West Coast Hockey League
Encyclopedia
The West Coast Hockey League was a professional minor ice hockey
league active in the western United States
from 1995 to 2003. The number of teams ranged from six to nine. The teams were located in Alaska
, Arizona
, California
, Colorado
, Idaho
, Nevada
and Washington. The league was formed in part by a conversion of the Pacific Southwest Hockey League
from semi-professional to professional status.
The surviving remnants of the West Coast Hockey League currently form part of the ECHL
.
. Three former PSHL teams, the Alaska Gold Kings (Fairbanks
, Alaska
), Anchorage Aces (Anchorage
, Alaska), and Fresno Falcons
(Fresno
, California
) were joined by the Bakersfield Fog (Bakersfield
, California), Reno Renegades
(Reno
, Nevada
) and San Diego Gulls
(San Diego
, California) to become the founding member teams of the WCHL. The league retained these teams in a single division for its first two seasons, as well as played regular season games against a "Red Army" team from Russia
.
(Boise
, Idaho
), Phoenix Mustangs
(Phoenix
, Arizona
), Tacoma Sabercats
(Tacoma
, Washington) and Tucson Gila Monsters
(Tucson
, Arizona). The larger league was then split into Northern and Southern Divisions. Also, the teams in Reno and Fresno changed their names to the Reno Rage and Fresno's Fighting Falcons respectively.
The following season the Gold Kings relocated to Colorado Springs
, Colorado
, and rejoined the league as the Colorado Gold Kings. The Fresno team reverted back to its original name and the Bakersfield Fog renamed themselves the Bakersfield Condors. However, the Reno Rage ceased operations before the 1998-99 season while the Tucson Gila Monsters folded 21 games into the season. The WCHL then remained stable as an eight-team league after Tucson's departure and through the 1999-2000 season.
In 2000-01 the Long Beach
, California, Long Beach Ice Dogs of the International Hockey League joined the WCHL.
In 2003, the WCHL was absorbed by the East Coast Hockey League
. In a change reflective of the nationwide presence of the ECHL, the East Coast Hockey League formally changed its name to simply ECHL on May 19, 2003, as a direct result of the merger. The six remaining WCHL teams (Anchorage, Bakersfield, Fresno, Idaho, Long Beach and San Diego), as well as a planned WCHL team in Las Vegas
, Nevada, which became the Las Vegas Wranglers
, joined the West and Pacific Divisions of the ECHL's National Conference. The Anchorage Aces renamed themselves the Alaska Aces before joining the ECHL.
championships in the ECHL, Idaho in 2004 and 2007, and Alaska in 2006 and 2011.
Winners
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...
league active in the western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1995 to 2003. The number of teams ranged from six to nine. The teams were located in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and Washington. The league was formed in part by a conversion of the Pacific Southwest Hockey League
Pacific Southwest Hockey League
The Pacific Southwest Hockey League was a semi-professional ice hockey league that operated in California, Nevada and Alaska starting in 1970 and ran through 1995, when its members were incorporated into the upstart professional West Coast Hockey League....
from semi-professional to professional status.
The surviving remnants of the West Coast Hockey League currently form part 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...
.
Beginnings
The WCHL was a successor organization of the semi-professional Pacific Southwest Hockey LeaguePacific Southwest Hockey League
The Pacific Southwest Hockey League was a semi-professional ice hockey league that operated in California, Nevada and Alaska starting in 1970 and ran through 1995, when its members were incorporated into the upstart professional West Coast Hockey League....
. Three former PSHL teams, the Alaska Gold Kings (Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
), Anchorage Aces (Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
, Alaska), and Fresno Falcons
Fresno Falcons
The Fresno Falcons are a defunct minor league hockey team. They were once members of the ECHL . They were located in Fresno, California.-Early history:...
(Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) were joined by the Bakersfield Fog (Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, California), Reno Renegades
Reno Renegades
The Reno Renegades were a short-lived American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Reno, Nevada. The team was a founding member of the West Coast Hockey League ....
(Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
) and San Diego Gulls
San Diego Gulls (1995-2006)
The third San Diego Gulls team was founded in 1995 immediately upon departure of the IHL team. The new Gulls were a part of the West Coast Hockey League. The Gulls played at the San Diego Sports Arena, formerly known as the "iPayOne Center."-History:...
(San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, California) to become the founding member teams of the WCHL. The league retained these teams in a single division for its first two seasons, as well as played regular season games against a "Red Army" team from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Expansion
In the league's third season in 1997-98 the Alaska Gold Kings suspended operations. The remaining teams were joined by the expansion Idaho SteelheadsIdaho Steelheads
The Idaho Steelheads are an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Boise, Idaho. The team began playing in 1997 and has been a member of the ECHL since 2003....
(Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
), Phoenix Mustangs
Phoenix Mustangs
The Phoenix Mustangs were a professional minor league ice hockey team in the West Coast Hockey League. The Mustangs played at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on the grounds of the Arizona State Fair, from the 1997-1998 season through the 2000-2001 season...
(Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
), Tacoma Sabercats
Tacoma Sabercats
The Tacoma Sabercats were an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Tacoma, Washington. The team began play in the West Coast Hockey League as of the 1997-98 season....
(Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, Washington) and Tucson Gila Monsters
Tucson Gila Monsters
The Tucson Gila Monsters were a short-lived American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Tucson, Arizona. The team played throughout the 1997-98 season, but folded after 21 games during the 1998-99 season....
(Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, Arizona). The larger league was then split into Northern and Southern Divisions. Also, the teams in Reno and Fresno changed their names to the Reno Rage and Fresno's Fighting Falcons respectively.
The following season the Gold Kings relocated to Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and rejoined the league as the Colorado Gold Kings. The Fresno team reverted back to its original name and the Bakersfield Fog renamed themselves the Bakersfield Condors. However, the Reno Rage ceased operations before the 1998-99 season while the Tucson Gila Monsters folded 21 games into the season. The WCHL then remained stable as an eight-team league after Tucson's departure and through the 1999-2000 season.
In 2000-01 the Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, California, Long Beach Ice Dogs of the International Hockey League joined the WCHL.
Decline and merger with ECHL
The league began to contract in 2001-02 after the Phoenix Mustangs folded before the season. Before the 2002-03 season, the WCHL's last as an independent league, the Tacoma Sabercats and Colorado Gold Kings folded. The WCHL played in a single division in 2002-03 as it had its first two seasons.In 2003, the WCHL was absorbed by the East Coast Hockey League
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
. In a change reflective of the nationwide presence of the ECHL, the East Coast Hockey League formally changed its name to simply ECHL on May 19, 2003, as a direct result of the merger. The six remaining WCHL teams (Anchorage, Bakersfield, Fresno, Idaho, Long Beach and San Diego), as well as a planned WCHL team in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada, which became the Las Vegas Wranglers
Las Vegas Wranglers
The Las Vegas Wranglers are a professional ice hockey team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wranglers are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the ECHL...
, joined the West and Pacific Divisions of the ECHL's National Conference. The Anchorage Aces renamed themselves the Alaska Aces before joining the ECHL.
Legacy
With the December 2008 demise of the Fresno Falcons only two of the original 1995 WCHL teams - the Alaska Aces and Bakersfield Condors - remain active in the ECHL. All of the subsequent expansion teams which played in the WCHL except the Idaho Steelheads have since ceased operations as well. (The Las Vegas Wranglers - although planned for the WCHL - never actually played in the league). Efforts to resurrect the Reno Renegades/Rage organization as an ECHL team have been repeatedly delayed by problems in finding a suitable home arena in the Reno area. However, since 2003 former WCHL teams have accounted for four Kelly CupKelly Cup
The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the play-off champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup. The current cup is named after Patrick J. Kelly, the league's first commissioner. The cup is loaned to the winning...
championships in the ECHL, Idaho in 2004 and 2007, and Alaska in 2006 and 2011.
Teams
- Alaska (Fairbanks) Gold Kings (1995–1997)
- Anchorage Aces (1995–2003)
- Bakersfield Fog (1995–1998)
- Bakersfield CondorsBakersfield CondorsThe Bakersfield Condors are a minor league ice hockey team based in Bakersfield, California. The team plays in the Pacific Division of the ECHL's Western Conference. The Condors join the Houston Aeros as an affiliate of the Minnesota Wild in the National Hockey League...
(1998–2003) - Colorado (Colorado Springs) Gold Kings (1998–2002)
- Fresno FalconsFresno FalconsThe Fresno Falcons are a defunct minor league hockey team. They were once members of the ECHL . They were located in Fresno, California.-Early history:...
(1995–2003, known as "Fresno's Fighting Falcons" during the 1997-98 season) - Idaho SteelheadsIdaho SteelheadsThe Idaho Steelheads are an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Boise, Idaho. The team began playing in 1997 and has been a member of the ECHL since 2003....
(1997–2003) - Long Beach Ice Dogs (2000–2003)
- Phoenix MustangsPhoenix MustangsThe Phoenix Mustangs were a professional minor league ice hockey team in the West Coast Hockey League. The Mustangs played at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on the grounds of the Arizona State Fair, from the 1997-1998 season through the 2000-2001 season...
(1997–2001) - Reno RenegadesReno RenegadesThe Reno Renegades were a short-lived American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Reno, Nevada. The team was a founding member of the West Coast Hockey League ....
(1995–1997) - Reno Rage (1997–1998)
- San Diego GullsSan Diego Gulls (1995-2006)The third San Diego Gulls team was founded in 1995 immediately upon departure of the IHL team. The new Gulls were a part of the West Coast Hockey League. The Gulls played at the San Diego Sports Arena, formerly known as the "iPayOne Center."-History:...
(1995–2006) - Tacoma SabercatsTacoma SabercatsThe Tacoma Sabercats were an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Tacoma, Washington. The team began play in the West Coast Hockey League as of the 1997-98 season....
(1997–2002) - Tucson Gila MonstersTucson Gila MonstersThe Tucson Gila Monsters were a short-lived American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Tucson, Arizona. The team played throughout the 1997-98 season, but folded after 21 games during the 1998-99 season....
(1997–1999)
Taylor Cup
The WCHL's championship trophy was known as the Taylor Cup. It was named for the founder of the league, who also originally owned three of the six founding teams (Bakersfield, Fresno and Reno). The San Diego Gulls were by far the most successful postseason team in WCHL history, winning five of the eight Taylor Cup championships awarded.Winners
- 1996 - San Diego Gulls
- 1997 - San Diego Gulls
- 1998 - San Diego Gulls
- 1999 - Tacoma Sabercats
- 2000 - Phoenix Mustangs
- 2001 - San Diego Gulls
- 2002 - Fresno Falcons
- 2003 - San Diego Gulls
See also
- List of developmental and minor sports leagues
- List of ice hockey leagues
- Minor leagueMinor leagueMinor 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...
- Sports league attendances