Columbus Chill
Encyclopedia
The Columbus Chill was a professional ice hockey
team that played in the East Coast Hockey League from October 1991 through the 1998-99 season. They played at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum
in Columbus, Ohio
. The Chill left Columbus in 1999 and relocated to Reading, Pennsylvania
. The Columbus Chill are now known as the Reading Royals
.
Chicago businessman and sports entrepreneur Horn Chen, purchased the rights to the franchise in the spring of 1991, with the intent of placing it in Cleveland, but new team President/General Manager David Paitson convinced him that Columbus was the right market.
Paitson hired former NHL player Terry Ruskowski
a.k.a. "Rosco" as head coach. The team started with the simple goal of introducing new audiences to the sport of ice hockey and building a strong fan base.
Instead, the Chill became a cultural phenomenon inspiring a city-wide passion and excitement. With their counter-culture attitude, risky in-your-face marketing and creative promotional strategy, the Chill quickly built an impressive and loyal fan following and garnered the attention of the media in the United States and Canada.
The team's aggressive marketing campaign received unprecedented coverage for a minor-league hockey team through The Wall Street Journal (which described the Chill as "hockey for the hip"), Sports Illustrated, The Hockey News and ABC World News Sunday. Columbus Monthly said, "Going to a Chill game is like walking into the world's largest dorm party," and named it the city's "Best Sporting Event" in 1992 and 1993. The American Marketing Association would recognize the Chill as "best marketing project" in 1994 and the Canadian Broadcasting Company proclaimed- "(the) Chill is the most successful minor league franchise in history."
Although initially not successful on the ice, the Chill was a huge marketing success through their outlandish promotions, edgy and sometimes "borderline-offensive print ads and biting radio and TV commercials."
Beginning in January 1992, the Chill sold out 83 straight games - more than tripling the previous minor-league hockey mark. It was a standard that would last for nearly a decade. The Chill would sell out more than 80 percent of their games during their eight-year history in the 5,600-seat Ohio State Fairgrounds Expo Coliseum, which opened in 1918 and was the oldest building to house a pro team.
While the Chill regularly filled the building, it would take Ruskowski three seasons to reach the playoffs, doing so in 1994. The Chill would go on to win division championships in 1997 and 1999 and make the playoffs five of eight seasons.
Ruskowski would become the ECHL's first coach to be promoted to the Triple-A level when he became the coach of the expansion Houston Aeros of the International Hockey League in June 1994. All four Chill coaches (Ruskowski, Moe Mantha, Brian McCutcheon and Don Granato) would advance through the ranks with two (McCutcheon, Buffalo Sabres and Granato, St. Louis Blues) becoming NHL assistant coaches. McCutcheon would be named the 1997 ECHL Coach-of-the-Year. Paitson was named 1997 ECHL Executive-of-the-Year.
A near disastrous scheduling snafu by Fairgrounds officials in the fall of 1992 that, unbeknownst to the Chill, would have eliminated many of the home games in the second half of the season nearly cost the city its franchise. The problem was quickly resolved after enormous public pressure.
The united show of force helped trigger formation of a downtown arena study and talk of NHL expansion. The Chill was deeply involved in the process from the onset with Paitson appointed as the sole hockey/sports representative to the 10-person Sports Facilities Work Group that included members from the city, chamber of commerce, county and convention authority.
The Chill actively promoted the city's efforts to build a downtown arena and in 1994 publicly committed to be the major tenant. In June 1996, Paitson was part of a delegation that went to New York to inform National Hockey League
Commissioner Gary Bettman
that Columbus was interested in an NHL franchise.
In February 1997, the Franklin County Commissioners approved putting a 0.5 percent, three-year sales tax on the May ballot to help finance the construction of a $277 million complex that included a 21,000-seat arena and a 30,000-seat soccer stadium for the Columbus Crew
of Major League Soccer
.
Issue One was defeated at the ballot on May 6, 1997, just days before the NHL was to announce its decision on expansion. Three days later, the NHL granted Columbus and other expansion city hopefuls more time to resolve their arena problems.
On June 2, 1997, the arena portion of the project was rescued as Nationwide Realty, Inc. announced it would build the arena privately. John H. McConnell
, founder of Worthington Industries, stepped forward to become the principal owner of the NHL expansion franchise, later to be named the Columbus Blue Jackets
.
The NHL board of governors on June 25, 1997, approved Columbus, Atlanta, Minnesota and Nashville as expansion cities.
With the impending arrival of the Blue Jackets' first game in October 2000, the 1998-99 ECHL season would be the Chill's final one as the team was voluntarily suspended. As part of an agreement with McConnell, Chen would receive a small ownership stake in the Blue Jackets.
. The Columbus Chill were sold and relocated to Reading, Pennsylvania
during their two year inactive status to become the Reading Royals
for the 2001-2002 ECHL season.
In addition to the Chill being the catalyst for the NHL coming to Columbus, the franchise provided much-needed services to the skating community.
The Chill has the distinction of becoming the first minor-league team to build, own and operate its own facility (Chiller Dublin, 1993) and at the time they opened their second dual ice rink (Chiller Easton, 1997) they joined the Anaheim Mighty Ducks as one only two franchises at any level to own and operate two facilities.
Considered to be among the finest ice rink facilities in the United States, the Chillers provided the platform for an explosion of hockey from learn-to-skate classes to adult leagues: Nine high-school hockey programs and youth hockey participation grew from 150 to over 1,300 kids during the 1990s while the Chill was in existence. The Columbus Chill Youth Hockey Association (CCHYA)continues to thrive.
A partnership formed in 1997 between the Chill and Blue Jackets has today resulted in the Chillers and the NHL club owning and managing eight sheets of ice in Central Ohio - Chiller North was added in 2003 and the Chiller Ice Works in 2005 - as well as serving as an integral marketing extension of the Blue Jackets' brand.
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 that played in the East Coast Hockey League from October 1991 through the 1998-99 season. They played at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum
Ohio Expo Center Coliseum
The Ohio Expo Center Coliseum is a 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena located at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairground in Columbus, Ohio. It was built in 1918. Nicknamed "The Barn," the Coliseum has become a legendary and traditional High School Basketball venue. It continues to be home to the...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. The Chill left Columbus in 1999 and relocated to Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
. The Columbus Chill are now known as the Reading Royals
Reading Royals
The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the Atlantic Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Sovereign Center located in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania...
.
The Chill
The Columbus Chill burst onto the sports scene - first locally, then nationally - as an expansion team in the East Coast Hockey League (now ECHL). The Chill followed three previous minor-league hockey franchises in the International Hockey League that failed in Ohio's capital city: Checkers, 1966-1970; Seals, 1971-73 and Owls, 1973-77.Chicago businessman and sports entrepreneur Horn Chen, purchased the rights to the franchise in the spring of 1991, with the intent of placing it in Cleveland, but new team President/General Manager David Paitson convinced him that Columbus was the right market.
Paitson hired former NHL player Terry Ruskowski
Terry Ruskowski
Terry W. "Rosco" Ruskowski is a former National Hockey League centre, who played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Minnesota North Stars....
a.k.a. "Rosco" as head coach. The team started with the simple goal of introducing new audiences to the sport of ice hockey and building a strong fan base.
Instead, the Chill became a cultural phenomenon inspiring a city-wide passion and excitement. With their counter-culture attitude, risky in-your-face marketing and creative promotional strategy, the Chill quickly built an impressive and loyal fan following and garnered the attention of the media in the United States and Canada.
The team's aggressive marketing campaign received unprecedented coverage for a minor-league hockey team through The Wall Street Journal (which described the Chill as "hockey for the hip"), Sports Illustrated, The Hockey News and ABC World News Sunday. Columbus Monthly said, "Going to a Chill game is like walking into the world's largest dorm party," and named it the city's "Best Sporting Event" in 1992 and 1993. The American Marketing Association would recognize the Chill as "best marketing project" in 1994 and the Canadian Broadcasting Company proclaimed- "(the) Chill is the most successful minor league franchise in history."
Although initially not successful on the ice, the Chill was a huge marketing success through their outlandish promotions, edgy and sometimes "borderline-offensive print ads and biting radio and TV commercials."
Beginning in January 1992, the Chill sold out 83 straight games - more than tripling the previous minor-league hockey mark. It was a standard that would last for nearly a decade. The Chill would sell out more than 80 percent of their games during their eight-year history in the 5,600-seat Ohio State Fairgrounds Expo Coliseum, which opened in 1918 and was the oldest building to house a pro team.
While the Chill regularly filled the building, it would take Ruskowski three seasons to reach the playoffs, doing so in 1994. The Chill would go on to win division championships in 1997 and 1999 and make the playoffs five of eight seasons.
Ruskowski would become the ECHL's first coach to be promoted to the Triple-A level when he became the coach of the expansion Houston Aeros of the International Hockey League in June 1994. All four Chill coaches (Ruskowski, Moe Mantha, Brian McCutcheon and Don Granato) would advance through the ranks with two (McCutcheon, Buffalo Sabres and Granato, St. Louis Blues) becoming NHL assistant coaches. McCutcheon would be named the 1997 ECHL Coach-of-the-Year. Paitson was named 1997 ECHL Executive-of-the-Year.
A near disastrous scheduling snafu by Fairgrounds officials in the fall of 1992 that, unbeknownst to the Chill, would have eliminated many of the home games in the second half of the season nearly cost the city its franchise. The problem was quickly resolved after enormous public pressure.
The united show of force helped trigger formation of a downtown arena study and talk of NHL expansion. The Chill was deeply involved in the process from the onset with Paitson appointed as the sole hockey/sports representative to the 10-person Sports Facilities Work Group that included members from the city, chamber of commerce, county and convention authority.
The Chill actively promoted the city's efforts to build a downtown arena and in 1994 publicly committed to be the major tenant. In June 1996, Paitson was part of a delegation that went to New York to inform 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...
Commissioner Gary Bettman
Gary Bettman
Gary Bruce Bettman is the commissioner of the National Hockey League , a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice-president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association...
that Columbus was interested in an NHL franchise.
In February 1997, the Franklin County Commissioners approved putting a 0.5 percent, three-year sales tax on the May ballot to help finance the construction of a $277 million complex that included a 21,000-seat arena and a 30,000-seat soccer stadium for the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
Issue One was defeated at the ballot on May 6, 1997, just days before the NHL was to announce its decision on expansion. Three days later, the NHL granted Columbus and other expansion city hopefuls more time to resolve their arena problems.
On June 2, 1997, the arena portion of the project was rescued as Nationwide Realty, Inc. announced it would build the arena privately. John H. McConnell
John H. McConnell
John Henderson McConnell was the founder of Worthington Industries, which manufactures processed steel products, pressure cylinders, and metal framing. He was the founder, majority owner, chairman, and governor of the Columbus Blue Jackets NHL team...
, founder of Worthington Industries, stepped forward to become the principal owner of the NHL expansion franchise, later to be named the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
The NHL board of governors on June 25, 1997, approved Columbus, Atlanta, Minnesota and Nashville as expansion cities.
With the impending arrival of the Blue Jackets' first game in October 2000, the 1998-99 ECHL season would be the Chill's final one as the team was voluntarily suspended. As part of an agreement with McConnell, Chen would receive a small ownership stake in the Blue Jackets.
Supension and Relocation
After the 1998-1999 season, the Chill suspended operations for both the 1999-2000 and the 2000-2001 ECHL season's after the arrival of the Columbus Blue JacketsColumbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The Columbus Chill were sold and relocated to Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
during their two year inactive status to become the Reading Royals
Reading Royals
The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the Atlantic Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Sovereign Center located in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania...
for the 2001-2002 ECHL season.
Success and Community impact
The Chill would send five players to the NHL and promote countless others to the American Hockey League and International Hockey League. Numerous Chill front office employees advanced their careers to NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA, NASCAR, Indy Racing League, etc., including several front office employees of the Blue Jackets.In addition to the Chill being the catalyst for the NHL coming to Columbus, the franchise provided much-needed services to the skating community.
The Chill has the distinction of becoming the first minor-league team to build, own and operate its own facility (Chiller Dublin, 1993) and at the time they opened their second dual ice rink (Chiller Easton, 1997) they joined the Anaheim Mighty Ducks as one only two franchises at any level to own and operate two facilities.
Considered to be among the finest ice rink facilities in the United States, the Chillers provided the platform for an explosion of hockey from learn-to-skate classes to adult leagues: Nine high-school hockey programs and youth hockey participation grew from 150 to over 1,300 kids during the 1990s while the Chill was in existence. The Columbus Chill Youth Hockey Association (CCHYA)continues to thrive.
A partnership formed in 1997 between the Chill and Blue Jackets has today resulted in the Chillers and the NHL club owning and managing eight sheets of ice in Central Ohio - Chiller North was added in 2003 and the Chiller Ice Works in 2005 - as well as serving as an integral marketing extension of the Blue Jackets' brand.
Highlights
- 1991 - Chicago businessman Horn ChenHorn ChenHorn Chen is a Chicago-based businessman and minor league sports entrepreneur. He is the founder of the Central Hockey League, which began to play in 1992...
purchases an expansion franchise - 1992 - Chill begins minor league hockey record 83 game sellout streak (191 sellouts in franchise history); set ECHL regular-season (1991–92) records at the time for highest goals against average (5.33, 341 goals in 64 games, still 5th in ECHL history), most power-play goals against (111, 2nd in ECHL history), most penalty minutes (2,751, 4th in ECHL history), and highest penalty minutes per-game average (43.0, 2,751 minutes in 64 games, 3rd in ECHL history); named "Best Sporting Event in Columbus" by Columbus Monthly; named as the "Best New Addition to Columbus" and for the "Athlete you'd most want to drink a beer with" - Columbus Alive; Inspires a board game - "A Night at the Chill," created by team's first season ticket holder Steve Miller.
- 1993 - "Marketing Project-of-the-Year for Creativity and Impact" - Central Ohio, Chapter, American Marketing Association; Named "Best Sporting Event in Columbus" and "Best Promotion" by Columbus Monthly.
- 1994 - Team makes playoffs for first time; Ruskowski becomes the first ECHL coach to get hired as a head coach at the Triple-A level (IHL's Houston Aeros). Moe Mantha replaces Ruskowski as head coach.
- 1996 - Mantha becomes head coach of Triple-A Baltimore Bandits (later Cincinnati Mighty Ducks) of the American Hockey League. Brian McCutcheon replaces Mantha as head coach.
- 1997 - First place in North Division and 3rd overall in ECHL (1996–97), current record for most 20-or-more goal scorers in one season (9 in 70 games played: Dave Hymovitz, 39; Derek Gauthier, 33; Joe Coombs, 28; Derek Wood, 27; Keith Morris, 26; Derek Clancey, 26; Lorne Toews, 25; Matt Oates, 22; Mark Turner, 20). Brian McCutcheon named East Coast Hockey League's Coach-of-the-Year. David Paitson awarded ECHL Executive-of-the-Year. 1997 - McCutcheon becomes head coach of the AHL's Rochester Americans. Don Granato replaces McCutcheon as head coach.
- 1999 - First place in Northwest Division, second in Northern Conference, seventh overall in ECHL (1998–99). "Last Call" on April 4th draws 191st and final sellout. All-Time Chill Team named: Goal Tender - Jeff Salajko; Defensemen - Lance Brady and Barry Dreger; Forwards - Derek Clancey, Jason "Smurf" Christie and Rob Schriner; Enforcer - Phil Crowe.
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes| 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 | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1991–92 | 64 | 25 | 30 | 0 | 9 | 59 | 298 | 341 | 2751 | 7th in West | Out of playoffs |
| 1992–93 | 64 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 4 | 64 | 257 | 256 | 2081 | 7th in West | Out of playoffs |
| 1993–94 | 68 | 41 | 20 | 0 | 7 | 89 | 344 | 285 | 1790 | 2nd in North | Lost in round 2 |
| 1994–95 | 68 | 31 | 32 | 0 | 5 | 67 | 282 | 315 | 1589 | 4th in North | Lost in round 1 |
| 1995–96 | 70 | 37 | 28 | 0 | 5 | 79 | 285 | 268 | 2013 | 4th in North | Lost in round 1 |
| 1996–97 | 70 | 44 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 93 | 303 | 257 | 1893 | 1st in North | Lost in round 2 |
| 1997–98 | 70 | 33 | 30 | 7 | 0 | 73 | 221 | 220 | 2173 | 5th in Northwest | Out of playoffs |
| 1998–99 | 70 | 39 | 24 | 7 | 0 | 85 | 257 | 242 | 1614 | 1st in Northwest | Lost in round 2 |
Head coaches
- Terry RuskowskiTerry RuskowskiTerry W. "Rosco" Ruskowski is a former National Hockey League centre, who played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Minnesota North Stars....
(1991–94) - Moe Mantha, Jr.Moe Mantha, Jr.Maurice William Mantha, Jr. is a retired American-born Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman and former coach who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League with the Winnipeg Jets, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota North Stars and Philadelphia Flyers.-Playing...
(1994–96) - Brian McCutcheonBrian McCutcheon (ice hockey)Brian McCutcheon is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 37 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings.- References :...
(1996–97) - Don Granato (1997–99)
Players
- Beau Bilek - games played (266)
- Keith Morris - goals (104)
- Derek Clancey - assists (218), points (313)
- Barry Dreger - PIM (663)
- Matt Oates - tied for most power-play goals in a game (4 goals in 1996 at Erie)
- Jason "the Smurf" Christie
- Phil CrowePhil CrowePhilip Ross Crowe is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, and the Nashville Predators between 1994 and 2000...
*NHL - Trent KaeseTrent KaeseTrent Kaese is a former professional ice hockey right wing. He was drafted in the eighth round, 161st overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft...
*NHL - 3rd most consecutive three-or-more goal games (1992 vs. Toledo, Dayton and Knoxville) - Rob Schriner
- Barry Dreger
- Blair Atcheynum *NHL
- Jeff Salajko - tied for most saves by a goaltender, period (30 in 1997 vs. Roanoke)
- Eric Manlow *NHL
- Sasha LakovicSasha LakovicSasha "The Basha, Pitbull" Lakovic is a retired professional ice hockey player who played for 17 different professional teams during his career...
*NHL - Marc MagliarditiMarc MagliarditiMarc "Mags" Magliarditi is a retired American ice hockey goaltender who most recently played for the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL. After playing for Western Michigan University of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association for one year, he was drafted in the sixth round, 146th overall, by the...
- Cam BrownCam BrownRichard Cameron Brown is a former professional Canadian ice hockey left winger who played one game for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League....
*NHL