Florida Seals
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The Florida Seals are a minor-league ice hockey team, currently a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). Originally based in Orlando, Florida, they are now based in Kissimmee, Florida, a suburb south of Orlando in Osceola County. The ownership group of the Seals is led by Bill Lucia.
The team was formed as the Orlando Seals, and played its first season beginning in October 2002 with the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL). It was the winner of that league's first and only President's Cup in 2003. When the ACHL folded, they and two other teams, the Jacksonville Barracudas and the Macon Trax, merged into the new World Hockey Association 2 (WHA2), founded by Waronker himself. After the 2003-2004 season, the World Hockey Association served a cease-and-desist order on the WHA2 and it merged with the South East Hockey League (SEHL) to form the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL).
The Orlando Seals were scheduled to play in the 2004-2005 SPHL season, but on August 22, 2004, the City of Orlando revoked its lease at the TD Waterhouse Centre, causing them to miss the season. On October 19, 2004, the ownership group announced a new three-year lease with the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. The team resumed play in the 2005-2006 season, hosting their first home game against the Jacksonville Barracudas on October 29, 2005. The Seals finished the 2005-06 season with a 32-17 record with seven overtime losses, placing third in the league, but lost the President's Cup to the Knoxville Ice Bears in four games out of five.
Due to the Silver Spurs Rodeo, the Seals tend to be on the road throughout February.
[edit] Championships
| Year | League | Trophy |
|---|---|---|
| 2002-2003 | ACHL | President's Cup |
The mascot of the Florida Seals is Sealvester. He wears a jersey emblazoned with the number "05".
[edit] External links
| Southern Professional Hockey League | |
| 2006-07 teams: Columbus Cottonmouths | Fayetteville FireAntz | Florida Seals | Huntsville Havoc | Jacksonville Barracudas | Knoxville Ice Bears | Pee Dee Cyclones | Richmond Renegades | |
| Trophies and Awards: President's Cup | Commissioner's Cup | |
| Related Articles: NHL | AHL | CHL | ECHL | UHL | World Cup | |
