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| Pittsburgh Hornets | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| League | American Hockey League IHL Canpro |
| Operated | 1936–1956 1961–1967 |
| Home arena | Duquesne Gardens Pittsburgh Civic Arena |
| Colors | Columbia blue, royal blue, white (1936–37) Red, white (1937–1952) Black, gold (1952–1954) Red, white (1954–1956, 1961–1967) Blue, gold (road uniforms, 1961–1963) |
| Affiliates | Detroit Red Wings (1927–1945) Toronto Maple Leafs (1946–1956) Detroit Red Wings (1961–1967) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1927–1936 | Detroit Olympics |
| 1936–1956 1961–1967 | Pittsburgh Hornets |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 3 (1951–52, 1954–55, 1966–67) |
| Division titles | 4 (1951–52, 1954–55, 1963–64, 1966–67) |
| Calder Cups | 3 (1951–52, 1954–55, 1966–67) |
The Pittsburgh Hornets were a minor-league professional men's ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Contrary to popular belief, the Pittsburgh Hornets did not evolve from the International Hockey League's Pittsburgh Shamrocks. The franchise started play in 1927, playing their first nine seasons as the Detroit Olympics. Then on October 4, 1936, after winning the IHL championship, the Olympics moved to Pittsburgh to become the Hornets. Bill Anderson and Bill Hudson were the only two players from the Shamrocks to be on the Hornets roster at the start of the 1936–37 season.
The Hornets, still a minor-league team for the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, made their debut in the International-American Hockey League in 1936–37. The league transformed into the American Hockey League in 1940.
The Hornets disbanded after the 1955–56 season. The franchise was suspended because the archaic Duquesne Gardens was torn down. The Hornets reappeared in the new Civic Arena in 1961 and, after a poor start, they became AHL contenders again, this time as a farm club for the Detroit Red Wings. They won a division title in 1964 and won their third Calder Cup in 1967. Following the 1967 win, the Hornets permanently closed operations, as the Pittsburgh Penguins began play the next fall and took over the market when the NHL expanded.