Chicago Express
The Chicago Express was an American ice hockey franchise from Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The team played in the 2011/12 season in the ECHL.
History
The Chicago Express was founded in 2010 as an expansion franchise in the ECHL. The owner of the team, the Americans Craig Drecktrah, acquired in February 2007, the Chicago Hounds of the United Hockey League. These provided after the season 2006/07 the game operation. Previously Drecktrah was co-owner of the Rockford IceHogs of the United Hockey League. Once in June 2010 Craig Drecktrah announced to integrate a franchise from Hoffman Estates in the ECHL, a competition ("Name Your Hockey Team ") to select the team name was organized. Out of more than 20,000 votes, the four proposals Chicago Blizzard, Chicago Express, Chicago Knights and Hoffman Hammers were included in the shortlist.
Finally presented Drecktrah team name Chicago Express as a winner and in September 2010 published the logo of the franchise. This includes the main subject, the figure of a locomotive, reflecting the importance of rail transport in the metropolis of Chicago is supposed to represent, which is considered the most important railway junction in North America. That same month, the obligation of Steve Martinson as head coach was announced. Martinson coached from 1995 very successfully several teams from minor league and never missed with this in 15 years the playoffs. His trophy case includes five won championships with the San Diego Gulls of the West Coast Hockey League and winning the Colonial Cup with the Rockford IceHogs of the United Hockey League. The position of General Manager was occupied with Wade Welsh, who served both as president. Previously, he had completed the job as general manager, among others, at the Kalamazoo Wings, Missouri River Otters and Quad City Mallards.
Was on 21 June 2011 as the first player the defender Nathan Lutz under contract, who had previously played for, among others, the Mississippi RiverKings in the Central Hockey League. Lutz has also been appointed as the first and only team captain of the franchise 's history. In July 2011, a collaboration with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League has been closed, so Chicago Express acted in the season 2011/12 in addition to the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League as their farm team.
The home games of the team were held in the Sears Centre, which has a capacity of 9,400 spectators offered at the hockey games. The first league match of the Chicago Express was held on 15th October 2011, which they won 5-1 away Walleye in Toledo. The first goal ever scored for Express winger Blair Riley. In the first home game of the team stayed for seven days later, victorious and defeated the Kalamazoo Wings in front of 5,472 spectators with 4:2. The Chicago Express finished the regular season 2011/12 with a record of 80 points in 72 games and missed only extremely scarce a place in the playoffs for the Kelly Cup; the last place of the Eastern Conference finals for the tied Reading Royals had secured. The audience response, however, remained in the league compared rather modest, amounting to an average of 2,508 visitors, while on average 4,282 people visited the ECHL - games.
A few days after a missed playoff qualification of immediate withdrawal from the ECHL and the setting of the game service after only one year of activity of the franchises was announced.
Season statistics
Note: GP = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses by SOL = Shootout Losses by, Pts = Points, GF = Goals Scored, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalty minutes