Salem Raiders
Encyclopedia
The Salem Raiders were a former professional hockey team that played in the Eastern Hockey League during the 1979-80 season, and transferred to the Atlantic Coast Hockey League
during the 1981-82 season.
The Salem Raiders were coached by former Colorado Rockies
coach Patrick Kelly
, who led the Raiders to a league-best regular season record of 32-15-0. Salem defeated the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds in the first round of the playoffs, but eventually lost to the Mohawk Valley Stars in the Payne Trophy Finals.
The Raiders were led by 1981-82 ACHL MVP Dave MacQueen
, who had 43 goals and 73 points in 36 games, and Tom Mullen, who led the team with 35 assists. MacQueen's goals and points totals and Mullen's assists totals led the league in their respective categories.
The Salem Raiders were later sold and re-branded as the Virginia Raiders for the 1982-83 season, but continued to play in the Salem Civic Center
until 1983. The team was then moved to Vinton, Virginia
and renamed the Virginia Lancers
.
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....
during the 1981-82 season.
The Salem Raiders were coached by former Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
coach Patrick Kelly
Patrick J. Kelly
Patrick J. Kelly was one of the founders and the first commissioner of the East Coast Hockey League in 1989. Kelly was named Commissioner Emeritus of the ECHL following the 1995–96 season, after serving as Commissioner for the first eight seasons of the ECHL. The league playoff champions wins a...
, who led the Raiders to a league-best regular season record of 32-15-0. Salem defeated the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds in the first round of the playoffs, but eventually lost to the Mohawk Valley Stars in the Payne Trophy Finals.
The Raiders were led by 1981-82 ACHL MVP Dave MacQueen
Dave MacQueen
-Playing career:Prior to becoming a coach, MacQueen played seven years of professional hockey , bouncing between the EHL, IHL, CHL, and the ACHL...
, who had 43 goals and 73 points in 36 games, and Tom Mullen, who led the team with 35 assists. MacQueen's goals and points totals and Mullen's assists totals led the league in their respective categories.
The Salem Raiders were later sold and re-branded as the Virginia Raiders for the 1982-83 season, but continued to play in the Salem Civic Center
Salem Civic Center
The Salem Civic Center is a 6,820-seat multi-purpose arena in Salem, Virginia. It was built in 1967 and is part of the James E. Taliaferro Sports and Entertainment Complex , which also includes the Salem Football Stadium and the Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium...
until 1983. The team was then moved to Vinton, Virginia
Vinton, Virginia
Vinton is a town in Roanoke County, Virginia, United States. The population was 7,782 at the 2000 census. It hosted teams by three names in the ECHL in a custom built facility known as the LancerLot; after the roof collapsed during the Blizzard of 1993, the franchise moved to the Roanoke Civic...
and renamed 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 :...
.