West Sound Warriors

Last updated
West Sound Warriors
West Sound Warriors logo.png
City Bremerton, Washington
League Northern Pacific Hockey League (2000–2016)
USPHL-USP3 (2016–2017)
Western States Hockey League (2017–2018)
Founded2000 (original franchise)
2015 (WSHL franchise)
Home arenaBremerton Ice Center
ColorsRed, gold and black
   
Franchise history
Original franchise
2000–2003Puget Sound Kings
2003–2011Puget Sound Tomahawks
2011–2017West Sound Warriors
WSHL franchise
2015–2017Vancouver Rangers
2017–2018West Sound Warriors
2018–2019West Sound Admirals

The West Sound Warriors were a junior ice hockey that played at the Bremerton Ice Center in Bremerton, Washington. Formerly, the team was a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III ice hockey team that played in the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NorPac/NPHL) and the United States Premier Hockey League-USP3 (USPHL-USP3). [1] In the 2017–18 season, the team was an AAU-sanctioned junior team in the Western States Hockey League. The WSHL franchise was sold to a new ownership group in Bremerton after the one season and became the West Sound Admirals.

Contents

For most of its history this team was called the Puget Sound Tomahawks. Playing in the NPHL. In 2009 they lost in the first round of the playoffs in the fourth game, in overtime on the road, of a 5 game series.

History

2000–2017

The original franchise joined the NorPac in 2000 as the Puget Sound Kings, playing home games at the Puget Sound Hockey Center in Tacoma, Washington. In 2003, the owners of the Bremerton Ice Center acquired the franchise and moved it to the new arena and renamed to the Tomahawks.

The NorPac was classified as Junior B until 2007, when the league and member teams were granted Jr. A status by USA Hockey, the governing body for ice hockey in the United States. In 2013, the NorPac changed its moniker to NPHL.

2009

In 2009 the Tomahwaks defeated the River City Jaguars on the road, in their last series of the season, to earn their way into a playoff spot. It would be their first playoff appearance in years and the last for the franchise.

In the first round best of 5 they faced their hometown rival, the Seattle Totems. The first 2 games were in Bremerton; the Tomahawks home barn. Game one was a heart breaking loss that slipped away from the T-Hawks. Game 2 was a decisive win for the home team. Games 3 & 4 saw a tremendous effort from the Tomahawks, only to come up short in a heart breaking overtime loss on the road to end the series. The franchise never recovered.

The team changed its name to the West Sound Warriors prior to the 2011–12 season.

The NorPac was classified as Junior B until 2007, when the league and member teams were granted Tier III Jr. A status by USA Hockey, the governing body for ice hockey in the United States. In 2013, the NorPac changed its moniker to NPHL.

In 2016, the NPHL was dissolved after two of the six members withdrew from the league. The four remaining teams, including the Warriors, were then added to the USP3 Pacific Division of the United States Premier Hockey League. [2]

After one season in the USPHL, the franchise announced it was suspending operations for the 2017–18 season. [3]

2017–2018

After the Warriors announced their suspension from the USPHL, the Vancouver Rangers of the Western States Hockey League came to an agreement with the Bremerton Ice Center to relocate to Bremerton from Vancouver, Washington. [4] The Rangers' ownership would continue to own and operate the team but they would take on the identity of the Warriors. [5] After one season, the Warriors announced they would not host a junior team for the 2018–19 season. The WSHL then placed a new team in Bremerton called the West Sound Admirals, managed and owned by the former Vancouver Rangers' head coach and general manager, David Daniello, as a continuation of the former Rangers/Warriors franchise. [6] [7] The Admirals ceased operations two months into their second season and a 0–19 record in November 2019.

Season-by-season records

SeasonGPWLOTLSOLPTSGFGAFinishPlayoffs
West Sound Warriors
2011–124213281—271562326th of 7, NorPacLost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Yellowstone Quake
2012–134031810633061221st of 6, NorPacWon Semifinals, 3–0 vs. Glacier Nationals
Lost Finals, 2–3 vs. Bellingham Blazers
2013–14403341269300872nd of 5, NPHLWon Semifinals, 3–0 vs. Eugene Generals
Lost Finals, 2–3 vs. Bellingham Blazers
2014–15423632175320761st of 6, NPHLWon Semifinals, 3–0 vs. Cheney Ice Hawks
Won Finals, 3–0 vs. Bellingham Blazers
CASCADE CUP CHAMPIONS
2015–16408301118892606th of 6, NPHLDid not qualify
2016–17446371—13882944th of 4,
USP3-Pacific Div.		Did not qualify
2017–185121291—432102544th of 6, Northwest
16th of 23, WSHL		Won Div. Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Seattle Totems
Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Idaho IceCats

USA Hockey Tier III Junior National Championships

2015 Tier III Division 2 National Championships included the champion teams from the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NPHL), Metropolitan Junior Hockey League (MetJHL), USPHL-Elite Division, and USPHL-Empire Division.
Round robin play in pool with top two teams advancing to final. [8]

YearRound RobinRecordRankingNational Championship
2015L, Boston Jr. Bruins (USHPL-Elite) 2-4
L, New York Aviators (USPHL-Empire) 1-5
W, Boston Junior Rangers (MetJHL) 6-2		1-2-03rd of 4Did not advance

Alumni

The Warriors have had a number of alumni move on to collegiate programs and higher levels of junior ice hockey in the United States and Canada.

Bubba Kaufman (Captain ‘08,’09) Jake Brewer (Assistant Captain ‘08) Rafal Plonski (Assistant Captain ‘08) Ben Surgalski (Assistant Captain ‘08,’09)

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References

  1. ↑ "Index". bremertonicearena.com.
  2. ↑ "West Coast Teams Join Nation's Top College Development League (USPHL)". USPHL. May 20, 2016.
  3. ↑ "West Sound Warriors homepage". West Sound Warriors. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Recap from the Annual WSHL Meetings". WSHL. June 2, 2017.
  5. ↑ "New team playing with the Warriors name". Kitsap Sun . December 11, 2017.
  6. ↑ "NEW MANAGEMENT FOR THE BREMERTON WASHINGTON TEAM IN THE NORTHWEST DIVISION FOR THE 2018-2018 SEASON". WSHL. June 11, 2018.
  7. ↑ "WESTERN STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE ANNOUNCES THE FOLLOWING CHANGES FOR THE 2018-2019 SEASON". WSHL. June 18, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Tier III Nationals Division 2". USA Hockey. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
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