The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights were a professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...

team in the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the lea ...

. They played in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest ...

, United States at the Omaha Civic Auditorium from 2005–07. Following the 2006–07 season, the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are the third major professional ice hockey te ...

announced that the team would relocate to the

Quad Cities The Quad Cities is a region of cities (originally four, see History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in northwestern Illinois. These cities are t ...

for 2007–08.

History

In 2005, the AHL franchise of the Calgary Flames (the

Saint John Flames The Saint John Flames were a Canadian ice hockey team in the American Hockey League from 1993 to 2003 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The Calgary Flames bought and relocated the Utica Devils, to be their AHL affiliate. History The Sain ...

, which existed from 1993 to 2003) was reestablished in Omaha. The ''Ak-Sar-Ben'' part of the team's name comes from the

Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben The Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation is a 501(c)(3) civic and philanthropic organization in Omaha, Nebraska. History The organization was formed in 1895 in an attempt to keep the Nebraska State Fair in Omaha after receiving an ultimatum to provide ...

, an Omaha civic organization, whose logo was integrated into the insignia of the team and was a partner with the Omaha organization. Ak-Sar-Ben, which is "Nebraska" spelled backwards, was also the name of the arena of the original

Omaha Knights The Omaha Knights was the name of three minor league professional ice hockey teams from 1959 to 1965 and from 1966 to 1975, based in Omaha, Nebraska, at the Ak-Sar-Ben Arena. The Knights were founded in 1959 as members of the International Hoc ...

. The team logo was shown with identical flame marks as the Calgary Flames' logo. Following two difficult seasons at the gate, rumors swirled around both Omaha and the

that the Flames would relocate their affiliate to the latter region, which was at the time served by the

Quad City Mallards The Quad City Mallards were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in the Quad Cities area of Illinois and Iowa that competed in the International Hockey League, Central Hockey League and ECHL. They were named after the Mallards team ...

of the

United Hockey League The United Hockey League (UHL), originally known as the Colonial Hockey League from 1991 to 1997 and last known as the International Hockey League from 2007 to 2010, was a low-level minor professional ice hockey league, with teams in the Uni ...

. The Calgary Flames and Quad City Mallards confirmed the move on May 24, 2007.

Season-by-season record

Team records

Single season

:Goals: 28,

Carsen Germyn Carsen Germyn (born February 22, 1982 in Campbell River, British Columbia) is a former professional ice hockey right wing who played 4 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Calgary Flames. Playing career Germyn played five season ...

(2006–07) :Assists: 43,

Andrei Taratukhin Andrei Sergeevich Taratukhin (born February 22, 1983) is a Russian professional ice hockey centre and he is currently playing for HSC Csíkszereda in the Erste Liga. Taratukhin was drafted 41st overall by the Calgary Flames in the 2001 NHL E ...

(2006–07) :Points: 60,

Dustin Boyd Dustin James Boyd (born July 16, 1986) is a Canadian-Kazakhstani professional ice hockey player who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He was most recently under contract with Barys Nur-Sultan of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Playi ...

, Carsen Germyn, and

(2006–07) :Penalty minutes: 294,

Brandon Prust Brandon Raymond James Prust (born March 16, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. Prust was drafted in the third round, 70th overall, by the Calgary Flames in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, and has played in the NHL for th ...

(2005–06) :Plus/minus: +27, David Van Der Gulik (2006–07) :Wins: 35, Curtis McElhinney (2006–07) :Shutouts: 7, Curtis McElhinney (2006–07) :GAA: 2.13, Curtis McElhinney (2006–07) :SV%: .917, Curtis McElhinney (2006–07)

Career

:Career goals: 52,

:Career assists: 63, Carsen Germyn :Career points: 115, Carsen Germyn :Career penalty minutes: 505,

:Career goaltending wins: 44, Curtis McElhinney :Career shutouts: 10, Curtis McElhinney :Career games: 156, Warren Peters

Team captains

* Craig MacDonald 2005–06 *No captain; (

, Warren Peters, and Brad Ference served as alternates) 2006–07

References

{{Aksarben Calgary Flames minor league affiliates Sports in Omaha, Nebraska Ice hockey clubs established in 2005 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2007 Ice hockey teams in Nebraska 2005 establishments in Nebraska 2007 disestablishments in Nebraska