Ice hockey in West Virginia
| Ice hockey in West Virginia | |
|---|---|
 Flag of West Virginia | |
| Country | United States |
| Governing body | USA Hockey[1] |
| National team(s) | Men's national team Women's national team |
| First played | 1956 |
Club competitions | |
List
| |
West Virginia has had very little impact on ice hockey in the United States with one exception. The Wheeling Nailers have been an unqualified success for a state that might otherwise be a non-entity in ice hockey circles.
History
[edit]The first team to call West Virginia home were the Huntington Hornets of the IHL. The team played in the Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse but were immediately beset by low attendance figures. Within a few months Ernie Berg, the team's owner, was already looking for a new home and the Hornets lasted just one season. The state was largely ignored over the succeeding 30 years but a second attempt was finally made in the early 1990s. The Winston-Salem Thunderbirds relocated to Wheeling and became the Wheeling Thunderbirds. The team debuted in 1992 and promptly advanced to the league finals. The immediate success helped the team establish itself in its new home and begin to build a following. Due to a trademark dispute with the Seattle Thunderbirds, the team changed its name to 'Nailers' in 1996 but the biggest change was yet to come. In 1998, the franchise signed an affiliation deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins that helped stabilize their finances.[2] The team has seen some success over the years and they have remained a consistent (albeit low) draw at the WesBanco Arena.[3]
A year after the arrival of the Thunderbirds, a second ECHL team was founded in Huntington. The Huntington Blizzard weren't nearly as successful as their northern counterparts and saw just one winning season in the first six campaigns. The novelty of the team quickly wore off as attendance dropped from 3,700+ in the first two years to the low 2,000s afterwards. The team was finally able to achieve some success in their seventh year but by then it was too late. The team folded in 2000 and was later moved to Texas.
Despite the demise of the Blizzard, having two minor-league teams in the state helped to convince some of the local high schools to sponsor varsity hockey. Beginning with Wheeling Park High School in 1995, high school hockey has slowly taken hold in the state. Due to the few number of teams that played, most competed in other states' leagues, notably Pennsylvania, but in 2018 that began to change. That year the West Virginia Hockey League was formed to increase the presence of the teams in the state. While most still play in external leagues during the regular season, they convene a few times each year and compete for a state championship.
Teams
[edit]Professional
[edit]Active
[edit]| Team | City | League | Arena | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeling Nailers | Wheeling | ECHL | WesBanco Arena | 1992 * |
Inactive
[edit]| Team | City | League | Years Active | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington Hornets | Huntington | IHL | 1956–1957 | Defunct |
| Huntington Blizzard | Huntington | ECHL | 1993–2000 | Defunct |
* Relocated from elsewhere
Timeline
[edit]
Active Active (out of state) --->
Players
[edit]
Only a few West Virginia natives have achieved any notability in the sports but only one was raised in the Mountain State.
- Kristin Lewicki attended Adrian College, a Division III school, but played so well that she was able to sign with the Buffalo Beauts after her graduation in 2017.
Notable players by city
[edit]Moundsville
[edit]Raised out of state
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "USA Hockey encourages kids with NHL dreams to play other sports". ESPN The Magazine. June 26, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
- ^ "Affiliations". Wheeling Nailers. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ "Wheeling Nailers Yearly Attendance Graph". Hockey DB. Retrieved November 16, 2023.