Nashville South Stars
Encyclopedia
The Nashville South Stars were a professional ice hockey
team in the Central Hockey League (CHL) for the 1981-82 season. They then played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League
(ACHL) for the 1982-83 season and part of the 1983-84 season before the franchise relocated to become the Virginia Lancers
.
It had been 10 years since Nashville
's last hockey team, the Nashville Dixie Flyers
, played as part of the Eastern Hockey League
.
The South Stars were founded by Larry Schmittou
, who was a principal owner of the Nashville Sounds
minor-league baseball team. The team played at Municipal Auditorium, whose seating configuration was such that spectators seated more than a row back in the seats that were above and behind the goal lines could not see the nets.
The team was the top affiliate of the Minnesota North Stars
of the National Hockey League
and was coached by Gene Ubriaco, who would later coach the Pittsburgh Penguins
of the NHL.
The South Stars reached the CHL playoffs, but lost in the first round to the Wichita Wind
.
The Nashville South Stars only lasted for one season in the CHL. The Nashville South Stars joined the Atlantic Coast Hockey League
for the 1982-83 season and the franchise relocated to Virginia
during the next season.
Central Hockey League
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 the Central Hockey League (CHL) for the 1981-82 season. They then played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League
Atlantic Coast Hockey League
The Atlantic Coast Hockey League was a minor league hockey organization that operated between 1981 and 1987. The league was founded by Bill Coffey....
(ACHL) for the 1982-83 season and part of the 1983-84 season before the franchise relocated to become the Virginia Lancers
Virginia Lancers
The Virginia Lancers were a minor league hockey team that played in several leagues from 1983 until 1990. Their home ice was the Vinton Sports Complex, which held 3400 people.-Atlantic Coast Hockey League :...
.
It had been 10 years since Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
's last hockey team, the Nashville Dixie Flyers
Nashville Dixie Flyers
The Nashville Dixie Flyers were a professional minor league ice hockey team in Nashville, Tennessee. They played in the Eastern Hockey League from 1962 until the franchise folded in 1971. Their home games were held at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium....
, played as part of the Eastern Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
.
The South Stars were founded by Larry Schmittou
Larry Schmittou
Larry Schmittou is an American entrepreneur. He currently owns a S&S Family Entertainment LLC, which operates a chain of bowling centers. He is a former coach of the Vanderbilt University baseball team. From the late 1970s to the mid 1990s, he was the owner of several minor league baseball teams...
, who was a principal owner of the Nashville Sounds
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
minor-league baseball team. The team played at Municipal Auditorium, whose seating configuration was such that spectators seated more than a row back in the seats that were above and behind the goal lines could not see the nets.
The team was the top affiliate of the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
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...
and was coached by Gene Ubriaco, who would later coach the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
of the NHL.
The South Stars reached the CHL playoffs, but lost in the first round to the Wichita Wind
Wichita Wind
The Wichita Wind were a minor league ice hockey team based in Wichita, Kansas from 1980 to 1983. They were the feeder team of the Edmonton Oilers and the New Jersey Devils . The Wind played in the Central Hockey League at the Britt Brown Arena in the Kansas Coliseum...
.
The Nashville South Stars only lasted for one season in the CHL. The Nashville South Stars joined the Atlantic Coast Hockey League
Atlantic Coast Hockey League
The Atlantic Coast Hockey League was a minor league hockey organization that operated between 1981 and 1987. The league was founded by Bill Coffey....
for the 1982-83 season and the franchise relocated to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
during the next season.
Notable personnel
- Mike AntonovichMike Antonovich (ice hockey)Michael John "Antone" Antonovich is a former professional ice hockey player, and coach. He was selected in the ninth round of the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, 113th overall, by the Minnesota North Stars. He is currently a scout for the St...
, a former Minnesota high school hero who starred in the World Hockey Association. He went on the play in the NHL with both the Minnesota North StarsMinnesota North StarsThe Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
and the New Jersey DevilsNew Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
- Goaltender Don BeaupreDon BeaupreDonald William Beaupre is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Beaupre in his 17 seasons in the NHL played for four teams: the Minnesota North Stars, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.-Playing career:Beaupre emerged as a goaltender in the OHA for...
played in five games for the South Stars during an injury rehab posting.
- Bob SuterBob SuterRobert Allen Suter is a retired American ice hockey defenseman and member of the Miracle on Ice 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team won the gold medal team...
, a defenseman on the Miracle on IceMiracle on IceThe "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
U.S. gold-medal team in the 1980 Olympic Winter Games. His son, Ryan SuterRyan SuterRyan Suter is a professional ice hockey defenseman who currently plays for and serves as an alternate captain for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League . He is also an alternate captain of the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics...
, was the first-round draft choice of the NHL's Nashville PredatorsNashville PredatorsThe Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 2003.
- John TortorellaJohn TortorellaJonathan "John" Tortorella is an American professional ice hockey coach and is now the head coach of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He is perhaps best known for his tenure as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning when he led the team to the 2004 Stanley Cup championship...
, right wing, played with the South Stars during the 1983-84 ACHL season. In 19961995–96 AHL seasonThe 1995–96 AHL season was the 60th season of the American Hockey League. The AHL expands by two teams and realigns into two conferences, and four divisions. The Northern Conference includes the North and Atlantic Divisions...
he became the Calder CupCalder CupThe Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
winning head coach of the Rochester AmericansRochester AmericansThe Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
, and in 2004 the Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
winning head coach with the Tampa Bay LightningTampa Bay LightningThe Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
.
- Gene UbriacoGene UbriacoEugene Stephen Ubriaco is a retired professional ice hockey forward who played three NHL seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Oakland Seals, and Chicago Black Hawks.-NHL career:...
, head coach, went on coach the Pittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
of the NHL.
- Warren YoungWarren YoungWarren Howard Young is a retired Canadian Professional Hockey Left Winger who played seven seasons in the National Hockey League for the Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings....
, a regular member of the 1981-82 team, wound up with Ubriaco and the Penguins and benefited one season from the assist-making of Mario LemieuxMario LemieuxMario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
. But after one 40-goal season, Young quickly faded into obscurity.
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutesCentral Hockey League
| Season | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–82 | 78 | 41 | 35 | 4 | 86 | 313 | 319 | 2057 | 4th | Lost Quarterfinals |
| Playoffs | GP | W | L | GF | GA | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–82 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 55 | 11 | Lost Quarterfinals |