Central Hockey League prepares for 20th season amidst annual tribulation

** Part four of a four-part series **
TEMPE, Ariz. – It happens every year about this time – the rumors, the hollow predictions of the media, the bleating of fans on forums and message boards and the waiting. Yes, the waiting, which truly is the hardest part.
The waiting to see if that Central Hockey League team, you know – the one we’ve all been talking about – will finally wither into that village of the damned…those who have long since gone inactive, who have “suspended operations” or who have simply, admittedly, folded.  
Following the merger of the CHL and the Western Professional Hockey League in 2001, the combined league has experienced expansion and contraction in nine of the past 10 years. To say that this is normal is a sad fact, yet such is the world of minor professional hockey in the central United States. The league has seen as few as 15 and as many as 18 teams participating over the past decade.
In 2002, the 16-team league said goodbye to the San Antonio Iguanas, who ceased operations in late June after failing to find new local investors following the introduction of the San Antonio Rampage (an expansion American Hockey League franchise) to the Alamo City. Joining the league was the Laredo Bucks, the city’s first professional sports franchise and an affiliate of the Rampage, as well as the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers.
In 2003, the El Paso Buzzards (one of the original members of the WPHL) folded shortly after owner Billy Davidson filed for bankruptcy and eventually lost control of the franchise in May. Joining the league were the Colorado Eagles and the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, both housed in new arenas built by the CHL’s parent company, Global Entertainment Corporation.
In 2004, the owners of the Indianapolis Ice moved the franchise to Topeka, Kansas and re-named the team the Topeka Tarantulas.
In 2005, the Tarantulas folded after finishing in last place in the CHL’s Northwest Division with just 16 wins. Also gone were the San Angelo Saints, a former WPHL franchise that folded after what team President Jim Cook called “a lack of community support to maintain viability” – the Saints had the lowest attendance in the league in each of its four seasons since joining the CHL.
The New Mexico Scorpions (another original member of the WPHL) suspended operations in order to prepare to move to the Santa Ana Star Center, under construction by Global Entertainment in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Meanwhile, the league welcomed the Youngstown SteelHounds, an expansion franchise housed at the then Chevrolet Center, another arena built by Global.

In 2006, the Fort Worth Brahmas suspended operations after the City Of Fort Worth refused to come to terms with the club on a lease that would allow the team to play its 10th season at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Returning to play was the New Mexico Scorpions and along with the opening of the Global-built Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona and the Broomfield Events Center in Broomfield, Colorado came the expansion Arizona Sundogs and Rocky Mountain Rage.
In 2007, the fortunes of two former WPHL clubs went in opposite directions. The Lubbock Cotton Kings folded after the City of Lubbock failed to reach an agreement with the team for use of City Bank Coliseum, the team suspended operations. The Fort Worth Brahmas, now the Texas Brahmas, returned to play at the NYTEX Sports Centre in North Richland Hills, Texas, whose owners purchased a percentage of the franchise.
In 2008, the Austin Ice Bats (the third of the six original WPHL franchises) suspended operations after years of declining attendance and the Youngstown SteelHounds were expelled from the league for non-payment of league dues after a long-running dispute. The Corpus Christi Rayz survived a brush with extinction when a local investor purchased the team in early June. The team was re-named the Corpus Christi IceRays (their previous name from 1997-2003). The expansion Rapid City Rush became the 16th team to compete in the 2008-09 campaign.
In 2009, the Rocky Mountain Rage ceased operations (on June 18th) as did the New Mexico Scorpions (for the second time, on July 2nd). The big surprise was the Oklahoma City Blazers, one of the original six CHL franchises (also on July 2nd), who withdrew their lease to play at the Ford Center and ceased operations, citing that it was “not economically feasible for us to go on at this point.” Defraying the loss of those three franchises was the addition of the Missouri Mavericks and the Allen Americans, both housed in Global-built facilities.
Last spring it was the Amarillo Gorillas, considered well past their expiration date, who announced they were ceasing operations. Then, out of the blue, the Corpus Christi IceRays shocked their fans (and their players) when they announced they were doing the same, only to start a new team, a Junior A club in the North American Hockey League.
Down to a historic low of 13 teams, on June 1st the CHL announced it had joined forces with the International Hockey League – a two-year collaboration that added five clubs, including the Fort Wayne Komets, Bloomington PrairieThunder, Dayton Gems, Quad City Mallards and the expansion Evansville Icemen.
Along with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, who were saved at the 11th hour when a local investor purchased the team in July, the league would open the 2009-10 season with a total of 18 teams, the most in its history.
This year, the rumblings of off-season changes began as early as early as mid-February, when things began to slip in Laredo. Rumors that the team might follow Corpus Christi’s lead and move to the NAHL in order to reduce operating costs began to surface and were later confirmed by owner Glenn Hart. Meanwhile, on March 1st, the Odessa American ’s Lee Scheide disclosed that the Odessa Jackalopes were also looking to move to the NAHL for the same reason.
On March 13th, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs owner Tommy Scott stated in a newspaper article that he had lost well over $700,000.00 since purchasing the franchise; a figure now said to be $1.5 million as the Mudbugs continued play through the end of May, culminating in their defeat of the Colorado Eagles for the CHL championship. Scott admitted that while he would prefer to remain in the CHL, from a business standpoint he had to consider other, less expensive options, including a possible move to the Southern Professional Hockey League, if the team is going to survive.
On March 23rd, news broke that the Odessa Jackalopes’ ownership group had finalized the purchase of a Junior team from Owatonna, Minnesota the previous week and that the team would utilize the Jackalopes name and play at the Ector County Coliseum as a member of the NAHL in 2011-12. 
Meanwhile, the Colorado Eagles sent a less than subtle signal about their intentions when their season ticket renewal packages were received by fans that same week. The Eagles announced that they will be playing 36 home games in 2011-12, which just happens to be the same number as teams competing in the ECHL. That and subsequent off-record confirmations that the team was in fact moving to the ECHL cast little doubt on the future of the franchise.
Then on May 11th, Quad City Mallards owner Eric Karls, who purchased the team less than a year ago, folded the franchise just weeks after attending two meetings of CHL owners in Dallas. Mallards President Chris Presson stated that Karls indicated “he doesn’t feel encouraged to move forward based upon the landscape of where minor league hockey seems to be.”
The following day, word broke that a new ownership group had been approved as a CHL expansion franchise and had agreed to a multi-year deal to play professional hockey at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum, where the Bloomington PrairieThunder had played for the past five seasons.
Of course, all this was news to the PrairieThunder, who had not renewed their option to play at the arena and whose ownership group had been slapped with an IRS lien, amongst other internal issues. As of now, the PrairieThunder remains a hockey franchise – but one without an arena and likely, one without a future.
On May 20th, Laredo Bucks owner Glenn Hart confirmed that the team would remain in the CHL for the 2011-12 season, following a call to fans two days earlier to show their commitment to the team by renewing or purchasing their seats for the upcoming season by 5pm that day.
Then on May 31st, four days after losing the seventh game of the Ray Miron President’s Cup finals, the Eagles confirmed their move to the ECHL, following an announcement by the CHL that the franchise had exercised their right to leave the league pursuant to a previous legal settlement.  
Back in Bossier City, Mudbugs owner Tommy Scott, following the lead of Bucks owner Glenn Hart, called for fans to purchase no less than 2,500 season tickets for the upcoming season, although the franchise has reportedly never had more than 1,500 season ticket holders during any previous year.
As of Monday, approximately 900 season tickets have been sold for next season, which nearly matches the club’s season ticket number of 957 from a year ago. Scott is hoping to see that total increase to approximately 1,750 by week’s end. Scott has said the number of season tickets needed may be offset by sponsorship dollars and even an adjustment of the teams’ current lease agreement with SMG, the company that manages the CenturyTel Center.
“As much as we hate to take away from the Championship celebration amongst our fans, we can’t afford to hide the reality of the situation right now,” Scott said. “The league wants our commitment to play next year by the end of this week, and we are not in a position to make that kind of a pledge without being assured of the financial future of this franchise.”
Another team on the death watch is the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, a franchise embroiled in lawsuits between current owner Troy Nelson and former owner Joe Sakulenzki. Nelson purchased the team, along with the now-defunct Dorados arena football team from a group led by Sakulenzki in 2006.
According to reporting by Brian Sandalow of The Monitor , Sakulenzki sued Nelson in January, alleging that Nelson still owes more than $2 million stemming from the purchase. Nelson countersued in March, claiming that Sakulenzki’s group falsified the Bees’ and Dorados’ financial records to show the teams had turned a profit. The lawsuits have been tied up in court, though there has been mediation. A trial date of January 30th is on the docket, barring an expedition of the case or an out-of-court settlement.
On May 15th, the Bees confirmed that head coach Chris Brooks had accepted the position of head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men’s hockey program. Four days later, General Manager Dan Belisle made the decision to shut down the Bees’ offices after missing payroll the previous day. According to Sandalow, Sakulenzki is said to be negotiating a revised lease with the City of Hidalgo to play at the State Farm Center. Without an agreement, the Killer Bees will likely suspend or cease operations. So there you have it – we’re well into another off-season full of drama. The Odessa Jackalopes, after 14 seasons of play in the WPHL and CHL are now defunct. The Quad City Mallards, after two seasons of play in the IHL and CHL are now defunct. The Colorado Eagles have moved to the ECHL. The 15th season of Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs hockey is question. The fate of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, after eight seasons, looks grim, but not as grim as that of the Bloomington PrairieThunder. Yet after 19 seasons, the dream of Rick Kozuback, Brad and Jim Treliving, George Melville and many others lives on. While the future of Global Entertainment Corporation is in question, its principle subsidiary, the Central Hockey League, remains viable. With its annual summer conference scheduled for this weekend in Scottsdale, the footprint of the Central Hockey League, now approaching its 20th anniversary season, will be established. Whether it’s 13, 14 or 15 teams participating, come October, rest assured – there will be hockey.
Contact the writer/photographer at robert.keith@prohockeynews.com