Mobile Mysticks
Encyclopedia
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 Louisiana IceGators
. The Mysticks owed their name to the prevalence of mystic societies
—social organizations responsible for throwing parades and balls during the Carnival
season—that existed in Mobile since the early 1700s.
The Mysticks qualified for the Kelly Cup
playoffs for five out of their seven seasons, but never advanced past the second round. In 2002, the franchise suspended operations and moved to Duluth
, Georgia
for the 2003–04 season.
as an expansion franchise for the 1995–96 season under head coach and former NHL player Eddie Johnstone. During this time, they served as a minor league affiliate for the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers
and the AHL
's Hershey Bears
.
Following a rough start (the Mysticks finished seventh in their division and did not qualify for the playoffs their inaugural year; the following year they finished fourth in their division and were eliminated from the playoffs in a first-round sweep by the Louisiana IceGators
) the Mysticks decided against renewing Johnstone's contract. His replacement, Matt Shaw, led Mobile to a fifth-place divisional finish and another first-round loss, again in a three-game sweep by the IceGators. Shaw did not return to the Mysticks for the following season.
Jeff Pyle
joined the Mysticks as head coach for the 1998–99 season. With Pyle at the helm, the team saw postseason action for the next three seasons—losing in the 1999 preliminary round to the Birmingham Bulls
; falling in the first round of the 2000 playoffs to the Greenville Grrrowl
; and in their most successful playoff bid, falling in double overtime in the second round to the South Carolina Stingrays
(the eventual Kelly Cup champions) in 2001. The Mysticks failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2002, and the franchise suspended operations, eventually moving to Duluth, Georgia
in 2003 to become the Gwinnett Gladiators
.
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
ice hockey
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 Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
that played in the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
. They played their home games at the Mobile Civic Center
Mobile Civic Center
Mobile Civic Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Mobile, Alabama. Owned by the City of Mobile and operated by SMG, the arena comprises three venues: A theater, an expo hall, and an arena. It is suitable for large indoor events; including sporting events and trade shows. The theater has...
. The team was founded in 1995 as an expansion franchise, joining the ECHL alongside the Louisville River Frogs
Louisville River Frogs
The Louisville River Frogs were a professional ice hockey team competing in the East Coast Hockey League. The team was based in Louisville, Kentucky and played from 1995-1998. Their home venue was Broadbent Arena at the Kentucky Exposition Center...
and the Louisiana IceGators
Louisiana IceGators
The original Louisiana IceGators were an ECHL team based in Lafayette, Louisiana from 1995 until the end of the 2005 season. The team played its home games at the Cajundome and were last an affiliate of the NHL Minnesota Wild and the AHL Houston Aeros....
. The Mysticks owed their name to the prevalence of mystic societies
Mystic society
A mystic society is a Carnival social organization, similar to a krewe in New Orleans, that presents parades and/or balls for the enjoyment of its members, guests, and the public. The term came to be used in this context in Mobile, Alabama. Mystic society membership is secret. The societies have...
—social organizations responsible for throwing parades and balls during the Carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
season—that existed in Mobile since the early 1700s.
The Mysticks qualified for 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 for five out of their seven seasons, but never advanced past the second round. In 2002, the franchise suspended operations and moved to Duluth
Duluth, Georgia
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia and an increasingly more affluent and developed suburb of Atlanta. Unincorporated portions of Forsyth County also have Duluth as a mailing address, though this area is outside city limits...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
for the 2003–04 season.
Franchise history
The Mobile Mysticks began play in the ECHLECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
as an expansion franchise for the 1995–96 season under head coach and former NHL player Eddie Johnstone. During this time, they served as a minor league affiliate for the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
's Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
.
Following a rough start (the Mysticks finished seventh in their division and did not qualify for the playoffs their inaugural year; the following year they finished fourth in their division and were eliminated from the playoffs in a first-round sweep by the Louisiana IceGators
Louisiana IceGators
The original Louisiana IceGators were an ECHL team based in Lafayette, Louisiana from 1995 until the end of the 2005 season. The team played its home games at the Cajundome and were last an affiliate of the NHL Minnesota Wild and the AHL Houston Aeros....
) the Mysticks decided against renewing Johnstone's contract. His replacement, Matt Shaw, led Mobile to a fifth-place divisional finish and another first-round loss, again in a three-game sweep by the IceGators. Shaw did not return to the Mysticks for the following season.
Jeff Pyle
Jeff Pyle (ice hockey)
Jeff Pyle is an American former ice hockey player. He is currently the head coach of the Texas Stars in the American Hockey League....
joined the Mysticks as head coach for the 1998–99 season. With Pyle at the helm, the team saw postseason action for the next three seasons—losing in the 1999 preliminary round to the Birmingham Bulls
Birmingham Bulls (ECHL)
The Birmingham Bulls were a minor professional ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League from 1992 to 2001. Their home arena was the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center. The team moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey and was renamed the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in 2001...
; falling in the first round of the 2000 playoffs to the Greenville Grrrowl
Greenville Grrrowl
The Greenville Grrrowl were an ECHL hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. They played their home games at the BI-LO Center. In the 2001-02 season, they won the Kelly Cup....
; and in their most successful playoff bid, falling in double overtime in the second round to the South Carolina Stingrays
South Carolina Stingrays
The South Carolina Stingrays are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Stingrays play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at the North Charleston Coliseum. The Carolina Ice Palace, also located in...
(the eventual Kelly Cup champions) in 2001. The Mysticks failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2002, and the franchise suspended operations, eventually moving to Duluth, Georgia
Duluth, Georgia
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia and an increasingly more affluent and developed suburb of Atlanta. Unincorporated portions of Forsyth County also have Duluth as a mailing address, though this area is outside city limits...
in 2003 to become 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....
.
Season-by-season record
Records as of 2001–02 season.Regular season
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OTL | SOL | Points | Goals for | Goals against | Standing | Average attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 1995–96 ECHL season The 1995-96 ECHL season was the eighth season of the ECHL. Before the season started, the Greensboro Monarchs franchise moved up to the American Hockey League and became the Carolina Monarchs... |
70 | 22 | 37 | 11 | — | — | 55 | 265 | 325 | 7th, South | 5,310 |
| 1996–97 1996–97 ECHL season The 1996-97 ECHL season was the ninth season of the ECHL. Before the start of the season, two franchises relocated, one was renamed, and two expansion franchises were founded... |
70 | 34 | 25 | 11 | — | — | 79 | 257 | 263 | 4th, South | 4,917 |
| 1997–98 1997–98 ECHL season The 1997-98 ECHL season was the tenth season of the ECHL. Before the start of the season, the league saw the Knoxville Cherokees move to Florence, SC and welcomed expansion teams in New Orleans, LA and Upper Marlboro, MD... |
70 | 35 | 27 | 8 | — | — | 78 | 236 | 233 | 5th, Southwest | 4,558 |
| 1998–99 1998–99 ECHL season The 1998-99 ECHL season was the 11th season of the ECHL. Before the start of the season, the league saw the Louisville River Frogs move to Miami, FL and the Raleigh Icecaps move to Augusta, GA as well as welcoming two new franchises in Estero, FL and Greenville, SC... |
70 | 31 | 31 | 8 | — | — | 70 | 231 | 259 | 5th, Southwest | 3,874 |
| 1999–00 | 70 | 40 | 28 | 2 | — | — | 82 | 275 | 230 | 2nd, Southwest | 4,177 |
| 2000–01 2000–01 ECHL season The 2000-01 ECHL season was the 13th season of the ECHL. Before the season, the league lost three members as the Huntington Blizzard and the Jacksonville Lizard Kings ceased operations and the powerhouse Hampton Roads Admirals moved up to the American Hockey League as the Norfolk Admirals, the... |
72 | 38 | 28 | 6 | — | — | 82 | 240 | 233 | 3rd, Southwest | 3,542 |
| 2001–02 2001–02 ECHL season The 2001-02 ECHL season was the 14th season of the East Coast Hockey League. Before the start of the season, the league saw one expansion franchise and five relocations, three of which were through the buying of the franchise rights of former clubs that had ceased operations... |
72 | 28 | 26 | 18 | — | — | 74 | 215 | 237 | 6th, Southwest | 2,618 |
Playoffs
| Season | Prelim | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 1995–96 ECHL season The 1995-96 ECHL season was the eighth season of the ECHL. Before the season started, the Greensboro Monarchs franchise moved up to the American Hockey League and became the Carolina Monarchs... |
Out of playoffs | ||||
| 1996–97 1996–97 ECHL season The 1996-97 ECHL season was the ninth season of the ECHL. Before the start of the season, two franchises relocated, one was renamed, and two expansion franchises were founded... |
— | L, 0–3, LOU Louisiana IceGators The original Louisiana IceGators were an ECHL team based in Lafayette, Louisiana from 1995 until the end of the 2005 season. The team played its home games at the Cajundome and were last an affiliate of the NHL Minnesota Wild and the AHL Houston Aeros.... |
— | — | — |
| 1997–98 1997–98 ECHL season The 1997-98 ECHL season was the tenth season of the ECHL. Before the start of the season, the league saw the Knoxville Cherokees move to Florence, SC and welcomed expansion teams in New Orleans, LA and Upper Marlboro, MD... |
— | L, 0–3, LOU Louisiana IceGators The original Louisiana IceGators were an ECHL team based in Lafayette, Louisiana from 1995 until the end of the 2005 season. The team played its home games at the Cajundome and were last an affiliate of the NHL Minnesota Wild and the AHL Houston Aeros.... |
— | — | — |
| 1998–99 1998–99 ECHL season The 1998-99 ECHL season was the 11th season of the ECHL. Before the start of the season, the league saw the Louisville River Frogs move to Miami, FL and the Raleigh Icecaps move to Augusta, GA as well as welcoming two new franchises in Estero, FL and Greenville, SC... |
L, 0–2, BIR Birmingham Bulls (ECHL) The Birmingham Bulls were a minor professional ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League from 1992 to 2001. Their home arena was the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center. The team moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey and was renamed the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in 2001... |
— | — | — | — |
| 1999–00 | — | L, 2–3, GRN Greenville Grrrowl The Greenville Grrrowl were an ECHL hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. They played their home games at the BI-LO Center. In the 2001-02 season, they won the Kelly Cup.... |
— | — | — |
| 2000–01 2000–01 ECHL season The 2000-01 ECHL season was the 13th season of the ECHL. Before the season, the league lost three members as the Huntington Blizzard and the Jacksonville Lizard Kings ceased operations and the powerhouse Hampton Roads Admirals moved up to the American Hockey League as the Norfolk Admirals, the... |
— | W, 3–2, JAC 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... |
L, 3–2, SC South Carolina Stingrays The South Carolina Stingrays are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Stingrays play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at the North Charleston Coliseum. The Carolina Ice Palace, also located in... |
— | — |
| 2001–02 2001–02 ECHL season The 2001-02 ECHL season was the 14th season of the East Coast Hockey League. Before the start of the season, the league saw one expansion franchise and five relocations, three of which were through the buying of the franchise rights of former clubs that had ceased operations... |
Out of playoffs | ||||