Atlantic Coast Hockey League

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the league operating from 1981 to 1987. For the later league, see Atlantic Coast Hockey League (2002–03).
Atlantic Coast Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Founded1981
Ceased1987
CEORay Miron
PresidentBill Coffey
Country United States
Last
champion(s)		Virginia Lancers
Most titlesCarolina Thunderbirds (3)

The Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL) was a minor league hockey organization that operated between 1981 and 1987. The league was founded by Bill Coffey.[1] The Bob Payne Trophy was awarded to the team who won the league playoff championship.[2]

According to a 1985 Montreal Gazette article, rookies were paid "$150 a week plus $35 for a victory"[3] and veterans were paid "as much as $300 a week." League regulations also said that half the roster (eight out of fifteen players) must be rookie Americans.[4]

Formation

The ACHL's roots can be traced back to the former

Cape Cod. After an investor dropped out, Cape Cod Coliseum and WWF owner Vince McMahon
purchased the rights to the franchise for $15,000.

Inaugural season

The ACHL opened with seven teams:

From the opening night of the season, McMahon was not happy with how the league was run. Schenectady and Fitchburg were owned by the same person. Fitchburg was placed under a league suspension and would fold after 6 games. Schenectady would fold after 9 games. In January 1982, McMahon tried to borrow $15,000 from the league, citing "slow cash flow". When the league denied his loan, McMahon folded his franchise. With the league now down to 4 teams, the league decided to end the season early and set the playoffs by geographical area to save on expenses. Coincidentally, the matchups did end up having the first and fourth place teams meet, along with the second vs third place teams. The Salem Raiders defeated the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds, and the Mohawk Valley Stars defeated the Baltimore Skipjacks. The Raiders and Stars played in the league final, with the Mohawk Valley Stars defeating the Raiders for the Bob Payne Trophy.

On July 24, 1987, Commissioner Ray Miron announced that the league would be suspending operations for the 1987–88 season. The Troy Slapshots had folded earlier in the previous season, and the Mohawk Valley Comets in

Utica, NY had been replaced with an American Hockey League team. This left the league with only three teams—Erie, Virginia, and Carolina—not enough for it to make sense to operate.[5] Erie would cease operations, but the Lancers and Thunderbirds would transfer to the All-American Hockey League
.

ACHL to ECHL

Two teams from the current ECHL have roots tracing back to the Atlantic Coast Hockey League

Wheeling Nailers:

  • 1981–82:
    Winston-Salem Thunderbirds
    (ACHL)
  • 1982–87: Carolina Thunderbirds (ACHL)
  • 1987–88: Carolina Thunderbirds (AAHL)
  • 1988–89: Carolina Thunderbirds (ECHL)
  • 1989–92: Winston-Salem Thunderbirds (ECHL)
  • 1992–96:
    Wheeling Thunderbirds
    (ECHL)
  • 1996–present: Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)

Utah Grizzlies:

Teams

Unnamed team

In December 1985, Recreational Ice of North Carolina (RINC) was granted an ACHL franchise. RINC general manager Bob Ohrablo had planned to put the franchise in Asheville, North Carolina. The team was to play in a newly built arena, the 3200-seat Asheville Ice Garden. The arena was to be completed in October 1986 and the team was supposed to start play during the 1986–87 season.

A name the team contest was to be held in February 1986, with the winner to be announced in March.[6] It is unknown if a winner was ever announced.

Timeline


Awards

Bob Payne Trophy

The Bob Payne Trophy was awarded to the playoff champion at the end of each season. The trophy is named after Bob Payne, an executive with several teams in the Southern Hockey League and Eastern Hockey League. The trophy was loaned to the winning team for one year and was returned at the start of the following year's playoffs. The Carolina Thunderbirds were the only multiple winners of the trophy, having won it three of the six years, including back-to-back wins in 1984–85 and 1985–86.

Regular season champions

ACHL All-Stars

ACHL MVP

ACHL Playoff MVP

  • 1984–85: Brian Carroll, Carolina Thunderbirds
  • 1985–86: Bob Doré, Carolina Thunderbirds

ACHL Rookie Of The Year

Seasons

References

  1. ISBN 1-894974-21-2
    .
  2. ^ "A to Z Encyclopaedia of Ice Hockey – At".
  3. ^ "Schenectady Gazette – Google News Archive Search".
  4. ^ "The Montreal Gazette – Google News Archive Search".
  5. ^ "Sarasota Herald-Tribune – Google News Archive Search".
  6. ^ "The Times-News – Google News Archive Search".

See also

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