West Palm Beach Barracudas Explained

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Team:West Palm Beach Barracudas
Logosize:200px
City:West Palm Beach, Florida
League:SHL
Operated:1992–1996
Arena:West Palm Beach Auditorium
Colors:Black, Teal, Red
Media:Palm Beach Post
Name1:West Palm Beach Blaze (SuHL)
Dates1:1992–95
Name2:West Palm Beach Barracudas (SHL)
Dates2:1995–96
Reg Season Titles:1993, 1994, 1995
Championships:1993, 1994, 1995

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.

History

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

Season League GP W L OTL Pts GF GA PIM Coach Finish Playoffs
SuHL 45 38 6 1 77 275 166 1272 1st Won championship, 3–0 (Jacksonville)
SuHL 54 37 14 3 77 282 205 1433 Bill Nyrop 1st Won championship, 3–0 (Jacksonville)
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

External links