Miami Manatees
Encyclopedia
| Miami Manatees | |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Home ice | Miami Arena Miami Arena The Miami Arena was an indoor arena in Miami, Florida.-History:Completed in 1988, at a cost of $52.5 million, its opening took business away from the Hollywood Sportatorium and eventually led to its demise... |
| Based in | Miami, Florida Miami, Florida Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... |
| Colors | Forest Green, Gold, Black, Grey |
| League | 2003 - 2004: WHA2 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... |
| Head coach | Zac Boyer Zac Boyer Zac Boyer is a former National Hockey League right winger.He played in only 3 regular season games and 2 playoff games for the Dallas Stars... |
| General manager | Shawn Thorimbert |
| Owner | David Waronker David 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 :... |
The Miami Manatees were a minor league 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 in 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...
. The Manatees originally played their home games at Miami Arena
Miami Arena
The Miami Arena was an indoor arena in Miami, Florida.-History:Completed in 1988, at a cost of $52.5 million, its opening took business away from the Hollywood Sportatorium and eventually led to its demise...
; however, owner David Waronker
David 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 :...
had an out clause in the teams lease that stated that if the team's attendance average was under 1,500 after 20 of 32 homes games, the Manatees could play their home games elsewhere. This would prove to be the case, as recorded attendance was well below the mark for most home games; one contest against the Lakeland Loggerheads drew an estimated attendance of only 250 fans. After this, Waronker wanted to move the team to Maitland
Maitland, Florida
Maitland is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States, part of the Greater Metro Orlando area. The population was 12,019 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 14,172...
, FL
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to play in the RDV Sportsplex
RDV Sportsplex
The RDV Sportplex is a multi-purpose sports and recreation facility located in Maitland, Florida and is owned by Richard DeVos. RDV Sportsplex is a subsidiary of MVP Sports Clubs which operates seven facilities, five in Western Michigan and two in Orlando, Florida, which also houses the corporate...
, but the players shot down this idea; then the Manatee's ownership decided to play only away games. The players liked this idea even less and several left to play for other teams, mostly in 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....
while others tried to catch on with ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
squads. With the few remaining players, the Manatees wound up playing only 48 regular-season games, but still qualified for the playoffs (see below).
The play-by-play voice of the Manatees was Mark Fischel, with color analyst John Daley who was the head coach of the Jr. Manatees ice hockey program, with games carried on IRN.fm internet radio. The Manatees also received limited newspaper coverage in the Miami Herald, and nearby Ft. Lauderdale's Sun-Sentinel
Sun-Sentinel
The Sun Sentinel, owned by the Tribune Company, is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., and all of Broward County, but circulates throughout all of South Florida.-Overview:...
.
Playoffs
The Manatees finished the season in 5th place with 53 points in 48 games, an impressive 20 points over the 6th place Lakeland Loggerheads who played 58 games. However, after the Manatees decided to play only road games, the league changed its playoff format to allow the four best win percentages into the playoffs. This turned out to be bad news for the 4th place Orlando Seals; despite finishing with 59 points, or six more than Miami, they did it in 57 games for only a .517 winning percentage, and thus missed the playoffs.1 - 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...
(81 pts in 59 games = .686 perecntage)
2 - 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...
(72 pts in 58 games = .621)
3 - 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...
(66 pts in 56 games = .589)
4 - Miami Manatees (53 pts in 48 games = .552)
After having their roster severely depleted, the Manatees managed to win one game before losing the best-of-three playoff series with Jacksonville, thus ending their season.
2004-2005 season
Following the 03-04 season, the WHA2 teams jumped ship to the new Southern Professional Hockey LeagueSouthern 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 Manatees were given permission to suspend operations for the season and attempt to relocate to a new venue, whether in the Miami area or somewhere else. After that, the franchise quietly folded, and there has not been minor league hockey in Miami since.