United States Coast Guard Cutters

United States Coast Guard Cutters
City	Baltimore, Maryland
League	Eastern Amateur Hockey League
Operated	1942–1943
Home arena	Carlin's Iceland
Colors	Red, white, and blue
Head coach	Mel Harwood
Championships
Regular season titles	1 (1942–43)
Playoff championships	1 (1942–43)

The United States Coast Guard Cutters were a senior amateur ice hockey team operated by the United States Coast Guard Yard on Curtis Bay, Baltimore. The team played in the Eastern Amateur Hockey League for parts of two seasons, using Carlin's Iceland for home games. The Cutters were a separate team from the established Coast Guard Bears of the United States Coast Guard Academy.

The team was founded in 1942 by personnel officer Lieutenant Commander C.R. MacLean, of the Coast Guard in Curtis Bay, and replaced the void in the EAHL when the Baltimore Orioles folded. The Cutters were coached by Mel Harwood, a former goaltender for the Orioles, and a former NHL referee known for officiating game four of the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals. Players were required to complete daytime military duties, in addition to playing on the team. The team was accompanied by their own version of the United States Coast Guard Band, that played the “Semper Paratus march," whenever the Cutters scored a goal.

In the 1942–43 season, Joe Kucler led the league in goals (40), assists (41), and points (81). The Cutters played the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings in an exhibition game on January 6, 1943 in Baltimore, losing 8–3. The Cutters finished first place in the EAHL, winning the Walker Cup. In addition to the EAHL title, the Cutters won two championships of the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States, in 1943 and 1944. Eleven games into the second season, the Cutters withdrew from league play on November 28, 1943, but still played exhibition games. The Cutters team disbanded early in 1944, when the World War II effort needed reinforcements.

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