Jacksonville Icemen
{{Short description|Professional ice hockey team of the ECHL based in Jacksonville, Florida}}
{{Infobox ice hockey team
| current = 2023–24 ECHL season
| bg_color = background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#223D79 5px solid; border-bottom:#A4A4BC 5px solid;
| text_color = #000000
| team = Jacksonville Icemen
| logo = Jacksonville Icemen logo.svg
| logosize = 230px
| city = Jacksonville, Florida
| league = ECHL
| conference = Eastern
| division = South
| founded = {{Start date|1992}} (In the CoHL)
| arena = VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
| colors = Navy blue, Columbia blue, white
{{color box|#223D79}} {{color box|#A4A4BC}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}}
| owner = SZH Hockey LLC
(Andrew Kaufmann, majority)
| coach = Brandon Mashinter{{cite web | url=https://echl.com/news/2024/07/icemen-name-mashinter-as-new-head-coach | title=Icemen name Mashinter as new head coach }}
| captain =
| media =
| affiliates = Buffalo Sabres (NHL)
Rochester Americans (AHL)
| website = {{URL|https://jacksonvilleicemen.com}}
| name1 = Muskegon Fury
| dates1 = 1992–2008
| name2 = Muskegon Lumberjacks
| dates2 = 2008–2010
| name3 = Evansville IceMen
| dates3 = 2010–2016
| name4 = Jacksonville Icemen
| dates4 = 2017–present
| reg_season_titles =
| division_titles =
| conf_titles =
| kelly_cups =
}}
The Jacksonville Icemen are a minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL in Jacksonville, Florida, that began play in the 2017–18 season. The team is affiliated with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL) and plays their home games at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
History
The Icemen were formerly known as the Muskegon Fury from 1992 to 2008, the Muskegon Lumberjacks from 2008 to 2010, and the Evansville IceMen from 2010 to 2016.
On November 16, 2015, Evansville IceMen owner Ron Geary wrote a letter to the fans that the team's operating lease with the Ford Center was ending after the 2015–16 season. Despite attempts to negotiate a lease extension with the city since February 2015, the two parties had not yet come to an agreement on new terms.{{cite web |url=http://www.evansvilleicemen.com/news-stats/?article_id=49 |title=A Letter To IceMen Fans, From Team Owner Ron Geary |publisher=Evansville IceMen |date=November 16, 2015 |access-date=February 8, 2017 |archive-date=November 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118122831/http://www.evansvilleicemen.com/news-stats/?article_id=49 |url-status=dead }} The City of Evansville, Indiana and Geary were unable to come to an agreement. Geary then agreed to terms with the city of Owensboro, Kentucky, to relocate the team to the Owensboro Sportscenter if the IceMen were forced to leave the Ford Center.{{cite web |url=http://thesinbin.net/breaking-evansville-icemen-announce-move/ |title=BREAKING: Evansville IceMen Announce Move |publisher=The Sin Bin |date=January 19, 2016 |access-date=February 8, 2017 |archive-date=August 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813111247/http://thesinbin.net/breaking-evansville-icemen-announce-move/ |url-status=dead }}
On February 8, 2016, the City of Evansville announced that it had secured an expansion team in the Southern Professional Hockey League to play at the Ford Center beginning in the 2016–17 season, thus displacing the IceMen franchise from Evansville.{{cite news |url=http://www.courierpress.com/topstories/Evansville-Mayor-Lloyd-Winnecke-hockey-press-conference-368072581.html |title=Evansville will be home to Southern Professional Hockey League franchise |newspaper=Evansville Courier & Press |date=February 8, 2016}} Finally, on March 14, the IceMen and the ECHL announced the franchise's relocation to Owensboro had been approved but the franchise would have to go dormant for the 2016–17 season to allow time for the necessary renovations on the Owensboro Sportscenter to be completed.{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/echl-approves-icemen-move-to-owensboro/n-5111015 |title=ECHL Approves IceMen Move to Owensboro |publisher=OurSportsCentral |date=March 14, 2016}} However, by September 2016, Geary still had not taken over management of the Sportscenter and the City of Owensboro announced a different management company would take over the Sportscenter on October 1.{{cite web |url=http://www.wave3.com/story/33076421/owensboro-finds-backup-plan-for-sportscenter |title=Owensboro finds backup plan for Sportscenter |publisher=WAVE 3 |date=September 12, 2016 |access-date=February 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113013115/http://www.wave3.com/story/33076421/owensboro-finds-backup-plan-for-sportscenter |archive-date=January 13, 2017 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/back-up-plan-in-place-for-owensboro-sportscenter |title=Back Up Plan in Place for Owensboro Sportscenter |publisher=Tristate Homepage |date=August 17, 2016}} On the September 30 deadline, Geary sent a letter to mayor Ron Payne stating he would not be purchasing the Sportscenter because of too much cost to convert and refurbish the arena.{{cite news |url=http://www.courierpress.com/story/news/2016/09/30/icemen-wont-play-owensboro/91335584/ |title=IceMen won't play in Owensboro |newspaper=Evansville Courier & Press |date=September 30, 2016}}
In January 2017, Geary sold part of the franchise to an ownership group based out of Jacksonville, Florida,{{cite web |url=http://www.firstcoastnews.com/sports/reports-minor-league-hockey-team-sold-to-jacksonville-group/392344699 |title=Reports: Minor league hockey team sold to Jacksonville group |publisher=WTLV |date=January 25, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and the relocation was approved by the ECHL on February 8, 2017.{{cite web |url=http://www.echl.com/echl-approves-icemen-to-jacksonville |title=ECHL Approves IceMen Transfer of Home Territory to Jacksonville |publisher=ECHL |date=February 8, 2017 |access-date=February 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310031800/http://www.echl.com/echl-approves-icemen-to-jacksonville |archive-date=March 10, 2017 |url-status=dead }} Geary remained as the primary owner.{{cite web |url=http://www.firstcoastnews.com/sports/press-conference-set-to-announce-jacksonville-hockey-team/403573454 |title=Meet the Jacksonville Icemen, our new hockey team |publisher=WTLV |date=February 8, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The team hired Jason Christie as their first head coach and then affiliated with the Winnipeg Jets (NHL) and the Manitoba Moose (AHL), the organization familiar with Christie from his time as the head coach of the Tulsa Oilers.{{cite web |url=http://www.echl.com/icemen-become-echl-affiliate-of-winnipeg-manitoba |title=ICEMEN BECOME ECHL AFFILIATE OF WINNIPEG, MANITOBA |publisher=ECHL |date=July 6, 2017 |access-date=July 6, 2017 |archive-date=November 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110173506/https://www.echl.com/icemen-become-echl-affiliate-of-winnipeg-manitoba |url-status=dead }}
In the team's second season in Jacksonville, the franchise qualified for the ECHL playoffs for the first time since it joined the league in 2012. Following the season, Geary sold his shares of the team and the controlling interest was acquired by SZH Hockey LLC, a group led by Andrew Kaufmann on July 16, 2019.{{cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/board-of-governors-approves-jacksonvilles-transfer-of-controlling-interest/n-5521027 |title=Board of Governors Approves Jacksonville's Transfer of Controlling Interest |website=OurSports Central |date=July 16, 2019}} On December 1, 2020, the team added three members of SZH Hockey LLC, all past or present NFL players with a connection to the area: Tim Thibault, Myles Jack, and Reggie Hayward.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2020/12/01/tim-tebow-jacksonville-icemen.html |title=Tim Tebow, Jaguars players buy minority share in Jacksonville Icemen |website=Jacksonville Business Journal |date=December 1, 2020}}
After four seasons as affiliates of the Jets, the Icemen switched their affiliation to the New York Rangers of the NHL and their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, beginning with the 2021–22 season.{{Cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/icemen-enter-into-affiliation-agreement-with-new-york-rangers--hartford-wolf-pack/n-5712615 |title=Icemen Enter into Affiliation Agreement with New York Rangers & Hartford Wolf Pack |website=OurSports Central |date=June 29, 2021}} On July 29, 2021, head coach Jason Christie was hired by the Buffalo Sabres as an assistant coach{{cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/buffalo-sabres-hire-jason-christie-as-assistant-coach/n-5726485 |title=Buffalo Sabres Hire Jason Christie as Assistant Coach |website=OurSports Central |date=July 29, 2021}} and was replaced by Nick Luukko as head coach of the Icemen.{{cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/icemen-name-nick-luukko-as-head-coach--director-of-hockey-operations/n-5731542 |title=Icemen Name Nick Luukko as Head Coach & Director of Hockey Operations |website=OurSports Central |date=August 10, 2021}}
{{clear}}
Season-by-season records
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||||||||||||
| colspan=10|Regular season
!colspan=5|Playoffs | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA | Standing | Year | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Kelly Cup |
| 2017–18 | 72 | 26 | 39 | 4 | 3 | 59 | 203 | 246 | 5th, South | 2018 | colspan=4|did not qualify | |||
| 2018–19 | 72 | 36 | 32 | 2 | 2 | 76 | 198 | 217 | 4th, South | 2019 | L, 2–4, FLA | — | — | — |
| 2019–20 | 60 | 24 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 55 | 173 | 206 | 6th, South | 2020 | colspan=4|Season cancelled | |||
| 2020–21 | 71 | 34 | 30 | 3 | 4 | 75 | 205 | 212 | 6th, Eastern | 2021 | colspan=4|did not qualify | |||
| 2021–22 | 72 | 40 | 27 | 3 | 2 | 85 | 206 | 185 | 3rd, South | 2022 | W, 4–0, ATL | L, 0–4, FLA | — | — |
| 2022–23 | 72 | 44 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 93 | 231 | 207 | 2nd, South | 2023 | W, 4–2, GRN | L, 2–4, FLA | — | — |
| 2023–24 | 72 | 42 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 91 | 238 | 195 | 2nd, South | 2024 | L, 3–4, FLA | — | — | — |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Buffalo Sabres}}
{{Rochester Americans}}
{{ECHL}}
{{Florida Sports}}
{{Jacksonville}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacksonville Icemen}}
Category:Jacksonville Icemen players
Category:Ice hockey teams in Jacksonville, Florida
Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 2017
Category:Ice hockey teams in Florida
Category:2017 establishments in Florida
Category:Buffalo Sabres minor league affiliates