Manchester Monarchs (ECHL)

For the former American Hockey League team that played from 2001 to 2015, see Manchester Monarchs (AHL).
Manchester Monarchs
CityManchester, New Hampshire
LeagueECHL
ConferenceEastern
DivisionNorth
Founded1993
Folded2019
Home arenaSNHU Arena
Colors   
Owner(s)PPI Sports, LLC
General managerDoug Christiansen[1]
Head coachDoug Christiansen
AffiliatesLos Angeles Kings (NHL)
Ontario Reign (AHL)
Franchise history
1993–2000Huntington Blizzard
2003–2008Texas Wildcatters
2008–2015Ontario Reign
2015–2019Manchester Monarchs
Championships
Division titles1 (2015–16)

The Manchester Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL which began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, the team played its home games at the SNHU Arena.

The Monarchs replaced the American Hockey League team of the same name, which played from 2001 until 2015, after which they moved to Ontario, California, and became the Ontario Reign.

After four seasons in the ECHL, the Monarchs ceased operations when the organization failed to find new ownership.

History

On January 29, 2015, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they would be moving their AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, to Ontario, California, as one of five charter members of the AHL's new Pacific Division.[2] The next day, they announced that their ECHL affiliate, the current Ontario Reign, would move to Manchester and take on the Monarchs name in what is essentially a "franchise swap".[3]

Prior to their second season, the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) sold the Monarchs to PPI Sports, LLC on August 2, 2016.[4] AEG also owns the AHL Ontario Reign and a stake in the Los Angeles Kings. Kings president Luc Robitaille stated that the Monarchs would continue to be affiliated with the Kings and Reign despite the team no longer being under the same ownership as their NHL and AHL teams.

On January 18, 2019, the Monarchs were announced as seeking new owners.[5] At the end of the 2018–19 ECHL season, the team was unable to find new ownership and ceased operations.[6][7] The league then revoked the franchise license.[8]

Season-by-season records

Regular season Playoffs
Season GP W L OTL SOL Pts GF GA Standing Year 1st round 2nd round 3rd round Kelly Cup
2015–16 72 39 24 4 5 87 222 213 1st, East Div. 2016 L, 1–4, ADK — — —
2016–17 72 37 24 7 4 85 264 252 4th, North Div. 2017 W, 4–2, ADK W, 4–2, BRM L, 3–4, SC —
2017–18 72 41 25 3 3 88 257 214 2nd, North Div. 2018 W, 4–0, REA L, 2–4, ADK — —
2018–19 72 39 29 2 2 82 233 232 3rd, North Div. 2019 W, 4–1, ADK L, 2–4, NFL — —

References

  1. ^ "Monarchs Name Doug Christiansen Head Coach". OurSports Central. June 13, 2018.
  2. ^ "Reign Become the AHL Affiliate of LA Kings". Ontario Reign. January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  3. ^ "Monarchs to Join ECHL in 2015–16". Manchester Monarchs. January 30, 2015. Archived from the original on June 19, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  4. ^ "Manchester Monarchs Sold to PPI Sports". Arena Digest. August 2, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  5. ^ Landrigan, Kevin (January 18, 2019). "Want to buy a hockey team? The Monarchs are for sale". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  6. ^ Hayward, Mark (May 15, 2019). "Monarchs pull the plug on professional hockey in Manchester". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  7. ^ Sylvia, Andrew (May 15, 2019). "Monarchs not returning next season". Manchester Ink Link. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  8. ^ "MANCHESTER MEMBERSHIP TERMINATED". ECHL. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.