Tri-City Americans

Hockey team
team = Tri-City Americans

city = Kennewick, Washington
league = Western Hockey League
conference = Western
division = U.S.
founded = 1988
arena = Toyota Center
colours = Navy Blue, Red, Silver, White
coach = Don Nachbaur
GM = Bob Tory
name1 = Calgary Buffaloes
dates1 = 1966–67
name2 = Calgary Centennials
dates2 = 1967–77
name3 = Billings Bighorns
dates3 = 1977–82
name4 = Nanaimo Islanders
dates4 = 1982–83
name5 = New Westminster Bruins
dates5 = 1983–88
name6 = Tri-City Americans
dates6 = 1988-PresentThe Tri-City Americans are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League, based in Kennewick, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center. Every game is broadcast locally on the Tri City Americans flagship radio station, [Newstalk 870 KFLD AM] , and available for streaming from [Sportsfrequency.com]

History

.

The Americans enjoyed local support until early 2000, the start of 4 owners in 4 years, all wanting to relocate the team to Canada. Between selling off team assets and one owner banning the local newspaper columnist from attending games, the attendance dropped considerably. The lack of any banners in the barn didn't help matters either. Although the ownership group represented by Daryl Porter had stated upon purchasing the team that they would create a local presence (the oft-heard criticism of the ownerships groups), Mr. Porter had still not moved to the Tri-Cities in his 3rd year of ownership. In 2004, Darryl Porter attempted to move the team to Chilliwack, British Columbia in Canada. However, the other Western Hockey League teams voted to prevent the move, including all four other American teams as well as 2 Canadian teams. Shortly after this failure, the team was sold to Tri-Cities natives, including Olaf Kolzig, the former goalie for the Washington Capitals, and Stu Barnes of the Dallas Stars, both former Americans players. Since the sale the team has doubled attendance figures and won the first division championship in team history. Porter and his investment group were later granted the Chilliwack Bruins as an expansion franchise.

On November 29, 1989 Americans goaltender Olaf Kolzig became the first Goalie to register a WHL goal when he attepted a shot on an empty net against the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The Americans annual series with the Highway 395 rival Spokane Chiefs is always intense and full of action, clearly their biggest rival year in and year out. The competitiveness of the two team is such that an annual tradition with the Americans is to play the Chiefs at home on New Years Eve. The only time this tradition was broken was due to a one-day strike by the Americans over the training tactics of one of the coaches.

In the 2002–03 season, sixteen year old goaltender Shannon Szabados became the first female player to compete in the WHL when she played one game for the Americans.

During the 2007–08 WHL season, the Americans won the US Division regular season championship for the first time after a March 15, 2008 showdown with the division rival Spokane Chiefs in Kennewick, Washington at the Toyota Center. The Americans won the Western Conference regular season championship, and the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy for the best overall regular season record in the WHL.

Charitible work and events

The Americans are charitably active in the Tri-City area. Years ago the Americans were one of the first teams to do the teddy bear toss, which was originally called toy trick. This is where the fans throw stuffed animals onto the rink on a selected night when the home team scores their first goal. The players collect the bears and hand them out to various organizations or the players take them along with them when they visit children in the local hospitals. A definite first at the Tri-City rink was the Breast Cancer night. Brian Sandy, Senior VP of business operations and Chief Marketing Officer, dreamed up this event, where the ice is tinted pink and the players wear pink jerseys that are auctioned off at the end of the night. The game on Feb 2, 2008, every jersey sold for the maximum donation of $500 each, with all proceeds supporting breast cancer research.

The Americans also were active in raising start-up funds for the establishment of a local chapter of The First Tee. Players visit schools and hospitals weekly and assist the young hockey players with their practices. Links are provided on their website to other organizations like the local Humane Society, and opportunities have been provided to the Children's Developmental Center to volunteer to aid in the seating at games for a $15,000 check at the season's conclusion.

Current roster

Team records

=NHL alumni=

*Stu Barnes *Milan Bartovic *Alexandre Boikov *Brian Boucher *Jason Bowen *Mike Busniuk *Kimbi Daniels *Brad Ference *Dan Focht

*Scott Gomez *Olaf Kölzig *Zenith Komarniski *Jaroslav Kristek *Jason Labarbera *Daymond Langkow *Scott Levins *Bill Lindsay

*Jason Marshall *Josef Melichar *Steve Passmore *Stephen Peat *Ronald Petrovicky *Chet Pickard *Carey Price *Terry Ryan *Terran Sandwith *Ray Schultz

*Todd Simpson *Dan Smith *Sheldon Souray *Jaroslav Svejkovsky *Billy Tibbetts *Terry Virtue *Vladimir Vujtek *B.J. Young

Retired numbers

8 - Brian Sakic

14 - Stu Barnes, Todd Klassen

33 - Olaf Kölzig

External links

* [http://www.amshockey.com/ Tri-City Americans website]
* [http://www.sportstricities.com/sportstc/hockey/americans/ Tri-City Herald coverage of Tri-City Americans]
* [http://www.newstalk870.am/ Tri-City Americans flagship radio station]