Asheville Smoke
The Asheville Smoke were a minor professional ice hockey team in the United Hockey League. Home games were played in the Asheville Civic Center in Asheville, North Carolina.
Team history
The team played in Asheville, North Carolina, from 1998 to 2002. The Smoke were coached by Keith Gretzky from 1998 to 2000. Prior to the 1998 relocation to Asheville, the team was known as the Brantford Smoke. The closest rival of Asheville were the Knoxville Speed. Original employees of the team included majority team owner and president Dan Wilhelm and assistant general manager Jeff Young.
In three of their four seasons played, the Smoke finished with a near 0.500 record each season. In the 2000 season, the team recorded 45 wins against 22 losses, and made it to the championship before losing to the Quad City Mallards. Overall, in four seasons, the team recorded a record of 151 wins and 129 losses.
The Civic Center facility was considered outdated which was a challenge for the team, and while other teams using the facility were allowed to keep the concession revenues, the Smoke had to turn these funds over to the city. A similar arrangement existed with the facility fee. Further, the 2002 bankruptcy of their geographic rival in Knoxville left the team with no nearby teams in the league. Smoke owner Dan Wilhelm also had a minority ownership in the Speed, which was primarily owned by his brother Andrew Wilhelm.[1] Sharing the facility also resulted in the Smoke's games being given less than optimal time slots. Attendance during the inaugural season averaged 3,362 but fell to just over 2,500 in the 2001–02 season, ranking 11th out of the 14 UHL teams. An attempt to hold a raffle to help the team finish the 2001–02 season raised legal concerns.[2]
Despite efforts to save the team, the franchise folded in 2002. However, the team's successes led to the creation of the Asheville Aces in 2004 as a member of the more regional Southern Professional Hockey League.[3] Although the team was active in Asheville for four seasons, they inspired at least two popular local songs: "Asheville Smoke" by GFE and "Blood On The Ice" by The Monsters of Japan.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Will hockey be smoked out of Asheville?". Times-News. February 22, 2002. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ "Minor League Hockey Team Warned". Midland Daily News. February 23, 2002.
- ^ Wagner, Ron (April 22, 2004). "Asheville voted back on the hockey island". Times-News. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
External links
- The Internet Hockey Database - Asheville Smoke
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(1991–1997)
- Brantford Smoke
- Chatham Wheels
- Dayton Ice Bandits
- Detroit Falcons
- Flint Bulldogs
- Flint Generals
- London Wildcats
- Madison Monsters
- Michigan Falcons
- Muskegon Fury
- Port Huron Border Cats
- Quad City Mallards
- Saginaw Lumber Kings
- Saginaw Wheels
- St. Thomas Wildcats
- Thunder Bay Senators
- Thunder Bay Thunder Cats
- Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks
- Utica Blizzard
- Utica Bulldogs
(1997–2007)
- Adirondack Frostbite
- Adirondack IceHawks
- Asheville Smoke
- B.C. Icemen
- Bloomington PrairieThunder
- Brantford Smoke
- Chicago Hounds
- Columbus Stars
- Danbury Trashers
- Elmira Jackals
- Flint Generals
- Fort Wayne Komets
- Kalamazoo Wings
- Kansas City Outlaws
- Knoxville Speed
- Madison Kodiaks
- Madison Monsters
- Missouri River Otters
- Mohawk Valley Prowlers
- Motor City Mechanics
- Muskegon Fury
- New Haven Knights
- Ohio Gears
- Port Huron Beacons
- Port Huron Border Cats
- Port Huron Flags
- Quad City Mallards
- Richmond RiverDogs
- Roanoke Valley Vipers
- Rockford IceHogs
- Saginaw Gears
- Saginaw Lumber Kings
- Thunder Bay Thunder Cats
- Winston-Salem IceHawks
(2007–2010)
- Bloomington PrairieThunder
- Dayton Gems
- Evansville IceMen
- Flint Generals
- Fort Wayne Komets
- Kalamazoo Wings
- Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Port Huron Icehawks
- Quad City Mallards
- Related articles
- Colonial Cup
- Huber Trophy
- Other professional hockey leagues
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