Detroit Safari

Club history

The Detroit Neon took its name from the Dodge Neon automobile through a sponsorship by the Chrysler Corporation. Palace Sports also owned the International Hockey League's Detroit Vipers, which were named for a Chrysler product. In 1997, naming rights were sold to General Motors, and the club became the Detroit Safari after the GMC Safari minivan. The team led the CISL in attendance in its first season in 1994 and drew well above league average in all four years it played.

On the field, however, results were poor. Despite having experienced indoor player Andy Chapman, who also served as Detroit's coach—unofficially, as the league prohibited player-coaches—the club finished next-to-last in the Eastern Division in 1994 and 1995 and missed the playoffs. The Neon improved to 13–15 in 1996 and reached the postseason, but lost two games to one to the Monterrey La Raza in the first round; the sole playoff contest at the Palace drew 4,477 fans.

The renamed Safari finished with a 3–25 mark in 1997, tying the 1994 Carolina Vipers for the worst record in league history. The team folded along with the rest of the CISL after the 1997 season. During the team's existence, some games, including all 1997 home contests, were televised on PASS Sports.