Texas Wildcatters
| Texas Wildcatters | |
|---|---|
| City | Beaumont, Texas |
| League | ECHL |
| Conference | American Conference |
| Division | South Division |
| Founded | 1993 |
| 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 in the Big Sandy Superstore Arena.
The Wildcatters relocated to Ontario, California, and were renamed Ontario Reign. The franchise's last game as the Wildcatters was a 4–1 loss to the Columbia Inferno on April 25, 2008, at Ford Arena.
History
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. There was no suitable temporary facility in the area, forcing the Wildcatters to cancel the season. They 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, the team moved to Ontario, California and are now known as the Ontario Reign and are now 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 suspended operations, there was an attempt to move that franchise to Ford Arena for 2008-09. 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-by-Season results
Regular season
| 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 | |
Playoffs
| 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 | — | — | |