987:
967:
947:
927:
907:
36:
241:, John Staley and John Minchey, created a new hockey franchise in Huntsville to join the newly expanded Southern Hockey League. The Channel Cats won the league's first and only championship, as the SHL folded later that year. The Channel Cats then joined the Eastern Division of the Central Hockey League for the 1996–97 season. The Channel Cats remained with the CHL for five seasons winning the CHL championship (Ray Miron President's Cup) in 1999.
291:(SEHL). After the formation of the league, he asked the Huntsville hockey community if he would re-establish a team what name they would like to see play, the Tornado or Channel Cats. The public responded with the Channel Cats. The Channel Cats were revived for the 2003–04 season and win the only SEHL league championship in the four-team league.
310:
franchise) made a bid to have a new hockey team in the upstart
Eastern Hockey League (later to be renamed the Southern Professional Hockey League before the league's first season) be placed in Huntsville. The new league would join teams from the now-defunct WHA2 and soon to be defunct SEHL. The Von
1026:. On that show United States Postal Service letter carrier Mike Orsini lived his dream of playing professional hockey. The game was on March 17, 2004 and in 29 minutes of play as a goalie allowed only one goal and got the win. It was also the last regular season game played by the Channel Cats.
261:, businessman, John Cherney. Cherney felt that the team had a bad name with the local business community and changed the name of the team to the Huntsville Tornado along with the team colors to red and white. Many fans took offense to the new name that referenced a
311:
Braun Center chose to accept the new franchise over the Cats, bringing an end to the
Channel Cats name. Other teams from the SEHL soon followed Huntsville's lead and joined the SPHL as well. The new franchise was named the
265:, killing 21 people. The new 2000–01 seasons saw many fan favorites leave the team, and a drop down in the standings which resulted in a drop in attendance. Amid concerns over sharing arena space and weekend dates with the
303:
fell into disarray. Keith
Jeffries, president of HSV Sports, LLC and whose company had been contracted to run the Channel Cats front office during the 2003–04 season (and also operated the
276:
basketball team, as well as the CHL's desire to contract to more south-central US markets, the team did not compete in the next two seasons. Cherney had also threatened to move the team to
250:
1017:
The mascot of the
Huntsville Channel cats (and Huntsville Tornado) was a channel catfish named Finley. She wore a Huntsville Hockey jersey, gloves, helmet and ice skates.
1014:
After their SHL win in 1996 until the end of the 1999–2000 season, before each game
Huntsville, Alabama was referred to as "the hockey capital of the South".
266:
1211:
1148:
1206:
697:
1201:
20:
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1092:
1216:
58:
1132:
586:
574:
110:
284:
214:
1196:
1064:
262:
190:
300:
778:(as of the 2006–2007 season these records are tied with other teams or are still held by Huntsville)
595:
288:
222:
68:
1162:
1065:"Von Braun Center has celebrated much sports success, but also been graveyard for some franchises"
1124:
1097:
304:
650:
536:
483:
428:
419:
270:
1022:
642:
218:
63:
19:"Huntsville Tornado" redirects here. For tornadoes that have struck Huntsville, Alabama, see
1069:
528:
238:
8:
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210:
47:
1142:
475:
1128:
273:
1042:
1036:
312:
277:
226:
87:
280:, a suburb of Huntsville, if he did not get the dates he wanted, to no avail.
1190:
1167:
875:
258:
35:
633:
409:
115:
105:
692:
315:, and successfully carried on the history of pro hockey in Huntsville.
206:
120:
1011:
Won at least one championship in each league of which it was a member.
1020:
The
Huntsville Channel Cats was featured on the nationally televised
249:
213:. The franchise was a member of several different leagues, the
986:
966:
946:
926:
906:
1030:
257:
Following the 1999 championship win the team was sold to a
307:
1112:
999:
End of the 1999 season and again on
November 8, 2003
1121:
Once Upon a
Whoopee: A Town, a Team, a Song, a Dream
939:
Retired by the
Huntsville Havoc on November 4, 2006
1188:
299:Following the 2003–04 season, both the SEHL and
225:(2003–2004). They played their home games at
287:, but in 2003 founded a new league named the
1147:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
805:Most penalty minutes (both teams) in a game
263:tornado that struck South Huntsville in 1989
244:
811:438: 11/05/1999 Fayetteville and Huntsville
195:2003–04 President's Championship Cup (SEHL)
1031:Other Huntsville professional hockey teams
830:Penalty minutes: Mike Degurse, 346 (97–98)
794:Most penalty minutes (one team) in a game
253:Logo of the Huntsville Tornado (2000–2001)
232:
1090:
1062:
1056:
283:In 2002, Cherney became involved in the
248:
1212:Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2004
1118:
1084:
318:
1189:
1155:
16:Ice hockey team in Huntsville, Alabama
1119:Buckley, Bill; Grisamore, Ed (1998).
871:Goaltending wins: Matt Carmichael, 66
1207:Ice hockey clubs established in 1995
1091:Griffith, Mike (September 5, 2009).
827:Points: Jonathan DuBois, 129 (97–98)
824:Assists: Jonathan DuBois, 92 (97–98)
1202:Defunct ice hockey teams in Alabama
868:Penalty minutes: Mike Degurse, 1312
294:
285:Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL)
13:
885:
836:SV%: Matt Carmichael, .922 (03–04)
833:GAA: Matt Carmichael, 2.74 (03–04)
785:(Tied with other teams in the CHL)
783:Most consecutive wins in a season
14:
1233:
1222:2004 disestablishments in Alabama
1063:McCarter, Mark (March 25, 2015).
301:World Hockey Association 2 (WHA2)
985:
965:
945:
925:
905:
815:
34:
821:Goals: Chris George, 65 (98–99)
1217:1995 establishments in Alabama
1163:"Channel Cats now the Tornado"
1:
1049:
862:Assists: Jonathan DuBois, 323
849:Wins: Derek Puppa, 11 (98–99)
839:Wins: Derek Puppa, 39 (98–99)
187:1995–96 President's Cup (SHL)
993:
973:
953:
933:
913:
865:Points: Jonathan DuBois, 453
843:
7:
1093:"Holloway followed QB path"
267:Alabama-Huntsville Chargers
21:Huntsville, Alabama Tornado
10:
1238:
800:241: 11/05/1999 Huntsville
767:
18:
1005:
853:
245:New ownership (2000–2004)
191:Ray Miron President's Cup
183:
173:
165:
160:
152:
144:
136:
131:
101:
93:
83:
75:
54:
42:
33:
28:
881:Games: Chris George, 333
859:Goals: Chris George, 234
289:South East Hockey League
269:hockey team and the new
237:In 1995, two doctors in
229:in downtown Huntsville.
223:South East Hockey League
69:South East Hockey League
1197:Huntsville Channel Cats
1125:Mercer University Press
1098:Knoxville News-Sentinel
789:12 1996–1997 Huntsville
772:
756:Won championship, 3–0 (
585:Won championship, 4–2 (
418:Won championship, 4–1 (
305:Tennessee Valley Vipers
233:Early years (1995–1999)
203:Huntsville Channel Cats
156:Huntsville Channel Cats
140:Huntsville Channel Cats
127:John Gibson (2003–2004)
29:Huntsville Channel Cats
641:Lost in round 1, 2–3 (
527:Lost in round 1, 0–3 (
474:Lost in round 2, 2–4 (
254:
227:Von Braun Center Arena
215:Southern Hockey League
97:teal, black, and white
59:Southern Hockey League
1023:No Opportunity Wasted
252:
219:Central Hockey League
184:Playoff championships
166:Regular season titles
64:Central Hockey League
1070:The Huntsville Times
319:Year-by-year results
239:Knoxville, Tennessee
221:(1996–2001) and the
1045:(SPHL) 2004–present
211:Huntsville, Alabama
205:was a professional
125:Brad Gratton (2001)
48:Huntsville, Alabama
255:
148:Huntsville Tornado
1134:978-0-8655-4625-7
1003:
1002:
979:November 8, 2003
919:November 8, 2003
765:
764:
274:Huntsville Flight
217:(1995–1996), the
199:
198:
132:Franchise history
1229:
1181:
1180:
1178:
1176:
1171:. April 30, 2000
1159:
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1088:
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1079:
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1043:Huntsville Havoc
1039:(ECHL) 1993–1994
1037:Huntsville Blast
990:
989:
970:
969:
959:January 4, 2004
950:
949:
930:
929:
910:
909:
890:
889:
706:Did not qualify
323:
322:
313:Huntsville Havoc
295:End of a dynasty
88:Von Braun Center
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38:
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25:
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886:Retired numbers
856:
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247:
235:
194:
188:
178:
174:Division titles
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67:
62:
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24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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209:team based in
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185:
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175:
171:
170:
169:2003–04 (SEHL)
167:
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1234:
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1200:
1198:
1195:
1194:
1192:
1170:
1169:
1168:The Oklahoman
1164:
1158:
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1024:
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1009:
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978:
976:
968:
963:
962:
958:
956:
951:Chris George
948:
943:
942:
938:
936:
931:Mike Degurse
928:
923:
922:
918:
916:
908:
903:
902:
898:
895:
892:
891:
880:
877:
876:Brent Belecki
873:
870:
867:
864:
861:
858:
857:
848:
847:
838:
835:
832:
829:
826:
823:
820:
819:
816:Single-season
810:
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594:
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587:Oklahoma City
583:
581:
578:
576:
575:Chris Stewart
573:
570:
567:
564:
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438:
435:
432:
430:
427:
426:
423:
421:
420:Winston-Salem
416:
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378:
375:
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309:
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292:
290:
286:
281:
279:
275:
272:
268:
264:
260:
259:Boaz, Alabama
251:
242:
240:
230:
228:
224:
220:
216:
212:
208:
204:
192:
186:
182:
179:1998–99 (CHL)
177:1996–97 (CHL)
176:
172:
168:
164:
161:Championships
159:
155:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
130:
122:
117:
112:
111:Chris Stewart
107:
104:
100:
96:
92:
89:
86:
82:
78:
74:
70:
65:
60:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
32:
27:
22:
1173:. Retrieved
1166:
1157:
1120:
1114:
1102:. Retrieved
1096:
1086:
1074:. Retrieved
1068:
1058:
1021:
994:
991:Derek Puppa
974:
971:John Gibson
954:
934:
914:
911:Phil Daigle
806:
795:
784:
777:
776:
755:
750:
654:
584:
579:
469:
417:
298:
282:
256:
236:
202:
200:
747:John Gibson
698:Kent Hawley
634:Pat Bingham
521:Larry Floyd
466:Larry Floyd
410:Larry Floyd
123:(2000–2001)
118:(1999–2000)
116:Pat Bingham
113:(1998–1999)
108:(1996–1998)
106:Larry Floyd
66:(1996–2001)
1191:Categories
1050:References
874:Shutouts:
700:(18 games)
695:(52 games)
693:Craig Coxe
207:ice hockey
121:Craig Coxe
102:Head coach
84:Home arena
1175:March 14,
1143:cite book
1104:March 14,
1076:March 14,
844:Play-offs
758:Knoxville
703:5th, East
655:(Tornado)
638:3rd, East
580:1st, East
529:Nashville
524:3rd, East
470:1st, East
368:Playoffs
153:2003–2004
145:2000–2001
137:1995–2000
79:1995–2004
71:(2003–04)
61:(1995–96)
1127:p. 126.
643:Columbus
189:1998–99
76:Operated
896:Number
768:Records
711:2003–04
651:2000–01
596:1999–00
537:1998–99
484:1997–98
476:Memphis
429:1996–97
373:1995–96
278:Madison
1131:
1006:Trivia
854:Career
365:Finish
329:League
326:Season
94:Colors
55:League
899:Date
893:Name
807:(CHL)
796:(CHL)
735:0.768
680:0.443
621:0.529
562:0.671
509:0.629
454:0.614
397:0.467
362:Coach
193:(CHL)
1177:2019
1149:link
1129:ISBN
1106:2019
1078:2019
773:Team
744:1671
714:SEHL
689:1972
630:2350
571:2313
518:2374
463:2111
406:2191
271:NBDL
201:The
43:City
878:, 3
751:1st
741:164
738:233
686:275
683:217
659:CHL
627:244
624:242
600:CHL
568:251
565:310
541:CHL
515:281
512:333
488:CHL
460:297
457:311
433:CHL
414:4th
403:294
400:274
376:SHL
359:PIM
350:Pct
347:Pts
344:OTL
308:AF2
1193::
1165:.
1145:}}
1141:{{
1123:.
1095:.
1067:.
995:30
975:23
955:17
935:33
915:21
732:86
723:13
720:43
717:56
677:65
668:36
665:31
662:70
645:)
618:80
609:27
606:37
603:70
559:98
550:19
547:47
544:70
531:)
506:88
497:22
494:40
491:70
478:)
451:81
442:24
439:39
436:66
394:56
385:31
382:25
379:60
356:GA
353:GF
332:GP
1179:.
1151:)
1137:.
1108:.
1080:.
760:)
729:0
726:0
674:3
671:0
615:6
612:0
589:)
556:4
553:0
503:0
500:8
448:0
445:3
422:)
391:0
388:2
341:T
338:L
335:W
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
