Red Wings to play against a team of inmates, Adams. Because it was a far-fetched idea due to the lack of a rink, Adams casually agreed. When Jacques called months later to say the rink was ready, Adams honored his word. The Detroit Red Wings Winter Classic was scheduled.

Enter Leonard “Oakie” Brumm, the prison’s recreation director and a former University of Michigan hockey star. Brumm had a knack for building unconventional sports facilities. The rink he built inside the prison was no exception. Surrounded by guard towers and razor wire, it wasn’t the Olympia Arena, but it was ready to host hockey history.

Arriving in Marquette

On February 2, 1954, the Red Wings—including legends like Ted Lindsay, Gordie Howe, and Terry Sawchuk—arrived to face the Marquette Prison Pirates. The temperature was a brisk 21°F, and the entire inmate population turned out to watch. Despite concerns about giving hockey sticks to prison inmates, Lindsay was unfazed, confident in his ability to handle himself.

The game itself was a spectacle. The Red Wings dominated the first period, scoring 18 unanswered goals. Terry Sawchuk even took time to sign autographs, leaving the Pirates unable to score on an empty net. The second period saw Sawchuk, Lindsay, and Howe join the Pirates to even the odds, but it wasn’t until the third period that the Pirates gave up entirely, leaving the Red Wings to showcase their skills in an intra-squad scrimmage.

Detroit Red Wings vs the Marquette Prison Pirates on February 2, 1954. The Honey Bucket TrophyThe Honey Bucket

The day ended with the Red Wings receiving a trophy crafted from a galvanized steel “Honey Bucket” and personalized leather wallets made in the prison workshop. Two months later, Detroit claimed the 1954 Stanley Cup, but for those who witnessed the Marquette game, it was an unforgettable chapter in hockey history.

This quirky, little-known event reminds us that sports have the power to unite, even in the unlikeliest of places. The Marquette Branch Prison game wasn’t just a curiosity—it was a testament to the creativity, camaraderie, and spirit that define hockey.