Huntsville Channel Cats
Encyclopedia
The Huntsville Channel Cats was a professional ice hockey
team based in Huntsville, Alabama
. The franchise was a member of several different leagues, the Southern Hockey League
(1995–1996), the Central Hockey League
(1996–2001) and the South East Hockey League
(2003–2004). They played their home games at Von Braun Center Arena
in downtown Huntsville.
, Dr. John Staley and Dr. John Minchey, created a new hockey franchise in Huntsville to join the newly-expanded Southern Hockey League. The Channel Cats won the league's first and only championship, as the SHL folded later that year. The Channel Cats then joined the eastern division of the Central Hockey League for the 1996–1997 season. The Channel Cats remained with the CHL for five seasons winning the CHL championship (Ray Miron President's Cup) in 1999.
, businessman, John Cherney. Mr. Cherney felt that the team had a bad name with the local business community and changed the name of the team to the Huntsville Tornado along with the team colors to red and white. Many fans took offense to the new name that referenced a tornado that struck South Huntsville in 1989 killing 21 people. The new 2000–2001 seasons saw many fan favorites leave the team, and with a drop down in the standings resulted in a drop in attendance. Amid concerns over sharing arena space and weekend dates with the UAH Chargers hockey team and the new NBDL
Huntsville Flight
basketball team, as well as the CHL's desire to contract to more South-Central US markets, the team did not compete in the next two seasons. Mr. Cherney had also threatened to move the team to Madison
, a suburb of Huntsville, if he did not get the dates he wanted, to no avail.
In 2002, Mr. Cherney became involved in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL)
, but in 2003 founded a new league named the South East Hockey League
(SEHL). After the formation of the league, he asked the Huntsville hockey community if he would re-establish a team what name they would like to see play, the Tornado or Channel Cats. The public responded with the Channel Cats. The Channel Cats were revived for the 2003–2004 season and win the only SEHL league championship in the 4-team league.
fell into disarray. Keith Jeffries, president of HSV Sports, LLC
and whose company had been contracted to run the Channel Cats front office during the 2003-2004 season (and also operated the Tennessee Valley Vipers
AF2
franchise) made a bid to have a new hockey team in the upstart Eastern Hockey League (later to be renamed the Southern Professional Hockey League before the league first season) be placed in Huntsville. The new league would join teams from the now-defunct WHA2 and soon to be defunct SEHL. The Von Braun Center chose to accept the new franchise over the Cats, bringing an end to the Channel Cats name. Other teams from the SEHL soon followed Huntsville's lead and joined the SPHL as well. The new franchise would be named the Huntsville Havoc
, and would successfully carry on the legacy of pro hockey in Huntsville.
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 based in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. The franchise was a member of several different leagues, the Southern Hockey League
Southern Hockey League (1995-1996)
The Southern Hockey League is a defunct low-level professional ice hockey league.It operated in the United States from 1995 to 1996, with teams in the southeastern United States. It was originally named the Sunshine Hockey League, but changed its name after expanding outside of Florida. The league...
(1995–1996), 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....
(1996–2001) and the South East Hockey League
South East Hockey League
The South East Hockey League was a minor ice hockey league formed in August 2003. It succeeded the short-lived Atlantic Coast Hockey League and had 4 teams for its first and only season. Jim Riggs was the commissioner....
(2003–2004). They played their home games at Von Braun Center Arena
Von Braun Center
The Von Braun Center , known as the Von Braun Civic Center until 1997, is a multi-purpose indoor arena, meeting, and performing arts complex, with a maximum arena seating capacity of 10,000, located in Huntsville, Alabama...
in downtown Huntsville.
Early years (1995–1999)
In 1995 two doctors in Knoxville, TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, Dr. John Staley and Dr. John Minchey, created a new hockey franchise in Huntsville to join the newly-expanded Southern Hockey League. The Channel Cats won the league's first and only championship, as the SHL folded later that year. The Channel Cats then joined the eastern division of the Central Hockey League for the 1996–1997 season. The Channel Cats remained with the CHL for five seasons winning the CHL championship (Ray Miron President's Cup) in 1999.
New ownership (2000–2004)
Following the 1999 championship win the team was sold to a Boaz, AlabamaBoaz, Alabama
Boaz is a city in Etowah and Marshall Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is part of the 'Gadsden, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area'. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 9,551. Boaz is known mainly for its outlet shops....
, businessman, John Cherney. Mr. Cherney felt that the team had a bad name with the local business community and changed the name of the team to the Huntsville Tornado along with the team colors to red and white. Many fans took offense to the new name that referenced a tornado that struck South Huntsville in 1989 killing 21 people. The new 2000–2001 seasons saw many fan favorites leave the team, and with a drop down in the standings resulted in a drop in attendance. Amid concerns over sharing arena space and weekend dates with the UAH Chargers hockey team and the new NBDL
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
Huntsville Flight
Huntsville Flight
The Huntsville Flight was a National Basketball Development League team based in Huntsville, Alabama. Playing their home games at the Von Braun Center, the Flight was a charter franchise for the 2001-02 season but folded after the 2004-05 season...
basketball team, as well as the CHL's desire to contract to more South-Central US markets, the team did not compete in the next two seasons. Mr. Cherney had also threatened to move the team to Madison
Madison, Alabama
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,329 people, 11,143 households, and 8,067 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,266.5 people per square mile . There were 12,121 housing units at an average density of 523.4 per square mile...
, a suburb of Huntsville, if he did not get the dates he wanted, to no avail.
In 2002, Mr. Cherney became involved in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL)
Atlantic Coast Hockey League (2002)
The Atlantic Coast Hockey League was a professional minor league ice hockey league based in the United States. The second league to bear the name Atlantic Coast Hockey League, it operated for only one season, 2002–2003, before its franchises split into two new leagues.-History:The 2002 incarnation...
, but in 2003 founded a new league named the South East Hockey League
South East Hockey League
The South East Hockey League was a minor ice hockey league formed in August 2003. It succeeded the short-lived Atlantic Coast Hockey League and had 4 teams for its first and only season. Jim Riggs was the commissioner....
(SEHL). After the formation of the league, he asked the Huntsville hockey community if he would re-establish a team what name they would like to see play, the Tornado or Channel Cats. The public responded with the Channel Cats. The Channel Cats were revived for the 2003–2004 season and win the only SEHL league championship in the 4-team league.
The end of a dynasty
Following the 2003-2004 season, both the SEHL and World Hockey Association 2 (WHA2)World Hockey Association 2
The World Hockey Association 2 was a minor professional ice hockey league created at the instigation of the organizers of the proposed recreated World Hockey Association to serve as its development league. The WHA2 teams — some of which had played the 2002–03 season in the Atlantic Coast...
fell into disarray. Keith Jeffries, president of HSV Sports, LLC
HSV Sports, LLC
HSV Sports, LLC is a sports management company located in Huntsville, Alabama. It borrows its name from the IATA airport code for the Huntsville International Airport....
and whose company had been contracted to run the Channel Cats front office during the 2003-2004 season (and also operated the Tennessee Valley Vipers
Tennessee Valley Vipers
The Alabama Vipers was a professional arena football team, that played in the Arena Football League. For most of their history, the Vipers played as the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the now-defunct af2, the minor league for the original AFL, where they won the 2008 ArenaCup championship. They play...
AF2
AF2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
franchise) made a bid to have a new hockey team in the upstart Eastern Hockey League (later to be renamed the Southern Professional Hockey League before the league first season) be placed in Huntsville. The new league would join teams from the now-defunct WHA2 and soon to be defunct SEHL. The Von Braun Center chose to accept the new franchise over the Cats, bringing an end to the Channel Cats name. Other teams from the SEHL soon followed Huntsville's lead and joined the SPHL as well. The new franchise would be named the Huntsville Havoc
Huntsville Havoc
The Huntsville Havoc are a professional ice hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League . They play their home games at the Von Braun Center in downtown Huntsville, Alabama.-History:...
, and would successfully carry on the legacy of pro hockey in Huntsville.
Year-by-Year Results
| Season | League | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Pct | GF | GA | PIM | Coach | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | SHL | 60 | 25 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 56 | 0.467 | 274 | 294 | 2191 | Larry Floyd | 4th | Won Championship, 4–1 (Winston-Salem Winston-Salem Mammoths The Winston-Salem Mammoths were an American ice hockey team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They played in the Southern Hockey League for the 1995-96 season.-Season-by-season record:-Records:*Games Alain Côté, Hayden O'Rear, Bruno Villeneuve 60... ) |
| 1996–97 1996–97 CHL season The 1996–97 CHL season was the 5th season of the Central Hockey League .- Final Standings :Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SOL = Shootout loss; Pts = Points; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against-CHL awards:-External links:... |
CHL | 66 | 39 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 81 | 0.614 | 311 | 297 | 2111 | Larry Floyd | 1st, East | Lost in round 2, 2–4 (Memphis Memphis RiverKings The Mississippi RiverKings are a professional minor league ice hockey team. The RiverKings are a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League, playing their first nineteen seasons from the 1992–93 season to the 2010–11 season in the Central Hockey League The Mississippi RiverKings... ) |
| 1997–98 1997–98 CHL season The 1997–98 CHL season was the 6th season of the Central Hockey League .-Final standings:Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SOL = Shootout loss; Pts = Points; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against... |
CHL | 70 | 40 | 22 | 8 | 0 | 88 | 0.629 | 333 | 281 | 2374 | Larry Floyd | 3rd, East | Lost in round 1, 0–3 (Nashville Nashville Ice Flyers The Nashville Ice Flyers played as part of the Central Hockey League at Nashville Municipal Auditorium from 1997–1998. Alexsandr Chunchukov lead the team in points in the 1997–1998 season, with 102 points. They were previously known as the Nashville Nighthawks. Iain Duncan also played for the Ice... ) |
| 1998–99 1998–99 CHL season The 1998–99 CHL season was the 7th season of the Central Hockey League .-CHL awards:-External links:*... |
CHL | 70 | 47 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 98 | 0.671 | 310 | 251 | 2313 | Chris Stewart | 1st, East | Won Championship, 4–2 (Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Blazers The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Northwest Division of the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Their colors were burgundy, gold and white... ) |
| 1999–00 1999–2000 CHL season The 1999–2000 CHL season was the 8th season of the Central Hockey League .-CHL awards:-External links:*... |
CHL | 70 | 37 | 27 | 0 | 6 | 80 | 0.529 | 242 | 244 | 2350 | Pat Bingham | 3rd, East | Lost in round 1, 2–3 (Columbus Columbus Cottonmouths The Columbus Cottonmouths are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Georgia. The team is nicknamed the Snakes, and play their home games at the Columbus Civic Center.-Central Hockey League : 1996-2001:... ) |
| 2000–01 2000–01 CHL season The 2000–01 CHL season was the 9th season of the Central Hockey League .... (Tornado) |
CHL | 70 | 31 | 36 | 0 | 3 | 65 | 0.443 | 217 | 275 | 1972 | Craig Coxe (52 games) Kent Hawley (18 games) |
5th, East | Did not qualify |
| 2003–04 | SEHL | 56 | 43 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 0.768 | 233 | 164 | 1671 | John Gibson | 1st | Won Championship, 3–0 (Knoxville Knoxville Ice Bears The Knoxville Ice Bears are a professional ice hockey team. The team competes in the Southern Professional Hockey League. They play their home games at James White Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, Tennessee. In 2006 the Ice Bears defeated the Florida Seals to take the SPHL championship and the... ) |
Team
(as of the 2006–2007 season these records are tied with other teams or are still held by Huntsville)- Most Consecutive Wins in a Season (Tied with other teams in the CHL)
- 12 1996–1997 Huntsville
- Most Penalty Minutes (one team) in a Game (CHL)
- 241: 11/05/1999 Huntsville
- Most Penalty Minutes (both teams) in a Game (CHL)
- 438: 11/05/1999 Fayetteville & Huntsville
Single-season
- Goals: Chris George, 65 (98–99)
- Assists: Jonathan DuBois, 92 (97–98)
- Points: Jonathan DuBois, 129 (97–98)
- Penalty Minutes: Mike DegurseMike DegurseMike "Goose" Degurse born on October 4, 1974 in Amajinnang, Ontario is a minor league hockey Forward who has played in the Southern Hockey League, the Central Hockey League, the Western Professional Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey Association, the Quebec Senior Professional Hockey League, the...
, 346 (97–98) - GAA: Matt Carmichael, 2.74 (03–04)
- SV%: Matt Carmichael, .922 (03–04)
- Wins: Derek Puppa, 39 (98–99)
Career
- Career Goals: Chris George, 234
- Career Assists: Jonathan DuBois, 323
- Career Points: Jonathan DuBois, 453
- Career Penalty Minutes: Mike DegurseMike DegurseMike "Goose" Degurse born on October 4, 1974 in Amajinnang, Ontario is a minor league hockey Forward who has played in the Southern Hockey League, the Central Hockey League, the Western Professional Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey Association, the Quebec Senior Professional Hockey League, the...
, 1312 - Career Goaltending Wins: Matt Carmichael, 66
- Career Shutouts: Brent BeleckiBrent BeleckiBrent Belecki is a former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the Western Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League, Central Hockey League, United Hockey League, and American Hockey League....
, 3 - Career Games: Chris George, 333
Retired Numbers
| Name | Number | Date |
|---|---|---|
 Phil Daigle |
21 | November 8, 2003 |
| Mike Degurse Mike Degurse Mike "Goose" Degurse born on October 4, 1974 in Amajinnang, Ontario is a minor league hockey Forward who has played in the Southern Hockey League, the Central Hockey League, the Western Professional Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey Association, the Quebec Senior Professional Hockey League, the... |
33 | Retired by the Huntsville Havoc on November 4, 2006 |
| Chris George |
17 | January 4, 2004 |
| John Gibson |
23 | November 8, 2003 |
| Derek Puppa |
30 | End of the 1999 season and again on November 8, 2003 |
Trivia
- The trophy for the 1996 SHL championships was an old style metal milk can called "The Can".
- Won at least one championship in each league of which it was a member.
- After their SHL win in 1996 until the end of the 1999–2000 season, before each game Huntsville, Alabama was referred to as "the hockey capital of the South".
- The mascot of the Huntsville Channel cats (and Huntsville Tornado) was a channel catfish named Finley. She wore a Huntsville Hockey jersey, gloves, helmet and ice skates.
- The Huntsville Channel Cats was featured on the nationally televised No Opportunity WastedNo Opportunity WastedNo Opportunity Wasted is a television series that premiered on the Discovery Channel on October 3, 2004. It was created by Phil Keoghan, better known as the host of the reality show on CBS entitled The Amazing Race....
. On that show United States Postal Service letter carrier Mike Orsini lived his dream of playing professional hockey. The game was on March 17, 2004 and in 29 minutes of play as a goalie allowed only one goal and got the win. It was also the last regular season game played by the Channel Cats.
Other Huntsville professional hockey teams
- Huntsville BlastHuntsville BlastThe Huntsville Blast was a minor league professional ice hockey team and member of the East Coast Hockey League . The Blast played at the Von Braun Center Arena in Huntsville, Alabama for the 1993–94 ECHL season. Previously the franchise played as the Roanoke Valley Rampage in Vinton, Virginia...
(ECHL) 1993–1994 - Huntsville HavocHuntsville HavocThe Huntsville Havoc are a professional ice hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League . They play their home games at the Von Braun Center in downtown Huntsville, Alabama.-History:...
(SPHL) 2004–Present