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 |
Florida Panthers Minnesota Wild |
| Franchise history | |
| 1993–2000 | Huntington Blizzard |
| 2003–2008 | Texas Wildcatters |
| 2008–2015 | Ontario Reign |
| 2015–present | Manchester Monarchs |
| Championships | |
| Division Championships | 2007–08 |
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. The team played in Huntington, West Virginia and were known as the Huntington Blizzard from 1993–2000 in the Huntington Civic Center. The Wildcatters relocated to Ontario, California, and were renamed Ontario Reign. The franchise's last game as the Wildcatters was a 1–4 loss to the Columbia Inferno on April 25, 2008, at Ford Arena.
History
During the 2004–05 season, they were affiliated with the Florida Panthers and the San Antonio Rampage.
On October 7, 2005, the Jefferson County, Texas, Commissioners announced that the team would not be allowed to use Ford Arena for the 2005–06 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 play in 2006–07 as affiliates of the Minnesota Wild of the NHL and the AHL's Houston Aeros.[1] After the 2007–08 season, the team moved to Ontario, California as the Ontario Reign and 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 2008–09 season.[2] 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 records
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 | — | — | |
References
- ↑ "Texas Wildcatter Parent Teams". HockeyDB. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
- ↑ KBMT Channel 12 report accessed 2-27-08