Myrtle Beach ECHL team

Pro hockey team
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team = Myrtle Beach

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city = Conway, South Carolina
league = ECHL
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founded = 1988
arena = YRT2 Arena
colors = Teal, Black, Gold
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affiliates =
name1 = Knoxville Cherokees
dates1 = 1988 to 1997
name2 = Pee Dee/Florence Pride
dates2 = 1997 to 2005
name3 = Myrtle Beach
dates3 = 2009 to future
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The Myrtle Beach ECHL team is a dormant franchise in the ECHL, a minor league of professional ice hockey.

The franchise was previously known as the Knoxville Cherokees and Pee Dee Pride. The Pride suspended its franchise following the 2004-05 season, expecting to return to play in the 2006-07 season in Myrtle Beach.

However, the return of the franchise, which was originally called the Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz, was contingent on the building of a new arena to be called the YRT2 Arena in Conway, South Carolina, to be shared by the team and Coastal Carolina University's basketball program. The project ran into delays and was eventually abandoned in October 2007 [ [http://www.arenadigest.com/archives/2007/oct9_15.htm Coastal Carolina arena plan falls through (scroll to middle of page)] ] . The ECHL has extended the suspension of operation for the franchise until the 2009-10 season [ [http://www.echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi?action=show_news&cat=1&id=14123 ECHL Concludes Mid-Season Board Of Governors Meeting] ] . But unless the arena plan is revived, or an alternate arena (perhaps Myrtle Beach Convention Center) or host city is found, this team may be forced to fold altogether.

The tentative Thunderboltz name and logo features an A-10 Thunderbolt, in reference to the planes which once flew on the runways of the old Air Force Base on the site of the present Myrtle Beach International Airport. It is unknown why the name was abandoned.

References

External links

* [http://www.echl.com ECHL Official Site]