In 2010 and Perani Arena decided to sign a lease agreement with the junior Michigan Warriors instead of the minor professionalFlint Generals, leaving only junior hockey in a town that hosted several minor professional teams. Had the Generals returned for 2010–11, the Warriors would have still remained making sure their home schedule had no conflicts with the Generals.[citation needed] In 2015, the Michigan Warriors suspended operations due to the arrival of the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League.
Franchise history
The Warriors were previously known as the Marquette Rangers playing out of the 3,100-seat Lakeview Arena in Marquette, Michigan. Their inaugural season was 2006–07, in which they were able to make the playoffs but fell to the Mahoning Valley Phantoms in the first round. The Rangers missed the playoffs for the next two seasons before returning in the 2009–10 season. Once more the Rangers fell in the first round, this time swept out in three games by the Motor City Machine. In their first season in Flint, the Warriors turned a third place regular season finish into a playoff run that took them to the league championship game. In a battle for their respective first league titles, the Warriors dropped a 4–2 game to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs.
Prior to the end of the 2014–15 season the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) announced the relocation of the Plymouth Whalers to Flint to become the Flint Firebirds. Knowing Flint could not support two junior teams at the same time, the Warriors looked for relocation alternatives.