The Pinebridge Bucks 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

Spruce Pine, North Carolina Spruce Pine is a town in Mitchell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,175 at the 2010 census. History Spruce Pine was founded in 1907 when the Clinchfield Railroad made its way up the North Toe River from Erwin, Tennessee ...

, and a 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 ...

from 1983 to 1985. Its colors were forest green, gold and maroon. Spruce Pine, with a population of just over 2,000 at the time, is the smallest city to host a professional hockey team in the modern era. The Bucks played their home games in the Pinebridge Coliseum, where beer was unavailable for purchase during games due to Mitchell County's dry status at that time. The team was conceived by local investor Robert Bailey, a founder of Buck Stoves, hoping to spur tourism and wishful of filling dates in the new 5,000-seat Coliseum. The Bucks finished fifth in the six-team league in the 1983–84 season with a 25–47–0 record. The Bucks improved to a third-place finish in its second year with a 33–25–6 record. In the playoffs, they lost to the

Erie Golden Blades The Erie Golden Blades were a minor league hockey team in Erie, Pennsylvania, which played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League. The team's inaugural season was the Erie County Field House, which closed in 1983. The team relocated to Louis J. Tul ...

in six games. By this time, however, it was obvious that the area was too small for the team to be viable and it disbanded after the season. The most noteworthy player in the team's short history was Ray LeBlanc, goaltender for the 1992 United States Olympic hockey team. Its leading scorer both seasons was Rob Clavette, the third leading scorer in ACHL history. Clavette, along with Frank Perkins, Steve Heittola, Kelly Rissling, and Tom Madson, were the only players to play games with the Bucks during both seasons.

References

Defunct ice hockey teams in the United States Ice hockey teams in North Carolina 1983 establishments in North Carolina 1985 disestablishments in North Carolina Ice hockey clubs established in 1983 Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1985 Mitchell County, North Carolina {{NorthCarolina-sport-team-stub