Florida Seals
Encyclopedia
The Florida Seals was a minor league ice hockey franchise, a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League
(SPHL). Originally based in Orlando, Florida
, they later moved to Kissimmee, Florida
, a suburb thirty miles south of Orlando in Osceola County
. The Seals were one of eight minor league hockey teams purchased or founded by David Waronker
starting in 2003.
(ACHL). That first year's team included former NHL players Zac Boyer
(Dallas), David Goverde
(Los Angeles
), Chris LiPuma
(Tampa Bay
) and Terry Ryan (Montreal
) and was coached by former Tampa Bay Lightning
player Stan Drulia
. The Seals were running away with the league during the regular season and made a pivotal move at the trade deadline getting both Ryan and high scoring forward Mike Sanderson. These moves at the trading deadline gave the Seals the final pieces to the puzzle to win the ACHL regular season. The Seals original staff was made up of owner Jeff Brubaker
until he ran out of money 1 month into the season and David Waronker saved the franchise. Other staff members brought in over time were Steve McCall, Erica Hodges and Tom Bradley. With the backing of several Solar Bears season ticket holders, the Seals got off to a solid start attendance-wise and later on the ice thanks to a solid core of hockey fans in Orlando and a roster full of veteran players. With Waronker's investment the staff was able to work hard to make the team a success. The Seals were the winners of that league's first and only President's Cup in 2003 as well as the Commissioner's Cup as regular season champions after an amazing 43-14 record. League Commissioner Jim Riggs awarded the trophy to the Seals owner David Waronker and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
during an on-ice ceremony at one of the regular season's games. The Seals swept both Macon and Knoxville in the playoffs to win the championship. Sadly, the team won the championship on the road in Knoxville and did not get to enjoy the win on the ice in Orlando as their predecessors, the Orlando Solar Bears did.
The team's celebration event, held at Wall Street Plaza in downtown Orlando, drew hundreds of fans to celebrate the city's second hockey championship. When the ACHL folded, they and two other teams, the Jacksonville Barracudas
and the Macon Trax
, merged into the new World Hockey Association 2
(WHA2), founded by Waronker and longtime Canadian hockey man and former WHA staffer Peter Young. The second season staff was rounded out with Ryan Morris, Dan Pinkasavage and John Henry. The second season also brought a coaching change as Stan Drulia left Orlando to take over the coaching duties of the Augusta Lynx
. Former Pittsburgh Penguin
Jim Paek
was brought in to lead the Seals in year two. Fling was later replaced by the recently retired LiPuma as GM.
coached the team for one season after Drulia left to coach the Augusta Lynx
of the ECHL. Former Macon Trax
head coach Tommy Stewart (ice hockey)
took the helm of the Seals in 2005 after the Trax ceased operations.
The Orlando Seals were scheduled to play in the 2004-2005 SPHL season, but on August 22, 2004, the City of Orlando revoked its lease at the TD Waterhouse Centre
due to a clause about attendance, causing them to miss the season. On October 19, 2004, the ownership group announced a new three-year lease with the Silver Spurs Arena
in Kissimmee
. The team resumed play in the 2005-2006 season, hosting their first home game against the Jacksonville Barracudas
on October 29, 2005. The Seals finished the 2005-06 season with a 32-17 record with seven overtime losses, placing third in the league, but lost the President's Cup to the Knoxville Ice Bears
in four games out of five.
that the team was short on cash and had missed several payments on its lease with the arena. At the same time, the players had been kicked out of their apartments because the team was paying the rent.
The next day, the SPHL Board of Directors held an emergency meeting and voted to expel the Seals from the league. The players were parceled out to the surviving teams in a dispersal draft.
Lucia later revealed that, for all intents and purposes, the rest of the board had essentially abandoned the team; he'd been the only one paying the bills.
The mascot of the Florida Seals is Sealvester. He wore a jersey emblazoned with the number "05".
Southern Professional Hockey League
The Southern Professional Hockey League is a low-level professional ice hockey league based in Charlotte, North Carolina, with teams located in the southeastern United States.- History :...
(SPHL). Originally based in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, they later moved to Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,682. It is the county seat of Osceola County...
, a suburb thirty miles south of Orlando in Osceola County
Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
. The Seals were one of eight minor league hockey teams purchased or founded by David Waronker
David Waronker
David Waronker is a real estate investor, the President of CBD Real Estate Investment, L.L.C., and a lifelong ice hockey enthusiast. Waronker was the founder and commissioner of the World Hockey Association 2.- Biography :...
starting in 2003.
Formation
The team was formed as the Orlando Seals, and played its first season beginning in October 2002 with the Atlantic Coast Hockey LeagueAtlantic Coast Hockey League (2002)
The Atlantic Coast Hockey League was a professional minor league ice hockey league based in the United States. The second league to bear the name Atlantic Coast Hockey League, it operated for only one season, 2002–2003, before its franchises split into two new leagues.-History:The 2002 incarnation...
(ACHL). That first year's team included former NHL players Zac Boyer
Zac Boyer
Zac Boyer is a former National Hockey League right winger.He played in only 3 regular season games and 2 playoff games for the Dallas Stars...
(Dallas), David Goverde
David Goverde
David Goverde is a professional hockey player who played for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League.Currently resides in Orlando, Florida and manages "Just Hockey" .-External links:...
(Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
), Chris LiPuma
Chris LiPuma
Christopher Paul LiPuma is a former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played 72 games in the National Hockey League: 64 with the Tampa Bay Lightning and eight with the San Jose Sharks. He is also well known for his play in the International Hockey League.-External links:...
(Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
) and Terry Ryan (Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
) and was coached by former Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
player Stan Drulia
Stan Drulia
Stanley W. Drulia is the coach of the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL and a former professional right winger. He was drafted in the eleventh round, 214th overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. He played 126 games in the National Hockey League, all with the Tampa Bay Lightning...
. The Seals were running away with the league during the regular season and made a pivotal move at the trade deadline getting both Ryan and high scoring forward Mike Sanderson. These moves at the trading deadline gave the Seals the final pieces to the puzzle to win the ACHL regular season. The Seals original staff was made up of owner Jeff Brubaker
Jeff Brubaker
Jeffrey Joseph Brubaker is a retired American ice hockey forward....
until he ran out of money 1 month into the season and David Waronker saved the franchise. Other staff members brought in over time were Steve McCall, Erica Hodges and Tom Bradley. With the backing of several Solar Bears season ticket holders, the Seals got off to a solid start attendance-wise and later on the ice thanks to a solid core of hockey fans in Orlando and a roster full of veteran players. With Waronker's investment the staff was able to work hard to make the team a success. The Seals were the winners of that league's first and only President's Cup in 2003 as well as the Commissioner's Cup as regular season champions after an amazing 43-14 record. League Commissioner Jim Riggs awarded the trophy to the Seals owner David Waronker and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
Buddy Dyer
John Hugh "Buddy" Dyer is mayor of Orlando, Florida, first elected in 2003. He is a member of the United States Democratic Party. Previously he represented Orlando in the Florida State Senate for ten years, including three years when he was the Senate Democratic leader.-Early life:Dyer was born in...
during an on-ice ceremony at one of the regular season's games. The Seals swept both Macon and Knoxville in the playoffs to win the championship. Sadly, the team won the championship on the road in Knoxville and did not get to enjoy the win on the ice in Orlando as their predecessors, the Orlando Solar Bears did.
The team's celebration event, held at Wall Street Plaza in downtown Orlando, drew hundreds of fans to celebrate the city's second hockey championship. When the ACHL folded, they and two other teams, the Jacksonville Barracudas
Jacksonville Barracudas
The Jacksonville Barracudas were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They were established in 2002, and played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League , the World Hockey Association 2 , and the Southern Professional Hockey League , before folding in 2008.They won...
and the Macon Trax
Macon Trax
The Macon Trax were a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Macon, Georgia. They played in the low minor leagues Atlantic Coast Hockey League , World Hockey Association 2 and Southern Professional Hockey League , playing their home games at the Macon Coliseum...
, merged into the new World Hockey Association 2
World Hockey Association 2
The World Hockey Association 2 was a minor professional ice hockey league created at the instigation of the organizers of the proposed recreated World Hockey Association to serve as its development league. The WHA2 teams — some of which had played the 2002–03 season in the Atlantic Coast...
(WHA2), founded by Waronker and longtime Canadian hockey man and former WHA staffer Peter Young. The second season staff was rounded out with Ryan Morris, Dan Pinkasavage and John Henry. The second season also brought a coaching change as Stan Drulia left Orlando to take over the coaching duties of the Augusta Lynx
Augusta Lynx
The Augusta Lynx were a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Augusta, Georgia. The Lynx played their home games at the James Brown Arena...
. Former Pittsburgh Penguin
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
Jim Paek
Jim Paek
Jim Paek is a former professional ice hockey player. Paek played in the National Hockey League from 1990–91 to 1994–95. He is the first of two Korean hockey players to ever play in the NHL – the other being Richard Park...
was brought in to lead the Seals in year two. Fling was later replaced by the recently retired LiPuma as GM.
Post-2004 Victory
After the 2003-2004 season, the team went through several coaching and staff changes after the first season. Former NHL'er Jim PaekJim Paek
Jim Paek is a former professional ice hockey player. Paek played in the National Hockey League from 1990–91 to 1994–95. He is the first of two Korean hockey players to ever play in the NHL – the other being Richard Park...
coached the team for one season after Drulia left to coach the Augusta Lynx
Augusta Lynx
The Augusta Lynx were a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Augusta, Georgia. The Lynx played their home games at the James Brown Arena...
of the ECHL. Former Macon Trax
Macon Trax
The Macon Trax were a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Macon, Georgia. They played in the low minor leagues Atlantic Coast Hockey League , World Hockey Association 2 and Southern Professional Hockey League , playing their home games at the Macon Coliseum...
head coach Tommy Stewart (ice hockey)
Tommy Stewart
Tommy Stewart is an American rock drummer, currently for the rock band Lo-Pro. He is probably best known for his stint with heavy metal band Godsmack...
took the helm of the Seals in 2005 after the Trax ceased operations.
The Orlando Seals were scheduled to play in the 2004-2005 SPHL season, but on August 22, 2004, the City of Orlando revoked its lease at the TD Waterhouse Centre
TD Waterhouse Centre
Amway Arena is a defunct indoor arena in Orlando, Florida. It is part of the Orlando Centroplex, a sports and entertainment complex located in Downtown Orlando...
due to a clause about attendance, causing them to miss the season. On October 19, 2004, the ownership group announced a new three-year lease with the Silver Spurs Arena
Silver Spurs Arena
The current Silver Spurs Arena is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena, in Kissimmee, Florida. It was built in 2003. It replaced the original Silver Spurs grand stand. Both are home to the Silver Spurs Rodeo, a semi-annual rodeo event, as well as concerts, family shows and sporting events...
in Kissimmee
Kissimmee
Kissimmee is the name of several things in the U.S. state of Florida:*Kissimmee, Florida *Kissimmee City Street Railway*Kissimmee Kreatures *Kissimmee Utility Authority...
. The team resumed play in the 2005-2006 season, hosting their first home game against the Jacksonville Barracudas
Jacksonville Barracudas
The Jacksonville Barracudas were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They were established in 2002, and played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League , the World Hockey Association 2 , and the Southern Professional Hockey League , before folding in 2008.They won...
on October 29, 2005. The Seals finished the 2005-06 season with a 32-17 record with seven overtime losses, placing third in the league, but lost the President's Cup to the Knoxville Ice Bears
Knoxville Ice Bears
The Knoxville Ice Bears are a professional ice hockey team. The team competes in the Southern Professional Hockey League. They play their home games at James White Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, Tennessee. In 2006 the Ice Bears defeated the Florida Seals to take the SPHL championship and the...
in four games out of five.
Suspension of Operation
Before the 2006-07 season, Warronker agreed in principle to sell the team to real estate developer Bill Lucia. However, Lucia didn't file the required paperwork until October 2006, and never made a formal presentation to the league. Later in the month, the team's general manager resigned. On January 4, 2007; Osceola Heritage Park, operators of the Silver Spurs Arena, abruptly locked out the Seals for failure to meet contractual obligations. Stewart told WFTVWFTV
WFTV, channel 9, is the ABC-affiliated television station for Central Florida that is licensed to Orlando. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter between Bithlo and Christmas. Owned by Cox Enterprises, WFTV is sister to Independent WRDQ. The two stations...
that the team was short on cash and had missed several payments on its lease with the arena. At the same time, the players had been kicked out of their apartments because the team was paying the rent.
The next day, the SPHL Board of Directors held an emergency meeting and voted to expel the Seals from the league. The players were parceled out to the surviving teams in a dispersal draft.
Lucia later revealed that, for all intents and purposes, the rest of the board had essentially abandoned the team; he'd been the only one paying the bills.
Present-day Florida Seals
Several members of the Seals organization have continued their careers in pro sports with Sammy Wallace working for the Germain Arena in Ft. Myers, FL and Peter Young in baseball team in Arizona. Joe Fellini is now working on charitable endeavors with pro athletes in Boston including Ray Bourque, Jason Varitek and Kevin Faulk while Brian Fling moved to Colorado to work in the private sector as a Project Manager at Collaborative Project Management. Ryan Morris is working in the music field with Rymo Records and Tom Bradley earned a Stanley Cup ring with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Seals first two coaches are still in the game with Drulia in Wheeling of the ECHL and Paek in Grand Rapids of the AHL. The owner of the Team David Waronker sold his team to Bill Lucia in hopes he would keep his dream going. Bill did not make it thru the first season as an owner and would not put any money into the team which sadly ended up folding. The Waronker's live in Arizona and continue to love hockey and support the local High School Hockey Association. Dave was head coach of his son Kyle's high School hockey team, they just won the Arizona State Championship for 2010-2011 season.Championships
| Year | League | Trophy |
|---|---|---|
| 2002–2003 | ACHL Atlantic Coast Hockey League (2002) The Atlantic Coast Hockey League was a professional minor league ice hockey league based in the United States. The second league to bear the name Atlantic Coast Hockey League, it operated for only one season, 2002–2003, before its franchises split into two new leagues.-History:The 2002 incarnation... |
President's Cup |
The mascot of the Florida Seals is Sealvester. He wore a jersey emblazoned with the number "05".