Syracuse Crunch
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The Syracuse Crunch are 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 h ...
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 le ...
(AHL). They play in Syracuse, New York, at the Upstate Medical University Arena. They are the primary development affiliate of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
's
Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
.


History


Vancouver and Pittsburgh affiliations (1994–2000)

The franchise originated in 1992 as the
Hamilton Canucks The Hamilton Canucks were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They played in Hamilton, Ontario, at Copps Coliseum. They were the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). The tea ...
, which was an affiliate of the NHL's
Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
. The Canucks played in
Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a Canada 2016 Census, population of 569,353, and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington, ...
, for two seasons, before relocating to
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...
in 1994. They were then renamed the "Crunch" from a public vote that included five names. The Crunch played their first game in Syracuse on September 30, 1994, against the Albany River Rats to a 7–7 tie with Lonny Bohonos scoring the first Crunch goal. The Crunch finished their first season 29–42–9–0, fifth place in the division, and outside the playoffs. The Crunch made the playoffs in the following season after finishing 31–37–5–7 and made it to the 1996 conference finals before losing to the eventual
Calder Cup The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its cur ...
champion
Rochester Americans The Rochester Americans (colloquially known as the Amerks) are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League; the team is an owned and operated affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, ...
. The team led the league in sellouts in 1996–97 and 1997–98 seasons. In 1997, the Crunch added a second NHL affiliate with the
Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
. The 1998–99 AHL season was the Crunch's worst season in franchise history. The Crunch would finish the season with a league-worst record of 18–50–9–3. On November 25, 1998, the Crunch suffered their worst loss in team history to the Providence Bruins, with a 14–2 final score. They allowed an AHL record of 10 goals in the first period. Goalie Craig Hillier allowed seven goals before being pulled for Mike Valley, who also allowed seven. The Penguins' affiliation ended after this season when they launched the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the AHL affiliates of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barr ...
. On October 30, 1999, while playing against Rochester, goaltender Christian Bronsard scored the first and only Crunch goalie goal. Bronsard became the fourth goaltender in
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 le ...
history to score a goal. The Crunch qualified for the playoffs following the 1999–2000 season, their last season as Vancouver's AHL affiliate, but lost in the first round to the
Hamilton Bulldogs The Hamilton Bulldogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that began to play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the Bulldogs play their home games at FirstOntario Centre. They were purcha ...
.


Columbus affiliation (2000–2010)

The Crunch became the affiliate of the newly formed
Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
following the 1999–2000 season. They made the playoffs in their first season under the Jackets, but lost in five games to the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the AHL affiliates of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barr ...
in the first round. In the following 2001–02 season, the Crunch won their first division title in franchise history behind goaltender Jean-Francois Labbe. They swept the
Philadelphia Phantoms The Philadelphia Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1996 to 2009. The club was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played most of its home games at the Spectrum. During schedule ...
in three games in the first round, but lost to the eventual Calder Cup champion
Chicago Wolves The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League and are the top minor-league affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the C ...
in the next round in seven games. On March 17, 2002, the Crunch played against the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the AHL affiliates of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barr ...
. This game was infamously named the "St. Patrick's Day Massacre". The Crunch accumulated 124 penalty minutes, 80 of which were fighting-related, while the Penguins had 162 penalty minutes with 102 for fighting. The Crunch won the game 4–0. The Crunch would miss the playoffs the following season, their second-worst season in franchise history, finishing 27-41-8-4. In the
2004 Calder Cup playoffs The 2004 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 14, 2004. Twenty teams, the top five from each division, qualified for the playoffs. The fourth- and fifth-placed teams in each division played best-of-3 series in the quali ...
, the Crunch became the twelfth team to blow a 3–1 series lead when they lost to the Rochester Americans in the first round. The Crunch were on home ice for game seven and forward Kent McDonnell missed an empty net when the Americans' goalie Ryan Miller was caught out of position. Rochester then recovered with an odd-man rush and Norm Milley beat Crunch goalie Karl Goehring to win the game in overtime. The 2005–06 season was the best season the Crunch had during the 80-game schedule format. They scored a team record of 272 goals, but they also allowed 251 goals, and ended the regular season second in their division, 13 points behind Grand Rapids. They also had 47 wins, which is tied with their 2018–19 season record, albeit in four less games with the 76-game schedule. Andy Delmore won the
Eddie Shore Award The Eddie Shore Award is presented annually to the AHL's best defenceman. The award winner is chosen by AHL media and players. The award is named after Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Shore. Winners NHL-level Eddie Shore Award One of the Bos ...
, scoring 72 points in 66 games, while also making the AHL First All-Star team at the end of the season. Mark Hartigan also scored 75 points in 49 games, averaging over a point and a half per game. They then lost in the first round of the 2006 Calder Cup playoffs to the
Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and a member of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre, the home arena of its parent club, Winnipeg Jets ...
in six games. During the 2007–08 season, the Crunch went on a 15-game winning streak at the end of the season from March 8 to April 13, 2008, to make the playoffs. The Crunch also went without losing a game in regulation for the final 23 games of the season, spanning from February 22 to April 13, 2008. They defeated the
Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and a member of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre, the home arena of its parent club, Winnipeg Jets ...
in six games, where five of them went to overtime. They advanced to the second round to face the
Toronto Marlies The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies is owned by Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, a c ...
, but blew another 3–1 series lead. The Crunch played the first outdoor game in AHL history on February 20, 2010, against the Binghamton Senators. The Mirabito Outdoor Classic took place at the Grandstand at the
New York State Fairgrounds The New York State Fair, also known as the Great New York State Fair, is a 13-day showcase of agriculture, entertainment, education, and technology. With midway rides, concessionaires, exhibits, and concerts, it has become New York's largest an ...
in Syracuse. The game set a then AHL attendance record of 21,508. Syracuse won the game 2–1, with goals scored by Alexandre Picard and David Liffiton. Goaltender Kevin Lalande made 36 saves en route to the Syracuse victory. The Crunch missed the playoffs in their final two seasons as the affiliate of the Blue Jackets, as they switched their affiliation to the Springfield Falcons in 2010.


Anaheim affiliation (2010–2012)

The Anaheim affiliation lasted two seasons, resulting in one playoff appearance in the 2011–12 season. They lost in the first round to the St. John's IceCaps in four games. The affiliation produced future NHL players such as Kyle Palmieri, Nick Bonino, and Patrick Maroon.


Tampa Bay affiliation (2012–present)

The Crunch signed a multi-year affiliation deal with the
Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
beginning with the 2012–13 season. The affiliation bought immediate success, resulting in the team's first division championship in 11 years. At the end of the 2012–13 regular season, Tyler Johnson won the Les Cunningham Award, Willie Marshall Award, and the President's Award. He was the first MVP in Crunch history. He totaled 65 points, scoring 37 goals and assisted on 28 goals. The team reached the 2013
Calder Cup The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its cur ...
finals, their first ever Calder Cup appearance, but lost to the
Grand Rapids Griffins The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and play home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey Leag ...
. On November 22, 2014, the Syracuse Crunch set a new United States indoor professional hockey attendance record with 30,715 fans at the Carrier Dome for the "
Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
Frozen Dome Classic". Syracuse defeated the
Utica Comets The Utica Comets are a professional ice hockey team based in Utica, New York, with home games at the Adirondack Bank Center. They are members of the North Division in the Eastern Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL) and affiliated wi ...
2–1. The Crunch won their second division title under the Tampa affiliation in the 2016–17 season. They advanced to their second Calder Cup appearance, again against the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Griffins took the series in six games and won the series 4–2. They also lost an AHL record eight road games during the playoffs. On May 5, 2018, the Syracuse Crunch played their longest game in team history, which the Crunch lost 2–1 in double overtime to the
Toronto Marlies The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies is owned by Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, a c ...
. The game lasted 95 minutes and 10 seconds. The Crunch previously played two double-overtime games, both in the
2017 Calder Cup playoffs The 2017 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 20, 2017, with the playoff format that was introduced in 2016. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-five series in the division semif ...
. They played a double-overtime game in the first round against the St. John's IceCaps, resulting in a 4–3 double-overtime win. That game lasted 90 minutes and 37 seconds, their previous record. They also played another double-overtime game in the 2017 Calder Cup Finals, a 6–5 loss in double overtime to the
Grand Rapids Griffins The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and play home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey Leag ...
, lasting 87 minutes and 2 seconds. The 2018–19 season was the best season the Crunch has had during the 76-game schedule format. The Crunch tied a team record in points with 102, and tied a franchise record in wins with 47. Eddie Pasquale won the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award, Carter Verhaeghe won the
John B. Sollenberger Trophy The John B. Sollenberger Trophy is given to American Hockey League's leading scorer for the season. History The award was named for John B. Sollenberger in 1955. Sollenberger was a long-time contributor to the league as manager and president of ...
, and Verhaeghe and Alex Barre-Boulet both won the Willie Marshall Award, as they both tied for the league lead in goals scored. The Crunch also achieved 900 franchise victories with a 6–2 win over the
Utica Comets The Utica Comets are a professional ice hockey team based in Utica, New York, with home games at the Adirondack Bank Center. They are members of the North Division in the Eastern Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL) and affiliated wi ...
on March 30, 2019. The Crunch won their third division title in the Tampa affiliation, but were upset in four games by the
Cleveland Monsters The Cleveland Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team began play in 2007 as the Lake Erie Monsters and since 2015 has served as the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hock ...
. The Crunch played their first 62 games of the 2019–20 season, but the season was suspended on March 12, 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. The season was ultimately cancelled on May 11, 2020. The start of the following season was also pushed back to February 5, 2021. The Crunch also gained a temporary second NHL affiliation in the Florida Panthers as their AHL affiliate, the
Charlotte Checkers The Charlotte Checkers are a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affi ...
, opted out of participating in the abbreviated season. Prior to the pandemic-related schedule changes, the Crunch were to face the
Utica Comets The Utica Comets are a professional ice hockey team based in Utica, New York, with home games at the Adirondack Bank Center. They are members of the North Division in the Eastern Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL) and affiliated wi ...
in an outdoor game hosted by Utica at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park in
Rome, New York Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States, located in the central part of the state. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 census. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Rome Metropolitan Statistical Area, which li ...
, on February 13, 2021, however, the game did not take place as scheduled.


Syracuse hockey history

American Hockey League teams that played in Syracuse: * Syracuse Stars (1930–1936) in the Original IHL *Syracuse Stars (
1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
–1940) in the IAHL – The first team to win the
Calder Cup The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its cur ...
in ( 1936–37) * Syracuse Warriors (
1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...
1954) * Syracuse Eagles ( 1974–75) * Syracuse Firebirds ( 1979–80) Other hockey teams that played in Syracuse: *Syracuse Braves (1962–1963) ( EPHL) * Syracuse Blazers (1967–1973) ( EHL) *Syracuse Blazers (1973–1977) (
NAHL Nahl or NAHL may refer to: * Nahl (surname) * National Accident Helpline, a British personal injury lawyer service * North American Hockey League, an American junior hockey league * North American Hockey League (1973–1977), an American professio ...
) *Syracuse Condors (Granted a franchise by the NAHL for 1977–78 season, but the league folded and the team never played a game) *Syracuse Hornets (1980–1981) ( EHL) – played only ten games (0-9-1) * Syracuse Jr. Crunch/Syracuse Stars (1996–2005) in the
Metro Junior A Hockey League The Metro Junior "A" Hockey League was a junior level ice hockey league based out of Southern Ontario. The league originated in 1956 as the Metro Junior "B" Hockey League, which lasted until 1991, when it changed its designation from Junior B to ...
and Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League


Logos

Owner Howard Dolgon came up with the superhero mascot Crunchman for the team's debut in 1994. In 2000, as the Crunch became an affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Crunchman was replaced with Al the Ice
Gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...
. Al remained until 2012, when Dolgon found the new affiliation with Tampa Bay a good reason to return with Crunchman. Image:Syracuse Crunch 1994.png, Original Crunch logo
1994–2000 Image:Second Syracuse logo (2000-2010).jpg, Second Crunch logo
2000–2010

Image:Syracuse Crunch Logo.svg, Third Crunch logo
2010–2012 Image:Syracuse Crunch.svg, Current Crunch logo
2012–present Image:Syracuse 5th anniversary.png, 5th Anniversary logo
1998–99 AHL season, 1998-99br>
Image:Crunch 10th Anniversary.jpg, 10th Anniversary logo
2003-04 AHL season, 2003-04br>
Image:Syracuse Crunch 25th Anniversary Season Logo.png, 25th Anniversary logo
2018-19 AHL season, 2018-19


Season-by-season results


Players and coaches


Current roster

Updated December 27, 2022.


Team captains

* Dane Jackson, 1994–1995 *
Mark Wotton Mark A. Wotton (born November 16, 1973) is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars. Playing career Considered small for an NHL defender, Wotton was selecte ...
, 1995–1999 *
Brian Bonin Brian Raymond Bonin (born November 28, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey center. He was drafted in the ninth round, 211th overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. Playing career After being named Minnes ...
, 1999–2000 * Mike Gaul, 2000–2001 *
Sean Pronger Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; angli ...
, 2001–2002 * David Ling, 2002–2003 * Darrel Scoville, 2003–2004 * Jamie Pushor, 2004–2007 *
Zenon Konopka Zenon Konopka (born January 2, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Also known as "Zenon the Destroyer", Konopka played for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders, Ottawa ...
, 2007–2008 * Dan Smith, 2008–2009 * Derek MacKenzie, 2009–2010 * Joe DiPenta, 2010–2011 * Nate Guenin, 2011–2012 * Mike Angelidis, 2012–2016 *
Luke Witkowski Luke Witkowski (born April 14, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Springfield Thunderbirds in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey Le ...
, 2016–2017, 2019–2021 * Erik Condra, 2017–2018 * Gabriel Dumont, 2018–2019, 2021–present


Head coaches

* Jack McIlhargey: 1994–1999 *
Stan Smyl Stan or STAN may refer to: People * Stan (given name), a list of people with the given name ** Stan Laurel (1890–1965), English comic actor, part of duo Laurel and Hardy * Stan (surname), a Romanian surname * Stan! (born 1964), American author ...
: 1999–2000 * Gary Agnew: 2000–2006 *
Ross Yates Ross Richard Yates (born June 18, 1959) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player and a former American Hockey League (AHL) head coach. Biography As a youth, Yates played in the 1970, 1971 and 1972 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hock ...
: 2006–2010 *Mark Holick: 2010–2012 * Trent Yawney: 2012 * Jon Cooper: 2012–2013 *
Rob Zettler Rob Zettler (born March 8, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota North Stars, San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Nash ...
: 2013–2016 * Benoit Groulx: 2016–present


Current coaching staff

* Benoit Groulx — Head coach * Gilles Bouchard — Assistant coach * Eric Veilleux — Assistant coach * Joe Palmer — Goaltending and video coach


Honored numbers

The Crunch raised a banner following a fan vote during the team's fifth season in honor of fan favorite #14 "Big Bad" John Badduke. It is not retired, as it would later be worn by former United States Olympian
Darby Hendrickson Darby Joseph Hendrickson (born August 28, 1972) is an American former professional ice hockey center. He played in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche, and is curr ...
,
Serge Aubin Serge D. Aubin (born February 15, 1975) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and a former professional ice hockey centre who played 374 games in the National Hockey League for the Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets and Atlanta Thrashers. He is c ...
, Richard Panik, Justin Courtnall, Brandon Alderson, Mike McNamee, Kevin Lynch, Devante Stephens and most recently, Brandon Crawley. During the
2008–09 AHL season The 2008–09 AHL season was the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12. Team and NHL affiliation changes The Iowa Stars are renamed and are now cal ...
, the team temporarily reserved, but not retired, #7 as a tribute to Paul Newman after his death. This honors Reg Dunlop, the player-coach for the fictional Charlestown Chiefs, which Newman played in the movie '' Slap Shot''. The movie was filmed partially at Onondaga County War Memorial. Coincidentally, other scenes were filmed at
Cambria County War Memorial Arena The Cambria County War Memorial Arena is a 4,001-seat multi-purpose arena in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, that is managed by SMG Entertainment. It was built in 1950, for the Johnstown Jets of the Eastern Hockey League. The arena was built on the si ...
in
Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,411 as of the 2020 census. Located east of Pittsburgh, Johnstown is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, whi ...
, the home ice of the Crunch's former
ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
affiliate, the
Johnstown Chiefs The Johnstown Chiefs were a minor league ice hockey team located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, that played in the ECHL. The team was founded in 1987 in the All-American Hockey League, and moved to the East Coast Hockey League (now "ECHL") when th ...
. The banner was raised October 14 and was up for the entire season, but the number was not retired, as it was most recently worn by Crunch player Mathieu Joseph in the 2019–20 season. On March 26, 2016, the Syracuse Crunch retired
Dolph Schayes Adolph Schayes (May 19, 1928 – December 10, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A top scorer and rebounder, he was a 12-time NBA All-Star and a 12-time All-NBA selection. ...
' number #4. Schayes played for the
Syracuse Nationals The Philadelphia 76ers are an American basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 76ers are third in NBA history in wins and playoff appearances. 1946– ...
and their successor, the Philadelphia 76ers. He was the first player in the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
to score 15,000 points in his career. This number isn't officially retired, as the number was most recently worn by Trevor Carrick during the 2022–23 season.


Notable Crunch alumni


Franchise records and leaders

''Records as of the beginning of the 2022–23 AHL season''


Single season records

:Goals: Lonny Bohonos, 40 (1995–96) :Assists: Bill Bowler, 58 (2000–01) :Points: Carter Verhaeghe, 82 (2018–19) :Penalty minutes:
Jody Shelley Jody Shelley (born February 7, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. During his National Hockey League (NHL) career he played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers. ...
, 357 (2000–01) :Wins: Corey Hirsch, 30 (1997–98) :GAA: Jean-Francois Labbe, 2.18 (2001–02) :SV%: Jean-Francois Labbe, .928 (2001–02)


Single postseason records

''Minimum 10 Calder Cup playoff games played'' :Goals: Lonny Bohonos, 14 (1996) :Assists:
Ondrej Palat Ondrej is a Slovak male given name, equivalent to Andrew. Notable people with the name include: * Ondrej Duda, Slovak football player * Ondrej Otčenáš (1987), Slovak ice hockey player * Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater ** Ondrej Nepela Arena ...
, 19 (2013) :Points: Cory Conacher, 28 (2017) :Penalty minutes: Richard Panik, 59 (2013) :Wins:
Cedrick Desjardins Cédrick or Cedrick is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Cedrick Banks (born 1981), American professional basketball player * Cedrick Bowers (born 1978), left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher *Cédrick Desjardins (born 1985) ...
(2013) and Mike McKenna (2017), 13 :GAA: Jean-Francois Labbe, 1.91 (2002) :SV%: Jean-Francois Labbe, .939 (2002)


Career records

:Career games: Brad Moran, 334 :Career goals: Mark Hartigan, 107 :Career assists: Brad Moran, 143 :Career points: Brad Moran, 241 :Career penalty minutes: Jeremy Reich, 820 :Career goaltending wins: Karl Goehring, 78 :Career shutouts: Jean-Francois Labbe and Karl Goehring, 11


Trophies and awards


Award winners

; Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award * Alex Barre-Boulet ( 2018–19) ;
Eddie Shore Award The Eddie Shore Award is presented annually to the AHL's best defenceman. The award winner is chosen by AHL media and players. The award is named after Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Shore. Winners NHL-level Eddie Shore Award One of the Bos ...
* Andy Delmore ( 2005–06) * Matt Taormina ( 2016–17) ; Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award * Eddie Pasquale ( 2018–19) ; James C. Hendy Memorial Award *Vance Lederman ( 2014–15) ; James H. Ellery Memorial Awards *Adam Benigni ( 1994–95) *Seth Everett ( 1995–96) *Lindsay Kramer ( 1996–97) ;
John B. Sollenberger Trophy The John B. Sollenberger Trophy is given to American Hockey League's leading scorer for the season. History The award was named for John B. Sollenberger in 1955. Sollenberger was a long-time contributor to the league as manager and president of ...
* Carter Verhaeghe ( 2018–19) ; Ken McKenzie Award *Tim Kuhl ( 1994–95, 1995–96) *Jim Sarosy ( 2001–02, 2009–10) ; Les Cunningham Award * Tyler Johnson (
2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
) ; Thomas Ebright Memorial Award *Howard Dolgon ( 2013–14) ; Willie Marshall Award * Tyler Johnson (
2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
) * Carter Verhaeghe, Alex Barre-Boulet ( 2018–19) ; Yanick Dupre Memorial Award * Eric Neilson ( 2013–14) *Brad Chavis ( 2020–21)


References


External links


Syracuse Crunch Official Website
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