Baton Rouge Kingfish
Encyclopedia
The Baton Rouge Kingfish were a minor professional ice hockey
team in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
, as a member of the East Coast Hockey League. The franchise arrived in Baton Rouge in 1996 after relocating from Erie, Pennsylvania
, where they had played as the Erie Panthers
since 1988 as one of the ECHL's charter teams. After a team-naming contest, they were renamed the Kingfish
in honor of legendary Louisiana governor and U.S. Senator Huey P. Long who shared the nickname. They played as the Baton Rouge Kingfish from 1996 to 2003 before moving to Victoria, British Columbia
, as the Victoria Salmon Kings
.
They played their home games at the Riverside Centroplex (since renamed Baton Rouge River Center
) and maintained a parent club affiliation with the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League
. Former coaches included Pierre McGuire
, currently a commentator for NHL on NBC, Dave Schultz, the NHL's all-time record holder for penalty minutes in a single season (472), and Cam Brown
, who served as a player-coach. Brown was also probably the most popular Kingfish player. He played every single season for the Kingfish and was either the captain or the player coach in every season but the first. Cam Brown currently holds the ECHL career records for both games played and penalty minutes. As of 2006 he continues to play in the league as a member of the Gwinnett Gladiators
. His #44 was one of two to be retired by the Kingfish along with #55 of defenseman Scott Humeniuk who suffered a stroke while a member of the team.
, Mobile Mysticks
, Birmingham Bulls
, Pensacola Ice Pilots
, New Orleans Brass
, Jackson Bandits
, (Little Rock) Arkansas RiverBlades
, and the (Lafayette
) Louisiana IceGators who were one of the most successful franchises in the history of the ECHL, both in wins and ticket sales. The proximity of the IceGators, (about 50 miles west of Baton Rouge) contributed to them immediately becoming a fierce rival of both the Kingfish players and fans, a rivalry dubbed by bumper stickers as "the cold war". The rivalry was exacerbated by the departure of early Kingfish players like Blair Manning and Don Parsons (who was incidentally the original captain for the Kingfish) who went on to have successful careers with the IceGators.
Beginning with the Kingfish inaugural season in 1996-1997, the Kingfish and IceGators challenged each other annually for the Atchafalaya
Governor's Cup, which was named for the river that divided the two cities and was awarded to the team with the best head-to-head record. The Kingfish won the cup in their first season despite finishing behind the IceGators in the division. The name of the cup was later changed to the Hibernia Cup when New Orleans subsequently joined the league, effectively making it a 3-way challenge for state bragging rights. New Orleans' arrival in the league did very little if anything to alter the chemistry between the existing rivals though they remained competitive in the division. Despite some modest success in head-to-head games against the IceGators, the Kingfish franchise ultimately spent most of its existence in their shadow, and were never able to match the on-ice success or popularity of the Lafayette club. The best finish for the Kingfish was in 1998-1999 as they went 3-3 in the Kelly Cup
Playoffs, reaching the conference quarterfinals. Lafayette still remains the most active city in Louisiana
for amateur hockey.
Former Kingfish that went on to play in the NHL include forwards Reed Low
, Alexandre Burrows
, and Raitis Ivanans, defensemen Shane Hnidy
and David Van Drunen
, and goaltenders Johan Hedberg
, and Travis Scott
.
Kingfish players that had previously played in the NHL include forward Cam Brown
and goaltenders Christian Soucy
, Jordan Willis
, and Mike Lenarduzzi
.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, as a member of the East Coast Hockey League. The franchise arrived in Baton Rouge in 1996 after relocating from Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, where they had played as the Erie Panthers
Erie Panthers
The Erie Panthers were a professional hockey team, and one of the founding members in the East Coast Hockey League. Based in Erie, Pennsylvania from 1988 to 1996, they were one of the most prolific teams in the ECHL. The Panthers were known for their ability to score goals quickly and often, as...
since 1988 as one of the ECHL's charter teams. After a team-naming contest, they were renamed the Kingfish
Kingfish
-Fish:* King mackerel Scomberomorus cavalla* Kingcroaker Menticirrhus spp.* Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus commerson * White croaker Genyonemus lineatus * Cobia Rachycentron canadum...
in honor of legendary Louisiana governor and U.S. Senator Huey P. Long who shared the nickname. They played as the Baton Rouge Kingfish from 1996 to 2003 before moving to Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, as the Victoria Salmon Kings
Victoria Salmon Kings
The Victoria Salmon Kings were a professional ice hockey team based in Victoria, British Columbia. They were members of the Mountain Division of the Western Conference of the ECHL, debuting in the 2004–05 ECHL season and folding after the 2010–11 ECHL season as the Chilliwack Bruins WHL franchise...
.
They played their home games at the Riverside Centroplex (since renamed Baton Rouge River Center
Baton Rouge River Center
The Baton Rouge River Center is a municipally owned multi-purpose 200,000 square feet entertainment facility located on the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge, the capital city of Louisiana.It is maintained by a private management company, SMG, which presents more than five...
) and maintained a parent club affiliation with the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. Former coaches included Pierre McGuire
Pierre McGuire
Pierre McGuire , is an ice hockey analyst for National Hockey League broadcasts on NBC and Versus in the United States. Until 2011, he was a prominent hockey analyst on The Sports Network in Canada. Previously, he was a player, coach, and scout.-Hockey career:McGuire won two Stanley Cups as a scout...
, currently a commentator for NHL on NBC, Dave Schultz, the NHL's all-time record holder for penalty minutes in a single season (472), and Cam Brown
Cam Brown
Richard Cameron Brown is a former professional Canadian ice hockey left winger who played one game for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League....
, who served as a player-coach. Brown was also probably the most popular Kingfish player. He played every single season for the Kingfish and was either the captain or the player coach in every season but the first. Cam Brown currently holds the ECHL career records for both games played and penalty minutes. As of 2006 he continues to play in the league as a member of the Gwinnett Gladiators
Gwinnett Gladiators
The Gwinnett Gladiators are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Duluth, Georgia. The Gladiators play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Gladiators play their home games at the Arena at Gwinnett Center....
. His #44 was one of two to be retired by the Kingfish along with #55 of defenseman Scott Humeniuk who suffered a stroke while a member of the team.
Louisiana Hockey Rivalries
Although league divisions were restructured several times, the Kingfish played most often in the Southwest Division, which usually included the (Biloxi) Mississippi Sea WolvesMississippi Sea Wolves
The Mississippi Sea Wolves were a professional hockey team based in Biloxi, Mississippi and playing in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The Sea Wolves were members of the ECHL....
, Mobile Mysticks
Mobile Mysticks
The Mobile Mysticks were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Mobile, Alabama that played in the ECHL. They played their home games at the Mobile Civic Center. The team was founded in 1995 as an expansion franchise, joining the ECHL alongside the Louisville River Frogs and the...
, Birmingham Bulls
Birmingham Bulls
The Birmingham Bulls were a professional ice hockey team based in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. They played in the World Hockey Association from 1976 to 1979 and the Central Hockey League from 1979 to 1981. The Bulls played their home games at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center.Prior to being...
, Pensacola Ice Pilots
Pensacola Ice Pilots
The Pensacola Ice Pilots were a minor league ice hockey team located in Pensacola, Florida. The team was previously affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders , and the Chicago Blackhawks. They have also had a working agreement with the Houston Aeros of the...
, New Orleans Brass
New Orleans Brass
The New Orleans Brass was a hockey team in the ECHL from 1997-2002. The team was at one time affiliated with the San Jose Sharks. Home games were played first at the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium and then at the New Orleans Arena....
, Jackson Bandits
Jackson Bandits
The Jackson Bandits were a minor league professional ice hockey team and member of the East Coast Hockey League . The Bandits played at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson, Mississippi between the 1999-2000 and 2002-03 seasons...
, (Little Rock) Arkansas RiverBlades
Arkansas RiverBlades
The Arkansas RiverBlades was a short-lived minor-league ice hockey team located in North Little Rock, Arkansas.The Arkansas RiverBlades was an expansion franchise that entered the East Coast Hockey League for the 1998–99 season...
, and the (Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
) Louisiana IceGators who were one of the most successful franchises in the history of the ECHL, both in wins and ticket sales. The proximity of the IceGators, (about 50 miles west of Baton Rouge) contributed to them immediately becoming a fierce rival of both the Kingfish players and fans, a rivalry dubbed by bumper stickers as "the cold war". The rivalry was exacerbated by the departure of early Kingfish players like Blair Manning and Don Parsons (who was incidentally the original captain for the Kingfish) who went on to have successful careers with the IceGators.
Beginning with the Kingfish inaugural season in 1996-1997, the Kingfish and IceGators challenged each other annually for the Atchafalaya
Atchafalaya River
The Atchafalaya River is a distributary of the Mississippi River and Red River in south central Louisiana in the United States. It flows south, just west of the Mississippi River....
Governor's Cup, which was named for the river that divided the two cities and was awarded to the team with the best head-to-head record. The Kingfish won the cup in their first season despite finishing behind the IceGators in the division. The name of the cup was later changed to the Hibernia Cup when New Orleans subsequently joined the league, effectively making it a 3-way challenge for state bragging rights. New Orleans' arrival in the league did very little if anything to alter the chemistry between the existing rivals though they remained competitive in the division. Despite some modest success in head-to-head games against the IceGators, the Kingfish franchise ultimately spent most of its existence in their shadow, and were never able to match the on-ice success or popularity of the Lafayette club. The best finish for the Kingfish was in 1998-1999 as they went 3-3 in the Kelly Cup
Kelly Cup
The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the play-off champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup. The current cup is named after Patrick J. Kelly, the league's first commissioner. The cup is loaned to the winning...
Playoffs, reaching the conference quarterfinals. Lafayette still remains the most active city in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
for amateur hockey.
Season results
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | Pts | W | L | OTL/SOL | GP | W | L | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Baton Rouge Kingfish | 70 | 68 | 31 | 33 | 6 | - | - | - | won playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Baton Rouge Kingfish | 70 | 76 | 33 | 27 | 10 | - | - | - | won playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Baton Rouge Kingfish | 70 | 70 | 30 | 30 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 3 | won playoffs | 1999–2000 | Baton Rouge Kingfish | 70 | 71 | 33 | 32 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | won championship|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2000–2001 | Baton Rouge Kingfish | 72 | 81 | 35 | 26 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Lost in wildcard series |
| 2001–2002 | Baton Rouge Kingfish | 72 | 66 | 29 | 35 | 8 | - | - | - | Out of playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Baton Rouge Kingfish | 72 | 49 | 20 | 43 | 9 | - | - | - | Out of playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Franchise dormant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kingfish in the NHL
Former Kingfish that went on to play in the NHL include forwards Reed Low
Reed Low
Reed Low is a retired Canadian ice hockey player who last played in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks organization. Low was known primarily for his role as an enforcer. Low twice accumulated over 50 penalty minutes in a single game .Reed and his wife, Dena, have one son, Connor...
, Alexandre Burrows
Alexandre Burrows
Alexandre Ménard-Burrows is a French-Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He is known for playing in the style of an agitator and for his ascension to the NHL from being an undrafted player in the ECHL...
, and Raitis Ivanans, defensemen Shane Hnidy
Shane Hnidy
Shane Hnidy is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. On August 31, 2011, it was announced that Hnidy would be part of the radio broadcast team for the Winnipeg Jets, formerly the Atlanta Thrashers, which was one of his former teams.-Playing career:Shane Hnidy played junior hockey...
and David Van Drunen
David Van Drunen (ice hockey)
David Van Drunen is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Odessa Jackalopes of the Central Hockey League. He played in one National Hockey League game for the Ottawa Senators during the 1999–2000 NHL season....
, and goaltenders Johan Hedberg
Johan Hedberg
Johan "Moose" Hedberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, and Travis Scott
Travis Scott
Travis Scott is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for Traktor Chelyabinsk of the Kontinental Hockey League .-Playing career :...
.
Kingfish players that had previously played in the NHL include forward Cam Brown
Cam Brown
Richard Cameron Brown is a former professional Canadian ice hockey left winger who played one game for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League....
and goaltenders Christian Soucy
Christian Soucy
Christian Soucy is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. He appeared in three minutes of one National Hockey League game with the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1993–94 season...
, Jordan Willis
Jordan Willis
Jordan Willis is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in one National Hockey League game for the Dallas Stars during the 1995–96 NHL season. He also played for the Nottingham Panthers between 1999 and 2000....
, and Mike Lenarduzzi
Mike Lenarduzzi
Mike "Whopper" Lenarduzzi is a retired ice hockey goaltender who played professionally for the Hartford Whalers, Hershey Bears, Springfield Indians and other professional teams in North America and Europe.-Playing career:...
.