The Minnesota Iron Rangers were an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...

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

Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota Hoyt Lakes is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. The population was 2,017 at the time of the 2010 census. Saint Louis County Highway 110 (CR 110) serves as a main route in Hoyt Lakes. Geography According to the United States Census Bur ...

. Originally named Iron Range Ironheads, the Iron Rangers played in the

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

-based

Superior International Junior Hockey League The Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) is a junior A ice hockey league and a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The league operates in the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. states of M ...

Iron Range Ironheads (2011–2012)

On July 12, 2011,

USA Hockey USA Hockey is the national ice hockey organization in the United States. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the Sport governing body, governing body for organized ice ...

granted the

an expansion team in

Chisholm, Minnesota Chisholm is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,976 at the 2010 census. The city has been called "The Heart of the Iron Range" due to its location in the middle of the Mesabi Iron Range. History The city ...

, in the

Iron Range The term Iron Range refers collectively or individually to a number of elongated iron-ore mining districts around Lake Superior in the United States and Canada. Much of the ore-bearing region lies alongside the range of granite hills formed by ...

region of northern Minnesota to begin play in September 2011. The Iron Range Ironheads' coach and general manager was Steve Chelios, brother of former NHL defenseman

Chris Chelios Christos Kostas Chelios (born January 25, 1962) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He was one of the longest tenured players in the National Hockey League, and is a three-time Stanley Cup champion—one with the Montreal Can ...

. Steve was the franchise's managing partner, along with a group of investors from

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. With their first game being rescheduled twice, the Ironheads finally stepped on the ice for their inaugural game on October 8, 2011. Their first game was against the

Dryden Ice Dogs The Dryden Ice Dogs are a junior A ice hockey team from Dryden, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. History At 49° 47′ North, the Ice Dogs were the most northern junior A team in Ontario until ...

Dryden, Ontario Dryden, originally known as New Prospect, is the second-largest city in the Kenora District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada, located on Wabigoon Lake. It is the least populous community in Ontario incorporated as a city. The City of Dryden had a ...

. Shamus O'Neill scored the franchise's first goal at 18:51 of the first period, but the Ice Dogs went on to win the game 5–1. On December 10, 2011, the Ironheads defeated the

Fort Frances Lakers The Fort Frances Lakers are a junior A ice hockey team based in Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Superior International Junior Hockey League. History Jr. Sabres Founded in 2007, the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres were the first junior A t ...

3–2 at Northwoods Arena in Cloquet to win their first SIJHL game.

Iron Rangers (2012–2019)

In June 2012, Steve Chelios was released and the team was renamed the Minnesota Iron Rangers. With the name change came a move to

, playing their games at Hoyt Lakes Arena. The Minnesota Iron Rangers name was previously used by a team playing in the American Hockey Association based in

Hibbing, Minnesota Hibbing is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 16,214 at the 2020 census. The city was built on mining the rich iron ore of the Mesabi Iron Range and still relies on that industrial activity today. At th ...

. Chris Walby was hired as the team's head coach and general manager on June 19, 2012. The team was close to another relocation just one season after moving. Members of the community raised $30,000 to keep the team in Hoyt Lakes. The team then had their best season, falling in game seven of the 2014 Bill Salonen Cup Finals. Several players were honored by the SIJHL, winning post-season awards. In 2019, after several more seasons of ownership and player recruitment issues, the Iron Rangers ceased operations for the 2019–20 season while the league searched for new owners.

Alumni

Several players have moved on to college ice hockey programs. In June 2015, the Iron Ranges announced that eight members of the previous season would be playing for NCAA college hockey programs in the Fall.

Season-by-season results

References

External links

Minnesota Iron RangersSuperior International Junior Hockey League
{{SIJHL Superior International Junior Hockey League teams Ice hockey clubs established in 2011 2011 establishments in Minnesota