Bloomington Prairie Thunder
Encyclopedia
The Bloomington PrairieThunder was a minor league
professional ice hockey
team based in Bloomington, Illinois
. They were a member of the Central Hockey League
in the Turner Conference. The team was originally a member of the International Hockey League before it merged into the CHL in 2010. They played their home games at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum
.
. On August 18, 2004, ground was broken for the $37-million U.S. Cellular Coliseum
, the arena that would become the home of the PrarieThunder. On September 20, 2005, the United Hockey League
awarded John Butler and Mike Nelson a membership to obtain a franchise.
On February 1, 2006, a contest was announced to name the new hockey franchise and on February 23, 2006, the official name was announced. "PrarieThunder" refers to a train called "The Prairie Thunder" that passed through Bloomington in its early history. On July 20, 2006 the PrairieThunder unveiled their new team logo which features a charging bison smashing its hooves into a sheet of ice. The team's colors are navy, silver, old gold, and white.
. This was because they set a pro hockey record for the fastest four goal spurt. It took them just 35 seconds to score 4 goals against the Flint Generals on April 5, 2008. This is faster than any level of pro hockey.
Chip the Buffalo made his first public appearance at the Open House and Public Scrimmage held by the PrairieThunder on Wednesday October 4, 2006, interacting with fans and signing autographs.
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. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
professional ice hockey
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 Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
. They were a member of 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 the Turner Conference. The team was originally a member of the International Hockey League before it merged into the CHL in 2010. They played their home games at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum
U.S. Cellular Coliseum
U.S. Cellular Coliseum is an arena in downtown Bloomington, Illinois that opened to the public on April 1, 2006. It is on the southwest corner of Madison Street and Front Street. It hosts the Bloomington Extreme of the Indoor Football League, the Bloomington Blaze of the Central Hockey League,...
.
History
On September 12, 1999, John Butler and Mike Nelson, both of Bloomington, began formulating a plan to bring a minor league hockey team to Central IllinoisCentral Illinois
Central Illinois is a region of the U.S. state of Illinois that consists of the entire central section of the state, divided in thirds from north to south. It is an area of mostly flat prairie. The western section was originally part of the Military Tract of 1812 and forms the distinctive western...
. On August 18, 2004, ground was broken for the $37-million U.S. Cellular Coliseum
U.S. Cellular Coliseum
U.S. Cellular Coliseum is an arena in downtown Bloomington, Illinois that opened to the public on April 1, 2006. It is on the southwest corner of Madison Street and Front Street. It hosts the Bloomington Extreme of the Indoor Football League, the Bloomington Blaze of the Central Hockey League,...
, the arena that would become the home of the PrarieThunder. On September 20, 2005, the United Hockey League
United Hockey League
The United Hockey League was a low-level professional ice hockey league , with teams in the United States...
awarded John Butler and Mike Nelson a membership to obtain a franchise.
On February 1, 2006, a contest was announced to name the new hockey franchise and on February 23, 2006, the official name was announced. "PrarieThunder" refers to a train called "The Prairie Thunder" that passed through Bloomington in its early history. On July 20, 2006 the PrairieThunder unveiled their new team logo which features a charging bison smashing its hooves into a sheet of ice. The team's colors are navy, silver, old gold, and white.
- October 13, 2006: the PrairieThunder played their first game in franchise history against the Muskegon LumberjacksMuskegon LumberjacksThe Muskegon Lumberjacks were an International Hockey League team based in Muskegon, Michigan.-Facts:-Season-by-Season record:Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses/Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in...
. They lost the contest 7-3. - October 14, 2006: the PrairieThunder play their first home game at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum against the Fort Wayne KometsFort Wayne KometsThe Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey franchise currently a member of the Central Hockey League in the Northern Conference. The team was previously a member of the International Hockey League before it merged into the CHL in 2010...
. This was also the PrairieThunder's first franchise regular season win as they won the contest 4-2 before a crowd of 5,102. Andre Neic scored the first goal at the US Cellular Coliseum at 4:20 in the first period. - February 17, 2007: Trevor Baker records the first hat trickHat TrickHat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
in franchise history. - January 27, 2007: Largest crowd in team history 5,488 (as of Mar. 26, 2009)
- Jan. 12, 2008: Rookie goalie Loic Lacasse posts first shutout in franchise history in 2-0 win over Port Huron at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
- April 5, 2008: PrairieThunder establish a professional hockey league record at all levels by scoring four goals in a 35-second span during the first period in a 9-4 win at FlintFlint GeneralsThe Flint Generals were a professional ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan.They were a member of the International Hockey League and played their home games at Perani Arena and Event Center in Flint, Michigan....
. Scoring the goals were Jon Booras, John Nail, Neil Clark and Brett Holmberg. - July 12, 2008: PrairieThunder defenseman Rob Guinn killed in auto accident in Iowa. This led the team to remember him on their jerseys and the ice during the 2008-2009 season.
- December 27, 2008: PrairieThunder center Don ParsonsDon Parsons (ice hockey)Don Parsons is a retired professional ice hockey player. Parsons is noted for being a prolific goal scorer who briefly held the modern minor league goal-scoring record from 2008 to 2010....
breaks the minor league career goals scored record by an American player with his 678th, passing Flint GeneralFlint GeneralsThe Flint Generals were a professional ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan.They were a member of the International Hockey League and played their home games at Perani Arena and Event Center in Flint, Michigan....
Kevin Kerr. - December 3, 2009: PrairieThunder re-sign Erie OttersErie OttersThe Erie Otters are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League . Based in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA, they have played their home games at the Louis J. Tullio Arena since 1996...
forward Michael LiambasMichael LiambasMichael Liambas is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL...
following his suspension from the OHLOHLOHL may refer to:*Oberste Heeresleitung, the Supreme Army Command of Germany in World War I*Obrascón Huarte Lain, a Spanish construction company*Old Hill railway station's National Rail station code*Ontario Hockey League...
for severely injuring Kitchener RangersKitchener RangersThe Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
defenceman Ben Fanelli. - June 1, 2010: The IHL makes major announcement that the IHL-CHL will merge for the 2010-2011 season along with four other teams from the IHL (Fort Wayne KometsFort Wayne KometsThe Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey franchise currently a member of the Central Hockey League in the Northern Conference. The team was previously a member of the International Hockey League before it merged into the CHL in 2010...
, Quad City MallardsQuad City MallardsThe Quad City Mallards were a professional ice hockey team competing in the AA level United Hockey League. The Mallards played their home games at The MARK of the Quad Cities in Moline, Illinois. Their team colors were forest green and burgundy. They won the Colonial Cup in 1997, 1998 and 2001,...
, Evansville IceMenEvansville IceMenThe Evansville IceMen were a professional hockey team based in Evansville, Indiana. The team folded in 2010, as IceMen owner Ron Geary purchased the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League and moved the team to Evansville, taking on the name "Evansville IceMen".The AAHL IceMen...
, Dayton GemsDayton GemsThe Dayton Gems were a minor league ice hockey team based in Dayton, Ohio, and members of the International Hockey League from 1964 to 1977, and 1979–1980.In the fall of 1964 the lobby of their new arena, Hara Arena, had a natural gas explosion...
). - April 28th, 2011: After the PrairieThunder was swept in the first round of the Central Hockey League playoffs, team owner Tim Lieghton failed to contact the U.S Cellular Coliseum for a lease extension after their 5 year lease ended.
- May 23rd, 2011: East Coast investors Gary DelBuono and Sandra Hunnewell were approved of a new CHL expansion franchise that will play in Bloomington for the 2011-2012 season. They also announced that former PrairieThunder players would play for the new Bloomington CHL franchise. Former PrairieThunder General Manager Jim Riggs will also be the GM of the new CHL franchise in Bloomington. The new franchise will be called the Bloomington BlazeBloomington BlazeThe Bloomington Blaze is a minor league ice hockey franchise currently a member of the Central Hockey League in the Turner Conference and scheduled to begin play for the 2011-12 season. Based in Bloomington, Illinois, the Blaze will play its home games at the U.S...
.
Season by season records
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | OTL | SOL | Points | Goals for | Goals against | PIM | Standing | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 | 76 | 25 | 45 | — | 6 | 56 | 201 | 285 | 1392 | 5th, West | Out of Playoffs |
| 2007-08 | 76 | 31 | 38 | 3 | 4 | 69 | 210 | 258 | 1711 | 6th | Out of Playoffs |
| 2008-09 | 76 | 29 | 40 | 2 | 5 | 65 | 235 | 291 | 1418 | 5th | Out of Playoffs |
| 2009-10 | 76 | 31 | 34 | 5 | 6 | 73 | 241 | 273 | 1864 | 5th | Out of Playoffs |
| 2010-11 | 66 | 37 | 22 | 7 | |||||||
| 81 | 188 | 189 | 1212 | 3rd,Turner Conference | Lost in 1st Round |
Accomplishments
The Bloomington PrairieThunder were featured in the April 21, 2008 edition of Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. This was because they set a pro hockey record for the fastest four goal spurt. It took them just 35 seconds to score 4 goals against the Flint Generals on April 5, 2008. This is faster than any level of pro hockey.
Mascot
The team held a Name the Mascot Contest, sponsored by the Bloomington Pantagraph, to find a name for the mascot. Megan Fish, a 12-year-old sixth-grader at Chiddix Junior High School, was the first of 12 individuals to submit the name Chip. The next most popular entry was “Boomer” which had seven submissions.Chip the Buffalo made his first public appearance at the Open House and Public Scrimmage held by the PrairieThunder on Wednesday October 4, 2006, interacting with fans and signing autographs.