Jacksonville Barracudas

Pro hockey team
text_color = #C80815
bg_color = #000080
team = Jacksonville Barracudas

logosize = 150px
city = Jacksonville, Florida
league = Southern Professional Hockey League
conference =
division =
founded = 2002
arena = Jacksonville Ice
colors = navy blue, red
owner = Stephen Croskrey
coach = Rick Allain
GM = Gilles Richard
media = Florida Times-Union
affiliates =
name1 = Jacksonville Barracudas
dates1 = 2002-2008
dates2 =
name3 =
dates3 =
dates4 =
reg_season_titles = 1 (2003-04 WHA2)

The Jacksonville Barracudas are a Southern Professional Hockey League ice hockey team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Barracudas ownership announced on April 30, 2008 that they have requested a one-year suspension of operations for the 2008-09 season. [ [http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/050108/spc_273989435.shtml Jacksonville.com ] ]

The Barracudas began play in 2002 in the Jacksonville Coliseum in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, which ceased play after the 2002-03 season. During the 2003 offseason the Barracudas changed both buildings and leagues, as the Coliseum was demolished to be replaced by the 15,000 seat Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, and the World Hockey Association 2 was formed.

The WHA2 was envisioned to be a minor league for the renaissance of the New World Hockey Association. Though the new WHA never took the ice, the WHA2 did play for one season, 2003-04.

The Barracudas won both the regular season title and the league championship of the WHA2. On April 16, 2004 the Barracudas won the second consecutive game of a best-of-three series against the Macon Trax to bring the city of Jacksonville its only professional hockey championship.

The WHA2 disbanded in the 2004 offseason, and the Barracudas joined the Southern Professional Hockey League for the 2004-05 season, ending with a third place finish and a semifinal loss in the playoffs. They finished the 2005-06 season in the bottom of the SPHL standings, and improved to above .500 in 2006-07, finishing sixth in the league with a 25-24-7 record.

On April 4, 2007 the Barracudas defeated the Columbus Cottonmouths in a best-of-five playoff series, 3 games to 1, vaulting Jacksonville into the SPHL Finals for their first time. The victory over Columbus advanced the Barracudas to the final round against quarter- and semifinal winner Fayetteville FireAntz. The first two games of the best-of-five final series were won by Fayetteville on the Fireantz' home ice, before the series returned to Jacksonville where the Barracudas won Game 3 of the series by a 3-2 score. On April 18, 2007 the Fireantz won the fourth game of the series by a score of 5-3 to win the SPHL President's Cup. Following the 2006-07 season the Barracudas announced their move to Jacksonville Ice for the subsequent season.

In the 2007-2008 the Barracudas once again advanced to the SPHL playoffs. In Round 1 they defeated the Twin City Cyclones 2 games to none.Round 2 saw the Cudas fall behind 1 game in the series, before putting the Fayetteville FireAntz away in 3 games.The Barracuadas were finally bested in the SPHL Finals, 3 games to none by the regular season champion Knoxville IceBears

The Barracudas' head coach is Rick Allain. From 2003 through 2006 the Barracudas were coached by former NHL player Ron Duguay.

Championships

2007-2008 season roster

* Chad Swartzentruber 3
* Ryan Webb 4
* Billy Rochefort 5
* Jason "Bad to the" Bone 6
* Frank "Nelly" Furdero 7
* Craig "Guns" Geerlinks 9
* Shane Wagner 11
* Rob Colangelo 15
* Geoff Rollins 17
* Andrew Morris 21
* Chris Rebernik 23
* Chris Shaw 24
* Connor MacDonald 25
* Patrick Doherty 27 (IR)
* Ryan Person 30 (Goalie)
* Tim Haun 31 (Goalie)
* Jim Murphy 32 (Assistant Captain)
* Tyrone Garner 33 (Assistant Captain)
* Kahlil Thomas 44 (Captain)

2007-2008 season coaches and staff

*Rick Allain - head coach
* Gilles Richard - general manager
* Dave Paul - Equipment Manager 2007-2008
* Mike Milek - Athletic Trainer
* Nick Tice - assistant equipment manager
* Grant Bridges - assistant equipment manager
* Rob Gorman - Official Time Keeper
* Woody Carlson - Public Address Announcer
* Michelle Durant - Official Score Keeper
* Chomper - mascot

References

External links

* [http://www.jaxcudas.com/ Jacksonville Barracudas homepage]
* [http://www.thesphl.com The Southern Professional Hockey League website]