The Greensboro Generals were an

East Coast Hockey League 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 ...

team based in

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

, and played at the

Greensboro Coliseum The Greensboro Coliseum Complex, commonly referred to as Greensboro Coliseum (the first and biggest building on the site), is an entertainment and sports complex located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Opened in 1959, the complex holds eight ven ...

from 1999 to 2004. The name was originally used by the Greensboro Generals in the Eastern Hockey League. The ECHL Generals franchise replaced the

Greensboro Monarchs The Greensboro Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team based in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Monarchs joined the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) as an expansion franchise prior to the start of the 1989–90 season and surrendered the f ...

in the city, which had played from 1989 until 1995 before the ownership bought an expansion franchise 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 developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...

, called the

Carolina Monarchs The Carolina Monarchs were a short-lived ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Greensboro, North Carolina, at the Greensboro Coliseum. In the spring of 1997, the Hartford Whalers of the NHL announced that they would pl ...

. Both the original Generals and ECHL Monarchs were considered as some of the first southern hockey franchises to build a loyal fan base and draw consistent attendance at their games. In 1997, the AHL's Carolina Monarchs would fold after only two seasons as the Coliseum became host to the relocated

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

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 ...

. During that time, a new arena was being built for the NHL team in

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southe ...

, but would not open until 1999. Prior to the Hurricanes' arrival, the Coliseum was required to make vast improvements to the arena in order to satisfy NHL regulations. Among them were the addition of VIP Suites, a members only club area and upgrades to the ice surface and locker room facilities. Following the Hurricanes' departure, local attorneys Art Donaldson and James Roscetti entered into negotiations with the East Coast Hockey League to secure a franchise for Greensboro. Donaldson and Roscetti were awarded a franchise in July 1999 and had only three months to put together a front office, coaching staff and team. Donaldson and Roscetti decided to bring attention to the franchise right away by hiring former popular ECHL Monarchs' coach Jeff Brubaker as head coach and general manager for their inaugural season.

Season-by-season record

References

Defunct ECHL teams Ice hockey teams in North Carolina Sports in Greensboro, North Carolina Eastern Hockey League teams Defunct ice hockey teams in the United States Carolina Hurricanes minor league affiliates {{NorthCarolina-sport-team-stub