Johnstown Chiefs
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| Johnstown Chiefs | |
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| Founded | 1988 |
| Home ice | Cambria County War Memorial Arena |
| Based in | Johnstown, Pennsylvania |
| Colors | Black, Gold |
| League | ECHL |
| Head coach | Frank Anzalone |
| Vice President of Hockey Operations | Ryan Belec |
| Owner | Jim Weber |
The Johnstown Chiefs are a minor league ice hockey team located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, playing in the ECHL. The team was founded in 1988 in the All-American Hockey League, and moved to the East Coast Hockey League (now just 'ECHL') when that league was formed. The Chiefs are the only original ECHL team still playing under its original name.
The owners originally wanted to name the team the Jets in honor of a team that had played in Johnstown from 1950 to 1977, mostly in the Eastern Hockey League. However, the old Jets' former owners still held the trademark for the name and refused to allow the new team to use it. Fortunately, they had a second choice. The hockey cult movie Slap Shot had been filmed in Johnstown, and featured a minor league team called the Charlestown Chiefs. The owners readily jumped on the tie-in, and the Johnstown Chiefs were born. It is the only original ECHL franchise still based in its original city.
The Chiefs play their home games in the historic 3,745 seat Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, where most of the hockey scenes in Slap Shot were filmed. The team colors are black, gold and white (following an early affiliation with the Boston Bruins), and its current road uniforms are based on 1970s era Bruins jerseys.
Among the franchise's notable players has been defenseman Brent Bilodeau; Dmitri Tarabrin (the career leader in games played with 427); Bruce Coles, who holds the career mark for points scored with 227, having played in only 132 games for the team; Scott Bailey, the goalie and former Bruins farmhand who was the first Chief to make the NHL; all-star defenseman Perry Florio, the franchise's career assist leader with 171; right wing Lukas Smital, the career goal scoring leader with 107; enforcer Jeffery Sullivan, the career penalty minute leader with 1205; and goaltender Frederic Deschesnes, who leads the franchise in goaltending games with 152, wins with 69 and shutouts with 5.
The Chiefs are currently affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning, which recently purchased an interest in the team, of the NHL and the Springfield Falcons of the AHL.
The Chiefs along with the Wheeling Thunderbirds (now known as the Wheeling Nailers)played the role of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1995 film Sudden Death starring Jean Claude Van Damme. The premise was the Penguins playing the Chicago Blackhawks for the Stanley Cup when terrorists attempt to hold the Vice President hostage in the arena.
[edit] External links
| ECHL | |
| 2006-07 teams: Alaska Aces | Augusta Lynx | Bakersfield Condors | Charlotte Checkers | Cincinnati Cyclones | Columbia Inferno | Dayton Bombers | Florida Everblades | Fresno Falcons | Gwinnett Gladiators | Idaho Steelheads | Johnstown Chiefs | Las Vegas Wranglers | Long Beach Ice Dogs | Pensacola Ice Pilots | Phoenix RoadRunners | Reading Royals | South Carolina Stingrays | Stockton Thunder | Texas Wildcatters | Toledo Storm | Trenton Titans | Utah Grizzlies | Victoria Salmon Kings | Wheeling Nailers | |
| Planned 2007-08 teams: Greensboro | Mississippi Sea Wolves | Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz | |
| Trophies and Awards: Patrick J. Kelly Cup | |
| Related Articles: NHL | AHL | CHL | SPHL | UHL | World Cup | |
