Wichita Falls Wildcats

{{Infobox ice hockey team

|bg_color = #E13A3E

|text_color = white

| team = Wichita Falls Wildcats

| logo = Wichita Falls Wildcats.svg

| logosize = 200px

| city = Wichita Falls, Texas

| league = NAHL

| division = South

| founded = 1993 (In the AFHL)

| arena = Kay Yeager Coliseum

| colors = Black, Red, and White
{{color box|black}} {{color box|#E13A3E}} {{color box|white}}

| owner = Roy Davoult, Alex Shnayderman

| coach = Josh Nelson (interim)

| GM = Paul Baxter

| media = YouTube, FASTHockey

| name1 = Vail Avalanche

| dates1 = 1993–1996

| name2 = Butte Irish

| dates2 = 1996–2002

| name3 = Wichita Falls Rustlers

| dates3 = 2002–2004

| name4 = Wichita Falls Wildcats

| dates4 = 2004–2017

}}

The Wichita Falls Wildcats were a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's South Division. The Wildcats played out of the 7,380-seat Kay Yeager Coliseum in Wichita Falls, Texas. After failing to find a buyer, the Wildcats ceased operations for the 2017–18 season.

History

Previously known as the Wichita Falls Rustlers (and before this, the Butte Irish of Butte, Montana and the Vail Avalanche of Vail, Colorado), the franchise was a part of the American Frontier/America West Hockey League prior to 2003, and became an NAHL team after the two leagues merged for the 2003–04 season. The Irish, Rustlers, and Wildcats are technically three separate franchises, but with a major overlap of players and coaches between the organizations, they are often listed together as one.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}}

After 13 seasons as the Wildcats, ownership had been trying to sell the franchise to keep it in Wichita Falls during the 2016–17 season. After failing to find a buyer, they announced they would not be operating the team in the 2017–18 season.{{cite news |url=http://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/sports/2017/04/22/wildcats-season-ends-4-3-overtime-loss/100777058/ |title=Wildcats' season ends with 4-3 overtime loss |newspaper=Times Record News |date=April 22, 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=21177 |title=NAHL announces divisional alignment, events for 2017-18 season |publisher=NAHL |date=May 26, 2017}}

In 2018, there was an attempt to bring junior hockey back to Wichita Falls with the Wichita Falls Force, a team in the USA Central Hockey League, but the entire league folded after only six weeks of operation. The NAHL later announced a Wichita Falls expansion team for the 2020–21 season.{{Cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/nahl-team-in-wichita-falls-texas-approved-for-the-2020-21-season/n-5561956 |title=NAHL Team in Wichita Falls, Texas Approved for the 2020-21 Season |website=OurSports Central |date=October 15, 2019}}

Season-by-season records

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! Season !! GP !! W !! L !! OTL !! PTS !! GF !! GA !! PIM !! Finish !! Playoffs !! Avg Attend
bgcolor="#ffeeee" \|colspan="12"\|*Vail Avalanche (AFHL)*
1993–94	colspan="11"\|Statistics unavailable
1994–95	colspan="8"\|Statistics unavailable	colspan=2\|League Champions
1995–96	colspan="11"\|Statistics unavailable
bgcolor="#ffeeee" \|colspan="12"\|*Butte Irish (AFHL)*
1996–97	60	38	17	5	81	264	181	N/A	2nd	Lost in finals
1997–98	60	25	33	2	52	229	264	N/A	6th	Did not qualify
bgcolor="#ffeeee" \|colspan="12"\|*Butte Irish (AWHL)*
1998–99	60	32	23	5	69	224	238	N/A	3rd	Lost in semifinals
1999–00	58	23	32	3	49	205	263	1,283	6th	Lost in 1st round
2000–01	60	6	51	3	15	166	345	1,969	8th	Lost in 1st round
2001–02	56	21	28	7	49	214	240	N/A	8th	Lost in 1st round
bgcolor="#ffeeee" \|colspan="12"\|*Wichita Falls Rustlers (AWHL)*
2002–03	56	43	11	2	88	215	115	1,255	1st, South	Lost in semifinals
bgcolor="#ffeeee" \|colspan="12"\|*Wichita Falls Rustlers (NAHL)*
2003–04	56	29	20	7	65	200	172	1,039	3rd, South	N/A
bgcolor="#ffeeee" \|colspan="12"\|*Wichita Falls Wildcats (NAHL)*
2004–05	56	28	21	7	63	206	218	1,163	4th, South	Lost 1st Round, 0–3 vs. Texas Tornado	1,948
2005–06	58	26	28	4	56	171	189	1,045	4th, South	Lost 1st Round, 2–3 vs. Texas Tornado	1,987
2006–07	62	22	34	6	50	175	227	1,126	5th, South	Did not qualify	1,872
2007–08	58	38	18	2	78	221	181	1,715	3rd, South	Lost 1st Round, 1–3 vs. Fairbanks Ice Dogs	1,890
2008–09	58	24	25	9	57	163	203	1,695	3rd, South	Lost 1st Round, 2–3 vs. Topeka RoadRunners	1,826
2009–10	58	18	34	6	42	175	251	1,530	5th, South	Did not qualify	1,907
2010–11	58	26	27	5	57	189	190	1,527	4th, South	Lost Div. Semifinals, 2–3 vs. Topeka RoadRunners	1,894
2011–12	60	20	35	5	45	149	204	1.134	6th, South	Did not qualify	2,038
2012–13	60	26	30	4	56	183	200	955	5th, South	Did not qualify	1,895
2013–14	60	31	25	4	66	170	157	1,170	4th, South	Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–3 vs. Amarillo	1,506
2014–15	60	39	16	5	83	242	182	858	3rd, South	Won Play-in series, 2–0 vs. Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees Lost 1st Round, 1–3 vs. Topeka RoadRunners	1,593
2015–16	60	44	11	5	93	224	141	1,093	1st, South	Won Div. Semifinals, 3–0 vs. Odessa Jackalopes Won Div. Finals, 3–0 vs. Topeka RoadRunners {{nowrap\|Won Robertson Cup Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Bismarck Bobcats}} {{nowrap\|Lost Robertson Cup Championship Game, 0–2 vs. Fairbanks Ice Dogs}}	1,659
2016–17	60	29	24	7	65	187	203	1,672	4th, South	Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–3 vs. Lone Star Brahmas	1,086

Notable alumni

Andrew Conboy – drafted by the Montreal Canadiens (NHL) in 2007
Chad Costello – ECHL Most Valuable Player in 2011–12, 2015–16, and 2016–17.
Evan Cowley – drafted by Florida Panthers (NHL) in 2013
Cal Heeter – played one game with the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Tucker Poolman – drafted by the Winnipeg Jets (NHL) in 2013
Dan Sexton – played for the Anaheim Ducks (NHL) and several teams in the Kontinental Hockey League
Zach Trotman – drafted by the Boston Bruins (NHL) in 2010; has played for the Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins

References

External links

[http://www.wfwildcatshockey.com Official site]
[http://www.nahl.com/ NAHL website]

Category:Defunct North American Hockey League teams

Category:Sports in Wichita Falls, Texas

Category:Defunct ice hockey teams in Texas

Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 2004

Category:2004 establishments in Texas

Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 2017

Category:2017 establishments in Texas