MARQUETTE – After struggling for several seasons to put a representative team on the ice, the Marquette Electricians 18 AAA Midget Major hockey team has called it quits.

Marquette Junior Hockey Corp. President Jeff Cornock announced this morning that cessation of team operations will begin immediately.

A press release said the Electricians’ Operating Committee, headed be former player John Way and current head coach Nate Taurence, “made a concerted four-month effort” to interest quality players from around the state to play for the team.

“That quest was unsuccessful,” according to the release.

Said Way: “Coach Taurence went above and beyond in attempting to put a team on the ice. “He has driven back-and-forth between Marquette and Detroit almost weekly since early June.”

According to new rules instituted by the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association last year, MJHC Director Tim McIntosh said Marquette will not be able to re-form an AAA Midget team in coming years without conforming to regulations.

That includes having AAA teams at all levels of hockey (Pee Wee, Bantam and Midget 16U).

The Electricians began operations as an AAA program in the fall of 1986.

They hosted the 2004 USA Hockey Tier I National Championship and for many years, put on the Marquette Electricians Fall Classic – in the late 1990’s and early 2,000’s reputed by some to be the best Major Midget tournament in the country.

The Electricians provided a stepping stone for eventual entry by several players into the National Hockey League, including Mark Olver of the Colorado Avalanche and Marquette’s Justin Florek of the Boston Bruins/New York Islanders. “To hear the news, it was very disappointing,” former NMU player Chris Gobert said,” It was a great program with a lot of great players for a long time. It’s very sad to see it come to an end.

“For me, from the time I was three years old to coming through the program here, it was definitely a great situation to have the team in your backyard, so you didn’t have to leave home or move away at age 15, 16 or 17.

“Unfortunately now, some of these local kids are going to have to do it if they want to continue on in their career,” he added.

Florek expressed similar sentiments about his days with the team.

“Growing up through Marquette junior hockey, I think every kid’s dream is to play for the Electricians,” he said. “It was always the team that I watched when I was younger and that was always the team that I wanted to play for.

“It was pretty special because my dad and my uncle even played for the Electricians, so I had an opportunity to play for them.

“it was something I jumped on and it helped propel my career to the next level,” he added.

Even though the team is gone for now, the players say Marquette is still a “hockey town” and there could be a chance the Electricians could be back in the future.

“It’s tough to see it go, but I think Marquette is still a great hockey community and hopefully, it will just continue to get better and better,” Florek said. “Unfortunately, the Electricians aren’t here, but it’s still a great community.

“There are enough players around to make a competitive team and something that can make a splash in USA Hockey, but unfortunately, not at the time right now. We’ll just have to see what the future holds.”