Misplaced Pages

#466533

60-675: The franchise was founded as the Johnstown Chiefs prior to the 1987–88 All-American Hockey League season. The next season, the franchise became one of the founding members of the East Coast Hockey League , which would be rebranded as the ECHL in 2003. The Chiefs would flounder for several years as the owners of the team tried to find new local ownership, but failed. After losing a reported $ 100,000 per year and facing an expensive rent posted by their arena's new owners,

120-649: A 29-save shutout and the Royals defeated the Thunder 6–0 to claim the team's first Kelly Cup. Riley Gill was named the MVP for the playoffs with a 13–4–0 record, a 1.91 a goals against average, a .930 save percentage, and four shutouts. In 2014, Jack Gulati purchased all shares of the ownership of the Royals from SMG and BCCCA. In June 2014, the Philadelphia Flyers announced a two-year affiliation agreement with

180-673: A 40–26–5–1 record and secured the second seed in the South Division for the playoffs. The Swamp Rabbits lost to intrastate rivals, the South Carolina Stingrays , four-games-to-two in the first round. During the 2017–18 season , owner Fred Festa sold the Swamp Rabbits to a multi-partner ownership group called South Carolina Pro Hockey, LLC, headed by former Rochester Americans ' owner Steve Donner . The new ownership group confirmed their intentions of keeping

240-512: A game seven at the BI-LO Center. Greenville never led during regulation, but Brendan Connolly scored the game tying goal with 23 seconds left in the third period to force overtime. The Road Warriors comeback fell short when Wheeling converted a 2-on-1 just over eight minutes into overtime and ended Greenville's season. The Road Warriors' second season in the ECHL saw the team finish second in

300-493: A less successful 2014–15 season that saw the team finish with a 39–29–1–3 record and miss the playoffs for the first time since relocating to Greenville, head coach Dean Stork was released. On August 26, 2015, the team announced that it had officially rebranded itself as the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. The team was renamed to the Swamp Rabbits to strengthen the team's ties to Greenville. The name Swamp Rabbits

360-661: A minor league team called the Charlestown Chiefs. The fans readily jumped on the tie-in, and the Johnstown Chiefs were born. The Chiefs played their home games in the historic 3,745 seat Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, where most of the hockey scenes in the movie Slap Shot were filmed. Despite popular belief, the Chiefs uniforms colors (black, gold, and white) were not chosen because of

420-657: A playoff position for the first time since 2017, but the playoffs were cancelled. In May 2020, the team was sold to Spire Hockey South, a group associated with Spire Sports + Entertainment . The following 2020–21 season , the Hurricanes switched their AHL affiliation from the Checkers to the Chicago Wolves , but the Swamp Rabbits affiliated with the NHL's Florida Panthers in order to keep the nearby AHL affiliation with

480-525: A regular-season conference title with 46–22–4 record. Led by rookie head coach Dean Stork, the Road Warriors had nine players with at least 40 points during the regular season and a defense that gave up the second-fewest goals in the league (192). The 2011 Kelly Cup playoffs began with the top-seeded Road Warriors taking on the eighth-place Elmira Jackals . A split of the first two games in Elmira left

540-679: The 2018–19 season independent of an NHL affiliate after the Rangers affiliated with the new Maine Mariners for 2018–19 instead, and the Swamp Rabbits finished tied for last place in the league. On June 26, 2019, the Swamp Rabbits announced an affiliation agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Charlotte Checkers for the 2019–20 season . The season was curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic with Swamp Rabbits in

600-475: The 2020–21 ECHL season . The team returned for the 2021–22 season with another renewed affiliation with the Flyers. On June 13, 2022, MacDonald announced he would resign as head coach. On June 17, 2022, the Royals announced that James Henry would take over as head coach. On August 8, 2022, the Royals and Flyers announced that their partnership extended throughout the 2023–24 season with an option to extend

660-485: The All-American Hockey League , and moved to the East Coast Hockey League (now ECHL) when the league was formed. The Chiefs lasted for 22 years in Johnstown, and was the last of the founding ECHL teams playing under its original name and in its original city. The Chiefs relocated to Greenville, South Carolina , following the completion of the 2010 season . The owners originally wanted to name

SECTION 10

#1732780429467

720-722: The Boston Bruins for the 2007–08 season. Prior to the 2008–09 season the Chiefs re-signed their affiliation with the Avalanche and entered into an affiliation agreement with the Columbus Blue Jackets , replacing the Bruins, on August 22, 2008. For the 2009–10 season , the Chiefs were the secondary minor league affiliate to the Minnesota Wild . Jeff Flanagan took up the role of head coach to start

780-606: The Greenville Grrrowl , who played in the ECHL from 1998 to 2006 when the ECHL revoked Greenville's franchise rights. On February 17, 2010, the league announced that the Chiefs would be relocating to Greenville after the league's Board of Governors voted unanimously in favor of the move. News of the relocation also made the press in New York City , including the New York Times , due to Smith being

840-626: The Kelly Cup playoffs in 2004 in their third season, winning the North Division playoff championship under head coach Derek Clancey. In the next season, they became the North Division regular season champions, only to lose to the eventual Kelly Cup champion Trenton Titans in the North Division Finals. Under coach Karl Taylor from 2005 to 2008, the Royals had generally mediocre performance in regular season performances. In

900-594: The Los Angeles Kings and the Ontario Reign announced a 2-year affiliate extension with the Swamp Rabbits that will start in the beginning of the 2024-25 season and end in the 2025-26 season. Official website Johnstown Chiefs The Johnstown Chiefs were a minor league ice hockey team located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania , that played in the ECHL . The team was founded in 1987 in

960-476: The Ontario Reign . The new team would also become the primary affiliate for AEG's Kings and Monarchs. On July 9, 2008, the Royals became the affiliate of the Boston Bruins and a secondary affiliate for the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2008–09 season. The Royals continued to wear their colors of purple, black, and silver. The Santander Arena and the city of Reading, Pennsylvania , were also named

1020-676: The Trenton Titans , the Royals reached their one millionth fan in attendance. The Royals hosted two ECHL All-Star Games; one in 2005 and one in 2009. The Royals were the 2013 ECHL Kelly Cup champions. They earned the title with a five-game victory over the Stockton Thunder in the 2013 Kelly Cup Finals . The Reading Royals were founded in 1991 as the Columbus Chill . David Paitson was the team's first president and general manager while former NHL player Terry Ruskowski

1080-701: The 1970s), but he did not have enough money to buy them. Grennell agreed to pay for the uniforms using his own credit card. Coincidentally, the Chiefs' first minor league affiliation would be with the Boston Bruins. The Chiefs along with the Wheeling Thunderbirds (now known as the Wheeling Nailers ) played the role of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1995 film Sudden Death starring Jean-Claude Van Damme . The premise

1140-741: The 2001–02 season as the Reading Royals. When the franchise returned to active status in the ECHL, they became the affiliate of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs . At the time, the Royals were partially owned by the same owners of the Kings and Monarchs, the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). The rest of the ownership was by Santander Arena management, SMG . The Royals made their first trip to

1200-602: The 2007–08 season, skaters Dany Roussin and Brock Hooton enjoyed some fame in Reading due to their "goal-a-game" nature for much of the season, while tough-guys Steven Later and Malcolm MacMillan were among league leaders in penalty minutes. After a strong finish to the regular season, Taylor led the team to the North Division Finals where their tour ended in a seven-game battle with the Cincinnati Cyclones . The Cyclones continued on to sweep past other teams to win

1260-626: The 2009–10 season as full-time head coach. On August 4, 2009, The Royals announced it renewed their affiliations with the Bruins and Maple Leafs and the AHL's Toronto Marlies . In 2011, AEG sold off its shares of the Royals to the Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA). On July 9, 2012, the Royals became the affiliate of the Washington Capitals . At the end of their first season with

SECTION 20

#1732780429467

1320-504: The 2018–19 season with a six-game win streak and eight-game point streak, finishing with 78 points and a 34–28–4–6 record, but were one point behind the Brampton Beast for the final playoff spot in the North Division. Reading had the most points of any team to miss the 2019 Kelly Cup playoffs . The Royals used eight goaltenders through the season, tied for the most in team history. Jamie Phillips went 8–2–0–1 in his final 12 games of

1380-668: The Cambria County War Memorial Arena during the 2010–11 ECHL season. At the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, fourteen seasons after their final season in Johnstown, there were a dozen former Chiefs players still active in professional and semi-professional hockey. Records as of 2009–10 season. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, PCT = Winning percentage, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes The Chiefs had several NHL and AHL affiliations while in

1440-705: The Capitals, the Royals won the 2013 Kelly Cup by defeating the Stockton Thunder in five games. Captain Yannick Tifu played in every regular season and postseason game, scoring a game-winning goal in the final minutes of game four of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cincinnati Cyclones . Reading won the first three games of the 2013 Kelly Cup Finals against the Stockton Thunder. On May 25, 2013, goaltender Riley Gill had

1500-461: The Checkers. On August 23, 2022, the Los Angeles Kings announced a 2-year affiliation with the Swamp Rabbits. On January 16, 2023, team broadcaster Mark Shelley was selected to broadcast the 2023 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic on NHL Network from Norfolk, Virginia. Shelley later became the first Swamp Rabbits broadcaster to be named ECHL Broadcaster of the Year on June 29, 2023. On April 16, 2024,

1560-615: The Chiefs began taking offers to relocate the team. On February 13, 2010, the Tribune-Democrat newspaper began reporting that parties in Greenville, South Carolina, were in negotiations with Chiefs' owner Neil Smith about relocating the team for the 2009–10 season out of the BI-LO Center . Two days later, it was confirmed previous reports that the Chiefs would relocate, pending approval by Greenville's arena board and

1620-689: The Chiefs, only one player (Don Parsons) won the All-Star Game MVP. Only one player (Rob Leask) participated in the ECHL All-Star Game multiple times while representing the Chiefs. Two players that participated in the All-Star Game as a representative of the Chiefs (David Gove and Derrick Walser) eventually went on to play in the National Hockey League . Additionally, several Chiefs' players were named to

1680-475: The ECHL All-Star Game but did not participate for various reasons. Members of the Chiefs' coaching staff represented the team three times. Frank Anzalone represented the team twice, while Ian Herbers also represented the team. The following players were named to the ECHL All-Star team, announced at the end of the season. The following players received individual awards from the ECHL, announced at

1740-550: The ECHL's board of governors. On February 15, the Greenville Arena District Board announced that they had agreed to a five-year deal to bring the Chiefs to the Bi-Lo Center. Cincinnati Cyclones assistant coach Dean Stork was named the team's first head coach on June 29. The Greenville Road Warriors' inaugural season was successful and they became the second first-year team in the ECHL to win

1800-463: The ECHL. They were first affiliated with the Boston Bruins in 1991 and held affiliations with eight NHL teams. The Chiefs retired four numbers: the numbers of Don Hall, Dick Roberge, Galen Head and Reg Kent, all of whom had played for the Johnstown Jets. Twenty-two players participated in the ECHL All-Star game as a member of the Johnstown Chiefs. Of the twenty-two players who represented

1860-525: The Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in their four-year history. The beginning of the season got off to the worst start in team history. Aside from the first few weeks of the season, the team did not peak over a .500 winning percentage until the second weekend in January. The Road Warriors then earned a three-game weekend sweep of the Evansville IceMen . From February 8 through March 28,

Greenville Swamp Rabbits - Misplaced Pages Continue

1920-433: The Greenville and captain T.J. Reynolds played in his 600th professional game. The Road Warriors also saw a 9% rise in attendance over the previous season. On three occasions, the team had record crowds larger than any from the previous two seasons with largest of 7,529 on March 2, 2013. In the first half of the season, Gwinnett and Greenville traded the first-place position in the South Division. However, after going 26–14–4 in

1980-456: The Kelly Cup, but the Royals were the only team to take them to seven games in the playoffs. Some better-known players during this era who played for the Royals include Los Angeles Kings goaltenders Barry Brust , Jonathan Quick , and Yutaka Fukufuji ; Phoenix Coyotes winger Ryan Flinn ; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer ; and Anaheim Ducks winger George Parros , who was

2040-501: The Road Warriors earned a 16–4–0 record, putting them in playoff contention. This push helped the team clinch the sixth playoff seed with a 39–27–2–4 record and fourth consecutive playoff appearance under Dean Stork. The Road Warriors drew the Kalamazoo Wings in the first round of the playoffs. The series began with the teams splitting games and was evened at two games apiece to even the series going into game five. On April 26,

2100-456: The Road Warriors played the longest game to date in a three overtime battle against the Wings. Kyle Jean scored the winning goal in a game that lasted 4 hours and 21 minutes. The Road Warriors won game six to move on to the second round for the first time in two years. The Wheeling Nailers were the next opponent in the 2014 Kelly Cup playoffs . The Road Warriors began the series winning two games on

2160-436: The Royals in the North Division semifinals. The Monarchs won the first two games of the series in double overtime despite goaltender John Muse making 54 saves in game one and 53 in game two. In game three, Muse registered 52 saves, giving the three-highest postseason save performances from a Reading netminder in a four-day span. Forward Matt Willows lead the team with 32 goals and 74 points before he announced his retirement after

2220-486: The Royals, giving the Flyers an entirely Pennsylvania based minor league system for the first time since 1997–98. The Flyers and Royals agreed to a multi-year affiliation extension in 2016. During his eighth full season as head coach, Courville announced he would be stepping down at the end of the 2016–17 season. However, one day after qualifying for the 2017 playoffs , he was fired by the Royals and replaced by assistant Kirk MacDonald on an interim basis. The interim tag

2280-546: The South Division, fourth in the Eastern Conference, with a 41–25–6 record. The team posted the sixth-most goals (232, 3.22 per game). Justin Bowers finished third in the league with 78 points and was second with 59 assists while Brandon Wong (31, 6th) and Marc-Olivier Vallerand (30, 7th) finished in the top ten in the league in goals. On the defensive side, rookie goalie, and New York Rangers prospect, Jason Missiaen

2340-616: The Swamp Rabbits in Greenville. At the end of the season and a last place finish in the Eastern Conference, the Swamp Rabbits fired third-year head coach Brian Gratz with a compiled 93–99–21–3 record. The team then hired Kevin Kerr as head coach after serving in the same capacity with the Macon Mayhem in the Southern Professional Hockey League for the previous three seasons. The Swamp Rabbits also played

2400-502: The end of the season. Reading Royals The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL . The team participates in the North Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Santander Arena located in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania . Since 2001, the Royals have ranked among ECHL leaders in regular season attendance. On March 25, 2006, against

2460-535: The fans in attendance, the Chiefs name, logo, team records and history would not follow the franchise to Greenville, but would remain in Johnstown under ownership by a non-profit group to possibly be used again should a new team enter the ECHL in the city. The Wheeling Nailers , the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins , announced prior to the Chiefs season finale that they would play 10 of their 36 regular season home games and one preseason game at

Greenville Swamp Rabbits - Misplaced Pages Continue

2520-425: The final game of the season as Florida notched a 3–2 win and completed the sweep. During the 2012 playoffs, the Road Warriors' owners, Neil Smith and Steve Posner, sold the franchise to a local ownership group led by Fred Festa and his Chestnut Street Sports LLC. The 2012–13 season was one of many milestones for the Road Warriors, both individual and as a team. Head coach Dean Stork getting his 100th victory behind

2580-507: The first Royal to appear in the Stanley Cup finals. Veteran Larry Courville and former head coach Derek Clancey have also contributed to the Royals organization. The 2007–08 season would be Karl Taylor's last with the Royals organization. In late June 2008, general manager Gordon Kaye announced that Taylor would leave Reading to serve as coach for the AEG's newly acquired ECHL franchise,

2640-514: The first half of the season the team struggled during the second half and went 10–13–4. Greenville fell to the bottom of the Eastern Conference and clinched the eighth playoff seed with 80 points in the regular season. The Road Warriors' opponent in the best-of-seven series, the Reading Royals , collected 99 points for the first seed in the Eastern Conference. Greenville was shutout in games one and two in Reading. Back on home ice, Greenville

2700-680: The former president and governor of the New York Rangers and former general manager of the New York Islanders . The team, renamed the Greenville Road Warriors , then became affiliated with the Rangers. The team played their final game as the Johnstown Chiefs on Saturday April 3, 2010. The result was a 5–3 loss to the Elmira Jackals . According to a pre-game address by minority owner Ned Nakles to

2760-478: The hosts of the 2009 All-Star Game and Skills Challenge. On July 24, 2008, Reading announced that Jason Nobili would be head coach for the 2008–09 season. Unfortunately, Nobili was unable to coax much from the team and was dismissed by Kaye on January 6, 2009, with the team in last place overall in the ECHL. Larry Courville was named as interim coach for the remainder of the season. On April 4, 2009, general manager Gordon Kaye announced that Courville would return for

2820-550: The local fans' connection to the Steelers , Pirates , and Penguins . Shortly after the emergency lease had been approved by the Cambria County War Memorial, head coach Joe Selenski traveled to Canada to find the team uniforms and called War Memorial Marketing Director Dennis Grenell at 3:00 AM to tell him that the only uniforms he could find were black and gold (similar to the Boston Bruins ' uniforms of

2880-544: The playoffs for five of the eight seasons. The Chill were a key part of the growth of hockey in Columbus, Ohio , and paved the way for the National Hockey League expansion Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000. The Chill then suspended operations for in 1999 to make room for the Blue Jackets. The Chill franchise relocated during their inactive two year status to their present location in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania , for

2940-418: The road. The Nailers battled back to even the series. While in front of home fans, the Road Warriors won game five by a score of 4–1 and three nights later, shutout the Nailers 4–0 in game six to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cincinnati Cyclones . The two games again split the first four games, but the Cyclones won games five and six to end the Road Warriors hopes at a championship. After

3000-443: The season after being reassigned to Reading at the trade deadline. Chris McCarthy had a career-best 54 assists and 74 points (third in league). On May 9, 2019, the Royals re-signed head coach Kirk McDonald to a two-year contract extension. The Royals and Flyers also renewed their affiliation though at least the 2019–20 season with a 2020–21 renewal option. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the Royals voluntarily suspended operations for

3060-453: The season. Muse split the season between Reading and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL and tied for a league-high .931 save percentage. The Royals took 658 penalty minutes, the fewest in ECHL history. During the 2018–19 season , the Royals' owner Jack Gulati agreed to sell the team back to the Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA), the previous ownership and the owners of Santander Arena, on June 30, 2019. The Royals concluded

SECTION 50

#1732780429467

3120-451: The series tied and headed back to Greenville. The Road Warriors took the next two games, a 2–0 win in game three and an overtime win in game four, to move on to the second round. The Road Warriors then took on the Wheeling Nailers , splitting the first two games at the BI-LO Center. The Nailers then went up 3–1 in the series with wins in games three and four in Wheeling. Greenville responded by winning game five (5–1) and game six (6–3) to force

3180-425: The team the Jets in honor of a team that had played in Johnstown from 1950 to 1977, mostly in the Eastern Hockey League . However, the old Jets' former owners still held the trademark for the name and refused to allow the new team to use it. A contest was held by the owners, allowing the people of Johnstown to vote for the new team name. The cult hockey movie Slap Shot had been filmed in Johnstown, and featured

3240-450: The year. After leading the team to an ECHL cellar dwelling 9–19–7 record, Flanagan was fired, replaced for the remainder of the season by majority owner Neil Smith on January 10, 2010. In February 2010, the Tribune-Democrat reported that television reports from Greenville, South Carolina , stated that the Chiefs would be relocated to Greenville following the season and compete at the BI-LO Center . Greenville had previously been home to

3300-425: Was 12–5–2 over a span where he played of 18 of 19 games, finishing the season with 22 wins. In the playoffs, Greenville took on the fifth-seeded Florida Everblades in a best-of-five Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. Florida had won eight of its final 10 games of the regular season and the Road Warriors lost the first two games in Florida by scores of 5–2 and 4–2 before returning home for game three. It would be

3360-416: Was a local name of the Greenville and Northern Railway that began operations in 1920. In 2005 the railroad was abandoned and was converted to the Swamp Rabbit Trail . The first season of the Swamp Rabbits and under first-year head coach Brian Gratz was 29–33–9–1. The New York Rangers extended their affiliation with Greenville through the 2017–18 season. The Swamp Rabbits would finish the 2016–17 season with

3420-400: Was finally scored in game three and a 4–2 victory. The Road Warriors then lost the next two games and Reading collected two more shutouts in games four and five to win the series 4-games-to-1. Reading would go on to win the Kelly Cup, making 2012–13 the second straight season the Road Warriors would be eliminated by the eventual league champions. The 2013–14 season saw the Road Warriors reach

3480-412: Was removed from MacDonald a few weeks after the Royals were eliminated in the first round of the 2017 playoffs. The Royals' first season under Kirk MacDonald resulted in a third-place finish in the North Division with a 39–24–9–0 record and 87 points. Reading finished two points behind the Adirondack Thunder for first place. The Manchester Monarchs earned 88 points in the regular season and then swept

3540-467: Was the Penguins playing the Chicago Blackhawks for the Stanley Cup when terrorists attempt to hold the Vice President hostage in the arena. On August 17, 2007, the Chiefs announced that they entered into an affiliation agreement with the NHL's Colorado Avalanche . During the 2007–08 season, the Chiefs served as the Avalanche's secondary minor league affiliate. On September 18, 2007, the Chiefs announced they had also entered an affiliation agreement with

3600-491: Was the head coach, started the team with a goal of introducing new audiences to the sport of ice hockey and building a strong fan base. The two were successful with the help of an extensive marketing plan. The Chill's 83-game sellout streak beginning in early January 1992 still stands as a minor league hockey record today. It would take the team two seasons to reach the playoffs, doing so in 1994 under coach Ruskowski. The Chill would go on to win two conference championships and make

#466533