West Sound Warriors
| West Sound Warriors | |
|---|---|
| City | Bremerton, Washington |
| League |
Northern Pacific Hockey League (2000–2016) USPHL-USP3 (2016–2017) Western States Hockey League (2017–present) |
| Founded |
2000 (original franchise) 2015 (WSHL franchise) |
| Home arena | Bremerton Ice Center |
| Colors |
Red, Gold and Black |
| Franchise history | |
| Original franchise | |
| 2000–2003 | Puget Sound Kings |
| 2003–2011 | Puget Sound Tomahawks |
| 2011–2017 | West Sound Warriors |
| WSHL franchise | |
| 2015–2017 | Vancouver Rangers |
| 2017–present | West Sound Warriors |
The West Sound Warriors are a Amateur Athletic Union-sanctioned junior ice hockey that plays at the Bremerton Ice Center in Bremerton, Washington, as part of the Western States Hockey League. Formerly, the team was a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III ice hockey team that played in the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NorPac/NPHL) and the United States Premier Hockey League-USP3 (USPHL-USP3).[1]
History
2000–2017
The original franchise joined the NorPac in 2000 as the Puget Sound Kings, playing home games at the Puget Sound Hockey Center in Tacoma, Washington. In 2003, the owners of the Bremerton Ice Center acquired the franchise and moved it to the new arena and renamed to the Tomahawks. The team changed its name to the West Sound Warriors prior to the 2011–12 season.
The NorPac was classified as Junior B until 2007, when the league and member teams were granted Tier III Jr. A status by USA Hockey, the governing body for ice hockey in the United States. In 2013, the NorPac changed its moniker to NPHL.
In 2016, the NPHL was dissolved after two of the six members withdrew from the league. The four remaining teams, including the Warriors, were then added to the USP3 Pacific Division of the United States Premier Hockey League.[2]
After one season in the USPHL, the franchise announced it was suspending operations for the 2017–18 season. The organization stated they would assess their status for the 2018–19 season.[3]
2017–present
After the Warriors announced their suspension from the USPHL, the Vancouver Rangers of the Western States Hockey League came to an agreement with the Bremerton Ice Center to relocate to Bremerton from Vancouver, Washington.[4] The Rangers' ownership would continue to own and operate the team but they would take on the identity of the Warriors.
Season-by-season records
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | PTS | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Sound Warriors | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–12 | 42 | 13 | 28 | 1 | — | 27 | 156 | 232 | 6th of 7, NorPac | Lost Quarterfinals, 0-2 vs. Yellowstone Quake | |||||||||
| 2012–13 | 40 | 31 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 63 | 306 | 122 | 1st of 6, NorPac | Won Semifinals, 3-0 vs. Glacier Nationals Lost Finals, 2-3 vs. Bellingham Blazers | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | 40 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 69 | 300 | 87 | 2nd of 5, NPHL | Won Semifinals, 3-0 vs. Eugene Generals Lost Finals, 2-3 vs. Bellingham Blazers | |||||||||
| 2014–15 | 42 | 36 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 75 | 320 | 76 | 1st of 6, NPHL | Won Semifinals, 3-0 vs. Cheney Ice Hawks Won Finals, 3-0 vs. Bellingham Blazers CASCADE CUP CHAMPIONS | |||||||||
| 2015–16 | 40 | 8 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 89 | 260 | 6th of 6, NPHL | Did not qualify | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | 44 | 6 | 37 | 1 | — | 13 | 88 | 294 | 4th of 4, USP3-Pacific Div. | Did not qualify | |||||||||
USA Hockey Tier III Junior National Championships
2015 Tier III Division 2 National Championships included the champion teams from the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NPHL), Metropolitan Junior Hockey League (MetJHL), USPHL-Elite Division, and USPHL-Empire Division.
Round robin play in pool with top two teams advancing to final.[5]
| Year | Round Robin | Record | Ranking | National Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | L, Boston Jr. Bruins (USHPL-Elite) 2-4 L, New York Aviators (USPHL-Empire) 1-5 W, Boston Junior Rangers (MetJHL) 6-2 | 1-2-0 | 3rd of 4 | Did not advance |
Alumni
The Warriors have had a number of alumni move on to collegiate programs and higher levels of junior ice hockey in the United States and Canada.
References
- ↑ http://www.bremertonicearena.com/index.html
- ↑ "West Coast Teams Join Nation’s Top College Development League (USPHL)". USPHL. May 20, 2016.
- ↑ "West Sound Warriors homepage". West Sound Warriors. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
- ↑ "Recap from the Annual WSHL Meetings". WSHL. June 2, 2017.
- ↑ "Tier III Nationals Division 2". USA Hockey. Retrieved July 1, 2015.