Tri-City Americans

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Tri-City Americans
City: Kennewick, Washington
League: Western Hockey League
Conference: Western
Division: U.S.
Founded: 1988
Home Arena: Toyota Center
Colors: Navy Blue, Red, Silver, White
Head Coach: Don Nachbaur
General Manager: Bob Tory
Franchise history
1966–67: Calgary Buffaloes
1967–77: Calgary Centennials
1977–82: Billings Bighorns
1982–83: Nanaimo Islanders
1983–88: New Westminster Bruins
1988-Present: Tri-City Americans

The Tri-City Americans are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League, based in Kennewick, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center.

Contents

[edit] History

Primary logo as of 2007-2008
Primary logo as of 2007-2008

The Tri-City Americans franchise is an original franchise of the WHL. They began in 1966 as the Calgary Buffaloes before being renamed the Centennials after one season. The franchise was also known as the Billings Bighorns from 1977–82 before relocating to Nanaimo, British Columbia as the Nanaimo Islanders. After only one season, they moved to New Westminster, British Columbia to become the second incarnation of the New Westminster Bruins. They moved to the Tri-Cities in 1988.

The Americans never enjoyed especially strong local support, mainly due to their startling lack of competitiveness during the first thirteen or so years of franchise history. As a result, in 2004, Darryl Porter the former owner of the Tri-City Americans attempted to move the team to Chilliwack, British Columbia in Canada. However, the other Western Hockey League teams voted to prevent the move, including all four other American teams. Shortly after this failure, the team was sold to Tri-Cities natives, including Olaf Kolzig, the goalie for the Washington Capitals, and Stu Barnes of the Dallas Stars, both former Americans players. Since the sale the team has doubled attendance figures and won the first division championship in team history. Porter and his investment group were later granted the Chilliwack Bruins as an expansion franchise.

On November 29, 1989 Americans goaltender Olaf Kolzig became the first Goalie to register a WHL goal when he attepted a shot on an empty net against the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The Americans annual series with the Highway 395 rival Spokane Chiefs is always intense and full of action, clearly their biggest rival year in and year out. The competitiveness of the two team is such that an annual tradition with the Americans is to play the Chiefs at home on New Years Eve. The only time this tradition was broken was due to a one-day strike by the Americans over the training tactics of one of the coaches.

In the 2002–03 season, sixteen year old goaltender Shannon Szabados became the first female player to compete in the WHL when she played one game for the Americans.

During the 2007–08 WHL season, the Americans won the US Division regular season championship for the first time after a March 15, 2008 showdown with the division rival Spokane Chiefs in Kennewick, Washington at the Toyota Center. The Americans won the Western Conference regular season championship, and the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the best overall regular season record in the WHL.

[edit] Charitible work and events

Like many teams, the Americans are charitibly active in the Tri-City area. An annual event the team participates in is a game where funds for the Tri-Cities Cancer Center for the cure of breast cancer. The rink is tinted pink and the Americans wear pink sweaters during the game, after which the sweaters are auctioned-off for funds.

The Americans also were active in raising start-up funds for the establishment of a local chapter of The First Tee.

[edit] Current roster

Goaltenders
# Player Age Hometown NHL Draft
1 Flag of Canada Kyle Birch 17 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2008
37 Flag of Canada Chet Pickard 18 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2008
Defencemen
# Player Age Hometown NHL Draft
2 Flag of Canada Mitch McColm 18 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2008
3 Flag of Canada Jarrett Toll 18 Maple Ridge, British Columbia Eligible 2008
5 Flag of Canada Tyler Schmidt 17 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2008
7 Flag of Canada Eric Mestery 17 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2008
20 Flag of Canada Brett Plouffe 18 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2008
23 Flag of Canada T.J. Fast 20 Calgary, Alberta Los Angeles Kings 2005
32 Flag of Canada Lane Werbowski 16 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2009
Forwards
# Player Age Hometown NHL Draft
4 Flag of Canada Jason Gardiner 16 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2009
6 Flag of Canada Drew Hoff 18 Redvers, Saskatchewan Eligible 2008
9 Flag of the United States Jason Reese 18 Gresham, OR Eligible 2008
11 Flag of Canada Kruise Reddick 17 Manor, Saskatchewan Eligible 2008
12 Flag of Canada Blair Macaulay 19 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2008
15 Flag of Canada Colton Yellow Horn 20 Brocket, Alberta Free Agent
16 Flag of Canada Shaun Vey 20 Wakaw, Saskatchewan Free Agent
17 Flag of Canada Adam Hughesman 17 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2009
18 Flag of Canada Mason Wilgosh 16 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2009
19 Flag of the Czech Republic Radek Meidl 19 Sparza, Czech Rep Free Agent
21 Flag of Canada Johnny Lazo 18 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2008
22 Flag of Canada Colan Jackson 17 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2008
25 Flag of Canada Joel Ridgeway 17 Grosse Isle, Manitoba Eligible 2008
28 Flag of Canada Adam Wihak 16 Regina, Saskatchewan Eligible 2009
41 Flag of the Czech Republic Petr Stoklasa 18 Prague, Czech Rep Eligible 2008
44 Flag of Canada Taylor Procyshen 19 Emerald Park, Saskatchewan Eligible 2008

[edit] Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties OTL = Overtime losses Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1988–89 72 33 34 5 - 300 299 71 4th West Lost West Division semi-final
1989–90 72 39 28 5 - 433 354 83 3rd West Lost West Division semi-final
1990–91 72 36 32 4 - 404 386 76 4th West Lost West Division semi-final
1991–92 72 35 35 2 - 363 376 72 2nd West Lost West Division quarter-final
1992–93 72 28 41 3 - 245 312 59 6th West Lost West Division quarter-final
1993–94 72 19 48 5 - 272 373 43 6th West Lost West Division quarter-final
1994–95 72 36 31 5 - 295 279 77 4th West Lost West Division final
1995–96 72 45 25 2 - 336 255 92 3rd West Lost West Division semi-final
1996–97 72 22 43 7 - 225 288 51 7th West Out of playoffs
1997–98 72 17 49 6 - 264 371 40 7th West Out of playoffs
1998–99 72 43 23 6 - 311 219 92 2nd West Lost West Division final
1999–00 72 24 41 7 2 231 288 57 6th West Lost West Division semi-final
2000–01 72 21 36 8 7 217 284 57 7th West Out of playoffs
2001–02 72 31 31 10 0 260 271 72 3rd U.S. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2002–03 72 20 44 3 5 240 335 48 4th U.S. Out of playoffs
2003–04 72 31 27 10 4 205 197 76 3rd U.S. Lost Western Conference semi-final
2004–05 72 26 34 8 4 172 196 64 4th U.S. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
2005–06 72 30 35 4 3 188 221 67 4th U.S. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2006–07 72 47 23 1 1 240 190 96 2nd U.S. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2007–08 72 52 16 2 2 262 176 108 1st U.S. Lost Western Conference final

[edit] Team records

Team Records for a single season
Statistic Total Season
Most Points 108 2007–08
Most Wins 52 2007–08
Most Goals For 433 1989–90
Least Goals For 172 2004–05
Least Goals Against 176 2007–08
Most Goals Against 386 1990–91
Individual player records for a single season
Statistic Player Total Season
Most Goals Kyle Reeves 89 1990–91
Most Assists Brian Sakic 122 1990–91
Most Points Brian Sakic 162 1990–91
Most Points, rookie Bill Lindsay 85 1989–90
Most Points, defenceman Steve Jacques 84 1989–90
Best GAA (Goalie) Chet Pickard 2.32 2007–08
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played


[edit] NHL alumni

[edit] Retired numbers

33 - Olaf Kolzig

14 - Stu Barnes, Todd Klassen

8 - Brian Sakic

[edit] External links

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