Colorado Eagles
Encyclopedia
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
. The Eagles were founded as an expansion franchise in 2003 in the Central Hockey League
and remained in the league until June 2011. During their time in the CHL, the Eagles won two Ray Miron President's Cup
s, three regular season titles, five conference titles and six division titles in eight seasons. The Eagles play at the Budweiser Events Center
in Loveland and serves the Fort Collins-Loveland metropolitan area.
player Ralph Backstrom
. The Eagles advanced to the playoffs in their first season and won the CHL championship in their second season, 2004–05. They won their division in 2005–06, but lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
, after having defeated the Oklahoma City Blazers
in the first round. They would again win the CHL Championship in 2006–07, defeating the Laredo Bucks
four games to two in the Cup Finals.
After the 2007–08 season, coach Chris Stewart retired, and Kevin McClelland
was named as his replacement. Following the 2009–10 season, McClelland was not retained and Stewart - who had been working as team President and GM since leaving the bench - resumed head coaching duties. Stewart is currently President, GM and Head Coach.
During the 2008–09 season, the Eagles hosted the 2009 CHL All-Star Game and took on a group of CHL All-Stars from various teams. The exhibition took place on January 14, 2009 at the Budweiser Events Center, with the Eagles defeating the CHL All-Stars, 8-4.
On May 29, 2011, KEVN
in Rapid City, South Dakota
reported that Colorado was to move to the ECHL in time for the 2011–12 season. The following day, the team announced that they would have a press conference on May 31 at the Budweiser Events Center and that local media were urged to attend and fans urged to listen to the press conference online or on a local radio station. At the press conference, Head Coach, General Manager and President Chris Stewart announced that the team had been accepted as an expansion franchise in the ECHL for the 2011–12 season.
In August 2011, the Eagles were assigned to the Western Conference's Mountain Division as part of the league realignment for the 2011–12 ECHL season.
Records as of end of the 2010–11 Central Hockey League season.
CHL playoff champion
Bud Poile Governors' Cup
CHL regular season champion
Conference playoff championship
Division titles
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 Loveland, Colorado
Loveland, Colorado
Loveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau that in 2010 the...
. The Eagles play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
's Western Conference, where they serve as the "Double-A" affiliate of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets were a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They began play in the World Hockey Association in 1972, moving to the National Hockey League in 1979 following the collapse of the WHA...
and the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
's St. John's IceCaps
St. John's IceCaps
The St. John's IceCaps are a professional ice hockey team based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the American Hockey League and are the AHL affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League .From...
. The Eagles were founded as an expansion franchise in 2003 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....
and remained in the league until June 2011. During their time in the CHL, the Eagles won two Ray Miron President's Cup
Ray Miron President's Cup
The Ray Miron President's Cup goes to the play-off champion of the Central Hockey League. The Ray Miron President's Cup has been awarded to teams since 2002. Prior to 2002, the playoff winner was awarded the Ray Miron Cup. The current cup is named after Ray Miron, one of the league's co-founders...
s, three regular season titles, five conference titles and six division titles in eight seasons. The Eagles play at the Budweiser Events Center
Budweiser Events Center
The Budweiser Events Center is a 7,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Loveland, Colorado .Construction was completed and doors opened for the first event on September 20, 2003 with a sold-out exhibition hockey game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers.The Arena is located on The...
in Loveland and serves the Fort Collins-Loveland metropolitan area.
Central Hockey League era (2003–2011)
The franchise was founded in 2003 by former Montreal CanadiensMontreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
player Ralph Backstrom
Ralph Backstrom
Ralph Gerald Backstrom is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre.-Playing career:Backstrom played junior hockey with the Montreal Junior Canadiens from 1954 to 1956, and the Ottawa Junior Canadiens from 1956 to 1958...
. The Eagles advanced to the playoffs in their first season and won the CHL championship in their second season, 2004–05. They won their division in 2005–06, but lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs were a professional ice hockey team which played in the Bossier City-Shreveport metropolitan area of Louisiana. From 1997 to 2001 the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs were members of the Western Professional Hockey League, until the a 2001 merger between the WPHL with the...
, after having defeated the Oklahoma City Blazers
Oklahoma City Blazers
The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Northwest Division of the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Their colors were burgundy, gold and white...
in the first round. They would again win the CHL Championship in 2006–07, defeating the 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...
four games to two in the Cup Finals.
After the 2007–08 season, coach Chris Stewart retired, and Kevin McClelland
Kevin McClelland
Kevin McClelland is a retired professional ice hockey forward. He is currently the head coach of the Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League.-Playing career:...
was named as his replacement. Following the 2009–10 season, McClelland was not retained and Stewart - who had been working as team President and GM since leaving the bench - resumed head coaching duties. Stewart is currently President, GM and Head Coach.
During the 2008–09 season, the Eagles hosted the 2009 CHL All-Star Game and took on a group of CHL All-Stars from various teams. The exhibition took place on January 14, 2009 at the Budweiser Events Center, with the Eagles defeating the CHL All-Stars, 8-4.
Move to ECHL (2011–present)
During the 2011 Ray Miron President's Cup playoffs, the Eagles had been rumored to be transferring to the ECHL following the completion of the playoffs. Former International Hockey League commissioner Dennis Hextall has stated that he had heard that the Colorado Eagles may already be included in the ECHL's tentative schedule for the 2011–12 season.On May 29, 2011, KEVN
KEVN-TV
KEVN-TV, channel 7, is a Fox television station affiliate based in Rapid City, South Dakota. It also operates a satellite in Lead, South Dakota, KIVV-TV , which can also be seen over the air in Rapid City...
in Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
reported that Colorado was to move to the ECHL in time for the 2011–12 season. The following day, the team announced that they would have a press conference on May 31 at the Budweiser Events Center and that local media were urged to attend and fans urged to listen to the press conference online or on a local radio station. At the press conference, Head Coach, General Manager and President Chris Stewart announced that the team had been accepted as an expansion franchise in the ECHL for the 2011–12 season.
In August 2011, the Eagles were assigned to the Western Conference's Mountain Division as part of the league realignment for the 2011–12 ECHL season.
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Overtime/shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutesRecords as of end of the 2010–11 Central Hockey League season.
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2003–04 | 64 | 43 | 16 | 5 | 91 | 232 | 156 | 1453 | 1st, Northwest | Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1–3 (Wichita Wichita Thunder The Wichita Thunder are a minor league hockey team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team plays in the Central Hockey League. From 1992 until January 2010 the Thunder played in the Britt Brown Arena located in the northern Wichita suburb of Park City... ) |
| 2004–05 | 60 | 43 | 10 | 7 | 93 | 221 | 123 | 1345 | 1st, Northwest | Ray Miron President's Cup Champions, 4–1 (Laredo 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... ) |
| 2005–06 | 64 | 44 | 14 | 6 | 94 | 241 | 183 | 1898 | 1st, Northwest | Lost in Conference Finals, 1–4 (Bossier-Shreveport Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs were a professional ice hockey team which played in the Bossier City-Shreveport metropolitan area of Louisiana. From 1997 to 2001 the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs were members of the Western Professional Hockey League, until the a 2001 merger between the WPHL with the... ) |
| 2006–07 | 64 | 46 | 17 | 1 | 93 | 256 | 182 | 1944 | 1st, Northwest | Ray Miron President's Cup Champions, 4–2 (Laredo) |
| 2007–08 | 64 | 37 | 20 | 7 | 81 | 254 | 223 | 1637 | 1st, Northwest | Lost in Ray Miron President's Cup Finals, 0–4 (Arizona Arizona Sundogs 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... ) |
| 2008–09 | 64 | 45 | 15 | 4 | 94 | 275 | 195 | 1429 | 1st, Northwest | Lost in Ray Miron President's Cup Finals, 1–4 (Texas) |
| 2009–10 | 64 | 42 | 15 | 7 | 91 | 277 | 208 | 1557 | 2nd, Northern | Lost in Conference Semifinals, 0–4 (Bossier-Shreveport) |
| 2010–11 | 66 | 40 | 22 | 4 | 84 | 250 | 199 | 1352 | 2nd, Turner | Lost in Ray Miron President's Cup Finals, 3–4 (Bossier-Shreveport) |
Awards and honors
Ray Miron President's CupRay Miron President's Cup
The Ray Miron President's Cup goes to the play-off champion of the Central Hockey League. The Ray Miron President's Cup has been awarded to teams since 2002. Prior to 2002, the playoff winner was awarded the Ray Miron Cup. The current cup is named after Ray Miron, one of the league's co-founders...
CHL playoff champion
- 2004–05, 2006–07
Bud Poile Governors' Cup
CHL regular season champion
- 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09
Conference playoff championship
- 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11
Division titles
- 2003–05, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09