- Roanoke Valley Vipers
The Roanoke Valley Vipers were a professional
ice hockey team located inRoanoke, Virginia . They were formed for the 2005-06 season, mainly to fill the gap after theECHL 'sRoanoke Express disbanded and to provide a travel partner near theRichmond RiverDogs . They were a member of theUnited Hockey League and played in theRoanoke Civic Center . They were formed in2002 as thePort Huron Beacons and played there inMcMorran Arena inPort Huron, Michigan through the end of the 2004-05 season. They were unsuccessful on and off the ice, with a losing record in their lone season in Virginia and an average attendance of about 1,000 fans in an arena with a capacity of over 9,000. Local fans complained about high ticket prices and a lower level of play than the ECHL. The midwestern focus of the UHL also made rivalries less intense than they had been with the southeastern and mid-atlantic teams of the ECHL. The owners and their marketing plans were frequently criticized by local media. Local interest in hockey had also failed to recover after the demise of the Express. The Vipers folded on May 15, 2006, shortly after the RiverDogs departed Richmond and became theChicago Hounds .The
Southern Professional Hockey League would likely be the most promising candidate to bring hockey back to theRoanoke Valley in the near future.Official site
* [http://www.valleyvipershockey.com/ Roanoke Valley Vipers official site]
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