Augusta RiverHawks

{{Infobox Pro hockey team

| text_color = #000000

| bg_color = background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#0d254c 5px solid; border-bottom:#C80815 5px solid;

| team = Augusta RiverHawks

| logo = AugustaRiverhawks.PNG

| logosize = 250px

| city = Augusta, Georgia

| league = Southern Professional Hockey League

| conference =

| division =

| operated = 2010–2013

| arena = James Brown Arena

| colors = Red, White, Blue
{{Color box|red|border=darkgray}} {{Color box|white|border=darkgray}} {{Color box|#000066|border=darkgray}}

| owner = Bob & Diane Kerzner

| coach =

| media =

| affiliates =

| name1 = Augusta RiverHawks

| dates1 = 2010–2013

| name2 = Macon Mayhem

| dates2 = 2015–present

|reg_season_titles = 1 (2011–12)

}}

The Augusta RiverHawks were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Augusta, Georgia. They played in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) from 2010 to 2013. They played their home games at the James Brown Arena.

History

The Augusta RiverHawks were established as a new franchise{{cite web |last=Money |first=Don |date=February 10, 2010 |title=Kerzner, Richard bring hockey back to Augusta |url=http://prohockeynews.com/kerzner-richard-bring-hockey-back-to-augusta/ |access-date=February 10, 2010 |website=Pro Hockey News}} in the Southern Professional Hockey League in 2010 by Bob and Diane Kerzner, who had formerly owned a different franchise, the Pee Dee/Twin City Cyclones. The RiverHawks replaced the Augusta Lynx, who had played in the city for ten years in the ECHL before folding in 2008.{{cite web |date=February 3, 2010 |title=Hockey Returning To Augusta, GA In 2010 |url=http://thesphl.com/view/thesphl/news/news_10131 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206205445/http://www.thesphl.com/view/thesphl/news/news_10131 |archivedate=February 6, 2010 |accessdate=February 3, 2010 |website=Southern Professional Hockey League}} The name "RiverHawks" was announced for the new club on March 13, 2010, as the winning result of a fan vote.{{cite news |last=Byler |first=Billy |date=March 13, 2010 |title=Fans pick River Hawks as hockey team's nickname |newspaper=The Augusta Chronicle |url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/sports/hockey/2010-03-13/fans-pick-river-hawks-hockey-teams-nickname |url-status=dead |accessdate=October 30, 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101105134433/http://chronicle.augusta.com/sports/hockey/2010-03-13/fans-pick-river-hawks-hockey-teams-nickname |archivedate=November 5, 2010}} The RiverHawks opened their inaugural season on the road on October 21, 2010, losing to the Fayetteville FireAntz.{{Cite web |last=Vezina |first=Ken |date=October 22, 2010 |title=Riverhawks Nearly Spoil FireAntz Home Opener |url=http://www.augustariverhawks.com/article/riverhawks-nearly-spoil-fireantz-home-opener |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624202143/http://www.augustariverhawks.com/article/riverhawks-nearly-spoil-fireantz-home-opener |archivedate=June 24, 2011 |accessdate=October 29, 2010 |website=Augusta RiverHawks}} They had their home opener the following evening, against 2009–10 SPHL champions the Huntsville Havoc, ultimately losing 5–3, however they went on to place second in league by the season's close.{{Cite web |last=Vezina |first=Ken |date=October 22, 2010 |title=RiverHawks Edged by Havoc in Home Opener |url=http://www.augustariverhawks.com/article/riverhawks-edged-havoc-home-opener |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707190609/http://www.augustariverhawks.com/article/riverhawks-edged-havoc-home-opener |archivedate=July 7, 2011 |accessdate=October 29, 2010 |website=Augusta RiverHawks}}

In late February 2013, the ice refrigeration system at the James Brown Arena malfunctioned, causing the ice surface to melt. This forced the RiverHawks to play their remaining home games at their practice facility, where attendance was limited to season ticket holders and sponsors.{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=David |date=March 4, 2013 |title=Augusta RiverHawks move home games to Augusta Ice Sports Center |url=https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/sports/high-school/2013/03/04/augusta-riverhawks-move-home-games-augusta-ice-sports-center/14462508007/ |access-date=September 26, 2022 |website=The Augusta Chronicle |language=en-US}} Team owner Bob Kerzner, the city of Augusta, and arena operator Global Spectrum could not reach an agreement on repairing or replacing the arena's ice system in time for the club to commit to the 2013–14 SPHL season, forcing Kerzner to temporarily suspend team operations. Kerzner stated that he would retain his franchise rights during the RiverHawks' hiatus, hoping to return to play in the 2014–15 season.{{cite web |date=May 14, 2013 |title=Augusta RiverHawks won't be playing hockey in 2013-14 |url=http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/Augusta-RiverHawks-wont-be-playing-hockey-in-2013-14-207421491.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232919/http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/Augusta-RiverHawks-wont-be-playing-hockey-in-2013-14-207421491.html |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |accessdate=May 14, 2013 |website=WRDW-TV}}

After considering relocating to either Greensboro, North Carolina, or Tallahassee, Florida, Kerzner, the SPHL, and the Macon-Bibb County Board of Commissioners announced on June 25, 2014, that the RiverHawks would relocate to Macon, Georgia, and resume play as the Macon Mayhem. The Mayhem signed a five-year lease with the city of Macon and played their home games in the Macon Coliseum starting in the 2015–16 season. The SPHL previously had a franchise in Macon called the Macon Trax during its inaugural 2004–05 season.{{cite web |last1=Seibel |first1=Ron |date=June 25, 2014 |title=Macon Mayhem to hit ice in 2015 |url=http://www.macon.com/2014/06/25/3167697/macon-mayhem-to-hit-ice-in-2015.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714132903/http://www.macon.com/2014/06/25/3167697/macon-mayhem-to-hit-ice-in-2015.html?sp=%2F99%2F100%2F&ihp=1 |archivedate=July 14, 2014 |accessdate=June 25, 2014 |website=The Telegraph}}{{cite web |date=June 25, 2014 |title=SPHL Approves RiverHawks' Move To Macon, GA For 2015-2016 Season |url=http://www.thesphl.com/view/thesphl/news/news_158472 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714113759/http://www.thesphl.com/view/thesphl/news/news_158472 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |accessdate=June 25, 2014 |website=Southern Professional Hockey League}}

References

External links

{{Official website|http://www.augustariverhawks.com/}}

Category:Defunct ice hockey teams in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Defunct SPHL teams

Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 2010

Category:Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2014

Category:Sports in Augusta, Georgia

Category:2010 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:2014 disestablishments in Georgia (U.S. state)