Marquette Prison Pirates 1954
Marquette Branch Prison, Michigan.
"Alcatraz of the North"

Team Roster
Front Row L to R - Rilley, Fauria, Dunlop.
Back Row - Shampine, Farrier, Galahad, Nuranen, Baker, Brice and Coach - Leonard “Oakie” Brumm (prison's athletics and recreation director)

The team was known as Emery’s Boys after warden Emery Jacques.

Warden Jacques had met Detroit Red Wings general manager Jack Adams and team captain Ted Lindsay in the summer of 1953 when they were touring around northern Michigan and visited Marquette Branch Prison.

After a tour of the correctional facility, warden Emery Jacques invited the Red Wings back to play against a rag-tag team of prison inmates. Thinking it would never happen because the prison had no ice rink, Adams agreed, but was shocked a few months later when Jacques called and said the arrangements were proceeding nicely and the rink would be ready in early 1954. Adams honored his agreement and plans were made for the Red Wings to travel to Marquette to play the game on February 2, 1954 on an outdoor rink at the prison. It would be the first outdoor game in NHL history. The temperature that day was 21 degrees fahrenheit / -6.1C

Lindsay had mingled with the some of the prisoners during his summer visit and felt comfortable, seeing no reason to be worried, and many years later when asked about the game said the team knew they could hold their own and that he could have taken care of himself if needed.

The score was apparently 18-0 after the 1st period, which then some of the Red Wings switched teams for the 2nd period and by the 3rd period, the Red Wings were having a team scrimmage to the delight of all the Maquette Prisoners, Staff and the Prison Pirates team.

The Red Wings were honoured to win a galvanized steel bucket they called the Doniker Trophy, known as the "Honey Bucket" and they also received hand-made leather wallets from the prison craft store, imprinted with each of their names and Detroit's famous “Winged Wheel” logo.

The Red Wings had brought along lots of Hockey equipment with them to the prison, leaving all of it behind for the Prison Pirates team.

Len Brumm, who was coach of the Prison Pirates team, won the very 1st NCAA Div. 1 Championship in 1948 with Michigan Wolverines. He later coached semi-pro and was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.