Utah Grizzlies Explained

Current:2023–24 ECHL season
Bg Color:background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#00483A 5px solid; border-bottom:#231F20 5px solid;
Text Color:
  1. 000000
Team:Utah Grizzlies
Logosize:250px
City:West Valley City, Utah
League:ECHL
Conference:Western
Division:Mountain
Founded:1981 (in the CHL)
Arena:Maverik Center
Colors:Green, black, copper, white[1]
Owner:Elmore Sports Group
Gm:Ryan Kinasewich[2]
Coach:Ryan Kinasewich
Media:KSOP
FloTv
Affiliates:Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Name1:Nashville South Stars
Dates1:1981–1983
Name2:Virginia Lancers
Dates2:1983–1990
Name3:Roanoke Valley Rebels
Dates3:1990–1992
Name4:Roanoke Valley Rampage
Dates4:1992–1993
Name5:Huntsville Blast
Dates5:1993–1994
Name6:Tallahassee Tiger Sharks
Dates6:1994–2001
Name7:Macon Whoopee
Dates7:2001–2002
Name8:Lexington Men O' War
Dates8:2002–2003
Name9:Utah Grizzlies
Dates9:2005–present
Division Titles:1 (2021–22)

The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play their home games at Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah.

Franchise history

The current Utah Grizzlies franchise started in 1981 as the Nashville South Stars in Nashville, Tennessee, in the Central Hockey League. Henry Brabham then took over the team in 1983 and relocated them to Vinton, Virginia mid-season, to become the Virginia Lancers. Brabham and the Lancers were then one of the founding members of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) in 1988. The franchise was sold and relocated several times until it went dormant after the 2002–03 season. After the American Hockey League (AHL) incarnation of the Grizzlies suspended operations, David Elmore and Donna Tuttle bought the rights to the dormant ECHL franchise and moved the team to the E Center to replace the previous Grizzlies franchise.

Prior to the 2013–14 season, their NHL affiliate Calgary Flames changed their affiliation to the Alaska Aces. Incoming head coach and general manager Tim Branham announced a three-year agreement with the Anaheim Ducks on August 7, 2013.[3] After the Grizzlies made the post-season in every season within the Ducks organization, the Grizzlies and Ducks agreed to a multi-year extension during the 2015–16 season.[4]

Following the 2017–18 season, the Grizzlies missed the post-season for the first time in 11 years. At that time, their ECHL rival, the Colorado Eagles, joined the American Hockey League as an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche after previously serving as the Avalanche affiliate in the ECHL. The Grizzlies ended their agreement with the Ducks and affiliated with the Avalanche, their then-closest geographical NHL club.[5] [6]

The market was previously served by:

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL= Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalty infraction minutes

Regular seasonPlayoffs
Season GP W L OTL SOL Pts GF GA PIM Standing Year 1st round 2nd round 3rd round Kelly Cup
72 36 30 5 1 78 235 236 1712 4th of 6, West
72 22 42 4 4 52 184 294 1953 5th of 5, West did not qualify
72 32 30 2 8 74 239 259 1595 4th of 5, West
72 28 28 6 10 72 220 246 1372 4th of 6, West
72 34 29 4 5 77 260 253 1292 3rd of 4, West
72 33 32 4 3 73 189 227 1674 3rd of 4, Mountain
72 33 33 0 6 72 183 223 1573 3rd of 4, Mountain
72 29 30 4 9 71 217 277 1741 4th of 4, Mountain
71 38 24 3 6 85 187 173 1329 3rd of 4, Mountain
72 37 27 5 3 82 213 219 1170 4th of 7, Pacific
72 39 27 3 3 84 223 206 942 3rd of 5, West
72 36 29 5 2 79 225 240 1312 4th of 7, Mountain
72 28 29 9 6 71 230 256 1212 6th of 7, Mountain did not qualify
72 37 26 4 5 83 232 218 1264 3rd of 7, Mountain
62 34 17 7 4 79 207 164 884 3rd of 7, Mountain 2020 Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
72 35 26 5 6 81 207 219 1037 4th of 7, Western
72 42 27 2 1 87 240 225 959 1st of 7, Mountain
72 35 33 4 0 74 230 259 1316 4th of 7, Mountain
72 31 36 5 0 67 227 264 750 5th of 7, Mountain did not qualify

Notes and References

  1. Email response from Communications and Broadcasting VP Adrian Denny: "Copper is the third color."
  2. Web site: Ryan Kinasewich Named Grizzlies Head Coach and General Manager . utahgrizzlies.com . 2021-09-27 . 2023-05-05.
  3. Web site: Utah Grizzlies announce affiliation with the Anaheim Ducks . desertnews.com . 2013-08-07 . 2013-08-07.
  4. Web site: Ducks announce affiliation extension with the Utah Grizzlies . . 2016-01-20 . 2016-01-20.
  5. Web site: Grizzlies announce affiliation with Avalanche . utahgrizzlies.com . 2018-06-28 . 2018-06-28.
  6. Web site: Avalanche enters in to ECHL partnership with the Utah Grizzlies . . 2018-06-28 . 2018-06-28.