Arkansas RiverBlades
The Arkansas River Blades were an American ice hockey team from North Little Rock, Arkansas. The team played from 1998 to 2003 in the East Coast Hockey League.
History
The Arkansas River Blades were founded in 1998 as a franchise of the East Coast Hockey League. After completion of the Alltel Arena, the team took on the operation of gambling in the ECHL in the season 1999/2000. Previously, the club owners had to change the name and logo of the team that originally Arkansas Razor Blades should be called. The University of Arkansas refused, however, because their sports teams play under the name of Razorbacks. In addition, the choice of the River Blades regarding their slogans was criticized. In line with the motto of the local professional baseball team Arkansas Travalers " Greatest Game on Dirt" you chose the slogan " Greatest Game on Ice". In their first season the River Blades were in direct competition with their city rivals Arkansas GlacierCats from the Western Professional Hockey League. However, this had in 2000 set the gaming operations due to financial difficulties.
Their most successful season completed the Arkansas River Blades in the 2000 /01 season, when they first on the fifth place in the Southwest Division finished the regular season before them in the playoffs for the Kelly Cup after a victory over the Baton Rouge Kingfish until the second round to the South Carolina Stingrays failed. Following the 2002/ 03 season, the franchise was disbanded after Equity Broadcasting, the company that owns the River Blades were, the lease with the Alltel Arena disbanded.
Season statistics
Note: GP = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses by SOL = Shootout Losses by, Pts = Points, GF = Goals Scored, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalty minutes
Team Records
Career Records
Known player
- James Desmarais
- Scott Fankhouser
- Vernon Fiddler
- Trevor Gallant
- Philippe Lakos
- Mikhail Grigoryevich Krawez