The Green Bay Gamblers are a
Tier I junior 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 in the Eastern Conference of the
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly ...
(USHL). They play in
Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin
Ashwaubenon () is a village in Brown County, Wisconsin, Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 16,963 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. A suburb of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Green Bay, Ashwaubenon is part of the ...
, at the
Resch Center
The Resch Center is a 10,200-seat multi-purpose arena, in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, United States built in 2002. It is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team, the Green Bay Gamblers ice hockey team ...
.
History
Professional hockey in Green Bay
The first professional hockey team to be based in Green Bay was the Green Bay Bobcats who started playing in 1958 when the
Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena
The Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena (more commonly known as the Brown County Arena) was a 5,248-seat multi-purpose arena in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, situated on the corner of Lombardi Avenue and Oneida Street, across from Lambeau Field. The ...
was built. There is some confusion over what league the team played in during its early years or if the team played in multiple leagues. Some sources cite that the Bobcats played in the U.S. Central Hockey League, a predecessor to the current
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly ...
(USHL). Other sources claim that the Bobcats did not start playing in the USCHL until 1961. The Green Bay Bobcats franchise folded after the 1980-1981 season and 23 years of play. However, since the 2008-2009 season the Green Bay Gamblers have used a yellow bobcat prominently in the team's logo as well as having a bobcat by the name of "Ace" as the teams mascot.
Green Bay Gamblers
Since their inception into the United States Hockey League in 1994 the Green Bay Gamblers have been one of the premiere junior "A" hockey franchises in all of North America. To their credit the Gamblers have won two Junior A, Tier 2 National Championships (Gold Cups in 1996 and 1997), five Anderson Cups (1996, 1997, 2009, 2010, and 2012), four Clark Cups (1996, 2000, 2010, and 2012), four USHL Eastern Division titles, and one USHL Northern Division title. Since the USHL became Tier 1 in 2002, the Clark Cup also represents that level's national championship.
Home rinks
From when the Gamblers entered the league at the start of the 1994-1995 season through the 2001-2002 season, the team's primary venue was at the
Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena
The Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena (more commonly known as the Brown County Arena) was a 5,248-seat multi-purpose arena in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, situated on the corner of Lombardi Avenue and Oneida Street, across from Lambeau Field. The ...
. For the start of the 2002-2003 season, the Gamblers moved into the
Resch Center
The Resch Center is a 10,200-seat multi-purpose arena, in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, United States built in 2002. It is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team, the Green Bay Gamblers ice hockey team ...
, an 8,800 seat arena which was built on the opposite side of Shopko Hall. The team played at the Memorial Arena a few times each season due to scheduling conflicts with the Resch Center until the arena was scheduled for demolition in 2019.
During the years at the Arena, other venues were sometimes used due to scheduling conflicts. These include the De Pere Ice & Recreation Center, the Brown County Youth Hockey Arena, the Cornerstone Community Center, Fond du Lac's Blue Line Ice Center, Beaver Dam Ice Arena, Greenheck Ice Center in Schofield.
Since 1994 the average attendance of a Gamblers Game is 3,353 people, which is among the top in the USHL. In 2010, the Green Bay Gamblers set a USHL record for the highest attended playoff game when 8,487 fans showed up to see game five of the USHL Playoff championship, a game the Gamblers won resulting in franchise's third
Clark Cup The United States Hockey League began in 1961 as a semi-professional ice hockey league. Starting with the 1979–80 season, the league became a strictly Amateur league, and began awarding its champion the Clark Cup Trophy. All champions of the USHL ...
. The record has since been broken multiple times.
Season-by-season record
Reference
''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''
Players
Current roster
As of December 24, 2022.
Team captains
Notable alumni
NHL
On March 25, 2013, former Gamblers head coach
Jon Cooper was named the head coach of the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
. He is the first USHL coaching alumnus to lead an NHL team. Former Gamblers head coach
Derek Lalonde
Derek Lalonde (born August 18, 1972) is an American ice hockey coach who is the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
Lalonde played college hockey for State University of New York College at Cort ...
was hired by the Lightning as an assistant coach on July 12, 2018, joining Cooper's staff.
On June 30, 2022, the Detroit Red Wings hired LaLonde as its head coach.
NHL draft picks
Green Bay Gamblers have had the following players selected in the NHL draft.
Olympics
Maris Ziedens appeared in the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
for his native
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
. Latvia finished 12th.
Blake Wheeler was selected to the
United States national team
The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions.
Olympic teams
Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...
for the
2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
.
They finished 4th.
Markus Lauridsen appeared in the 2022 games in Beijing for Denmark.
NCAA champions
Gamblers alumni have played on multiple NCAA men's hockey national champions teams:
2022
Denver University
David Carle, head coach
Matt Davis
McCade Webster
Statistical leaders
Head coaches
*
Don Granato
Don Granato (born August 11, 1967) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
After two years playing with the then named Madison ...
(1994–97)
*
Mark Osiecki
Mark Anthony Osiecki (born July 23, 1968) is an American ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. Osiecki was the head coach of the Ohio State University ice hockey team from the 2010–11 season to the 2012–13 season. Osiec ...
(1997–2004)
*
Mark Mazzoleni (2004-2008)
*Dave Insalaco (2008) ''(interim)''
*
Jon Cooper (2008–2010)
*Eric Rud (2010–11)
*
Derek Lalonde
Derek Lalonde (born August 18, 1972) is an American ice hockey coach who is the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
Lalonde played college hockey for State University of New York College at Cort ...
(2011–2014)
*Pat Mikesch (2014–2022)
*Michael Leone (2022-present)
References
External links
Green Bay Gamblers Official Website
{{Wisconsinsports
Amateur ice hockey teams in Wisconsin
Sports in Green Bay, Wisconsin
United States Hockey League teams
1994 establishments in Wisconsin
Ice hockey clubs established in 1994