Minnesota Wildcats

Last updated
Minnesota Wildcats
City Maple Grove, Minnesota
League MnJHL
Founded2004
Home arena Maple Grove Community Center
Colors Navy, Orange, and White
   
Owner(s)Cal Ballard
General managerPhillip Diskerud
Head coachJon Liesmaki
Franchise history
2004–2005Twin Bridges Lightning
2005–2011Minnesota Wildcats

The Minnesota Wildcats were a Tier III Junior A ice hockey team playing in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL). The team played their home games at the 1,200-seat Maple Grove Community Center located in Maple Grove, Minnesota. [1]

Contents

History

Founded in 2004 as the Twin Bridges (later St. Louis) Lightning, [2] the franchise was sold and relocated to Maple Grove, Minnesota in 2005 to become the Minnesota Wildcats.

The Wildcats normally played 48 game regular season games, in addition to showcase and post-season tournament games. In 2011, the Wildcats folded and were replaced by the Maple Grove Energy. The Energy would have different owners but would carry over many of the former Wildcats coaches and staff. [3]

Season-by-season records

SeasonGPWLTOTLPtsGFGARegular Season FinishPlayoffs
Twin Bridges Lightning
2004–0548113421251332527th, MnJHL
Minnesota Wildcats
2005–0648133041311552256th, MnJHL
2006–074062923171482685th, MnJHL
2007–084863921151103199th, MnJHL
2008–09481036—2221843649th, MnJHLDid not qualify
2009–1050444—210813889th, MnJHLDid not qualify
2010–1145638—1131212558th, MnJHLDid not qualify

Alumni

The Wildcats have produced a number of alumni playing in higher levels of junior hockey, NCAA Division III, and ACHA college programs. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High school boys ice hockey in Minnesota</span>

Minnesota boys high school ice hockey is made up of multiple leagues and programs representing different associations. The two organizations associated with high school are the Minnesota State High School League and Minnesota Hockey. The Minnesota State High School League is a voluntary, nonprofit association of public and private schools with a history of service to Minnesota's high school youth since 1916. Minnesota Hockey, an affiliate of USA Hockey, is the governing body of youth and amateur hockey in Minnesota. Minnesota Hockey is governed by a board of directors and consists of approximately 140 community based associations who are formed into 12 districts.

The Buffalo Regals were an American junior "B" ice hockey team based in the Buffalo suburb of Cheektowaga, New York. They played in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL). The organization also had several youth hockey teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Wilderness</span> Ice hockey team in Minnesota, United States

The Minnesota Wilderness are a Tier II junior ice hockey team based in Cloquet, Minnesota, and play in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The organization formerly fielded teams in the Canada-based Junior A Superior International Junior Hockey League for three seasons and in the American-based Tier III Minnesota Junior Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Junior Hockey League</span>

The Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL) was a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III junior ice hockey league operated out of Minneapolis-Saint Paul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Paso Rhinos</span> Ice hockey team in El Paso, Texas

The El Paso Rhinos are a junior ice hockey organization based in El Paso, Texas. Their home games are played at the County Events Center located within the El Paso County Coliseum complex. The Rhinos are members of the Tier II junior North American Hockey League (NAHL) after adding the team as an expansion franchise in 2021. The organization also has a Tier III team that was originally a member of the Amateur Athletic Union-sanctioned Western States Hockey League from 2006 to 2020 before joining the North American 3 Hockey League for the 2020–21 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Hampshire Junior Monarchs</span> Ice hockey team in Hooksett, New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Junior Monarchs were a junior and youth ice hockey organization from Hooksett, New Hampshire, with teams in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). Its highest level junior team played in the USPHL's National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wooster Oilers</span> Ice hockey team in Wooster, Ohio

The Wooster Oilers were a junior ice hockey team and member of the United States Premier Hockey League 'Premier' level. The Oilers play home games at the Alice Noble Ice Arena in Wooster, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Owls</span> Junior ice hockey team

The Minnesota Owls were a Tier III Junior ice hockey team and member of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL). The team played their games at the David C. Johnson Arena located in Isanti, Minnesota. Prior the 2015–16 season, the Owls had joined the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) - Midwest Division along with majority of the other former MnJHL teams. However, on September 1, 2015, they announced on their website that the team had gone dormant for the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twin Cities Northern Lights</span> Ice hockey team in Bloomington, Minnesota

Northern Lights Hockey is a nonprofit organization that fielded a Tier III Jr. A ice hockey team located in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA, a southwest suburb of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Northern Lights Hockey played in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL), a college preparatory league. Although the nonprofit does not have a current hockey team, the organization still exists and provides other sports services while it keeps the option open of fielding hockey teams at various youth / junior levels.

The Metropolitan Junior Hockey League was an American Tier III Junior ice hockey league with teams throughout the eastern United States. The MJHL was part of the Atlantic Metropolitan Hockey League organization. Founded in 1966 by New York Rangers GM, Emile Francis, the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League played its 50th season in 2015–16. Prior to its 51st season, the league's operations were taken over by the North American Hockey League and it was renamed to North American 3 Atlantic Hockey League (NA3AHL) for the 2016–17 season. In 2017, the remaining teams joined the Eastern Hockey League.

The Dubuque Thunderbirds were a Tier III junior ice hockey team based in Dubuque, Iowa that played in the multipurpose Five Flags Event Center from 2001 through 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Mullets</span> Junior ice hockey team in Minnesota, USA

The Minnesota Mullets are a Tier III junior ice hockey team located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Mullets play in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) Premier Division. From 1993 to 2015, the team played in the former Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL). For most of the franchise's existence, it was known as the Lakers and played in various cities in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blaine Energy</span> Ice hockey team in Blaine, Minnesota

The Blaine Energy were a Tier III Junior A ice hockey team playing in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL)-Elite Division. The team played their home games at the 1,200-seat Fogerty Arena located in Blaine, Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rochester Grizzlies</span> Ice hockey team in Rochester, Minnesota

The Rochester Grizzlies are a Tier III junior ice hockey team in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL). The team plays their home games at the 2,600-seat Rochester Recreation Center, located in Rochester, Minnesota. The team typically plays more than 45 regular season games, in addition to showcase and postseason games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willmar WarHawks</span> Ice hockey team in Willmar, Minnesota

The Willmar WarHawks are a Tier III junior ice hockey team playing in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL). The team plays their home games at the Willmar Civic Center located in Willmar, Minnesota.

The River Falls Renegades was a Tier III junior ice hockey team that played first in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League (MnJHL) and then the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). The team was not listed among the USPHL membership in 2017–18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Granite City Lumberjacks</span> Ice hockey team in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota

The Granite City Lumberjacks are a Tier III Junior A ice hockey team playing in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) and plays their home games at the Armadillo Deck Sports Arena, located in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. The Lumberjacks play 48 regular season games, in addition to showcase and post-season tournament games.

The Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks were a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior A ice hockey team in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL). The team played their home games at the Ice Land USA in Strongsville, Ohio. The players, ages 16–20, carry amateur status under Junior A guidelines and hope to earn a spot on higher levels of junior ice hockey in the United States and Canada, Canadian Major Junior, Collegiate, and eventually professional teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duluth Clydesdales</span> Ice hockey team in Minnesota, United States

The Duluth Clydesdales were an American Junior ice hockey team based in Duluth, Minnesota. They are former members of the Canadian-based Superior International Junior Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Premier Hockey League</span> American ice hockey league

The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is an American ice hockey league. Founded in 2012, the USPHL has grown to over 60 organizations from across the United States fielding teams in the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), Premier, Elite, EHF, 18U, 16U, 15U, and High Performance youth divisions.

References

  1. ↑ "Maple Grove Community Center". Wildcatsjrhockey.com. Archived from the original on 2008-09-25. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  2. ↑ "Progressing Careers As Coaches And Officials". Minnesota Junior Hockey League. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "New Junior Hockey Team Coming to Maple Grove". Maple Grove Patch. June 20, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Wildcats Alumni". Wildcatsjrhockey.com. Archived from the original on 2011-03-17. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.