Phoenix Roadrunners | |
---|---|
City | Phoenix, Arizona, United States |
League | International Hockey League |
Founded | 1979 |
Folded | 1997 |
Home arena | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
Franchise history | |
1979–1987 | Indianapolis Checkers |
1987–1988 | Colorado Rangers |
1988–1989 | Denver Rangers |
1989–1997 | Phoenix Roadrunners |
The Phoenix Roadrunners were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. The team was housed at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The team played in the IHL from 1989 to 1997. The IHL Roadrunners were named for a World Hockey Association team of the same name. The IHL Roadrunners used a similar skating cartoon bird logo as the WHA team with different colors, without the outline of the state of Arizona.
In 1996, the original Winnipeg Jets relocated to Phoenix, becoming the Phoenix Coyotes, now the Arizona Coyotes. After one year competing with the Coyotes for fans, the Roadrunners folded at the end of the 1996-97 season. Coincidentally, the Coyotes' AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, share the name and similar logo to the displaced IHL team.
List of Phoenix Roadrunners alumni who played more than 100 games in Phoenix and 100 or more games in the National Hockey League.
The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division and the Pacific Division (1998–2020) in the Western Conference, and the West Division (2020–2021). They played at America West Arena in downtown Phoenix from 1996 to 2003, at Glendale's Gila River Arena from 2003 to 2022, and at Mullett Arena in Tempe from 2022 to 2024. The organization was established on December 27, 1971, as the Winnipeg Jets, a charter franchise of the World Hockey Association (WHA). After seven WHA seasons they were one of four organizations enfranchised by the NHL on June 22, 1979, when the WHA ceased operations. Due to financial troubles, the Jets were sold to American owners who moved the team to Phoenix on July 1, 1996, where they were renamed the Phoenix Coyotes. The franchise was renamed the Arizona Coyotes on June 27, 2014. Alex Meruelo became the majority owner on July 29, 2019, later becoming the franchise's sole owner following the arrest of minority owner Andrew Barroway.
The Winnipeg Jets were a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. They began play in the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1972. The club joined the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1979 after the NHL merged with the WHA. Due to mounting financial troubles, in 1996 the franchise moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and became the Phoenix Coyotes. The team played their home games at Winnipeg Arena.
The Houston Aeros were a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League (IHL) and the American Hockey League (AHL). The team played in Houston, Texas, at The Summit from 1994 until 2003 and the Toyota Center from 2003 to 2013. In the IHL, the team operated as an independent minor league team from 1994 to 2001, though the team occasionally accepted players on loan from various National Hockey League (NHL) clubs for development. Upon joining the AHL for the 2001–02 season, they became the primary affiliate of the one-year-old NHL expansion team, the Minnesota Wild, a partnership they maintained until the franchise's relocation in 2013. While the team's only formal partnership with the Dallas Stars was a partial affiliation agreement during the 2004–05 season, Dallas occasionally sent some of their prospects to the Aeros on individual loans from 1993 to 2005, until the establishment of the Iowa Stars gave Dallas its own primary farm team.
The Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey team, which currently plays in the ECHL. They play their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They have won post-season championship titles in 1963, 1965, 1973, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2021. In all of North American professional hockey, only the Original Six teams of the NHL and the Hershey Bears of the AHL have played continuously in the same city with the same name longer than the Komets.
The Toronto Roadrunners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Ricoh Coliseum. In their only season the Roadrunners featured players such as Jani Rita, Brad Winchester, Jamie Wright and Steve Valiquette who helped them advance to the AHL playoffs where they lost the first round to the Cleveland Barons.
The Springfield Falcons were a former ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) and played in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the MassMutual Center.
The Phoenix Roadrunners were a minor league ice hockey team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They played in the ECHL beginning in the 2005–06 season and ceasing operations at the end of the 2008–09 season.
The Utah Grizzlies were an ice hockey team in the International Hockey League (IHL) and American Hockey League (AHL). They originally played at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, before relocating to the E Center in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Valley City in 1997. After the 2004–05 season, the franchise was suspended. It was sold in 2006 and moved to Cleveland where it returned to play in 2007 as the Lake Erie Monsters. A new Utah Grizzlies franchise in the ECHL began play in 2005.
The Phoenix Roadrunners were a professional ice hockey team in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1974 to 1977. They played at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona. The organization folded for financial reasons before the remaining teams in the WHA merged with the NHL in 1979. The colors of the team were blue and gold.
The Denver Rangers were a professional hockey team based in Denver, Colorado that played for two seasons in the late 1980s. They were a member of the International Hockey League, and an affiliate of the New York Rangers. The team was originally known as the Indianapolis Checkers, but after the 1986–1987 season the team moved to Denver. The team was originally known as the Colorado Rangers for the 1987–1988 season. After the 1988–1989 season the team moved to Phoenix, Arizona and became known as the Phoenix Roadrunners.
Phoenix Roadrunners has been the name of several ice hockey teams in Phoenix, Arizona:
Andy Miele is an American professional ice hockey forward who is currently under contract with Grizzlys Wolfsburg of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He won the Hobey Baker Award, US college hockey's highest honor playing for Miami University, played for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL), and captained the 2022 United States men's national ice hockey team at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The team is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, playing its home games at Canada Life Centre.
Laurent Dauphin is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL). He was selected in the second round, 39th overall, by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2013 NHL entry draft. Dauphin has also previously played for the Montreal Canadiens.
The San Diego Gulls are a professional ice hockey team based in San Diego, California, that competes in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays its home games at Pechanga Arena. The Gulls began play in the 2015–16 season. The team is an affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Anaheim Ducks.
The Tucson Roadrunners are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play for the 2016–17 season. Based in Tucson, Arizona, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's (NHL) Utah Hockey Club, the Roadrunners play their home games at the Tucson Convention Center Arena.
Michael Bunting is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Bunting was selected by the Arizona Coyotes, 117th overall, in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He has also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes.
Joshua Thomas Doan is an American professional ice hockey right winger for the Tucson Roadrunners in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Utah Hockey Club of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Arizona Coyotes selected Doan with the 37th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He is the son of Coyotes franchise scoring leader Shane Doan.
The Utah Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team based in Salt Lake City. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise joined the league as an expansion team for the 2024–25 season. The team plays its home games at Delta Center, an arena they share with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA).