Central Hockey League
Final CHL logo, used until 2014
SportIce hockey
Founded1992
Ceased2014
Countries United States
 Canada
Last
champion(s)
Allen Americans
Most titles(tie) Allen Americans, Wichita Thunder, Oklahoma City Blazers, Memphis RiverKings, Laredo Bucks, & Colorado Eagles (2)

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.

Several teams of defunct leagues joined the CHL along its history, including the Southern Hockey League, Western Professional Hockey League and International Hockey League. After two teams suspended operations during the 2014 offseason, the ECHL accepted the remaining seven teams as members in October 2014, meaning the end for the CHL after 22 seasons.[1]

History

The Central Hockey League (CHL) was revived in 1992 by Ray Miron and the efforts of Bill Levins, with the idea of central ownership of both the league and the teams. Both men were from hockey backgrounds. Miron had been general manager of the Colorado Rockies (now the New Jersey Devils), and had briefly been president of the previous Central Hockey League in 1976. In the inaugural 1992–93 season the league had six teams, including the Oklahoma City Blazers, the Tulsa Oilers, the Wichita Thunder, the Memphis RiverKings, the Dallas Freeze and the Fort Worth Fire.

After Levins died, the league's championship trophy (awarded to the winner of the CHL playoffs) was renamed the Levins Cup. After running the league for eight years, Miron retired in 2000 and sold the league. The Levins Cup was renamed the Ray Miron President's Cup. After experiments in expansion and an ongoing battle for players and markets with the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) throughout the late 1990s, the CHL merged with the WPHL in 2001, with 10 former WPHL teams joining the CHL for the 2001–02 season. However, several years of gradual contraction in the former WPHL markets claimed most of these teams in the ensuing years. The last active former WPHL team, the Fort Worth Brahmas, effectively ceased operations following the 2012–13 season. Subsequently, in 2010, the International Hockey League folded and all five remaining IHL teams joined the CHL; the last of these, the Quad City Mallards, folded in 2018 in the ECHL.

Brad Treliving, who co-founded the WPHL in 1996, became CHL commissioner following the merger, before leaving to join the Phoenix Coyotes.[2] Duane Lewis was named the permanent commissioner in June 2008.[3] In October 2013, the CHL appointed former president of the Pittsburgh Penguins Steve Ryan to succeed Lewis.

On March 8, 2013, the Central Hockey League announced an expansion team in Brampton, Ontario. The Brampton Beast would become the first Canadian team in the CHL's history. In October 2013, the Central Hockey League was purchased from Global Entertainment by all the team owners, putting the CHL business model in line with that of the NHL and AHL.

On May 2, 2014 the St. Charles Chill ceased operations. Soon after, the Arizona Sundogs and Denver Cutthroats suspended operations.[4] On October 7, 2014, it was announced that the ECHL had accepted the Central Hockey League's remaining seven teams as members for the 2014–15 season, officially signaling the end of the Central Hockey League after 22 seasons.[5][6]

Legacy

The Allen Americans, who won the last two CHL President's Cups, won two consecutive ECHL titles following the folding of the Central Hockey League.

The Mississippi RiverKings, Tulsa Oilers and Wichita Thunder were the last of the original six franchises still playing at the end of the CHL's tenure; the RiverKings since folded, in 2018. In the 2014–15 season, ten teams (Allen, Brampton, Colorado, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Missouri, Quad City, Rapid City, Tulsa, and Wichita) were in the ECHL, two teams (Mississippi and Columbus) were in the SPHL, and four organizations (Corpus Christi, Fort Worth Brahmas, Odessa, and Rio Grande Valley) fielded junior teams in the NAHL.

Of the CHL's remaining teams prior to October 7, 2014, Tulsa, Wichita, Allen, Colorado, Fort Wayne, Missouri (now Kansas City), and Rapid City are still active as of 2023.

Of the CHL's six original teams from the 1992-1993 inaugural season, only the Tulsa Oilers and Wichita Thunder remain and are still active as of 2023.

Teams

A map showing the expanse of all historical CHL teams
Teams joined the ECHL on October 7, 2014
Teams that joined another league prior to the folding of the CHL
Defunct, relocated, or folded to make room for team from another league

Timeline

Brampton BeastDenver CutthroatsBloomington Thunder (SPHL)Quad City MallardsFort Wayne KometsEvansville IceMenDayton Gems (2009–2012)Bloomington PrairieThunderMissouri MavericksAllen AmericansRapid City RushRocky Mountain RageArizona SundogsYoungstown SteelHoundsRio Grande Valley Killer Bees (CHL)Colorado EaglesSt. Charles ChillLaredo BucksSan Angelo OutlawsOdessa Jackalopes (1997–2011)New Mexico ScorpionsLubbock Cotton KingsFort Worth BrahmasEl Paso BuzzardsCorpus Christi IceRays (1997–2010)Bossier-Shreveport MudbugsAustin Ice BatsAmarillo GorillasBorder City BanditsTopeka TarantulasIndianapolis IceTopeka ScareCrowsFayetteville ForceNashville NighthawksMacon Whoopee (CHL)Huntsville Channel CatsColumbus CottonmouthsSan Antonio IguanasWichita ThunderTulsa OilersOklahoma City Blazers (1992–2009)Mississippi RiverKingsMississippi RiverKingsFort Worth FireDallas Freeze

Expansion

Expansion of teams in the Central Hockey League
Year Teams Expansion Defunct Suspended Return from hiatus Relocated Name changes
1992–93 6 Dallas Freeze
Fort Worth Fire
Memphis RiverKings
Oklahoma City Blazers
Tulsa Oilers
Wichita Thunder
1993–94 6
1994–95 7 San Antonio Iguanas
1995–96 6 Dallas Freeze
1996–97 10 Columbus Cottonmouths
Huntsville Channel Cats
Macon Whoopie
Nashville Nighthawks
1997–98 10 Fayetteville Force San Antonio Iguanas Nashville Nighthawks → Nashville Ice Flyers
1998–99 11 Topeka Scarecrows Nashville Ice Flyers San Antonio Iguanas
1999–00 11 Indianapolis Ice Fort Worth Fire
2000–01 12 Border City Bandits Border City Bandits (defunct mid-season) Huntsville Channel Cats → Huntsville Tornado
2001–02 16 Amarillo Rattlers (from WPHL)
Austin Ice Bats (from WPHL)
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (from WPHL)
Corpus Christi Ice Rays (from WPHL)
El Paso Buzzards (from WPHL)
Fort Worth Brahmas (from WPHL)
Lubbock Cotton Kings (from WPHL)
New Mexico Scorpions (from WPHL)
Odessa Jackalopes (from WPHL)
San Angelo Outlaws (from WPHL)
Columbus Cottonmouths (to ECHL)
Fayetteville Force
Huntsville Tornado
Macon Whoopie (replaced by ECHL)
Topeka Scarecrows (replaced by USHL)
2002–03 16 Laredo Bucks San Antonio Iguanas Amarillo Rattlers → Amarillo Gorillas
San Angelo Outlaws → San Angelo Saints
2003–04 17 Colorado Eagles
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
El Paso Buzzards Corpus Christi Ice Rays → Corpus Christi Rayz
2004–05 17 Indianapolis Ice → Topeka Tarantulas
2005–06 15 Youngstown SteelHounds San Angelo Saints
Topeka Tarantulas
New Mexico Scorpions
2006–07 17 Arizona Sundogs
Rocky Mountain Rage
Fort Worth Brahmas New Mexico Scorpions
2007–08 17 Lubbock Cotton Kings Fort Worth Brahmas Fort Worth Brahmas → Texas Brahmas
Memphis RiverKings → Mississippi RiverKings
2008–09 16 Rapid City Rush Austin Ice Bats
Youngstown Steelhounds
Corpus Christi Rayz → Corpus Christi IceRays
2009–10 15 Allen Americans
Missouri Mavericks
New Mexico Scorpions
Oklahoma City Blazers
Rocky Mountain Rage
2010–11 18 Bloomington PrairieThunder (from IHL)
Dayton Gems (from IHL)
Evansville IceMen (from IHL)
Fort Wayne Komets (from IHL)
Quad City Mallards (from IHL)
Amarillo Gorillas
Corpus Christi IceRays (replaced by NAHL)
2011–12 14 Bloomington Blaze Bloomington Prairie Thunder
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
Colorado Eagles (to ECHL)
Mississippi RiverKings (to SPHL)
Odessa Jackalopes (replaced by NAHL[7])
2012–13 10 Denver Cutthroats Evansville IceMen (to ECHL)
Fort Wayne Komets (to ECHL)
Dayton Gems
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
Laredo Bucks Texas Brahmas → Fort Worth Brahmas
2013–14 10 Brampton Beast Bloomington Blaze (to SPHL)
Fort Worth Brahmas
Laredo Bucks Laredo Bucks → St. Charles Chill

League champions

Central Hockey League champions
Season Champion team
1992–93 Tulsa Oilers
1993–94 Wichita Thunder
1994–95 Wichita Thunder
1995–96 Oklahoma City Blazers
1996–97 Fort Worth Fire
1997–98 Columbus Cottonmouths
1998–99 Huntsville Channel Cats
1999–2000 Indianapolis Ice
2000–01 Oklahoma City Blazers
2001–02 Memphis RiverKings
2002–03 Memphis RiverKings
2003–04 Laredo Bucks
2004–05 Colorado Eagles
2005–06 Laredo Bucks
2006–07 Colorado Eagles
2007–08 Arizona Sundogs
2008–09 Texas Brahmas
2009–10 Rapid City Rush
2010–11 Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
2011–12 Fort Wayne Komets
2012–13 Allen Americans
2013–14 Allen Americans

See also

References

  1. "ECHL Accepts Seven New Members". ECHL. October 7, 2014. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  2. "Treliving new Coyotes assistant GM". Azcentral.com. July 19, 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  3. "News". centralhockeyleague.com. June 17, 2008. Archived from the original on December 14, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  4. "Denver Elects Dormancy for the 2014-15 Season". centralhockeyleague.com. August 20, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  5. "CHL Clubs Join ECHL for 2014-15 Season". Central Hockey League. October 7, 2014. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  6. "ECHL Accepts Seven Members". ECHL. October 7, 2014. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Jacks make move to North American Hockey League official | hockey, league, american - Central Hockey League - Odessa American Online". Oaoa.com. March 23, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2012.

Further reading

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