The Roanoke Valley Vipers were a minor professional ice hockey team located in Roanoke, Virginia . They were a member of the United Hockey League and played in the Roanoke Civic Center .
6-734: The franchise was formed in 2002 as the Port Huron Beacons and played in McMorran Arena in Port Huron, Michigan , through the end of the 2004–05 season. The franchise was relocated to Roanoke for the 2005–06 season, filling the void left after the ECHL 's Roanoke Express disbanded and to provide a travel partner near the Richmond RiverDogs . While professional ice hockey had been previously played and successful in
12-549: A game and was replaced by Rick Adduono , the former head coach of the Greensboro Generals , for the 2004–05 season. Gino Giacumbo served as vice president in 2003–04 and as general manager in 2004–05. The Beacons departed in 2005 to become the Roanoke Valley Vipers . This American ice hockey team-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about
18-489: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Port Huron Beacons The Port Huron Beacons were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the United Hockey League (UHL) that played from 2002 to 2005. The team was based in Port Huron, Michigan , and played at the McMorran Arena . The team's first head coach was Brad Jones , a former National Hockey League player and head coach of
24-701: The Virginian towns of Roanoke, Salem and Vinton since 1967, the Vipers 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
30-515: The UHL's B.C. Icemen . The team's first general manager was Kevin J. Carr from 2001 to 2004. Jones resigned in February 2003 with a 24–24–5 record and was replaced by Bruce Ramsey for the remainder of the season. Ramsey returned as head coach for the 2003–04 season and led the team to the semifinals in the playoffs, but was fired in the following offseason. The Beacons then hired former NHL player Mark Kumpel , but he resigned without coaching
36-526: The southeastern and mid-Atlantic teams of the ECHL. The owners and their marketing plans were frequently criticized by local media. The Vipers folded on May 15, 2006, shortly after the RiverDogs moved to Chicago and became the Chicago Hounds . This American ice hockey team-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a sports team in Virginia
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