West Palm Beach Barracudas

(Redirected from West Palm Beach Blaze)

The West Palm Beach Barracudas were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in West Palm Beach, Florida. They played in the Sunshine Hockey League, later renamed the Southern Hockey League, from 1992 to 1996. They played their games at the West Palm Beach Auditorium.

West Palm Beach Barracudas
CityWest Palm Beach, Florida
LeagueSHL
Operated1992–1996
Home arenaWest Palm Beach Auditorium
ColorsBlack, Teal, Red
MediaPalm Beach Post
Franchise history
1992–95West Palm Beach Blaze (SuHL)
1995–96West Palm Beach Barracudas (SHL)
Championships
Regular season titles1993, 1994, 1995
Playoff championships1993, 1994, 1995

History

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The team's logo when known as the Blaze

The team was founded, by two Montana ranchers, Jim King and Bill Nyrop, formerly of the NHL Montreal Canadiens, as the Blaze in 1992. One of the inaugural franchises of the Sunshine Hockey League, a league with six teams mostly based in Florida. They dominated the Sunshine Hockey League, finishing with the best record and winning the championship in each year of the league's existence, defeating the Jacksonville Bullets each time in the finals.

After the Sunshine Hockey League transformed into the Southern Hockey League, they were reformed as the West Palm Beach Barracudas but were unable to duplicate their success, finishing with a losing record. They folded along with the league after one season, when their home venue, the Coliseum was closed to the public and sold.

Season-by-season record

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Season League GP W L OTL Pts GF GA PIM Coach Finish Playoffs
1992–93 SuHL 45 38 6 1 77 275 166 1272 Bill Nyrop 1st Won championship, 3–0 (Jacksonville)
1993–94 SuHL 54 37 14 3 77 282 205 1433 Bill Nyrop 1st Won championship, 3–0 (Jacksonville)
1994–95 SuHL 57 38 15 4 80 322 244 1852 Bill Nyrop 1st Won championship, 3–0 (Jacksonville)
1995–96 SHL 60 26 32 2 54 251 319 2084 Phil Berger 4th out of playoffs
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