International Hockey League (2007–)

Infobox sports league

pixels = 150px
caption = United Hockey League logo
sport = Ice hockey
founded = 1991
motto =
teams = 6
country = USA
champion = Fort Wayne Komets
website = [http://www.ihl-hockey.com/ www.ihl-hockey.com]

The International Hockey League is a mid-level professional ice hockey league with teams in the United States. ["Investors have an interest in the UHL," "Portland Press Herald," May 28, 2000] [ [http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/05/15/news/local/doc464a3e0694b79469104694.txt Report: AHL hockey team moving from Omaha to the Quad-Cities / QCTimes.com ] ] ["Lockout's true victims cry out," Sunaya Sapurji, "Toronto Star," November 17, 2004] [ [http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/05/23/news/local/doc4654e4c9ad9bc691549463.txt Mallards call conference / QCTimes.com ] ] [ [http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Sports/2007/1/4/Put_theUHL_on_a_dead_pool_list Chicago News, Events and Culture | Chi-Town Daily News | Put theUHL on a dead pool list ] ] [ [http://gauntlet.ucalgary.ca/story/2362 Gauntlet Sports - The improbable and fantastic journey of Drayton Valley's Eric Schneider ] ] ["IBL team has to play it just right," Krista Latham, "Detroit Free Press," February 3, 2005] The league is headquartered in Rochester, Michigan, and consists of six teams.

The IHL was originally formed in 1991 as the Colonial Hockey League, intended to fill the Great Lakes region niche abandoned by the original International Hockey League as it went upmarket. It had teams in Brantford, Ontario; Detroit, Michigan; Flint, Michigan; St. Thomas, Ontario; and Thunder Bay, Ontario. As the ECHL moved westward (into Toledo, Dayton, and Peoria), the CoHL moved eastward, into places like the Adirondacks, Danbury, CT, Binghamton, NY, and Richmond, VA. During that expansion, the league was renamed the United Hockey League in 1997, before renaming itself to the International Hockey League in 2007.

The name change was intended to evoke the original IHL (1945-2001), which had long-standing franchises in the Great Lakes region. The Fort Wayne Komets were a longstanding member of the original league. In addition, the Kalamazoo Wings and Flint Generals revived the names of the original Kalamazoo and Flint IHL teams. Many of the current IHL players have American Hockey League as well as European pro league experience.

On June 27th, 2007, a dispersal draft was held among the six IHL teams, selecting players from the four 2006-2007 UHL franchises that are no longer part of the newly-named league. Currently, Paul Pickard serves as President and CEO of the IHL; he is also president of Stadium Management Corporation.

2007–08 teams

Colonial/Turner Cup champions

The Turner Cup is awarded to annual playoff championship. The name Turner Cup has been restored as of September 24, 2007 as a tribute to the original IHL. Before this, the trophy given to the league playoff champions was known as the Colonial Cup. The past winners are:
*2008 - Fort Wayne Komets
*2007 - Rockford IceHogs
*2006 - Kalamazoo Wings
*2005 - Muskegon Fury
*2004 - Muskegon Fury
*2003 - Fort Wayne Komets
*2002 - Muskegon Fury
*2001 - Quad City Mallards
*2000 - Flint Generals
*1999 - Muskegon Fury
*1998 - Quad City Mallards
*1997 - Quad City Mallards
*1996 - Flint Generals
*1995 - Thunder Bay Senators
*1994 - Thunder Bay Senators
*1993 - Brantford Smoke
*1992 - Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks

Defunct teams

*Adirondack Frostbite 2004–2006 *Adirondack IceHawks 1997–2004, later Adirondack Frostbite *Asheville Smoke 1998–2002 *Arctic Xpress 2000–2001 (did not play), later Canton Xpress *B.C. Icemen 1997–2002 *Brantford Smoke 1991–1998, later Asheville Smoke *Canton Ice Patrol 2002 (did not play) *Canton Xpress 2001–January 28, 2002 (did not play), later Canton Ice Patrol *Chatham Wheels 1992–1994, later Saginaw Wheels *Chicago Hounds 2006–2007 *Columbus Stars 2003–January 9, 2004 *Danbury Trashers 2004–2006 *Dayton Ice Bandits 1996–1997, later Mohawk Valley Prowlers *Detroit Falcons 1992–1996 *Elmira Jackals 2000–2007 [Jackals moved to ECHL - http://www.echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi?action=show_news&cat=1&id=10749] *Flint Bulldogs 1991–1993, later Utica Bulldogs *Kansas City Outlaws 2004–2005 *Knoxville Speed 1999–2002 *Lehigh Valley Xtreme 2000(did not play) *London Wildcats 1994–1995, later Dayton Ice Bandits *Madison Kodiaks 1999–2000, later Kalamazoo Wings *Madison Monsters 1996–1999, later Knoxville Speed *Michigan Falcons 1991–1992, later Detroit Falcons

*Missouri River Otters 1999–2006 *Mohawk Valley Prowlers 1998– January, 2001 *Motor City Mechanics 2004–2006 *New Haven Knights 2000–2002 *Ohio Gears December 20, 1999–2000, later Arctic Xpress *Port Huron Beacons 2002–2005, later Roanoke Valley Vipers *Port Huron Border Cats 1996–2002 *Port Huron Flags 2005–2007 *Quad City Mallards 1995–2007 *Richmond RiverDogs 2003–2006, later Chicago Hounds *Roanoke Valley Vipers 2005–2006 *Rockford IceHogs 1999–2007 [Had assets bought out by Rockford IceHogs of American Hockey League - http://www.theahl.com/news/league/index.html?article_id=7559] *Saginaw Gears 1998–December 19, 1999, later Ohio Gears *Saginaw LumberKings 1996–1998, later Saginaw Gears *Saginaw Wheels 1994–1996, later Saginaw LumberKings *St. Thomas Wildcats 1991–1994, later London Wildcats *Thunder Bay Senators 1993–1996, later Thunder Bay Thunder Cats *Thunder Bay Thunder Cats 1996–1999, later Rockford IceHogs *Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks 1991–1993, later Thunder Bay Senators *Utica Bulldogs 1993–1994 *Utica Blizzard 1994–1997 *Winston-Salem IceHawks 1997–1999, later Adirondack IceHawks

ee also

*Sports league attendances

References

External links

* [http://ihl-hockey.com/ Official IHL website]
* [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/uhl1998.html UHL Yearly Standings]