The Cape Cod Buccaneers were a professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
team based in
South Yarmouth,
on
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
. They were an inaugural member of the
Atlantic Coast Hockey League
The Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL) was a minor league hockey organization that operated between 1981 and 1987. The league was founded by Bill Coffey. The Bob Payne Trophy was awarded to the team who won the league playoff championship.
Acco ...
and were owned by future
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
.
History
McMahon owned the
Cape Cod Coliseum
Cape Cod Coliseum was a multi-purpose arena located off White's Path in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. In addition to sporting events, the coliseum hosted rock concerts. The 46,000-square foot concrete arena opened in 1972 and sat between 5,000-6, ...
and wanted to secure an
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
franchise for the arena. When he was unable to finalize plans for the 1981–82 season, McMahon was approached by Frazier Gleason of
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
who wanted to run an franchise in the new Atlantic Coast Hockey League. Gleason and McMahon worked together during the early stages of building the team; however, McMahon assumed full control over the franchise after it became evident that Gleason did not have sufficient funds to run the team.
McMahon hired former
New Haven Nighthawks
The New Haven Nighthawks were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 1972 to 1992. They had affiliations with the Minnesota North Stars (1972–1977), New York Islanders (1972–1973), New York Rangers (19 ...
right wing
Jim Troy to serve as the team's coach and general manager.
After the first month of the season, two of the league's franchises folded. On February 1, 1982, the
Winston-Salem Thunderbirds
The Carolina Thunderbirds were a professional ice hockey team located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. The Thunderbirds played their home games at the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum before the arena was demolished in 1989. T ...
announced that they would have to fold, unless the season ended early. The league went into an emergency meeting and decided to hold the post-season immediately. McMahon disagreed with the decision, which he felt would hurt the league's credibility, and chose to fold the team. In their only season in the ACHL, the Buccaneers went 17-21-1.
References
{{reflist
1981 establishments in Massachusetts
1982 disestablishments in Massachusetts
Atlantic Coast Hockey League teams
Defunct ice hockey teams in the United States
Ice hockey teams in Massachusetts
Sports in Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Yarmouth, Massachusetts