Arizona Sundogs
Encyclopedia
The Arizona Sundogs are a double-A minor-league professional ice hockey
team based in Prescott Valley, Arizona
that began play in the Central Hockey League
in 2006 and celebrated its fifth anniversary season in 2010-11. The team plays its home games at Tim's Toyota Center.
during the 2006-07 season and as the double-A affiliate for the Phoenix Coyotes
in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
The Sundogs concluded their inaugural season in 2006-07 with 70 points and a 34-28-2 record, finishing second in the CHL's Southwest Division, two points back of eventual division champion the New Mexico Scorpions
, and qualifying for the 2007 CHL Playoffs. Arizona went on to beat the Corpus Christi Rayz
, 2-1, in overtime of Game 7 of the opening round, advancing to the Southern Conference Semifinals against division rival New Mexico. The Sundogs eventually fell, 3-2, to the Scorpions in Game 7. Brent Kelly represented the Sundogs in the 2007 CHL All-Star Game and led the CHL in goals in 2006-07 with 42 and finished third overall with 95 points.
During the 2007-08 season, the team clinched the CHL's Southwest Division regular season title, finishing with 84 points and a 39-19-6 record. Phoenix Coyotes prospect Alex Leavitt lead the league in scoring (128 points) and assists (88). The Sundogs opened the 2008 Ray Miron President's Cup Playoffs defeating New Mexico 4 games to 2. They then defeated the 2007-08 Southern Conference regular season champion Laredo Bucks
4 games to 3 in the Southern Conference Finals before sweeping the defending Ray Miron President's Cup Champion Colorado Eagles
in four straight games, winning the President's Cup in only their second year of existence. Goaltender Rob McVicar was named playoffs MVP, finishing with an 11-1 record and .913 save percentage. Leavitt, Tyler Redenbach and David Schlemko represented the Sundogs in the 2008 CHL All-Star Game as Head Coach and General Manager Marco Pietroniro coached the Southern Conference All-Stars to an 11-6 win.
In 2008-09 the Sundogs finished with 59 points and a 27-32-5 record and in 2009-10 the team finished with 54 points and a 24-34-6 mark. Joel Irving was the team's lone representative in the 2009 All-Star game, tallying a goal in a 8-4 loss to the Colorado Eagles while Jon Landry was named to the 2010 All-Star Game. Landry recorded a goal and an assist in a 9-4 loss to the South Texas All-Stars.
Arizona closed out the 2010-11 regular season with a 25-31-10 record for 60 points, qualifying for the postseason for the third time in five seasons and first since the team's championship season in 2007-08. The Sundogs dropped their opening round best-of-5 playoff series 3-1 to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. Kyle Hood finished as the team's leading scorer for the second straight season with 69 points (15g/54a) in 62 games. Second-year forward Joey Sides was the team's lone representative in the 2011 CHL All-Star Game, recording one assist and three shots in an 11-6 win over the host Rapid City Rush.
The Sundogs and Tim's Toyota Center have been named hosts of the 2012 Central Hockey League All-Star Game.
The team name, sundog, refers to an atmospheric phenomenon primarily associated with the reflection of sunlight by small ice crystals in cirrus clouds, resulting in what appears to be two suns in the sky. The Sundogs' primary 'S' logo makes reference to this occurrence with large and small starbursts.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Prescott Valley, Arizona
Prescott Valley, Arizona
Prescott Valley is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States, just east of Prescott. Prescott Valley was the seventh fastest-growing place among all cities and towns in Arizona between 1990 and 2000...
that began play in the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
in 2006 and celebrated its fifth anniversary season in 2010-11. The team plays its home games at Tim's Toyota Center.
History
The Sundogs served as the double-A affiliate for the NHL's Colorado AvalancheColorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
during the 2006-07 season and as the double-A affiliate for the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
The Sundogs concluded their inaugural season in 2006-07 with 70 points and a 34-28-2 record, finishing second in the CHL's Southwest Division, two points back of eventual division champion the New Mexico Scorpions
New Mexico Scorpions
The New Mexico Scorpions were a Central Hockey League team located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The team was established in 1953 as a part of the Western Professional Hockey League . In 2001, the WPHL merged with the CHL...
, and qualifying for the 2007 CHL Playoffs. Arizona went on to beat the Corpus Christi Rayz
Corpus Christi Rayz
The Corpus Christi IceRays were a minor-league ice hockey team based in Corpus Christi, Texas affiliated with the Central Hockey League. The "IceRays" moniker derives from the many different species of stingrays who inhabit the nearby Gulf of Mexico....
, 2-1, in overtime of Game 7 of the opening round, advancing to the Southern Conference Semifinals against division rival New Mexico. The Sundogs eventually fell, 3-2, to the Scorpions in Game 7. Brent Kelly represented the Sundogs in the 2007 CHL All-Star Game and led the CHL in goals in 2006-07 with 42 and finished third overall with 95 points.
During the 2007-08 season, the team clinched the CHL's Southwest Division regular season title, finishing with 84 points and a 39-19-6 record. Phoenix Coyotes prospect Alex Leavitt lead the league in scoring (128 points) and assists (88). The Sundogs opened the 2008 Ray Miron President's Cup Playoffs defeating New Mexico 4 games to 2. They then defeated the 2007-08 Southern Conference regular season champion Laredo Bucks
Laredo Bucks
The Laredo Bucks are an ice hockey team in the Central Hockey League. They play in Laredo, Texas, USA at the Laredo Energy Arena.-History:Arena Ventures, made up of six businessmen, teamed up with the City of Laredo to build a state-of-the-art facility for the Laredo area and South Texas...
4 games to 3 in the Southern Conference Finals before sweeping the defending Ray Miron President's Cup Champion Colorado Eagles
Colorado Eagles
The Colorado Eagles are a professional ice hockey team based in Loveland, Colorado. The Eagles play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL's Western Conference, where they serve as the "Double-A" affiliate of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and the American Hockey League's St. John's IceCaps...
in four straight games, winning the President's Cup in only their second year of existence. Goaltender Rob McVicar was named playoffs MVP, finishing with an 11-1 record and .913 save percentage. Leavitt, Tyler Redenbach and David Schlemko represented the Sundogs in the 2008 CHL All-Star Game as Head Coach and General Manager Marco Pietroniro coached the Southern Conference All-Stars to an 11-6 win.
In 2008-09 the Sundogs finished with 59 points and a 27-32-5 record and in 2009-10 the team finished with 54 points and a 24-34-6 mark. Joel Irving was the team's lone representative in the 2009 All-Star game, tallying a goal in a 8-4 loss to the Colorado Eagles while Jon Landry was named to the 2010 All-Star Game. Landry recorded a goal and an assist in a 9-4 loss to the South Texas All-Stars.
Arizona closed out the 2010-11 regular season with a 25-31-10 record for 60 points, qualifying for the postseason for the third time in five seasons and first since the team's championship season in 2007-08. The Sundogs dropped their opening round best-of-5 playoff series 3-1 to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. Kyle Hood finished as the team's leading scorer for the second straight season with 69 points (15g/54a) in 62 games. Second-year forward Joey Sides was the team's lone representative in the 2011 CHL All-Star Game, recording one assist and three shots in an 11-6 win over the host Rapid City Rush.
The Sundogs and Tim's Toyota Center have been named hosts of the 2012 Central Hockey League All-Star Game.
The team name, sundog, refers to an atmospheric phenomenon primarily associated with the reflection of sunlight by small ice crystals in cirrus clouds, resulting in what appears to be two suns in the sky. The Sundogs' primary 'S' logo makes reference to this occurrence with large and small starbursts.