Bakersfield Condors
The Bakersfield Condors are an American Hockey franchise from Bakersfield, California. It plays on minor league level in the ECHL. There, the Condors play in the Pacific Division of the National Conference. They play in the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, which was formerly known as Centennial Garden known.
History
Hockey in Bakersfield
The Hockey Sport held in 1940, moving into Bakersfield with the Bakersfield Oilers, who was the college team from the University of Southern California. But after three years of operation due to the game of World War II has been discontinued and only with the Bakersfield kernel from the Southern California Hockey League, it was again a hockey team in the city. The kernel earned the dubious reputation as the " Bad Boys " of the League and their goalkeeper led them in penalty minutes. However, the kernel could only be maintained for three years and in 1963 dissolved.
Nearly 30 years later, it was a new beginning for the sport of ice hockey in Bakersfield. A new team under the name of former college teams Bakersfield Oilers came into the semi-professional Pacific Southwest Hockey League and the interest of the fans was so great that the team owner who applied for a place in the newly formed West Coast Hockey League.
Establishment in professional sports
In 1995, the team finally gave under the name Bakersfield Fog her debut in the WCHL. In the first three seasons, the team of Keith Gretzky, a younger brother of Wayne Gretzky, was trained. Under him, the team showed fluctuating performance, but could reach the playoffs twice. Best player was at that time Steve Dowhy who came to Bakersfield in 184 games to 310 points.
Too many changes occurred in 1998. The team was renamed Bakersfield Condors, Kevin MacDonald broke Gretzky as a coach and as the team moved into the new Bakersfield Centennial Garden, which today bears the name Rabobank Arena. Despite the changes in the environment of the team, they could not improve in the following years. In the three seasons under coach MacDonald the Condors never reached the mark of 30 wins in 70 and 72 games of the season.
2001 Paul Kelly 's new coach in Bakersfield and through him also improved the performance of the team. 2001/ 02, they challenged the then second-best season in its history and the following year they even presented with 41 wins a franchise record. Guarantee for success was there goalkeeper Kevin St. Pierre, who was awarded MVP and Best Goalkeeper of the regular season.
In the summer of 2003, the WCHL merged with the ECHL hochklassigeren. Paul Kelly led the Condors still in the first season in the new league, but he was replaced at the end of the season due to poor performance by Marty Raymond. The following year, the coaching change took effect and in the next three seasons, the team won at least 40 of the 72 season games and drew twice in the second round of play-offs. In the 2007 /08 season, the Condors stumbled but still managed to qualify for the play- offs.
In 2008, the Bakersfield Condors signed a cooperation agreement with the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL and acted together with the Iowa Chops of the AHL as their farm team. In July 2010, the collaboration has ended with the Ducks. For the 2010/11 season was a collaboration with the Minnesota Wild.
In September 2012, the Bakersfield Condors submitted to the Canadian Pop and Contemporary R & B singer, songwriter and actor Justin Bieber offered a contract for the 2012/13 season.
Season statistics
Note: GP = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Losses after Overtime, SOL = Shootout Losses by, Pts = Points, GF = Goals Scored, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalty minutes
Later NHL players
- C. Connor James (2004-05 ) played in the 2005-06 season two games in the NHL for the Los Angeles Kings
- G Yutaka Fukufuji (2004-05 ) was appointed on 15 December 2006 in the squad of the Los Angeles Kings. On 13 January 2007 he became the first Japanese-born, NHL players.
Special Events
On January 11, 2003 was with Danielle Dubé first woman for the Bakersfield Condors on the ice. Dubé guarded the goal in a game against the Anchorage Aces, which won the Condors 6-4. The Canadian goalkeeper had previously stood in the year at WCHL league rival Long Beach Ice Dogs in 16 games on the ice.