ECHL

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ECHL
Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1988
No. of teams	25
Country	United States  Canada
Current champions	Alaska Aces
Official website	www.echl.com

The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada, generally regarded as a tier below the American Hockey League.

The league, which combined teams from the defunct Atlantic Coast Hockey League and All-American Hockey League, began play as the East Coast Hockey League in 1988 with 5 teams, the Carolina Thunderbirds (now the Wheeling Nailers), the Erie Panthers (now the Victoria Salmon Kings), the Johnstown Chiefs, the Knoxville Cherokees (the franchise, as the Pee Dee Pride, is currently suspended, to resume play in Conway, South Carolina in 2008-09), and the Virginia Lancers (now the Utah Grizzlies).

Since that time, the ECHL has met with great success, reaching its largest size in 2003 of 31 teams before being reduced to 28 teams for the 2004 season. In September 2002, the West Coast Hockey League ceased operations, and the ECHL Board of Governors approved membership applications from the Anchorage (now Alaska) Aces, the Bakersfield Condors, the Fresno Falcons, the Idaho Steelheads, the Las Vegas Wranglers, the Long Beach Ice Dogs and the San Diego Gulls as well as from teams in Ontario, California and Reno, Nevada. Alaska, Bakersfield, Fresno, Idaho, Las Vegas, Long Beach and San Diego began play in 2003-04 season as expansion teams.

The teams from the defunct WCHL, along with Las Vegas, joined as expansion teams for the ECHL’s 16th season in 2003-04. In a change reflective of the nationwide presence of the ECHL, the East Coast Hockey League changed its name to simply ECHL on May 19, 2003. While professional hockey in North America is not organized into tiers such as AAA or AA like baseball is, the ECHL is considered a AA-type league, considering most teams serve as feeder teams for American Hockey League teams. The ECHL's official website lists the league as "the premiere AA" league of hockey in North America.

Contents 1 Teams 1.1 National Conference 1.1.1 West Division 1.1.2 Pacific Division 1.2 American Conference 1.2.1 North Division 1.2.2 South Division 2 Future Expansion Teams 3 Defunct teams 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Teams

(2006-07 NHL/AHL affiliates in parentheses)

[edit] National Conference

[edit] West Division

• Alaska Aces (STL/PEO)
• Idaho Steelheads (DAL/IA)
• Phoenix RoadRunners (PHX/SA)
• Utah Grizzlies (Independent)
• Victoria Salmon Kings (VAN/MBA)

[edit] Pacific Division

• Bakersfield Condors (Independent)
• Fresno Falcons (SJS/WST)
• Las Vegas Wranglers (CGY/OMA)
• Long Beach Ice Dogs (BOS/PRO)
• Stockton Thunder (EDM/None)

[edit] American Conference

[edit] North Division

• Cincinnati Cyclones (MTL/HAM)
• Dayton Bombers (CLB/SYR)
• Johnstown Chiefs (TB/SPR)
• Reading Royals (LA/MAN)
• Toledo Storm (DET & CHI/GR & NOR)
• Trenton Titans (NJD & PHI/LOW & PHI)
• Wheeling Nailers (PIT/WBS)

[edit] South Division

• Augusta Lynx (ANA/POR)
• Charlotte Checkers (NYR/HAR)
• Columbia Inferno (TOR/TOR)
• Florida Everblades (CAR & FLA/ALB)
• Gwinnett Gladiators (ATL/CHI)
• Pensacola Ice Pilots (NYI/BRI)
• South Carolina Stingrays (WSH/HER)
• Texas Wildcatters (None/HOU)

[edit] Future Expansion Teams

• Mississippi Sea Wolves of Biloxi, MS (2007-08; franchise suspended on request in 2005 as a result of damage to the community and arena caused by Hurricane Katrina.)
• Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz (2008-09; pending construction of YRT2 Arena on the campus of Coastal Carolina University). Will be located in Conway, South Carolina.
• Reno Raiders (2008-09, pending arena construction, franchise suspended after the 1997-98 West Coast Hockey League season)

[1]

[edit] Defunct teams

Like any minor league, the ECHL has its share of defunct teams. Teams that no longer play within the ECHL are listed below. All of the teams, except for the Greensboro Generals and the Roanoke Express, which were terminated by the ECHL, and the teams which have relocated, are considered to have suspended operations and the franchises placed for sale. Also excepted are the Mississippi Sea Wolves, which were suspended by request from team ownership and the ECHL because of the impact of Hurricane Katrina. The Sea Wolves are due to resume play in 2007-08.

Arkansas RiverBlades (1999-2003) Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (2001-2005; moved to Stockton, CA) Baton Rouge Kingfish (1996-2003; moved to Victoria, BC) Birmingham Bulls (1992-2001; moved to Atlantic City, NJ) Chesapeake Icebreakers (played in Upper Marlboro, MD, 1997-1999; moved to Jackson, MS) Columbus Chill (1991-1999; moved to Reading, PA) Columbus Cottonmouths (GA) (2001-2004; replaced by SPHL franchise) Erie Panthers (1988-1996; moved to Baton Rouge, LA) Greensboro Generals (1999-2004; team franchise revoked) Greensboro Monarchs (1989-1995; replaced by the Carolina Monarchs of the AHL) Greenville Grrrowl (1998-2006) Gulf Coast Swords (2004; never played due to massive arena construction delays) Hampton Roads Admirals (1989-2000; replaced by the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL) Huntington Blizzard (1993-2000; now in Beaumont as Texas Wildcatters) Huntsville Blast (1993-1994; moved to Tallahassee, FL) Jackson Bandits (1999-2003) Jacksonville Lizard Kings (1995-2000) Knoxville Cherokees (1988-1997; moved to Florence, SC) Lexington Men O' War (2002-2003; moved to West Valley City, UT) Louisiana IceGators (1995-2005) Louisville Icehawks (1990-1994; moved to Jacksonville, FL) Louisville River Frogs (1995-1998; moved to Miami, FL)

Macon Whoopee (2001-2002; moved to Lexington, KY) Miami Matadors (1998-1999; moved to Cincinnati, OH) Mississippi Sea Wolves (Biloxi-Gulfport, MS) - Team suspended operations in 2005 because of Hurricane Katrina, will resume in 2007. Mobile Mysticks (1995-2002; moved to Duluth, Gwinnett County, GA) Nashville Knights (1989-1996; moved to Pensacola, FL) New Orleans Brass (1997-2002; team suspended operations after the arrival of the NBA's Hornets when arena lease was not given) Ontario, California (2003-2004; team suspended operations after a year, substandard arena, and other financial issues. In September 2006, the ECHL pulled out from the Inland Empire, California area, but has continued interests in other California regional markets like Oxnard, California). Pee Dee Pride (1997-2005; team suspended operations after the 2004-05 season and will become the Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz once a new arena is completed in nearby Conway, SC) Peoria Rivermen (1996-2005; replaced by the Peoria Rivermen of the AHL) Raleigh Icecaps (1991-1998; moved to Augusta, GA) Richmond Renegades (1990-2003; Replaced by UHL Richmond RiverDogs whom were replaced by the Richmond Renegades of the SPHL) Roanoke Express (1993-2004; franchise revoked) San Diego Gulls (2003-2006) Tallahassee Tiger Sharks (1994-2001; moved to Macon, Georgia) Virginia Lancers (1988-1993 in Vinton, VA; franchise later renamed the Roanoke Valley Rebels and Rampage; moved to Huntsville, AL) Winston-Salem Thunderbirds (1988-1992; originally called Carolina before reverting to city name; moved to Wheeling, WV, and eventually become the Nailers)

[edit] See also

• Kelly Cup
• ECHL All-Star Game
• List of ECHL seasons
• List of developmental and minor sports leagues
• List of ice hockey leagues
• Sports league attendances

[edit] External links

• ECHL website

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: Mississippi Sea Wolves

Trophies and Awards: Patrick J. Kelly Cup

Related Articles: NHL | AHL | CHL | SPHL | UHL | World Cup

Current arenas in the ECHL
American Conference		National Conference
Arena at Gwinnett Center | Cambria County War Memorial Arena | Carolina Coliseum | St. Lawrence Homes Home Ice | Ford Arena | Germain Arena | James Brown Arena | North Charleston Coliseum | Nutter Center | Pensacola Civic Center | Sovereign Bank Arena | Sovereign Center | Toledo Sports Arena | U.S. Bank Arena | WesBanco Arena		E Center | Long Beach Sports Arena | Orleans Arena | Qwest Arena | Rabobank Arena | Save Mart Center | Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre| Stockton Arena | Sullivan Arena | US Airways Center

North American Professional Hockey
National Hockey League
Minor League Hockey
High Level: American Hockey League Mid Level: Central Hockey League | ECHL | United Hockey League Low Level: Southern Professional Hockey League Semi-Professional: Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey | North Eastern Hockey League
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