Roanoke Valley Vipers

Last updated
Roanoke Valley Vipers
Roanoke Valley Vipers.png
City Roanoke, Virginia
League United Hockey League
Founded 2002
Home arena Roanoke Civic Center
ColorsPurple, silver, black, white
    
Franchise history
2002–2005 Port Huron Beacons
2005–2006Roanoke Valley Vipers

The Roanoke Valley Vipers were a minor professional ice hockey team located in Roanoke, Virginia. They were a member of the United Hockey League and played in the Roanoke Civic Center.

The franchise was formed in 2002 as the Port Huron Beacons and played in McMorran Arena in Port Huron, Michigan, through the end of the 2004–05 season. The franchise was relocated to Roanoke for the 2005–06 season, filling the void left after the ECHL's Roanoke Express disbanded and to provide a travel partner near the Richmond RiverDogs. While professional ice hockey had been previously played and successful in the Virginian towns of Roanoke, Salem and Vinton since 1967, [1] the Vipers were unsuccessful on and off the ice with a losing record in their lone season in Virginia and an average attendance of about 1,000 fans in an arena with a capacity of over 9,000. Local fans complained about high ticket prices and a lower level of play than the ECHL.[ citation needed ] The midwestern focus of the UHL also made rivalries less intense than they had been with the southeastern and mid-Atlantic teams of the ECHL.[ citation needed ] The owners and their marketing plans were frequently criticized by local media.[ citation needed ]

The Vipers folded on May 15, 2006, shortly after the RiverDogs moved to Chicago and became the Chicago Hounds. [2]

Notable players

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkansas RiverBlades</span> Ice hockey team in North Little Rock, Arkansas

The Arkansas RiverBlades were a professional ice hockey team located in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The RiverBlades were an expansion franchise that entered the East Coast Hockey League for the 1999–2000 season. Their home games were played at the newly opened Alltel Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheeling Nailers</span> ECHL ice hockey team

The Wheeling Nailers are a professional ECHL ice hockey team based in Wheeling, West Virginia. They are the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Hockey League</span> 1991–2010 North American ice hockey league

The United Hockey League (UHL), originally known as the Colonial Hockey League from 1991 to 1997 and last known as the International Hockey League from 2007 to 2010, was a low-level minor professional ice hockey league, with teams in the United States and Canada. The league was headquartered in Rochester, Michigan, and, in its last year, consisted of seven teams. It folded in 2010, with most of its teams joining the Central Hockey League. The Central Hockey League teams still operating in 2014 were then added to ECHL. The only former CoHL/UHL/IHL teams still active as of 2022 are the Fort Wayne Komets and Kalamazoo Wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SPHL</span> Ice hockey league of the eastern United States

The SPHL is a professional ice hockey independent minor league based in Huntersville, North Carolina, with teams located primarily in the southeastern United States as well as Illinois and Indiana in the midwestern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Beach Ice Dogs</span> Defunct minor professional ice hockey team

The Long Beach Ice Dogs were an American professional ice hockey team based in Long Beach, California, at the Long Beach Sports Arena. They played until the end of the 2006–07 ECHL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Wildcatters</span> Defunct minor professional ice hockey team

The Texas Wildcatters, who took their name from Texas wildcatters, were a professional minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL based in Beaumont, Texas. They played their home games at the Ford Arena. The franchise previously played in Huntington, West Virginia, from 1993 to 2000 as the Huntington Blizzard playing at the Huntington Civic Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berglund Center</span>

Berglund Center is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose arena located in the Williamson Road neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. It was built in 1971 and is currently the home of the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the SPHL. The arena also hosts Virginia Tech, Radford University and Roanoke College men's ice hockey games, as well as regular concerts and other large indoor events. The arena is also the home of the annual boys basketball games between Roanoke's two city high schools, Patrick Henry High School and William Fleming High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Huron Beacons</span> Ice hockey team in Port Huron, Michigan

The Port Huron Beacons were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the United Hockey League (UHL) that played from 2002 to 2005. The team was based in Port Huron, Michigan, and played at the McMorran Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampton Roads Admirals</span> Defunct minor professional ice hockey team

The Hampton Roads Admirals were a professional ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). They played in Norfolk, Virginia at the Norfolk Scope Arena from 1989 until 2000, when the owners purchased an expansion American Hockey League franchise that became the Norfolk Admirals. In 2015, the AHL Admirals were relocated and the ECHL returned to Norfolk with the current Norfolk Admirals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roanoke Express</span> Ice hockey team in Roanoke, Virginia

The Roanoke Express were a professional minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL from 1993 until 2004. Home games were played at the Roanoke Civic Center in Roanoke, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntsville Blast</span> Defunct minor league ice hockey team

The Huntsville Blast were a minor league professional ice hockey team and member of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). The Blast played at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the 1993–94 ECHL season. Previously the franchise played as the Roanoke Valley Rampage in Vinton, Virginia, prior to their relocation following the 1992–93 season. Following their lone season in Huntsville, the franchise relocated to Tallahassee, Florida, where they were rebranded as the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Hounds (ice hockey team)</span> Ice hockey team in Hoffman Estates, Illinois

The Chicago Hounds were a minor professional ice hockey team in the United Hockey League (UHL) for the 2006–07 UHL season. They played their home games at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roanoke Steam</span> Arena football team

The Roanoke Steam was an arena football team that began as a charter member franchise of af2, the developmental league for the Arena Football League. They played their home games at the Roanoke Civic Center in Roanoke, Virginia. The Steam were unable to get into the playoffs during their only three years in the league. In early May of the 2002 season, the original ownership group, consisting of businessmen Harold Jordan, Richard Macher, and Richard Yancey, declared that the LLC controlling the franchise was bankrupt and subsequently fired all team employees. In order to preserve the existing af2 schedule, the league office assumed control of the team and hired back the remaining employees. After a two-month search for a new ownership group, the league ceased operations of the franchise in late July 2002. Several reasons were cited for the collapse of the Steam, including poor attendance, inadequate marketing, and Roanoke being an unsuitable market to maintain a minor league football franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnstown Tomahawks</span> Ice hockey team in Johnstown, Pennsylvania

The Johnstown Tomahawks are a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's East Division. The team plays its home games at the 1st Summit Bank Arena at Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is the oldest extant franchise in the NAHL.

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

The Columbus Chill were a professional ice hockey team that played in the East Coast Hockey League from October 1991 through the 1998–99 season. They played at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum in Columbus, Ohio. The Chill left Columbus in 1999 and relocated to Reading, Pennsylvania, with the impending arrival of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League. The Columbus Chill are now known as the Reading Royals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danbury Whalers</span> Ice hockey team in Danbury, Connecticut

The Danbury Whalers were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Federal Hockey League that began play in the 2010–11 season. Based in Danbury, Connecticut, the Whalers played at the Danbury Ice Arena, located in CityCenter Danbury. Their name comes from the Hartford Whalers, who were a professional ice hockey team based in Connecticut and played in Hartford from 1975 to 1997 before relocating to North Carolina as the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Roanoke Valley Rampage were a minor league hockey franchise in the ECHL during the 1992–93 season. The Rampage played their games at the LancerLot in Vinton, Virginia. The Rampage had played from 1983 to 1990 as the Virginia Lancers, played as the Roanoke Valley Rebels between 1990 and 1992, and were rebranded as the Rampage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Warriors</span> Ice hockey team in Flint, Michigan

The Michigan Warriors were a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan. The Warriors played in the North American Hockey League's North Division. Previously known as the Marquette Rangers, the Warriors played their home games at Perani Arena and Event Center.

The 2005–06 United Hockey League season was the 15th season of the United Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. 14 teams participated in the regular season and the Kalamazoo Wings won the league title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs</span> Professional ice hockey team based in Virginia

The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs are a professional ice hockey team and a member of the SPHL. Based in Roanoke, Virginia, the Rail Yard Dawgs play their home games at Berglund Center.

References

  1. Scott, Jon C. (2006). Hockey Night in Dixie: Minor Pro Hockey in the American South . Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd. pp. 3–35. ISBN   1-894974-21-2.
  2. "Roanoke Valley Vipers cease operations". OurSports Central. May 15, 2006. Retrieved October 5, 2022.