Adirondack Flames

Adirondack Flames
City Glens Falls, New York
League American Hockey League
Conference Western Conference
Division North Division
Founded 1977
Operated 2014–2015
Home arena Glens Falls Civic Center
Colors Red, black, gold, white
                   
Owner(s) Calgary Sports and Entertainment
(N. Murray Edwards, chairman)
Affiliates Calgary Flames (NHL)
Franchise history
1977–1987 Maine Mariners
1987–1993 Utica Devils
1993–2003 Saint John Flames
2005–2007 Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights
2007–2009 Quad City Flames
2009–2014 Abbotsford Heat
2014–2015 Adirondack Flames
2015–present Stockton Heat

The Adirondack Flames were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team was based in Glens Falls, New York, and played at the 4,794 seat Glens Falls Civic Center. They were the top affiliate of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League and made their debut in the 2014–15 AHL season after relocating from Abbotsford, British Columbia where the team was known as the Heat. Former Portland Pirates Managing Owner and CEO Brian Petrovek served as the team's president. For the 2015–16 season, the Adirondack Flames moved to Stockton, California and became the Stockton Heat.

History

After playing five seasons in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada as the Abbotsford Heat, the city of Abbotsford terminated the contract with the Heat on April 15, 2014,[1] and on May 5, 2014 The AHL's Board of Governors announced their approval to relocate the team to Glens Falls for the 2014–15 season.[2] The contract between the city of Glens Falls and the Calgary Flames runs for three seasons with an option to renew for two more seasons.[3]

The relocation of Calgary's AHL team ensured that AHL hockey continued uninterrupted in Glens Falls for the 2014–15 season, despite the departure of Glens Falls' previous AHL team, the Adirondack Phantoms, who relocated to Allentown, Pennsylvania following 2013–14 AHL season to become the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The team's logo pays homage to the former NHL team the Atlanta Flames, who relocated to Calgary, Alberta in 1980 to become the current Calgary Flames.

The team earned a certain degree of notoriety when its mascot, Scorch, was introduced. In what a number of Flames fans saw as poor taste, an introductory video showed Scorch, supposedly the last unextinguished flame from a fire that devastated Glens Falls in 1846, overpowering a firefighter and knocking him to the ground. The ensuing controversy prompted the Flames to discontinue Scorch shortly after he was introduced.[4] On June 24, 2014 it was announced that Ryan Huska, former head coach of the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL would be the team's first head coach.

On February 10, 2015, the Adirondack Flames routed the Syracuse Crunch by a franchise high score of 10-0. Sven Baertschi recorded his first professional hat trick. Turner Elson added two goals, and Kenny Agostino (1G-2A), Mark Cundari (1G-2A), Markus Granlund (1G-1A), Ben Hanowski(2A), Garnet Hathaway (3A), Brian McGrattan (2A), and Tyler Wotherspoon (2A) all posted multiple-point efforts. In total, 13 Flames skaters posted at least one point. It was the first time since 2002 that a score has reached double-digits.

Relocation and replacement

On January 29, 2015, it was confirmed by the AHL via press conference that the Adirondack Flames would relocate from Glens Falls to Stockton, California and become the Stockton Heat. In turn, the Calgary Flames acquired the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL and relocated that team to Glens Falls as the Adirondack Thunder for the 2015–16 season.

Season result

Players

Head Coach

References

  1. ↑ Abbotsford Heat leave city with $12M in losses - British Columbia - CBC News
  2. ↑ It’s official: Glens Falls keeping AHL hockey League approves team move to Adirondack
  3. ↑ "Glens Falls tried to recruit four other AHL teams before Calgary". poststar.com. 2014-05-14. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  4. ↑ Adirondack Flames to replace controversial mascot. Post-Star. Retrieved October 15, 2014.

External links

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