The Atlanta Knights were a
minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...
professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
team in the
International Hockey League from 1992 to 1996. The Knights were based in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, and played at the
Omni Coliseum
Omni Coliseum (often called The Omni) was an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Completed in 1972, the arena seated 16,378 for basketball and 15,278 for ice hockey, hockey. It was part of the Omni Complex, now known as the CNN Cente ...
. In 1994 the Knights won the Turner Cup which was the IHL championship. The team became the
Quebec Rafales
The Quebec Rafales (French for "wind gust") were a minor professional ice hockey team located in Quebec City, Quebec. The team played two seasons in the International Hockey League before folding in 1998.
History
The franchise was started in Atl ...
in 1996.
History
The Atlanta Knights was an IHL expansion team in 1992 as the top farm team of the
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
's
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...
. They won the
Turner Cup
The Turner Cup was the championship trophy of the International Hockey League from 1945 to 2001 and the renamed United Hockey League from 2007 to 2010. The Cup was named for Joe Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario. Turner became professi ...
in the 1993–94 season. The Knights featured the first professional
black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
head coach in
John Paris Jr. The Knights were also one of the first professional teams to play a female goalie,
Manon Rhéaume
Manon Rhéaume (born February 24, 1972) is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender. An Olympic silver medalist, she achieved a number of historic firsts during her career, including becoming the first woman to play in an exhibition game in any o ...
, in a regular-season game.
Record in Atlanta
1992–93: Knightmare on Peachtree Street
Led by team captain & IHL legend
Jock Callander and a 40-goal explosion from right winger
Keith Osborne (each in their only season with the club), head coach
Gene Ubriaco
Eugene Stephen Ubriaco (born December 26, 1937) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He is currently the Director of Hockey Operations for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL). As a player, Ubriaco p ...
's Knights would prove to be among the league's most formidable sides, amassing franchise single-season records in wins (52), points (111) & goals scored (333) en route to claiming the Atlantic Division championship.
The initial Knights roster featured many players that would go on to cement themselves into the folklore of the club, among them centers
Brent Gretzky
Brent Gretzky (born February 20, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who briefly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is the brother of Wayne and Keith Gretzky.
Playing career
Gretzky ...
&
Colin Miller; wingers
Christian Campeau,
Stan Drulia
Stanley W. Drulia (born January 5, 1968) is an American former professional right winger and currently the Head Professional Scout for the Nashville Predators of the NHL. One of the most prolific minor league scorers of his day, Drulia scored ...
and
Jason Ruff; defencemen
Jeff Buchanan,
Eric Dubois,
Chris LiPuma and
Shawn Rivers; and goalkeepers
Jean-Claude Bergeron and
Mike Greenlay.
The inaugural Knights campaign also featured the North American professional hockey debuts of both
Manon Rhéaume
Manon Rhéaume (born February 24, 1972) is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender. An Olympic silver medalist, she achieved a number of historic firsts during her career, including becoming the first woman to play in an exhibition game in any o ...
(2 games, 0–1–0, 6.36 GAA) and the
1992 NHL Entry Draft's #1 overall pick,
Roman Hamrlik (2 games, one goal, one assist, two points, 2 penalty minutes), a future three-time NHL All-Star.
1993–94: The Knightmare Continues...and Comes True – Turner Cup Champions
In 1993–94, the Knights became the first Atlanta-based sports franchise since the 1968
Atlanta Chiefs
The Atlanta Chiefs were an American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The team competed in the National Professional Soccer League (1967), National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967 and the North American Soccer League ...
of the
North American Soccer League
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to
1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...
to win a professional championship, capturing the
Turner Cup
The Turner Cup was the championship trophy of the International Hockey League from 1945 to 2001 and the renamed United Hockey League from 2007 to 2010. The Cup was named for Joe Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario. Turner became professi ...
in a best-of-seven Finals victory over the
Fort Wayne Komets
The Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey team, which currently plays in the ECHL. They play their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In all of North American professional hockey, only the Orig ...
, four games to two.
The season-long excellence of goalkeepers
J.C. Bergeron (27–11–7, 3.07) and
Mike Greenlay (16–10–4, 3.58) resulted in the duo being awarded the
James Norris Memorial Trophy (IHL). This masterful netminding combined with outstanding play from off-season acquisitions
Steve Larouche and
Jeff Madill as well as the blueline brilliance of
Jeff Buchanan,
Eric Charron,
Cory Cross &
Eric Dubois contributed greatly to the Knights' second-consecutive division championship, this time the Midwest.
The 1993–94 season also saw Knights' legend
Stan Drulia
Stanley W. Drulia (born January 5, 1968) is an American former professional right winger and currently the Head Professional Scout for the Nashville Predators of the NHL. One of the most prolific minor league scorers of his day, Drulia scored ...
establish single-season club records for goals (54), assists (60), and points (114). The captain's extraordinary play carried over into the post season, culminating in his being awarded the
Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy (IHL) as MVP of the Turner Cup Playoffs with a 13-goal, 25 point performance over the tournament's 14-game span.
4-0 series sweeps in each of the Turner Cup Playoff's first two rounds (vs. the
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team based in Milwaukee. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Nashville Predators. They play their homes games at the UW–Milwaukee Panther ...
and
San Diego Gulls (1990–95) respectively) earned the Knights their first Finals appearance. Greenlay's brilliant play continued throughout the tournament with the netminder posting an eye-popping 11–1 record, a microscopic 2.32 GAA & an outstanding .910 save percentage in 13 playoff appearances.
1994–95: The Knightmare Continues
1995–96: Waking From the Knightmare – Relocation
For the 1996–97 season, the Knights relocated due to the Omni's impending demolition to make way for
Philips Arena
State Farm Arena is a Multi-purpose stadium, multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It also served as home to the Atlanta Thrasher ...
, a facility that would become home to Atlanta's second
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
expansion team, the
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL sea ...
. During their years in Atlanta, Rick Morgan was their full-time national anthem singer and encouraged the crowd to shout "KNIGHTS!" during the line, "Gave proof through the "KNIGHTS" that our flag was still there."
It was customary to hear an emphasized, shouted "KNIGHTS!" during the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
at
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL sea ...
games at
Philips Arena
State Farm Arena is a Multi-purpose stadium, multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It also served as home to the Atlanta Thrasher ...
by spectators in honor of their team, and the tradition has carried over to
Atlanta United FC
Atlanta United FC is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Domestically, the club has won one MLS Cup, one U.S. Open Cup, and one Eastern ...
soccer matches at
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a retractable roof multi-purpose stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Opened in 2017 as a replacement for the Georgia Dome, it is the home of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) and Atlanta ...
and to
Atlanta Gladiators
The Atlanta Gladiators are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Duluth, Georgia. The Gladiators play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at Gas South Arena, approximately northeast ...
games at
Gas South Arena.
Club records
Single Season
Games Played: Eric Dubois, Steve Larouche, Jeff Madill, Colin Miller (80, 1993–94)
Goals:
Stan Drulia
Stanley W. Drulia (born January 5, 1968) is an American former professional right winger and currently the Head Professional Scout for the Nashville Predators of the NHL. One of the most prolific minor league scorers of his day, Drulia scored ...
(54, 1993–94)
Assists: Stan Drulia (60, 1993–94)
Jamie Sargent (60, 1997–98)
Points: Stan Drulia (114, 1993–94)
Penalty Minutes: Chris LiPuma (379, 1992–93)
Wins: J.C. Bergeron (27, 1993–94)
Goals Against Average:
Derek Wilkinson (3.01, 1994–95)
Career
Games Played: Christian Campeau (282)
Goals: Stan Drulia (161)
Assists: Stan Drulia (191)
Points: Stan Drulia (352)
Penalty Minutes: Chris LiPuma (970)
Wins: J.C. Bergeron (60)
Goals Against Average:
David Littman (3.36)
Playoff (Season, Career)
Games Played:
Goals: Steve Larouche (1993–94: 16), Stan Drulia & Steve Larouche (16)
Assists: Jason Ruff (1993–94: 17), Stan Drulia (22)
Points: Steve Larouche (1993–94: 26), Stan Drulia (38)
Penalty Minutes:
Wins: Mike Greenlay (1993–94 & Career: 11)
Goals Against Average: Mike Greenlay (1993–94 & Career: 2.32)
Affiliates
*
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...
(1992–1996)
References
External links
Atlanta Knightsstatistics
{{IHL (1945–2001)
International Hockey League (1945–2001) teams
Sports clubs and teams in Atlanta
Defunct ice hockey teams in the United States
Defunct ice hockey teams in Georgia (U.S. state)
Ice hockey clubs established in 1992
Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1996
1992 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
1996 disestablishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Tampa Bay Lightning minor league affiliates