Toledo Walleye | |
---|---|
City | Toledo, Ohio |
League | ECHL |
Conference | Western |
Division | Central |
Founded | 1991 |
Home arena | Huntington Center |
Colors | Powder blue, navy blue, gold, white |
Owner(s) | Franke Family |
General manager | Neil Neukam |
Head coach | Pat Mikesch |
Captain | Brandon Hawkins Assistant Captains Conlan Keenan Trenton Bliss Sam Craggs |
Media | Toledo Blade WCWA (1230 AM) BCSN WXKE (96.3 FM) |
Affiliates | Detroit Red Wings (NHL) Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) |
Website | www |
Franchise history | |
1991–2007 | Toledo Storm |
2009–present | Toledo Walleye |
Championships | |
Regular season titles | 3 (2014–15, 2016–17, 2021–22) |
Division titles | 6 (2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18), 2021–22, 2023–24) |
Conference titles | 2 (2018–19, 2021–22) |
Current season |
The Toledo Walleye are a professional ice hockey team based in Toledo, Ohio. The Walleye are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the ECHL. The Walleye were founded in 1991 as the Toledo Storm and play their home games at the Huntington Center, which opened in 2009. Since the beginning of the 2009–10 season, the team has been affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League and the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League [1] with an agreement in place through the 2023–24 season. They won the Season 9 Servus cup in The AXHL [2]
The Walleye were founded in 1991 as the Toledo Storm, playing their home games at Toledo Sports Arena across the river from downtown Toledo. The Storm were the first hockey team to play in Toledo since the International Hockey League's Toledo Goaldiggers suspended operations in 1986, eventually moving to Kansas City in 1990. In the Storm's inaugural season, the team won the West Division title and the Henry Brabham Cup after posting the league's best record in the regular season. The following year the Storm won its first Jack Riley Cup, defeating the Wheeling Thunderbirds in six games. The Storm came back the following season and won its second Riley Cup, defeating the Raleigh Icecaps in five games, becoming only the second team in league history to win back-to-back league titles (the first being the Hampton Roads Admirals in 1991 and 1992). The Storm were dominant in its first few years, winning four division titles in their first five seasons and posting a winning record in thirteen of the sixteen seasons the team played. The Storm won its second Brabham Cup in 2003 and made the American Conference finals during the 2005–06 season, ultimately losing to the Gwinnett Gladiators in five games. The Storm's final game came on April 19, 2007 during the 2007 North Division semifinals losing to in-state rival, Cincinnati Cyclones by a score of 4–0 getting swept in the series 3 games to 0. In sixteen seasons in the ECHL, the Storm posted a 610-395-103 record, winning two Riley Cups, two Brabham Cups and six division titles.
In 2007, Toledo Arena Sports, Inc., an Ohio-Not-For-Profit Corporation, purchased the rights to the Toledo, Ohio Territory from the ECHL. The new ownership group was planning to build a new state-of-the-art arena in downtown Toledo to replace the aging Sports Arena. Shortly after the sale, Toledo Arena Sports announced that after the 2006–07 season, the Storm would not compete again until the arena was completed and the ECHL granted the Storm a two-year voluntary suspension from competition.
In February 2008, General Manager Joe Napoli announced that former Storm goaltender, ECHL Hall of Famer, and head coach from 2003 to 2007, Nick Vitucci would return to coach the franchise when it returned to the ice in 2009. [3] One week after announcing Vitucci as head coach, Toledo Arena Sports Inc. renamed the Storm the "Walleye," in reference to the popular game fish that is abundant in the area. [4]
At the ECHL Mid-Season Board of Governors meeting, the league announced that the Walleye would be members of the American Conference's North Division along with the Cincinnati Cyclones, Elmira Jackals, Johnstown Chiefs, Wheeling Nailers [5] and Kalamazoo Wings. [6] During the NHL's award ceremonies in Las Vegas, Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland stated that the Walleye would become Detroit's ECHL affiliate for the 2009–10 season and that the Wings would send one of their three goaltender prospects (either Jordan Pearce, Thomas McCollum or Daniel Larsson) to Toledo for the season. [7] [8] On August 5, 2009, the Walleye announced a second affiliation agreement, becoming the ECHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago's AHL affiliate the Rockford IceHogs. [9]
The Walleye opened their inaugural season on October 16, 2009, hosting the defending Brabham Cup champion Florida Everblades in the first of a three-game series. Prior to the Walleye's home opener, head coach Nick Vitucci named defenseman Ryan Stokes as the team's captain. [10] Despite a strong effort, the Walleye dropped their opener to Florida 1–2 in front of a sell-out crowd of 8,000, the largest crowd to ever watch a pro hockey game in Toledo at the time. [11] The Walleye would return the next night and rookie goaltender Jordan Pearce would stop 35 of 37 shots faced as the Walleye scored three goals in the final period to get past the Everblades for the team's first win, 5–2. [12] On December 31, defenseman J.C. Sawyer and forward Maxime Tanguay were selected to the American Conference All-Star team and played at the All-Star Game at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California on January 20. [13] Sawyer was named the captain of the American Conference All-Stars. [14] At the end of the regular season, defenseman J.C. Sawyer was named as a First Team selection to the All-ECHL team and won the Defenseman of the Year award, [15] while center Maxime Tanguay was named to the All-Rookie team. [16] The Walleye would finish the regular season in eighth place in the American Conference leading to a matchup with the American Conference regular season champions, the Charlotte Checkers. [17] Toledo, behind a hat trick from winger Adam Keefe, claimed a 7–2 victory over top-seeded Charlotte in game one of the series, the first playoff game win for the organization since game two of the 2006 American Conference Finals against the Gwinnett Gladiators. [18] However, the Walleye would lose the next three games to Charlotte and were eliminated from the playoffs in four games.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Walleye voluntarily suspended operations for the 2020–21 season. [19] Coming back from the voluntary suspension, the Walleye would go on to win the Brabham Cup [20] in the 2021–22 season, finishing with the league's best points % with.708, the only team above .700%. They would then go on to win in comeback fashion the first series of the 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs, 4–3. [21] They then went on to sweep Wheeling [22] and best Utah in 5 games after losing Game 1. [23] The Walleye would go on to lose the Kelly Cup Finals to the Florida Everblades, who beat the Newfoundland Growlers, the team that beat Toledo in the 2018-19 Kelly Cup Finals, 4 games to 1 in the Eastern Conference semifinal. [24] [25] [26]
On July 27, 2009, the Walleye introduced Spike, their costumed mascot at a Toledo Mud Hens baseball game. Spike is a yellow anthropomorphic walleye, adorned with a white Walleyes jersey, blue gloves, helmet and shoes and a gap tooth smile. Spike's nemesis is Cat Trick, a fuzzy blue cat, with a fishing vest and bright yellow boots. The two like to take cheap shots at each other during games.
The first ECHL outdoor hockey event was at Fifth Third Field on Saturday, December 27, 2014. [27] The Walleye lost 2-1 to the visiting Kalamazoo Wings. On January 5, the Walleye fell to the Fort Wayne Komets 3-2 in a shootout. In addition to the Walleye games, the annual Battle of the Badges game between the Toledo Police Department and Toledo Fire Department occurred on December 31, [28] the U.S. National Under 18 Team defeated Adrian College 6-1 in an exhibition on January 1, [29] and Bowling Green played Robert Morris to a 2-2 draw on January 4. [30] Anthony Wayne High School, Saint Ignatius High School, Saint John's High School, Whitmer High School, and many other youth and adult teams also participated in the Winterfest. Over 10 days, an estimated 45,000 to 50,000 people attended events at the stadium. [31]
The Walleye’s rivalry with the Cyclones is one of proximity, as both teams play in the state of Ohio. They also play in the same division. In both the 2022 and 2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs, the two teams met each other, with Toledo winning the series 4-3 in 2022 and Toledo winning again in 2023 4-0.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Standing | Year | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Kelly Cup |
2009–10 | 72 | 35 | 30 | 2 | 5 | 77 | 254 | 274 | 1452 | 3rd, North | 2010 | L, 1–3, [32] CHA | — | — | — |
2010–11 | 72 | 33 | 33 | 4 | 2 | 72 | 239 | 255 | 1195 | 4th, North | 2011 | did not qualify | |||
2011–12 | 72 | 28 | 38 | 2 | 4 | 62 | 189 | 258 | 1140 | 4th, North | 2012 | did not qualify | |||
2012–13 | 72 | 37 | 26 | 5 | 4 | 83 | 224 | 195 | 982 | 2nd, North | 2013 | L, 2–4, [33] CIN | — | — | — |
2013–14 | 72 | 21 | 44 | 4 | 3 | 49 | 193 | 268 | 1020 | 5th, North | 2014 | did not qualify | |||
2014–15 | 72 | 50 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 107 | 281 | 182 | 785 | 1st, North | 2015 | W, 4–3, WHL | W, 4–3, FW | L, 3–4, SC [34] | — |
2015–16 | 72 | 47 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 99 | 225 | 174 | 665 | 1st, North | 2016 | L, 3–4, REA | — | — | — |
2016–17 | 72 | 51 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 106 | 302 | 191 | 849 | 1st, Central | 2017 | W, 4–3, KAL | W, 4–1, FW | L, 1–4, COL | — |
2017–18 | 72 | 50 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 105 | 242 | 170 | 846 | 1st, Central | 2018 | W, 4–0, IND | L, 2–4, FW | — | — |
2018–19 | 72 | 40 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 89 | 237 | 221 | 1016 | 2nd, Central | 2019 | W, 4–2, FW | W, 4–1, CIN | W, 4–3, TUL | L, 2–4, NFL |
2019–20 | 59 | 37 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 79 | 225 | 163 | 748 | 2nd, Central | 2020 | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
2020–21 | Opted out of participating due to the COVID-19 pandemic | 2021 | did not participate | ||||||||||||
2021–22 | 72 | 49 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 102 | 277 | 203 | 760 | 1st, Central | 2022 | W, 4–3, CIN [35] | W, 4–0, WHL [36] | W, 4–1, UTA [37] | L, 1–4, FLA [38] |
2022–23 | 72 | 45 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 98 | 252 | 179 | 886 | 2nd, Central | 2023 | W 4–0 IND [39] | W 4–0 CIN [40] | L 1–4 IDA [41] | — |
2023–24 | 71 | 48 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 105 | 289 | 209 | 809 | 1st, Central | 2024 | W, 4–0, KAL | W, 4–0 WHL | L , 2–4, KCM | — |
Updated August 12, 2021 [44]
Single season
| Career
|
All-ECHL First Team
All-ECHL Second Team
All-ECHL Rookie Team
| North Division Champions Central Division Champions Bruce Taylor Trophy Henry Brabham Cup John Brophy Award
Reebok Athletic Trainer of the Year
Team awards
|
The Idaho Steelheads are an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Boise, Idaho, and a member of the ECHL. The Steelheads play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL's Western Conference since the 2016–17 season.
The Toledo Storm were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the ECHL from 1991 to 2007. The Storm played their home games at the venerable Toledo Sports Arena along the eastern banks of the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The team colors were red and white, similar to the Detroit Red Wings, their NHL affiliate for fourteen of their sixteen seasons. The Storm would win six division titles, two Henry Brabham Cups and two Jack Riley Cups as champion of the East Coast Hockey League. The franchise suspended operations following the 2006–07 season after they were sold to Toledo Arena Sports, Inc. The Storm returned to the ECHL for the 2009–10 season as the Toledo Walleye.
The Cincinnati Cyclones are an ice hockey team based in Cincinnati. The team is a member of the ECHL. Originally established in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at Heritage Bank Center.
The Erie Panthers were a professional ice hockey team, and one of the founding members in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). Based in Erie, Pennsylvania, from 1988 to 1996, they were one of the most prolific teams in the ECHL. The Panthers were known for their ability to score goals quickly and often, as well as for the over-aggressive style of play that led to an abundance of fights. They currently hold records in 15 different categories in the ECHL and are in the top five of 38 different categories.
The 2007–08 ECHL season was the 20th season of the ECHL. Two teams suspended operations at the end of the 2006–07 season, the Long Beach Ice Dogs and the Toledo Storm. Toledo's suspension was granted after Toledo Arena Sports, Inc. acquired the Storm and requested a suspension of the team for two years in order to allow a new arena to be built in downtown Toledo to open in 2009 in time for the team to return to play.
The Henry Brabham Cup is the trophy awarded annually by the ECHL to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. The Brabham Cup has been awarded 34 times to 16 different franchises since its debut in 1989.
The ECHL presents numerous annual awards to recognize its teams, players, front office staff, and media contributors. The first awards were given out in recognition of the achievements of the league's teams and players in the league's inaugural season of 1989 and included the Jack Riley Cup and Brabham Cup awarded to the league's teams and the Most Valuable Player, Playoffs Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Defenseman of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Leading Scorer awards to the league's players. The league has added many other awards since the league's inception including, the Goaltender of the Year award in 1994, the Sportsmanship Award in 1997, separate titles for each of its conference playoff champions in 1998, and the Plus Performer Award in 2000.
Nick Vitucci is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was the head coach of the ECHL's Toledo Walleye from 2009 to 2014. In 2008, Vitucci was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame.
The 2009–10 ECHL season was the 22nd season of the ECHL. It ran from October, 2009 until April, 2010, followed by the Kelly Cup playoffs which lasted until May 21, 2010 as the Cincinnati Cyclones won their second Kelly Cup championship in three years by defeating the Idaho Steelheads in five games. The league welcomed two franchises to the league for the 2009–10 season with the return of the Toledo Storm as the Toledo Walleye, who will play in the Lucas County Arena in Toledo, Ohio, after a two-year suspension of the franchise to allow for the construction of their new arena, and the admission of the Kalamazoo Wings as an expansion franchise who will play in Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The ECHL held its annual All-Star Game and Skills Challenge on January 19–20 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California, home of the Ontario Reign.
Chris Valicevic is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman of Croatian ancestry. who spent the majority of his career with the ECHL's Louisiana IceGators. He is the fifth all-time career scorer in the ECHL with 611 points.
The ECHL Hall of Fame is an ice hockey museum dedicated to honoring members that have played in the ECHL. It was created by the league in 2008. The ECHL Board of Governors created the ECHL Hall of Fame to recognize the achievements of players, coaches, and personnel who dedicated their careers to the league. Hall of Fame members are selected in four categories: Player, Developmental Player, Builder, and Referee/Linesman. Players must have concluded their career as an active player for a minimum of three playing seasons, though not continuous or full seasons. Developmental Players must have begun their career in the ECHL and went on to a distinguished career in the NHL, playing a minimum of 260 regular season games in the NHL, AHL and ECHL. Builders may be active or inactive whereas Referee/Linesman must have concluded their active officiating career for a minimum of three playing seasons.
The 2014–15 ECHL season was the 27th season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule ran from October 17, 2014, to April 11, 2015, with the Kelly Cup playoffs following. Twenty-eight teams in 20 states and one Canadian province each played a 72-game schedule. Ten days prior to the start of the season, the league was significantly expanded on October 7, 2014, after the ECHL had accepted the Central Hockey League's remaining seven teams as members for the 2014–15 season.
The 2015–16 ECHL season was the 28th season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule ran from October 16, 2015 to April 9, 2016 with the Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-eight teams in 21 states and one Canadian province each played a 72-game schedule. The league alignment was significantly altered before the season when the American Hockey League announced the formation of a Pacific Division on January 30, 2015 displacing the ECHL teams that had been in California markets.
The 2016–17 ECHL season was the 29th season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule ran from October 14, 2016 to April 9, 2017, with the Kelly Cup playoffs following. Twenty-seven teams in 21 states and one Canadian province each played a 72-game schedule.
The 2017–18 ECHL season is the 30th season of the ECHL. The regular season ran from October 13, 2017 to April 8, 2018, with the 2018 Kelly Cup playoffs following. Twenty-seven teams in 21 states and one Canadian province each played a 72-game schedule.
The 2018–19 ECHL season was the 31st season of the ECHL. The regular season was scheduled to run from October 12, 2018, to April 7, 2019, with the Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-seven teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces each play a 72-game schedule. The Kelly Cup was won by the Newfoundland Growlers in their inaugural season over the Toledo Walleye.
The 2020–21 ECHL season was the 33rd season of the ECHL. Due to the ongoing restrictions in the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the regular season was pushed back to December 11, 2020.
The 2021–22 ECHL season was the 34th season of the ECHL. The regular season was scheduled to run from October 21, 2021, to April 17, 2022, with the Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-seven teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces were each scheduled to play 72 games. The Florida Everblades were the 2022 Kelly Cup champions when they defeated the Toledo Walleye in five games in the Kelly Cup championship.
The 2023–24 ECHL season was the 36th season of the ECHL. The regular season began on October 19, 2023, and ended on April 14, 2024, with the 2024 Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-eight teams, all of which are affiliated with an NHL team, in 20 states and two Canadian provinces are scheduled to play 72 games.
The 2024 Kelly Cup playoffs of the ECHL hockey league began on April 17, 2024, following the conclusion of the 2023–24 ECHL regular season and ended on June 8, with the Florida Everblades winning their third consecutive and fourth overall Kelly Cup championship over the Kansas City Mavericks in five games, becoming the first team in ECHL history to three-peat.
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