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Orlando Solar Bears (1994–2001)
The Orlando Solar Bears were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Orlando, Florida. The Solar Bears played in the International Hockey League's Eastern Conference. They played their home games at the Orlando Arena. Facts :Turner Cup Champions: 1 — 2000–01 ::Runner-up: 2 — 1995–96, 1998–99 :Conference Champions: Eastern: 3 — 1995–96, 1998–99, 2000–01 :Division Champions: Central: 1 — 1995–96 :Main Rival: Detroit Vipers Franchise history The Solar Bears franchise started in 1995 and played in the International Hockey League (IHL) until the league folded in 2001. They were owned by the DeVos family, who also owned the Grand Rapids Griffins and the Kansas City Blades of the IHL and the Orlando Magic of the NBA. During their time in the IHL, the team made it to three Turner Cup finals, being swept by the Utah Grizzlies in 1996, losing in game seven to the Houston Aeros in 1999 and defeating the Chicago Wolves in five games in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orlando Solar Bears
The Orlando Solar Bears are a professional ice hockey team that plays their home games at Kia Center (formerly Amway Center) in Orlando, Florida. They play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. History Orlando Pro Hockey Operations, L.P. and primary owners Joe Haleski, Bob Ohrablo, and Jason Siegel, obtained an expansion franchise in the ECHL in November 2011. The team revived the name of the original Orlando Solar Bears, who played in the International Hockey League from 1995 to 2001. The franchise also retained the original colors of their IHL predecessor, while adding the color Sunrise Gold. They are Orlando's third professional hockey team, after the original Solar Bears and Orlando Seals (2002–2004). Together with the Florida Everblades of Estero and the Jacksonville Icemen, they are one of three ECHL franchises in Florida. They are the eighth ECHL franchise to have the nam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2000–01 IHL Season
The 2000–01 IHL season was the 56th and final season of the International Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. Eleven teams participated in the regular season, and the Orlando Solar Bears won their first Turner Cup. Following the season, six teams (Admirals, Aeros, Griffins, Grizzles, Moose and Wolves) joined the American Hockey League as expansion teams. The Cyclones rejoined the East Coast Hockey League The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ... where they had previously played from 1990 to 1992. The remaining teams ceased operations. Regular season Eastern Conference Western Conference Turner Cup Playoffs Quarterfinals (E1) Grand Rapids Griffins vs. (E4) Cleveland Lumberjacks (E2) Orlando Solar Bears vs. (E3) Cincinnati Cyclones ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Canada. As of the 2024–25 AHL season, all 32 NHL teams held affiliations with an AHL team. Historically, when an NHL team does not have an AHL affiliate, its players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL franchises. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is Scott Howson. A player must be at least 18 years old and not belong to a junior ice hockey team to be eligible. The league limits the number of experienced professional players in a team's lineup during any given game; only five skaters can have accumulated more than 260 games played at the professional level (goaltenders are exempt from this rule). The annual playoff champion is awarded the Calder Cup, named for Frank ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team based in Rosemont, Illinois. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena. Originally a member of the International Hockey League (1945–2001), International Hockey League, the Wolves joined the AHL after the IHL folded in 2001. History The Wolves won the Turner Cup twice (1998, 2000) in the IHL and the Calder Cup three times (2002, 2008, and 2022). The Wolves qualified for all but five postseasons (2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, and 2015–16 seasons), appearing in eight league championship finals (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2019 and 2022) in their 22-year history. The team's most notable player was forward Steve Maltais, who until his retirement after the 2004–05 AHL season, 2004–05 season had played every season of the franchise and holds most of its scoring records. Other nota ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Houston Aeros (1994–2013)
The Houston Aeros were a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League (IHL) and the American Hockey League (AHL). The team played in Houston, Texas, at The Summit (renamed Compaq Center in 1998) from 1994 until 2003 and the Toyota Center from 2003 to 2013. In the IHL, the team operated as an independent minor league team from 1994 to 2001, though the team occasionally accepted players on loan from various National Hockey League (NHL) clubs for development. Upon joining the AHL for the 2001–02 season, they became the primary affiliate of the one-year-old NHL expansion team, the Minnesota Wild, a partnership they maintained until the franchise's relocation in 2013. While the team's only formal partnership with the Dallas Stars was a partial affiliation agreement during the 2004–05 season, Dallas occasionally sent some of their prospects to the Aeros on individual loans from 1993 to 2005, until the establishment of the Iowa Stars gave Dallas its own prim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Utah Grizzlies (1995–2005)
The Utah Grizzlies were an ice hockey team in the International Hockey League (IHL) and American Hockey League (AHL). They originally played at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, before relocating to the E Center in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Valley City in 1997. After the 2004–05 season, the franchise was suspended. It was sold in 2006 and moved to Cleveland where it returned to play in 2007 as the Lake Erie Monsters. A new Utah Grizzlies franchise in the ECHL began play in 2005. History The original Utah Grizzlies moved to Utah in 1995 after one IHL season in Denver, Colorado, as the NHL's Quebec Nordiques relocated to Denver to become the Colorado Avalanche. The Grizzlies were admitted to the AHL in 2001 after the IHL folded. They played their home games in the Delta Center until the E Center was built a few seasons after their arrival in Salt Lake. While in Denver, the Grizzlies won the 1994–95 Turner Cup, the championship of the IHL. After relocating to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world. The league is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan. The NBA was created on August 3, 1949, with the merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (United States), National Basketball League (NBL). The league later adopted the BAA's history and considers its founding on June 6, 1946, as its own. In 1976, the NBA and the American Basketball Association (ABA) ABA–NBA merger, merged, adding four franchises to the NBA. The NBA's regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The NBA playoffs, league's playoff tournament extends into June, culminating with the NBA Finals championship series. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference. The franchise was established in 1989 as an Expansion team, expansion franchise. Notable NBA stars as Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter and Dwight Howard, have played for the club throughout its history. , the franchise has played in the NBA playoffs 17 times in 35 seasons, and twice went to the NBA Finals, in 1995 NBA Finals, 1995 and 2009 NBA Finals, 2009, losing to the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. History 1985–1986: Team creation In September 1985, Orlando, Florida, Orlando businessman Jim L. Hewitt approached Philadelphia 76ers general manager Pat Williams (basketball), Pat Williams as they met in Texas on his idea of bringing an NBA team t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kansas City Blades
The Kansas City Blades were a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League (1945–2001), International Hockey League (IHL) from 1990 until 2001, when the league folded. The Blades were based in Kansas City, Missouri, at Kemper Arena. Team history Russ and Diane Parker bought the dormant Toledo Goaldiggers franchise and moved it to Kansas City in 1990. Russ Parker conducted a contest to name the team and fans chose the name "Jazz". However, because the NBA's Utah Jazz were already using that name, Parker decided to use the second most popular name, "Blades." George Brett was one of a number of local residents that had submitted the name "Blades" during the naming contest. For the 1990-91 season, the Blades had partial NHL affiliations with the Edmonton Oilers and Hartford Whalers. From 1991 to 1996, they were the primary affiliate of the San Jose Sharks (coincidentally, the ''Blades'' moniker was the first-place finisher for the Sharks' "name the team" conte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grand Rapids Griffins
The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional ice hockey team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL), playing their home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League, and are the 2013 and 2017 Calder Cup champions. The franchise began in the now-defunct International Hockey League in 1996 and merged into the AHL in 2001. Three players have since had their numbers retired. Franchise history The return of professional hockey to Grand Rapids The team is the third International Hockey League (IHL) franchise in Grand Rapids, following the Grand Rapids Rockets of the 1950s and the Grand Rapids Owls of the late 1970s, and owes its existence to the construction of a 10,000-plus capacity arena in the downtown area. Following the project's authorization, Amway executives Dave Van Andel and Dan DeVos formed West Michigan Hockey, Inc., in January 1995 with the intent of securing a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Detroit Vipers
The Detroit Vipers were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the International Hockey League (IHL). Originally founded in 1969 as the Salt Lake Golden Eagles in Salt Lake City, the team was purchased by Palace Sports & Entertainment and relocated to Auburn Hills, Michigan in 1994. The rebranding to the Vipers was influenced by a sponsorship deal with the Chrysler Corporation, aligning the team's name with the company's popular Dodge Viper sports car, though the team’s logo featured a venomous snake rather than the vehicle. In their first five seasons, the Vipers were highly successful, achieving 100 points each year and making two appearances in the Turner Cup Finals, winning the championship in 1997. In 1999, Palace Sports acquired the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL), and the Vipers became their top minor league affiliate. However, the team struggled over the next two seasons before both the Vipers and the IHL ceased operations in 2001. H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Turner Cup
The Turner Cup was the championship trophy of the International Hockey League from 1945 to 2001 and the renamed United Hockey League from 2007 to 2010. The Cup was named for Joe Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario. Turner became professional with the Detroit Red Wings organization, and played one season with the Indianapolis Capitals in the American Hockey League. Turner was killed in Belgium during World War II, while serving with the United States Army. It was the championship trophy to the incarnation of the IHL that existed from 1945 to 2001 before it was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le .... In July 2007, the United Hockey League officially changed its name to "International Hockey League". The new IHL put forth a reque ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
