Bozeman Icedogs
Encyclopedia
The Bozeman Icedogs are a Tier III Junior A
ice hockey
team located in Bozeman, Montana
. The team is a member of the American West Hockey League
(AWHL). The Icedogs play home games at the Haynes Pavilion located at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds.
The Icedogs previcously played in the Junior A Tier II American Frontier Hockey League from 1996-1998. In 1998 the league changed name to the America West Hockey League from 1999-2003, when America West Hockey League merged with the North American Hockey League
.
-based investment group, the Icedogs were forced to play their entire first season on the road when the ownership team’s funding fell short with their rink
only half-built. Despite the circumstances, which left them practicing at times outdoors and playing all ‘home’ games in Helena, Montana
, the Icedogs, coached by David “Smoke” Cole and captained by Brad Michalski, earned a .500 record and a position in the AFHL playoffs. Forward Kevin Wesolek set a league record for single-season scoring as he captured 1996-1997 Rookie of the Year honors.
In the fall of 1997, the Icedogs moved into the brand new Valley Ice Garden, a state-of-the-art, 3,500-seat arena outside Bozeman. Bill Martel, owner of the Bozeman construction firm that had been building the facility, took over ownership of both the team and the arena, providing the Gallatin Valley with its first indoor ice skating
facility. The rink opened to the public with an open house on September 14, 1997.
The Icedogs played their first game at the Valley Ice Garden on Tuesday, September 30, 1997, a 6-4 victory over the Butte (Mont.) Irish in front of a sellout crowd with Wesolek scoring the team’s first goal. The Icedogs went on to record sixteen- and seven-game unbeaten streaks while selling out nearly every game en route to a second place finish in the AFHL. Bozeman fell to the in-state rival Billings Bulls
in six games in the Borne Cup Finals, but earned a berth in the Gold Cup National Championship Tournament, where they were eliminated in the first round of round robin play. Wesolek finished second in the AFHL in scoring and set a league record for career scoring, with 198 points over two seasons.
The 1998-1999 season brought less success for the Icedogs, who struggled throughout, and finished in last place in the AWHL
, missing the playoffs for the first time. Forward Jimmy Sokol finished second in the league in scoring while linemate Jason Deitsch led the league in points-per-game.
The 1999-2000 season was a turbulent one for the Icedogs. After seven games, Cole was fired and replaced with assistant coach Dale “Duner” Hladun. The team failed to improve under Hladun, who was forced to leave the team due to visa issues and replaced by assistant coach Darren Blue. Amidst on-ice and off-ice distraction the Icedogs missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
In March 2000, the Bozeman Icedogs hired John LaFontaine, brother of NHL great Pat LaFontaine
, as head coach and director of hockey operations. LaFontaine immediately turned the program around, leading the Icedogs to a .500 record and playoff appearance in his first season as coach. Goaltender Matt Dalton led the NAHL in saves percentage,setting NAHL records for goals against average and saves percentage. Forward Josh Heidinger led the league in scoring was voted the NAHL’s top forward. After defeating the Fairbanks (Alaska) Ice Dogs
for their second Borne Cup title, the Icedogs fell to the Texas Tornado
in the final game of the national championship Robertson Cup tournament in May 2006.
Later that month, following the dissolution of the Helena Bighorns and Billings Bulls, the Valley Ice Garden was sold to a beer distributor and the Icedogs were dissolved. The Junior B Bozeman Blackhawks took on the Icedogs moniker and play in Bozeman’s Haynes Pavilion. The NorPac moved from Junior B to Junior A Tier-III beginning in the 2007. In ten years, the original Icedogs made eight playoff appearances, three trips to the national tournament, and won two Borne Cup championships.
, and professional
ice hockey, including:
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
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 located in Bozeman, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. The team is a member of the American West Hockey League
American West Hockey League
The American West Hockey League is an American Tier III junior ice hockey league based in Montana and Wyoming. The league is a member of USA Hockey and was founded in 2011.-History:...
(AWHL). The Icedogs play home games at the Haynes Pavilion located at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds.
The Icedogs previcously played in the Junior A Tier II American Frontier Hockey League from 1996-1998. In 1998 the league changed name to the America West Hockey League from 1999-2003, when America West Hockey League merged with the North American Hockey League
North American Hockey League
The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League...
.
History
Founded in 1996 by a MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
-based investment group, the Icedogs were forced to play their entire first season on the road when the ownership team’s funding fell short with their rink
Rink
Rink may refer to:* Ice rink, used for ice skating* Ice hockey rink*Curling rink, used to refer to both a curling team and the playing surface*a roller rink, used for roller skating or roller hockey...
only half-built. Despite the circumstances, which left them practicing at times outdoors and playing all ‘home’ games in Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
, the Icedogs, coached by David “Smoke” Cole and captained by Brad Michalski, earned a .500 record and a position in the AFHL playoffs. Forward Kevin Wesolek set a league record for single-season scoring as he captured 1996-1997 Rookie of the Year honors.
In the fall of 1997, the Icedogs moved into the brand new Valley Ice Garden, a state-of-the-art, 3,500-seat arena outside Bozeman. Bill Martel, owner of the Bozeman construction firm that had been building the facility, took over ownership of both the team and the arena, providing the Gallatin Valley with its first indoor ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
facility. The rink opened to the public with an open house on September 14, 1997.
The Icedogs played their first game at the Valley Ice Garden on Tuesday, September 30, 1997, a 6-4 victory over the Butte (Mont.) Irish in front of a sellout crowd with Wesolek scoring the team’s first goal. The Icedogs went on to record sixteen- and seven-game unbeaten streaks while selling out nearly every game en route to a second place finish in the AFHL. Bozeman fell to the in-state rival Billings Bulls
Billings Bulls
The Billings Bulls are a Tier III Junior A ice hockey team currently playing in the American West Hockey League. The Bulls are based in Billings, Montana and play home games at the 550-seat Centennial Ice Arena, due to the size, the Bulls frequently sell out games and broadcast their games on...
in six games in the Borne Cup Finals, but earned a berth in the Gold Cup National Championship Tournament, where they were eliminated in the first round of round robin play. Wesolek finished second in the AFHL in scoring and set a league record for career scoring, with 198 points over two seasons.
The 1998-1999 season brought less success for the Icedogs, who struggled throughout, and finished in last place in the AWHL
AWHL
The America West Hockey League was a junior ice hockey league. The AWHL was formed in 1992 to offer junior ice hockey to the Rocky Mountain region of USA Hockey. It originally was called the American Frontier Hockey League , and the name change to AWHL came in 1998...
, missing the playoffs for the first time. Forward Jimmy Sokol finished second in the league in scoring while linemate Jason Deitsch led the league in points-per-game.
The 1999-2000 season was a turbulent one for the Icedogs. After seven games, Cole was fired and replaced with assistant coach Dale “Duner” Hladun. The team failed to improve under Hladun, who was forced to leave the team due to visa issues and replaced by assistant coach Darren Blue. Amidst on-ice and off-ice distraction the Icedogs missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
In March 2000, the Bozeman Icedogs hired John LaFontaine, brother of NHL great Pat LaFontaine
Pat LaFontaine
Patrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
, as head coach and director of hockey operations. LaFontaine immediately turned the program around, leading the Icedogs to a .500 record and playoff appearance in his first season as coach. Goaltender Matt Dalton led the NAHL in saves percentage,setting NAHL records for goals against average and saves percentage. Forward Josh Heidinger led the league in scoring was voted the NAHL’s top forward. After defeating the Fairbanks (Alaska) Ice Dogs
Fairbanks Ice Dogs
The Fairbanks Ice Dogs is a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's West Division. The Ice Dogs play home games at the 2,200-seat Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks, Alaska...
for their second Borne Cup title, the Icedogs fell to the Texas Tornado
Texas Tornado
The Texas Tornado are a Junior A hockey team located in Frisco, Texas, USA. The team joined the North American Hockey League's Central division in 1999 while located in North Richland Hills, Texas, and have enjoyed unprecedented success since their expansion year...
in the final game of the national championship Robertson Cup tournament in May 2006.
Later that month, following the dissolution of the Helena Bighorns and Billings Bulls, the Valley Ice Garden was sold to a beer distributor and the Icedogs were dissolved. The Junior B Bozeman Blackhawks took on the Icedogs moniker and play in Bozeman’s Haynes Pavilion. The NorPac moved from Junior B to Junior A Tier-III beginning in the 2007. In ten years, the original Icedogs made eight playoff appearances, three trips to the national tournament, and won two Borne Cup championships.
Notable Icedogs alumni
The Icedogs have had a number of alumni move on to NCAA NCAA Division I, NCAA Division III, and higher levels of junior ice hockeyJunior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
, and professional
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
ice hockey, including:
- Thomas HajekThomas HajekThomas Hajek is a Slovakian-Canadian lacrosse player from St. Catharines, Ontario, who plays for the Philadelphia Wings in the National Lacrosse League.-College career:...
(1996-1998) – All-star and team captain of the Philadelphia WingsPhiladelphia WingsThe Philadelphia Wings are a member of the National Lacrosse League, a professional box lacrosse league in North America. They play at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
of the National Lacrosse LeagueNational Lacrosse LeagueThe National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff... - Jason Deitsch (1998-1999) – 2006 UHL Rookie of the Year, assistant captain of Cincinnati CyclonesCincinnati CyclonesThe Cincinnati Cyclones are a professional hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team is a member of the ECHL. Founded in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at U.S. Bank Arena....