minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
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 ...
team that played 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 ...
. The team last played in the Atlantic Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Titans played their home games at the
Sun National Bank Center
The CURE Insurance Arena is a multipurpose arena in Trenton, New Jersey. It hosts events including shows, sporting events and concerts.
The arena seats 7,605 for hockey and other ice events, 8,600 for basketball and up to 10,500 for concerts, fam ...
in
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.NHL's
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
Adirondack Phantoms
The Adirondack Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL), who began play in the 2009–10 AHL season. The Phantoms were based in Glens Falls, New York, playing home games at the Glens Falls Civic Center an ...
.
The Titans finished with the best record in the ECHL once in
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, and qualified for the playoffs for eight out of their fourteen seasons. They won the league's
Kelly Cup
The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the playoff champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup, named after former American Hockey League president Jack Riley. Th ...
championship in
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...
.
The team was owned by the
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The club was founded as the Kan ...
from 2006 to 2011, but remained an affiliate of the Flyers under the Titans name for the
2006–07 ECHL season
The 2006–07 ECHL season was the 19th season of the ECHL. The league had 25 teams for 2006–07. The Brabham Cup regular season champions were the Las Vegas Wranglers and the Kelly Cup playoff champions were the Idaho Steelheads.
League changes
...
. Renamed the Trenton Devils, the team was affiliated with the
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The club was founded as the Kan ...
starting from the
2007–08 ECHL season
The 2007–08 ECHL season was the 20th season of the ECHL.
Two teams suspended operations at the end of the 2006–07 season, the Long Beach Ice Dogs and the Toledo Storm. Toledo's suspension was granted after Toledo Arena Sports, Inc. acquired th ...
. After the team was sold in 2011, the team reverted to the Titans moniker and affiliation with the Flyers for the
2011–12 ECHL season
The 2011–12 ECHL season was the 24th season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule ran from October 4, 2011 to March 31, 2012 and was followed by the 2012 Kelly Cup playoffs beginning on April 2, 2012.
League business
Team changes
Foll ...
.
The ECHL announced on April 23, 2013 that the Titans have ceased operations and that all players are considered unrestricted free agents, effective immediately.
History
Trenton Titans (1999–2007)
The ECHL awarded Trenton an expansion team in 1996, three years before the club played a game. The franchise started as the Trenton Titans and played their first season in
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
. The Titans were affiliated with the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
(NHL) and the
Philadelphia Phantoms
The Philadelphia Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1996 to 2009. The club was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played most of its home games at the Spectrum. During sched ...
(AHL) from 1999–2000 to 2006–07 and with the
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conferenc ...
(NHL) and the
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
The Bridgeport Islanders (previously known as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers) are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League (AHL). They are the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who own the f ...
(AHL) from 1999–2000 to 2002–03, and again for the 2005–06 season.
Following the 2004–05 ECHL season, the Titans won the
Kelly Cup
The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the playoff champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup, named after former American Hockey League president Jack Riley. Th ...
by defeating the
Florida Everblades
The Florida Everblades are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Estero, Florida, in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area. They play in the ECHL and are affiliated with the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (N ...
, four games to two.
Leon Hayward
Leon Hayward (born 23 April 1990) is an Australian-born New Zealand field hockey player, who plays as a goalkeeper.
Personal life
Leon Hayward was born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory.
He is the older brother of Kookaburras defender, ...
was named the MVP of the Kelly Cup Finals.
Rick Kowalsky
Rick Kowalsky (born March 20, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the 10th round (227th overall) of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.
Kowalsky played four seasons (1989 – 1993) of major ...
was Trenton's captain. After the season, head coach Mike Havilland was hired by the AHL's
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 hocke ...
. Assistant coach
Ted Dent
Ted Dent (born November 5, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and the current Head Coach of the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League. He was an American Hockey League head coach for the Rockford IceHogs.
Prior to t ...
was hired by the
Columbia Inferno
The Columbia Inferno were an ECHL team based in Columbia, South Carolina. Beginning in 2008, the team went on voluntary suspension awaiting construction of a new arena in suburban Lexington County, South Carolina. However, the ECHL dropped Columb ...
.
Intrastate rivalry
Before moving to
Stockton, California
Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. Stockton was founded by Carlos Maria Weber in 1849 after he acquired Rancho Campo de los Franceses. The city is named after R ...
to become the
Stockton Thunder
The Stockton Thunder were a minor league professional ice hockey team that was based in Stockton, California, and a member of the ECHL. The Stockton Arena was their home ice, with a capacity of 9,737. The team was an affiliate team of the New Yo ...
in 2005, the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies were rivals of the Titans. They played for the Garden State Cup, which was awarded to the regular season series winner between New Jersey's two ECHL teams.
*2001–02: Trenton wins, 6 games to 4
*2002–03: Atlantic City wins, 6 games to 4
*2003–04: Trenton wins, 6 games to 4
*2004–05: Trenton wins, 5-3-2
In 2006, the
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The club was founded as the Kan ...
bought the Trenton Titans and the team became 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 ...
affiliate of the Devils for the 2006–07 season. The team still maintained their affiliation with the Flyers for that season only.
Trenton Devils (2007–2011)
In 2007, the
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The club was founded as the Kan ...
announced that the Titans were changing their name to the Trenton Devils. This re-branding alienated fans in the Trenton area, many of whom were part of the Philadelphia Flyers' (and to a lesser extent, the fellow NHL rivals of the Devils in the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
) fan base. The name change and the team's lackluster record led to a significant decline in attendance, positioning Trenton at or near the bottom of the league in attendance. The only exception to this was on February 21, 2009, when the Trenton Devils retired former Titan Kelly Cup champion
Scott Bertoli
Scott Bertoli (born March 23, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was the Senior Advisor of Hockey Operations for the ECHL's Trenton Titans until their folding.
Prior to turning professional, Bertoli attended Princeton ...
's No. 19 in front of a crowd of 6,013 fans.
On July 6, 2011, the New Jersey Devils announced that the Trenton Devils would be suspending operations immediately, citing a desire to restructure their player development system to more closely mirror those of other NHL franchises (New Jersey was the only NHL team to wholly own its ECHL affiliate). Trenton had failed to qualify for the playoffs in three of the previous four seasons and had regularly posted league-low attendance numbers. Prior to the suspension of operations, the team lost $1.5 million during the 2010–11 ECHL season.
The ECHL worked to find a new ownership group for the franchise, with the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers eager to affiliate with franchise and help in cross-promotion. The Flyers, however, were not interested in owning the ECHL franchise. Two weeks prior to the announcement of the Trenton Devils' suspension of operations, the ECHL registered the Trenton Titans name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, with a logo description that was similar to the logo used by the Titans from 1999 to 2007. One week after the Devils suspended operations, a group of local fans began lobbying investors to restart the franchise under the Titans name.
Trenton Titans (2011–2013)
Blue Line Sports LLC, managed by John and Eileen Martinson, took over the team, restoring the original Titans moniker and affiliating the team once again with the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
. On March 28, 2012, the team and its owner Blue Line Sports LLC was sold to Delaware Valley Sports Group LLC, consisting of Jim O'Connor, Jim Cook, Tim Curran and the team's general manager Richard Lisk.
Former Titan all-time scoring leader Scott Bertoli, whose number 19 is the only one to be retired by the franchise, was named senior adviser of hockey operations for the team. Former Titans' general manager from 2001–05, Richard Lisk, rejoined the team and was appointed to be the franchise's president and CEO.
Former Titans defenseman and previous assistant coach during the Trenton Devils years Vince Williams was named head coach of the Titans on August 1, 2011.
NHL veteran and original Titan
Todd Fedoruk
Todd Julian Fedoruk (born February 13, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for six different teams. Todd has Ukrainian origin.
Playing career
Fedoruk spent h ...
was named assistant coach on November 9, 2011. On August 28, 2012, the Titans announced the addition of Joe Trotta as an assistant coach. Trotta had last served as video coach for the
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center ...
of the NHL. The Titans also announced an affiliation with the
Danbury Whalers
The Danbury Whalers were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Federal Hockey League that began play in the 2010–11 season. Based in Danbury, Connecticut, the Whalers played at the Danbury Ice Arena, located in CityCenter Danbury. ...
of the
Federal Hockey League
The Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) is a professional ice hockey independent minor league with teams in the Midwestern, Southern, and Northeastern United States. The FPHL began operations in November 2010 as the Federal Hockey League. D ...
on September 10, 2012. This is one of the first times an
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 ...
team has affiliated with a lower minor league team.
On April 23, 2013, the Titans announced they would cease operations for the 2013–14 season.
Season-by-season record
''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes''
Playoffs
Club Records
Season
*Points: 79 -
Scott Bertoli
Scott Bertoli (born March 23, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was the Senior Advisor of Hockey Operations for the ECHL's Trenton Titans until their folding.
Prior to turning professional, Bertoli attended Princeton ...
, (2006–07)
*
Goals
A goal is an objective that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.
Goal may also refer to:
Sport
* Goal (sports), a method of scoring in many sports, or the physical structure or area where scoring occurs
** Goals, the goal frame in ...
: 36 -
Mike Pandolfo
Michael J. Pandolfo (born September 15, 1979 in Winchester, Massachusetts and raised in Burlington, Massachusetts) is an American retired professional ice hockey left wing. He was drafted in the third round, 77th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres ...
Ryan Gunderson
Ryan Gunderson (born August 16, 1985) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the National League (NL).
Playing career Amateur
Gunderson attended Holy Ghost Preparatory School in Bensal ...
, (2008–09)
*
Penalty
Penalty or The Penalty may refer to:
Sports
* Penalty (golf)
* Penalty (gridiron football)
* Penalty (ice hockey)
* Penalty (rugby)
* Penalty (rugby union)
* Penalty kick (association football)
* Penalty shoot-out (association football)
* Penal ...
Minutes: 305 - Graham Belak, (2001–02)
*Goaltending Appearances: 48 - Scott Stirling, (2000–01)
*Goaltending Minutes: 2,722 - Andrew Allen, (2004–05)
*Goaltending Wins: 32 - Scott Stirling, (2000–01)
*Shutouts: 5 - Scott Stirling, (2000–01)
Game
*Points: 7 - David Hoogsteen vs. Toledo (March 24, 2000)
*Goals: 5 - Mathieu Brunelle vs. Augusta (January 31, 2004)
*Assists: 5 - Colin Pepperall vs.
Dayton
Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...
(January 19, 2008) and David Hoogsteen vs. Toledo (March 24, 2000)
*Penalty Minutes - 33
Todd Fedoruk
Todd Julian Fedoruk (born February 13, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for six different teams. Todd has Ukrainian origin.
Playing career
Fedoruk spent h ...
Bruce Cassidy
Bruce James Cassidy (born May 20, 1965) is a Canadian hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. He is the current head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously served as the head coac ...
Mike Haviland
Mike Haviland (born July 24, 1967) is the former head coach for the Colorado College Tigers of the NCHC from 2014 to 2021. Previously he was head coach of the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. Previously, he was an assistant coach fo ...
: 2004–2005
*Doug McKay: 2005–2006
*
Rick Kowalsky
Rick Kowalsky (born March 20, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the 10th round (227th overall) of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.
Kowalsky played four seasons (1989 – 1993) of major ...
Scott Bertoli
Scott Bertoli (born March 23, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was the Senior Advisor of Hockey Operations for the ECHL's Trenton Titans until their folding.
Prior to turning professional, Bertoli attended Princeton ...
(Retired on February 21, 2009; Re-dedicated on October 22, 2011)
Media
The Titans were covered by the two city newspapers, ''
The Trenton Times
''The Times'' is a daily newspaper owned by Advance Publications that serves Trenton and the Mercer County, New Jersey area, with a strong focus on the government of New Jersey. The paper had a daily circulation of 77,405, with Sunday circulati ...
'' and ''
The Trentonian
''The Trentonian'' is a daily newspaper serving Trenton, New Jersey, USA, and the surrounding Mercer County community. The paper in 2020 has a daily circulation of under 8,000 and a Sunday circulation under 7,000. As of August 2020, it was ranke ...
''. ''
Hunterdon County Democrat
The ''Hunterdon County Democrat'' is a weekly newspaper that serves Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Currently owned by Penn Jersey Advance, Inc., its offices are in Raritan Township. It is one of the largest paid weekly newspapers in New Jersey, ...
'' writer Mike Ashmore kept an active blog of the team during their time as the Devils. WRRC (107.7 FM The Bronc) carried all Titans games, both over-the-air and through an Internet link, with Daryle Dobos calling the action.
The games were broadcast on radio during the first nine years of existence on WHWH, WBCB-AM, and
WTSR
WTSR (91.3 FM) is a non-commercial radio station broadcasting from The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College), servicing Mercer County and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, as well as broadcasting over the internet. The station's cal ...
, In 2008, the broadcasts switched to internet-only, and were handled by first-year play-by-play announcer Paul Roper, who was selected to broadcast the 2009
ECHL All-Star Game The ECHL All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that traditionally marks the midway point of the ECHL's regular season, with many of the league's star players playing against each other. The starting lineup for the teams, including the start ...