Texas Wildcatters

Last updated
Texas Wildcatters
TexasWildcatters.png
City Beaumont, Texas
League ECHL
ConferenceAmerican Conference
DivisionSouth Division
Founded1993
Home arena Ford Arena
ColorsBlack and gold
General managerRichard W. Adams
Head coachMalcom Cameron
Affiliates Florida Panthers
Minnesota Wild
Franchise history
1993–2000 Huntington Blizzard
2003–2008Texas Wildcatters
2008–2015Ontario Reign
2015–2019 Manchester Monarchs
Championships
Division titles 2007–08

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.

Contents

The Wildcatters relocated to Ontario, California, and were renamed Ontario Reign. The franchise's last game as the Wildcatters was a 1–4 loss to the Columbia Inferno on April 25, 2008, at Ford Arena.

History

During the 2004–05 season, they were affiliated with the Florida Panthers and the San Antonio Rampage. [1]

On October 7, 2005, the Jefferson County, Texas, Commissioners announced that the team would not be allowed to use Ford Arena for the 2005–06 season because the site was being used for Hurricane Rita relief. There was no suitable temporary facility in the area, forcing the Wildcatters to cancel the season. They resumed play in 2006–07 as affiliates of the Minnesota Wild of the NHL and the AHL's Houston Aeros. [2] After the 2007–08 season, the team moved to Ontario, California as the Ontario Reign and affiliated with the Los Angeles Kings. [3]

According to a Beaumont TV report, there was a local group attempting to secure a Central Hockey League (CHL) franchise for Beaumont in time for the 2008–09 season. [4] After the Austin Ice Bats suspended operations, there was an attempt to move that franchise to Ford Arena for 2008–09. However, there was insufficient time to do this before the CHL needed a commitment to play.[ citation needed ]

Season records

Regular season

SeasonGamesWonLostTiedOTLSOLPointsGoals
for		Goals
against		Standing
2003–04 7222446——501962877th, Central
2004–05 72174411——451782606th, South
2005–06 Involuntary suspension of season due to Hurricane Rita
2006–07 724122—54912652222nd, South
2007–08 72529—471152661771st, South

Playoffs

Season1st round2nd round3rd roundFinals
2003–04 Did not qualify
2004–05 Did not qualify
2005–06 Involuntary suspension of season
2006–07 —W, 3–2, GWT L, 2–4, FLA —
2007–08 W, 3–1, MIS L, 2–3, CBA ——

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ECHL</span> Ice hockey league in North America

The ECHL is a professional ice hockey minor league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Hockey League</span> North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league

The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which operated the league from 2000 to 2013, at which point it was purchased by the individual franchise owners. As of the end of its final season in 2014, three of the 30 National Hockey League teams had affiliations with the CHL: the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Ice Bats</span> Ice hockey team in Austin, Texas

The Austin Ice Bats were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Austin, Texas, from 1996 to 2008. They were originally members of the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) and later the Central Hockey League (CHL). The team was named for the Mexican free-tailed bats that nest under the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge in the city.

<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">Oklahoma City Blazers (1992–2009)</span> Ice hockey team in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that played in the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. On July 2, 2009, the Blazers ceased operations after failing to reach a lease agreement with the city.

<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">Colorado Eagles</span> American Hockey League team in Loveland, Colorado

The Colorado Eagles are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Loveland, Colorado. The Eagles play in the Pacific Division of the American Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stockton Thunder</span> Former professional minor league ice hockey team in Stockton, California

The Stockton Thunder were a minor league professional ice hockey team that was based in Stockton, California, and a member of the ECHL. The Stockton Arena was their home ice, with a capacity of 9,737. The team was an affiliate team of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League in their final two seasons. The team was purchased by the Calgary Flames and relocated to Glens Falls, New York, as the Flames relocated their American Hockey League team to Stockton to become the Stockton Heat.

The 2005–06 ECHL season is the 18th season of the ECHL, a professional ice-hockey league based in the United States. The season ran from late October 2005 to early June 2006. The Brabham Cup regular season champions and Kelly Cup playoff champions were the Alaska Aces.

The 2006–07 ECHL season was the 19th season of the ECHL. The league had 25 teams for 2006–07. The Brabham Cup regular season champions were the Las Vegas Wranglers and the Kelly Cup playoff champions were the Idaho Steelheads.

The 2003–04 ECHL season was the 16th season of the ECHL. This was the first season that the league would be known as only the ECHL instead of East Coast Hockey League after the absorption of the former West Coast Hockey League teams. The Brabham Cup regular season champions were the San Diego Gulls and the Kelly Cup playoff champions were the Idaho Steelheads.

The 2008–09 ECHL season was the 21st season of the ECHL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Reign (ECHL)</span> Defunct minor professional ice hockey team

The Ontario Reign were a professional ice hockey team from Ontario, California that played in the ECHL. Their home arena was the then Citizens Business Bank Arena. They were affiliated with two National Hockey League teams: the Los Angeles Kings were the team's primary affiliate, and the Winnipeg Jets were the secondary affiliate. In 2015, the franchise moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, to become the Manchester Monarchs while the Monarchs of the American Hockey League (AHL) then moved to California to become the new Ontario Reign as part of the AHL's plan to create a Pacific Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen Americans</span> Minor professional ice hockey team

The Allen Americans are a professional ice hockey team headquartered at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas, which currently plays in the ECHL. The team was founded in 2009 in the Central Hockey League (CHL) where they played for five seasons, winning the Ray Miron President's Cup twice. The CHL folded in 2014 and the ECHL accepted the remaining CHL teams as members for the 2014–15 season. In their first two seasons in the ECHL, Allen advanced to the Kelly Cup finals, winning the championship in both years. The team is led by President Jonny Mydra and Head Coach/General Manager Chad Costello. Currently, the Americans are affiliated with the National Hockey League Ottawa Senators and the American Hockey League Belleville Senators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evansville IceMen</span> Ice hockey team in Evansville, Indiana

The Evansville IceMen were a minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL in Evansville, Indiana. The franchise was originally a member of the United Hockey League before it merged into the Central Hockey League in 2010. The franchise has won four post-season championship titles in the UHL in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2005. The franchise played one season at Swonder Ice Arena before moving to the Ford Center beginning in the 2011–12 season.

The 2015–16 AHL season was the 80th season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began on October 9, 2015, and ended on April 17, 2016. The 2016 Calder Cup playoffs follow the conclusion of the regular season. An attendance record was set with a league average of 5,982 spectators per game, surpassing the record set in 2004–05.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Reign</span> American Hockey League team in Ontario, California

The Ontario Reign are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Ontario, California, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, the team plays its home games at the Toyota Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bakersfield Condors</span> American Hockey League team in Bakersfield, California

The Bakersfield Condors are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Bakersfield, California. The team is owned by and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers. The Condors play their home games at Mechanics Bank Arena. The AHL franchise is a relocation of the Oklahoma City Barons, which joined four other AHL franchises in 2015 as the basis to form a new Pacific Division in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Monarchs (ECHL)</span> Defunct professional ice hockey team

The Manchester Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL which began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, the team played its home games at the SNHU Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacksonville Icemen</span> Professional ice hockey team of the ECHL based in Jacksonville, Florida

The Jacksonville Icemen are a minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL in Jacksonville, Florida, that began play in the 2017–18 season. The team is affiliated with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL) and plays their home games at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.

References

  1. ↑ "Texas Wildcatter Parent Teams". HockeyDB. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Texas Wildcatters [ECHL] Parent Teams". HockeyDB. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  3. ↑ Kubena, Brooks (March 7, 2017). "Why can't SE Texas support a pro league?". Beaumont Enterprise . Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Texas Wildcatters to Stay in Southeast Texas". KBMT . Archived from the original on March 4, 2008.
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.