Texas Wildcatters

The Texas Wildcatters, who took their name from Texas wildcatters, were a professional minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL based in Beaumont, Texas. They played their home games at the Ford Arena. The franchise previously played in Huntington, West Virginia, from 1993 to 2000 as the Huntington Blizzard playing at the Huntington Civic Arena.

Texas Wildcatters
CityBeaumont, Texas
LeagueECHL
ConferenceAmerican Conference
DivisionSouth Division
Founded1993
Home arenaFord Arena
ColorsBlack and gold
General managerRichard W. Adams
Head coachMalcom Cameron
AffiliatesFlorida Panthers
Minnesota Wild
Franchise history
1993–2000Huntington Blizzard
2003–2008Texas Wildcatters
2008–2015Ontario Reign
2015–2019Manchester Monarchs
Championships
Division titles2007–08

The Wildcatters relocated to Ontario, California, and were renamed Ontario Reign. The franchise's last game as the Wildcatters was a 1–4 loss to the Columbia Inferno on April 25, 2008, at Ford Arena.

History

During the 2004–05 season, they were affiliated with the Florida Panthers and the San Antonio Rampage.[1]

On October 7, 2005, the Jefferson County, Texas, Commissioners announced that the team would not be allowed to use Ford Arena for the 2005–06 season because the site was being used for Hurricane Rita relief. There was no suitable temporary facility in the area, forcing the Wildcatters to cancel the season. They resumed play in 2006–07 as affiliates of the Minnesota Wild of the NHL and the AHL's Houston Aeros.[2] After the 2007–08 season, the team moved to Ontario, California as the Ontario Reign and affiliated with the Los Angeles Kings.[3]

According to a Beaumont TV report, there was a local group attempting to secure a Central Hockey League (CHL) franchise for Beaumont in time for the 2008–09 season.[4] After the Austin Ice Bats suspended operations, there was an attempt to move that franchise to Ford Arena for 2008–09. However, there was insufficient time to do this before the CHL needed a commitment to play.

Season records

Regular season
SeasonGamesWonLostTiedOTLSOLPointsGoals
for		Goals
against		Standing
2003–047222446——501962877th, Central
2004–0572174411——451782606th, South
2005–06Involuntary suspension of season due to Hurricane Rita
2006–07724122—54912652222nd, South
2007–0872529—471152661771st, South

Playoffs
Season1st round2nd round3rd roundFinals
2003–04Did not qualify
2004–05Did not qualify
2005–06Involuntary suspension of season
2006–07—W, 3–2, GWTL, 2–4, FLA—
2007–08W, 3–1, MISL, 2–3, CBA——

References
  1. "Texas Wildcatter Parent Teams". HockeyDB. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  2. "Texas Wildcatters [ECHL] Parent Teams". HockeyDB. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  3. Kubena, Brooks (March 7, 2017). "Why can't SE Texas support a pro league?". Beaumont Enterprise. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  4. "Texas Wildcatters to Stay in Southeast Texas". KBMT. Archived from the original on March 4, 2008.
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