- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Southern Hockey History
Posted on 7/6/21 at 2:37 pm
Posted on 7/6/21 at 2:37 pm
Long-time lurker who has enjoyed this board here. Recently I've been reading about the history of hockey in the south (sports history in general is among my favorites), and I figured I would share what I've found, and see if anyone knows more than I do. Hopefully this post isn't tl;dr, lol.
-Alabama: There was a league at Parad-Ice Rink in the Birmingham suburb of Irondale from 1955-1960. There was also an all-star team that faced Memphis and Atlanta. Huntsville opened a rink in 1961 and started a youth program in 63. First pro team was the Birmingham Bulls in the late 70s.
-Arkansas: first rink, the Royal Ice Palace, opened in Little Rock in 1977, and amateur games involving the Arkansas Royal Knights were underway by 78. First pro team was the Glaciercats in 98, followed by the RiverBlades a year later.
-Georgia: a rink opened in the administration building of Lakewood Park in Atlanta in November 1955, and the Atlanta All-Stars faced Birmingham on the road in Feb 56. Students at Georgia Tech were also said to have played a game that year. First pro team was of course the Atlanta Flames.
-Kentucky: Sport was first played in 1948-49, with the pro Louisville Blades in the International League.
-Louisiana: there was a hockey program held at the Fiesta Plaza rink in the summer of 1975. The Elmwood Ice Arena later opened in 79, and there was an amateur game between teams repping NO and Baton Rouge on March 17. Tulane's hockey team (!) played the Texas Longhorns there in 1981. There was another rink at the Chateau Village in Kenner in this era, Tulane playing there in 81-82 as members of the Southwestern Collegiate League. Hockey tournament was played at the Centroplex in Baton Rouge in 1985 as part of the US Olympic Festival. Louisiana IceGators were the first pro team in 1995.
-Mississippi: Haven't found anything about amateur hockey being played prior to the debut of the first pro franchise, the Sea Wolves, in 1996.
-North Carolina: The sport came to the state with the pro Charlotte Clippers in 1956.
-South Carolina: hockey began at a small rink in Greenville in early 1980, the team there soon meeting Charlotte. Pro hockey came to the state in 1993 with the Charleston Stingrays.
-Tennessee: the sport was first played in Memphis in 1955. The city tried unsuccessfully to land a pro franchise, but did have an all-star team. Pro hockey later came to Knoxville in 1961, Nashville in 63, and Memphis in 65.
-Virginia: the birthplace of hockey in the south, the game being played at the Norfolk Ice Palace from 1905-07. Would be 60 years until it returned, with the Salem Rebels minor pro team in the Eastern League.
-Alabama: There was a league at Parad-Ice Rink in the Birmingham suburb of Irondale from 1955-1960. There was also an all-star team that faced Memphis and Atlanta. Huntsville opened a rink in 1961 and started a youth program in 63. First pro team was the Birmingham Bulls in the late 70s.
-Arkansas: first rink, the Royal Ice Palace, opened in Little Rock in 1977, and amateur games involving the Arkansas Royal Knights were underway by 78. First pro team was the Glaciercats in 98, followed by the RiverBlades a year later.
-Georgia: a rink opened in the administration building of Lakewood Park in Atlanta in November 1955, and the Atlanta All-Stars faced Birmingham on the road in Feb 56. Students at Georgia Tech were also said to have played a game that year. First pro team was of course the Atlanta Flames.
-Kentucky: Sport was first played in 1948-49, with the pro Louisville Blades in the International League.
-Louisiana: there was a hockey program held at the Fiesta Plaza rink in the summer of 1975. The Elmwood Ice Arena later opened in 79, and there was an amateur game between teams repping NO and Baton Rouge on March 17. Tulane's hockey team (!) played the Texas Longhorns there in 1981. There was another rink at the Chateau Village in Kenner in this era, Tulane playing there in 81-82 as members of the Southwestern Collegiate League. Hockey tournament was played at the Centroplex in Baton Rouge in 1985 as part of the US Olympic Festival. Louisiana IceGators were the first pro team in 1995.
-Mississippi: Haven't found anything about amateur hockey being played prior to the debut of the first pro franchise, the Sea Wolves, in 1996.
-North Carolina: The sport came to the state with the pro Charlotte Clippers in 1956.
-South Carolina: hockey began at a small rink in Greenville in early 1980, the team there soon meeting Charlotte. Pro hockey came to the state in 1993 with the Charleston Stingrays.
-Tennessee: the sport was first played in Memphis in 1955. The city tried unsuccessfully to land a pro franchise, but did have an all-star team. Pro hockey later came to Knoxville in 1961, Nashville in 63, and Memphis in 65.
-Virginia: the birthplace of hockey in the south, the game being played at the Norfolk Ice Palace from 1905-07. Would be 60 years until it returned, with the Salem Rebels minor pro team in the Eastern League.
14
Posted on 7/6/21 at 2:38 pm to Cut Country
IceGators were staaackkkedd in the 90s
Posted on 7/6/21 at 2:47 pm to Cut Country
Hit post before adding Florida:
Sport was first played at the Metropolitan Ice Palace in Miami in 38-39, the Tropical Hockey League being formed. Lasted until 1942. Later there was the South FL League in Coral Gables in 52 and 53. Pro hockey came to the state with the Jacksonville Rockets in 64.
Sport was first played at the Metropolitan Ice Palace in Miami in 38-39, the Tropical Hockey League being formed. Lasted until 1942. Later there was the South FL League in Coral Gables in 52 and 53. Pro hockey came to the state with the Jacksonville Rockets in 64.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 2:47 pm to Cut Country
they became the iowa wild when the nhl started expanding the minor league system
Posted on 7/6/21 at 2:52 pm to Cut Country
Atlanta Knights 1994 champs. 
Posted on 7/6/21 at 3:15 pm to Cut Country
quote:
First pro team was of course the Atlanta Flames.
Damn you Tom Cousins
Posted on 7/6/21 at 3:17 pm to Cut Country
Well, this is pretty lame cause you sure left out a bunch from Louisiana…seemed like every major city had a hockey team in the 90’s like the Monroe Moccasins. How could you leave out the Shreveport Mudbugs?!?! They still have team but in North American hockey league. They just won their Robertson Cup Championship.
This post was edited on 7/6/21 at 3:20 pm
Posted on 7/6/21 at 3:36 pm to NoBoDawg
90’s minor league hockey in the south was so much fun.
Lafayette Icegators, New Orleans Brass, Baton Rouge Kingfish, plus every other city in the south seemed to have one from Biloxi to Pensacola, Birmingham, Jackson, Shreveport, etc. I miss it.
Lafayette Icegators, New Orleans Brass, Baton Rouge Kingfish, plus every other city in the south seemed to have one from Biloxi to Pensacola, Birmingham, Jackson, Shreveport, etc. I miss it.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 3:42 pm to Cosmo
quote:
IceGators were staaackkkedd in the 90s
I still have a bunch of memorabilia around from back in the day.Seems like back then it was fight night disguised as hockey. It was glorious.
Still have a Ice Pirates sweater and stick. LC should bring them back. I would pounce on season tickets.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 3:48 pm to Cut Country
I've always thought hockey could be absurdly popular in the South. Pro hockey players are some of the toughest, craziest SOBs on this planet.
The lockout and subsequent loss of the ESPN contract were crippling for the sport as far as growing the fanbase. I'm not sure if there is anything else in sports as intense and nerve wracking as playoff hockey because of how suddenly it can end.
The lockout and subsequent loss of the ESPN contract were crippling for the sport as far as growing the fanbase. I'm not sure if there is anything else in sports as intense and nerve wracking as playoff hockey because of how suddenly it can end.
This post was edited on 7/6/21 at 3:52 pm
Posted on 7/6/21 at 3:52 pm to Cut Country
Posted on 7/6/21 at 3:55 pm to jclem11
I spent some time in Corpus Christi as a kid. IceRays games were very fun and very vulgar 
Posted on 7/6/21 at 3:58 pm to Cut Country
Adding to the Georgia part, there's an unfair belief that Atlanta failed the Thrashers when it was all due to ownership.
The Atlanta Spirit were a bunch of rich assholes that formed together to buy the Hawks but the Thrashers came with them as a package deal. The ASG hated hockey and the Thrashers and immediately tried to sell them off but couldn't. So for the next few years they sunk almost money into the franchise and never promoted them. Once five years had passed all the members started suing each other and eventually lead to them nearly losing the Hawks and selling the Thrashers to True North. So at the very start the Thrashers never had a chance because the owners never wanted them to begin with. They couldn't even try to find a buyer from Atlanta because they didn't want any games played inside Phillips Arena
Once again frick THE ATLANTA SPIRIT GROUP
The Atlanta Spirit were a bunch of rich assholes that formed together to buy the Hawks but the Thrashers came with them as a package deal. The ASG hated hockey and the Thrashers and immediately tried to sell them off but couldn't. So for the next few years they sunk almost money into the franchise and never promoted them. Once five years had passed all the members started suing each other and eventually lead to them nearly losing the Hawks and selling the Thrashers to True North. So at the very start the Thrashers never had a chance because the owners never wanted them to begin with. They couldn't even try to find a buyer from Atlanta because they didn't want any games played inside Phillips Arena
Once again frick THE ATLANTA SPIRIT GROUP
Posted on 7/6/21 at 4:00 pm to VADawg
quote:
I spent some time in Corpus Christi as a kid. IceRays games were very fun and very vulgar
Same. Forgot about the IceRays.
I played junior hockey in LC though.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 4:02 pm to NoBoDawg
Yeah, I was focusing on the origins to avoid a stupidly long post, so I only put the first pro team in the state. Here's the full list (not including juniors):
Louisiana IceGators - (1995-2005) - (ECHL)
Baton Rouge Kingfish - (1996-2004) - (ECHL)
Shreveport Mudbugs - (1997-2001) - (WPHL)
Lake Charles Ice Pirates - (1997-2001) - (WPHL)
Monroe Moccasins - (1997-2001) - (WPHL)
New Orleans Brass - (1997-2002) - (ECHL)
Alexandria Warthogs - (1998-2000) - (WPHL)
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs - (2001-2011) - (CHL)
Louisiana IceGators - (2009-2016) - (SPHL)
Louisiana IceGators - (1995-2005) - (ECHL)
Baton Rouge Kingfish - (1996-2004) - (ECHL)
Shreveport Mudbugs - (1997-2001) - (WPHL)
Lake Charles Ice Pirates - (1997-2001) - (WPHL)
Monroe Moccasins - (1997-2001) - (WPHL)
New Orleans Brass - (1997-2002) - (ECHL)
Alexandria Warthogs - (1998-2000) - (WPHL)
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs - (2001-2011) - (CHL)
Louisiana IceGators - (2009-2016) - (SPHL)
Posted on 7/6/21 at 4:14 pm to VADawg
quote:
spent some time in Corpus Christi as a kid. IceRays games were very fun and very vulgar
I still hit up the IceRays a couple times a year. It was more fun when they played in the smaller coliseum, but I suppose the NAHL is a better league. There are plenty of winter Texans that go to games. You’ll see lots of Minnesota Gophers jerseys and schools like that repped.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 4:18 pm to Cut Country
Went to many Kingfish games as a kid, was such a fun environment, I was really sad to see them go. And the new iteration of the IceGators left too.
Also the UAH Chargers are the only Div I college hockey team in the south, wanted to give them a shoutout.
Also the UAH Chargers are the only Div I college hockey team in the south, wanted to give them a shoutout.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 4:21 pm to Cut Country
quote:
First pro team was of course the Atlanta Flames.
Houston Aeros started in 72 as well and won
Posted on 7/6/21 at 4:31 pm to kingbob
quote:
90’s minor league hockey in the south was so much fun.
I grew up going to ECHL games. I never understood how it fell apart so quickly. One day there were thousands of people watching and then the next day it was all over. It seemed like the arrival of the NHL in Atlanta and Nashville in the late 90's was what killed it.
Posted on 7/6/21 at 4:41 pm to JoeHackett
Tallahassee Tiger Sharks
Page 1 of 2
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News