The Manchester Monarchs 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 in 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 Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
(AHL). They played in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
,
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
, at the
Verizon Wireless Arena
The SNHU Arena ( Southern New Hampshire University Arena) is an indoor events arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, and seats 9,852 for ice hockey, 11,140 for basketball and up to 11,770 for concerts.
The facility was originally known during c ...
. They were the AHL affiliate of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL)
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
during the team's entire existence. The Monarchs won their only
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its cur ...
in their final AHL season.
For the
2015–16 season, the Monarchs traded places with the Kings' affiliate in the
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 E ...
, the
Ontario Reign
The Ontario Reign are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Ontario, California, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, the team plays ...
. The AHL franchise moved to
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, and play at
Citizens Business Bank Arena
Toyota Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Ontario, California, United States. The arena hosts local sporting events and concerts and is suitable for indoor events, including basketball, ice hockey, ice shows, boxing, graduation ceremonies and con ...
where they became the new
Ontario Reign
The Ontario Reign are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Ontario, California, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, the team plays ...
; the ECHL team moved to New Hampshire retaining the
Manchester Monarchs name.
History
In 1999,
Howard Baldwin
Howard Lapsley Baldwin[Rose Weld Baldwin obituary](_blank)
ccgfuneralhome.com; acce ...
founded Manchester Hockey Group LLC, while in the process of moving a dormant AHL franchise to New Hampshire to start play in 2001. On June 14, 2000, the Los Angeles Kings bought the team from Baldwin's group.
Three months later, the Kings hired
Jeff Eisenberg as team president. The team, to play in the still under construction
Verizon Wireless Arena
The SNHU Arena ( Southern New Hampshire University Arena) is an indoor events arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, and seats 9,852 for ice hockey, 11,140 for basketball and up to 11,770 for concerts.
The facility was originally known during c ...
, was baptized Manchester Monarchs on November 13.
Prior to the first game, two members of the Kings organization,
Garnet Bailey
Garnet Edward "Ace" Bailey (June 13, 1948 – September 11, 2001) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and scout who was a member of Stanley Cup– and Memorial Cup– winning teams. He died at the age of 53 while aboard United Airlines ...
and
Mark Bavis
Mark Lawrence Bavis (March 13, 1970 – September 11, 2001) was an American Hockey League left winger. Biography
Born in Roslindale, Massachusetts on March 13, 1970, he started his career playing hockey while attending Boston University. Af ...
, were killed in the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerci ...
as they were going home back to Los Angeles after a scouting trip. The Monarchs played their first game on October 6, 2001, against the
Lowell Lock Monsters
The Lowell Devils were a minor ice hockey team in the American Hockey League playing in Lowell, Massachusetts, at the Tsongas Center. As their name implied, they were the top minor league affiliate of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey L ...
, losing 6–3. Their first win was a week later, on October 13, against the
Norfolk Admirals Norfolk Admirals has been the name of two professional ice hockey franchises:
* Norfolk Admirals (AHL), a team which played in the American Hockey League from 2000 to 2015
*Norfolk Admirals (ECHL)
The Norfolk Admirals are a professional ice hock ...
. The team has been competitive within the division every year of its existence. They won their first Atlantic Division title in
2004–05, but lost in the first round to the
Providence Bruins. This continued the streak of first round playoff exits, which the team had experienced in every year of existence, and would come to include the
2005–06 season.
The
2006–07 campaign was the team's best season prior to
2014–15, the season in which the team won its only
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its cur ...
championship. With rookie head coach
Mark Morris, leading scorers
Matt Moulson
Matthew Keith Moulson (born November 1, 1983) is a Canadian former ice hockey left winger. Moulson played 650 games in the National Hockey League (NHL), the majority of which were spent with the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres.
Playing ca ...
and
Noah Clarke, and former League MVP
Jason LaBarbera
Antonio Jason LaBarbera (born January 18, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).
He was originally drafted by the New York Rangers in the 1998 NHL Entry ...
in goal, the team had their best-ever finish, winning the Atlantic Division title with the second-best points total in the League.
Heading into the playoffs, there were doubts within the team, as goaltender LaBarbera had ended the season injured. The team faced the
Worcester Sharks
The Worcester Sharks were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2006 to 2015. Affiliated with the National Hockey League's San Jose Sharks and located in Worcester, Massachusetts, the Sharks played t ...
in the first round. With LaBarbera coming back by Game 2, the Monarchs defeated the Sharks in six games, including double-overtime thrillers in Games 2 and 6. The second round brought the Providence Bruins, who put up as much, if not more, of a fight. The Monarchs found a way, however, and defeated the Bruins in six games. This brought the Monarchs to their first ever Eastern Conference Finals, but they were swept by the defending champions, the
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a town located 14 miles east of the state capital of Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the c ...
, in four games.
Following their run in 2007, the Monarchs looked to have holes to fill, as Jason LaBarbera was called up to the Kings, along with several other players. The
2007–08 season was an up-and-down one, which ended following a sweep by the Providence Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. The
2008–09 season was a landmark year for the franchise, but not in the way they would hope. Despite a late surge, the team finished fifth, five points out of the playoffs, for the first time in franchise history.
The first half of the
2009–10 season proved to be successful for the Monarchs squad. Several players were promoted to Los Angeles, including
Richard Clune and
Alec Martinez
Alec Martinez (born July 26, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, having won with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. ...
. The Monarchs won their home opener of the
2010–11 season, as
David Meckler scored the game-winning goal in front of 9,035 fans at the Verizon Wireless Arena on October 16, 2010. The game was also noteworthy as left wing
Brandon Kozun
Brandon Scott Kozun (born March 8, 1990) is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey player who is an unrestricted free agent. He is currently signed to a professional tryout agreement with the Colorado Avalanche in the National Hockey Le ...
and center
Justin Azevedo were awarded penalty shots, the first time in franchise history that two players were awarded penalty shots in the same game.
The Manchester Monarchs have made it to the playoffs all but one season since coming into existence, winning their first Calder Cup following the 2014–15 season.
For the 2014–15 season, the Monarchs ditched their purple and gold (the former Los Angeles Kings' colors) that had been with the team since its inception, and adopted the same black and silver color scheme that the Kings have used since 2011.
On January 29, 2015, it was confirmed by the AHL via press conference that the Monarchs would relocate from Manchester, New Hampshire, to Ontario, California. In return, the
Ontario Reign
The Ontario Reign are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Ontario, California, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, the team plays ...
of the
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 E ...
would move to Manchester to become the new ECHL
Manchester Monarchs, the first ECHL team to play in
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. The Monarchs finished the regular season winning the
Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy with the best regular season record of the AHL and
Brian O'Neill receiving the
Les Cunningham Award The Les Cunningham Award is given annually to American Hockey League's "Most Valuable Player" of the regular season, as voted on by AHL media and players.
The award was first presented in the 1947–48 season, is named after Les Cunningham, a five ...
as Most Valuable Player. The playoffs saw the Monarchs losing only three games among the Eastern teams, leading to the team's first
Richard F. Canning Trophy as conference champions to qualify for the
Calder Cup Final. The Monarchs beat the
Utica Comets
The Utica Comets are a professional ice hockey team based in Utica, New York, with home games at the Adirondack Bank Center. They are members of the North Division in the Eastern Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL) and affiliated wi ...
4–1 to win the Calder Cup in their final season in New Hampshire.
They became the first team since the
New Brunswick Hawks
The New Brunswick Hawks were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick. Home games were played at the Moncton Coliseum. They were a member of the American Hockey League (AHL) between 1978 and 1982. The Hawks operated as a mino ...
in 1982 to win the Calder Cup in their last game of existence, and fourth overall (along with the
Pittsburgh Hornets
The Pittsburgh Hornets were a minor-league professional men's ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Contrary to popular belief, the Pittsburgh Hornets did not evolve from the International Hockey League's Pittsburgh Shamrocks. The ...
in 1967 and the
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...
in 1970).
Players
Team captains
*
Dane Jackson, 2001–2003
*
Richard Seeley, 2003–2004
*
Chris Schmidt, 2004–2005
*
Richard Seeley, 2005–2006
*
Brendan Buckley, 2006–2007
*
Jon Klemm
Jonathan Darryl Klemm (born January 8, 1970) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League. , he is an associate coach for the Winnipeg Ice of the Western Hockey League, formerly known as the Koo ...
, 2007–2008
*
Gabe Gauthier
Gabriel Robert Gauthier (born January 20, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey forward who is currently the head coach of the Las Vegas Storm in the Western States Hockey League. He played eight games in the NHL with the Los Ange ...
, 2007–2008
*
Marty Murray
Marty Murray (born February 16, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played eight seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes and Los Angeles Kings. He is ...
, 2008–2009
*
Drew Bagnall, 2009–2010
*
Marc-Andre Cliche, 2010–2013
*
Andrew Campbell, 2013–2014
*
Vincent LoVerde
Vincent LoVerde (born April 14, 1989) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently playing under contract with Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Playing career
On January 9, 2013, LoVerde was loaned fr ...
, 2014–15
Notable Monarchs
Team records
Season-by-season results
Single-season records
:Goals:
Mike Cammalleri
Michael Anthony Cammalleri (born June 8, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for five different teams. He was selected in the second round, 49th overall, by the Los ...
, 46, (2004–05)
:Assists: Mike Cammalleri, 63, (2004–05)
:Points: Mike Cammalleri, 109, (2004–05)
:Penalty minutes:
Joe Rullier, 322, (2004–05)
:GAA:
Adam Hauser, 1.93, (2004–05)
:SV%: Adam Hauser, .933, (2004–05)
Career records
:Career goals:
Noah Clarke, 85, (2003–07)
:Career assists:
Gabe Gauthier
Gabriel Robert Gauthier (born January 20, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey forward who is currently the head coach of the Las Vegas Storm in the Western States Hockey League. He played eight games in the NHL with the Los Ange ...
, 122, (2007–10)
:Career points: Noah Clarke, 199, (2003–07)
:Career penalty minutes: Joe Rullier, 844, (2001–05)
:Career goaltending wins:
Martin Jones, 84, (2010–14)
:Career shutouts: Adam Hauser, 15, (2003–06)
:Career games:
Andrew Campbell, 414, (2009–14)
References
External links
Manchester Monarchs Official WebsiteThe Internet Hockey Database - Manchester Monarchs
{{Defunct AHL
Defunct American Hockey League teams
Ice hockey teams in New Hampshire
Ice hockey clubs established in 2001
Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2015
1
2015 disestablishments in New Hampshire