Atlantic Coast Hockey League (2002)
Encyclopedia
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.
, the early 1980s predecessor of the East Coast Hockey League. The ACHL would last only one season, and was notable for the early-season move of the St. Petersburg Parrots to Winston-Salem, North Carolina
. After a bitter split among the franchises, the league split into two new leagues, the South East Hockey League
and World Hockey Association 2
. Surviving franchises would later rejoin each other for the 2004-05 season in a league that eventually became known as the Southern Professional Hockey League
.
The Orlando Seals won the ACHL's only regular season and playoff championships.
, who owned four of the ACHL's teams in whole or in part, announced he would be founding a new league the following year. This was the World Hockey Association 2
, which was envisioned as a developmental league to a revived World Hockey Association
. Waronker's teams, the Jacksonville Barracudas
, the Macon Trax
, the Orlando Seals, and the ACHL expansion team, the Miami Manatees
, joined this new league; they were joined by the Lakeland Loggerheads and the Alabama Slammers
. The Cape Fear Fire Antz and the Knoxville Ice Bears
joined the SEHL with the Huntsville Channel Cats
(who were also briefly an ACHL expansion team), the Tupelo T-Rex
(who never played due to contractual issues with a previous professional league), and eventually the Winston-Salem T-Birds
(who began the season known as the Winston-Salem Hockey Club) as the 4th team.
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...
league based in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The second league to bear the name 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....
, it operated for only one season, 2002–2003, before its franchises split into two new leagues.
History
The 2002 incarnation of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League was the second organization to bear this name, after the original Atlantic Coast Hockey LeagueAtlantic 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....
, the early 1980s predecessor of the East Coast Hockey League. The ACHL would last only one season, and was notable for the early-season move of the St. Petersburg Parrots to Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
. After a bitter split among the franchises, the league split into two new leagues, 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....
and World Hockey Association 2
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...
. Surviving franchises would later rejoin each other for the 2004-05 season in a league that eventually became known as the Southern Professional Hockey League
Southern Professional Hockey League
The Southern Professional Hockey League is a low-level professional ice hockey league based in Charlotte, North Carolina, with teams located in the southeastern United States.- History :...
.
The Orlando Seals won the ACHL's only regular season and playoff championships.
Teams
- Cape Fear Fire Antz (moved to SEHL for 2003-04)
- Huntsville Channel CatsHuntsville Channel CatsThe 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 , the Central Hockey League and the South East Hockey League...
(expansion team that moved to the SEHL) - Jacksonville BarracudasJacksonville BarracudasThe Jacksonville Barracudas were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They were established in 2002, and played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League , the World Hockey Association 2 , and the Southern Professional Hockey League , before folding in 2008.They won...
(moved to WHA2 for 2003-04) - Knoxville Ice BearsKnoxville Ice BearsThe 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...
(moved to SEHL for 2003-04) - Macon TraxMacon TraxThe Macon Trax were a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Macon, Georgia. They played in the low minor leagues Atlantic Coast Hockey League , World Hockey Association 2 and Southern Professional Hockey League , playing their home games at the Macon Coliseum...
(moved to WHA2 for 2003-04) - Miami ManateesMiami ManateesThe Miami Manatees were a minor league ice hockey team in the World Hockey Association 2. The Manatees originally played their home games at Miami Arena; however, owner David Waronker had an out clause in the teams lease that stated that if the team's attendance average was under 1,500 after 20 of...
(and expansion team that moved the WHA2) - Orlando Seals (moved to WHA2 for 2003-04)
- St. Pete/Winston-Salem ParrotsSt. Pete/Winston-Salem ParrotsThe St. Pete/Winston-Salem Parrots were an ice hockey team in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League in the 2002-03 season. They started the season out in Winston-Salem, they moved to St. Petersburg on November 30, 2002...
(relocated from St. Petersburg, FL on November 30, 2002; folded after the season) - Tallahassee TideTallahassee TideThe Tallahassee Tide were a proposed ice hockey team that was supposed to play in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League. The team was supposed to play at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center.-Formation:...
(team that was meant to play the 02-03 season but never secured a lease)
League split
After the 02-03 season, David WaronkerDavid Waronker
David Waronker is a real estate investor, the President of CBD Real Estate Investment, L.L.C., and a lifelong ice hockey enthusiast. Waronker was the founder and commissioner of the World Hockey Association 2.- Biography :...
, who owned four of the ACHL's teams in whole or in part, announced he would be founding a new league the following year. This was the World Hockey Association 2
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...
, which was envisioned as a developmental league to a revived World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association (proposed)
The World Hockey Association was a proposed professional hockey league intended to compete with the established National Hockey League during the 2004–05 NHL lockout...
. Waronker's teams, the Jacksonville Barracudas
Jacksonville Barracudas
The Jacksonville Barracudas were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They were established in 2002, and played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League , the World Hockey Association 2 , and the Southern Professional Hockey League , before folding in 2008.They won...
, the Macon Trax
Macon Trax
The Macon Trax were a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Macon, Georgia. They played in the low minor leagues Atlantic Coast Hockey League , World Hockey Association 2 and Southern Professional Hockey League , playing their home games at the Macon Coliseum...
, the Orlando Seals, and the ACHL expansion team, the Miami Manatees
Miami Manatees
The Miami Manatees were a minor league ice hockey team in the World Hockey Association 2. The Manatees originally played their home games at Miami Arena; however, owner David Waronker had an out clause in the teams lease that stated that if the team's attendance average was under 1,500 after 20 of...
, joined this new league; they were joined by the Lakeland Loggerheads and the Alabama Slammers
Alabama Slammers
The Alabama Slammers were a professional ice hockey team. They were a member of the World Hockey Association 2, and played their home games at Pelham Civic Center in Pelham, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. The Slammers were one of eight minor league hockey teams purchased or founded by real...
. The Cape Fear Fire Antz and the Knoxville Ice Bears
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...
joined the SEHL with the Huntsville Channel Cats
Huntsville Channel Cats
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 , the Central Hockey League and the South East Hockey League...
(who were also briefly an ACHL expansion team), the Tupelo T-Rex
Tupelo T-Rex
The Tupelo T-Rex was a professional ice hockey team, a member of the Western Professional Hockey League and played their home games at BancorpSouth Center from 1998 through 2001...
(who never played due to contractual issues with a previous professional league), and eventually the Winston-Salem T-Birds
Winston-Salem T-Birds
The Winston-Salem T-Birds were an ice hockey team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They played in the South East Hockey League for the 2003-04 season...
(who began the season known as the Winston-Salem Hockey Club) as the 4th team.
Regular season
| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts |
| Orlando | 59 | 43 | 14 | 2 | 88 |
| Knoxville | 59 | 36 | 21 | 2 | 74 |
| Macon | 59 | 31 | 25 | 3 | 65 |
| St. Pete/W-S | 57 | 28 | 23 | 6 | 62 |
| Cape Fear | 60 | 21 | 37 | 2 | 44 |
| Jacksonville | 60 | 18 | 41 | 1 | 37 |