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Alaska Aces (ECHL)

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This article is about the professional hockey team. For other uses, see Alaska Aces (disambiguation).
Alaska Aces
CityAnchorage, Alaska
LeagueECHL
ConferenceWestern
DivisionMountain
Founded1989 (In the PSHL)
Home arenaSullivan Arena
ColorsBlack, glacier blue, green, silver, white
         
Owner(s)Terry Parks, Steve Adams, Al Haynes, Dan Coffey, Rod Udd, Jerry Mackey
General managerTerry Parks
Head coachRob Murray
AffiliatesVancouver Canucks (NHL)
Utica Comets (AHL)
Franchise history
1989–2003Anchorage Aces
2003–presentAlaska Aces
Championships
Regular season titles5 (2005–06, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14)
Division titles8 (2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14)
Conference titles4 (2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2013–14)
Kelly Cups3 (2005–06, 2010–11, 2013–14)
Current season
For the Filipino professional basketball team, see Alaska Aces (PBA).

The Alaska Aces, known as the Anchorage Aces until 2003, are a minor league ice hockey team in Anchorage, Alaska. Home games are played at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. The Aces have won three Kelly Cup championships, most recently in 2013–14.

The Aces were formed as a semi-professional team in the Pacific Southwest Hockey League (PSHL) in 1989 and became a charter member of the professional West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) in 1995. When the WCHL was absorbed by the East Coast Hockey League in 2003, the team joined the merged ECHL. As of the 2015–16 ECHL season, the Aces play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL's Western Conference.

The Aces official team mascot is a polar bear named Boomer. Aces fans are known for using small, ceremonial cow bells painted with the Aces insignia to show their support during games.

Franchise history

Early semi-professional days (1989–1995)

The team was established in 1989 as the Anchorage Aces. They were originally a semi-professional club in the Pacific Southwest Hockey League organized by Dennis Sorenson, as a senior men's ice hockey team to compete against the established Alaska Gold Kings in Fairbanks.

The Aces played four unofficial games during in the 1989-90 season. During the 1990–91 season, Keith Street led the team on a 22–game schedule, which included 20 games against teams registered with USA Hockey. The 1990–91 season ended with the Aces winning the Senior Men's Open National Championship held in Fairbanks. In 1993 and 1994, they won the National Amateur Championship. They finished second in 1992 and 1995.

The Aces joined the Pacific Northwest Hockey League (PNHL) for the 1991–92 season, playing six of their home games at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage and eight at the Central Peninsula Sports Center in Soldotna. The Aces finished second in the PNHL with a 16–12–2 regular season record, and were the runners-up in the national USA Hockey tourney after a 0–4–1 tourney run.

In the 1992–93 season, new head coach Mike Ashley led the Aces to a 19–3–0 regular season record. In the USA Hockey Senior Men's Open Tournament, the Aces finished second for the second year in a row after compiling a 4–1 record in the tourney, losing the tiebreaker to the Chicago Chargers. Ashley resigned following the season.

For the 1993–94 season, the Aces played as an independent team. Steve Gasparini took over as head coach, and led the Aces to a 22–9–1 regular season record. The Aces also won their second championship in the USA Hockey Senior Men's Open National Tournament with a 5–0 run highlighted by the 6–0 rout of the Fresno Falcons. In 1994–95, the Aces joined the Pacific Hockey League (PHL), formed by a merger of the PSHL and PNHL.[1] The team went 27–9 and lost in the championship game to the Gold Kings.

West Coast Hockey League (1995–2003)

The PHL folded after only one season. After an unsuccessful attempt to form a new Pacific Rim Hockey League, the Aces joined the new West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) for the 1995–96 season. Mike Cusack, Jr. became sole owner of the franchise following the 1995–96 season.

In the 1996–97 season, the Aces initially lost in the league playoffs to the Fresno Falcons, three games to one. The WCHL commissioner determined that their 2–4 loss in game four would be changed to a 1–0 victory due to forfeit by the Fresno Falcons, when they failed to meet the minimum roster requirement due to injuries and suspensions. The Aces won the deciding fifth game 5–3 and advanced to the Taylor Cup finals, but were defeated by the San Diego Gulls.

Stirling Wright

In the 2000–01 season, Stirling Wright was brought in to serve as assistant coach. He was instrumental in bringing in former NHL players when the Aces signed former NHL goalie Vincent Riendeau and right wing Kevin Brown. The Idaho Steelheads defeated the Aces 3–0 in the first round of the playoffs. Overall, the Aces finished in third place with a 34–30–4 record and advanced to the semifinals, only to be ousted by the Tacoma Sabercats in three games.

In 2001–2002, Wright was promoted within the franchise and began serving as the new General Manager. He hired former NHL coach and player Butch Goring as the team's new head coach. In effort to revamp the team, Wright only extended the contracts of four players from the previous season. The Aces additionally signed five former NHL players, including defenseman Jim Paek, goaltender Scott Bailey, wingers Todd Harkins and Daniel Goneau, and center Clayton Beddoes.

Clayton Beddoes retired just a few games into the season due to a previous shoulder injury. The Aces promoted a "Guaranteed Win Night" where if they lost the game, the fans in attendance would receive free Aces tickets.

Mike Cusack

After a 10–18–4 season start, Aces' owner, Mike Cusack, fired Goring and Lou Corletto, who served the franchise as Vice President of Business Operations. He brought back former head coach, Walt Poddubny. Stirling Wright stepped down as general manager, due to his disapproval of the owner's decisions. The Aces went on to win only a few more games and the mass exodus of players soon followed, after Wright left the team. The team itself was making a profit, but the owner's other financial ventures continued to drain the team of its revenue.[citation needed]

In May 2002, the team owner filed personal bankruptcy. Cusack included his ownership of the Anchorage Aces franchise in the filing. According to the filing papers, the team was almost $2 million in debt.

In June 2002, Cusack put the team up for sale on eBay. The club's owner, Cusack, accepted a $1.862 million bid from Duncan Harrison, owner of Alaskan Automotive Distributing in Anchorage, but U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge Donald MacDonald converted the Aces' bankruptcy case to Chapter 7, which allowed him to reject the Harrison bid.

The listing was withdrawn when it was discovered that a US$2.3 million bid was a college student's prank.[2]

The club was eventually sold for $1.05 million to a seven-member group. As of 2015 the Aces and Idaho Steelheads are the only former WCHL teams still playing in their original markets.

ECHL (2003–present)

Alaska Aces playing on October 27, 2006.

The Aces joined the ECHL for the 2003–04 season following a merger between the WCHL and the East Coast Hockey League. They were renamed the Alaska Aces after the league switch, and unveiled a new logo and new uniforms.

The team gained national prominence in 2004 when it signed New Jersey Devils all-star and Alaska-born Scott Gomez during that season's NHL lockout. Gomez went on to lead the ECHL in scoring and win league Most Valuable Player honors.[2]

The Aces' 2006 triple overtime win against the Las Vegas Wranglers was at the time the third-longest game in ECHL history, concluding after 113 minutes, 30 seconds.[citation needed]

In 2006, the Aces became only the second team in ECHL history (joining the South Carolina Stingrays of Charleston, SC) in winning both the Brabham Cup and Kelly Cup championships in the same season. In 2008, the Cincinnati Cyclones became the third team to accomplish this feat. In 2011 the Alaska Aces did it again, becoming the first team to ever do it twice.

In 2006, Alaska won the ECHL Kelly Cup title in five games over the Gwinnett Gladiators. This was the first professional sports title won by an Alaskan team since the Anchorage Northern Knights won the Continental Basketball Association championship in 1980. Mike Scott received the ECHL Kelly Cup MVP award after the Aces' 4-3 win over the Gladiators in Game Five of the series.

In 2009, the Aces stormed through the first three rounds of the Kelly Cup Playoffs, winning in five games against both the Utah Grizzlies and the Victoria Salmon Kings in the first two rounds, and sweeping the Las Vegas Wranglers in the National Conference Finals. They were in the Kelly Cup Finals for the first time since their championship season in 2006, but they lost 4 games to 3 to the South Carolina Stingrays.

In 2010–11, the Aces dominated the entire season, winning the Brabham Cup by earning the best record in the league, as well as leading the league in points scored. Wes Goldie lead the league in goals scored. In the Kelly Cup Playoffs, they swept the Idaho Steelheads and Victoria Salmon Kings, and then won the Kelly Cup Championship over the Kalamazoo Wings in five games. The Aces won a third Kelly Cup in 2014, defeating the Cincinnati Cyclones in the finals four games to two.

On August 22, 2013, the Aces announced their affiliation with the Calgary Flames.[3]

In 2014–15 the Aces defended their Kelly Cup championship playing in the Pacific Division of the ECHL's Western Conference,[4] but failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the team's WCHL days.

The Aces are by far the northernmost and westernmost team in the ECHL, located 2,731 miles (4,395 km) from their closest geographical rival, the Idaho Steelheads. As a result, the team spent over $300,000 in travel-related costs during the 2014–15 season despite playing road games in only six different locations.[5]

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, PCT = Winning percentage, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes. Records as of 2015.[6][7]

Season League Division GP W L T OTL SOL Pts PCT GF GA PIM Coach(es) Result
1995–96 WCHL WCHL 58 24 29 0 5 0 53 0.414 271 299 1758 Steve Gasparini Out of playoffs
1996–97 WCHL WCHL 64 41 18 0 5 0 87 0.641 349 260 2142 Walt Poddubny Lost in Finals
1997–98 WCHL WCHLN 64 36 20 0 8 0 80 0.562 308 261 2075 Walt Poddubny Lost in round 2
1998–99 WCHL WCHLN 71 46 22 0 3 0 95 0.648 332 260 1759 Walt Poddubny Lost in round 2
1999–00 WCHL WCHLN 74 31 34 0 9 0 71 0.419 272 334 1828 Walt Poddubny, Bob Wilkie,
Derek Donald, Steve MacSwain		 Out of Playoffs
2000–01 WCHL WCHLN 72 27 41 0 4 0 58 0.375 264 324 1820 Walt Poddubny, Stirling Wright Out of Playoffs
2001–02 WCHL WCHLN 72 19 44 0 9 0 47 0.264 222 350 1573 Butch Goring, Stirling Wright,
Walt Poddubny		 Lost in round 1
2002–03 WCHL WCHL 72 21 46 0 5 0 47 0.292 210 327 1926 Rod Davidson, Perry Florio Out of Playoffs
2003–04 ECHL Pacific 72 38 28 6 0 0 82 0.569 220 210 1648 Davis Payne Lost in round 2
2004–05 ECHL West 72 45 19 8 0 0 98 0.681 233 187 1389 Davis Payne Lost in round 3
2005–06 ECHL West 72 53 12 7 0 0 113 0.785 289 168 1786 Davis Payne Kelly Cup Champions
2006–07 ECHL West 72 49 16 7 0 0 105 0.729 270 176 1972 Davis Payne Lost in round 3
2007–08 ECHL West 72 41 26 0 4 1 87 0.604 245 249 1319 Keith McCambridge Lost round 2
2008–09 ECHL West 72 45 24 1 2 0 93 0.646 232 181 1537 Keith McCambridge Lost in Finals
2009–10 ECHL West 72 36 28 0 4 4 80 0.556 232 240 1566 Brent Thompson Lost in round 1
2010–11 ECHL Mountain 72 47 22 0 2 1 97 0.674 241 174 947 Brent Thompson Kelly Cup Champions
2011–12 ECHL Mountain 72 43 18 0 3 8 97 0.674 224 172 929 Rob Murray Lost in round 3
2012–13 ECHL Mountain 72 49 15 0 4 4 106 0.736 228 172 1086 Rob Murray Lost in round 2
2013–14 ECHL Mountain 71 45 19 0 3 4 97 0.683 243 164 989 Rob Murray Kelly Cup Champions
2014–15 ECHL Pacific 72 35 30 0 3 4 77 0.535 237 233 1211 Rob Murray Out of Playoffs
2015–16 ECHL West 72 27 38 — 4 3 61 0.424 189 237 1171 Rob Murray Out of Playoffs

Current roster

Updated September 21, 2016.[8][9]
Team roster
No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Contract
12 United States Kenny Babinski C R 32 2016 Midland, Michigan Aces
United States Timothy Boyle D R 31 2016 Hingham, Massachusetts Aces
3 United States Justin Breton F L 35 2014 Fitchburg, Massachusetts Aces
United States Kevin Carr G L 34 2016 Unionville, Ontario Aces
7 United States Nick Cecere D L 34 2016 Des Moines, Iowa Aces
6 United States Tim Coffman F R 37 2013 Elverson, Pennsylvania Aces
31 Canada Jacob DeSerres G L 34 2016 Calgary, Alberta Aces
1 United States Lukas Hafner G L 32 2016 Toledo, Ohio Aces
24 Canada Garet Hunt LW L 37 2015 Maple Ridge, British Columbia Aces
2 Canada Daniel Johnston D R 32 2015 Calgary, Alberta Aces
15 Canada Ben Lake LW L 34 2015 Calgary, Alberta Aces
United States Dax Lauwers D L 33 2016 Anchorage, Alaska Aces
29 Canada Marc-Andre Levesque D R 33 2016 Longueuil, Quebec Aces
44 Canada Stephen Perfetto LW L 33 2015 Woodbridge, Ontario Aces
United States Tyler Ruegsegger C R 36 2016 Lakewood, Colorado Aces
United States Charlie Sampair C L 31 2016 St. Paul, Minnesota Aces
97 Slovakia Peter Sivák RW L 42 2015 Cheb, Czechoslovakia Aces
26 United States Ryan Trenz D R 32 2016 St. Louis, Missouri Aces
21 Canada Collin Valcourt LW L 31 2015 Prince George, British Columbia Aces

Notable players

Player Position GP
Chris Beckford-Tseu G 56
Wade Brookbank LW/D 72
Joey Crabb RW 35
Kimbi Daniels C 557
Brandon Dubinsky C 17
Wes Goldie RW 165
Scott Gomez C 76
Stefan Grogg F 7
Derek Gustafson G 91
Barrett Heisten LW 182
Ty Jones W 12
D. J. King LW 5
Doug Lynch D 30
Marek Schwarz G 19
Nate Thompson C 27
Matt Underhill G 66
B. J. Young RW 144

Retired numbers

  • Keith Street – #8
  • Wes Goldie – #16
  • Dean Larson – #18

References

  1. ^ Pacific Hockey League (1994-1995) history and statistics, hockeyDB.com. (accessed 11 June 2015)
  2. ^ a b Stott, Jon C. (2006). Hockey Night in Dixie: Minor Pro Hockey in the American South. Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd. pp. 180, 182. ISBN 978-1-894974-21-9.
  3. ^ "Flames, Heat announce affiliation with Alaska Aces". Calgary Flames. August 21, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  4. ^ "Annual ECHL Board of Governors Meeting concludes", ECHL, June 24, 2014. (accessed 24 June 2014)
  5. ^ Woody, Doyle. "Aces' 2015-16 schedule: Diversity and distant travel", Alaska Dispatch News, April 27, 2015. (accessed 11 June 2015)
  6. ^ "Anchorage Aces season statistics and records 1995–2003". Hockeydb.com. 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2012-03-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "Anchorage Aces season statistics and records 2003-Present". Hockeydb.com. 2014-05-02. Retrieved 2014-05-02. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ "Aces player roster". Alaska Aces. Retrieved 2016-07-12. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "Alaska Aces Elite Prospects". Elite Prospects. Retrieved February 20, 2016.

Media related to Alaska Aces at Wikimedia Commons

League Championships
Preceded by Brabham Cup
2005–06 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Kelly Cup
2005–06 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Brabham Cup
2010–11 to 2013–14 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Kelly Cup
2010–11 		Succeeded by
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