Louisville Rebels
Encyclopedia
The Louisville Rebels were a minor league
professional ice hockey
team that played in the International Hockey League from 1957 to 1960. The Rebels were based in Louisville, Kentucky
and originally played at the Louisville Gardens
, and later the Freedom Hall
. The team was previously known as the Huntington Hornets
in 1956–57, and had relocated from Huntington, West Virginia
.
In their first season, the Rebels placed third in the regular season, and defeated the first place Cincinnati Mohawks
in the first round of the playoffs three games to two. The Mohawks were the defending champions, and had won the league playoffs the last five consecutive seasons. The Rebels moved onto the finals, a series they led versus the Indianapolis Chiefs
three games to two, but lost in seven games. In 1957–58, the Rebels finished first in the regular season, winning the Fred A. Huber Trophy
, and won their first Turner Cup
, defeating the Fort Wayne Komets
four games to one in the championship finals.
Louisville finished second in the east division during the 1959–60 season, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The Rebels disbanded in 1960.
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...
professional 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 that played in the International Hockey League from 1957 to 1960. The Rebels were based in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and originally played at the Louisville Gardens
Louisville Gardens
Louisville Gardens is a multi-purpose, 6,000 seat arena, in Louisville, Kentucky, that opened in 1905, as the Jefferson County Armory. It recently celebrated its 100th anniversary as city mayor Jerry Abramson's official "Family-Friendly New Years Eve" celebration location...
, and later the Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall is a multipurpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky...
. The team was previously known as the Huntington Hornets
Huntington Hornets
The Huntington Hornets were a professional ice hockey team that played in Huntington, West Virginia as a member of the International Hockey League during the 1956–57 season. The team was relocated to Huntington from Grand Rapids, Michigan where they played as the Grand Rapids Rockets. The...
in 1956–57, and had relocated from Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
.
In their first season, the Rebels placed third in the regular season, and defeated the first place Cincinnati Mohawks
Cincinnati Mohawks
The Cincinnati Mohawks were a professional ice hockey team in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were a member of the American Hockey League between 1949 and 1952. They were originally founded as the Washington Lions, then were relocated from Washington, D.C....
in the first round of the playoffs three games to two. The Mohawks were the defending champions, and had won the league playoffs the last five consecutive seasons. The Rebels moved onto the finals, a series they led versus the Indianapolis Chiefs
Indianapolis Chiefs
The Indianapolis Chiefs were a minor league professional ice hockey team that played in the International Hockey League from 1955 to 1962. The Chiefs were based in Indianapolis, Indiana and played at the Indiana State Fair Coliseum...
three games to two, but lost in seven games. In 1957–58, the Rebels finished first in the regular season, winning the Fred A. Huber Trophy
Fred A. Huber Trophy
The Fred A. Huber Trophy was awarded annually by the International Hockey League to the North American ice hockey team with the most points during the regular season. The trophy for the league championship was originally named the J. P. McGuire Trophy, the owner of Detroit car dealership, and...
, and won their first Turner Cup
Turner Cup
The Turner Cup is the championship trophy of the International Hockey League. The Cup is named for Joe Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario. Turner became professional with the Detroit Red Wings organization, and played one season with the Indianapolis Capitals in the American Hockey League...
, defeating the Fort Wayne Komets
Fort Wayne Komets
The Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey franchise currently a member of the Central Hockey League in the Northern Conference. The team was previously a member of the International Hockey League before it merged into the CHL in 2010...
four games to one in the championship finals.
Louisville finished second in the east division during the 1959–60 season, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The Rebels disbanded in 1960.
Season-by-season results
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Winning % | Goals for | Goals against | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957–58 | 64 | 30 | 31 | 3 | 63 | 0.492 | 239 | 263 | 3rd, IHL |
| 1958–59 | 60 | 35 | 24 | 1 | 71 | 0.592 | 280 | 197 | 1st, IHL |
| 1959–60 | 68 | 37 | 30 | 1 | 75 | 0.551 | 303 | 276 | 2nd, East |