The Stockton Thunder were a minor league professional ice hockey team that was based in Stockton, California , and a member of the ECHL . The Stockton Arena was their home ice, with a capacity of 9,737. The team was an affiliate team of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League in their final two seasons. The team was purchased by the Calgary Flames and relocated to Glens Falls, New York , as the Flames relocated their American Hockey League team to Stockton to become the Stockton Heat .
65-825: The Stockton Thunder were founded as the first incarnation of the Cincinnati Cyclones , an expansion franchise that joined the East Coast Hockey League in 1990 . The Cyclones would reach the Riley Cup playoffs in their first two seasons, and the semifinals in the 1991–92 season . Following the 1991–92 season, Cincinnati's owner Doug Kirchhofer was granted an expansion franchise in the International Hockey League and took all Cyclones colors, logos and monikers to be adopted by his future Cincinnati IHL franchise. The ECHL moved
130-751: A 6–3 win at Johnstown . Cincinnati's 2008–09 season was not as successful as the previous one, but they won 41 games for 87 points, repeating as North Division champions. They won a seven-game series against the Wheeling Nailers , including a double overtime game seven win, and swept the Elmira Jackals to win the North Division playoff title. However, the Cyclones would be swept by the South Carolina Stingrays in
195-495: A 96-99-22 record. On August 23, 2011, the Reign announced that Jason Christie would succeed Taylor as head coach for the 2011–12 season. On August 24, 2011, the team announced that Christie would be joined behind the bench by former Los Angeles Kings defenseman and assistant coach Mark Hardy . The Reign finished the 2011–12 season with a franchise-best 43-21-5-3 record and clinched their second Pacific Division title. The name
260-549: A higher level. Before the 2014–15 season, Skalde was appointed as Norfolk's head coach. Cincinnati came back strong under new head coach Ben Simon in 2013–14, with 41 wins and 91 points for a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Cincinnati would win three series against the Orlando Solar Bears , Fort Wayne Komets , and Greenville Road Warriors , all in six games, earning their third trip to
325-603: A name-the-team contest. That same month, former Cyclones forward and coach Chris Cichocki was named the first head coach in Thunder history. Before the 2006–07 season , the Thunder reached an affiliation agreement with the National Hockey League 's Edmonton Oilers to be their secondary affiliate after the American Hockey League 's Springfield Falcons . Midway through the 2009–10 season ,
390-678: A professional ice hockey team from Ontario, California that played in the ECHL . Their home arena was the then Citizens Business Bank Arena . They were affiliated with two National Hockey League teams: the Los Angeles Kings were the team's primary affiliate, and the Winnipeg Jets were the secondary affiliate. In 2015, the franchise moved to Manchester, New Hampshire , to become the Manchester Monarchs while
455-630: A record setting crowd, 12,722 fans, at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati on June 5, the Cyclones defeated Las Vegas in game six, 3–1, to take the championship and their 71st win of the season. Goalie Cedrick Desjardins was named the Kelly Cup Playoff MVP. After the Cyclones cup win, coach Chuck Weber and assistant coach Dean Stork received multi-year extensions. Weber was also given the title of vice president. On November 29, Weber picked up his 100th professional head coaching victory with
520-535: A role in the AHL. Following Simon's promotion, Matt Macdonald became Cincinnati's head coach. In the 2014–15 season , Cincinnati finished fifth in the North Division of the Eastern Conference with a record of 31–30–2–9. The team would miss the playoffs by only three points. On February 27, 2016, the Cyclones played in front of their first-ever sellout at US Bank Arena with 16,529 fans were in attendance for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Night and one dollar pizza slices. While
585-710: A total record of 59–32–4. The Cyclones underwent several changes before the 2010–11 season when assistant coach Dean Stork became the head coach of the Greenville Road Warriors in June and head coach Chuck Weber was promoted to the American Hockey League as head coach of the Rochester Americans on July 27. On August 4, Cincinnati signed a new affiliation agreement with the NHL's Florida Panthers , who used Rochester as their AHL farm team, creating
650-510: A working relationship between Chuck Weber and his former Cyclones team. On August 12, Cincinnati named Jarrod Skalde as the new head coach. After undergoing this major coaching overhaul and losing a large portion of their roster, the Cyclones went on to post their third lowest points total in franchise history. They were still able to earn a seventh seed in the ECHL playoffs, but lost in the first round to Reading Royals, three-games-to-one. In 2011,
715-606: Is the second time Buffalo has affiliated with a Cincinnati hockey team, after the Sabres' affiliation with the Cincinnati Swords in the 1970s. Prior to the 2018–19 season , head coach Matt Mcdonald was hired as an assistant with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL. He was replaced by Matt Thomas , who then led the team to the regular season title and second Brabham Cup in franchise history and won
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#1732787124278780-707: The 1993–94 season . Following the 2000–01 season , the Birmingham Bulls would move to Atlantic City, New Jersey and become the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies . The Boardwalk Bullies would find success quickly in the ECHL, reaching the Conference Finals during the 2002 Kelly Cup playoffs and winning the Northeast Division title the following season. The Boardwalk Bullies would continue their streak through
845-478: The 1995–96 season , but lost in a seven-game semifinal series to the Orlando Solar Bears . In 1997, the Cyclones' lease agreement with the Cincinnati Gardens came to an end when the two sides were unable to reach an agreement for a new contract. Team owner, Doug Kirchhofer, purchased what then was known as Riverfront Coliseum in downtown Cincinnati, renamed it The Crown and renovated the arena. During
910-420: The 2010 Kelly Cup Final , four-games-to-one. Cincinnati scored game-winning goals within the last minute in the first two games, a 3–2 win on a goal by Mark Van Guilder with 49.2 seconds remaining on May 14, and a 1–0 win the next night, when Mathieu Aubin netted the only goal in the contest and only with 20.1 seconds remaining in regulation. The series shifted to US Bank Arena and witnessed an Idaho victory within
975-566: The AHL affiliate of the Thunder for the 2010–11 season. The Thunder and San Jose Sharks also announced an affiliation partnership, aligning the two local teams and giving the Thunder a dual NHL affiliation for the first time in club history. As a result, Stockton had AHL affiliates in both Oklahoma City and Worcester . In 2012, the Thunder announced an exclusive affiliation with the Edmonton Oilers, choosing not to renew their agreement with
1040-552: The International Hockey League (1992–2001) and the ECHL (1990–1992, 2001–2004, 2006–present). Together, the franchises have combined to win two Kelly Cups (2008 and 2010), three conference championships (2008, 2010 and 2014), two overall points championships (2008 and 2019), and six division championships (1996, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2019 and 2023). In 2007–08, the team had the most successful season in ECHL history with 55 wins, 115 points, and its first conference and league championships. There have been three separate franchises known as
1105-591: The John Brophy Award for coach of the year. Despite the regular season success, the team lost in the division finals four games to one to the Toledo Walleye . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the Cyclones voluntarily suspended operations for the 2020–21 ECHL season . Prior to the start of the 2021–22 season , head coach Thomas was hired by the AHL's Providence Bruins as an assistant coach and
1170-473: The Johnstown Chiefs 5–2 in Cincinnati. On February 23, 2008, David Desharnais recorded two assists, extending his streak of games with at least one assist to 18, breaking the existing ECHL record of 17. In the same game, the Cyclones set a new ECHL record for a single-season winning streak of 15 consecutive wins when the Cyclones defeated the Elmira Jackals in a 5–4 shootout. The team finished
1235-594: The Monarchs of the American Hockey League (AHL) then moved to California to become the new Ontario Reign as part of the AHL's plan to create a Pacific Division. The Reign started as the Huntington Blizzard in 1993. After the 1999–2000 season , the team went dormant until 2003, when new owners bought the team and moved it to Beaumont, Texas as the Texas Wildcatters . The team played as
1300-529: The National Hockey League . Cincinnati Cyclones The Cincinnati Cyclones are an ice hockey team based in Cincinnati . The team is a member of the ECHL . Originally established in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at Heritage Bank Center . Cincinnati has fielded Cyclones teams with three separate franchises in two different leagues:
1365-589: The Pensacola Ice Pilots at U.S. Bank Arena with a score of 3–1. Head coach Chuck Weber was the runner-up for the ECHL's Coach of the Year award for 2006–07 and was re-signed for the 2007–08 season . In addition to the Montreal/Hamilton affiliation, the Cyclones added the NHL's Nashville Predators and the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals as affiliates in 2007. The Cyclones' 2007–08 season saw
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#17327871242781430-898: The Stockton Heat prior to the 2015–16 season . Since relocating from Atlantic City and taking up residence as the flagship tenant in the state-of-the-art, waterfront Stockton Arena venue, the Thunder built a reputation with one of the most passionate, loyal fan bases in minor league hockey. Stockton led the ECHL in attendance for four straight years (from 2005–06 to 2008–09) following the Florida Everblades ' five-year run from 2000 to 2005. Stockton drew over an average of 6,000 fans per game or more from 2005 to 2011, and had 14 recorded sellouts at their 9,737-seat home ice venue since 2005. List of Stockton Thunder alumni who played more than 25 games in Stockton and 25 or more games in
1495-797: The 2003 Kelly Cup playoffs, winning the Kelly Cup after defeating the Columbia Inferno , 4 games to 1. Despite winning a division crown and making playoff appearances in all of their four seasons in New Jersey, including the 2003 Kelly Cup championship, the Boardwalk Bullies were unable to maintain a large average attendance. For the 2004–05 season , the Bullies formed a partnership with the New York Islanders of
1560-630: The American Conference Finals. The 2009–10 season proved to be more successful with 44 wins and 91 points, the wins total being the most in the American Conference. Despite that, the Cyclones finished second in the North Division to the Kalamazoo Wings and fifth in the conference. This led to a rematch with fourth seeded, and defending champion, South Carolina in the first round, where Cincinnati defeated
1625-580: The Cincinnati Cyclones, two in the ECHL and one in the IHL. The first franchise to use the name Cincinnati Cyclones was founded in 1990 . The team played their games at the Cincinnati Gardens . They lost in the first round of the playoffs in the 1990–91 season. In the 1991–92 season , the Cyclones lost in the Riley Cup semifinals. The team's owner at the time, Doug Kirchhofer, was granted an International Hockey League franchise and chose to move
1690-666: The Cyclones announced that they would participate in the upcoming 2006–07 ECHL season . They returned to play their home games at U.S. Bank Arena, joining their two ECHL, Ohio rivals, the Dayton Bombers and Toledo Storm . They then obtained an affiliation with the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL and the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL . The Cyclones won their first game back in the ECHL on October 20 against
1755-462: The Cyclones name to that franchise. He then sold the ECHL franchise to Art Clarkson of Birmingham, Alabama , to form the new Birmingham Bulls . The first season in the IHL, Cincinnati failed to qualify for the postseason, which would be the first of only two seasons in which they did not qualify. Paul Lawless , who would eventually be head coach and vice president of player development and have his number retired, began his first of several stints with
1820-423: The Cyclones named Jason Payne as the next head coach. After introducing their current mascot, Twister, in 1995, the Cyclones had always included him in their uniform design. In fact, from 1996 to 2014 he was the centerpiece of the jerseys they wore. However, prior to the 2014–15 season, the organization did a complete revamp of the uniforms and their colors. Twister was removed from the uniform completely along with
1885-589: The E.A. "Bud" Gingher Memorial Trophy. The Cyclones then defeated the National Conference Champion Las Vegas Wranglers in the Kelly Cup Finals, clinching their first championship in team history in six games. After splitting the first two games in Cincinnati (Cincinnati 4–3 and Las Vegas 1–0), the series shifted to Las Vegas, where Cincinnati won games three and five to take a 3–2 series lead. In front of
1950-542: The ECHL ended the team's streak of 90+ point seasons with the Cyclones finishing just 12 points shy despite a 10-game fewer season length. Former Cyclones player Paul Lawless became head coach, as a mid-season replacement for Ray Edwards. Before the start of the 2003–04 season former Cyclones player and assistant coach Chris Cichocki left the Arkansas RiverBlades in order to return as the Cyclones head coach. Despite his success with Arkansas, Cichocki led
2015-538: The Florida Panthers moved their AHL affiliation to the San Antonio Rampage as well their AHL head coach, Chuck Weber.. Despite heavy support by new AHL affiliate, the 2011–12 season would still be unsuccessful. The Cyclones had a slow start to the season and while they stayed competitive throughout the rest of the season, they earned only 35 wins and 79 points. Cincinnati would finish tenth in
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2080-477: The Kelly Cup Finals. They faced the Brabham Cup winning Alaska Aces , but would lose the series in six games. Despite the loss in the final, Cincinnati goaltender Rob Madore was named Most Valuable Player of the 2014 Kelly Cup playoffs , becoming the first player from the losing team to win the award in the ECHL's 26-year history, and the fourth Cincinnati goaltender to either win the trophy outright or share
2145-589: The NHL and Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League . Following that season, they were sold to an ownership group in Stockton, California that moved the team into Stockton Arena which was due to open during the 2005–06 season . The Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies were relocated to Stockton following the 2004–05 season and the franchise was renamed the Stockton Thunder in May 2005 after Thunder beat out Brawlers, Fog, Skate, Spears and Stallions in
2210-565: The Pacific Division champion Ontario Reign . The series featured five separate one-goal games and Stockton won game seven, 5-4 at Ontario behind Craig Valette's eventual game-winning goal. The Las Vegas Wranglers , the defending Conference champion, eliminated Stockton in another seven-game series, 4-3, in the Conference Semifinal. Following a start to the 2009–10 season at 5-11-3 and 1-6-3 on their own home ice,
2275-406: The Reign. During the 2009–10 regular season, the Reign went 31-31-3-7 and despite being a playoff contender until almost the last regular season game, they were unable to secure a playoff berth. The Reign had a total attendance of 232,223 at 36 home games, an average of 6,451 per game and over 10% higher than the previous season. This was more than enough to capture the league attendance record for
2340-661: The San Jose Sharks. On July 31, 2013, the Thunder announced a renewed affiliation, for the 2013–14 season, with the New York Islanders and Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. On January 30, 2015, the Calgary Flames purchased the Thunder's ECHL franchise rights and relocated the team to Glens Falls, New York to become the Adirondack Thunder . The Adirondack Flames , also owned by the Calgary Flames , relocated from Glens Falls to Stockton to become
2405-744: The Stingrays in five games. Veteran captain Barrett Eghotz scored in overtime for the 3–2 win in game five and was the third straight overtime game in the series. The Cyclones then faced the top seeded Charlotte Checkers , defeating the Checkers in game seven with a 2–1 victory. Cincinnati drew the Reading Royals in the American Conference Final. The seven-game series was marred by several incidents, both on and off
2470-580: The Thunder acquired forwards J.F. Caudron, Matt Robinson, Brett Hemingway and defensemen Anthony Aiello and Justin DaCosta through a series of trades and free-agent signings in December to go 28-19-7 overall and 16-6-4 at Stockton Arena for the remainder of the regular season, at one point moving to a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with the Bakersfield Condors in the final week of
2535-593: The Thunder would pick up a working partnership agreement with the San Jose Sharks . In January 2007, the Thunder and Stockton Arena were chosen to host the 2008 ECHL All-Star Game . Three Thunder players, Ryan MacMurchy , Brad Farynuk , and Andy Contois , were selected to the National Conference's All-Star team. The National Conference would win the exhibition, defeating the American Conference 10–7 and Victoria Salmon Kings ' forward Ash Goldie
2600-583: The Wildcatters until they were unable to secure an arena lease in Beaumont in 2008. On February 26, 2008, the team announced its plan to relocate to Ontario for the 2008–09 season and became the Ontario Reign. The team's logo was unveiled on March 17, 2008. During the 2008–09 regular season, the Reign went 38-29-4-2 and captured the 2008–09 Pacific Division championship. However, their success
2665-462: The Year honors. Cincinnati would go on to win a pair of six-game wins against the Toledo Walleye and Gwinnett Gladiators before losing a five-game conference final to the top seeded Reading Royals, who would go on to win the Kelly Cup. On July 9, 2013, coach Skalde accepted an assistant's position with the AHL's Norfolk Admirals , becoming the second consecutive Cyclones coach to be promoted to
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2730-412: The club break numerous franchise and league records. Through 50 games, the Cyclones were 31 games over .500. Attendance at games had increased nearly 40% over 2006–07 and the club had already surpassed their win total from 2006 to 2007 (37). They achieved this mark in 24 fewer games. On February 22, 2008, the Cyclones tied the ECHL record for a single-season winning streak of 14 consecutive games, defeating
2795-403: The color yellow. The shade of red used was also changed from a darker maroon style red to a more bright royal red. The logo now is described as being a twister, or cyclone, in the center of a "C" standing for, Cincinnati. The jersey concepts also changed from being a classic hockey style to a more modern era look. The home, away, and alternate jerseys have red shoulders and red stripes that begin at
2860-460: The conference, marking only the third time in their 20-season history that they did not make the playoffs. The Cyclones made a complete turnaround the next season, beginning the season unbeaten in regulation for the first nine games. Their 42 wins and 92 points won the North Division regular season championship, their third such accolade in six seasons, and placed them second in the Eastern Conference. The season earned head coach Jarrod Skalde Coach of
2925-622: The cross-town, Cincinnati Gardens-based AHL rival, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks . The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks suspended operations in 2005 after their NHL affiliate, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim , switched their affiliation to the Portland Pirates . With minor league hockey dormant in Cincinnati for a year, and plans for the proposed AHL Cincinnati RailRaiders franchise scrapped for 2006–07 , on April 21, 2006,
2990-531: The elbow area and wrap around to the underside of the wrists. The home jerseys are base white with red trim, the away jerseys are base black with red trim, and the alternates are base grey with black trim. Other than the change in color, all three jerseys are similar. This is a partial list of the last ten seasons completed by the Cincinnati Cyclones. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Cincinnati Cyclones seasons * – Denotes honorary number. Ontario Reign (ECHL) The Ontario Reign were
3055-411: The first minute of the second overtime of game three, as Evan Barlow received a pass at the bottom of the right circle and fired the puck into a largely vacated goal, as Cyclones goalie Robert Mayer had committed to the left side. In front of yet another ECHL playoff record setting crowd of 13,483 at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, the Cyclones defeated Idaho in game five, 2–1, to take the championship. With
3120-564: The first time in club history. The Thunder defeated the defending conference champion Alaska Aces , 3-1 in a best-of-five first round series. Stockton then defeated the Pacific Division champion Condors, 4-1 in the best-of-seven Conference Semifinal. The Idaho Steelheads then eliminated Stockton, 4-2 in the Conference Final series. In August 2010, The Edmonton Oilers announced that the Oklahoma City Barons would be
3185-633: The franchise to Birmingham, Alabama and renamed the Birmingham Bulls , in honor of the former World Hockey Association/Central Hockey League franchise that played in Birmingham from 1976 to 1981. The Bulls played their home games at the Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex from 1992 until 2001. The Bulls would make the playoffs five out of their nine seasons in Birmingham, reaching the Riley Cup semifinals during
3250-412: The game was a 3–2 shootout loss to the Indy Fuel , the Cyclones set the record for the largest crowd for a professional hockey game in the 41-year history of US Bank Arena. After ten seasons, the Nashville Predators and Milwaukee Admirals ended their affiliation with the Cyclones prior to the 2017–18 season . The Cyclones then found affiliations with the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans . This
3315-420: The ice, that resulted in suspensions and fines to players and staff of both organizations. The worst occurred after game six, when Reading's Scott Fletcher allegedly struck a Cincinnati fan with a stick, drawing an indefinite suspension by the league. Nevertheless, the series made ECHL history when, after losing the first two at home, then game three at Reading, Cincinnati posted wins of 6–4, 5–0 and 6–3 to force
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#17327871242783380-443: The ice, the attendance at 36 home games was an amazing 240,596, an average of 6,683 per game and over 3% higher than the previous season. For the second straight season, the Reign captured the league attendance record despite the poor on-ice performance. Head coach Karl Taylor , who had been with the franchise since its inaugural year in Ontario, signed with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL as an assistant coach. He left Ontario with
3445-404: The playoffs and defeated the Johnstown Chiefs four games to none. The Cyclones moved on to take on the Reading Royals , Cincinnati took the series in seven games to claim their second ever North Division playoff title. The Cyclones then defeated the South Carolina Stingrays , 2–1 in overtime, to claim the American Conference Championship in five games. With their victory, Cincinnati also claimed
3510-452: The regular season with 115 points, earning them the Brabham Cup regular season championship. Individually, Chuck Weber was named ECHL coach of the year, earning him the John Brophy trophy. David Desharnais claimed three ECHL awards: Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, and the Leading Scorer award with 29 goals and 77 assists for 106 points. In addition, Chad Starling won the award for the highest plus/minus rating. The Cyclones entered
3575-404: The regular season. They made the playoffs for the fourth straight season. In February 2010, Stockton Hockey Franchise Group, Inc. sold the team to SC Hockey Franchise Corp., headed by Canadian Oil executive Brad Rowbotham and the ECHL Board of Governors unanimously approved the transfer of controlling interest in April, 2010. Their season ended by advancing to the National Conference Finals for
3640-410: The season. In the 2010–11 regular season, the Reign went a dismal 27-39-2-4, including losing their first 15 home games. The season was marred by numerous injuries, illnesses, trades and a few players defecting to European hockey leagues. Despite their hopes for a late-season recovery, they were never a playoff contender and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. Despite their poor season on
3705-465: The seven seasons the Cyclones were in the arena, the venue was renamed the Firstar Center and now is known as Heritage Bank Center . The team has since been unsuccessful in reclaiming the higher attendance numbers from the Cincinnati Gardens, until the 2008 Kelly Cup, where they drew 12,722 fans to the last game of the postseason. The third Cyclones franchise started in the 1995 as the Louisville RiverFrogs in Louisville, Kentucky . After three years,
3770-465: The team in the 1992–93 season . On April 2, 2004, during his number retirement ceremony, he was singled out as a reason for the team's success, both on the ice and in attendance. During the IHL years, the Cyclones set a team record of eight consecutive 90+ point seasons, ending when the International Hockey League ceased operations in 2001. During the Cyclones' nine years in the IHL, they won their only division and conference regular season championships in
3835-441: The team moved to Miami as the Miami Matadors . After the lone season in Florida, the franchise eventually came into the ownership of a group in Birmingham, Alabama , and the franchise went into inactive status while ownership looked into locations for their team. Upon the folding of the IHL, the Cyclones name was sold to this ownership group who moved the franchise to Cincinnati to become the new Cyclones. The first year back in
3900-400: The team to their worst season with 54 points and failed to make the playoffs for the second time in team history. Shortly after ending the season without a playoff berth, in April 2004, the Cyclones suspended operations. This suspension was mainly due to lack of revenue and safe access to the arena as it was limited by construction in Downtown Cincinnati. This dormancy left Cincinnati hockey to
3965-401: The team's third winner-take-all game in the 2010 playoffs. In front of 5,340 fans, the Cyclones posted a 1–0 win to become the first team in ECHL history, and the sixth professional hockey team in history, to come back from a 3–0 deficit to win a best of seven series. The only goal of the contest was scored by Barret Ehgoetz 13:48 into the game. The Cyclones defeated the Idaho Steelheads in
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#17327871242784030-407: The trophy. Madore earned the award after leading the ECHL with all 14 of Cincinnati's playoff wins, 1,493 minutes of play, and a Cincinnati record 756 saves while playing every second of Cincinnati's 24 playoff games. After the season, coach Simon accepted a role with the Toronto Marlies , the top affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs . Simon became the third consecutive Cyclones head coach to accept
4095-433: The victory, the Cyclones clinched their second Kelly Cup title in three years. The game was also the Cyclones 24th Kelly Cup playoff game, surpassing the club record of 22 postseason games played by the 2008 championship team and is one more than South Carolina (23) had in its title run in 2009. Rookie Cyclones goaltenders Robert Mayer and Jeremy Smith were named co-winners of the Kelly Cup playoffs MVP. Cincinnati finished with
4160-461: Was named the game's Most Valuable Player. The 2008–09 season began with Stockton starting at 10-17-4, fourth in the Pacific Division before the hiring of Matt Thomas as new head coach on December 29. Stockton won seven games in a row and went 7-0-1 in its first eight games under Thomas, eventually clinching a Kelly Cup Playoff berth for the third straight season. The Thunder achieved its first playoff series win in club history, 4-3 in seven games with
4225-429: Was short lived as they lost in round one of the playoffs to the Stockton Thunder. Head Coach Karl Taylor finished second in the John Brophy Award balloting for ECHL Coach of the Year, losing to Trenton Titans ' head coach Rick Kowalsky . The Reign had a total attendance of 210,801 at 36 home games, an average of 5,856 per game, making it second-highest in the league. Kyle Kraemer lead the franchise in goals scored for
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