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.
Clint Malarchuk is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1981 and 1992. He has been a coach for four NHL teams and two minor league teams, most recently the Calgary Flames. He was born in Grande Prairie, Alberta, raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and lives in Alberta and Nevada.
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 2024 are the Fort Wayne Komets and Kalamazoo Wings.
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 Atlanta Knights were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League from 1992 to 1996. The Knights were based in Atlanta, and played at the Omni Coliseum. In 1994 the Knights won the Turner Cup which was the IHL championship. The team became the Quebec Rafales in 1996.
The Detroit Vipers were a professional ice hockey team who competed in the International Hockey League (IHL). Originally founded in Salt Lake City as the Salt Lake Golden Eagles in 1969, the team was purchased by Palace Sports & Entertainment and relocated to Auburn Hills, Michigan in 1994. During their first five seasons, the Vipers enjoyed success as they secured 100 points each time and appeared in the Turner Cup Finals twice, winning once in 1997.
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.
The Las Vegas Thunder were a professional ice hockey team competing in the International Hockey League. The team's home rink was at the Thomas & Mack Center. They began play in the 1993–1994 season, folding on April 18, 1999. The demise of the franchise was precipitated by the refusal of UNLV officials to negotiate with team owners regarding a new agreement to continue playing at the Thomas & Mack Center after the 1998–1999 season. Without a facility that was suitable even for temporary use, the Thunder were forced to shut down.
Allan Eugene Sims is a Canadian former professional hockey player and head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played ten seasons in the NHL between 1973 and 1983 with the Boston Bruins, Hartford Whalers, Los Angeles Kings. He featured in three Stanley Cup Finals with the Bruins.
Donald Douglas Waddell is an American professional ice hockey executive and former player who is currently the president of hockey operations and general manager for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He previously held similar leadership roles with the Carolina Hurricanes and Atlanta Thrashers.
Lonnie Loach is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Loach spent the majority of his career in the IHL but also played briefly in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He played left wing and shot left-handed.
Michael Anthony O'Neill is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Darren Alexander Banks is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in 20 NHL games with the Boston Bruins between 1992 and 1994, as well as extensively in the minor leagues and briefly in Europe during a career that lasted from 1989 to 2005. During his career he played predominantly as an enforcer.
The San Diego Gulls were a professional ice hockey team based in San Diego, California, that competed in the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) and later in the ECHL. The team, the third to use the Gulls nickname, was founded in 1995 immediately upon the departure of the IHL team of the same name. The Gulls played at the San Diego Sports Arena.
John Arthur Byce is a retired American ice hockey player. He played in 21 regular season games and in 8 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins between 1990 and 1992. The rest of his career, which ended in 2000, was spent in various minor leagues. Internationally Byce played for the American national team at the 1992 World Championships
Daniel Lambert is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 29 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Quebec Nordiques during the 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1990 to 2009, was mainly spent in the minor leagues and then the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. He has been an assistant coach of the Nashville Predators of the NHL since 2019.
Guy Dupuis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. He is known for playing fourteen seasons with the Fort Wayne Komets of the Central Hockey League. Dupuis was the last active member of the Komets' 1993 Turner Cup-winning team.
The 1992–93 IHL season was the 48th season of the International Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. 12 teams participated in the regular season, and the Fort Wayne Komets won the Turner Cup.
The 1995–96 IHL season was the 51st season of the International Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. 19 teams participated in the regular season, and the Utah Grizzlies won the Turner Cup.
The 1996–97 IHL season was the 52nd season of the International Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. 19 teams participated in the regular season, and the Detroit Vipers won the Turner Cup.
