| Carolina Thunderbirds | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1982 |
| Arena | Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum |
The Carolina Thunderbirds were a professional ice hockey team located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. The Thunderbirds played their home games at the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum before the arena was demolished in 1989. The team played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League from 1982 to 1987, the All-American Hockey League during 1987-88 and finally moved into the newly created East Coast Hockey League in 1988.[1]
The Carolina Thunderbirds were one of five teams that played during the inaugural season of East Coast Hockey League.[2] In an effort to protect the league's image, ECHL commissioner Pat Kelly had suspended several of the Thunderbirds' players and, as a result, the Thunderbirds were forced to face the Johnstown Chiefs for the seventh and deciding game in the league's finals with just 11 skaters.[3] In spite of this hardship, the Carolina Thunderbirds won the first ever league championship,[4] and were awarded the Riley Cup for the 1988-89 ECHL season. John Torchetti, who would go on to become the head coach of the NHL's Florida Panthers, was a member of that championship squad.[5]
The team changed its name to the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds before the start of 1989-90 season, and the team remained in the ECHL until after the end of the 1991-92 season when it was announced that the Winston-Salem club would be moving to West Virginia to play as the Wheeling Thunderbirds.[6]
| Preceded by Inaugural |
ECHL Riley Cup Champions 1988-89 |
Succeeded by Greensboro Monarchs |