Virginia Lancers
| Virginia Lancers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Vinton, Virginia |
| League | ACHL, AAHL, ECHL |
| Founded | 1981 (In the CHL) |
| Operated | 1983–1990 |
| Home arena | Vinton Sports Complex |
| Colors |
Blue, red, white |
| Franchise history | |
| 1981–1983 | Nashville South Stars |
| 1983–1990 | Virginia Lancers |
| 1990–1992 | Roanoke Valley Rebels |
| 1992–1993 | Roanoke Valley Rampage |
| 1993–1994 | Huntsville Blast |
| 1994–2001 | Tallahassee Tiger Sharks |
| 2001–2002 | Macon Whoopee |
| 2002–2003 | Lexington Men O' War |
| 2005–present | Utah Grizzlies |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 2 (1986–87, 1987–88) |
| Playoff championships | 1 (1987) |
The Virginia Lancers were a minor league hockey team that played in several leagues from 1983 until 1990. Their home ice was the Vinton Sports Complex, which held 3400 people.
Atlantic Coast Hockey League (1983-1987)
The Virginia Lancers were founded as the result of the Nashville South Stars relocating in December 1983,[1] halfway into the 1982-83 season of the ACHL. They would continue to play in the ACHL from 1983 until 1987. John Tortorella, a former Lancer forward who stepped behind the bench in the 1986-87 season, would finish with the league's best record and eventually win the Bob Paine Trophy, which is given to the team who wins the league championship.
All-American Hockey League (1987-1988)
The Lancers transferred to the AAHL (All-American Hockey League) for the 1987-88 season. Coach Tortorella would lead his team to a 37-5-0-1 record and finish with the best record in the league, but would lose the league championship to Carolina Thunderbirds. After the season, both Virginia and Carolina would leave the league to form the East Coast Hockey League along with the newly formed Johnstown Chiefs and the AAHL would fold a season later.
East Coast Hockey League (1988-1990)
With a new coach and a new league, the Lancers found themselves outside of the postseason in their initial ECHL season. Finishing 22-30-8 put them in fifth place out of five teams. The Lancers would find a replacement coach in Dave Allison for the 1989 season, and the team responded by finishing 36-18-6 with 76 points. The Lancers would finish in 3rd place out of 8 teams and would face 4th place Greensboro Monarchs in the playoffs. The Lancers would lose the best-of-five series three games to one, which included back to back losses at Greensboro in games 3 and 4.
Name changes and relocation (1990-present)
Prior to the 1990-1991 season, the name was changed to the Roanoke Valley Rebels. They used this name for two seasons, and then became the Roanoke Valley Rampage for the 1992-93 season. Despite the name changes, the franchise remained in the same location throughout.
After the 1992-93 season, the franchise was moved to Alabama and became the Huntsville Blast. The Blast remained in Huntsville for one season before transferring to Tallahassee and being renamed the Tiger Sharks, where they played until the 2000-01 season. The Tiger Sharks ceased operations in 2001 but leased the team to the Macon Sports Group in Macon, Georgia and played as the Macon Whoopee for one season. Poor attendance and lack of corporate sponsorship caused the Whoopee to fold and the rights to the franchise were transferred to what eventually became the Lexington Men O' War. Attendance was also a problem in Lexington and the franchise went dormant in 2003. In 2005, the franchise was transferred and is currently playing as the Utah Grizzlies.
Notable personnel
- Pierre Lagace - former Quebec Nordiques and Montreal Canadiens draft pick. Played 38 games for the Nordiques in the World Hockey Association over 2 seasons.
- Paul O'Neil - former player-coach who coached the Lancers from 1983-85. Played for the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and played one game for the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association.
- Mario Roberge - former Lancers forward who went on to play 112 games with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1991-1995. Roberge was a member of the 1993 Stanley Cup-winning Canadiens team.
- John Torchetti - former Lancers forward who has coached in the QMJHL and NHL. He also served as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning, interim head coach for the Florida Panthers, interim head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, and as an assistant coach of the Atlanta Thrashers.
- John Tortorella - former player who coached the team from 1986 to 1988, finishing both seasons with the best record in the league. After leaving the Lancers, he would later coach the Rochester Americans of the AHL and Tampa Bay Lightning, where he would lead his team to their respective championships. He also coached the New York Rangers from 2008, being fired on May 29, 2013. Tortorella is a former head coach of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League.
External links
References
- ↑ "Nashville South Stars/Virginia Lancers 1983-84". Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved April 10, 2015.