The Columbia Inferno were an

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...

team based in

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. Beginning in 2008, the team went on voluntary suspension awaiting construction of a new arena in suburban

Lexington County, South Carolina Lexington County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 293,991, and the 2021 population estimate was 300,137. Its county seat and largest town is Lexington. The county was chartered ...

. However, the ECHL dropped Columbia as a "future market" in June 2014. They played their home games at the Carolina Coliseum.

History

The Inferno first took the ice in 2001 as an expansion team after a group of physicians dubbed the "Hockey Docs" sought to purchase a team. While officially unaffiliated in their first season, the Inferno soon reached a working relationship with the

Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and a member of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre, the home arena of its parent club, Winnipeg Jets ...

of the

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 developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the lea ...

that turned into a formal affiliation the following season and later with Manitoba's

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

affiliate, the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce ...

. On July 10, 2006, the team announced the end of their affiliation with the Moose and Canucks and announced a new affiliation with the

Toronto Marlies The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies is owned by Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, a c ...

( AHL) and the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

( NHL) two days later.

Demise

The Inferno was originally slated to move across the street to the

Colonial Life Arena The Colonial Life Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Columbia, South Carolina, primarily home to the University of South Carolina men's and women's basketball teams. Opened as a replacement for the Carolina Coliseum with the name Carolina Center ...

after the

2007–08 ECHL season 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 th ...

, but legal issues with the arena's funding prevented the move. The team was voluntarily suspended for the 2008–09 season as the team was told that it could not be guaranteed a lease with the Carolina Coliseum in time to meet league requirements. The voluntary suspension was extended during subsequent seasons and, according to Joe Babik, the Director of Communications for the ECHL, included the 2012–13 season. However, as of the 2013–14 season the team had not returned since its 2008 suspension. A March 2014 article in the Charleston-based ''

The Post and Courier ''The Post and Courier'' is the main daily newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina. It traces its ancestry to three newspapers, the ''Charleston Courier'', founded in 1803, the ''Charleston Daily News'', founded 1865, and ''The Evening Post'', f ...

'' indicated team owner Ezra Riber was no longer required by the league to pay ECHL franchise fees. Acknowledging his long term personal and financial commitment to the league, the BOG voted that he cease paying dues while affirming their interest in Dr. Riber bringing hockey back to Columbia. The team was not included in the June 2014 ECHL realignment for the 2014–15 season. Columbia was removed as a "future market" by the ECHL shortly thereafter.

Season-by-season records

''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes''

Team captains

*2007–2008 **C – Brad Ralph ***A – Patrick Wellar ***A –

Tyson Marsh Tyson Marsh (born June 20, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who last played for the Cardiff Devils in the Elite Ice Hockey League in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, ...

***A – Mac Faulkner ***A – Jeff Miles ***A – Donny Grover ***A – Steve McJannet *2006–2007 **C – Chris Thompson **C – Brad Ralph ***A – Mike Vellinga ***A – Tyson Marsh ***A – Jeff Miles ***A – Brad Ralph *2005–2006 **C – Jay Legault ***A – Leon Hayward ***A – Derek Eastman *2004–2005 **C – Trevor Demmans ***A – Brad Ralph ***A – Matt Ulwelling ***A – Kevin Hopke ***A – Robin Carruthers *2003–2004 **C –

Barrie Moore Barrie Moore (born May 22, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Selected 220th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Moore played for the Sabres, Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals, playing 39 regul ...

***A –

Dennis Vial Dennis Vial (born April 10, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Vial played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators. He also played in the North American mino ...

***A – Sean Owens ***A – Robin Carruthers *2002-2003 **C – Barrie Moore ***A – Dennis Vial ***A – Corey Hessler

Coaching history

NHL alumni

* Alex Auld *

Eric Boulton Eric Boulton (born August 17, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. Boulton was drafted 234th overall in the ninth round of the 1994 draft by the New York Rangers. While he never played for the Rangers, he played for th ...

Alexandre Burrows Alexandre Ménard-Burrows (born April 11, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks and the Ottawa Senators. He is currently an assistant coach for t ...

* Fedor Fedorov * Alex Foster * Robert McVicar * Mike Minard *

Brandon Nolan Brandon Nolan (born July 18, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who is a member of the Ojibway group of Indigenous Peoples from the Garden River First Nations in Northern Ontario. He last played for the Carolina Hurricanes ...

Phil Oreskovic Phil Oreskovic (''pronounced Or-esh-ko-vich''; born January 26, 1987) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Playing career As a youth, Oreskovic played in the 2001 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Toront ...

* Bryan Rodney *

Jesse Schultz Jesse Schultz (born September 28, 1982) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger. He is currently an unrestricted free agent who most recently played under contract with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. Playing career Junior Schul ...

Notable players

* Patrick Couture (

2002–03 Second Team All-Star) *

Tim Smith Tim, Timothy or Timmy Smith may refer to: Musicians *T. V. Smith (born 1956), British singer and songwriter *Tim Smith (Cardiacs) (1961–2020), English singer-songwriter and frontman of Cardiacs * Timmy Trumpet (born 1982), Australian DJ and prod ...

(

2003-04 Leading Scorer) *

Rejean Stringer Rejean Stringer (pronounced Ray-zhawn, Stron-zhay) (born August 21, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played most of his career in the ECHL. Early life and education Stringer was raised in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan ...

(

2002-03 Sportsmanship Award)

References

External links

Columbia Inferno Official Homepage
No longer working.
Columbia Inferno Booster Club
no longer working.
ECHL Official Website
{{ECHLdefunct Defunct ECHL teams Ice hockey teams in South Carolina Toronto Maple Leafs minor league affiliates Sports in Columbia, South Carolina 2001 establishments in South Carolina Defunct ice hockey teams in the United States Ice hockey clubs established in 2001 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2008 2008 disestablishments in South Carolina