- Portland Pirates
Pro hockey team
text_color = red
bg_color = black
team = Portland Pirates
logosize = 200px
city =Portland, Maine
league =American Hockey League
conference = Eastern Conference
division = Atlantic Division
founded = 1993
arena =Cumberland County Civic Center
colors = Black, Red, Silver, White
color box|black color box|red color box|silver color box|white
owner = Brian Petrovek
coach =Kevin Dineen
GM = Bob Murray
media =Portland Press Herald
affiliates =Buffalo Sabres (NHL)
name1 =Erie Blades
dates1 = 1975 to 1982
name2 =Baltimore Skipjacks
dates2 = 1982 to 1993
name3 =Portland Pirates
dates3 = 1993 to present
reg_season_titles =
division_titles = 1 (2005–06)
conf_titles = 1 (1995–96)
calder_cups = 1 (1993–94)The Portland Pirates are a minor professionalice hockey team in theAmerican Hockey League . They play inPortland, Maine ,USA , at theCumberland County Civic Center . The franchise was previously known as theBaltimore Skipjacks from 1982 to 1993.History
The Pirates were founded in 1993–94 as an affiliate of the
Washington Capitals . The team was previously known as theBaltimore Skipjacks , who relocated to Maine. The Pirates replaced the void made by theMaine Mariners who departed to become theProvidence Bruins a year earlier. The Capitals affiliation ended after 12 seasons in2005 .The Pirates first season proved to be their most successful one, as they won the
Calder Cup with a 43–27–10 record. Their next season they had 104 points, but were upset in the 1st round of the playoffs. In the 1995–96 season they again reached the Calder Cup Finals despite a subpar record of 32–34–10, but lost to theRochester Americans .Since then, it has been a roller coaster ride for the Pirates. Despite an excellent 100 point season, they were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round in 1999–2000.
For the first four seasons, they were coached by current
Nashville Predators head coachBarry Trotz . They played host to the AHL All-Star Classic in 2003.In the 2006 AHL playoffs, the Pirates went for a thrilling playoff run, only to be defeated by the eventual Calder Cup-winning
Hershey Bears in a dramatic seven-game series.In
2005 the Pirates announced a five year lease extension at theCumberland County Civic Center , ending speculation that the team might relocate. The Pirates also signed a three year affiliation agreement with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 2005, but the Ducks announced on June 3, 2008, that they were affiliating with theIowa Stars instead of renewing the agreement.The Sabres era
On June 10, 2008, the Pirates and the
Buffalo Sabres announced that they had reached a new affiliation agreement, ending several months of speculation. [cite web
url=http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/366680.html
title=Sabres to parent Portland
date=2008-06-10
accessdate=2008-06-10
publisher=buffalonews.com]On August 5, 2008, the team announced that
Kevin Dineen has been retained as head coach. [cite web |url=http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=379388
title=Dineen Named Head Coach
date=2008-08-05
accessdate=2008-08-05
publisher=sabres.nhl.com];The market was previously home to:
*Maine Mariners (1977–1992)eason-by-season results
Regular season
AHL awards and trophies
Calder Cup
* 1993-94Richard F. Canning Trophy
* 1993-94, 1995-96Frank Mathers Trophy
* 2005-06Emile Francis Trophy
* 2005-06Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award
*Olaf Kolzig &Byron Dafoe : 1993-94Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award
*Barry Trotz : 1993-94
*Glen Hanlon : 1999-00
*Kevin Dineen : 2005-06Jack A. Butterfield Trophy
*Olaf Kolzig : 1993-94James C. Hendy Memorial Award
* Tom Ebright: 1993-94Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award
* Jim Carey: 1994–95
* Jaroslav Svejkovsky: 1995-96Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award
* Jim Carey: 1994–95
*Martin Brochu : 1999-00Les Cunningham Award
*Martin Brochu : 1999-00Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award
* Kent Hulst: 2000-01
*Chris Ferraro : 2002-03James H. Ellery Memorial Awards
* Dave Ahlers: 2002-03References
External links
* [http://www.portlandpirates.com Portland Pirates Official Website]
* [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/teamseasons.php?tid=262 The Internet Hockey Database - Portland Pirates]
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