| Texas Wildcatters | |
|---|---|
| City | Beaumont, Texas |
| League | ECHL |
| Conference | American Conference |
| Division | South Division |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Home arena | Ford Arena |
| Colors | Black and gold |
| General manager | Richard W. Adams |
| Head coach | Malcom Cameron |
| Affiliates | Minnesota Wild (NHL) Houston Aeros (AHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1993–2000 | Huntington Blizzard |
| 2003–2008 | Texas Wildcatters |
| 2008–present | Ontario Reign |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | none |
| Division Championships | 2007–08 |
| Conference Championships | none |
| Kelly Cups | none |
The Texas Wildcatters, who took their name from Texas wildcatters, were an ECHL team based in Beaumont, Texas. They played their home games at the Ford Arena. They were the affiliate of the Florida Panthers in 2004–2005. The team played in Huntington, West Virginia and were known as the Huntington Blizzard from 1993–2000. The Wildcatters began play in 2003.
The Wildcatters ceased their existence in Beaumont with a 4–1 loss to the Columbia Inferno on April 25, 2008 at Ford Arena.
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On October 7, 2005, the Jefferson County, Texas Commissioners announced that the team would not be allowed to use Ford Arena for the 2005–2006 season because the site was being used for Hurricane Rita relief. The team was forced to cancel the season, but resumed gameplay in 2006–2007. During the 2007-2008 season they were affiliated with the Minnesota Wild of the NHL and the AHL's Houston Aeros. After the 2007-2008 season, they ceased operations and moved to Ontario, California, where they play as the Ontario Reign and are affiliated with the Los Angeles Kings.
According to a Beaumont TV report there was a local group attempting to secure a Central Hockey League franchise for Beaumont starting in the 2008–2009 season [1]. After the Austin Ice Bats ceased operations in Austin, there was an attempt to move that franchise to Ford Arena for 2008-9. However, there was insufficient time to do this before the CHL needed a commitment to play. The depressed economy of the Golden Triangle makes a relocation to Beaumont unlikely in the near future.
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OTL | SOL | Points | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | 72 | 22 | 44 | 6 | — | — | 50 | 196 | 287 | 7th, Central | |
| 2004–05 | 72 | 17 | 44 | 11 | — | — | 45 | 178 | 260 | 6th, South | |
| 2005–06 | Involuntary Suspension of Season (Hurricane Rita) | ||||||||||
| 2006–07 | 72 | 41 | 22 | — | 5 | 4 | 91 | 265 | 222 | 2nd, South | |
| 2007–08 | 72 | 52 | 9 | — | 4 | 7 | 115 | 266 | 177 | 1st, South | |
| Season | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Finals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | Out of playoffs. | ||||
| 2004–05 | Out of playoffs. | ||||
| 2005–06 | Involuntary suspension of season. | ||||
| 2006–07 | — | W, 3–2, GWT | L, 2–4, FLA | — | |
| 2007–08 | W, 3–1, MIS | L, 2–3, CBA | — | — | |