Border City Bandits
Encyclopedia
The Border City Bandits were a professional ice hockey
team from Texarkana, Texas
. They were a member of the Central Hockey League
during the 2000-01 season.
for the 2000-01 season. The team, to be called "The Border City Bandits", would be owned by a Canadian developer named John Barath.
The expansion team’s arrival was met with skepticism when the Texarkana Gazette
reported that Barath had previously abandoned the Tucson Gila Monsters
, a team he earlier had owned in the West Coast Hockey League
. Operating from the CHL’s smallest market, the team was already in trouble by November of its inaugural season, both on and off the ice. The team played in a modified warehouse that would leak onto the ice with a small amount of rain. Crowds had dropped from nearly 4,000 to under 2,200; the team had already seen two head coaches and was on its third general manager; and soon the Bandits were no longer paying their bills. On February 20, 2001, with $80,000 in dues payments owed to the league, the CHL terminated the franchise. The team's record in its only season was 11 wins, 37 losses and 4 ties.
The one positive note is during a game verses the San Antonio Iguanas, the Bandits goaltender Jean-Ian Filiatrault stopped an amazing 60 of 61 shots in one game, which still stands as a single game record in the CHL.
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 from Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other half, the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, lies on the other side of State Line Avenue...
. They were a member of the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
during the 2000-01 season.
History
The Central Hockey League announced that an expansion franchise had been awarded to Texarkana, TexasTexarkana, Texas
Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other half, the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, lies on the other side of State Line Avenue...
for the 2000-01 season. The team, to be called "The Border City Bandits", would be owned by a Canadian developer named John Barath.
The expansion team’s arrival was met with skepticism when the Texarkana Gazette
Texarkana Gazette
The Texarkana Gazette is a daily newspaper founded in 1875 and currently owned by WEHCO Media, Inc. It serves Texarkana and surrounding areas....
reported that Barath had previously abandoned the Tucson Gila Monsters
Tucson Gila Monsters
The Tucson Gila Monsters were a short-lived American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Tucson, Arizona. The team played throughout the 1997-98 season, but folded after 21 games during the 1998-99 season....
, a team he earlier had owned in the West Coast Hockey League
West Coast Hockey League
The West Coast Hockey League was a professional minor ice hockey league active in the western United States from 1995 to 2003. The number of teams ranged from six to nine. The teams were located in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Washington...
. Operating from the CHL’s smallest market, the team was already in trouble by November of its inaugural season, both on and off the ice. The team played in a modified warehouse that would leak onto the ice with a small amount of rain. Crowds had dropped from nearly 4,000 to under 2,200; the team had already seen two head coaches and was on its third general manager; and soon the Bandits were no longer paying their bills. On February 20, 2001, with $80,000 in dues payments owed to the league, the CHL terminated the franchise. The team's record in its only season was 11 wins, 37 losses and 4 ties.
The one positive note is during a game verses the San Antonio Iguanas, the Bandits goaltender Jean-Ian Filiatrault stopped an amazing 60 of 61 shots in one game, which still stands as a single game record in the CHL.