Austin Ice Bats
The Austin Ice Bats were an American ice hockey team from Austin, Texas from 2001 to 2008 in the Central Hockey League, a North American minor league played. Named the team was after the bulldog bat, which nests in the inner city, especially under Congress Avenue Bridge.
History
The franchise that was founded in 1996 as a team in the Western Professional Hockey League, wore its home games until the end of the 2005/06 season in the 6,500 -seat Luedecke Arena at the Travis County Exposition Center, equipped with an ice surface multi-purpose arena of the fans called " Bat Cave " ( Bat Cave ) received. In the summer of 2001, the WPHL merged with the Central Hockey League, where the Ice Bats then competed.
On 5 February 2005, the citizens of Cedar Park, a suburb of Austin, the construction of a new 30.8 million U.S. dollars expensive Halle agreed to. The Arena was to serve as the new home of the Ice Bats, as well as a concert hall and location for other events, the project was not completed. On 15 February 2006, the Ice Bats finally gave known to leave the Luedecke Arena in direction Chaparral Ice in Pflugerville. This move was completed for the 2006/07 season, after renovations are completed in the new arena. In Chaparral Ice find 2,000 spectators at hockey games space.
In May 2008, the leaders withdrew the franchise from the Central Hockey League.
Former Players
The following players who were active for the Austin Ice Bats, played in the course of her career in the National Hockey League:
- John Blue
- Brian Dobbin
- Chad Erickson
- Jeff Greenlaw
- Stu Kulak
- Paul Lawless
- Dave Morissette
- Scott Shaunessy
- Bruce Shoebottom
- Christian Soucy
- Terry Virtue