 |
| |
 |
| |
|
DETAILS |
| |
|
Names |
Cincinnati
Mighty Ducks |
|
|
Cincinnati
RailRaiders (2005-06) |
|
Operated |
1997-2006 |
|
League |
American
Hockey League |
|
Home Arena |
Cincinnati
Gardens |
|
Championships |
None |
|
| |
|
STATISTICS |
| |
|
SEASON |
LEAGUE |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
OTL |
SOL |
PTS |
PCT |
RANK |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1997-98 |
AHL |
80 |
23 |
37 |
13 |
7 |
0 |
66 |
.413 |
4 |
|
1998-99 |
AHL |
80 |
35 |
39 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
76 |
.456 |
5 |
|
1999-00 |
AHL |
80 |
30 |
37 |
9 |
4 |
0 |
73 |
.456 |
5 |
|
2000-01 |
AHL |
80 |
41 |
26 |
9 |
4 |
0 |
95 |
.594 |
2 |
|
2001-02 |
AHL |
80 |
33 |
33 |
11 |
3 |
0 |
80 |
.500 |
3 |
|
2002-03 |
AHL |
80 |
26 |
35 |
13 |
6 |
0 |
71 |
.444 |
3 |
|
2003-04 |
AHL |
80 |
29 |
37 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
72 |
.450 |
5 |
|
2004-05 |
AHL |
80 |
44 |
31 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
93 |
.581 |
3 |
|
|
|
| |
 |
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
1997-98 |
1998-99 |
1999-00 |
2000-01 |
2001-02 |
|
2002-03 |
2003-04 |
2004-05 |
2005-06 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
 |
|
|
When the
Cincinnati
Cyclones (of the International Hockey League)
relocated from the Cincinnati Gardens to
Riverfront Coliseum in 1997, Pete Robinson, who
owned the Gardens, bought the AHL's Baltimore
Bandits and relocated the franchise to the Queen
City. This would be the first American Hockey
League team to play in Cincinnati since the
Swords left in 1974.
Despite the direct competition with the
Cyclones, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks fast
became the team Cincinnati hockey fans grew to
love. The Ducks not only were the direct farm
team to Anaheim, but they were also the direct
farm team to the Detroit Red Wings from 1998 to
2002.
The Ducks loyal fan base developed because of
many popular players such as left wing Maxim
Balmochnykh, right wing Frank Banham, goat
tender Ilya Bryzgalov, center Marc Chouinard,
defenseman Mark Popovich, defenseman Peter
Podhradsky, left wing Bob Wren and many more.
Wren holds the record for most games played with
the Ducks. He played in a total of 277 games
during his 4 year stint in Cincinnati.
Between the Red Wings and the Mighty Ducks of
Anaheim, Cincinnati saw 51 players who went on
to the NHL. Such as goalie Jean-Sebastien
Giguere, defenseman Niclas Havelid, center Jason
Krog, left wing Mike Leclerc, center Joffrey
Lupul, center Andy McDonald and many more.
Along with many players making the jump to the
NHL, Ducks head coach Mike Babcock did as well.
Babcock coached the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks for
two seasons. He led the Ducks to their first
winning season during the 2000/01 season. And
because of his great work with the Cincinnati
Mighty Ducks, the parent club hired Babcock to
head coach the NHL Mighty Ducks for the 2002/03
season. The rookie head coach proceeded to lead
the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to their first
Western Conference Championship, putting the
team within ONE game of a Stanley Cup
Championship. The Ducks lost the championship to
the New Jersey Devils in seven games.
For the AHL Mighty
Ducks first year in Cincinnati [1997/98], the
club was headed by Moe Mantha Junior who's
father was a defenseman for the legendary
Cincinnati Mohawks in the 1950's of the
International Hockey League. Mantha Junior's
first Ducks club finished dead last in their
division, with a record of 23-37-13-7. The club
ended the season with a dismal 66 points.
The Ducks rebounded
so-to-speak for the 1998/99 season and earned a
play-off berth despite finishing last within the
Mid Atlantic Division. However, the club proved
just how much they lacked the stuff to be in the
play-offs and were swept by the Philadelphia
Phantoms in the first round.
In Moe Mantha's
third and final year as Ducks bench boss, he led
the club to yet again another last place finish
within their respective division. Finishing the
1999/00 season with a record of 30-37-9-4. The
Ducks posted 73 points in the standings.
Mantha would be
replaced for the 2000/01 season by former
Spokane Chiefs head coach Mike Babcock of the
WHL. In his first season in Cincinnati, Babcock
led the Ducks to a 41-26-9-4 record. With 95
points in the standings. His club finished
second in the South Division. The Ducks were set
to play the Norfolk Admirals in the play-offs
and earned home ice advantage. But due to a
curfew implemented on Cincinnati shortly after
the infamous Cincinnati racial riots, the Ducks
were forced to play their home games on the
road. Giving the advantage to Norfolk. The
Admirals took the Ducks 3 games to 1.
Mike Babcock's final year as Ducks head coach
saw his club barely miss the play-offs. The club
finished the season a couple points shy of the
Rochester Americans for a play-off spot which
put the club in a Qualifying Round against the
Chicago Wolves. Unfortunately the Mighty Ducks
lost.
After Mike Babcock was promoted to the NHL
Ducks, his replacement for the 2002/03 season
was former Detroit Vipers head coach Brad Shaw.
In his first year with the Ducks, his club
finished with a 26-35-13-6 record. Tallying up
71 points in the standings. His club finished
third in the Central Division and did not
qualify for the play-offs.
For the 2003/04
season, Cincinnati finished the season with a
record of 29-37-13-1, with 72 points in the
standings. The club finished in fifth place
within the West Division, sending the team into
a Qualifying Round against the Houston Aeros.
Cincinnati swept the series and went on to face
the Milwaukee Admirals in the first round of the
play-offs. The Mighty Ducks took the Admirals to
7 games, but lost in the final game with a score
of 5-1. The Admirals went on to win the Calder
Cup.
Head coach Brad
Shaw returned for the 2004-05 AHL hockey season.
The season turned out to be the last year for
the Mighty Ducks in Cincinnati. The parent club
would shift their affiliation to Portland Maine
for the next hockey season. However, on the ice,
the Ducks would go out with a bang and ice one
of their best team in their eight years history.
The was easily the best brand of hockey
Cincinnati had ever seen. The entire NHL season
was wiped out leaving the AHL as the top league
in the world.
The final Mighty Ducks club finished the season
in a tight race with Grand Rapids and Houston
for the final play-off spot in the AHL. At one
point all three clubs were locked up with the
same points in the standings. But Cincinnati
went on to win 8 of their final 10 games which
put the club in third place within the division
and a record of 44-31-1-4. The club finished
with 93 points in the standings.
Cincinnati went on to play the Milwaukee
Admirals in the first round of the play-offs.
The defending Calder Cup Champion Admirals
proceeded to lead the series 3 games to 1. But
the Mighty Ducks, with their backs against the
wall, came back and won 4 straight. Sending them
to the second round of the play-offs for the
first time. The Ducks were the 13th team in AHL
history to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a
best-of-7 series. Their Game 7 victory was the
first by any road team in the series.
Cincinnati went on to face the Chicago Wolves in
the Western Conference Division Finals, only to
lose 4 games to 1. The franchise played their
final game as the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks on May
13th 2005, ended an eight year run.
Club owners attempted to reactivate the
franchise for the 2006-07 hockey season as the
Cincinnati RailRaiders, but failed to sell 2,000
season tickets which was necessary to do so.
The ownership only reached about 80% of their
goal and the RailRaiders never hit the ice. The
franchise was eventually sold to a group in
Rockford Illinois named Centre Events for 3.15
million dollars. The new ownership group would
then relocate the franchise to Rockford Illinois
where it was renamed the IceHogs. |
|
